Names in the news

Door technicians are certified

Henry Nichols, Donald Fodge, and Tony Worley of Garage Door Co. of Sikeston were recently certified as commercial sectional door technicians by the Institute of Door Dealer Education and Accreditation. To be certified, each individual must be sanctioned to have a minimum two years' experience in the field and pass a test for basic knowledge in the areas of codes and standards, materials and finishes, product components, methods of operation, and safety. All three men were also previously certified by IDEA as residential garage door technicians. Fodge joined Garage Door Company in 1997, Nichols in 1993, and Worley in 1992.

TV's Jason Lindsey teaching teens

Former KFVS12 meteorologist Jason Lindsey has been named the Outreach Science Educator at the Bootheel Youth Museum in Malden, Mo. Lindsey also took a position as Teen Reach coordinator for the Delta Center in Cairo, Ill. Teen Reach is a program that brings students in after school and gives them a meal and help with homework. "It kind of fits right down my alley as far as what I wanted to do," Lindsey said. He wanted a way to combine education and working with children. He will be the Outreach Science Educator for the Bootheel Youth Museum one day a week and make trips to area schools to spread his love of science. Lindsey has been educating children about science for seven years through after school programs, his "Hooked on Science" show and in the weekly science experiment printed in the Southeast Missourian.

Three graduate from Leadership Missouri

Linda Greaser, site industrial engineer at Procter & Gamble Paper Products Co., Tim Arbeiter, vice president for community development at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, and Mary Beth Williams, executive director of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, recently graduated from the Leadership Missouri program of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Leadership Missouri is designed to identify and train emerging leaders throughout the state on challenges and opportunities facing the state.

Jernigan honored at Leadership Cape meeting

Nancy Jernigan was named outstanding alumni of the Leadership Cape program at a luncheon ceremony Friday at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Jernigan is executive director of the United Way of Southeast Missouri. The award is given to graduates of the Leadership Cape program who demonstrate commitment to their community, churches and civic organizations.

Belladona Salon hires six new employees

The Belladona Salon Spa and Boutique at Park West Centre has added six new staff members: Karen Oliver is a certified aesthetician with 19 years' experience; Danae Davis and Stephanie Sigman are hairstylists; Jill Coleman is a nail technician with 19 years' experience; Tristie Taylor will handle total body pampering; and Wendy Nenninger is a licensed practical nurse and licensed massage therapist with 25 years' experience.

Sales manager joins local staff

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Barry Pinnell has joined the staff of Mid-Town Motors as the sales manager.

Pinnell joins family members Travis, Albert and Howard Jackson in their business which has locations in Sikeston as well as Calvert City, Ky.

With several years experience in sales, Pinnell invites friends and former customers to visit him at the Sikeston Midtown Motors, 940 E. Malone Ave. Pinnell and his wife, Heather, reside in Sikeston.

Currie awarded child care credential

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Brittney Currie of Kids Kuntry Learning Center and Pre-School has been awarded a Child Development Associate CDA Credential in recognition of out standing work with young children. The credential was warded by the Council of Professional Recognition in Washington, D.C., which represents the early childhood education profession.

Kirkman promoted at bank

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- First Midwest Bank has promoted Debbie Kirkman to assistant cashier/operations assistant. Kirkman has 24 years of experience in banking.

Bank names top employee

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Loan Department manager Melissa Vail has been chosen by her peers as Fist Midwest Bank's Employee of the Fourth Quarter.

Bohnsack, Schlosser take new posts at bank

Alliance Bank, a Cape Girardeau-based bank with four area locations, announced that Craig Bohnsack has been named assistant vice president of commercial lending and Cathi Schlosser will be director of human resources. Bohnsack has eight years of banking experience and moves to Alliance from Montgomery Bank. Bohnsack will be based at the branch at 217 N. Kingshighway and will be responsible for commercial and middle-market lending. Bohnsack holds a bachelor of science in financial economics and a master of business administration from Southeast Missouri State University. Schlosser brings 10 years experience to her new position, most recently as director of membership development for the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

Woodmen name group's rookie of the month

Kasey Mathes-Klughart of Benton, Mo., was named rookie of the month for the Missouri East Agency of the Modern Woodmen of America. The distinction is given to a representative who has been with Modern Woodmen for less than three years and leads the agency in production.

New CVB director hired, hits the ground running

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston-Miner Convention and Visitors Bureau has hired a new executive director.

"I'm really excited to be here. I really want to work with the communities and help Sikeston-Miner bring in more visitors and help the economy in the process," said Hillary Shields about her new position.

Since her first day as executive director Nov. 3, Shields has hit the ground running.

"Right now I'm working on a 2008 calendar, gathering information for our Missouri Division of Tourism marketing grant, and communicating with tour operators to try to bring groups to Sikeston and Miner," she said.

As the only full-time staff member at the CVB, there will be plenty of challenges such as "balancing all the aspects of the job," Shields said. "It ranges from attending trade shows to doing bookkeeping to working with local business and organizations, putting out promotional materials. ... Since I'm new here I'm still learning all the responsibilities."

Shields moved here from her hometown, Kirksville, in December because her husband, Mitchel Shields came here to work as an engineer at the Noranda aluminum plant.

Hemmann elected chairman of insurance association

UNIONTOWN, Mo. -- Donald A. Hemmann, manager of Arnsberg Farmers Mutual Insurance Co., was elected chairman of the board of directors of the Missouri Association of Mutual Insurance companies at its 112th annual convention held in Columbia, Mo. recently. Hemmann has been the secretary/manager of Arnsberg Farmers Mutual Insurance Co in Uniontown since 1996. Arnsberg was founded in 1880 and insures homes and farms n Perry and surrounding counties.

Hemmann is also treasurer of Grace Lutheran n Church n Uniontown, treasurer of the Perryville High School Alumni Association and a member of the board of trustees of Perry County Health System.

Professor at Delta Center named a Fellow

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. -- J. Grover Shannon, professor and David Haggard Endowed Chair of soybean Genetics and Breeding in the Division of Crop Sciences at the University of Missouri-Delta Center has been named Fellow of the Crop Science Society of America at the annual American Society of Agronomy convention in New Orleans.

Shannon earned his bachelor of science degree from Mississippi State University at Starkville, Miss., and his master of science and Ph.D. from Purdue University at Lafayette Ind. He has developed more than 70 cultivars in soybean genetics and breeding. He has also been instrumental in research to determine the genetics of resistance to soybean cyst nematode and has contributed to the release of soybean cultivars and germ plasma with broad resistance to SCN populations. He has served on and held office in the American Seed Trade Association.

Earthquake insurance panel

Developer Stacy Mansfield of Jackson and insurance agent Charlie Brown of Kennett, Mo., are the two members of a new Missouri Earthquake Insurance Task Force who live closest to the New Madrid fault.

Gov. Matt Blunt appointed Mansfield and Brown and 15 others to the task force that will be led by Doug Ommen, director of the Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration. Legislative leaders will appoint another four members, two from each chamber.

Blunt directed the panel to form recommendations on structural safety, how to insure public and private infrastructure and promote continued economic growth in the region threatened by a major earthquake. The panel will also examine the availability and affordability of earthquake insurance.

Seismologists estimate that a quake along the New Madrid fault similar to the shocks of 1811-1812 would seriously impair roads, bridges and supply lines through the region from St. Louis to Memphis.

Jewelry company recognizes employees

The direct-sales jewelry company lia sophia announced the promotion of Jacquie Maxton of Cape Girardeau from adviser to unit manager and named Tracy Lawson of Jackson as a top sales adviser in its Excellent Beginnings program. Maxton won the promotion by exceeding her sales and recruiting goals. Lawson won the recognition by attaining sales objectives during her first 15 weeks with the company.

EXIT Realty group welcomes new agent

EXIT Realty -- Thomas Meyer Associates announced the addition of Jennifer Grier as a new agent with the firm. Grier is a graduate of the University of Arkansas with a degree in psychology. She holds a Missouri cosmetology license and is a graduate of the Cape Girardeau School of Real Estate. Grier also has training in the American Bankers Association principles of banking and is receiving additional real estate training.

Child-care providers finish business program

Several area child-care providers recently completed the 36-hour Developing Your Family Child Care Business program offered by the Child Care Resource & Referral of Southeast Missouri. The course offers a curriculum designed to teach viable business methods for providing child care in a sustainable way to serve the needs of the entrepreneurs and the community. Those completing the course include Camela Pullen, Chitra K.S. Jayaweera, Gloria Black and Delois Jackson, all of Cape Girardeau; Suzanne Lambert of Sikeston, Mo.; Raven Kirkley of Poplar Bluff, Mo., and Dana Barker of Naylor, Mo.

Local dentist recognized for volunteer work

Dr. Danna Cotner, a Cape Girardeau dentist, was named a "Healthy Smiles Hero" for Illinois for her work as a dental educator and practitioner with the School of Allied Health at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Cotner was given the award by Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn in recognition of work to help underserved communities by visiting patients unable to travel to the school's clinic and for volunteer work doing dental exams on children and adults with autism. Cotner has been a professor in the SIU-Carbondale Dental Hygiene Program for six years.

NORDENIA USA names December employee of the month

Extrusion operator Fred Vetter, of Commerce, Mo has been named NORDENIA USA'S December employee of the month. Vetter has been with NORDENIA since Feb. 23, 1992. NORDENIA USA manufactures plastic packaging and films.

NORDENIA USA recognizes the following 10 year anniversaries: Brian Hagan, Randall Seabaugh and Johnny Wrinkle.

Powerful woman

Magna-Tel Inc. president Mary Ann Farmer, who was recognized earlier this year by the Advertising Speciality Institute with its Women of Distinction Award, has been included for the second time on the institute's Counselor magazine as one of the most powerful and influential people in the industry.

Farmer is listed 41st on the magazine's Power 50, and is one of only six women on the list. She was 46th on the list in 2006.

Magna-Tel Inc., 775 S. Kingshighway, is entering its 49th year in business and was named a top three supplier of magnetic promotional products in June by Promotional Marketing magazine and is a finalist for ASI Distributors Choice awards.

New manager named at New Madrid power plant

Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. named Roger Neumeyer as plant manager and Scott Harvey as assistant plant manger for the New Madrid electric power plant.

Neumeyer has been acting plant manager for New Madrid since September, and worked as assistant plant manager from June through September. His previous positions at the plant include performance manager, and he joined the plant 18 years ago as a chemical lab technician. Neuemeyer holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Missouri Southern State University in Joplin and a master's degree in business from William Woods University in Fulton, Mo.

Harvey will transfer to New Madrid from the Thomas Hill Energy Center in Randolph County, where he was coordinator of the plant's environmental controls construction project.

Harvey joined AECI in 1978 as a mechanic at Thomas Hill Energy Ce

Pobst promoted to VP at 1st Community Bank

Justin Pobst of Jackson has been named vice president of commercial lending for 1st Community Bank. Pobst brings experience in commercial lending as well as other areas of financial services and most recently held the position of manager of Regional Title Co. Pobst will be stationed at the Cape Girardeau branch of the bank, 17 S. Mount Auburn Road.

Commerce names new branch manager

Carol Greenfield has been named branch manager for Commerce Bank's Cape Girardeau North banking center at 1800 Cape La Croix Road, community bank president Roger Tolliver announced. Greenfield joined Commerce Bank in 2007, bringing experience from employment with several banks in the Chicago and Baltimore areas. Greenfield is a U.S. Army veteran and was stationed in Turkey from 1985 to 1987.