Newsmakers: Sept. 2-8, 2019

Accounting
BKD LLP promoted Sarah Brown, Tori Cross, Caroline McKinney, Levi Skinner and Catherine Sweeney to senior associates. Brown is part of the not-for-profit and private client services teams, providing 990 and general tax assistance. Cross handles audit services in the home care and hospice, long-term care and higher education industries. McKinney provides audit services to financial institutions, construction companies and employee benefits plans. Skinner supports the real estate, not-for-profit and community health center teams with a variety of audit services. Sweeney provides audit services in manufacturing, distribution, retail and community health.

Education
Evangel University was granted accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs for its clinical mental health counseling and school counseling master’s degree programs. With the accreditation, the programs are nationally recognized for an eight-year period.

Southwest Baptist University added five staff members: Courtney Smith and Tamara Boyd, nursing instructors; Amos Gichamba, assistant professor of computer science; Julie Wilken, learning resource and simulation coordinator in the Don and Carrie Babb Department of Nursing; and Mitch Yung, assistant professor of art.

Health Care
Haven Healthcare LLC added Cristie Murphree as executive director of home health. She previously worked for national home health agency LHC Group Inc.

Nonprofit
Lost & Found Grief Center added board members Josh Kitchin and Lisa Hallam. Kitchin is a financial adviser at Edward Jones, and Hallam is nursing director for Mercy Emergency and Trauma Center.

Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri named Sonya Newton as housing program director. She previously directed operations at Midwest Hospice LLC for 13 years. Newton also has concurrently held roles of executive director and interim administrator for five skilled nursing facilities in southwest Missouri.

The Springfield Regional Arts Council hired Krista Cirillo as office and facility manager for The Creamery Arts Center. She provides administrative support, coordinates the art center’s rentals and preforms general maintenance of the facility. She previously worked at Planned Parenthood as a health center assistant and also has experience in office and human resources administration.

SRAC added three 2019-20 board members: Susan Belcher, a musician and arts patron; Jim Bultas, founder of Plotline; and Laura Jean Derrick, project manager and architect at Missouri State University. They join elected officers Joshua Best of the Springfield Art Museum, president; Allin Sorenson of Drury University’s Music Department, vice president; Justin Petersburg of Esterly Schneider & Associates Inc., as secretary; and Rachel Elsberry of BKD LLP, as treasurer.

Retail
Mitchum Jewelry Co. was named one of America’s Coolest Jewelry Stores by Instore, a magazine for jewelry store owners. The Ozark store won honorable mention and a top eight finish for stores with six employees or more, judged on exterior and interior appearance, store biography, marketing, web presence and individuality.