Names in the news

__MURPHY ADDED TO SPENCER FANE FIRM__

Spencer Fane LLP, a full-service business law firm, announced the addition of attorney Michael D. Murphy in conjunction with the opening of a new Spencer Fane office in Cape Girardeau. This new location is the fifth Spencer Fane office in Missouri. With a primary focus on product liability defense, commercial litigation, toxic tort and medical negligence actions, Murphy is licensed in Missouri, Texas and Colorado and has defended cases throughout the country in state and federal courts.

__BOCKENKAMP APPOINTED TO STATE COMMISSION__

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Ronald D. Bockenkamp of Farmington, Missouri, to the Public Defender Commission. The seven-member commission is responsible for the hiring of the state public defender director and makes any rules needed for the administration of the state public defender system, according to a news release. A former Missouri state representative, Bockenkamp is a former St. Louis police detective in the intelligence division and a retired investigator for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. He also has served as senior vice president at Syn-Cronamics Inc. and was a regional director for the Federal Law Enforcement Assistance Administration. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran, where he served as a criminal investigator. The governor appointed him for a term ending Jan. 6, 2020.

__MONDI JACKSON HONORS EMPLOYEES__

Lisa Reynolds

Melissa Reagan of Jackson was employee of the month for October at Mondi Jackson LLC. Reagan, a BEL operator, has been with the company since March 2012. Mondi Jackson also recognizes the following employment anniversaries: Stephen Wright, 25 years of service; Michael Ponder, 10 years; and Joshua Sanders and Jerry Tilley, five years.

__BOARD OF REALTORS RECOGNIZES TWO MEMBERS__

The Cape Girardeau County Board of Realtors recently recognized Susan Britton of Berkshire Hathaway Bridgeport Realtors and Thomas M. Meyer of Thomas L. Meyer Realty Co. as Realtor Emeritus members. The National Association of Realtors bestows this title to Realtors who have dedicated more than 40 years to serving their clients, contributing their knowledge to the industry and volunteering in the community.

__ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CTC HONORED__

Dr. Libby Guilliams, assistant director of postsecondary education at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center, was awarded the Missouri Council of Career and Technical Administrators’ Assistant Director Administrator of the Year award Oct. 3 at the group’s conference in Columbia, Missouri. She was honored for her years of service in career and technical education, according to the center’s Facebook post. She has served as a math instructor, guidance counselor, director of student services and in her current role, where she “supervises student programming, manages program requirements, regulations and partnerships and also provides valuable feedback and oversight with the construction of our growing campus.”

__CARTER, SPENCER LEAD COLDWELL__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Tonya Carter was top lister for September at Coldwell Banker Ruth Holloway Realty, and Julie Spencer was top producer for the month.

__CLINE, KNOPPE TOP MOSSY OAK__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Ronnie Cline was top lister for September at Mossy Oak Properties, and Stephanie Knoppe was top producer for the month.

__MOSSY OAK ADDS TWO__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Erin Tucker is a new associate at Mossy Oak Properties Mozark Realty. She has been a real estate agent since 2013 and is working in the Ellington, Missouri, area. Stacy Howell joined the sales team at Mossy Oak. She has real estate experience in the Van Buren, Missouri, area, and specializes in land, riverfront homes and recreational properties and farms. She became a real estate agent in 2004 and obtained her broker’s license in 2008.

__HENDERSON EARNS RETIREMENT DESIGNATION__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Kevin Henderson, investment services officer at First Midwest Bank, earned the Retirement Income Certified Professional designation from the American College of Financial Services in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Candidates for the designation must complete a minimum of three college-level courses and pass a series of two-hour proctored exams. They also must fulfill stringent experience and ethics requirements.

__KNODELL SWEEPS P.B. REALTY__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Kurt Knodell was top lister and top producer for August at Poplar Bluff Realty Inc.

__CAR WASH OPENS IN POPLAR BLUFF__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for the Wash Park Car Wash, 2944 N. Westwood Blvd.

__CRAWFORD PROMOTED AT FIRST STATE BANK__

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. — Lance Crawford was promoted to south market president at First State Bank and Trust Co. Inc. His responsibilities include forming new client relationships and promoting the growth of First State Bank and Trust in the areas of Hayti, Portageville and Caruthersville, Missouri. He joined First State Bank and Trust in 2004 as a loan officer. In 2014 he was promoted to bank president in Hayti and in 2015 he became bank president in Caruthersville.

__GREFFE NAMED RESOURCE FORESTER IN MARBLE HILL__

MARBLE HILL, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation hired Nathan Greffe as the new resource forester in Marble Hill. He replaces Marty Calvert, who recently took a new position with the MDC as a forest certification manager. Greffe grew up on a farm in Northern Illinois and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in forestry from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He most recently worked as assistant district forester for Deltic Timber Corp. in Arkansas. Greffe and Calvert both work out of the Marble Hill Forestry Office.

__SANDGREN (KEMPF) COMPLETES MEXICO TRAINING__

Carolyn Sandgren (Kempf), owner/CEO of Elite Travel Inc. in Cape Girardeau, completed the Mexico is More Bonus Course. She now is a designated Mexico Travel Expert through completion of the education program designed to enhance professional knowledge of the destination, according to a news release.

__KENLEY TO HEAD THREE RIVERS AT DEXTER__

DEXTER, Mo. — Three Rivers College hired Joseph Kenley as director of Three Rivers at Dexter. He previously worked for Three Rivers as an adjunct instructor at the Dexter location. He replaces Bill Hampton, who retired in June. Kenley began teaching classes at Three Rivers in January. Before accepting the director position, he also worked as a guidance counselor at the Mingo Job Corps since 2012. He previously resided in Atlanta, where he worked as a social service provider and an adviser for the professional studies program at Shorter University. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Virginia State University and a master’s in professional counseling from Argosy University.

__MILES, HOTOP JOIN ROBINSON CONSTRUCTION__

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Aaron Miles joined Robinson Construction as an estimator. He is responsible for preparing cost estimates and completing bidding documents for projects Robinson. He is from Swansea, Illinois, and has nearly 10 years of experience in estimating and managing construction projects in the heavy industrial, process, manufacturing, health care, private higher education and commercial sectors. He previously worked as an estimator at Helmkamp Construction. Additionally, Jared Hotop joined the company as an accounting assistant. He is from Perryville and previously worked at Bening Motor Co. in Jackson.

__KETCHERSIDE, MCCOY LEAD C21__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Natali Ketcherside was top producer for September at Century 21 American Realty, and Melba Jean McCoy was top lister for the month.

__THOMPSON ATTENDS DELTA VACATIONS UNIVERSITY__

Shannon Thompson, sales manager at Elite Travel Inc. in Cape Girardeau, attended Delta Vacations University Sept. 17 and 18 in Atlanta. Travel agents from the U.S. and Canada attended in-depth classes and learned what’s new in vacation travel, according to a news release.

__HILGENBRINCK PROMOTED AT KFVS, WQWQ__

Luke Hilgenbrinck of Jackson was promoted to director of sales for KFVS12 and WQWQ-TV. He had previously served as local sales manager for the stations since 2013. Hilgenbrinck came to KFVS12 from KTVO, the ABC/CBS affiliate in Kirksville, Missouri, where he served six years as local and general sales manager.

__VERSA-TECH ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS__

FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. — Brian Burcham was promoted to vice president of accounting/human resources and information technology at Versa-Tech Inc. He has worked at Versa-Tech for nearly six years, performing a wide variety of accounting and IT functions, according to a news release. In his new role, he will have responsibility for and lead all aspects of accounting, human resources and information technology. Additionally, April Fort was promoted to vice president general manager at the company. She will lead and guide all manufacturing operations and production personnel. She has worked at Versa-Tech since 2000, progressing from entry level material fabrication to, most recently, serving as the customer service, cost estimating and engineering manager. Charles Allen Frakes was promoted to manufacturing engineering manager. He will lead and manage all maintenance, molding and plant engineering activities. He has been with the company for three years managing and executing maintenance activities.

__BOMMARITO IS NEW CONSERVATION AGENT__

NEW MADRID, Mo. — Nicholas “Nick” Bommarito is the new conservation agent in New Madrid County, the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported. He replaces Christa Cox, who transferred to Johnson County. Bommarito moved to the Bootheel from southern St. Louis County.

__MODERN WOODMEN HONORS EMPLOYEES__

Lisa Reynolds of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, a financial representative at Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial, was District Representative of the Month for October. She has been with the company since 2012. Kelly Darby of Jackson, also a financial representative with Modern Woodmen, was Life Leader in the Missouri East Region for October. She joined the company in 2010.