People in the News

Health Care

Cox Health Systems named the officers of its board of directors for fiscal year 2002: John K. Hulston, chairman; Charles H. Chalender, first vice chairman; John P. Squires, second vice chairman; Judge John C. Crow, third vice chairman; Ralph H. Slavens, president; Evelyn M. Howard, first vice president; James W. Hutcheson, second vice president; Dona K. Elkins, third vice president; Thomas E. Trask, PhD, secretary; William V. Turner, treasurer; Larry Nemmers, new member of the Advisory Board; Norman Ely, MD, chairman's council.

Media

Jackie Taylor Johnson joined Wilks Broadcast-ing LLC as the company's new market manager. Johnson created and founded the Springfield's Best Locally Owned Com-panies marketing program in 1994 and was recently recognized as one of Springfield's 20 Most Influential Women In Business. Johnson also is the president and chief executive officer of J. Taylor Johnson Advertising LLC.

Awards & Achievements

Mark Gundlach, district director and general manager of University Plaza Holiday Inn, has joined the Convention & Visitors Bureau board of directors. Gund-lach has worked for Hammons Hotels for the past 21 years.

Springfield residents June S. Hamra and Edward K. Powell received Faculty-Alumni Awards from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Alumni are honored for their accomplishments in professional life and service to their alma mater and community.

Dr. Kevin D. Wallace of Springfield was awarded fellowship in the American Col-lege of Dentists during its annual meeting and convocation. Wallace is trustee to the Missouri Dental Association and chair of the Access to Care Committee for the MDA.

Randy Price, directing manager of corporate security for Prime Inc., recently received the highest honor given to a professional in the field of motor carrier security as the first-ever ATA Security Profes-sional of the Year.

Creekside at Elfindale was recently awarded with Vetter Health Services' annual Quality of Facility Award. Creekside at Elfindale was selected for the honor be-cause of its dedication to improvement.

Karl Zobrist and David Hill, both partners with Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP, were honored by the Mid-America Assistance Coalition for their service to MAAC.

Zobrist and Hill represented MAAC earlier this year in an effort to gain Missouri Public Service Commission ap-proval for rate proposals that would assist low-income utility customers in paying their winter gas heating bills.

John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. an-nounced that Holiday Inn North in Springfield has received the prestigious Quality of Excellence Award from Six Continents Hotels.

A $100,000 donation was presented to The American National Fish and Wildlife Museum, Wonders of Wildlife, courtesy of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

The gift will enable the organization to further its purpose to educate, inform and entertain visitors about the value of fish and wildlife.

Janie Duncan, associate superintendent of Springfield Public Schools, has been elected to the executive board of directors of Court Appointed Special Advocates, a program that advocates for abused and neglected children in Greene County.

Faculty and students in the Southwest Missouri State University biology department were awarded more than $3,000 from the Missouri Department of Conservation for their project "The Effects of Pesticides on Ground Squirrel Hibernation, Survival and Reproduction."