Newsmakers: April 6-12, 2026

Accounting
KPM CPAs & Advisors added Alexi Ridenhour and Luke Schnurr to its team. Ridenhour is a staff accountant in the firm’s audit department who previously was an intern at the company. She has a bachelor’s in accounting from Missouri State University. Appointed as a member of the firm’s tax team, Schnurr earned a bachelor’s in accounting from Grand Canyon University.

Banking & Finance
Wayne Wilson joined OMB Bank as vice president and loan officer, serving clients at the company’s Carthage branch. With more than 25 years of commercial banking experience, Wilson most recently served as senior vice president and market leader for Cadence Bank in Joplin.

Chambers of Commerce
The Nixa Chamber of Commerce announced the lineup of its 2026 executive board. They are Chair David Liss of Nixa Public Schools; Vice Chair Summer Lampe of Xtreme Exteriors; Treasurer Jay Ortiz of Eagle Pride Automotive; and Secretary Tricia Chapman of Nixa Public Schools. The Nixa chamber also added Shawn Burgess of Mitchem Tire as a new board member.

Commercial Cleaning
Stacey Claypool joined Springfield-based Quality Clean in the newly created role of business development manager. Claypool joins the company with a background in marketing and community connection, officials say.

Government
The city of Nixa appointed Travis Cossey as director of Nixa Utilities & Public Works. Cossey has nearly 30 years of experience with the municipality, most recently serving as assistant director of Nixa Utilities & Public Works.

Health Care
Citizens Memorial Hospital and the CMH Walk-In Clinic appointed physician assistant Ellie Duckworth to its medical staff. Duckworth has a bachelor’s in biology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a master’s in physician assistant studies from Missouri State University. She is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

Mercy Hospital Springfield made Newsweek’s 2026 list of the World’s Best Hospitals. The hospitals on the list are recognized based on care, patient experience and clinical excellence. Mercy has been recognized for five consecutive years in the global rankings.

Manufacturing
Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co. promoted Candice Chang and Wren Hall. Appointed as senior vice president of sales and marketing, Chang has more than 15 years of experience in the consumer-packaged goods industry. Hall, who was named vice president of public affairs and communications, has over 30 years of experience in communications and related fields.

Nonprofit
Champion Athletes of the Ozarks appointed Kari Norris as a new board member. Norris serves as executive vice president of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. At the Hall of Fame, Norris in 2024 became the first woman to hold the EVP role since the organization opened in 1994.

Todd Hughes joined the Good Dads Inc. board. A graduate of Gonzaga Law School, Hughes serves as executive vice president and chief administration officer for Central Trust Co.