People in the News

Marketing

Shellie L. Jones joined the staff of Urban Districts Alliance (UDA) as marketing and events coordinator. Her responsibilities include managing festivals and events in the center city area such as Artsfest on Walnut Street. Jones has more than 10 years experience in marketing, journalism and special event planning. She previously served as the newsletter editor for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, and as the communications coordinator for the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau. Prior to relocating Jones managed a five-day outdoor celebration in Kodiak, Alaska.

Yvonne Marsh was hired as director of purchasing & research for Promoter Advertising Products. She has several years of experience in business management, accounting and finance for the growing business. Her responsibilities include product research, purchasing and receiving and customer service.

Education

Benjamin Ola Akande, PhD was appointed as the new academic dean of Webster University's School of Business and Technology. Akande received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Wayland Baptist University and his master's degree in public administration and a PhD in economics from the University of Oklahoma. He has worked as an economic consultant for the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program.

Webster also announced the addition of Laura Ward to the Springfield Webster campus. Ward handles all administrative procedures for the Springfield campus, provides advisement to students and assists with tuition payment options. Prior to joining Webster, Ward was the human resource manager at R&D Innovation, LLC.

Chris Maples also joined the adjunct faculty of Webster University. Maples is the employee relations manager at Springfield ReManufacturing Corporation. He teaches "Staffing and Selection" in the master of arts degree program.

Distribution

Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Company announced two staff additions. Bruce Long joined the company as convenience key account manager. Long previously played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros baseball teams. He has managed sales operations since 1991, with several companies, including Wal-Mart, Ben Franklin and Albertson's. In his new position, Long is responsible for the company's entire convenience store business category in the Springfield area. John Fenton joined the company as the corporate cold drink director. He has been in the beverage industry since 1983.

Prior to joining Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Company, Fenton managed fountain business for Coca-Cola North America in Jonesboro, Ark.

In his new position, Fenton is responsible for vending accounts, special events fountain premix customers throughout the company's territories.

Financial

Chris Harville joined Liberty Bank as vice president and manager of the East Sunshine location. Harville, a Southwest Missouri State University graduate, came to Liberty Bank with eight years of commercial banking experience in Springfield and Kansas City.

Commerce Bank promoted Drew Spencer to Commercial Loan Officer in the real estate lending division. He is responsible for business development and customer service related to the bank's commercial real estate lending services. Spencer has 10 years experience in business and banking. He graduated with a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia and obtained his master of arts degree from Southwest Missouri State University.

Shelly L. Titus was promoted to vice president and regional retail sales manager of Commerce Bank.

Titus has eight years of experience in the retail, financial services and human resources management industries.

In her new position, she is responsible for the coordination of retail sales and service quality programs for 21 branches of Commerce Bank in southwest and southeast Missouri.

Autumn Moody was promoted to assistant vice president and branch manager of Commerce's banking center in Branson. Moody joined Commerce in 1995 as a financial services representative. In her new position, she is responsible for managing retail sales and customer service at the Branson banking center.

Linda Hunter relocated to Springfield to serve as a loan officer in the local office of Irwin Mortgage.

Prior to moving to Springfield, Hunter was employed with Irwin Mortgage for three years as a loan officer in Indiana.

The Springfield office of Baird, Kurtz & Dobson CPAs, announced Andrea S. Elliott, L. Jamison McDonald, Gary W. Schafer II and Michael G. Wolfe, CPAs, were promoted from senior accountants to supervisors.

Elliott is a 1996 summa cum laude graduate of Southwest Baptist University. She provides audit and cost report preparation services and Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement consulting services for clients in the home care, hospice and outpatient rehabilitation industries.

McDonald is a 1996 graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia. He provides tax planning and preparation services for a wide range of clients, including corporations, partnerships, nonprofit organizations and individuals.

Schafer is a 1996 graduate of the Southwest Missouri State University Honors College.

He provides audit, consulting and financial reporting services for wholesale, retail, construction and manufacturing businesses. He also specializes in electronic data extraction and computerized auditing techniques.

Wolfe is a 1996 graduate of SMSU. He provides audit and consulting services for governmental and not-for-profit organizations, and clients in the real estate industry.

Travel & Tourism

Allen Waldo joined the staff of Wonders of Wildlife, the American National Fish and Wildlife Museum, as the deputy director of administration.

Waldo has more than 15 years of experience in accounting.

Prior to joining the museum, he served as the chief financial officer of Skaggs Hospital in Branson.

His new duties include overseeing finances, human resources and capital planning.

Susan Wade has joined the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau as the public relations manager.

Wade earned a bachelor's degree in business and industrial communications and a master's degree in communications from Southwest Missouri State University.

Prior to joining the CVB, Wade worked as a reporter with the Springfield News-Leader and as a public relations practitioner in the Springfield area. Her new duties will include writing articles and press releases promoting the CVB and the local tourism industry, and producing various CVB publications.