BUSINESS PERSONNEL

Jan Wilkins of Cape Girardeau has joined the staff at Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel Inc., 829 N. West End Blvd., as secretary.

Wilkins is a graduate of Patricia Stevens Career College at St. Louis, and has attended classes at the Cape Girardeau Vo-Tech School. She worked for the Missouri Department of Social Services for 18 years.

Leon Dickerson of Jackson has been elected president of the Missouri Division of the Travelers Protective Association.

Dickerson and a number of other members of the Cape Girardeau Post M attended the organization's state convention recently. Attending were Dickerson, Margret Dickerson, Dorothy Ramsey, Clyde Wallis, David Wallis, Jerry Henley and Juanita Henly. Margret Dickerson was re-elected to the state board and was appointed state safety chairman.

T.P.A. is a national fraternal organiztion. The Cape Girardeau Post M chapter has about 1,100 members.

Jane Harte, manager of AAA Travel Agency, 1903 Broadway, has attended a "Seminar at Sea" on the Royal Caribbean International ship, Nordic Express.

She was a part of a group of AAA managers from Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas at the seminar.

While on the cruise, participants visited St. Thomas, San Juan and St. Martin. They also stayed at the Westin Rio Mar Resort in Puerto Rico as a post-cruise night.

Steven Fritzler of Cape Girardeau has attended a national sales and education conference, sponsored by Aid Association for Lutherans, at Lake of the Ozarks.

Fritzler qualified to attend the executive conference based on consistent sales and service to AAL members during 1996. He also attended special volunteer recognition events at the conference, where he was honored for achieving excellence in fraternal services.

Fritzler, who joined AAL's field staff in 1989, has qualified for the national conference seven times.

AAL is the nation's leading fraternal benefit society in terms of assets and individual life insurance in force. AAL provides Lutherans and their families with life insurance and retirement products.

Five Southeast Missouri Hospital employees have been recognized for 30 years of service.

Shirley Beel, food and nutrition; Opal Gast, surgery; Shirley Griffin, central service; Mary Popp, a transcriptionist in radiology; and Charlotte Wade, a registered nurse on 4-South, received 30-year commemorative pins during last week's hospital's 28th employee award banquet.

Commemorative pins were presented by hospital administrator James W. Wente and director of human resources Chuck Keppler in recognition of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service.

The banquet, in conjunction with National Hospital Week activities, was held at the University Center on the Southeast Missouri State University campus. "Bringing Harmony to Health Care" was the theme of the program.

Recognized for 25 years of service were Brenda Crites, pharmacist in the hospital pharmacy; William Dubbs, director of the neurophysiology lab; Carol Lehman, patient registration secretary; Myra Morris, pharmacy; Charles Reed, food and nutrition; Linda Rodgers, surgery unit secretary; Ellen Seyer, social worker with case management; Dorothy Shoulders, surgery; Lula Simpson, information systems supervisor; Norma Trickey, surgical progressive care. Posthumously recognized for 25 years with the hospital was Harriett Friese, emergency service. Friese died May 10.

Twenty-year pins went to eight employees: Margie Abernathy, 4-South; Gaila Adams, 3-West; Deborah Berkbuegler, surgical progressive care; Janet Bond, medical technologist in clinical lab; Catherine Magas, emergency services; Janice Matthews, medical progressive care; Pearla Murphy, secretary, Southeast's Jackson Outreach Services; and Sara Patzwitz, emergency services.

Receiving 15-year pins were Marvin Ates, Edith Barber, Cynthia Beel, Joyce Berry, Sandra Chandler, Cynthia Cody, Beverly Darter, Rose Dean, Jan Devore, Diane Holzum, Virginia Jaco, Teressa Johnson, Douglas McIntosh, Anna Merchant, Susan Pekios, Ruth Rauh, Jerry Sanders, Karen Scherer, Roger Shoulders, Charlene Willenbring, Dorothy Williford, Billy Windeknecht and Doris Windeknecht.

William Wolman, chief economist for Business Week magazine and CNBC commentator, will be keynote speaker at the governor's 39th annual Economic Development Conference, at St. Louis this week.

"Preparing for the 21st Century" is the theme of the Thursday and Friday conference sponsored by Gov. Mel Carnahan, at the Adam's Mark Hotel in downtown St. Louis.

Topics during the event will include those on economic development, Missouri's business climate, urban redevelopment, entrepreneurism and environmental policy.

Terry Boldt at the Missouri Department of Economic Development, (573)-751-9064, is in charge of information for the event.