Southeast Missouri recognitions

Ben Tally Jr. recently was honored at the Medicap Pharmacies Inc. annual meeting. Tally, who operates a Medicap Pharmacy in Cape Girardeau, was named to the President's Capsule Club for outstanding sales performance during the past year. Medicap Pharmacies Inc. operates 198 locations in 37 states.

Jeremy Bennett of Better Bodies Health and Fitness Club in Farmington has passed practical and written exams and is now a licensed certified personal trainer.

Connie Brown, CPA, CVA, audit manager with Schott & Van de Ven, Certified Public Accountants in Cape Girardeau, recently completed continuing education on wage and hour laws in Missouri. Critical issues with the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) were covered in the day-long seminar. The seminar covered minimum wage requirements, overtime, exemptions and violations to the FLSA. Also discussed were employee vs. independent contractor determination issues.

J. Michael Ponder of the law firm of Thomasson, Gilbert, Cook & Maguire, L.C., in Cape Girardeau, has been elected to the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys (MATA) Board of Governors. Ponder was elected during the annual MATA Board of Governors meeting at the Lake of the Ozarks recently. Attorney Steven White of Independence was elected president of the MATA, an organization of more than 1,300 plaintiffs' lawyers.

Jon Cozean, owner of Cozean Funeral Home in Farmington, has accepted an invitation to become a member of the Selected Independent Funeral Homes. Membership in the group is by invitation only and is offered only to independent funeral homes that meet the highest standards.

Gary Johnson, a professor of accounting at Southeast Missouri State University, has been named vice chair of the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA). Johnson joined the society in 1984. He has served as chairman of the MSCPA Accounting Careers and Relations with Educators committees, and is a past president of the Southeast Missouri Chapter of MSCPA. MSCPA is the professional association of CPAs, with more than 7,800 members.

Eric Michelsen of the Farmers Insurance Group office in Cape Girardeau has passed the required securities license exam in addition to completing a specialized training program sponsored by Farmers Financial Solutions, LLC, the broker-dealer affiliate. He is now licensed to offer customers investment products, in addition to the current traditional insurance products.

Keith and Sue Teegarden and Dave Charlier were recently honored at the Medicap Pharmacies Inc. annual meeting. The Teegardens, who operate a Medicap Pharmacy in Chaffee, and Charlier, who operates a Medicap Pharmacy in Scott City, were named to the President's Capsule Club for outstanding sales performance during the past year. Medicap Pharmacies Inc. operates 198 locations in 37 states.

Sharon Stanley of Cape Girardeau recently attended the 2001 Million Dollar Round Table annual meeting held in Toronto, Canada. Stanley, with the Prudential Insurance Co. of America, was among more than 7,000 guests from 58 countries. Speakers discussed topics of concern to those in the life insurance and financial services business -- estate planning, taxes, business and law topics. The Round Table is an international, independent association of more than 14,000 life insurance and financial services professionals.

Rose Ann Krumm of Oak Ridge, and Sherre Wilson of Advance, recently graduated from a four-week, 192-hour, tractor-trailer driving course at Malden Industrial Park. Terry Harris and Chester Graham, instructors with the Southern Missouri Truck Driving School, taught the course.

Tracey Glenn, Marilyn Kneir and Wes Wade, officers of the Tri-State Advertising and Marketing Professionals club, recently attended the 9th District Advertising and Marketing Professionals Leadership Conference at Kansas City. The local Tri-State club is open to professionals in advertising, marketing, public relations and other business professionals who use marketing communications. The group is affiliated with the American Advertising Federation and offers the local competition for the American Advertising Awards (ADDYs). The 9th District includes Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.

Dr. Karen Smallwood Ryan has received certification as a certified independent medical examiner from the American Broad of Independent Medical Examiners. Ryan practices at St. Francis Medical Center. She also is certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine in Occupational Medicine. The certification follows established uniform standards of competency for physicians in occupational medicine.

David L. Hahs, Northwestern Mutual Life representative, was honored recently for his sales achievements. The recognition came during an annual meeting of the Association of Agents. Hahs, who received the Diamond Award, is associated with the network's Hahs District Agency in Cape Girardeau, which is part of the Hemstead General Agency for St. Louis. He has been a member of the local agency since 1972. The Cape Girardeau District Agency was founded in 1948 by M. Luther Hahs. T. Ronald Hahs has managed the agency since 1974. Northwestern Mutual has more individual life insurance policies in force than any other company and has been in business since 1857.

Lyle Davis of Cape Girardeau, a financial consultant with the local office of A.G. Edwards and Sons, recently completed a two-day investment seminar at St. Louis. The seminar concentrated on fixed-income opportunities, and allowed David to become more familiar with the variety of investment opportunities through A.G. Edwards. Davis has been a financial consultant five years. The A.G. Edwards office located at 97 N. Kingshighway opened in 1986, and has nine financial consultants. A.G. Edwards and sons Inc. has more than 7,100 financial consultants in 701 offices in 49 states.

Herbert and Thelma Annis, owners with Century 21 Ashland Realty Co. in Cape Girardeau, recently attended the 2001 Leadership Conference held at the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, Fla. Century 21 is real estate group franchise that includes more than 6,500 independently-owned broker offices.

Pauilo Rizzo of Cape Girardeau and a former Shawnee Community College student will be featured in an English textbook aimed at community college, business and technical school students. Rizzo, who graduated from Shawnee Community College in May, is originally from Brazil and came to the U.S. to play basketball. He is employed at Wieser Honda in Cape Girardeau.

Bradley Mouser of Mouser & Associates LLC of Cape Girardeau has received the Personal Financial Specialist designation from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mouser met six requirements to earn the designation, including passing a technical exam that covered personal financial planning, income tax planning, insurance planning estate and retirement planning. He also completed 250 hours of experience in planning. All candidates must hold a valid CPA certificate. The program, established in 1987, recognizes certified public accountants with considerable professional experience in financial planning. About 3,000 CPAs hold the designation.