Names in the News

__WATSON JOINS MRV BANKS__

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- Doug Watson joined MRV Banks as president and CEO. He has 33 years of banking experience, most recently as president and CEO for a bank in southwest Missouri.

__NORDENIA HONORS EMPLOYEES__

Stephen Wright, multicraft technician of Jackson, was employee of the month for December at Nordenia USA Inc. He has been with the company since Oct. 7, 1991. Nordenia also recognizes the following employment anniversaries: Grover Sachse, 20 years of service; and Bonita VanGennip, 10 years.

__BELL JOINS REALTY EXECUTIVES__

Marlene A. Bell, "M.A. Bell," joined Realty Executives of Cape County as a sales executive. Bell specializes in residential and commercial real estate, and farm and acreage properties. She is a relocation specialist and first-time buyer specialist who holds the designations of Graduate Realtor Institute and Certified Residential Specialist.

__LIPE PROMOTED TO CONSUMER SALES MANAGER__

Tyler Lipe was promoted to consumer sales manager for Southeast Missouri at Regions Bank. He has been with Regions since 2005 and was branch sales manager at the Bellemore Banking Center in Granite City, Ill.

Gary Hill

__ANDERSON EARNS SUPERVISOR CREDENTIALS__

Shannon Anderson, a licensed professional counselor in Cape Girardeau, earned the registered play therapist-supervisor credential conferred by the Association for Play Therapy. To earn this designation, applicants must have earned a traditional master's or doctoral mental health degree from an institution of higher education; 150 clock hours of play therapy training; five years and 5,000 hours of postmaster's clinical experience; 500 supervised and 500 additional hours of play therapy experience; and be licensed or certified by their state boards of practice.

__ROGERS EXCELS AT GREGORY__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Stan Rogers of Gregory Logistics Inc. completed his second lease/purchase agreement with the company. He joined Gregory in 1994 as a company driver, then became a lease/purchase driver and later an owner/operator for the company.

Ryan Shrimplin

__CITY OF CAPE ADDS THREE EMPLOYEES__

Anna Kangas began working with the city of Cape Girardeau's Development Services Division on Oct. 24 as a plan reviewer. Kangas is an architect through the American Institute of Architects and licensed with the Missouri Board of Architects. Ryan Shrimplin began working as a city planner in Cape Girardeau on Nov. 7. He previously worked for six years as a planner for the city of Centerville, Ohio. Gary Hill joined the city staff as a building/code inspector Oct. 24 after retiring from public education employment July 1. Hill is a journeyman plumber and industrial technology and construction instructor with six years of experience in residential and light commercial plumbing, and 12 years teaching construction trades.

__HALL COMPLETES KAPLAN COURSE__

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Joyce Hall of Chaffee, a financial representative with Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial, completed Kaplan Financial's Needs Analysis Course. She started with Modern Woodmen in June 2011.

Anna Kangas

__REALTORS ATTEND CONFERENCE__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Officers from the Three Rivers Board of Realtors participated in the Missouri Association of Realtors Leadership Conference at Tan-Tar-A. Those attending were LaNora Kay, Lucas Edington, Kurt Knodell, Kim King, Gene Merriman, Patty Wright, Lori Dunlap, Russ Cofano and JoNell Miller.

__WILKERSON, NANCE MOVE UP AT GREGORY LOGISTICS__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Wes Wilkerson and William Nance are now owner-operators at Gregory Logistics Inc. Wilkerson began working at Gregory in 2005 as a company driver and joined the company's lease-purchase program in 2009. In October, he completed his lease-purchase agreement to become an owner-operator. Nance joined Gregory as a company driver in 2008 and joined the lease/purchase program in 2009. He became an owner/operator in December.

__JACKSON CHAMBER HAS NEW BOARD MEMBERS__

Wade "Pee Wee" Bartels, Jeff Slinkard and Kyle Thompson were elected to the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors. They replace outgoing directors Dr. Ron Anderson, Marsha Haskell and David Hitt, who all served the maximum time allowed, three consecutive terms of three years. Slinkard is a certified public accountant at Baer & Edington LLC, Thompson is vice president of commercial lending at The Bank of Missouri in Jackson and Bartels is chief financial officer for the Jackson R-2 School District.

__COLDWELL LEADERS ANNOUNCED__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Tonya Carter was top producer for October at Coldwell Banker Ruth Holloway Realty. Cathy Stafford was top producer for November, and Brock Littles was top lister.

__BOARD OF REALTORS NAMES 2012 OFFICERS__

The Cape Girardeau County Board of Realtors installed its officers for 2012. David E. Soto Sr. was installed as board president, Beth McFerron as board vice president, Kathy Devor as board secretary and Tara Elfrink as board treasurer. Paul Kitchen, Adam Burger and Kyla Baughman were named to the local board of directors. Tina McMahon, Wendy Marberry, Debbie Thurman and Wanda Duncan were named to the state board of directors. The board also appointed Sharon Gill as multiple listing service president, Patti Main as multiple listing service vice president and Liz Lockhart as multiple listing service secretary/treasurer. Multiple listing service directors are Michelle Doughten, Duncan and Ricki Ing. Gill was also named 2011 Realtor of the Year.

__SPENCER, KENDLE TOP RE/MAX__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Julie Spencer was top producer for November at RE/MAX Real Estate Group, and Charles Kendle was top lister.

__CABOT TO LEAD SBTDC__

The Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Southeast Missouri State University announced that Sandra Cabot will be interim director of the Small Business and Technology Development Center. Cabot continues to serve as assistant director for outreach for the CIE. She previously served for two years as a program coordinator in the CIE and is certified as an Operation JumpStart: First Step and a FastTrac New Venture facilitator. From 2008 to 2009, she served as a contract instructor for the center's Operation JumpStart classes. An experienced entrepreneur, she operated a professional consulting business for 10 years.

__BLOOMFIELD HIRES NEW SUPERINTENDENT__

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Bloomfield School Board hired Toni Hill as the new superintendent Dec. 12, the Dexter Daily Statesman reported. Hill, a native of Bernie, Mo., is currently superintendent of the Portageville School District. She previously taught for two years and served as principal for seven years, both at Bloomfield. She will replace Dr. Nicholas Thiele, who will retire at the end of the 2011-2012 school year.

__YOUNG APPOINTED PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR__

DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon appointed John D. Young of Doniphan as the new public administrator for Ripley County. The position became vacant after the resignation of Brenda Emmons Thompson. Young has operated the license fee office in Doniphan since 2009, and previously operated the office for nine years in the 1990s. He was also in the auto body shop and glass business for 35 years.

__KINDER HONORED BY FIRE DEPT.__

DEXTER, Mo. -- Gary Kinder was named 2011 Firefighter of the Year by the Dexter Fire Department. Kinder has worked in the department for 24 years and also received the honor in 2009.

__HINKEBEIN EARNS INSURANCE COUNSELLOR TITLE__

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- David Hinkebein, a Modern Woodmen of America representative, attained the fraternal insurance counsellor designation. The title is an educational designation that can be earned by career life insurance representatives associated with fraternal insurance societies.

Quantella Anderson-Noto

__ANDERSON-NOTO TO CHAIR ADVISORY COUNCIL__

Quantella Anderson-Noto was named to chair the advisory council of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau. She assumed her new duties Jan. 1. Anderson-Noto is director of the hospitality management program at Southeast Missouri State University.

__CUBA CERTIFIED AS FEDERAL BENEFITS ADVISER__

Tyler Cuba

Tyler Cuba of the Cuba Financial Group and First Allied Securities Inc. in Cape Girardeau completed training and educational requirements to become a Certified Federal Benefits Advisor. He is now certified to educate federal employees on their benefit programs through USA Federal Benefit Advisors, a nationally recognized federal benefit educator.

__ROWLAND ELECTED TO FARM BOARD__

DEXTER, Mo. -- Allen Rowland was re-elected to a two-year term on the Missouri Farm Bureau board of directors. He represents District 6 in the southeast part of the state. He has served in the position since 2005. He grows corn, soybeans, wheat and rice near Dexter in partnership with his son, Chris, and brother, Terry.

__GOVRO HONORED FOR SALES__

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Linda Govro earned top honors in Lia Sophia's Excellent Beginnings Program Achievers for her outstanding sales accomplishments and professionalism. Govro earned the accomplishment in her first 15 weeks by attaining certain sales levels and sharing Lia Sophia with other new advisers.

__MARY KAY HONORS TOP PERFORMERS__

The Jana Jateff unit with Mary Kay Cosmetics honored top performers for the quarter. Gail Sanchez of Jackson was named queen of sales. Jateff and Sanchez were recognized as top producers in the area.

__FARM BUREAU MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN ANNUAL MEETING__

Cape Girardeau County Farm Bureau members who participated in the Missouri Farm Bureau annual meeting Dec. 3 to 6 include Albert and Jackie Aufdenberg, Dale and Helen Steffens, Larry and Shirley Bock, Jerry and Patsy Voshage, Mark and Lisa Reitzel and Jeremie and Laura Nothdurft. Nearly 1,400 farmers and ranchers attended the meeting in Lake of the Ozarks. Delegates selected by the membership adopted policy positions for 2012, re-elected the vice president and three board members and elected new members to the board of directors.

__ELLISON IS FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR__

KENNETT, Mo. -- Scott Ellison was named firefighter of the year in the Kennett Fire Department. He works part time as a firefighter and full time as a 911 operator with the Kennett Police Department.

__MAYBERRY JOINS TASTEFULLY SIMPLE__

Katie Mayberry of Cape Girardeau became an independent consultant with Tastefully Simple Inc., a national direct sales company featuring more than 60 easy-to-prepare foods. As an independent business owner, Mayberry offers samples at home taste-testing parties, along with easy ideas for meals, recipes and serving suggestions.

__NIXON MAKES LOCAL APPOINTMENT__

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Charles R. Giessing of Farmington to the Board of Private Investigator and Private Fire Investigator Examiners. Giessing has been in the fire investigation field for 33 years, including 10 while in law enforcement with the Farmington Police Department and the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department, and 23 years as senior fire investigator with SEA Ltd. He has been appointed him for a term ending Dec. 20, 2014.

__HUMPHREY NAMED BUSINESS MANAGER__

Missouri Enterprise appointed Russell Humphrey as area business manager, responsible for the southeast portion of the state. He works in the company's Cape Girardeau office. He represents Missouri Enterprise's business and technical assistance services to manufacturing, agricultural and technology-based companies. Humphrey worked most recently as a business counselor.

__SUPERINTENDENT RESIGNS; REPLACEMENT HIRED__

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. -- The Portageville School District Board of Education accepted the resignation of superintendent Toni Hill, effective June 30. Hill has accepted a superintendent position at Bloomfield School District. Michael Allred, currently principal at Portageville High School, will be the district's new superintendent beginning July 1. His replacement has not yet been found.