Newsmakers

Irvin Belzer was added to BKD LLP’s Public Interest Council. The Springfield company formed the council in 2004 as an independent advisory body to provide oversight of its professional and business practices. Belzer is managing partner of Kansas City law firm Bryan Cave LLP; he has nearly 30 years of legal experience in business disputes and commercial litigation.

Lois J. Weston of Tax and Financial Services in Springfield was elected second vice president of the Missouri Society of Accountants at its annual convention at Lake of the Ozarks. Weston has served on the society’s board of directors for the past four years and is a past president of MSA’s Heart of the Ozarks chapter.

Banking

Regions Bank appointed Nick Burlison as business banking relationship manager for the Springfield region. Burlison brings eight years of retail and commercial banking experience to his new position. He will maintain his current office at Regions Bank’s Glenstone branch.

John Flowers joined The Signature Bank as a compliance officer. Flowers has 32 years of experience in the financial service industry. He received his Bachelor of Science in accounting from Pittsburg State University and is a graduate of the ABA National Graduate Compliance School at the University of Oklahoma.

Commerce Bank promoted Kody Brandt to assistant vice president and branch manager of the company’s Kansas Expressway banking center. In his new position, he is responsible for business development and customer service related to the branch’s banking and lending services for consumers and small businesses.

Community

The Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce made a few changes to its staff. Sherri Cloyd was added as an administrative assistant. Cloyd graduated from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar with a degree in psychology. Cary Beasley was promoted to work force development coordinator. Beasley has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Rolla. Kirstie Smith is the chamber’s new communications coordinator. She is a graduate of Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kan.

Preservation Springfield presented the Robert Flanders Lifetime Achievement traveling sculpture to Allen Casey at its seventh annual award ceremony. Casey received the Flanders Award for his years of dedication to historic preservation and restoration.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation recently recognized the Downtown Branson Main Street Association for its commercial district revitalization efforts. The association’s revitalization program is among 593 nationally certified by the trust’s Main Street Center in 2005. Certification is based on a 30-point system, analyzing each town’s performance and how it maximizes its own individuality.

Clay Goddard was appointed director of information systems for the city of Springfield. He was promoted internally from the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, where he most recently worked as administrator of community health and epidemiology. Responsibilities in his new job include overseeing 23 employees as well as technology applications on the city’s Web site, geographic information systems and 911 computer-aided dispatch system.

Education

Former Southwest Missouri State College President Arthur Mallory was honored with the dedication of the Arthur L. Mallory Plaza on the north mall area of campus. Mallory was the youngest president in the school’s history, beginning his tenure in 1964 at age 31. He resigned as president in 1971 to become commissioner of higher education for the state of Missouri.

Health care

CoxHealth has added new physicians to its staff. Dr. William H. Duncan joined the orthopedic department of Ferrell-Duncan Clinic. Duncan completed his medical degree at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and his residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Dr. Siu Ping Luthy was added to the staff at Cox Health Center Nixa. Luthy graduated from Washington University School of Medicine, and she completed her residency at Cox Family Medicine Residency. She is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Erik Van Riessen joined CoxHealth’s Southern Hills Family Medicine. He earned his medical degree and completed his residency at the University of Missouri-Columbia while serving as chief resident. His specialties include preventive medicine, sports medicine and adolescent medicine.