Newsmakers

Community
The Greater Ozarks Chapter of the American Red Cross announced several new staff members. Cheryl Jackson is the assistant director of emergency services, overseeing assistance to local disaster clients. Dana Brown is health and safety services specialist. Carrie Collier is the new volunteer coordinator, and Kathy Nolder is the team leader for AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America.
Big Brothers Big Sisters added Rob Bratcher and Jody B. Vance to its board of directors. Bratcher is market president for Bank of America and is a member of the Downtown Rotary and the United Way Allocations Committee. Vance, a local periodontist for 10 years, also is a member of the Multiple Sclerosis Society Board of Directors.
Joplin High School junior Logan Skelley received the Congressional Award Silver Medal from southwest Missouri Congressman Roy Blunt. The award, established for citizens ages 14–24 who donate time to achieve goals in public service, personal development, physical fitness and exploration, is the highest honor Congress bestows on young Americans. Skelley volunteered more than 400 hours on projects in the last year, including the Canned Heat project, which raised funds for low-income families in the Joplin area to pay winter heating bills.

Education
Robberson Elementary School Principal Kevin Huffman was named an Everyday Hero by the American Red Cross Greater Ozarks Chapter and KY3. Huffman was one of 10 people representing a variety of groups who were chosen out of more than 100 nominees.
The Foundation for Springfield Public Schools hired Lisa Langley as facilitator for the Partners in Education program. Langley is responsible for connecting SPS children and classroom teachers with corporate, education, volunteer, government and civic leaders. Langley previously served as a public speaking instructor at Southwest Missouri State University.

Finance
UMB Bank elected Matthew J. Connell to assistant vice president and financial consultant in the UMB Scout Brokerage Services division. In his new position, Connell is responsible for providing financial consulting and brokerage services for individuals and businesses in the Springfield, Monett, Warsaw and Clinton areas.

Health care
Dr. Silvan Garcia joined Cox Senior Health Center. She studied medicine at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico, and New York Medical College. She is also board-certified in internal medicine and has completed a geriatric fellowship at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
Dr. Rebecca J. Wotherspoon joined Northside Pediatrics in Springfield. Her areas of interest include general pediatrics and hematologic disorders. Wotherspoon attended medical school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and completed her residency at the University of Tennessee-Memphis.

Insurance
Lori Rittenberry joined Nixon & Lindstrom Insurance as a customer service representative in the commercial lines department. She has 12 years of experience in the insurance business.
John Patton, SMSU finance and business associate professor, was appointed to the Missouri Department of Insurance’s consumer advisory council. The purpose of the council is to assist in making decisions that affect all Missouri insurance consumers.

Law
David W. Doran, an attorney in private practice, completed a course of study for general civil mediation training at the University of Missouri Law School Center for Continuing Legal Education. Doran is now listed as a mediator of civil cases for the Missouri Bar, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

Real estate
Branson’s Jim Asbury is among the Missouri Association of Realtors’ newly named board members. Also on the 2005 board is President Larry Keating, of Jefferson City, President-elect Steve Snook, of Cameron, and Treasurer Bruce Aydt, of St. Louis. Kay Gerken, of Branson, is the 2005 immediate past president.