Newsmakers: June 17-23, 2024

Banking & Finance
Lauren Struckhoff Southern was named assistant vice president and private banker at Simmons Bank. Previously program coordinator for Leadership Springfield, Struckhoff Southern has a bachelor’s in organizational leadership from Drury University.

Education
Missouri State University appointed Kasey Griffith as head softball coach. The seventh head coach in the history of the program, Griffith has served as associate head coach the past two seasons.

Outgoing MSU President Clif Smart, who has led the school since 2011, received two recent recognitions. The MSU Board of Governors honored Smart with the Bronze Bear Award, which recognizes contributions to the university. Smart separately received the Key to the City honor from Springfield Mayor Ken McClure in recognition of civic engagement and a commitment to the public good.

The MSU Board of Governors recognized five employees with the Award for Excellence in Public Affairs. Recognizing faculty and staff for their public affairs work at MSU, the award comes with $1,500 for research, professional development or projects related to their public affairs efforts. The award recipients are David Cornelison, professor of physics, astronomy and materials science in the College of Natural and Applied Sciences; Alan Tinkler, assistant department head for the English department in the Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities; Rebecca Woodard, professor of kinesiology in the McQueary College of Health and Human Services; Jennifer Johnston, director of teacher training programs for the English Language Institute; and Juli Panza, director of professional education services in the College of Education.

Six former employees were inducted by the MSU Board of Governors into the university’s Wall of Fame. The 2024 inductees are Cindi Barnett, Julie Ebersold, Jack Knight, Rhonda Ridinger, Belva Worthen Prather and Nancy Schanda. Barnett helped oversee the development of the Foster Recreation Center; Ebersold was director of alumni activities; Knight was the third full-time professor ever hired in the philosophy department; Ridinger was a kinesiology professor, advisor and field hockey coach; Worthen Prather held the associate director of bands position; and Schanda built the first college academic advising center – the Business Advisement Center – in the College of Business.

Health Care
Dr. Juris Simanis of Citizens Memorial Hospital achieved the Triple Crown in wilderness medicine from the Wilderness Medical Society. Simanis, who specializes in sports medicine, earned the Diploma in Mountain Medicine in 2018, followed by the Diploma in Diving & Marine Medicine and a Fellowship in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine in 2023.

Media
Springfield Business Journal hired Zachary Standeford as a business strategist. With a bachelor’s in psychology from Norwich University, Standeford has worked in career and performance coaching at Classy Llama Studios LLC and as an infantry officer and recruiter for the U.S. Marine Corps.

Services
HVAC system and chimney cleaning company LCS Kleen-Aire Inc. hired Amanda Carter as chief operating officer. Carter, who has a bachelor’s in music education and master’s in education from MSU, previously served as director of operations for Paperwise.