Newsmakers

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Community|ret||ret||tab|

Court Appointed Special Advocates of Southwest Missouri announced four newly elected executive officers to its board of directors.|ret||ret||tab|

Greg Burris, vice president for administration and finance at Southwest Missouri State University, was elected president. Jack Hadsall was elected vice president. Hadsall is the risk manager for City Utilities in Springfield. JoAnn Dapp, owner of New Horizons Computer Learning Center, was named secretary. Nancy McKenzie was elected treasurer. She has served on several community boards and has been a child advocate for CASA since 2000. |ret||ret||tab|

CASA was awarded two grants. The Jeannette L. Musgrave Foundation of Springfield awarded CASA $5,000 to be used to train volunteers to serve as advocates for abused and neglected children in Greene County.|ret||ret||tab|

Wal-Mart Supercenter in Republic awarded CASA $2,000 as a result of a bonus given to the local store from its corporate office for surpassing its 2002 United Way giving total.|ret||ret||tab|

Education|ret||ret||tab|

Natalie Cauldwell, principal of York Elementary School, was nominated as this year's Missouri Distinguished Principal by the Springfield chapter of the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals. Cauldwell will be honored March 13, along with 13 other state distinguished principal nominees, at MAESP's annual spring conference. One of the 14 nominees will be selected for the National Distinguished Principal Award and be honored in Washington, D.C., later this year.|ret||ret||tab|

The Southwest Baptist University graduate program in physical therapy was granted re-accreditation until Dec. 31, 2013, by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy and Education. This is the maximum length of time allowable for accreditation by the CAPTE. The program received initial accreditation in October 1998.|ret||ret||tab|

Jerry C. Davis, College of the Ozarks president, recently attended the Eisenhower Fellows reunion in Taipei, Taiwan. In 1994, Davis was selected as the United States Eisenhower Fellow to the Republic of China. The Eisenhower Fellowship Association began in 1954 and acts as an international exchange program promoting goodwill and understanding through the exchange of ideas, points of view and information among chosen representatives at the leadership level.|ret||ret||tab|

Paul Nowak, PhD, Ernest R. Breech Professor of Private Enterprise at Drury University, received a Fulbright Senior Specialists grant in business administration at the University of Ljubljana Faculty of Economics. The Fulbright Senior Specialists Program offers two- to six-week grants to leading U.S. academics and professionals to support curricular and faculty development and institutional planning at academic institutions in 140 countries around the world. The program's purpose is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.|ret||ret||tab|

Steve Whisler was named director of church relations for Southwest Baptist University. He is responsible for the development and implementation of a strategic plan for prospecting, cultivating and sustaining support for church donors. Whisler has been a charter member of the Missouri Baptist Development Council since 1989.|ret||ret||tab|

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Finance|ret||ret||tab|

Citizens National Bank of Springfield announced two employee promotions.|ret||ret||tab|

Loan Review Officer Bonnie Murdock assigned the additional title of compliance officer. |ret||ret||tab|

Her duties now include assisting with the oversight of the bank's regulatory compliance program. She has been in banking for more than 26 years, and with Citizens National Bank for six. |ret||ret||tab|

Bart Ellison was promoted to commercial loan officer. |ret||ret||tab|

He is involved with new business development in commercial and real estate lending. Ellison has been with Citizens National Bank for three years. |ret||ret||tab|

Tosha Cooper, profile manager for Springfield Trust Company, completed Level II of the Cannon Financial Institute's Trust Investments course. The training focused on investing strategies for individuals, businesses and charities.|ret||ret||tab|

Marketing|ret||ret||tab|

Lenni Neimeyer accepted a position as the director of group sales for the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau. |ret||ret||tab|

Her duties include the management of sales programs for group tours, travel agents, students, military, reunions and other specialized and targeted markets. Neimeyer also represents the chamber at national and international travel industry conventions and meetings. Neimeyer has worked in Branson's business and tourism community for 20 years as a specialist in developing sales and marketing programs and promotional campaigns.|ret||ret||tab|

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Networking|ret||ret||tab|

The Business Builders Club announced nine new members to its organization: Michael Wyckoff of Summit Roofing, Steve Greene of LeDipping Parlor Spas, Leisa Wardlaw of Body Enhancement Clinic, Jay Miller of Ron Miller Hardware, Brian Weimer of Pro-Factors Inc., Bill Holmes of Chesterfield Eyeworks, Kerry Norman of Gorman and Gorman Mortgage Bank, David Hardison of Paul Davis Restoration of SW Missouri Inc. and Beth Thompson of Country Bunny Bath and Body. |ret||ret||tab|

Springfield Business Connection is now Southwest Business ConnectionInc., following the recent adoption of a new constitution and bylaws. |ret||ret||tab|

Officers for 2004 are: Stacy Boysen-Krauck of Databasebusiness.com, president; Athena Fitts of Leo's Pride Inc., president-elect; Mary Martin of G & M Office Products Inc., secretary; Heather Jenkins of Jenkins CPA, treasurer; Dennis Marsh of Ovation Marketing, member-at-large; and Betty Lorton, PhD, of the University of Missouri Outreach and Extension, advisor. |ret||ret||tab|

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Technology|ret||ret||tab|

John Horton of Layer 3 Technology achieved the Certified Ethical Hacker Certification following successful completion of a week-long program and passage of the International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants Exam 312-50. The CEH program certifies individuals in the specific network security discipline of ethical hacking from a vendor-neutral perspective. The certification teaches concerned parties, including auditors and site administrators, how to keep hackers from invading their networks by showing participants how illegal hackers think and how they work.|ret||ret||tab|

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Transportation |ret||ret||tab|

John E. Millsap was named vice president of Ridewell Corporation. Millsap has been with Ridewell for nine years, eight of which as the south central regional sales manager. As vice president, Millsap has full management duties and ultimately will oversee all aspects of the company.|ret||ret||tab|

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