BUSINESS PERSONNEL

Steve McPheeters, who recently announced his resignation as Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce executive director, will join Noranda Aluminum Co. Inc. effective Dec. 31.

McPheeters will work in the human resources department and will be responsible for the areas of communications, training and development.

During the past two years as executive director, McPheeters has concentrated his efforts on community and economic development. The chamber has continued to grow under his guidance and added several new resources including a four-color brochure and a video to promote the Sikeston-Miner area. Both the video and the brochure won state recognition.Prior to his tenure as executive director with the Chamber, McPheeters worked in news radio and banking. He specialized in communications, sales, marketing and community relations.

Debbie Evans of Cape Girardeau has joined Perry County Nursing Home, Perryville, as assistant director of nursing.

Evans, a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University in 1991, has more than six years of experience in nursing.

Fred and Jackie Hoelscher, owners of Bellevue Bed & Breakfast, 312 Bellevue, Cape Girardeau, have completed the review program of Bed & Breakfast Inns of Missouri, the state's bed and breakfast professional association.

More than 70 inns in Missouri are inspected and approved BBIM members.

A listing of BBIM membership may be found on the Internet at

http://www.bbim.org/bbim.

J. Derieck Hodges of the Albrecht/Hodges Insurance Agency Inc. of Cape Girardeau has completed the annual continuing education requirement of the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors, at Austin , Texas.

In order to earn the Certified Insurance Counselor designation, people must attend five institutes covering all phases of the insurance business and pass five examinations. Additionally, they must attend annual continuing educational programs.

Hodges, a 14-year veteran in the industry, has been a CIC since 1995.

Donna Loop, Shirley Phegley and Mitch Herod were local winners in a recent Orscheln Farm & Home holiday season promotion.

Loop was winner of a trip to Branson; Phegley won a $100 shopping spree; and Herod was winner of a $50 gift certificate.

More than 50,000 entries were received at 86 stores. The top prize was a 1998 Ford Ranger XLT pickup. The winning entry for the truck was from the Eldon store.

Richard A. Meyers has been named senior vice president and chief operating officer of the USA Rice Federation, a national industry association for the U.S. Rice industry.

Meyers has served as vice president of domestic market promotion for USA Rice since 1987 and will continue to oversee domestic market programs.

Meyers, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, has a master's degree in business administration from Roosevelt University in Chicago.

The USA Rice Outlook Conference was held at Tunica, Miss.