Newsmakers: June 22-28, 2020

Accounting
KPM CPAs PC promoted Michael Nelson to supervisor and Maria Martin and Julie Tulla to seniors. Nelson has six years of accounting experience and provides tax services in a variety of industries, while both Martin and Tulla have two years of experience performing tax services.

Banking and Finance
Central Bank of the Ozarks added Stephanie Murphy as vice president and relationship manager. The bank also promoted Gretchen Miekley to marketing officer and Danita Oberkrom to assistant vice president and accounting officer. Murphy has 12 years of experience and earned a bachelor’s in business administration from Vatterott College. Miekley has 17 years of experience in marketing and business development. With 30 years of banking experience, Oberkrom’s responsibilities include financial reporting, general ledger reviews, auditing and securities safekeeping.

Government
Gov. Mike Parson appointed Randy Little, of Republic, to the State Fair Commission. Little is the founder of PFI Western Store. The nine-member state board oversees the operations of the Missouri State Fair and selects and supervises the fair director. Members serve four-year terms.

Health Care
Eight CoxHealth employees received The Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses: Tonya Rinker, clinical decision unit; Grifford Jenkins, stroke center; Kristina Miller, neonatal intensive care unit; Courtney Murphy, surgery, Cox Monett; Diana Thurman, medical surgical nursing, Cox Monett; Kendra Carlson, flex registered nurse, Cox Medical Center Branson; Tanya Carr, progressive care unit, Cox Medical Center Branson; and Jana Watkins, surgical, Cox Medical Center Branson.

Municipal
City Utilities of Springfield hired Brent Baker as associate general manager of customer operations and communications and Amy Derdall as associate general manager and chief financial officer. Baker most recently worked as vice president of national customer experience operations for Liberty Utilities. He formerly worked for CU as a co-op engineer 1998-2000 and succeeds Gary Gibson in the new position. Derdall most recently worked at Black Hills Corp., holding multiple positions. Succeeding the retiring Mike Finch, Derdall also has previous CU experience on its finance team.

Nonprofit
The Kitchen Inc. hired Elisa Coonrod as support nurse. She has 37 years of nursing experience, most recently with MSU Care at Missouri State University.

TrailSpring Inc. added Cody Danastasio to the TrailSpring Board of Directors and Jeff Frye, Branden Schwab and Brian Barr to the TrailSpring Advisory Board. Danastasio is a principal at Arkifex Studios LLC. Frye is a Realtor with Jim Hutcheson Realtors Inc. Schwab has previously worked as a trail specialist with International Mountain Bicycling Association Trail Solutions and currently works as a regional art, architecture and design pro educator. Barr is a senior manager at Sonnen Inc.