Newsmakers: March 31-April 6, 2014

Accounting
BKD LLP promoted five team members and hired another for the firm’s southern Missouri practice. James Chrouser, Nathan Fitzgerald and Laura Knese were promoted to senior associate II, Ally Hartsfield was promoted to senior associate, Tracy Fuller was promoted to accounting outsourcing services senior associate, and William Jones was hired as a senior associate II.

Advertising
Branson-based Jackson & Appleton won five gold Addy awards and eight silver Addy awards for its video and commercial work at the 35th-annual American Advertising Awards.

The Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau received a platinum Adrian Award from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International for last year’s multitiered marketing campaign featuring a sock monkey. More than 1,200 groups worldwide applied, and the CVB was one of 28 to earn a platinum award.  

Banking and Finance
U.S. Bank Commercial Lending Vice President Lelia Voss received the 2013 Pinnacle Award, the bank’s highest honor based on performance and quality of portfolio. Voss, who has worked 14 years for U.S. Bank, has  earned the award two years in a row.

James Financial Partners President Tyler James received the 2013 National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisers Quality Award, recognizing customer retention and satisfaction.

Design
With a degree in interior design from Western Michigan University, Erin Cox, of Ozark, was hired as a branch partner and interior designer for Indoff Inc. Cox has experience in corporate, religious, financial, health care and residential design projects.

Government
City Utilities of Springfield received the Missouri Parks and Recreation Association’s Citation Award for its many years of partnership with the Springfield-Greene County Park Board at the association’s annual conference at Lake of the Ozarks. Parks Director Bob Belote nominated CU, noting long-term agreements for development of Lake Springfield Park, Valley Water Mill Park and Dan Kinney Park, as well as several Ozark Greenways trails on CU property.

Dr. Scott Magill, former executive director of the Missouri Republican Assembly, received the Milton Friedman Award from the Missouri GOP at the State Lincoln Days Kick-off to Victory banquet. A CoxHealth obstetrician and gynecologist, Magill served as a marine and U.S. medical corps officer and is the founder of Veterans in Defense of Liberty.

Health Care
Two new members joined the Cox HealthPlans Board of Directors: Rita Needham and Dr. James Ceaser. Needham is recently retired as executive director of the Missouri Association of Manufacturers. Ceaser is the medical director of cardiovascular services for CoxHealth and practices internal medicine, cardiology, cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology.

With over three years of experience working with Dr. Steven Loehr, Megan Dolan was hired as executive assistant at Loehr Chiropractic and Acupuncture. Dolan has a degree in psychology from Missouri State University.

Dr. Anne Hayes joined CoxHealth’s Pathology Services of Springfield. Completing medical school and her residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, her area of expertise is transfusion medicine.

Jordan Valley Community Health Center joined the Missouri Health Connection network of 70 hospitals and 350 clinics and community health centers. Physicians at Jordan Valley’s three community health centers now have access to secure patient health records through the health information network.

Mercy Hospital Springfield was selected to receive the Show-Me 5 Award from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services for newborn breastfeeding and newborn care. Mercy is implementing the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative to improve maternal and child health.

Nonprofit
Rachid Kaina joined the Tuthill Vacuum and Blower Systems team as vice president of visionary courage. Kaina worked previously for Danfoss LLC in Arkadelphia, Ark.

Ozarks Regional YMCA hired Jennifer Wittig as director of human resources and risk management. Wittig previously worked in HR for the YMCA of metropolitan Milwaukee.

Eight agencies shared in $32,527 from the Ozarks Health Advocacy Foundation for health related projects: Arc of the Ozarks, $3,000; Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri, $7,000; Developmental Center of the Ozarks, $3,000; Doula Foundation, $6,975; Great Circle, $2,912; Harmony House, $3,000; Lost & Found Grief Center, $2,640; and Pregnancy Life Line, $4,000.

Pastor Edward Alexander of Washington Baptist Church was elected to the Council of Churches of the Ozarks’ board. Alexander holds a bachelor’s of theology and master’s and doctorate of divinity degrees from Slidell Baptist Seminary in Slidell, La.

The 10th annual Polar Plunge in Branson raised $38,781 for the athletes of Special Olympics Missouri. The top individual fundraiser was Jeff Fugett, a corporal with the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop D, with $4,500, and the highest fundraising team was the Creekside Crusaders, with $3,218.

The 34-member Workforce Investment Board-Ozark Region added five members: Rob Dixon, executive vice president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce; Whitney Keith, community outreach coordinator for Fordland Clinic Inc.; Candida Deckard, director of human resources and safety for CNH Remanufacturing; Kevin Sloss, president of Cabinet-Mart Inc.; and Jim Tyson, business representative for Sheet Metal Workers Local 36.

Bass Pro Shops Founder Johnny Morris was named co-chairman of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agency’s National Blue Ribbon Panel on sustaining America’s fish and wildlife resources. The newly created panel is working to identify funding for a 21st century model of conservation.

Tourism
Branson Tourism Center’s Main Street Lake Cruises brochure was named a first-place regional winner in the International Association of Professional Brochure Distributors’ 2013 best brochure competition in Mexico. There were 73 finalists from the association’s 19,000 members.