SBJ names judges for Most Influential Women

The judging panel includes Ann Marie Baker, president of UMB Bank; Cliff Davis, special assistant to the president of Ozarks Technical Community College; David Endacott, commercial lines representative for Ollis & Company Insurors; Morey Mechlin, director of Springfield Public Schools Foundation; and Lisa Nally, president of ACR/Nally Communications.

Baker, Mechlin and Nally are all honorees from previous years, and I want to add that they continue to remain most influential.

Last year we began to add men to this panel of judges, because after all, the 20 influence us all, men and women alike.

The event itself, a festive luncheon at University Plaza Hotel, will take place Oct. 14. A special publication profiling each of the extraordinary women named for this year’s honors will debut at the event, and all SBJ subscribers will receive a copy of this color-filled edition with their Oct. 17 issue of the Business Journal.

The judges’ job, I’m afraid, is agonizing and time-consuming. Each nominee has provided a package of information detailing her responsibilities and accomplishments, past and present, in her career and as a volunteer in the community.

All of the 75 women being considered give tirelessly of themselves to professional and civic organizations, and to their families.

I don’t know how they have any time left for themselves, but somehow they do. I am in awe of their personal accomplishments, leadership and style.

The Business Journal began the 20 Most Influential Women recognition program at the behest of Editor Clarissa French. She championed this event in our organization, even when I myself demurred. “The Springfield Business Journal is for both men and women,” I argued. “What will we do next, name the 20 most influential men?”

Now, we’re all glad that Clarissa persisted, because Most Influential Women has become one of SBJ’s most respected and successful events.

For such a long time, in fact for all of human history, women have not received all the recognition due to them. In the perspective of time, they have only recently come forward to take their places in the spotlight. In so many places on the globe, they are still in the literal dark. When I first came to Springfield and began my work at SBJ, I did not know of any women in the community who were being honored for their service.

That has all changed now, but it will take a long time to make up for oversights of the past.

Formerly, it was more difficult to convince women to submit the information supporting their nominations. Clarissa and I had to plead with them to send something in.

Our best argument was simple: “We have noticed that men don’t seem to have any trouble touting their accomplishments!”

Most agreed that was mostly true. There had been, and continue to be, many honors bestowed upon men in the community.

We were going to make a difference in that department, and I believe we have.

SBJ’s 2005 Most Influential Women will be announced in the Aug. 29 edition.

Please join us in celebration of these great human beings Oct. 14. You can reserve your place at the table by calling the Business Journal office at (417) 831-3238.

Dianne Elizabeth Osis is the publisher and president of Springfield Business Journal.

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