Banking Amy Unser was promoted to assistant vice president and loan review officer with Empire Bank. With 12 years of industry experience and an MBA from Drury University, Unser assesses risk in the bank’s loan portfolio and assists the senior loan review officer.
Ozark Bank hired Tyler Watskey as senior vice president and commercial loan officer. He has 10 years of banking experience and holds a bachelor’s in business administration from Drury.
Metropolitan National Bank promoted Nancy Akromis to assistant banking center manager at the Tri-Lakes/Branson West branch. Akromis, who joined the bank in 2006, worked previously as a retail specialist.
Education The Princeton Review named Drury among 155 of the best colleges in the Midwest in its online feature, 2014 Best Colleges Region by Region.
Sharla Bailey, assistant professor of accounting at Southwest Baptist University, received the certified government financial manager designation from the Association of Government Accountants.
SBU named Shelley Kilpatrick behavioral sciences department chairwoman and Tom Douglas art department chairman. Kilpatrick holds a doctorate from the University of North Carolina, and Douglas has a master’s in fine art from the University of Mississippi.
Elizabeth Fletcher, associate professor of business at Evangel University, was among the four-member team that planned the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda’s National Leadership Conference in June in Anaheim, Calif. About 1,800 people from around the country attended the event.
Teresa Bledsoe was named director of communications for Springfield Public Schools. Employed with SPS for 12 years, Bledsoe most recently served as community relations manager.
Environment Springfield Botanical Gardens received recognition for three of its gardens at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park. The hosta garden was one of 18 certified by the American Hosta Society as a listed national display garden. The Mizumoto Japanese stroll garden was named a member of the North American Japanese Garden Association, and the daylily garden was certified by the National Daylily Society and the American Hemerocallis Society.
Health Care Dr. Eric Tolliver joined Fox Grape Family Dentistry. A certified Invisalign dentist, with advanced training in implant and restorative dental treatments, Tolliver received a bachelor’s in biological science from University of Missouri and a doctorate in dental surgery from University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Mercy Springfield Communities named Chelsea Sears a media relations specialist. Previously Drury’s Web editor for three years, Sears also worked four years as a news producer at KOLR-TV.
CoxHealth nurses Donna Vermillion, Rachel Smith and Michelle Wilson received Daisy Awards, honoring the education, training, skill and compassionate care nurses provide.
CoxHealth added physicians Amy Ford Turner, Matt Weis and Kyle Fritz to its Ferrell-Duncan Clinic staff. Turner, who attended medical school at Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine, joined the pulmonary and critical care medicine department. Weis, a doctor of obstetrics and gynecology, attended medical school at University of North Carolina. Fritz, who attended UMKC medical school, joined Ferrell-Duncan Clinic Internal Medicine.
This installment of Springfield Business Journal’s Architects & Engineers Project Report showcases 26 endeavors by area design and engineering professionals.
