PERSONNEL

J. Michael Ponder, of Cape Girardeau, has opened a law practice at 2 N. Lorimier in Cape Girardeau.

Ponder has served as an attorney with Oliver, Oliver and Waltz for the past four years.

Ponder, a graduate of University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law in 1990, worked in Jefferson City a year with the firm of Hendren & Andrae, before joining the Cape Girardeau firm, where he served as litigation attorney.

Ponder will continue practice in general civil litigation, insurance defense, personal injury and business litigation.

Ponder is a native of Charleston.

Jeffrey L. Bierman and Thomas Viers have joined Alliance Blue Cross Blue Shield (ABCBS) as account executives.

ABCBS was created by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri (BCMSMo) to own and operate its managed care business.

Bierman will be responsible for groups in Cape Girardeau, south to West Plains. He was most recently employed by Optioncare, a home infusion company in Cape Girardeau. Earlier, he was vice president of marketing for Capital Bancorporation Inc. of Cape Girardeau.

Bierman of Jackson is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University with a bachelor's degree in business administration.

Viers of Cape Girardeau will be responsible for groups in the north half of Southeast Missouri. He most recently worked for Otis Allen Insurance Inc. of Poplar Bluff. He previously worked at Central Illinois Light Co. in Peoria.

Viers is a graduate of University of Missouri-Rolla, with a bachelor's degree in engineering. He has a master's degree in business administration from Bradley University in Peoria.

Don Curtis Coonce will soon join Dr. Richard A. Martin in the practice of otolaryngology at SEMO Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery Inc., 17 Doctors Park.

Coonce, who has been chief of the Strategic Air Command's Ehrling Berquist Hospital in Omaha, Neb., the past three years, will join Martin July 24.

Coonce is Magna Cum Laude graduate from the University of Missouri-Columbia Medical School. He completed his surgical internship and residency in otolaryngology -- head and neck surgery, at Stanford University Medical Center from 1987 to 1992.

Coonce is board certified in the American Board of Otolaryngology -- head and neck surgery, and has served as assistant professor at the University of Nebraska since 1992.

He and his wife, Charmaine, have two children, Daniel, 6, and James, 8.

Mary Hart and Adrian Bratcher recently joined Prudential Bridgeport Inc. Realtors as sales associates.

Hart, a schoolteacher for 20 years, is a native of Southeast Missouri.

Bratcher, an architectural designer-estimator and a roof-floor designer in Cape Girardeau and Perry counties since 1978, is a graduate of Three Rivers Community College of Poplar Bluff with a degree in construction and design technology. He also attended Southeast Missouri State University.

Sam L. Hunter Jr., chairman of the board and CEO at the Bank of New Madrid, and Patsy S. Tisher, assistant to the president at the Bank of New Madrid, have been honored by Missouri Bankers Association for their 50 years of service to the banking industry.

Hunter and Tisher were inducted into the 50-Year Club at the association's 105th annual convention, held recently at Lake of Ozarks.

Hunter started his banking career when he returned from serving in the Navy during World War II, joining the Bank of New Madrid as a vice president. He was named president in 1962.

Tisher started her banking career in 1945 immediately after graduation from New Madrid High School. She was named assistant vice president in 1970 and assistant to the president in 1989.

Ed Samp has been appointed community bank president of Commerce Bank's Kennett banking center.

Roger Tolliver, chairman and CEO of Commerce Bank of Southeast Missouri, announced Samp's appointment recently.

Prior to his appointment, Samp was vice president, commercial loans with Commerce Bank of Kansas City, Harrisonville banking center.

Samp, a graduate of Northeast Missouri State University with a bachelor's degree in business administration, joined Commerce in 1985. He is a graduate of the ABA National Commercial Lenders School.

Commerce Bank of Southeast Missouri, with eight branches, including Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Poplar Bluff, Quilin and Kennett is a part of Commerce Bancshares Inc., a bank holding company with $8 billion in assets and operating in 180 sites in Missouri, Illinois and Kansas.

Kimberly J. Dermott, internal auditor for the City of Cape Girardeau has received a certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting.

The certificate of achievement, awarded by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada, is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting.

Dermott received the award for preparing the award-winning comprehensive annual financial report.

Clyde Wallis, Jerry Henley and Juanita Henley of Cape Girardeau and Leon Dickerson and Margret Dickerson of Jackson were among the more than 400 delegates who attended the Traveler's Protective Association's (TPA) national conference, held recently at Milwaukee.

Some 43 Missourians attended the conference. The local TPA office is at 150 S. Middle in Cape Girardeau.

National officers were elected. Keith Patterson of Michigan was elected president.

Ralph Sharp is manager of Tobacco Lane. In a recent article, he was referred to as owner of the store in West Park Mall.