Newsmakers

Architecture

John Torgerson joined Bates & Associates as an associate architect. He is a 1999 graduate of Drury University. Prior to joining Bates & Associates, Torgerson worked at Pellham Phillips Hagerman.

Attractions

Steve Thompson, general manager of Fantastic Caverns, was elected to the board of directors for the National Caves Association. During the association's fall convention in Redding, Calif., Thompson was elected director of Region Four, which includes Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Banking

David Sederholm joined Empire Bank as vice president of investment management and trust services. He has more than 20 years of investment management experience. Sederholm earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Montana and his master's degree from Wayne State University. He is a certified financial planner.

Old Missouri National Bank announced two staff changes.

Thomas C. Highley was appointed to the position of senior lending officer. In addition to his current duties as senior vice president, he also handles credit administration and supervision of the bank's lending staff. He also is a member of the senior loan committee. Highley has been with the bank since 2000 and he has 25 years of banking experience.

Karla Divin was appointed branch manager of Old Missouri National Bank's South National location. She has 25 years of banking experience in several operational areas, including bookkeeping, IRAs and new accounts. As branch manager, she supervises the new accounts department, opening accounts and assisting the senior vice president of operations.

Community

Carol Jones of Carol Jones, Realtors, made a $25,000 contribution to the Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks. Carol Jones Realtors served as lead sponsor for the Fabulous Follies, a theatrical event that was held in November to benefit BCFO.

Construction

Karl Severson joined Nesbitt Construction Inc. as senior estimator. Severson has experience in cost planning and estimating. His addition to the company's staff will allow Nesbitt Construction to accept a more diverse range of projects.

Law

Attorney Sam M. Coring was made partner of Reynolds, Gold & Grosser PC. Coring, who became an associate of the firm in 1998, opened its office locations in Joplin and Cape Girardeau. For the past two years, Coring has practiced in Reynolds, Gold & Grosser's Springfield office in the areas of bankruptcy, Social Security disability and traffic law. He received his undergraduate and law degrees at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1995 and is also admitted to practice law before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and U.S. District Courts for the Western District of Missouri, Eastern District of Missouri, Central District of Illinois and Southern District of Illinois. As part of his private practice, Coring also serves as city prosecutor for Walnut Grove and Willard.

Media

The Nixa News-Enterprise, a paper of the CPI/Mo. Group, was chosen a Best of States national winner by the National Newspaper Association. The paper won in the category of nondaily publications with circulation of less than 3,000.