Recognitions

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

Andrea Ponder, executive secretary 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, Ponder was required to complete four Microsoft Office exams: Word 2002 Expert, Excel 2002 Expert, PowerPoint 2002 Comprehensive and Access 2002 Core.

Brad Smith, a designer/inspector/surveyor with the engineering/surveying firm of Waters Engineering in Sikeston, was recently notified by the Missouri Board of Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors that he has met the testing and experience requirements to become a Land Surveyor in Training. After working in the field for two years, Smith was eligible to take Part 1 of the professional land surveying exam in October 2003. He passed the exam and the board certified him as a Land Surveyor in Training. Waters Engineering provides services such as engineering design and construction inspection of water and wastewater systems, bridges, airports, drainage, streets, river ports and industrial parks.

Jim Lawrence, director of the Wound Healing Center at St. Francis Medical Center, has been named National Healing Corp.'s Program Director of the Year. Lawrence received the award during the corporation's annual meeting held in Fort Lauderdale. The National Healing Corporation operates more than 50 wound care and hyperbaric treatment facilities throughout the United States. The St. Francis Wound Healing Center previously won the National Healing Corp.'s 2002 Outstanding New Center Award.

Three staff members of the Wound Healing Center at St. Francis Medical Center have been certified in hyperbaric medicine. Staff members receiving the national certification are Jim Lawrence, Marlene Lyon and Angie Parks. With the additional staff certifications, the wound center is the only one in the area with all its eligible staff technicians certified as hyperbaric nurses.

St. Francis Medical Center was recognized with two awards in The Communicator Awards 2003 Video competition. The Women's HeartAdvantage television commercials received top honors with a Crystal Award of Excellence and the Wound Healing Center's commercials received an Award of Distinction. The Communicator Awards 2003 Video competition is an international awards competition that recognizes outstanding work in the communications field. More than 2,000 entries were considered for the awards. The Roberts Group of Waukesha, Wis., created the winning radio campaign.

Drury Inns, which operates Drury Inn and Suites in Cape Girardeau, beat out four of six "luxury" brand hotels in customer satisfaction scores to win top honors in the fourth quarter Market Metrix Hospitality Index. Drury Inns ranked highest in customer satisfaction among hotel industry. The ranking is based on 35,000 customer interviews conducted by Market Metrix, a firm that measures performance in hotel, airline and car rental firms for the hospitality industry.

Buckner Brewing Co. and Jerianne and John Wyman recently received awards at the fourth annual Old Town Cape Dinner in Cape Girardeau. The event, sponsored by the downtown renovation program, drew about 100 people to the University Center Ballroom. Phil Brinson, who with Mark Sprigg co-owns the microbrewery, accepted the first John Boardman Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation. The Wymans, owners of the Royal N'Orleans Restaurant in Cape Girardeau and numerous other commercial properties, received the Charles L. Hutson Visionary Award. The Boardman Award was established by his widow, Councilwoman Evelyn Boardman and is named for the late architect who renovated many downtown buildings. The Hutson Award is named for the late downtown merchant and civic leader. Tim Blattner was given the award for Volunteer of the Year. Outgoing president Marsha Toll welcomed the new president, Dr. Steven Hoffman.

Two employees of Arena Golf in Cape Girardeau have recently been certified as club-fitters for the business. Chris Curtis and Jeff Eldred both completed custom club-fitting training through Karten Manufacturing Co. The training was held as the company's Phoenix, Ariz., headquarters. Both men are certified fitters for all Ping golf equipment.

Cheryl Morris and Michael Radake, certified public accountants with the Schott and Van de Ven firm in Cape Girardeau, recently attended an accounting and auditing current developments seminar. The course provided an overview of new developments in the area of accounting and auditing as well as changes in compilation and review standards. New Financial Accounting Standards Board standards for special-purpose entities and guarantees were included in the class.

Terri Penrod, Lorie Umfleet, Jeff and Deb Martin, and Bobby and Elizabeth Gray, all of Realty Executives of Cape County, recently attended the national Realty Executives Convention in Phoenix. The convention focused on quality customer service and improving the real estate transaction. More than 600 people attended.

Stan Irwin of Edward Jones in Cape Girardeau recently met with representatives from American Funds during a business development workshop in St. Louis. The event brings together investment representatives who have achieved at a certain level with portfolio managers and analysts.

Jay Roisenbichler of Mid America Power Equipment Inc. in Cape Girardeau recently completed Bronze level training with Stihl Service Advantage programs. The training school offers tiered technical service and safety training work for employees of businesses that sell Stihl equipment. The course covers training on two-cycle engines, Stihl chain saws, hedge trimmers, blower/ vacs and other equipment.

Four employees of Magna-Tel Inc. in Cape Girardeau passed their certification exams administered by the Promotional Products Association International. They are now certified advertising specialists. The employees who passed the exam are Mary Turner, Joy Auer, Phyllis Beal and Leanne Heuring. The certification is the only recognized credential in the promotional products industry. It requires 70 classroom hours, three years of experience and a passing score on the exam.

Audiologist Dr. Steve Brown has been elected to serve as president-elect of the Missouri Academy of Audiology. He will serve as president of the group during 2005. He is a founding member of the academy and has previously served as a board member. He also served a six-year term on the audiology commission for the Missouri Board of Healing Arts and on the subcommittee for the Missouri Speech and Hearing Association. He and Dr. Cathy Willen operate The Audiology Center in Cape Girardeau.

The H&R Block district for this region has named its office leaders for the 2004 tax season. They are Vera Bedwell, Tina Farmer, Rose-Ellen Hendrix, Janice Hyde, Susan Nahlik, Jolene Parks, Tanya Poppen, Teresa Robinson, Patricia Scholz and Brenda Watts. The position makes them responsible for offices in Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Ill., Marion, Ill., and Paducah, Ky.

Four area farms and three individuals placed in a state and national corn yield contest sponsored by the National Corn Growers' Association.

Farm winners were:

# C&G Farms in Chaffee placed third in the national award competition and second in the state contest for Class AA ridge-till nonirrigated divisions.

# M&B Farms of Scott City won first place in the national contest and a first place in the state contest in the Class AA no-till/strip-till nonirrigated division.

# J&J Farms of Delta won first place in the national and state contests for the ridge-till irrigated division.

# J&M Farms of Scott City won first place in the national and state contests for Class AA nonirrigated division.

Individual winners were:

# Jerry Cox of Delta, who won first place in both the national and state divisions for a Class AA ridge-till nonirrigated crop.

# Katherine Hinkebein of Chaffee won second place in the irrigated division.

# Mike Reiminger of Reiminger Farms won second place in the ridge-till irrigated division.

Dennis Straubinger, MD, successfully completed the American Board of Preventive Medicine certifying examination qualifying him as an occupational medicine specialist. Dr. Straubinger practices at Saint Francis Medical Center's Corporate Health Services department, which staffs the only two board certified occupational medicine physicians in Southeast Missouri. Corporate Health Services provides the area's only comprehensive occupational medicine program, staffed with two board certified occupational medicine physicians, an occupational medicine nurse and administrative staff.

The state's largest small-business advocacy group, NFIB, has elected new leadership officers to its Leadership Council. Kathie Rothschild-Zuroweste, of The Colony House Family Restaurant in New Haven, was elected chair, and Kathy Swan, of JCS Tel-Link in Cape Girardeau, was elected vice chair. Zuroweste and Swan will serve two-year terms. The 24-member council is made up of independent business owners whose role it is to bring key small-business issues to the attention of state and federal legislators, plus provide direction and leadership to the organization's advocacy program in Missouri.

Shannon Miller has completed the advanced certification exam and standards established by the Hand Therapy Certification Commission to become a certified hand therapist. Miller is one of three certified hand therapists employed at The Hand Center of Orthopedic Associates of Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau.

Dale Rose and Robert Belt of Rental Land in Cape Girardeau recently completed the Bronze Level of the Stihl Service Advantage Training. The course is a workshop for technicians wishing to improve their technical abilities and expertise with Stihl equipment. The Bronze training is the first tier of courses, to be followed by Silver and Gold.

Pajco Inc., which owns and operates Rhodes 101 Stops and Jaspers convenience stores, recently recognized its top general managers in 2003. The managers honored at the banquet were Angela Deprow of the Rhodes 101 Stop in Scott City. She received the first Best of the Best award, which recognizes the top general manager in the corporation. Deb Brown of the Jaspers Midway store in Jackson. Debbie Phillips of the Rhodes 101 Stop in Dexter.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

Owl Creek Vineyard of Cobden has released the latest bottling of its popular Framboise wine. The wine was selected as best fruit wine in the 2002 Illinois State Fair and had been unavailable since November. The second wine, Water Valley Red, is a semisweet red wine made from Chancellor and DeChanauc grapes. It is the featured wine for the month at the vineyard. Both wines are made from grapes grown in Southern Illinois.