BUSINESS PERSONNEL

Donna Kerfes, administrative assistant at Regional Eyecare Center Inc., recently attended the 72nd annual conference of the Medical Group Managements Associates at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

The conference focused on strategies to achieve excellence in health care, future frontiers of health, issues on group practices in today's competitive marketplace, health promotion and financial management and market analysis.

Dewayne Whitener of Jackson has joined Mid America Manufacturing Technical Center of Missouri, a group headquartered at Rolla and partnered between the University of Missouri-Rolla and the Missouri Enterprise Business Center.

Whitener will work with small and medium-sized manufacturers in Southeast Missouri to assist them in improving quality, productivity and competitiveness.

Whitener, a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, has extensive work experience in quality engineering and management and was a 1997 examiner for the Missouri Quality Award, and is an American Society for Quality Certified Quality Manager, Engineer and Auditor.

Lynelle Souby Luther is new area engineer for the southern region of the Missouri Department of Transportation's Southeast Missouri District, which includes Dunklin, Pemiscot, New Madrid and Mississippi counties, along with portions of Scott and Stoddard counties.

Luther replaces Kevin Fuller, who transferred to Mexico, Mo.

Luther, a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, and a registered professional engineer, has been with MoDOT since 1989

Keith Lipps of Cape Girardeau has been named manager of the new AutoZone store in Anna.

Lipps has been with AutoZone more than two years, working in stores at Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

The Anna store opened recently on East Vienna Street. Hours for the new store are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5 Sunday.

Thomas M. Meyer of Thomas L. Meyer Realty Co. has been named "Realtor of the Year" by the Missouri Association of Realtors.

Meyer has been licensed in the real estate profession since 1970 and is president of the Thomas L. Meyer Realty Co. and its affiliate, Ridgeway Co. in Perryville.

He was president of the MAR in 1995 and serves on the National Association of Realtors Board of Directors.

Meyer received the award during the MAR convention at Branson. He was presented the award by his father, Thomas L. Meyer, who was president of the MAR in 1968 and was "Realtor of the Year for Missouri in 1970.

Thomas M. Meyer will be recognized at the NAR Convention this month at Anaheim, Calif.

Mary Burton, executive director of the Southeast Regional Chapter of the American Red Cross, has been elected to the American Red Cross Missouri State Service Council.

The Council coordinates the delivery of Red Cross services across Missouri.

The Red Cross has 34 chapters and more than 15,000 volunteers in Missouri.

Debra Burton, a nurse in Southeast Missouri Hospital's Intensive Care Unit, has received the 1998 "Critical Care Nurse of the Year" award, presented by the Southeast Chapter of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.

The award recognizes excellence dedication, devotion and performance in critical care nursing.

Burton, an employee at Southeast Missouri Hospital 12 years, received her nursing degree from Southeast Missouri State University. She is enrolled in the Advance Practice Nurse Program at St. Louis University.

She is a past president of AACN Southeast Chapter and a member of Sigma Theta Tau, a nursing honor society, and serves as a volunteer with the American Heart Association.

Burton is the eighth Southeast Missouri Hospital nurse to receive the award during the past nine years.

Mark Claunch has received a promotion by Dana Corp.'s Spicer Axle Division at the Cape Girardeau facility.

Claunch, who joined Dana in March 1990, has been promoted to Level IV Maintenance Technician. He has worked in the maintenance department since August 1991.

Lowell Wheeler of Poplar Bluff is winner of a Harley Davidson motorcycle in the Missouri Lottery's "Ticket to Ride" promotion drawing.

Wheeler received his new, $9,800, motorcycle from Minor's Harley-Davidson/Suzuki Sales Inc., 905 Enterprise in Cape Girardeau, owned by Sonny and Barb Minor. The Cape Girardeau dealership was selected by Missouri Lottery to make the presentation.

Wheeler also received $2,500 in cash in the lottery promotion.

Drs. Robert Kessinger and Dessy Boneva of Kessinger Specific Chiropractic Clinic, 1424 Kurre Lane in Cape Girardeau, recently presented a scientific paper at the National Subluxation Conference, sponsored by Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic, in Atlantic City, N.J.

The paper, "Changes in Visual Acuity in Patients Receiving Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic Care," was first published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research in January.

`Rory Mullarney has joined Noranda Aluminum at New Madrid as manager of reduction operations.

Mullarney has about 20 years experience in reduction, carbon, environmental and cast house categories. He was most recently plant superintendent at Reynolds Carbon Division in Lake Charles, La. He worked with Reynolds Metal Department.

He succeeds Ralph Ebersole, who is retiring.

Dale Pingel of Cape Girardeau and Ronald Throop of Scott City have been honored by United Parcel Service, headquartered at Earth City.

Pingle, a package driver for UPS out of the Cape Girardeau Center, was honored for 20 years service with the company.

Throop, a tractor-trailer driver, was recognized by the company for driving 25 years without an accident.

UPS, a package distribution company, serves more than 200 countries and employs more than 339,000 worldwide. The Missouri District employs more than 5,000 workers and has more than 30 operating centers.

Jerry Pullen, president of Pullen Brothers Trucking Inc. of Sikeston, is the 1998 recipient of the a Walton Business Leader Award, selected by the Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce.

The annual ward, sponsored by the Wal-Mart Foundation and the Wal-Mart store in Sikeston, was established in 1995 to recognize local business people who best exemplify the principals of Sam Walton, Wal-mart's late founder.

Pullen was one of more than 1,000 business people in Wal-Mart and Sam's Club communities in the United States to receive an award.

Pullen serves as chairman of the Kenny Rogers Cerebral Palsy Center Board of Directors and is a member of the Sikeston City Council.

Tim Schwent, a certified public accountant with Schott & Van de Ven, Certified Public Accountants, has completed an educational class, "Corporate and Business Taxes," held at St. Louis.

Schwent has been a certified public account since 1972 and specializes in tax planning and advisory services for closely held business.

Tim Forneris has received a 1999 "Cardinal Red" Town and Country Limited minivan from Chrysler Corp.

Forneris, you may recall, is a grounds keeper at Busch Stadium who retrieved the 62nd, record-breaking, home run by St. Louis Cardinal slugger Mark McGwire during the 1998 baseball season and returned the ball to McGwire.

Chrysler, commemorating the 15th anniversary of the Minivan, awarded the van to Forneris last week to salute Forneris for his actions.

By returning the "million-dollar" ball, Forneris showed respect for the Cardinals and Mark McGwire, said Chrysler officials. Most of all, he showed love for the game of baseball. His actions truly represent the "Spirit of St. Louis."