Accounting BKD LLP promoted five employees from its Springfield office. Gianna Booth, Leann Dixon and Susie McCoy were promoted to senior outsourcing consultants. Booth has 18 years of experience with BKD and provides outsourcing services to clients and other BKD offices. Dixon has 28 years of experience with BKD and provides accounting, bookkeeping and support services to clients, mainly in the service and tourism industries. McCoy has 21 years of experience with the firm, providing controller services, bookkeeping and financial services preparation. Scotti George was promoted to senior consultant, working on such projects as Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. Melissa Preator was promoted to outsourcing consultant, providing accounting staff training and bookkeeping.
Advertising Wannenmacher Advertising Co. added Ana Pierce to its staff. An Evangel University graduate with a bachelor’s in English, Pierce previously worked as an activities board secretary at Evangel and completed a one-year internship at Randy Bacon Studios, writing copy for DVDs and assisting on photo shoots.
Architecture Dake Wells Architecture received two awards from the American Institute of Architects Central States Region. A practice gymnasium for Reeds Spring R-IV School District received an Excellence in Architecture Honor Award, and the Student Recreation Center for Missouri State University-West Plains received an Excellence in Detail Honor Award.
Banking Jessica Harper was promoted to sales and marketing coordinator for BancorpSouth’s Missouri Division in Springfield. Harper previously served as a customer service representative and administrative assistant and has worked at BancorpSouth since 2007.
Empire Bank promoted Tammy Choate to assistant vice president and banking center manager of Empire Bank’s Campbell Avenue branch. With 30 years of banking experience, she is responsible for managing retail operations and business development.
Education Conita Gaines, a Missouri State University alumna, received the NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal for her 25 years of running the Springfield Constellation Club. Gaines was honored during an MSU College of Natural and Applied Sciences ceremony. The award is given to individuals who are not employed by the government but have impacted and made lasting contribution to the agency.
Government Rep. Billy Long, R-7th District, received the Manufacturing Legislative Excellence Award from The National Association of Manufacturers. The awards are based on congressional votes on manufacturing legislation involving energy policy, taxes and regulations.
Health Care Moore Family Eyecare in Mountain Grove joined Vision Source, a national private practice optometric network. Owner Doug Moore has practiced optometry in Mountain Grove for 13 years.
Nonprofit The National Multiple Sclerosis Society hosted a Dinner of Champions to honor Ken Meyer of Meyer Communications. Meyer received The Norman Cohn Hope Award, the National MS Society’s highest honor at the chapter level, for his volunteer leadership.
Junior Achievement of Southwest Missouri named Linda Harvey-Yates district manager. During the last eight years, Harvey-Yates taught public relations, writing, publication design and editing, new media technology, and general mass and oral communications at several universities, most recently at the University of Central Missouri. She holds a master’s in public administration with an emphasis in nonprofit management from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Retail Askinosie Chocolate received three awards during the International Chocolate Awards in London. Its dark milk chocolate and black licorice bar won first place in the Flavored Milk Chocolate Category, as well as a national gold medal for beating out more than 10 U.S. entries in its category. In the White/Plain Bar Category, Askinosie’s white chocolate took home a silver medal.
Services Environmental Works Inc. hired Heather Hoggard as a project manager. Hoggard worked the last five years for Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute at MSU. She holds a bachelor’s in environmental and natural resources and environmental chemistry and a master’s in resource planning from MSU.
The Missouri Trucking Association elected Brett Sheets of Steelman Transportation Inc. as 2012–13 chairman during the annual convention in St. Louis.
This installment of Springfield Business Journal’s Architects & Engineers Project Report showcases 26 endeavors by area design and engineering professionals.
