Newsmakers: July 27-Aug. 2, 2026

Banking & Finance
Arvest Bank hired Darline Mabins as a private banking adviser in Springfield. It’s a return to Arvest Bank for Mabins, who previously served nearly two decades at the company, past reporting shows. Mabins has a bachelor’s from Missouri State University.

Chris Dryer joined OMB Bank as a loan officer at its Carthage branch. With nearly 15 years of agricultural lending experience, Dryer also has 14 years of experience as a high school agriculture teacher. 

Engineering
Toth and Associates Inc. hired Emma Schneider as an engineering supervisor in the company’s civil department. Schneider has a bachelor’s in environmental engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology. Additionally, Schneider is licensed as a professional engineer.

Healthcare
Citizens Memorial Hospital hired Dr. Christopher Willis. A board-certified psychiatrist, Willis earned his doctor of osteopathy degree from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. Willis completed his psychiatry residency at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. He’s also currently an active major in the U.S. Army Medical Corps.

Dr. Briana Gomez joined the CMH medical staff as a physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. Working from the CMH OB/GYN Clinic, Gomez earned her medical degree from the Kansas Medical Center and her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. Gomez is a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and is board-eligible through the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

CMH was recertified as a Level II STEMI Center by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The designation is through May 20, 2029. The recertification means the hospital is in full compliance with state standards for emergency heart attack care. CMH has held the designation since first earning it in 2018.

Hospitality
Tru by Hilton Springfield Downtown was honored by Tru with its Circle of Excellence Award. The honor recognizes the Springfield hotel for being in the top 5% of nearly 350 Tru locations nationwide. The award recognizes outstanding performance in guest satisfaction, product quality and overall service excellence.

Manufacturing
Mike White was promoted to executive vice president of accounting and finance at SRC Holdings Corp. He succeeds the retiring Laura Ruzicka. White has nearly 15 years of experience across various SRC companies. White has a bachelor’s in accounting from Westminster College and an MBA from Missouri State University.

Retail
Hy-Vee Inc., which is based in West Des Moines, Iowa, but has two stores in Springfield, was named among America’s Most Patriotic Companies in a list from Newsweek. The company scored a 5/5 rating for its support of veterans and active-duty military members and their families.

Tourism
Explore Christian County was named a destination marketing organization, or DMO, by the Missouri Division of Tourism. The DMO status qualifies Explore Christian County for the Division of Tourism’s marketing matching grant program and allows it to participate in the division’s marketing campaigns. It also lets the organization use financial incentives to attract out-of-state conventions.