People in the News

Architecture & Interior Design

Susan Fockler joined The Design Agency, a commercial architecture and interior design firm, as the business administrator. Fockler has 13 years of experience in management and customer service. She will be responsible for front office management, accounting and clerical support.

Communications

Alltel Communications announced two staff appointments. Trey Stephens was appointed direct sales manager for the company's Springfield market. Stephens joined Alltel in 1995 in Rock Hill, S.C. Most recently, he served as a retail sales manager in Columbia, S.C. He will be responsible for major corporate accounts in the Springfield area. Richard Limburg was named sales engineer for Alltel's Springfield market. He previously served as a hardware analyst for the company. He will be responsible for overseeing Internet counseling for Alltel's business customers in Springfield and surrounding areas. Limburg will also provide technical support for the company's area business sales group.

Community

Girl Scouts of Dogwood Trails Council Inc. announced two staff promotions and a staff addition. Brigitte Oliver was promoted to communications director for Girl Scouts of Dogwood Trails Council Inc. She has been with the council for more than two years. Her new duties include overseeing all publications and media relations, and supervising volunteers in the council's 25-county area. Becky Perkins was promoted to field director for the council. She has been with the council for more than three years. Her new responsibilities include supervising volunteers in the council's southeast regional area.

Erin Phillips joined the Dogwood Trails Council as a field director. Phillips previously worked in Kansas City for the Corporation for National Service. Her new duties will be supervising volunteers in the Springfield area.

Finance

Liberty Bank announced two staff additions. Jay Tennison joined Liberty Bank as executive vice president. He has more than 23 years of experience in the banking industry. Previously, he was the senior executive vice president of Ozark Bank.

Phil Wannen-macher joined the Liberty Investment Services Inc. division of Liberty Bank as a financial advisor. He has more than eight years of experience with an international investing firm, and he served as a Missouri state representative 1991-98.

Media

Jeffrey T. Wescott joined the Springfield Business Journal as managing editor. Prior to joining SBJ, Wescott worked for the Sumner Media Group, first as a staff writer for the Christian County Headliner News, and most recently, as editor of the Nixa News-Enterprise. Wescott's duties as managing editor will include supervisory and hands-on responsibilities as part of the newspaper's six-member editorial team. He will also work as a member of SBJ's management team to decide overall strategy and direction for the publishing group.