PERSONNEL

Marsha Elfrink has joined Hutson's Furniture in downtown Cape Girardeau as a sales representative.

Elfrink, of Cape Girardeau, is experienced in interior design and furniture sales.

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Bill Mara of is new manager at the Cape Girardeau Kmart store.

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Mara, who has been with Kmart more than 20 years, is a graduate of Northern Illinois University at DeKalb. He joined Kmart in June of 1975.

He replaces Jerry Ziegman, who has transferred with Kmart to the Cincinnati, Ohio area.

Mara, his wife, Becky, and children, Sarah and Kayla, will move to the Cape Girardeau area.

Larry Tanner has joined the professional staff at Physical Therapy Associates, a service of Southeast Missouri Hospital, as a home health physical therapist.

Tanner, a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia with a B.S. Degree in Physical Therapy, has five years' experience in the home health setting.

Tanner worked at Southeast Missouri Hospital from 1977 to 1980. In 1980, he established the region's first freestanding outpatient physical therapy clinic.

Physical Therapy Associates is located at 60 Doctors' Park, and offers outpatient treatment for a variety of problems.

Tanner, a member of state and national physical therapy associations, is working toward certification as a geriatric specialist.

Robert McKenzie has joined Overnite Transportation Co., as account manager at its Sikeston Service Center.

McKenzie, a native of Chaffee, is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. He has more than five years' experience in the trucking industry. He previously worked with Consolidated Freightways and Roadway.

Overnite Transportation has 160 service centers nationwide.

Chris Lix of Millersville has been elected treasurer of the Missouri Landscape and Nursery Association (MLNA).

New officers of the statewide association, which is observing its 75th anniversary this year, were selected during the MLNA Summer Meeting and Trade Show, held recently at Kansas City.

New president is Ann McKinstry of Bowling Green. Tim Wommack of St. Louis was elected vice president and Todd Blackwell of Osage Beach is new secretary.

Ryan Smith of Jackson was the recent winner of a grand prize during a special promotion at Bent Creek Golf Course at Jackson.

Smith, one of more than 4,000 entries during the promotion, won a Great Big Bertha Driver.

Other winners were Mark Goben of Jackson, golf bag; Steve Fletcher of Metropolis, golf shoes; Gary Turner of Cape Girardeau, green fees; and Susan Casleton of Cape Girardeau, golf balls.

Edward M. Smith of Cairo has been elected vice president of the Midwest Laborers' International Union of North America for a five-year term, beginning in January of 1977.

As vice president, Smith will serve as a member of the General Executive Board of the International Union, headquartered in Washington D.C. The executive board functions as the policy and government of the union.

The Midwest Region of the Laborers International Union comprises seven states -- Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota.

Smith started his union career as business manager of the Laborers' Local 77 at Cairo, in 1976. He most recently served as regional manager for the Midwest Region and has served as president of the Southern Illinois Laborers' District Council and president of Local 773. He is a graduate of Shawnee High School and Shawnee Community College, and holds a bachelor's degree from George Meany Center in Labor Studies. He has completed a Harvard University trade union program.

Stone Manes of Ceramo Company in Jackson has been elected vice president of the American Trucking Association (ATA), Missouri branch.

Manes was elected during the annual membership meeting of the Missouri Motor Carriers Association, held recently at Lake of the Ozarks.

A number of officers were elected, including Ben Southwick of Joplin, chairman of the Missouri Motors Carriers Association.

Ann Teeters has retired from My Daddy's Cheesecake.

Teeters, who has been baking, cutting and packing cheesecakes since the business was founded about nine years ago, was guest of honor at a special retirement party, held at My Daddy's Cheesecake in downtown Cape Girardeau Wednesday.

This is actually Teeters' second retirement. She retired as a travel agent with AAA Travel Agency 10 years ago.

Mike Devaney and Bill Weber, faculty members at Southeast Missouri State University, recently presented a paper to the Federal Reserve Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.

Devaney is in the Department of Department of Accounting and Finance and Weber is in the Department of Economics at the university.

The title of the paper, presented at committee's annual meeting held at the Federal Reserve Bank in St. Louis, was "Current Challenges Facing Small Rural Banks." It examines the impact of competition and technological change on the rural banking sector.

Devaney received his Ph.D from the University of Arkansas, and has been a professor at Southeast Missouri State University since 1988. Weber, who received his Ph.D in economics from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, has been at the university here since 1986.

Gary L. Lasater has completed his internship and apprenticeship to become a licensed funeral director in the state of Missouri.

Lasater, who has been employed by Ford & Sons Funeral Homes at Cape County Memorial Park since December of 1993 as a pre-need specialist, will continue in his position as a Specialist Director.

He was one of only two individuals to be licensed by the Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors during this fiscal year in Missouri.