Newsmakers: Dec. 9-15, 2024

Accounting
Abacus named Teri Wingo as a partner. Since 2016, Wingo has led the firm’s transportation department, which supports more than 4,000 drivers.

Banking & Finance
Cassville-based Freedom Bank of Southern Missouri appointed Taylor Robertson as president, effective Jan. 1. With more than 10 years of experience at Freedom Bank, Robertson has served as a lender and community president of the company’s Willard branch. President and CEO Stan Kelley is relinquishing the president title and remaining CEO.

Central Bank hired Crystal Sharp as senior vice president and team leader for commercial lending. With 23 years of industry experience, Sharp has a bachelor’s in agricultural business and management from Missouri State University and a Master of Business Administration from Drury University.

Arvest Bank’s Springfield operation promoted Jammi Glenn to private banker/health care relationship banker. With two years of industry experience, Glenn most recently served as a relationship banker.

Education
School of the Ozarks eighth grader Ashlynn Saffle placed third in the Daughters of the American Revolution National History Essay Contest. Saffle was the overall winner for the state of Missouri on the topic this year of “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

Health Care
Citizens Memorial Hospital/Citizens Memorial Health Care Foundation promoted three employees to leadership roles within the plant facilities department. Named as plant facilities supervisor is Justin Bryant, an 18-year employee of CMH. Tim Branstetter, who was promoted to plant facilities assistant supervisor, has more than 20 years of experience in maintenance, repair and supply purchasing. With CMH for 14 years, Justin Hamlet was appointed as bio-med supervisor.

Susan Lenz, a speech-language pathologist at Citizens Memorial Healthcare Facility, was honored with the 2024 Troy Pinon Servant Leader Award in recognition of her work serving others. Lenz has worked at CMH for around three decades.

Dr. Russell “Rusty” Davis III joined CMH’s medical staff. A nephrologist, Davis is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. With his medical degree from Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Davis completed his residency in internal medicine-pediatrics at the University of South Alabama and his nephrology fellowship at the Maine Medical Center.

CMH’s Lake Stockton Healthcare Facility earned a four-star overall rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The 90-bed long-term skilled nursing facility was rated based on health inspections, staff and quality measures.

Tourism
Visit Springfield, Missouri, the new brand name for Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc., hired Lucy Atwood as communications manager and Lauren Spilman as marketing coordinator. With a bachelor’s in public relations and master’s in communication from Missouri State University, Atwood previously served as assistant director of public relations and marketing at Dickerson Park Zoo. Spilman, who completed an internship with Visit Springfield, has a fine arts bachelor’s with a focus on graphic design from Evangel University.