BUSINESS PERSONNEL

Kevin Schwab, Don Flanery and Scott Sparks have joined the staff at Dana Corp. in Cape Girardeau, and two men, Rick Drum and Brian DeBrock, have received promotions at the local plant, 2075 Corporate Circle, off of Southern Expressway.

Schwab and Flanery have accepted positions of process engineers with Dana.

Schwab moved here from Hennepin, Ill., where he was previously employed by LTV Steel Co. He has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla, with special coursework in computer-aided manufacturing.

Flanery moved here from Columbia, where earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri.

Sparks, who joins the company as controller, has worked with Dana for 26 years and was most recently at the Victor Products Division in Danville, Ky. Sparks, a Dana certified supervisor, is a graduate of Tri-State University with a bachelor's degree in business administration.

Drum, a Dana employee since 1990, has been promoted to the position of process engineer. DeBrock, an employee at Dana for five years, was also promoted to process engineer. He is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University with a bachelor's in industrial technology.

Gina Garner has joined Redbook Florist Services' sales department as a sales support executive at Paragould, Ark.

Garner of Paragould is graduate of Southeast Missouri State University with a bachelor's degree in marketing. She previously served as a customer service representative for the Golden Cat Corp. in Cape Girardeau.

She will work with territory managers and other Redbook departments on various sales and service-related activities, incuding the sale of Encycloflora textbooks and the National Florist Directory.

Ed Nichols, a former coach in Southeast Missouri, has joined Van Matre Buick, 511 S. Kingshighway, in Cape Girardeau, as a salesman.

Nichols of Scott City started coaching more than 30 years ago and has also worked as an insurance salesman periodically during the same period.

Blaine Russell has joined the staff of Fay's Hair Tech, 41 S. Spanish.

Russell previously worked at Eugene's Hair Salon.

He is a graduate of Stage One The Hair School in Cape Girardeau.

Dannie Gilder, president of Dannie Gilder Excavating Inc., has received the Corps of Engineers Commander's Award for Public Service.

Gilder was recognized for his outstanding emergency contract work during flooding in 1995 at Dutchtown and on the Commerce-Bird's Point Levee. During the flood Gilder provided trucks and manpower that made it possible for the Corps of Engineers to construct an emergency levee at Dutchtown and to raise the levee near Commerce in minimal time.

The special award is presented to civilians who have performed above and beyond what is normally expected of them.

Maj. Joseph DuMenil, deputy commander for the Memphis District, presented the award at Gilder's office, 5603 Highway 25, Gordonville.

Judy Leist of The Way Christian Book Store, 110 S. High, Jackson, recently attended the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA) International Convention at Denver.

The Christian retailing industry is expected to be a $3 billion business this year, up from $1 billion in 1980.

The Way opened in Jackson more than 16 years ago.

Mary Miller, director of the Cape Girardeau Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), recently particpated in the "Wake Up to Missouri Showcase," at Lake of the Ozarks.

Joyce Hill, a hearing-aid specialist at Miracle-Ear Center, 1465 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, has completed training to offer digital programmable hearing aids from Bausch & Lomb.

The digital system is part of a complete line of hearing aids available through Miracle-Ear.

Patrick E. Carron, assistant administrator at Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville, has completed requirements for advancement to diplomate status in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

David Andrews, video production services coordinator at Southeast Missouri State University, received a third place in the culture category of the Silver State Documentary Festival, for his video, "Cape Girardeau: The First 200 Years."

Andrews will receive his award at the University of Las Vegas.

The festival, sponsored by the UNLV Greenspun School of Communications, attracted film entries from across the nation in five categories.

Andrews' 30-minute, made-for-television video traces the history of Cape Girardeau, starting with the founding of the city and describing the area's role in the Civil War, the industrial revolution and major events of the 20th century.

The video was produced for his master's degree thesis project. Andrews uses music, historic photos and his own narration to tell the story of Cape Girardeau.

Bradley Moll of Perryville has been promoted to manager of Meyer Bus Line Inc..

Moll, a graduate of Linn Technical School at Linn, has been employed as maintenance supervisor for Meyer for three years.

Meyer Bus Line, North Main Street in Perryville, provides school bus transportation for both public and parochial students in Perry County.