Newsmakers: Sept. 30-Oct. 6, 2024

Banking & Finance
Ryan J. Hurn of New York Life Insurance Co. in Springfield earned the certified financial planner certification. Recipients of the designation meet rigorous experience and ethical requirements of the CFP Board, and they complete coursework and an exam.

Education
The Ozark School District recognized five teachers and staff members with its fourth annual OZcar Awards, held to kick off the 2024-25 academic year. Carole Joy Webb, social studies teacher at Ozark Junior High, was named Secondary Teacher of the Year; Nicki Garner, first-grade teacher at North Elementary, was named Elementary Teacher of the Year; Mary Anderson, social worker at Tiger Paw Early Childhood Center, was named Support Staff of the Year Learning Division; Kent Sappington, executive director of elementary learning for the district, was named Leader of the Year; and Mary Jo Rainey, administrative assistant at East Elementary, was named Support Staff of the Year Operations & Business Division.

Nonprofit
Community Foundation of the Ozarks Inc. named new board members and elected officers. The new board members are Hollie Elliott, executive director of Dallas County Economic Development Group; Brad Erwin, architect and owner of Paragon Architecture; Margo Spilde, entrepreneur and former financial adviser; and Angela Swan, executive assistant at Robinson Construction.

The board’s fiscal 2025 Executive Committee is as follows: Chair Anne E. McGregor, Vice Chair Roy Hardy Jr., Treasurer Sarah Honeycutt, Secretary Gail Smart, at-large member Jimmy Liles, Investment Advisory Board Chair Kari Creighton, Audit/Operations Committee Chair Gary Garwitz and Chair Emeritus Dean Thompson.

The Foundation for Springfield Public Schools added four members to its board of directors. They are Kendall Bennett of Cardinal Health, Bryan Fisher of Neale & Newman LLP, Anne McCormick of McCormick Marketing & More and Ben Sapp of Sapp Design Associates Architects Inc.

The Finley River Community Foundation, an affiliate of Community Foundation of the Ozarks Inc., distributed $9,000 through its latest grant round. The recipients are Christian County Elks Lodge No. 2,777 for its back-to-school program; Court Appointed Special Advocates of Southwest Missouri to advocate for children in foster care; Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland for a safety in the outdoors project; and James River Basin Partnership to provide environmental training for Christian County educators.

Solar
Sun Solar LLC was named the No. 1 residential solar installer in Missouri by Solar Power World magazine. The rating is based on the amount of kilowatts installed and revenue generated. Sun Solar has installed a cumulative total of nearly 500,000 KW of solar energy since its inception in 2012.

Trucking
Prime Inc. was honored by the Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve for support of employees and family members who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. Chris Weldy, logistics department head, and Bayley Smith, logistics operations manager, received Patriot Awards.