Names in the news

__MONDI JACKSON HONORS EMPLOYEES__

Joshua Talley of Gipsy, Missouri, was employee of the month for April at Mondi Jackson Inc. Talle, an extrusion operator, has been with the company since March 10, 2008. Mondi Jackson also recognizes the following employment anniversaries: Jim Corcoran, Shawn Heisserer and Jamey Knight, 15 years of service.

__CUBA ATTENDS CIRCLE OF EXCELLENCE MEETINGS__

Richard R. Cuba, certified wealth strategist at Cuba Financial Group in Cape Girardeau, attended Circle of Excellence meetings in Aruba, where he met with senior management of the First Allied and Cetera Financial Group. Cuba is a member of the adviser group Chairman's Emeritus Council, which serves the group for First Allied Securities Inc. and First Allied Advisory Inc.

__OBERLOHR ATTENDS INSURANCE AGENCY CONFERENCE__

Ken Oberlohr, an independent agent associated with First Missouri Insurance Group in Cape Girardeau, attended the Missouri Association of Insurance Agents' 25th annual Small Agency Conference in Columbia, Missouri. The association is the oldest and largest association of independent insurance agents in Missouri. More than 500 independent agents and company representatives attended the conference, which targets small- to medium-sized agencies in Missouri and offers education programs focused on computer crime, risk management, sales, technology and workers' compensation. First Missouri Insurance Group is a subsidiary of First Missouri State Bank of Cape County.

__YODER NAMED DRIVER OF THE YEAR__

Scott Yoder was named 2014 Driver of the Year at Buchheit Logistics. He has been with the company since 2011 as part of its Hopper fleet. He received Driver of the Year recognition for his outstanding safe driving record, years of service, quarterly training participation, yearly miles driven, customer service and company/community involvement.

__CENTRAL HIGH NAMES NEW PRINCIPAL__

New principals were announced April 8 in the Cape Girardeau School District for Cape Girardeau Central High School and Jefferson and Franklin elementary schools. Christopher Kase will assume the role of high school principal July 1. He will replace Mike Cowan, who is retiring after 14 years with the district. Kase has been assistant principal at the high school since July and was among three internal applicants interviewed for the position. He has worked in education since 2002. Before working in the Cape Girardeau school district, Kase was principal at Patton Junior High School in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and assistant principal at Atchison Middle School in Atchison, Kansas. Before becoming an administrator, he was a science teacher at Valley Park High School in St. Louis and Winnetonka High School in Kansas City, Missouri.

After three years as Jefferson Elementary principal, Christa Turner will take on a new role in the district as director of curriculum and instruction. She will follow Theresa Hinkebein, who is retiring after 25 years with the school district. Rae Anne Alpers, assistant principal at Cape Central Middle School, will replace Turner at Jefferson Elementary. Alpers has been with the district for seven years, and before serving as assistant principal, she was an instructional coach and interim assistant principal at Central Junior High School.

At Franklin Elementary, Ron Farrow will replace principal Rhonda Dunham, who is retiring after 14 years. Farrow is the instructional technology specialist for the school district. With more than 12 years of educational experience, he has served as summer school administrator, music education instructor, educational technology facilitator and online training facilitator.

__DEXTER SCHOOLS HIRE TWO PRINCIPALS, CURRICULUM DIRECTOR__

DEXTER, Mo. -- Jacinda Prince-Dewitt was hired as principal at Southwest Elementary School in Dexter, the Daily Statesman reported. She has 13 years of elementary teaching experience and has spent the past 14 years working as an elementary principal. For the past seven years, she has worked as elementary principal of East Poinsett County School District in Lepanto, Arkansas. Additionally, Angela Duncan of Dexter was hired as principal of Central Elementary. She has worked in the Dexter School District for 21 years. She has spent the past five years as assistant principal at T.S. Hill Middle School. Michele Williams of Sikeston, Missouri, was named curriculum/professional development director. She obtained a doctorate in educational leadership in 2014 and holds a certificate as a K-8 principal. She has 11 years of teaching experience and spent the past 14 years as elementary principal and elementary curriculum director at the Chaffee R-II School District.

__ROWE TO HEAD PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT__

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DEXTER, Mo. -- Jamie Rowe was hired as director of parks and recreation in Dexter, the Daily Statesman reported. She replaces Lawson Metcalf, who retired April 17 after nearly 29 years working for the City of Dexter. Rowe is a 20-year veteran of the parks department; she started as a part-time employee in 1995. She most recently served as aquatics and recreation programmer. She assumed her new responsibilities on April 20.

__REALTORS BOARD NAMES NEW OFFICERS, DIRECTORS__

The Cape Girardeau County Board of Realtors recently installed the 2015 board of directors. Board officers are Ken Kiefer, president; Liz Lockhart, vice president; Debbie Thurman, treasurer; and Angelia Thomas, secretary. Brandy Balsman, Patty Main, Wendy Marberry, David Soto, Beth McFerron and Kathy Devor will serve as directors, according to a news release. The 2015 Cape Girardeau County MLS officers named were Lori Wibbenmeyer, president; Tim Merideth, vice president; and Elizabeth Gray, secretary/treasurer. Linda Wissmann, Shari McConnell and Becky Buehler will serve as directors. Tina McMahon and Rick Sinclair, retiring presidents, also were recognized for their service in 2014 during an event in January. The board is a not-for-profit corporation representing nearly 280 members from Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry and Scott counties. Its members, according to a release, adhere to the National Association Code of Ethics, advocate for consumer property rights and commit to serving communities through volunteer work.

__COOK NAMED PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR__

Steve Cook was named public works director for the city of Cape Girardeau. He most recently was assistant public works director in a 38-year career with the city that began at the wastewater treatment plant, according to a release from the city.

__HALTER HIRED AS GOLF COURSE MANAGER__

Adam Halter was hired as golf course manager at the Cape Jaycee Municipal Golf Course. Halter previously worked more than eight years at Dalhousie Golf Club, according to a release from the city of Cape Girardeau. He attended Jackson High School and is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University.

__SANDFORT TO HEAD COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OFFICE__

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is set to open a new office in Cape Girardeau. Retired Cape Girardeau banker Maurice "Moe" Sandfort joined the foundation April 1 as a senior adviser of philanthropy for the east region and will lead the local office. Sandfort spent 46 years in executive management positions in banking before retiring in 2011 from The Bank of Missouri. Within the community, he also has served on boards for Saint Francis Medical Center, Trinity Lutheran Church and the Southeast Missouri University Foundation. The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is a regional public charitable foundation with a service area covering 58 counties south of the Missouri River. It includes a network of 46 regional affiliate foundations. The new Cape Girardeau office grants an opportunity to more closely serve the foundations in the eastern region, including the Ste. Genevieve County Community Foundation, founded in 2003, and the new Perry County Community Foundation established in December. Besides heading the Cape Girardeau office, Sandfort also will be responsible for new asset and resource development in the general eastern Missouri region, providing assistance to the already established foundations. The overall goal of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks is to enhance the quality of life in the region through resource development, community grant-making, collaboration and public leadership.

__SOUTHEAST NAMES INTERIM PROVOST__

Gerald McDougall, associate provost for Extended Learning, dean of the Harrison College of Business and executive director of the Missouri Innovation Corporation at Southeast Missouri State University, was named interim provost and chief academic officer for the university, effective June 1. McDougall will replace, on an interim basis, William Eddleman, who recently announced he was stepping down from the provost position to return to the faculty in June and will retire from the university Jan. 1. McDougall will serve in the position while a nationwide search is conducted to find a permanent replacement, university officials said. As in the past, the interim provost will not be a candidate for the permanent position.

__WHITENER JOINS UNITED WAY__

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- After two months without an executive director, The United Way of St. Francois County named Clay Whitener of Desloge, Missouri, as the new executive director for the countywide agency. Whitener has been an educator and an administrator at various small schools in the area.

__MCGOWAN JOINS HENDRICKSON BUSINESS ADVISORS__

John Drake McGowan joined Hendrickson Business Advisors in Cape Girardeau as principal consultant. A native of Milwaukee, McGowan has expertise as an executive with local, national and international not-for-profit organizations. In Cape Girardeau, he worked with top organizations in marketing and strategy, training, development and administration. Most recently, he served as director of operations for the international headquarters of Love In the Name of Christ (Love INC).

__EDINGTON REACHES PINNACLE__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Lucas Edington of Mossy Oak Properties Mozark Realty was recognized for making Pinnacle Club status for the fourth quarter of 2014. The Pinnacle Club recognizes the top land sales professionals each quarter from a network of more than 400 agents and brokers across 22 states. Edington also earned Pinnacle Club status in the second and third quarters of 2014.

__NEWKIRK IS AGENT OF THE MONTH__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Phil Newkirk of Poplar Bluff, a financial representative at Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial, was named district representative of the month for March. He has been with the company since January 1999.

__SIKESTON NAMES EMPLOYEES OF THE QUARTER__

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Scott Kim, public safety officer, was employee of the second quarter for the Sikeston Department of Public Safety. Gary Annesser, who works in the Parks and Recreation Division, was employee of the second quarter for the Sikeston Department of Public Works.

__GITHENS RECEIVES INDIVIDUAL CITATION AWARD__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Jay Githens, longtime member of the Poplar Bluff Parks and Recreation Board, received the Individual Citation Award from the Missouri Park and Recreation Association during its annual conference recently in Springfield, Missouri. The Daily American Republic reported that Clark Allen, Poplar Bluff's parks director, recommended Githens for the award, citing his leadership on the board as well as his community volunteer efforts. He was selected by the review committee for the award from a field of candidates from communities across Missouri.

__COOK HONORED BY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ASSOCIATION__

MALDEN, Mo. -- Kenneth Cook, superintendent of the Malden School District, was honored by the Missouri Association of School Administrators for his 25 years or more of service in educational administration. Cook was recognized for five years as a principal and 25 as a superintendent. The award was presented during MASA's spring conference March 25 at Lake Ozark, Missouri.

__P.B. CHAMBER HONORS TEACHERS__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce honored local teachers April 14 at its annual Teacher of the Year Banquet, the Daily American Republic reported. Awards went to Dr. Mairead Ryan-Anderson, chemistry professor, Three Rivers College Teacher of the Year; Bob Caswell, fire science professor, Three Rivers College Adjunct Teacher of the Year; Mary Provance, Teacher of the Year at Sacred Heart; Lynette Osborn, Teacher of the Year at Westwood Baptist; Paula Bradley, intervention teacher at Lake Road, R-I District Teacher of the Year and Elementary Level Teacher of the Year; Chef Arron Hudlow, Secondary Schools Teacher of the Year; and Keri Jameson, teacher at the 5th and 6th Grade Center, Middle Schools Teacher of the Year. Other R-I teachers honored as Teacher of the Year in their respective schools were Jeanine Bradley at Early Childhood Center; Cynthia DeWitt at Kingergarten Center; Cynthia Olsen at Eugene Field; Gabriel Thompson at O'Neal; Paula Knight at Oak Grove; Christine Wheat at junior high and Elizabeth Fox-Godwin at senior high.

__MCLEAN, CLINE LEAD MOSSY OAK__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Amy McLean was top lister for March at Mossy Oak Properties, and Ronnie Cline was top producer.

__ALLEN JOINS 1ST CHOICE REALTY__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Janet Allen joined Centry 21 1st Choice Realty. She has been a licensed real estate agent/broker for 36 years and specializes in all areas of real estate.

__CAMPBELL COMPLETES INSURANCE COUNSELOR COURSE__

Tiffany Campbell of Cape Girardeau, a Modern Woodmen of America representative, attained the Fraternal Insurance Counselor designation. The FIC title is an educational designation that can be earned by career life insurance representatives associated with fraternal insurance societies, according to a news release. Representatives devote more than one year to meet the examination and career development criteria set by the Fraternal Field Managers Association.

__ELFRINK ATTENDS EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR__

Adam Elfrink of Cape Girardeau, a Modern Woodmen of America representative, completed a five-day training program at Modern Woodmen's home office in Rock Island, Illinois. The program focused on helping families plan for life and reach their financial goals with Modern Woodmen, according to a news release. Speakers also covered topics including technology, fraternalism and underwriting.

__STILSON HONORED WITH GOVERNOR'S AWARD__

Dr. Kenneth L. Stilson, professor of acting, directing and musical theater and chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance at Southeast Missouri State University, was honored with the Governor's Award for Excellence in Education April 7 at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. Recipients of the Governor's Award are selected by their respective institutions for their demonstrated excellence as a teacher, extraordinary levels of scholarship and service and accomplishments that are especially noteworthy, according to a news release from Southeast. Stilson earned a doctoral degree in theater in 1991 and a master of arts in theater in 1987, both from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He has a bachelor's degree in theater from Southeast Missouri State University. Before returning to Southeast in 2001, Stilson served as head of acting/directing programs at the University of South Alabama, Texas Wesleyan University and Stetson University (Florida), and as an instructor of theater at Tulane University. In addition to his work as a professor, he is a director, published author, playwright and screenwriter.

__THROOP RETIRES AFTER NEARLY 40 YEARS__

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Ed Throop, executive director of the Sikeston Board of Municipal Utilities, retired May 1 after 37 years on the job, the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported. Rick Landers is the new director.

__ROST ELECTED TO SOYBEAN BOARD__

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Peter Rost Jr. of New Madrid was elected to represent Southeast Missouri's District 7 on the Missouri Soybean Association Board of Directors. He was nominated by Rick Faulkner of New Madrid and elected by unanimous voice vote during a meeting of local growers held in Sikeston, Missouri. He replaces Cindy Faulkner of New Madrid, who retired from the board in January due to term limits.

__HAYNES NAMED REGIONAL DIRECTOR, EXTERNAL AFFAIRS__

Mike Haynes, regional director of external affairs for AT&T, now represents the company in Cape Girardeau County, according to a news release. He is the point of contact for AT&T and handles inquiries as well as legislative and community initiatives. He also will assist with investing in and deploying new technology by working with community leaders, legislators, local and regional business leaders and customers. Haynes has worked for AT&T for nearly 30 years, which includes service in the Kansas City, St. Louis, central and southwest Missouri areas. Haynes replaces Craig Felzien, who retired after 38 years of service with the company.

__CARTER, HENDERSON LEAD COLDWELL__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Tonya Carter was top producer for March at Coldwell Banker Ruth Holloway Realty, and Vicki Henderson was top lister for the month.

__CENTURY 21 FRANCHISES HONOR AGENTS__

Several agents at Century 21 Premiere Realty in Sikeston, Missouri, and Century 21 Ashland Realty in Cape Girardeau were honored by the St. Louis Regional Broker's Council at its annual awards banquet April 11. The ceremony honored agents and offices based on their productivity and quality of service during the past year, according to a news release. Recognized for more than $1 million in sales were Howard Alexander, Cheryl Parker, Vicki Stroud, Cathy Trentham, Herman Uelsmann, Michelle Starrett and James Seyer of Ashland Realty. From Premiere Realty, Stacey Comstock, Sue Guess, Myrna Johnson, Linda Lester, Larry Lindsey, Beth Naile and Samantha Cooper achieved $1 million in sales. The Award of Excellence was presented to Kim Baker and Patty Main of Ashland Realty and Faye Walborg of Premiere Realty for achieving more than $3 million in sales for the year. The Master's Emerald status was achieved by Mike Leible of Premiere and Dana Leming of Ashland for achieving more than $4 million in sales. The Gold Team from Premiere Realty was recognized for being the No. 2 team in volume and the No. 1 team in units sold for 2014. Overall, the franchise was honored as the No. 2 producing franchise in the region in sales volume and units sold. Tim Merideth is broker/owner of the franchise.

__RED CROSS NAMES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR SOUTHERN MISSOURI__

Stacy Burks is the new executive director of the American Red Cross of Southern Missouri. She will began her duties May 4. Burks has been the field representative in a 10-county area for Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt since 2011. She previously was the Southwest Missouri district office director for former senator Christopher Bond from 1999 to 2011. The American Red Cross of Southern Missouri covers 29 counties and is headquartered in Springfield with offices in Joplin, Lebanon and West Plains.

__RUCKER JOINS SEMO UNIVERSITY STAFF__

Sonia Rucker, a disability determination counselor for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Disability Determinations Services in Cape Girardeau, has been named coordinator of institutional equity and diversity at Southeast Missouri State University. She began her new duties April 27. She will serve as the institution's Title IX coordinator, including the development, implementation and monitoring of appropriate disclosure, policies, procedures and practices to comply with federal and state legislation, regulation and case law requiring the resolution of Title IX-related complaints. Rucker previously worked at Southeast as assistant director of the Learning Enrichment Center from November 2000 to August 2003 and TRIO tutorial coordinator in Student Support Services from November 2000 to April 2002.