NEW EMPLOYEES

SIKESTON -- Courtney Corbett has joined Boyer Construction Co. at Sikeston as director of public relations.

Philip Boyer, president of Boyer Construction and developer of the Sikeston Factory Outlet Stores, announced Corbett's appointment.

Boyer also announced MediaConsultants will handle all marketing and advertising.

The new 120,000-square-foot outlet shopping center will be adjacent to the junction of Interstates 55 and 57. The shopping center will be made up of 35 nationally known manufacturers. The stores are all owned and operated by manufacturers that sell their own goods.

Corbett, a graduate of Sikeston High School, is a 1989 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University with a degree in mass communications.

Corbett formerly worked for Famous Barr in Cape Girardeau and St. Louis and was assistant manager of Caren Charles in the St. Louis Galleria. She worked with Pet Inc. during the recent PGA Tournament that was held in August in St. Louis. She will assume her position the first of February.

MediaConsultants was founded in 1981. It handles marketing and advertising for a variety of clients in five states.

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MOUND CITY, Ill. Connie Kerr of Villa Ridge and Trudi Smoot of Jonesboro have joined Bi-State Home Health Mound City office as licensed practical nurses.

Bi-State Home Health is a Medicare-certified agency that provides skilled nursing, physical therapy, and home health aid in 12 Southern Illinois counties.

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Paul Stettin recently joined Solar Press Inc., headquartered at Naperville, Ill., as vice president of sales and marketing. He will oversee all marketing, sales and customer service for U.S. operations.

Solar Press is an international corporation specializing in the printing and packaging of loose card products and solo mailings for direct marketers worldwide. The firm has an operation in Perryville.

Prior to joining Solar Press, Stettin was senior vice president and national sales manager for Petty Printing Co. in Effingham, Ill.

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Bernard J. "Bernie" Gaydos has been named executive director of rehabilitation at St. Francis Medical Center.

Gaydos, who has about 20 years experience in health care administration, most recently served as chief executive officer of Western Hills Regional Rehabilitation Hospital in Parkersburg, W. Va., a 40-bed comprehensive physical rehabilitation hospital.

He has also served as vice president of medical affairs at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, a 367-bed regional hospital. While there, he was responsible for medical staff relations, quality assurance, risk management, planning, marketing, physician recruitment, outreach programs and the medical center's rehabilitation programs.

He has also served as assistant administrator of Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pa., a 464-bed teaching hospital; director of medical affairs and corporate planning in South Hills Health System in Pittsburgh, a 390-bed acute care hospital; and as administrative resident at the 744-bed Veterans Administration Medical Center in Pittsburgh.

He received his undergraduate degree from King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and master's degree from the University of Oregon. He earned a graduate degree in healthcare service administration at the University of Pittsburgh.

Gaydos started his duties at St. Francis in December. He and his wife, Betsy, have three children and one grandchild.

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Kevin S. Dry, formerly of Cape Girardeau, has accepted a position with Howmet Corp. in Wichita Falls, Texas, as a product engineer.

Dry, a Cape Central graduate, received his bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering during the winter commencement at the University of Missouri-Rolla.

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Four new staff members have joined the treatment team for Southeast Missouri Hospital's new Adult Psychiatric Unit.

Joining nurse manager Theresa Hall in the unit are Jerrell Driver, a licensed psychologist; Bernie Dirnberger, licensed clinical social worker; Yvonne Menke, certified therapeutic recreation specialist; and Holly Drum, recreation worker.

The 14-bed unit, located in an area of the hospital which formerly housed the Stress Unit, started accepting patients Nov. 30. Patients must be 18 years old.

Driver completed his undergraduate work at Southern Illinois University and obtained a master's degree in psychology and a doctorate in guidance and counseling at University of Missouri-Kansas City. Before joining Southeast Hospital, he was affiliated with Choate Mental Health and Development Center at Anna, Ill., and the Department of Treasury in Kansas City.

Dirnberger, who has 20 years experience in the field of psychiatry, was associated with Community Counseling Center in Cape Girardeau before joining the Southeast staff this month.

Menke, a graduate of Southern Illinois University, worked nine years at Deaconess Hospital in St. Louis. She worked eight of those years with the hospital's recreational therapy department, including four years as RT supervisor.

Drum recently completed her academic work at Southeast Missouri State University.

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MARION, Ill. - Michelle Thieman has been named general manager of the Marion Daily Republican.

Publisher Douglas Caldwell said Thieman moved to Marion from Lake of the Ozarks, Mo., where she was advertising director of the Lake Sun Leader in Camdenton.

She is a graduate of the University of South Dakota and has 22 years experience in newspapers, including 2 years with the Daily Republican's owners, American Publishing Corp.

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ALTON, Ill. - A veteran gambling executive from Nevada has replaced the Alton Belle riverboat's chief operating officer, who resigned last week.

John Connors said he resigned because a more experienced leader is needed for plans to expand operations into St. Louis and New Orleans.

Alton Riverboat Gambling Partnership hired Steve Norton as the new chief operating officer. Norton is a former president of The Sands casino in Las Vegas and has worked at several resorts and casinos in Atlantic City, N.J.