Overheard

Dermacare of Springfield made a “cosmetic” change when it switched its name to DermaHealth Laser and Skin Care Clinic. Owners Chuck, Steve and Dr. Gary Goforth say the new moniker more accurately reflects the clinic’s nonsurgical, minimally invasive cosmetic procedures such as laser treatments. Since opening in November 2005 at 1902 E. Battlefield Road, Ste. A, they say approximately 4,000 clients have reinvented their looks with more than 20,000 procedures. Among them is VelaShape, the only nonsurgical Food and Drug Administration-cleared procedure to reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Editor Signs Off

Convoy of Hope President and CEO Hal Donaldson is stepping down from his other job as editor-in-chief of Today’s Pentecostal Evangel, the official publication of Springfield-based Assemblies of God. Donaldson has held the top post at the weekly publication since 1995. His resignation is effective Aug. 29. Donaldson will focus on Convoy of Hope, the Springfield-based nonprofit Christian organization he founded in 1996 that distributes food and supplies to poor and disaster-stricken people. While at Pentecostal Evangel, he led the magazine through a redesign and raised more than $1.7 million to send about 7 million copies to prisons. The magazine has a weekly circulation of about 190,000 worldwide, according to www.tpe.ag.org. Ken Horn will continue as editor, and Kirk Noonan will remain as managing editor, while an operations committee “studies and makes recommendations regarding Assemblies of God publications,” officials said.

Finance Division Calls it Final

The Missouri Commissioner of Finance approved on July 18 an agreement to merge Strafford-based The Greene County Bank with Empire Bank, according to a July 25 bulletin from the state Division of Finance. According to the agreement, Empire Bank will be the surviving institution. The two banks entered into the agreement April 30, according to previous Springfield Business Journal coverage. Empire Bank acquired The Greene County Bank’s four branches in Springfield, Strafford, Fair Grove and Battlefield, adding them to its own 14 locations through Greene and Webster counties. The purchase price was not disclosed, but the combined bank has assets of more than $775 million. Empire Bank is part of Central Bancompany, an $8.4 billion holding company based in Jefferson City.

Slice of Nice

Since June, the Greater Ozarks Chapter of the American Red Cross has collected 175 phones through the Cell Phones for Soldiers program. The phones are sent to ReCellular, which pays Cell Phones for Soldiers to provide an hour of talk time per phone to soldiers abroad. The collection drive continues at the Red Cross’ four area locations: Joplin, Lebanon, West Plains and Springfield at 1545 N. West Bypass.