Newsmakers: Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2024

Banking & Finance
Stockmens Bank hired Thomas Ganaden as vice president and loan officer for its Springfield market. He previously worked at State Bank of Southwest Missouri and was a member of SBJ’s 2024 class of 40 Under 40.

Education
Springfield Public Schools inducted alumni Billy Gene Cooper and L. Denise Fredrick into the district’s Hall of Fame for dedicating their lives to supporting and elevating others through their professions and volunteer work. Cooper, a 1968 graduate of Central High School, was employed for 28 years as a workforce development specialist, ultimately earning the honor of Missouri Association for Workforce Development’s Workforce Professional of the Year, and his volunteer roles include coaching youth sports for 40 years through the Boys and Girls Clubs and serving for 31 years at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. Fredrick, a 1972 graduate of Hillcrest High School, started her career as an educator at Kickapoo High School and received multiple honors, including SPS Teacher of the Year, a national Milken Educator Award, Missouri State University Outstanding Young Alumni and Science Teachers of Missouri Presidential Citation. Fredrick also served on the SPS Board of Education for 12 years, including seven years as president or vice president.

Manufacturing
Elizabeth Wente was hired to the newly created role of deputy general counsel by SRC Holdings Corp. She brings nearly a decade of employment law experience at Spencer Fane LLP, the past seven of which she served as partner.

SRC Holdings promoted Ryan Stack to executive vice president and Matt Whisman to vice president of information technology. Stack’s 25-year career at SRC has included roles as chief information officer and general manager at SRC Heavy Duty. Whisman joined SRC Holdings as information security director in 2022 after 15 years with Jack Henry & Associates Inc. (Nasdaq: JKHY).

Ceramex North America LLC, a subsidiary of SRC Holdings, promoted Mike Wilson to general manager and Carley Carmichael to director of operations. Wilson is a Ceramex employee since 2022 and previously served as controller, and Carmichael served as operations manager after joining the company in 2023. Both Wilson and Carmichael have previous experience with Hagan, Tucker, Schmidt, & Gintz CPAs.

SRC Holdings subsidiary SRC Automotive promoted Aaron LaRose to general manager from vice president of sales. LaRose has a bachelor’s in finance and marketing from Missouri State University.

Chris Merrifield was promoted to general manager from chief operations officer of NewStream Enterprises, an SRC subsidiary. Merrifield has 25 years of experience in distribution and transportation.

Military
Brig. Gen. Dean P. Thompson succeeded Maj. Gen. Ernest “Ernie” Litynski as commanding general of the 76th Operational Response Command, a unit of the U.S. Army Reserve that provides support during emergencies and natural disasters. Thompson, who locally works in economic development for City Utilities of Springfield, enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1985, obtaining the rank of sergeant before receiving a commission as a second lieutenant in 1990. He has a master’s in public administration from Missouri State University and a master’s in strategic studies from the United States Army War College.