Newsmakers: Aug. 19-25, 2024

Banking & Finance
Guaranty Bank appointed five people to its 12-week summer internship program. Sarah Cummings and Bekah Gunter were selected as marketing interns; Rachel Moore and Kristen Dennis were picked as retail interns; and Lucas Chadwell was chosen as a credit intern. Cummings earned her bachelor’s in strategic communication from Evangel University; Gunter is starting her junior year at Missouri State University with a marketing major; Moore is majoring in accounting at Rhodes College; Dennis received her bachelor’s in finance from MSU and is pursuing a Master of Business Administration; and Chadwell is entering his junior year at MSU with a finance major.

Construction
Nabholz Construction Corp. promoted Brandon Wall to executive vice president of operations for its Springfield division, which serves private and public sectors in southwest Missouri. Previously the manager for a Nabholz special projects division in Arkansas, Wall is a graduate of Brigham Young University.

Government
Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management employees Aubrey Johnson and Katelyn Kovach earned the certified emergency manager designation from the International Association of Emergency Managers, the highest honor of professional achievement available from the association. Johnson serves as training and exercise specialist, and Kovach is planning specialist for the Springfield-Greene County OEM.

Nonprofit
The Junior League of Springfield, Missouri Inc. named three top board officers for 2024-25. They are President Rachel Fuhrman, of Jack Henry & Associates Inc. (Nasdaq: JKHY); Secretary Katie Cosby, of Varian; and Treasurer Sydnie Evgenides, of Forvis Mazars LLP.

Community Foundation of the Ozarks Inc. granted $19,500 to nine organizations through endowed field-of-interest funds established by donors. Greenfield R-IV School District received $500 from the Lennie Cloud Fund for the Hearing Impaired Grant Program; Girls on the Run Southwest Missouri was awarded $500 through the Smith Atwell Girls Recreational Grant Program; the Springfield-Greene County Park Board was selected for $3,000 from the Wounded War Veterans Grant Program; Eden Animal Haven and Rescue One received $1,250 apiece from the St. Francis Fund Grant Program; and Ash Grove Sunshine Center Inc. got $3,100, Cabool Senior Center $3,400, Cassville Senior Center $1,500 and Marshfield Senior Center $5,000 from the Hearld Ambler Fund for Senior Centers Grant Program.

Retail
Bass Pro Shops and O’Reilly Automotive Inc. (Nasdaq: ORLY) were named among the nation’s best retailers in a list published by Newsweek. First in its category of camping and outdoor gear, Bass Pro had an overall score of 90.63 out of a possible 100. O’Reilly Automotive was first in its category of auto supplies with an overall score of 89.86. Newsweek partnered with Statista on its third-annual ranking of the best U.S. retailers, rating companies based on survey responses from more than 7,000 shoppers on their likelihood of recommending the retailers and their thoughts on the companies’ prices, selection, atmosphere, customer service and accessibility.