Newsmakers: Aug. 17-23, 2015

Accounting
Kassie Gorvo, a senior accountant with Duckett Ladd LLP, earned the certified public accountant designation. A three-year employee, Gorvo holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Missouri State University.

Advertising
ADsmith Marketing and Advertising hired Sophie Perry as an account coordinator. Perry has worked in travel and hospitality and holds a bachelor’s in English literature from Beloit College in Wisconsin.

Banking and Finance
BKD Wealth Advisors LLC hired Shelly Titus as a managing adviser. With 20 years of financial industry experience, most recently with Central Bank of the Ozarks, Titus coordinates investment management with tax, retirement, financial education and estate planning.

Old Missouri Bank promoted Tammy Kelley to vice president and internal auditor. Kelley has worked with Old Missouri Bank since 2004 and has a bachelor’s in business administration from MSU.

Guaranty Bank promoted Tina Dill to vice president and compliance officer. She joined Guaranty Bank in 2014 as a compliance specialist and has 26 years of banking experience.

Construction
Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc. added Lauren Cook as marketing coordinator and Nicole Buerke as an intern architect. Cook holds an MBA with an emphasis in marketing from Missouri State University and earned a bachelor’s in digital cinema from DePaul University in Chicago. Buerke has a master’s in architecture from Drury University and previously worked for Jacobs Global Buildings in St. Louis.

Education
Everett Hornbostel, Southwest Baptist University assistant director of safety and security, was awarded the Certified Protection Officer designation by the International Federation of Protection Officers. Hornbostel completed eight months of study and training and passed a four-hour exam.

David Esping was named chief technology officer for Ozarks Technical Community College. Previously working as the information technology director at Missouri University of Science and Technology, he holds a bachelor’s in business administration and a master’s in educational technology from Bemidji State University in Minnesota.

The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education accredited Evangel University’s athletic training program. The allied health care professional degree makes Evangel the first Assemblies of God university to offer a nationally accredited athletic training degree.

Government
The Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management was awarded a $39,639 recycling grant by Missouri Solid Waste District O. The grant is designated for the expansion of the current recycling program at Springfield’s Public Safety Center.

Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Associate Circuit Judge Jason Brown as circuit judge for the 31st Judicial Circuit covering Greene County. An associate circuit judge in the county for 10 years, Brown holds a bachelor’s from the University of Missouri and a law degree from Vanderbilt University.

The Greene County Commission received a clean audit of the county’s 2014 financial statements by an external auditor with KPM CPAs PC. The “unmodified” opinion is the highest audit rating available for a public entity.

Health Care
The Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at CoxHealth received a $317,333 donation from area Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores. Assisting children with illnesses and injuries across a 32-county area, the donations were collected between May 4 and June 14.

Creekside at Elfindale Retirement Community named Kevin Rusenstrom executive director. He has 20 years of leadership experience and holds a bachelor’s in communications from Evangel University.

Board-certified radiologist Dr. Chad Potter was hired by Citizens Memorial Hospital to work in its radiology department and imaging center. He holds a medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta.

Dr. Amit Shah joined the hospitalist team at Cox Medical Center Branson. He and his wife Dr. Foram Shah, also a CoxHealth hospitalist, moved to Branson from Kentucky, where he practiced as a family physician. Shah attended medical school at Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara, India, his native country. He earned a master’s in public health from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill., and completed family medicine residency through Southern Illinois University.

Advantage Therapy in Monett added Jeremy Graddy as a therapist. A graduate of Southwest Baptist University and Missouri State University, Graddy has experience treating orthopedic outpatient injuries, Parkinson’s disease and balance disorders, and work-related injuries.

Chelsea Hord was named a therapist for Advantage Therapy’s south Springfield office. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Missouri. Most recently, she worked as a physical therapist and therapy supervisor in northwest Arkansas.

Insurance
Derek Richardson, an adviser in the commercial risk department with Ollis/Akers/Arney, was named Rotaract Club of Springfield’s 2014-15 Member of the Year. His contributions include serving as the international project chairman and helping create a fake reality show to raise funds in a partnership with Springfield Southeast Rotary.

Farmers Insurance named Bolivar agent Justin Blair a Championship Agent. The honor recognizes the company’s top 3 percent of agents and includes an invitation to attend Farmers’ Championship Conference.

Ollis/Akers/Arney in Springfield hired Stacye Perriman as human resources coordinator. Perriman holds a bachelor’s in communications from MSU.

Nonprofit
The Rotary Club of Springfield North named its 2015-16 leadership team: Melissa Davis, president; Paula Montgomery, president-elect; Margaret Geiger, secretary; Emily Dake Inman, treasurer; Joe Costello, past-president; Rick Floyd, Allen Kunkel and Joe Wadkins, club directors; Joe Stokes, trainer; and James Young and John Schaefer, sergeants-at-arms.

Retail
Lil’ Anglers LLC won Best in Show in the Kids Tackle fishing category at the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing in Orlando. The award recognized the company’s No Tangle fishing line product.

Simon Properties named Michael Martin general manager of Battlefield Mall. A Simon property manager since 2013, Martin is responsible for mall operations, tenant relations, leasing, marketing, business development, security and customer service.