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Newsmakers: Feb. 17-23, 2020

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Banking and Finance
Old Missouri Bank promoted Ryann Garner to director of business banking, assistant vice president from electronic banking specialist. She is responsible for working with business customers by providing value-added services, such as remote deposit capture and merchant services. Garner has nine years of banking experience.

Community
Prosper Springfield Director Francine Pratt was selected to receive the 2020 Athena Award during a March 4 ceremony by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. The chamber also chose Ashley Norgard as the first recipient of the Virginia Fry Rising Star Award. The Athena Award honors exceptional professionals and leaders who inspire others to achieve excellence in their professional and personal lives. Pratt is working to increase the area’s post-secondary attainment to 60% and reduce the area’s poverty rate by 5% by 2025. Norgard, an attorney with Kutak Rock LLP, was recognized as an emerging leader and mentor in her profession and in the community.

Construction
The Associate General Contractors Missouri chapter named Sean Thouvenot, vice president of Branco Enterprises Inc., as vice chairman of the board for 2020. The association has more than 500 members across the state.

Education
Drury University’s online bachelor degree program ranked No. 208 on U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of Best Online Programs. Up some 50 spots from last year’s list, Drury offers over 20 online bachelor’s degrees to students worldwide.

Government
The Greene County Democratic Central Executive Committee hired Sam Smith as executive director. He succeeds Skyler Johnston, who resigned in November 2019 to accept a position with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Smith has worked as field organizer for a state house race in Virginia and for the Missouri Democratic Party’s Coordinated Campaign during the last election.

Health Care
Darren Bass, president of Cox-Monett Hospital Inc., became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Recipients must pass a comprehensive examination, meet academic and experiential criteria, earn continuing education credits, and demonstrate professional and community involvement. Bass has worked for Cox-Monett for 20 years and was named president in 2015.

The CoxHealth Foundation received a $1 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to support opioid abuse recovery. The grant will funnel through the Southwest Missouri Community Opioid Response Program to expand educational programs for youth, certify providers in rural areas to offer medication-assisted treatment, increase rural providers and resources, and expand options for insurance reimbursement.

CoxHealth Center Forsyth added Stephanie Wood as nurse practitioner. Her duties include prescribing medication, examining patients, diagnosing illnesses and providing treatment.

Law
Ozarks Elder Law LLC appointed Elyse Hartley as partner and leader of the firm’s business law division. She earned a bachelor’s in business administration from University of Missouri and has worked for Ozarks Elder Law for five years.

Kutak Rock LLP elected 30 new partners from its ranks including three from the Springfield area: James Jeffries, Michael Textor and Randell Wallace. Jeffries has expertise in intellectual property and related areas; Textor’s practice focuses on construction and design industries; and Wallace practices in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and economic development incentives.

Nonprofit
Burrell Behavioral Health President and CEO C.J. Davis joined the Missouri Foundation for Health Board of Directors. He will serve a three-year term.

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