BUSINESS PERSONNEL

J. Scott Porter of Cape Girardeau has been named manager of the Scott County Missouri Mentoring Partnership.

Marge Nichols Sullivan, coordinator of the program, announced Porter's position recently.

The mentoring program offers youth who have experienced out-of-home placements an opportunity for employment with mentor support in the workplace.

Porter is youth pastor of the House of Prayer Church and is director of "Slamfest," an annual five-on-five basketball tournament and fund raiser that attracted crowds of 1,500 to 2,000 people. He provides experience in youth programs to the position. He has served as community center director for the Salvation Army and project coordinator for the Missouri Youth Conservation Corps through the East Missouri Action Agency.

The mentoring program in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties is coordinated by James L. Davis, assistant regional administrator, Division of Youth Services; Bev Long, area director of Division of Family Services; and Ron Swift, executive director of the Private Industry Council, all centered in Cape Girardeau.

Pat Alsdorf has joined Robertson's Creative Photography, 605 Broadway, as office manager.

Alsdorf previously worked at Famous Barr four years as a bridal consultant.

Robertson's Creative Photography, owned by Steve Robertson, opened in 1981. It specializes in portrait, wedding and commercial photography.

Jason B. Woods of Richmond Heights, formerly of Cape Girardeau, has joined Equitable as an agent of Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and a registered representative of EQ Financial Consultants Inc.

Woods is a graduate of University of Missouri-Columbia, with a bachelor's degree in business administration and a juris doctorate degree. He is licensed to practice law in Missouri.

Lynn Jones and Willard Schneider, employees with the City of Jackson, recently attended the AMEC Regulator, Oil Circuit Recloser and Capacitor School at the AMEC Training Center in Jefferson City.

Topics at the three-day session included operation and maintenance of high voltage regulators, capacitor control and testing, and the proper use of voltage regulations.

AMEC is the service organization for Missouri's 47 electric cooperatives that serve more than 500,000 rural Missourians.

Chris Edmonds and Dave Walton, owners of Softworks USA Inc., recently attended the Microsoft Web Tech-Ed Conference in Palm Springs, Calif.

Topics and training during the six-day conference included training in Internet technologies and how to use the technologies to the benefit of customers. Also discussed were implementation of databases across the Internet, audio, video streaming and electronic commerce.

Softworks USA is a software development firm specializing in database applications and Internet technology.

Steven Fritzler of Cape Girardeau, a district representative with Aid Association for Lutherans, recently attended a Counsellor Selling Skills Workshop at the Regal Riverfront Hotel in St. Louis.

Workshop topics included strengthening listening and questioning skills, relationship building, conflict management and presentation skills.

Fritzler is an associate of the Jack Hollingsworth Agency of AAL, Independence.

AAL, based in Appleton, Wis., is a fraternal benefit society that provides insurance and volunteer opportunities to Lutherans and their families.

Dr. Robert Kessinger, of Kessinger Specific Chiropractic Clinic at 1424 Kurre Lane, has been named "Instructor fo the Year" from the Kale Upper Cervical Specific Certification Program, headquartered at Spartanburg, S.C.

Kessinger has been an instructor since 1993. This marks his second time for the honor. He was named Kale's "Instructor of the Year" in 1994.

Mercantile Bank of Sikeston has announced the promotion of nine employees.

Promoted to vice president were Doug Johnson, Michele Knickman, Ramona Kyle and Nancy Reiman. New assistant vice presidents are Matt Tanner, Teresa Brown, Robin Pace, Marcia Witt and Teresa Bye.

Four of the employees have worked at the bank more than 14 years, headed by Bye with 22 years. Reiman has worked at the bank 19 years, Pace 27 years and Kyle 14 years.