Newsmakers: Oct. 8-14, 2012

Accounting
Elliott Robinson & Co. LLP hired Katie Porter as a staff accountant handling payroll taxes, W-2 and 1099 forms, and individual and business tax returns. She graduated from College of the Ozarks with a bachelor’s in accounting.

Arts
Positronic Industries received the Corporate Award and Don Wessel was honored posthumously with the Legacy Award during the Springfield Regional Arts Council’s 2012 Ozzie Awards to recognize influencers of the local arts scene. Other honorees were Winifred Nixon, Individual Award; Springfield Pottery Claymobile, Organization Award; and Cameron Rose, Volunteer Award.

Education
Missouri State University’s project management master’s program, which is part of the department of technology and construction management in the College of Business, was accredited by the Project Management Institute Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs. It is one of 85 programs at 39 institutions in 13 countries to be accredited by the organization.

Government
Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Ray Weter, of Nixa, as Christian County Eastern District Commissioner. Weter, who served as a Republican state representative in 2005 and has 40 years of experience as a health care provider, filled the position after the resignation of Commissioner Tom Huff.  

Health Care
Kelley Jenkins, a certified family nurse practitioner, joined CoxHealth-Adult Medicine and Endocrinology Specialists. A member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Jenkins has a bachelor’s in nursing from Truman State University and a master’s in nursing from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Dr. Emmanuel Papadakis joined the team of cardiologists at Skaggs Regional Medical Center. Papadakis, an interventional cardiologist, previously owned a clinic in California before moving to Branson.

Law
The 2012 Business Edition of Super Lawyers recognized Richard Schnake as one of Missouri’s top appellate lawyers. Schnake was one of 14 lawyers listed from Missouri and the only Springfield appellate attorney. He has handled around 180 cases in the state and federal appellate courts and is a member of the Missouri Supreme Court Appellate Practice Committee and the American Bar Association’s Council of Appellate Lawyers.

Attorneys Jay Dade, Phillip Garrison, John Holstein, Thomas O’Neal and Michael Textor from Polsinelli Shughart PC’s Springfield office were named in The Best Lawyers in America 2013 publication. Best Lawyers compiles its list based on peer-review surveys from more than 39,000 lawyers.

Nonprofit
Discovery Center named to its board Trevor Croley of Croley Insurance, Ben Hackenwerth of Springfield Public Schools and Scott Gold of BKD LLP. The nonprofit also appointed new officers: Allen Kunkel of Jordan Valley Innovation Center and Missouri State University, president; Judi Phillips of Springfield First Community Bank, past-president; Jeff Eiserman of Ollis & Co., president-elect; Paul Satterwhite of Husch Blackwell LLP, secretary; and Brent Singleton of Heim, Young & Associates Inc., treasurer.

Services
Devin West was promoted to vice president of technical services at Office Concepts of Missouri. West, a University of Missouri graduate, has worked for the company for eight years.

Technology
Nine Lives Media selected Thomas Douglas, president of JMark Business Solutions Inc., for the fifth annual MSPmentor 250. The list, compiled from a survey conducted May–July, honors professionals who have contributed to the managed services provider market with technology, sales, marketing and business development expertise.

Dek Prentice joined KPM Technology as a business development manager. Prentice previously owned an information-technology business in Muskogee, Okla.

Transportation
Branson Airport Executive Director Jeff Bourk was listed by Airport Business Magazine as one of the industry’s Best and Brightest 40 Under 40. The peer-nominated honor recognizes individuals for contributions, capacity for innovation and leadership in the industry.