Newsmakers: April 12-18, 2021

Accounting
BKD LLP promoted James Robertson, Alaina Shaffer, Nicole Troutman and Whitney Wendler to senior managers. Robertson, who holds a master’s in accountancy from Missouri State University, is a member of BKD’s Southern Missouri employee benefit plan team and provides audit services to employee benefit plan clients. Shaffer is a member of BKD’s employee benefit plan audit team and holds a bachelor’s in accounting from MSU. Troutman is a member of BKD National Health Care Group and provides audit services to community health centers, and Wendler is a member of BKD’s Springfield tax team. Troutman and Wendler both hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from MSU.

Banking & Finance
Central Bank of the Ozarks added Claudia Krebaum as an assistant vice president and banking center manager. She has 13 years of managerial and personal banking experience. Krebaum will be responsible for retail sales and operations at the bank’s upcoming East Sunshine branch.

Matthew Suarez, an assistant vice president and portfolio manager for Central Trust Co., earned the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor designation from the National Association of Plan Advisors. He passed the CPFA examination, which covers responsibilities and management of retirement plans.

Heritage Bank of the Ozarks appointed two board directors: Angie Jackson, vice president of Justice Furniture Manufacturing Co., as an outside director, and Lance Boyer, the bank’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, as an inside director.

Education
The Ozark Board of Education hired Kristy Richart as the North Elementary assistant principal for the 2021-22 school year to succeed Morgan Kelly, who was named principal. Richart has worked nearly all of her 20 years in education for Nixa Public Schools. She holds a bachelor’s in elementary education from Drury University and a master’s in education administration from Southwest Baptist University.

Evangel University Director of Jazz Studies Joel Griffin was honored posthumously with the 2021 Outstanding Jazz Educator Award by the Missouri Music Educators Association. He served as an associate professor of music and directed jazz studies at Evangel from 2012 until fall 2020, when he died from injuries sustained in an auto accident. A saxophonist, composer and music educator, Griffin held a bachelor’s in saxophone performance from Missouri Southern State University, a master’s in music theory from MSU and a doctorate in music arts in music education from Boston University.

Springfield Public Schools McGregor Elementary Principal Sara Shevchuk was named the principal of Truman Elementary, effective July 1, to succeed the retiring Joellyn Travis. Shevchuk has worked at SPS for 15 years and has a doctorate in educational leadership at SBU.

Nonprofit
Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks hired Kathryn Wall as director of community engagement to succeed the retiring Samuel Pippin. Wall has worked the past seven years as public health information administrator for the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, and previously as a Springfield News-Leader reporter. With a master’s in public administration-health policy and a bachelor’s in print journalism from MSU, she’s responsible for connecting with BCFO’s outlying communities, forming relationships with donors, health departments, hospitals and clients.

Real Estate
Coryell Collaborative Group hired Kevin Moyer as chief investment officer, a newly created position. He’s responsible for investment selections and forming investment policy, while managing relationships within the institutional capital markets and lenders. Moyer has experience in acquisition, disposition and capital markets for Jack Sitt Real Estate in New York and Simon Group Holdings, a manager of private equity funds.