The staff of Springfield Business Journal is proud to present the 2014 rendition of its annual Economic Impact Awards. Each year the awards celebration and this special issue mark the anniversary of SBJ’s first edition on July 22, 1980.
And this issue is a significant milestone for us: Volume 35, No. 1.
We prefer to celebrate our own anniversaries by honoring the people and the companies that are building our community and whose accomplishments fill these pages, week after week, year after year.
Consummate professional Dr. John Bentley is the ideal honoree for this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor SBJ has to offer. Selected by the Economic Impact Awards independent panel of judges, Bentley personifies devotion to his profession, community involvement and unremitting service.
In addition to a career dedicated to the practice of medicine in Springfield, Bentley has served this community mightily. His leadership and exemplary volunteerism have led to the dramatic growth and impact of the Jordan Valley Community Health Center. The center has become a model for serving the most vulnerable populations in the Ozarks, as well as for excellence in public health care.
The Economic Impact Awards also highlights Mercy Hospital Springfield as Philanthropic Organization of the Year, recognizing its multitude of free or reduced-cost service contributions for the health and welfare of residents throughout the Ozarks region as well as its numerous charitable contributions.
Mary Lilly Smith, economic development director for the city of Springfield, is honored as Business Advocate of the Year. Among her countless efforts to revitalize Springfield’s center city, Smith has worked tirelessly to consummate redevelopment of the behemoth, long vacant and crumbling Heer’s building on Park Central Square.
I clearly remember Smith’s visible disappointments at the news of yet another renovation deal that had fallen through. Never discouraged for long, she would resume the struggle to find another investor, once again working through the maze of national, state and local regulations and financing schemes, as well as confronting any resident groups that challenged change. In fall 2015, thanks in part to Smith’s spirit and resolve, we will see the realization of what has been only a wisp of a dream for almost as long as we can remember. The building is currently a beehive of major construction activity – at long last!
Alisa Lawler, once an SBJ staff member, and now with CU Community Credit Union, is the 2014 Community Involvement Champion for her activism and commitment to numerous nonprofit organizations.
Businesses and organizations honored for significant economic impact, as well as their community service in the Springfield area, are divided into four categories based on their number of years in operation, with three awards in each category.
Club Z! In-Home Tutorting Services Inc., Paragon Architecture Inc. and Phoenix Health Care Inc. are standouts in the one to five years in business category. H Design Group LLC, Kuat Innovations LLC and Layer 3 Technology take home awards in the six to 15 years old category. In the 16 to 29 years in business category, JMark Business Solutions Inc., TSI Technology Solutions LLC and Watson Metal Masters Inc. earn recognition. And in the 30+ years in operation category, Buzbee Dental Clinic PC, Guaranty Bank and Mercy Hospital Springfield are honored.
The individual, business or organization award winners were first nominated by SBJ readers, and then completed detailed applications. When applications were received by SBJ staff, they were turned over to an independent and volunteer team of judges. Everyone at SBJ is grateful to the judges. There were many qualified applicants, and it’s a daunting task to pick the best of the best.
While it’s SBJ’s responsibility to report the news, our role is not to make judgments. The Economic Impact Awards could not take place without the judges’ careful work, which for the most part took place during evenings and weekends.
Economic Impact Awards sponsors are BKD LLP, The Bank of Missouri and Fouche Enterprises LLC. We are grateful for their participation and firmly believe their presence strengthens the meaning of the event.
We believe you will be inspired by the stories about the honorees, both of the individual and organization award winners, presented in this issue. Their accomplishments are stellar, and they all deserve to be singled out for recognition.
Dianne Elizabeth Osis is the founder, president and chairwoman of SBJ Publishing Inc. She may be reached at delizabeth@sbj.net.[[In-content Ad]]
