Where are they now? Past Most Influential Women honorees

It’s been six years since Springfield Business Journal began recognizing the region’s Most Influential Women.

These women have continued to act as agents of change, builders of community and powerful role models for all those around them. What have they been doing since SBJ recognized their efforts? Here’s a sample.

Class of 2000

Nancy Brown has been sowing the seeds of change for decades. Now she is seeing the fruits of her labors.

As an MIW honoree in 2000, Brown envisioned an ambitious effort to renovate historic homes on West Walnut Street in the neighborhood where her grandparents used to live.

Six years later, she and husband Tom Dornan are on their seventh West Walnut project, and their Historic Walnut Street Development Co. is poised to renovate two more historic homes on Main Street.

The pair is partnering with childhood friend Reg Cordry to bring downtown’s Busy Bee building back to life. The four-story structure features nine loft apartments and commercial space on the first floor and in the basement.

After 16 years of working for the renewal of the Gillioz Theatre, Brown will see the former silent movie house open with Encore 2006, a celebration of the arts, beginning Oct. 6. Next summer, Brown will become president of Urban Districts Alliance.

Class of 2001

Loa Freeman is still in the transformation business, changing lives though the Doula Foundation of Mid-America, and transforming communications, people and corporations through her image consulting business under the Success Naturally Inc. banner.

And in the last year, Freeman has become a regional vice president with Arbonne International.

She is also taking her consulting and lecturing business back on the road after a five-year hiatus, working with the Office of State Courts Administrator.

She presents “Four Seconds to Successful Communication,” her program on developing image, customer service and how to present oneself, as well as addressing issues such as time management.

Evelyn Gwin Mangan was working in her own law firm when she was named one of SBJ’s Most Influential Women of 2001.

Mangan, who celebrated her first year as a partner with Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin on Sept. 1, now works with a firm of 18 attorneys locally and almost 300 attorneys regionally.

Several factors drew Mangan to Blackwell Sanders, including her longtime friendship with the firm’s managing partner, Virginia Fry, who was a 2002 Most Influential Women honoree.

2001 honoree Lisa Nally was vice president of community development and special events for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. Now she’s an owner at marketing and communication firm ACR Nally, which she purchased in 2003.

Among the changes that she’s overseen at ACR Nally are the enhancements of mystery shopping, event planning, focus groups, Web development and podcasting, as well as customer service training.

As for the future, “We’re going to be moving into Joplin, and we’re looking at northwest Arkansas,” Nally said.

“I kind of joke around that this is ACR Nally world headquarters. Anything’s possible.”

Class of 2002

Gail Noggle is drawing on a lifetime of business experience for the benefit of the Republic Area Chamber of Commerce, which she joined in March as executive director.

When she was named one of the Most Influential Women of 2002, Noggle was head of Gail Noggle Investment Services. She sold her investment business in May 2005, and her focus is now on influencing positive change in Republic’s business community.

With a background that embraces banking, hotel management, tourism development and financial planning, “I kind of consider my past a sprinkling of marketing, community development and finance,” Noggle said.

The 25-year-old chamber is starting to provide more networking opportunities for its members.

“We launched our first Web site a few months ago,” Noggle said, “And our hope is to get the marketing and networking programs into place, and then move on and work with the city and the school system toward economic development.”

Keeping up with the Ozarks’ growing Hispanic community is the challenge still facing Yolanda Lorge, president of Grupo Latinoamericano. The group has seen demand for services – including translation, interpretation and advocacy – double in the last four years.

Spanish speakers new to the area need help, while agencies and businesses are anxious to reach out to the Hispanic community.

As a result, Lorge and her organization are a resource not only in the Springfield MSA but throughout southwest Missouri.

Springfield’s loss was Columbia’s gain when Phyllis Chase, R-12 deputy superintendent of schools, left Springfield in 2003.

Chase was drawn to Columbia for its similarities to Springfield, including high student achievement and tremendous community support. She is now superintendent of the Columbia district.

Class of 2003

Rhoda Clark was executive director of Court Appointed Special Advocates when she was named one of the Most Influential Women of 2003. Now, she is director of development for the Ozarks Regional YMCA.

Supporting the family unit – helping families have fun, work out stress and spend quality time together – is the Y’s mission.

Clark handles the annual scholarship campaign and the capital campaign to raise funds to support Y programs at its five branches: the Ward Y and the Jones Y in Springfield, and branches in Monett, Hollister and Bolivar. “Last year we provided $878,000 in scholarships,” Clark said, “and this year we expect to top $1 million.”

Class of 2004

Bonnie Keller, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks and 2004 Most Influential Women honoree, sees a new chapter unfolding for RMHC.

A second Ronald McDonald House is set to open within the walls of St. John’s Hospital in 2008. It will not only house families of children who’ve traveled here seeking medical care, it will also provide daytime respite for all families with children who are being treated in the hospital.

Located in St. John’s new patient tower, the new house will have 10 bedrooms to lodge families by night. But during the day, families of all hospitalized children can visit the house for meals, naps or to do laundry.

“At our current house, we help about 400 families a year,” Keller said. With the new house offering daytime services, “we will help thousands of families a year, ” she said.

RMHC will launch a capital campaign for its new house in the near future, and will present its 11th annual Cup O’ Cheer homes tour Nov. 17.

The RMHC mobile dental clinic, the Tooth Truck, has reached a landmark, providing more than $3 million in dental services in less than four years.

“We are investigating the possibility of a second tooth truck,” Keller said.

Class of 2005

Kay Logsdon has found another challenge, or rather, it’s found her.

That new challenge is the position of Food Channel director for Noble & Associates, and it was irresistibly intriguing for Logsdon.

“I think I am a starter,” she said, and clearly, starting new ventures is one of her strengths – from setting up the public information office for the city of Springfield to, most recently, getting the Creamery Arts Center going and revitalizing the Springfield Regional Arts Council.

When Noble contacted Logsdon about the new post, “The idea of having still another fun thing to learn in my life was interesting to me,” she said, and with the Creamery on its feet and the Springfield Symphony moving in, the timing was right.

Logsdon is redeveloping www.foodchannel.com, a site owned by Noble.