BUSINESS PERSONNEL

Laura Marie Stoner has received the "Missouri Older Worker of the Year" award.

Stoner joined Semo Alliance for Disability Independence Inc., a non-residential, not-for-profit, independent center, as a receptionist in March 1996, under the Area Agency on Aging Senior Community Employment Program. In July, she was hired by SADI as a resource specialist.

Stoner is a published poet. She is pastor of the Congregational Methodist Church in Jackson.

She was nominated for the Missouri Older Worker award by Alvina Glover, project director for the Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging.

Greg Branum of U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson's office recently presented the district Missouri Older Worker of the Year Award to Stoner.

Pat Hagan of Dana Corp. has been elected president of the Cape Area Personnel Association.

Other officers of the group include Tim Wheetley of Dana Corp., president-elect; Denise Becker of Workforce, secretary; and Joyce Bachmann of Foamex, treasurer.

CAPA, which meets monthly, promotes fellowship, cooperation and understanding in the field of personnel administration.

Chris Johnston, a Fruitland businessman, has been named to the National Directory of Who's Who in Executives & Professionals, 1998-1999 Edition..

Johnston owns and operates Frontier Food Mart and Kitchen in Fruitland. He has been a business owner and operator since he was 18. He opened Bloomin' Balloons and Flowers in Cape Girardeau and Dalton Florists in Jackson. He also managed the Steak-N-Shake Restaurant in Cape Girardeau.

Johnston is a board member of the Fruitland Fire Department and vice chairman of the Cape Girardeau County Waste Water District. He is also a member of the Oak Ridge PTO and the Oak Ridge Community Neighborhood Watch program. Recently he was selected into the National Directory of Who's Who in Executives and Professionals.

Phillip Lewis, a licensed RSA skating instructor, has joined Cape Skate, as manager.

Cape Skate, 620 Commercial, a family entertainment center, offers a variety of activities, including birthday parties, roller hockey leagues, and other private parties.

Lewis, a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, has been involved in skating activities a number of years. He has operated Skate City Fun-Plex in Poplar Bluff for 25 years..

Marilyn Duffey, a broker associated with Prudential Bridgeport Inc. Realtors, has earned the Leading Edge Society Award for 1997.

The award recognizes agents whose sales place them in the top 5 percent of all agents in the Prudential Real Estate network.

She will receive her award later this month during Prudential's national convention in Las Vegas.

Duffey has been in real estate since 1980 and associated with Prudential Bridgeport since 1987. She is a life member of the Multi-Million-Dollar Club and received the Summit Award for Excellence, awarded by the Missouri Association of Realtors, in 1996 and 1997.

Kathy Elfrink of Taylor Dial American Family Insurance, 245 S. Plaza Way, has qualified to sell property and casualty insurance.

Eftink of Jackson recently completed classwork and passed testing for her license, qualifying her to sell auto, home and business insurance.

Elfrtink has been with American Family since October.

Michelle Glover of Portageville was a winner of a "Tuxedo Party" for her wedding from the House of Brides, 238 N. Pacific.

Glover won the tuxedo party during the company's recent Big Bridal Giveaway.

George Stradler, general manager of Casino Aztar in Caruthersville, and Larry Buck, vice president and general manager of Players Island Casino at Maryland Heights, have been elected vice presidents of the Missouri Riverboat Gaming Association, which elected officers.

Duncan McKenzie, president and general manger of Flamingo Casino at Kansas City, is the new president of the association, which is the trade association of the riverboat gaming industry in Missouri.

Thomas W. Purcel, LaClede's Landing Redevelopment Corp., retired as MRGA president after five years.

Four Southeast Missouri cotton industry members have been elected to leadership positions on the National Cotton Council.

Charles Parker, a Senath cotton producer, was elected as state producer chairman on the NCC's Producer Steering Committee.

Edward Dement, a Sikeston producer, was elected chairman of the NCC's Missouri unit; Charles R. Earnest, a ginner with Dolphin Gin Co., in Steele, was named vice chairman, and Kenneth L. Berry, a ginner with L. Berry Gin Co. in Holland, was named secretary.

Karen Honaas, Gwen Hicks, Lin Hahs and Bernice Campbell of the local Beltone Hearing Center, 68 Doctors' Park, recently attended a Beltone Professional Fitting Seminar at St. Louis.

A number of topics, including the rationale for advanced technology development and concepts of loudness growth and its measurement were discussed during the two-day seminar.

Honaas, a registered nurse, is owner of the local Beltone operation.

Trisha Wischmann, group sales director for the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau, recently attended Travel Expo Plus, a travel-trade show at Bardstown, Ky.

Wischmann made presentations to 38 group tour operations, travel agents and group leaders from across the nation.

Follow-up responses, showcasing the Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri areas were sent to a number of companies.

Dr. L. Gayle Rayburn, an accounting professor at Southeast Missouri State University, recently received Lee Brummet-Institute of Management Accountants Distinguished Service Award for Educators.

The annual award is given to an educator who has made significant contributions to accounting education and the institute, the largest management accounting association in the world.

Rayburn authored a textbook, "Cost Accounting: Using a Cost Management Approach." The book is in its sixth printing. Rayburn also has authored more than 140 professional articles, as well as two other books.

Ann Swanson, president of Gulliver's Travel Agency Inc., 111 N. Missouri St., Jackson, recently attended an educational tour of Thailand and Malaysia.

She toured the grand Palace, site for the movie "The King and I," and the Buddhist Temple Wat Po in Bangkok.

In Malaysia, she visited the city of Kuala Lumpur with its famous Hindu shrine in the Batu Caves and other historic sites.

Swanson has been in the travel industry since 1981. She purchased Gulliver's Travel in 1997. She was accompanied on the trip by her husband, Marvin Swanson.

Gerry Keene of First Financial Planners Inc. of Cape Girardeau recently presented a presentation, "The Five Common Money Mistakes," a guideline to planning for the future, to members of the Jackson Jaycees.

Steve Brown, clinical audiologist of Cape Girardeau, has been appointed by the Missouri Board of Healing Arts to serve a second three-year term on the Advisory Commission of Speech Pathology and Audiology.

Brown was also appointed to serve on the Board for the Missouri Academy of Audiology and serves as its national liaison to the American Academy of Audiology. He is also a founding member of the Missouri Academy of Audiology.

Brown has served this area as an audiologist since 1983. Brown and Cathy Willen recently opened The Audiology Center, 262 S. Mount Auburn Road, in Lorimont Place.