Newsmakers: Oct. 23-29, 2023

Accounting
FORVIS LLP promoted four to director positions: Megan Chester, Leia Huffman, Derek Lee, and Lindsay Kubicek. Chester provides audit and consulting services and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Missouri State University. A member of the firm’s private client division, Huffman provides financial and estate planning services and holds a bachelor’s in finance from MSU. Working in the health care practice, Lee handles audit services and operational issues and holds a bachelor’s in accounting and management from Southwest Baptist University. With a bachelor’s in accounting from Missouri Southern State University, Kubicek performs tax planning, accounting and consulting services.

FORVIS also promoted Allison Gardner and Caulen Leimkuehler to senior managers and Spring Binfet and Angela Huff to senior managing consultants. Gardner provides audit services and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from the University of Mississippi. Working in audit and consulting services, Leimkuehler holds a bachelor’s in accounting from College of the Ozarks. Binfet handles payroll, financial statements, technology support and other services, while Huff provides consulting services.

Arts
The Springfield Regional Arts Council Inc. honored Randy Russell with the inaugural Bucky Bowman Lifetime Achievement Award during the 38th annual Ozzie Awards. The award recognizes individuals or organizations that have significantly contributed to the artistic vitality of the Ozarks and inspired others in the region to do the same. Russell has worked with Springfield Public Schools, the Any Given Child program of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, which granted him its Humanitarian Award in 2012.

Other Ozzie winners were Joshua Best as Arts Ambassador, the Judith Enyeart Reynolds School of the Arts at Missouri State University as Arts Champion, Larry Askren as Volunteer of the Year and Steve Willis for Excellence in Arts Education. The winners were selected from over 70 nominations.

Construction
Nabholz Construction Corp. added Perry Winn as service manager to lead a team of master carpenters, concrete laborers and craftspeople. He has 15 years of construction experience.

Utilities
Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. promoted Senior Vice President Scott Thompson to chief operations officer and SVP Brian Prestwood to chief risk officer. The moves coincide with SVP and COO Ken Wilmot’s planned retirement. Thompson also is charged with leading the co-op’s power production division, while Prestwood will continue his general counsel duties. Thompson is a 35-year energy industry veteran and joined the co-op in 2017. An Associated Electric employee since 2013, Prestwood has 18 years of experience as an energy attorney. Wilmot has worked 12 years at the co-op.