Recognition

James Buckenmyer of Cape Girardeau has been named chairman of the Southeast Missouri SCORE chapter. SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) is a national volunteer organization founded in 1964 to provide small business counseling. It is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Association. The Southeast Missouri chapter, based in Poplar Bluff, covers 26 counties. Buckenmyer has 41 years experience in academic institutions. He retired as dean of the College of Business at Southeast Missouri State University in July 2003. Buckenmyer has extensive paid consulting experience in business and industry, government agencies and not-for-profit organizations. He replaces James Carson, who was chairman for 19 years. SCORE counselors have expertise in accounting, finance, manufacturing, marketing, human resources, leadership and motivation.

Regional Title and Land Services Inc. was honored Nov. 8 by the Bollinger County Chamber of Commerce as Bollinger County Business of the Year for 2003. The business was established in 2000 with its home office in Marble Hill. Since that time the company, which serves all 20 counties in Southeast Missouri, has opened three closing offices in Jackson, Sikeston and Poplar Bluff. Last May, the company broke ground on a new headquarters building on the east side of Marble Hill, and moved into the building on Labor Day. Regional Title and Land Services Inc. has 22 employees in the combined offices. The company is owned by Sharon and Bill Hopkins.

Chris Edmonds of the technology firm Element 74 in Cape Girardeau has passed examinations for Cisco Certified Sales Expert, Routing and Switching Specialization for Account Managers and IP Telephony Project Management. He is the president of Element 74, which specializes in computer network solutions, IP Telephony integration and professional Web site development.

Kelly Garza, marketing manager at Robinson Construction Co. in Perryville, recently received the master level Microsoft Office Specialist certification. Microsoft Office Specialist certification at the master level identifies individuals with the highest level of expertise in using Microsoft Office programs. The certification is acquired through examination over a variety of topics within each program. To attain the certification, Garza was required to complete four Microsoft Office exams: Word 2002 Expert, Excel 2002 Expert, PowerPoint 2002 Comprehensive and Access 2002 Core.

Thomas M. Meyer, president of Thomas L. Meyer Realty Co. in Cape Girardeau, attended the 35th annual joint meeting of the Midwest U.S.-Japan and Japan-Midwest U.S. Associations held in Chicago. The meeting was attended by more than 400 representatives from the Midwest and Japan. The main theme was "New Technologies," including discussions on many partnership opportunities emerging from Japanese and American companies and universities. Meyer attended sessions on information and communication technology, transportation and logistics, life sciences, food production, manufacturing and services. Meyer has a certified international real estate designation and works actively in promoting a global market.

Certified public accountant David Plassman with the firm Schott and Van de Ven in Cape Girardeau recently attended the Complete Guide to Fringe Benefits course. The course explored the tax advantages and potential pitfalls of providing fringe benefits to employees. Employee benefits plans include cafeteria plans, medical reimbursement plans, medical savings accounts, disability income and dependent care, and automobile income inclusions for employees.

Dr. S. Edwin Noffel of Cape Girardeau recently returned from a conference in Rimini, Italy, where he was a guest speaker. Noffel spoke at a meeting of the Societa Italiana di Ortodonzia. He presented two lectures to small workshop groups and a lecture to the entire group. The lectures helped instruct orthodontists how to identify patients who can be treated without removing teeth, with an emphasis on protecting and enhancing facial beauty and straightening teeth. His second presentation was about step-by-step treatments needed for patients without removing teeth. Noffel was invited, along with two other Americans, to be a special examiner for candidates who presented cases for board certification to the Italian Board of Orthodontists.

Paul Berens, a lawyer with Bradshaw, Steele, Cochrane and Berens in Cape Girardeau, was recently selected as president of the Bankruptcy Practice Foundation Board for the eastern district of Missouri. He succeeds David Lander of St. Louis for the post. The foundation promotes educational, charitable and memorial projects that further justice within the legal profession's bankruptcy practice. Berens is serving as the organization's second president.

William Schott, a CPA with Schott & Van de Ven in Cape Girardeau, certified public accountants, recently attended the chief executive network meeting in Atlanta. The network includes senior level executives who share ideas and advice on improving their companies. Schott is one of 12 CPAs who met in roundtables to discuss key issues like market trends.

Dr. Walter A. Schroeder recently attended the Current Concepts in Head and Neck Surgery seminar at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, N.Y. Schroeder is the American College of Surgeons liaison physician at both Southeast Missouri Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center.

Vicki Smith has been appointed to serve on the Business Advisory Council for the Republican Party. Officials from the National Republican Congressional Committee announced the appointment. As part of her duties, Smith will serve Missouri in an effort to involve business people in the government reform process. The council's goal is to give small business a voice in government. Smith is chief executive officer of Cross Trails Medical Center, a federally qualified center with sites in Cape Girardeau, Advance and Marble Hill.

The marketing and communications departments at Saint Francis Medical Center and Southeast Missouri Hospital both received statewide recognition for public relations and communications projects produced during the last year. More than 340 entries from hospitals throughout the state were considered. Awards were presented earlier this month at the Missouri Hospital Association Annual Convention and Trade Show in Osage Beach. Southeast Missouri Hospital received six awards, including first place for the redesign of its Web site in the new media/Web site projects category; first place for "Online Health" television advertising for wound care services and also for cardiac/pulmonary rehabiliations service; first place in the writing category for "The History of Southeast Missouri Hospital"; first place in internal publications/routine for "InformMed," employee newsletter; and third place in the external publications/routine category for "Vim & Vigor," a quarterly magazine. Saint Francis Medical Center received five awards, including first place in the television advertising category and first place in the total campaign television advertising for the Women's Heart Advantage; second place in television advertising for the level III NICU series; second place in the annual report category; and second place in the research project category for recruitment focus group.

Chartwells, the dining service at Southeast Missouri State University, was awarded the 2002-2003 National Account of the Year award from its parent company. Chartwells provides residential, retail and catering food services for the university. The award was announced during a celebration for the parent company, Compass Group. Chartwells at Southeast was also awarded the Regional Account of the Year in July; it was the third consecutive honor for the local group. Chartwells can be found on 200 U.S. college campuses. It provides more than 20,000 meals in a week at Southeast.

Scott Van de Ven, a CPA with Schott & Van de Ven in Cape Girardeau, attended a series of courses focused on tax changes related to businesses and aggressive planning opportunities for businesses. The week-long series included updates and changes in compilation and review reporting. Bradley Tuschhoff, CPA, Cheryl Morris, CPA and Debbie Johns, staff accountant, also attended the Fall Tax Institute held recently in Cape Girardeau. The two-day course reviewed changes to federal tax laws that are a result of court cases and IRS rulings.

Mason Bias, M.D., was among 1,442 initiates from around the world who became Fellows of the American College of Surgeons on Oct. 19 during ceremonies at the college's 89th annual Clinical Congress in Chicago. Bias practices at Kies Eye Center in Cape Girardeau.

Dan Timpe, promotion director for KFVS-12 and UPN The Beat television stations in Cape Girardeau, has won a 2003 Emmy Award from the Mid-America Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The award was presented at a ceremony in St. Louis in November. Timpe won the award in the "Specials" category for his Weathering the Storm half-hour program that aired last spring. The special was produced and aired in conjunction with the severe weather season.

Donna Domian, investment representative for Edward Jones in Cape Girardeau, was recently honored by the firm for her job performance with an invitation to the company's annual managing partner's conference in St. Louis. The three-day meeting pools the company's most successful representatives for a discussion with John Bachmann, Edward Jones' managing partner, on issues facing the firm and the financial services industry. Domian was one of 300 representatives out of more than 9,200 Edward Jones brokers nationwide to attend the conference.