Accounting Elliott, Robinson & Co. LLP promoted Benjamin Zachary to senior accountant and Kristin Carter to the position of supervisor. Zachary, a certified public accountant who holds a master’s in accountancy from Missouri State University, starting working with the company as an intern in 2010. Carter, a CPA who holds a master’s in accountancy from the University of Missouri, has been working for the company since 2011.
Elliott, Robinson & Co. also hired Riley Citron as a staff accountant and added Kristen Jones as an intern. Citron holds a bachelor’s in accounting from Drury University, and Jones is an MSU student assisting in tax preparation.
The Whitlock Co. CPAs Shawn Barbour and Josh Beaird earned the certified internal auditor designation from The Institute of Internal Audits.
Banking & Finance Guaranty Bank promoted Chandler Johnston to retail banking officer and manager of its Nixa branch on Highway CC. Johnston is responsible for generating and expanding consumer and business banking relationships in Christian County. She joined Guaranty in 2004 and has worked as a teller, personal banker and corporate services account manager.
BluCurrent Credit Union promoted Bryce Park and Terence Arrington. Park was named assistant branch manager at the credit union’s Sunset Street site. He joined the company in 2011 and worked previously as a member services representative. Arrington, who earned a bachelor’s degree from Evangel University and started with BluCurrent in 2011, was named assistant branch manager on Kearney Street.
Education Gov. Jay Nixon appointed two individuals to the Missouri State University Board of Governors: Springfield attorney Joe Carmichael of Carmichael & Neal PC and Jefferson City business owner Carrie Carroll. Carmichael, who earned his bachelor’s degree from MSU and a law degree from the University of Arkansas, currently serves on the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. Carroll, a city council member in Jefferson City, is an MSU business management graduate.
Chin-Feng Hwang, associate professor at MSU’s William H. Darr School of Agriculture, was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Agriculture for his project examining the genetic resources of the norton grape for fungal resistance.
Engineering GeoEngineers Inc. added professional engineer Michael Fritz as a senior geotechnical engineer. Fritz worked 29 years with the Missouri Department of Transportation, serving as its geotechnical director 1993–2012. Fritz, who was state director of the Missouri Society of Professional Engineers for 15 years, is working to expand GeoEngineers’ transportation market reach in the Midwest.
Government Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield, was appointed chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence to manage bills related to Missouri’s legal system, including the courts, judicial procedures, civil and criminal law, and corrections.
State Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield, was named chairman of the House Professional Registration and Licensing Committee, which oversees the rules and regulations that impact registered professionals in Missouri.
Hospitality Hilton Garden Inn was ranked No. 16 out of 559 Hilton Garden Inn hotels worldwide for 2012 in service as scored by Hilton’s Customer Really Matters system. Based on hotel evaluations completed by guests, the ranking puts the southeast Springfield property in the top 3 percent of all Hilton Garden Inn hotels.
Law Hamburg & Lyons LLC named Holly Clouse as an associate attorney with the firm. Clouse practices law in the fields of estate planning, probate, business law and civil litigation.
Retail The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade selected Shawn Askinosie of Askinosie Chocolate for its 2013 Business Leadership Award. The honor is one of three individual awards presented by the organization to recognize those making a significant impact in the food industry.
Askinosie Chocolate won a 2013 Good Food Award for its dark milk chocolate and sea salt bar. The awards, held this year in San Francisco, recognize tasty, authentic and responsibly produced food. The more than 1,300 entries in nine categories are selected by a blind taste test and then evaluated on how the product was sourced and crafted.
