Newsmakers: March 8-14, 2021

Architecture
Dake Wells Architecture Inc. hired husband and wife architects Chris and Renee Sutterer. They both have bachelor’s of architecture degrees from Kansas State University and worked together for 18 years in Pennsylvania. The Sutterers have experience designing higher education projects for such institutions as Williams College and Pennsylvania State University, and Chris Sutterer also did work for corporate clients, including Expedia.

Banking & Finance
Guaranty Bank hired Melissa Ives as operations officer and electronic services manager. She’s worked 15 years in banking, mostly at Great Southern Bank and most recently as treasury operations senior risk specialist. Ives holds an associate degree from Ozarks Technical Community College and is accredited through the National Automated Clearing House Association.

Ron Penney and Seth Murray, private wealth advisers with Ameriprise Financial Services Inc., were named by Forbes magazine as Best-in-State Wealth Advisors. The list ranked Murray No. 12 in Missouri and Penney No. 13, based on assets under management, industry experience, compliance record and best practices. The partners of Penney, Murray & Associates reported $1.9 billion in team assets managed.

Legacy Bank & Trust Co. added Charles Hachtel as executive vice president and chief lending officer. He has worked in commercial banking for over 16 years and has a bachelor’s in business administration and economics from Drury University, as well as a degree from the Graduate School of Banking in Colorado.

Insurance
Ollis/Akers/Arney hired Najem Agnew as an adviser and Holly Loven as a human resources consultant. Agnew is moving to risk management, after a career in restaurant and distribution management, most recently for U.S. Foods. He holds a bachelor’s in education from Missouri State University and an MBA from Drury University. Loven has a decade of HR experience for manufacturers and nonprofits, most recently with First & Calvary Presbyterian Church. She holds a bachelor’s in business administration from Drury University and is certified Human Resources Certification Institute.

Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. promoted Adam McGrath to executive sales representative. With 11 years of industry experience, he also qualified for the Liberty Leaders and Liberty Life Leaders sales clubs, putting him in the top 10% of sales representatives nationwide in 2020.

Media
Cynthia Reeves joined Springfield Business Journal Inc. and Hightide Communications LLC as a designer and photographer. She most recently worked as a freelance graphic designer and is wrapping up her associate degree studies in graphic design technology at Ozarks Technical Community College. Reeves previously had a 10-year career as a police officer.

Nonprofit
Achieve of Southwest Missouri received a $10,000 matching grant from Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation to purchase an evidence-based curriculum for young adults with developmental disabilities. Called Project Life, the nonprofit is buying the curriculum from Butler Tech in Ohio to teach the skills needed for employment and independent adulthood.

Real Estate
CoStar Group Inc. named Prosperiti Brokers LLC co-owner Viviana Writer in its Power Broker Award in the fourth quarter of 2020. She was recognized in the Top Retail Leasing Deal category for securing 5,625 square feet in southwest Springfield for tenant The War Zone.