Southeast Missouri Recognitions

Scheffer's Office Furniture & Business Machines of Sikeston recently successfully completed its Steelcase authorization process. Steelcase, one of the leading office furniture manufactuers in the world, mandates that all Steelcase dealers undergo extensive testing every two years to maintain a level of excellence worldwide.

Joe Randol of Jackson recently completed a course in auctioneering and auction sales management at the Missouri Auction school at St. Joseph. Randol received his diploma and the honorary title of colonel, following the nine-day school. Auctioneer training included lectures and workshops. Randol participated in numerous public auctions, selling antiques, livestock, furniture, business liquidations and real estate.

Dairel Denton Jr. and Jill Marler of Poplar Bluff attended a national conference in Dallas featuring cutting-edge technology within the financial services industry. They gathered with other advisers of H.D. Vest Financial Services, a non-bank subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Co., one of the larges financial services firms in the United States. H.D. Vest conducts its national conference each year to keep its 6,000-plus advisers informed on the most recent changes in the financial. services industry as well as to continue educating them regarding sound investment and business tactics. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, H.D. Vest Financial Services was acquired by Wells Fargo last July.

Melvin J. Van de Ven, CPA, CVA, Scott A. Van de Ven, CPA, and Michael A. Radake, CPA with Schott & Van de Ven, Certified Public Accountants in Cape Girardeau, recently attended the Missouri Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (MAMIC) 106th annual convention in Columbia. The statewide convention featured educational programs for more than 650 in attendance. A special feature was a public relations program to make Missourians aware when they insure with a MAMIC member, their insurance dollars benefit their local community and state. The Missouri Association of Mutual Insurance Companies is made up of 122 mutual insurance companies and 25 related firms that provide services to the mutual insurance industry.Melvin Van de Ven serves on the legislative committee and Scott Van de Ven serves on the financial reporting committee for MAMIC.

Two Southeast Missouri Hospital nurses, Jeannine Jones and Nicole Dunn have earned certified gastroenterology registered nurse status. Jones has been employed at Southeast since 1988 and in the Gastroenterology Lab since 1990. Dunn was employed by Southeast from 1986 until 1992. She returned in 1995 to work in the Gastroenterology Lab.

The Stereo One Pressure Team from Stereo One Inc. in Cape Girardeau left its mark at this year's USAC World Finals event held recently at Kansas City. The team took home one first-place and two second-place Sound Quality trophies in USAC's Mid-West Regional auto sound competition. Jonah Woods was a big winner. He walked away as the new World Champion in the Novice 0-150 class, with his 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse, and was runner-up in the Novice Best of Show judge off. This was the first year on the circuit for Woods, who did 90 percent of the installation himself. Jennifer Davis, who was second in the Novice 151-300 class, with her Ford Explorer with the integrated audio/video system inside. Greg Vaughn received a second-place trophy in the Pro 0-150 class with his 1996 Plymouth Neon. Vaughn had received third at the finals in 1999 and 2000. Vaughn also received the 2001 USAC Mid-West points champion award collecting 415 trophy points during the season.

Dr. Grant L. McClune was recently named a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons during special ceremonies at the group's 87th annual Clinical Congress held in New Orleans. McClune, who received a medical doctorate in 1992 from the University of Iowa College of Medicine, practices at Cape Girardeau Surgical Clinic, and Breast Care Center, both in Doctors' Park. He is a member of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, Throckmorton Surgical Society, Midwest Surgical Association, American Medical Association, Missouri Medical Association, and the Cape Girardeau County Area Medical Society.

Carolyn Kempf and Susan Dubs of Elite Travel in Cape Girardeau recently attended an MLT University Destinations seminar held in Minneapolis, Minn. Kempf and Dubs received training on Caribbean, Mexico and various domestic vacation promotions. The seminar was held at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Elite Travel was awarded the Luxury Account status.

Fru-Con Construction Corp.'s team at the Procter & Gamble Paper Products Co. at Cape Girardeau has reached 10 million safe labor hours, accumulated over the past 11 years, marking the first time a Fru-Con job site has achieved 10 million safe effort hours. Fru-Con has maintained continuous on-site staff at P&G for 17 years, and has not had a lost-time injury at the plant since April 15, 1990. On average, Fru-Con employs more than 200 engineering and construction employees at the P&G facility.

Dr. Marybeth Kapp recently attended the annual American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in New Orleans, where she conducted an instructional course on the treatment of abnormal head position caused by ocular misalignment. Kapp specializes in pediatric ophthalmology at Pediatric Eye Care of the Heartland in Cape Girardeau.

William Schott, CPA with Schott & Van de Ven, Certified Public Accountants in Cape Girardeau, recently attended the fall conference of the Chief Executive Network in Atlanta. With more than 500 members, the Chief Executive Network is comprised of senior-level executives who share ideas and advice on improving their companies and themselves. Schott participated in a full-day session with managers of CPA firms. They discussed business procedures and techniques for managing an accounting practice.

Steve Wallace, of Wallace and Owens Supermarkets in Malden, has been named president of the Missouri Grocers Association for the 2001-2002 term. Wallace was recently installed at a ceremony at the Missouri Grocers Association annual Convention and Marketing Expo held at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach. Wallace has served four years on the MGA Board of Directors, having most recently served as the association's vice president. His official duties will include overseeing board meetings, general operational procedures of the association as well as assisting in the planning events.

Dr. Dwight Johnson and Glenn Fronabarger have been added to the Firstar Bank Board of Directors. Lowell Peterson, Firstar president, announced the new members recently. Johnson has practiced family dentistry in Jackson for 28 years. Fronabarger is president o Fronabarger Concretors.

Holly Thomas, CPA with Schott & Van de Ven, Certified Public Accountants in Cape Girardeau, recently completed two classes on specialized taxation issues. The first class dealt with information for clients or companies who are contemplating a business or real estate disposition in a tax-deferred exchange. The second class dealt with the complex aspects of estate and gift taxation and income taxation of trusts and estates. Thomas is a certified specialist in estate planning and has experience in estate, gift, generation-skipping transfers and fiduciary income taxation.

Gary Branum, a New Madrid County farmer, has been elected to a two-year term on the Missouri Farm Bureau Board of Directors. Branum is a former aerial applicator and air traffic controller and farms 2,500 acres of rice, corn, wheat and soybeans. He has served on the New Madrid County Farm Bureau board, and as county president and vice president. At the state level, Branum has served as rice committee chairman. Edwina Woolard of Puxico has been appointed to the Missouri Farm Bureau's Promotion and Education Committee. Woolard and her husband farm 1,000 acres of row crops, care for 200 head of cattle and have a custom hay-baling enterprise in Stoddard County. She has served on the county Farm Bureau board as secretary since 1986.