Newsmakers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture handed out two USDA Rural Development Grants. The city of Humansville received $10,685 for the purchase of an early warning storm siren system, and Harvest Assembly Church in Fair Play received $9,970 to purchase health and fitness equipment.

Culinary arts

Olive Garden Culinary Manager Clint Childers was among 65 graduates of the Olive Garden Culinary Institute of Tuscany. A special series of culinary seminars and demonstrations were designed to further inspire and educate managers who had been to Italy and to provide them with new ways to share Italian food and wine with their restaurant teams and guests. The event was held at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley, Calif.

Education

Gov. Matt Blunt appointed Joplin resident Joncee L. Nodler to the Public School Retirement System of Missouri Board of Trustees. Nodler is a former Joplin public school teacher and received her bachelor’s degree in art education from Missouri Southern State University.

The National Association of Counties awarded Greene County a $5,000 mini-grant to help administer its early childhood development activities. Greene was one of seven counties that received funding, provided by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The county will use the funding to identify the availability, accessibility and needs of early childhood- and family- strengthening activities and services.

Carol Browning, associate professor of mathematics at Drury University, was invited to supervise a workshop for the New Experiences in Teaching project at the summer Mathfest Aug. 1–3 in Albuquerque, N.M.

Hillcrest High School seniors Quinci Adams and Carrie Lutz received the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for “The Rare Breed,” a segment that appeared on the student-produced HTV Magazine show.

Health care

Reggie George, a board-certified pediatrician, joined Springfield Inpatient Physicians, a CoxHealth-owned and -operated clinic. His specialties are pediatrics and internal medicine. George earned his medical degree and completed his residency at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He previously practiced at Lee’s Summit Hospital and Children’s Mercy Hospital.

Ronald “Mark” Alexander, of Marshfield, was named to the State Advisory Council on Emergency Medical Services. He is administrative director of pre-hospital services for CoxHealth in Springfield and a member of the Missouri Emergency Medical Services Association.

Law

Thomas D. Peebles Jr., shareholder of Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown PC, was a presenter at the Missouri Bar’s 2005 Annual Law Update June 3 in Springfield. In his presentation, Peebles reviewed recent statutory and case law developments in Missouri impacting probate and trust practices.

Manufacturing

Webco Inc., a designer and manufacturer of custom air-handling equipment, was registered by the NSF International Strategic Registrations Ltd. for conforming its quality management system to International Organization for Standardizations ISO 9001:2000. ISO 9001:2000 is an international standard recognized throughout the world for establishing a business management system.

Real estate

Mid-Missouri Mortgage Co. promoted Lois Kreider from executive vice president and chief operating officer to president and CEO. Kreider has been with the company since its founding in 1999, when she served as vice president. The company also hired Beki Skyles as a mortgage loan specialist. Skyles has worked in the finance and insurance industries for eight years, including previous service for Mid-Missouri Mortgage.

Tourism

The Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau handed out several awards at its annual Salute to Travel & Tourism Awards Banquet and Benefit. The Pinnacle Award was presented to former Sen. Emory Melton for contributions to the area’s travel industry. Melton’s son, Stan Melton, received the Spotlight Award for advancing tourism as someone not usually considered part of the travel and tourism industry. Stan Melton has served on the CVB’s board. City Councilman Ralph Manley received the Diplomat Award, given to a government official or organization. CVB volunteers Henry Justice and Evelyn Butts received the Decade of Service Award; and United Methodist Church Revs. David Van Giesen, Sue Watson, Bruce Davis and Nancy Davis won the Ambassador Award for their help in bringing the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church to Springfield in 2006 and 2007.

[[In-content Ad]]