Newsmakers: Oct. 6-12, 2025

Banking & Finance
Branson Bank promoted Ryan Sanders to senior vice president and community bank lender. With more than 16 years of lending experience, Sanders has been employed at Branson Bank since 2014. He has a degree in agribusiness from College of the Ozarks and completed the University of Wisconsin Graduate School of Banking.

Education
Missouri State University inducted three new members into its Public Affairs Hall of Fame, which recognizes individuals with a connection to the state of Missouri who have acted in the best interest of public affairs. The 2025 inductees are Shawn Askinosie, founder of Askinosie Chocolate; Marie Carmichael, a longtime teacher who co-runs Affordable Homes Development Inc. and chairs the Missouri Development Finance Board; and Rose O’Neill, an illustrator and creator of Kewpie characters who died in 1944.

Insurance
Missouri Financial Group LLC, led by Scott Lassley, was recognized by Kansas City Life Insurance Co. as the national agency of the month for July.

Mike Rowan, senior retirement specialist at Missouri Financial Group LLC, was named national agent of the month for July by Kansas City Life Insurance Co.

Nonprofit
Jamie Fisher and Tom Merriott joined the Springfield-based Ozark Trails Council Inc. of Scouting America. Fisher, who is serving as district executive in the Ozark Howler District, has a bachelor’s in natural resource recreation and tourism from Colorado State University and a master’s in administrative studies with a focus on environmental administration from Missouri State University. The organization’s new membership growth executive, Merriott is an Eagle Scout who brings experience as a middle school principal and coach.

Six employees at The Victim Center Inc. completed the NOVA Community Crisis Response Team Training program. The training, which is offered to victim advocates and other professionals, is designed to equip individuals to provide crisis intervention, education and emotional first aid. The Victim Center employees who completed the program are Tara Benson, executive director; Tricia Bremer, clinical director of adult services; Anne Crites, assistant executive director; Sarah Kirby, clinical director of children’s services; Crystal Robinson, victim advocate and crisis hotline coordinator; and Nancy White, director of advocacy.

The Skaggs Foundation awarded 45 scholarships totaling $42,250 to students pursuing medical field careers in the summer and fall semesters. The scholarship recipients are as follows: Jhila Agustin, Kaylor Alms, Gerima Blair, McKenzie Calhoun, Cassandra Carter, Jacob Cheney, Hailey Cole, Heath Cole, Delaina Collins, Cindy Dandurand, Britney Doucey, Ellie Dunagan, Shelby Evans, Lucy Feagans, Clarissa Fogelquist, Connor Frey, Madison Froeschle, Emilee Goddard, Christina Gonzalez, April Guavara, Mylee Hampsch, Madison Harrison, Kate Heard, Taylor Hernandez, Cora Hoeflicker, Wendy Huston, Kollin Kolb, Timmy Kovalenko, Nicole McDowell, Emily Menter, Taegan Myatt, Lexus Newlyn, John Nichols, Kayci Norris-Hill, Elizabeth Parrish, Makaila Perez, Maci Rogers, Avery Sadler, Emma Smith, Landry Stuart, Crystal Swafford, Shane Walters, Sidney Ward, Jenna Yaggy and an anonymous recipient.

Real Estate
Kari Wyrsch, director of sales at Graddy Real Estate, was interviewed live on stage by Keller Williams Executive Chair Gary Keller during the real estate company’s Mega Agent Camp event in San Antonio, Texas. More than 12,000 real estate professionals from around the world were watching the interview, in which Wyrsch spoke about representing buyers and serving as a trusted fiduciary.