PERSONNEL

Jeffrey L. Bierman has been named director of marketing at Option Care.

Bierman, a graduate of Jackson High School and Southeast Missouri State University with a bachelor of science degree in business administration, previously worked at Capital Bancorporation Inc., where he was vice president of marketing.

Bierman serves as employee division chairman of the campaign cabinet for the Area Wide United Way. He is a member of the Southeast Missouri State University Booster Club Board of Directors.

Jennifer Birk has joined RV Production, 1606 Independence.

Birk, a graduate of the University of Missouri with a bachelor of fine arts degree, has been working for Moll Printing Co. in Sikeston.

She joined the RV Production design team, and specializing in publication designs.

Randy Sutton, formerly of Thebes, Ill., has joined the Missouri state auditor's office as audit assistant. Sutton received his bachelor's degree in accounting at Southeast Missouri State University.

Bob Nitsch, president of Cape Girardeau County Farm Bureau, and his wife, Gladys, were among Farm Bureau leaders from more than 70 counties who attended the Missouri Farm Bureau Leadership Conference in Jefferson City this month. Also attending were Ken and Vickie Westrich of Kelso.

During the conference FARM-PAC held interviews with Democrat Alan Wheat and Republican John Ashcroft, candidates for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. John Danforth. FARM-PAC endorsed Ashcroft.

It was also announced during the conference that Farm Bureau membership is at an all-time high of more than 80,000 member families, the largest farm organization in the state.

Lee Kimmel, district manager of the H&R Block office in Cape Girardeau, recently attended an income tax seminar at Joplin.

The seminar included topics on pension and retirement issues and the impact of filing status and dependence on earned income credit.

The seminar was part of a continuing education program developed by H&R Block to keep its tax preparers current on tax changes.

Randy Ressel has been named vice president of the Mid-State Region Sales of Alliance Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Ressell will be in charge of large-group and small-group sales for ABCBS in the newly-formed 59-county Mid-State region, which includes Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Scott, Stoddard, Perry, and Pemiscot counties.

ABCBS is a for-profit subsidiary of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri.

Ressell is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University with a degree in business administration.

Lt. Paul Breitenstein of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department recently attended a two-week course at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Md.

Breitenstein completed a course on developing and implementing fire- and life-safety strategies. The program requires each student to assess fire-prevention and public-education needs of a community and to develop appropriate programs to reduce potential problems being addressed in fire, emergency, health and medical organizations.

Students completing the fire academy classes receive three hours of upper-level baccalaureate credit for each course completed.

DONGOLA, Ill. -- George R. Inman of rural Grand Chain, David L. Martin of rural Metropolis, and Glenn Tripp of rural Cobden have been re-elected to three-year terms on the Southern Illinois Electric Cooperative Board. Members of the Dongola-based not-for-profit utility voted during the annual meeting at Shawnee Community College near Ullin.

Catherine Huskey of Cape Girardeau, a BeautiControl Cosmetics skin-care and image consultant, recently attended the BeautiControl Cosmetics Conference in Nashville, Tenn. New products were introduced during the three-day conference, which also featured business and leadership workshops.