Newsmakers: June 24-30, 2024

Arts
Nixa High School student Emma Snow was named the winner in the 2024 7th District Congressional Art Competition for her piece titled “Pizza House.” Nixa High School’s Audrey Upton-Rowley won second for “The Reflection of a Musician,” and “Royal Gorge” by Paxton Taylor of Carl Junction High School was third. Snow’s piece will hang in the Cannon Tunnel at the U.S. Capitol for a year, and she’ll receive two free Southwest Airlines tickets to attend the winners’ celebration in Washington, D.C., on June 27.

Banking & Finance
Arvest Bank was named to Forbes’ annual list of the top U.S. employers for new graduates. Arvest is among 35 companies listed in the banking and financial services industry of the list, which is based off surveys of young professionals.

Education
Nixa Public Schools employees Robert Farquhar and Craig Finger were presented with the Service to Education Award by the Nixa Education Foundation. The award highlights their time and contributions to the district. A retired district employee of 35 years, Farquhar returned to serve as the group home liaison and provide support for at-risk students. Finger is director of bands, recently adding a course called United Sound that works with students of all abilities.

Amos Bridges and Justin Orf were inducted into the Nixa Public Schools Academic Hall of Fame. A 2013 Nixa graduate, Orf is a project facilitator for the city of Nixa. Bridges is a 1998 graduate and works as editor-in-chief of the Springfield News-Leader.

First-generation Drury University student Cody Blakley received the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. The scholarship was awarded to around 2,100 American undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds.

Law
Seven attorneys who are members of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association were honored with Women’s Justice Awards by Missouri Lawyers Media. The honorees are Abby Craigmyle of CoxHealth, Taylon Sumners-Schwartz of Sumners-Schwartz Law LLC, Elizabeth Fax of the Greene County prosecutor’s office, Sarah Donelan of Donelan Law LLC, Danielle Kincaid of The Elder Law Group LLC, Anne Salle Mason of Neale & Newman LLP and Karen Johnson of Evans & Dixon LLC.

Nonprofit
United Way of the Ozarks hired Brandi VanAntwerp as its new leader. VanAntwerp became president-elect on June 17 before she was slated to start as president and CEO on July 1, succeeding Greg Burris. With more than 16 years of nonprofit leadership experience, VanAntwerp joins United Way from Foster Adopt Connect Inc., where she was executive director since 2021.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks was recognized as a Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Growth Award Winner for program excellence in 2023. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks is among 100 organizations out of more than 230 nationwide to receive the honor.

Solar
Vroom Solar Inc. was chosen by the U.S. Air Force’s AFWERX program for a Small Business Innovation Research contract focused on smart solar management. Vroom Solar is among companies working to strengthen national defense through the program.