Newsmakers: April 1-7, 2019

Accounting
BKD LLP promoted Sam Schriver to senior consultant II in BKD’s forensics and valuation services division. He has a master of accountancy, bachelor’s in accounting and a certificate in forensic accounting from Missouri State University.

Advertising
Revel Advertising won 11 Addy awards at the American Advertising Awards ceremony at Downstream Casino Resort. The company received five silvers, five golds and the Judges Award for its black walnut packaging for Hammons Product Co.

Architecture
BRP Architects added George Mandrik as an architect. He has experience designing banks and residential, health care and educational facilities in southwest Missouri. A Ukraine native, Mandrik is a LEED green associate and a member of the American Institute of Architects.

Banking and Finance
Guaranty Bank promoted Nick Lofaro to chief information officer. He joined the bank in 2014 as vice president and chief technology officer and has 25 years’ experience as an information technology professional and 16 years of banking experience. Lofaro retains his CTO duties for the bank.

Achieve Private Wealth adviser Paula Dougherty qualified for Ameriprise Financial Services Inc.’s Circle of Success annual recognition program. She has 23 years of experience with Ameriprise.

Distribution
NewStream Enterprises LLC added James Christian as information technology manager. He is responsible for aligning IT polices and procedures to the goals of the business, as well as providing IT infrastructure and tools to NSE employees. Christian also has served as a reserve deputy sheriff for the Greene County Sheriff’s Office for 17 years.

Health Care
Mercy Hospital Springfield received a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The CMS rating considers 100 measures from seven categories: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, effectiveness of care, timeliness and effective use of medical imaging. Less thsn 7 percent of hospitals nationwide earn this distinction.

The Leapfrog Group named Mercy as a top hospital and awarded it an “A” grade for patient safety. The group is a national nonprofit that surveys hospital performance.

Arrow Insurance Group LLC owner Andy Ebbrecht was named to the 2019 Elite Circle of Champions by CMS. He enrolled more than 400 clients into the marketplace during the 2019 open enrollment period.

Law
J. Miles Sweeney was accepted into the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, an association of alternative dispute resolution professionals. Through his Judicial ADR Group LLC, Sweeney has performed over 400 mediations and arbitrations since his 2007 retirement from the Greene County Circuit Court bench.

Nonprofit
Tri-Lakes United Way presented more than $25,000 in grants to 10 nonprofit organizations in Stone and Taney counties: Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks, Christian Action Ministries, The Crisis Center, Dignity Now, Faith Community, Gift of Hope Inc., Jesus Was Homeless Inc., The Salvation Army-Branson, Stone County Health Department and Taney Hills Community Library.

Technology
Paperwise Inc. received the Enterprise Technology of the Year Award at Biz 417’s annual Excellence in Technology Awards. The company was nominated for its cloud-based Rhooster platform, which is slated for launch later this year.