On the Street

Big Brothers/Big Sisters

There are some new faces at Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Ozarks. Lisa Hawkins has joined the staff as its executive director, bringing 25 years of experience in marketing, public relations and event coordination to the position. Hawkins has served on the BB/BS Board of Directors for more than three years and previously was administrative director at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. In her new position, her responsibilities include fund raising, public awareness and community involvement. Also joining the BB/BS staff is Laurie Soulsby, as assistant director. Her responsibilities are event coordination and volunteer recruitment. She previously worked for Easter Seals and Springfield Public Schools.

Library support

The 15,000 books damaged in the Jan. 19 arson at the Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell, are being restored in Chicago via a freeze-drying process, and repairs to the building are to be completed in March. According to a library news release, notes of support and unsolicited donations of more than $5,500 have been sent to the Springfield-Greene County Library District staff. The fire caused more than $500,000 in fire and water damage.

Tech conference

The 15th annual Southwest Education and Technology Conference, presented by the Regional Consortium for Education and Technology-Southwest, will be held March 9-10 at the University Plaza Hotel. Designed for all educators, the event will showcase new and established use of technology in education, with an emphasis on distance learning. Conference information and updates are available online at www.rcet.net.

Nursing school meeting

The St. John's School of Nursing of Southwest Baptist University will host a visit from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission at 1:30 p.m. March 3 at the SBU-Springfield Center campus, 4431 S. Fremont. Members of the public are invited to attend and share their opinions about the nursing program.

Slice of Nice

An Extreme Care auction a fund-raiser for Lost and Found will be held Feb. 20 at Highland Springs Country Club. A variety of personal services and products, including cosmetic dentistry, a wardrobe makeover and the services of a personal trainer will be auctioned during the event. Also during the Extreme Care event, local band Big Smith will perform. Tickets to the benefit are $125 per person, which includes dinner, the auction and the Big Smith performance. Reservations and information are available by calling the Lost and Found office at 417-832-9423. Lost and Found is an organization for children ages 18 and under who have experienced the death of a parent or sibling. Services are free, and all funding for the organization comes from donations.