Newsmakers

BKD LLP announced three promotions to senior manager in the company’s Springfield office. Scott W. Gold and Stephanie C. Weis are members of BKD Health Care Group, which provides community health centers with audit, cost report preparation, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, federal grant reporting and operational consulting services. Jeffrey R. Roberts provides assurance and consulting services to the manufacturing, distribution and retail industries and not-for-profit organizations. He also provides retirement and benefit plan audits and consulting services and helps BKD clients comply with Sarbanes-Oxley regulations.

Architecture

Stephen D. Bent joined Buddy Webb & Co. as an intern architect. He has responsibilities in client relations, site work and field observation, design presentations, drawing and specification quality control. Bent graduated from Drury University with a bachelor’s degree in architecture and is a member of the American Institute of Architects.

Banking

Casey Pyle joined Liberty Bank as assistant vice president for commercial lending, bringing eight years of experience to the position. He holds a degree in agriculture business with an emphasis in finance and management from Southwest Missouri State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Webster University.

Broadcasting

Ron Petersen, owner and general manager of Joplin’s Mix 95.1 KMXL and Fabulous 1490 KDMO, was awarded the Missouri Distinguished Broadcaster award from the Missouri Broadcasters Association. The award was presented at the association’s annual convention in Kansas City. Petersen has been in the radio business for more than 40 years and owns and operates the last two locally owned radio stations in the Joplin market.

Community

Jackie Barger was named manager of membership for Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. Barger, a Drury graduate, is the former director of the Springfield Symphony Association. Before his work with the symphony, he was executive director of a child and family services agency in Valparaiso, Ind.

In Rural Missouri Magazine’s April issue, Branson placed second in the Best Main Street category. The awards were part of the White River Electric Cooperative-produced magazine’s fourth annual Rural Missouri Reader’s Choice contest, which also awarded first place in the Best Old Store division to Dick’s 5 & 10 on Main Street in downtown Branson.

Education

Jonathan Spence, assistant professor of education at Evangel University, successfully completed his doctoral dissertation and earned his doctor of education degree in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Spence is a 1988 Evangel graduate and has taught there since 1998.

A group of Central High School sophomores placed ninth in the nation in the WordMasters Challenge, a contest requiring close reading and analysis of various kinds of short fiction, poetry and essays. Jessica Castleberry, Ali Scheer and Wyko Ter Haar competed against 534 high school teams from across the country. The team’s ninth-place finish was based on scores from four meets held throughout the school year.

The Asian American Journalists Association selected Central High School sophomore Lucy Sun to attend its J Camp this summer. Sun is one of 40 students attending the Aug. 12–17 camp at the University of Minnesota. J Camp is a program “designed to develop the next generation of journalists of color.” Sun is the editor of the Central High School newspaper, The High Times.

SMSU’s Vitis Gene Discovery Program received a $170,071 grant for continued exploration of the genetic makeup of wild grapevines. The goal of the program is to produce a disease-resistant hardy fruit that requires minimal chemical input and rivals the grapes of Europe in fruit and wine quality.

Drury’s speech and debate team placed 11th in the Division I bracket at the National Forensics Association’s Collegiate Speech Nationals at the University of Akron. Students on the team were Carly Crocker, Brandy Enver, Ben Haas, Spencer Harris, Joe McIntosh, Jessica Redmond and Jason Swadley.

Evangel’s Academic and Career Development Center received Level I certification from the College Reading and Learning Association. CRLA is a voluntary association of approximately 1,200 postsecondary learning assistance colleges. Five peer tutors also received Level I Tutor certification: Tiffany Brown, Lindsay Smith, Stephanie Howell, Danny Arnold and Katie Poole.

University of Phoenix added James I. Briggs Jr. to the faculty of the Springfield campus. Briggs teaches classes in the Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Master of Business Administration programs. Briggs also is in his ninth year as legal counsel for Springfield-Branson Regional Airport. He holds degrees from Florida State University, Louisiana Tech University and the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Government

JoAnn Evans of Beimdiek Insurance Agency Inc. was chosen to serve on the Missouri Consumer Advisory Panel. The panel, created by Gov. Matt Blunt, is intended to review the efforts of various state departments. Evans, who has 23 years of experience in the insurance industry, is the vice president of employee benefits for Beimdiek Insurance.

Health care

Barrett D. Lewis joined the allergy and immunology department of Ferrell-Duncan Clinic. Lewis, who is board-certified in pediatrics, attended medical school at the University of Arkansas. He is a member of the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology and the American College of Allergy and Immunology.

Paul N. Arnold and Priscilla P. Arnold recently attended the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting in Washington, D.C. At the meeting, Priscilla Arnold participated in the Challenge Cup Session, where teams of ophthalmologists debated the pros and cons of various refractive and cataract procedures. The meeting also marked the end of her one-year term as president of the society.

Citizens Memorial Healthcare in Bolivar awarded the 2005 Customer Service Award to the company’s environmental services department and the department’s director, Lois Mueller. The award was in recognition of the department’s willingness to go above and beyond what is expected, including dealing with low pay and minimal respect for their efforts. As part of the award, the department received $1,000 to spend as it chooses.

Orthopaedic ASC of Springfield LLC was awarded accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. Status as an accredited organization means the group has passed a series of nationally recognized standards for the provision of quality health care set by the Accreditation Association.

Media

Two employees of KSMU were honored by the Radio-Television News Directors Association and Foundation with regional Edward R. Murrow awards for excellence in electronic journalism. Missy Shelton, senior governmental affairs producer, received awards in the feature reporting and news documentary categories. She won for a report about political discussions at a café in Bolivar and a documentary on the success of Campbell Elementary School. News and Production Director Mike Smith won for his use of sound in a story about the 2004 Ozark Empire Fair.

The Lance, Evangel University’s weekly student publication, received 18 awards in its division at the Missouri College Media Association annual meeting in Lee’s Summit. The awards included first place in feature writing, entertainment cartoon, photo page and special section. The Excalibur, Evangel’s yearbook, received 11 awards including first place in feature photography, sports photography and student life design.

Travel

Linda and Don Overend, principals of The Travel Group, completed a 12-day educational trip to Egypt sponsored by the American Society of Travel Agents. The tour included studies at Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Alexandria. The Overends also made trips to the Pyramids, the Sphinx, the temples of Karnac and Luxor, the High Dam at Aswan and cruised the Nile River.

Utilities

Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. recently presented several company awards. Dan Upp and Angie Vire celebrated 30 years with the company while Roderick Dubree, Michael King, Charles Means, Ronald Murphy, Clarence Thompson and Thomas Uffmann celebrated 25 years of service. Associated Electric Human Resources Director Dave Stump was recognized with the Distinguished Service Award, while Senior Administrative Assistant Ronda Earnhart was named Excel Employee of the Year.