10 For The Next 10 Yearbook

for the next

for the next

Table of Contents Welcome to the reunion. Find your class year, and revisit the faces, stories and accomplishments of your 10 for the Next 10 class.

2017

2022

2018

2023

2019

2024

2020

2025

2021

2026

Page 3

Page 16

Page 29

Page 41

Page 54

Page 67

Page 80

Page 92

Page 105

Page 117

3

JULY/AUGUST 2026

4 4

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

Watch out for these 10 change-makers who are carving out a new identity for 417-land.

FOR THE NEXT BY: VIVIAN WHEELER PHOTOS BY: BRANDON ALMS

T

he quickest way to understand the impact the 10 for the Next 10 have had on 417-land is to imagine what it would look like without them. Imagine Springfield without The Mystery Hour, which has been entertaining locals for more than 11 years and delighted millions with its Instagram Husband video. Or without Rosie, which is leading the charge in equal pay with its Rosie Makes Cents campaign. We’d be missing a County Commissioner and the chair of The Network, the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s young professional networking group. Think about the fact that you might not be able to catch an Uber downtown to grab a cocktail at Scotch & Soda. It’s not a fun exercise.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the contributions these 10 individuals have made, but it’s easy to see that we’d be missing a lot without them. Besides being driven, creative and hardworking, one trait that ties this diverse group of people together is their passion for our community—passion that translates to an enormous amount of time spent thinking about and putting into action ways to make 417-land better. These are people we want on Springfield’s team, and we can’t wait to see what they’ll do next.

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

5 5

Joshua Widner FOR BRINGING COCKTAIL CULTURE TO 417-LAND

J

oshua Widner’s cocktail empire almost didn’t happen.

Widner was finishing his senior year at Full Sail University in Florida and was all set to take a job at an Icelandic recording studio when it unexpectedly closed.

Widner landed back home in Springfield working as a barback at MudLounge. There he fell in love with the bar industry. Today Widner is the co-owner of four bars, including Cherry Picker Package x Fare, two locations of Scotch & Soda and Golden Girl Rum Club, several of which have received national attention. Now he’s showing no signs of slowing down.

WHAT AH-HA MOMENTS HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS? “For the first couple years, maybe the first year, stress was really high. If you can, imagine selling your soul to start a bar at 23 or 24. First of all, I had no management skills. I was flying by the seat of my pants not really knowing what I was doing. I’ve learned to manage by positive reinforcement rather than negative.

A lot of the jobs I had growing up, there was lots of negative reinforcement. The only time I talked to a manager was when I was doing something wrong. I’ve tried to change that every day, and I think I’ve done a pretty good job. They’re the lifeblood of my companies.

I couldn’t do anything I did without them.”

WHAT’S THE THING THAT DRIVES YOU? “I think entrepreneurship is an addiction. In talking to other people, I say it’s a problem. I’m aware that it’s a problem. My wife’s aware that it’s a problem. I just love the whole process: writing things down, creating business plans, interacting with people, pitching to partners, bringing in partners, bringing in financers.

It’s like the thrill of the hunt. It’s not as barbaric as that, but that’s what drives me. I can’t and will not stop. I love what I do. I wouldn’t do anything differently.

It’s never been about the money. I don’t make a lot of money, and I don’t need a lot of money, and I don’t care about the money. It’s working with the people I work with and progressing the city that I come from and trying to make it a better place for everybody.”

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE 417-LAND CHANGE IN THE NEXT DECADE? “I don’t know if change is the right word. What I’ve kind of struggled with is creating some kind of identity.

Springfield is much more than Bass Pro and cashew chicken, and we know that. What I would like to do is help mold and create this identity of being a beacon of food and beverage. Kansas City and St. Louis take a lot of the focus away from Springfield, and I think creating these projects that actually get national press and people are actually interested in talking to us about is exciting for Springfield to try and put us on the map.”

6 6

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

Teresa Coyan FOR ADVOCATING FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

I

n Teresa Coyan’s role as the legislative and public affairs manager at CoxHealth she has to be highly attuned to the internal workings of the organization and any external pressures that affect it. On any given day she could be tracking health care legislation, lobbying in Jefferson City or Washington D.C. or helping manage the company’s community sponsorships and engagement. Six years ago, Coyan also started CoxHealth Young Professionals. The organization has been so successful that groups in places such as Florida and Texas have used it as a model when creating their own young professional groups.

WHAT AH-HA MOMENTS HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS? “When I realized that not only did I want to stay in Springfield but [that] I wanted to move the dial with retaining talent in Springfield. I want people to be proud to be here. And then second, when I truly realized that in my career it was less about titles and more about working on projects and taking on roles that I felt passion and drive for. Loving what I do definitely has been a tipping point for me. It’s amazing the momentum and opportunities that are presented when you love what you do and are there for reasons far beyond a job title.”

WHAT’S THE THING THAT DRIVES YOU? “Making a difference is a huge factor in what drives me.

Working in health care and specifically with health care policy has been a way for me to be part of big initiatives that have been impactful for [people] in southwest Missouri. Everyone has a story related to their health care experiences; through my legislative and administrative role, I’m driven by those stories and by the lives in our community to propel us forward.”

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE 417-LAND CHANGE IN THE NEXT DECADE? “I feel like a lot of communities have this time when they’re at their tipping point, where they’re on the verge of greatness. Everyone’s pushing toward the same direction, and I think that we’re moving in the right way—more inclusion just overall and continuing to embrace who the community is and just really highlighting the things we do well. I think as we continue to focus on those areas we’ll see growth. I think oftentimes we get really caught up in being the third largest city, and we kind of set the bar a little bit lower than we should. I think that we have a lot of potential, and we’re moving in that direction already.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

7 7

Heather Hardinger FOR INNOVATING BRANSON

A

laska native Heather Hardinger came to Springfield to attend Evangel University where she majored in international multicultural studies. When she graduated, the recession was in full swing and jobs were scarce.

She took a position in workforce development with AmeriCorps in St. Louis only to be subsequently transferred back to Springfield. These days she’s working to find creative solutions to Branson’s unique labor issues as the programs and communications director for Taney County Partnership. The job has recently taken her to Puerto Rico to help fill Branson’s worker shortage.

WHAT AH-HA MOMENTS HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS? “I graduated from college with bright eyes ready to conquer the world, and there weren’t a lot of jobs out there. I think for me, keeping an open mind and being teachable has been crucial. I’m kind of a risk-averse person naturally, so taking some risks and saying, you know, you want to do this? Go out, try it, put your all into it and just see what happens. If it doesn’t work out, there’s always something else.”

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB? “I love learning about the different things that other communities are doing that are working really well and taking that information and seeing what works for the community in Branson. There’s really no other place like Branson, but I think that the workforce issues that we have there are definitely solvable. I see it like a cool puzzle. There’s just so many moving parts. It’s like, okay, something will work, you just have to figure out what that is and how to get the community on board.”

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE 417-LAND CHANGE IN THE NEXT DECADE? “More economic changes for everyone. Whether you have a college degree or maybe you haven’t gotten your GED [certificate] yet, there’s so many options here where we could plug people in and figure out where they’d be the best fit. I think we’re a little bit late to the game in that regard. A lot of areas have been working on these comprehensive workforce plans for a long time, but I think that if we can nail that down, that will be one of the things that makes us stand out.”

8 8

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

Lincoln Hough FOR DEDICATING HIS LIFE TO PUBLIC SERVICE

W

hen Lincoln Hough was 26 years old, he ran against Roseann Bentley, one of Springfield’s most beloved public servants, for the 2nd District County Commissioner seat. He lost that race but was undeterred from public service and went on to serve three terms in the Missouri House of Representatives. In 2016, Hough ran again for the seat that had previously eluded him. This time he won, and today he serves as one of Greene County’s three commissioners. In his free time, which is normally early in the morning, he works on his dairy farm, a business he started in seventh grade.

WHAT AH-HA MOMENTS HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS? “They always say you learn more when you lose an election than winning. When I lost my commission race the first time, Roseann Bentley came up to me and she said stay involved. That gave me a lot of confidence.

That the generation in our community that has been the driver for so many years believes in the next generation, that was huge. I just remember walking away from that totally exhausted. I’d killed myself campaigning. The easy thing to do would have been to be done with politics. But when you have those people that will lend guidance, I think we’re all better for it.”

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB? “My favorite thing about my current role is being in the community. I love Springfield. There are so many cool things that happen in Springfield. I’m constantly trying to be the conduit to get young professionals to come back to Springfield. I want our community to grow in that way. And when you bring them here and you take them downtown, we’ve got nice restaurants, we’ve got the ball field, and we’ve got theater and art. We have a lot of things that I think people would be surprised about for a community our size. My favorite part of this job is being an advocate for my community.”

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE 417-LAND CHANGE IN THE NEXT DECADE? “What I would like to see our community do is to foster relationships with the next round of leaders. Let’s not discriminate against the next generation because we’re still figuring out where we fit in the world. We have a lot of ideas. We have a lot of momentum. There’s a lot of just really good, talented people that I think as long as the leaders that have been continuing to foster those relationships to maximize succession planning, our community will continue to grow.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

9 9

Rachel Anderson FOR EMPOWERING LOCAL STARTUPS

A

s the entrepreneurial specialist for The eFactory, Rachel Anderson is the go-to business resource for the entrepreneurship center’s clients, including the startups that are lucky enough to land in its competitive accelerator program. Anderson knows firsthand what it takes to launch a successful company as she’s a co-founder of the tech startup Alumni Spaces, which creates software for university alumni chapters. This past November, Anderson also co-founded women’s advocate and networking group Rosie.

WHAT AH-HA MOMENTS HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS? “Mine really goes back to when I was in college. The best advice [my mentor Vicky Riback Wilson] gave me is ‘Do something every day that gets you out of your comfort zone.’ You’re going to be able to better relate to people and different experiences. You’re able to make better decisions, have a better place of understanding and think through things differently than if you only lived in your bubble forever. That’s something I still try to put into practice each and every day.”

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB? “I love helping people follow their dreams. Everything I do gets to be the yes person. This is your idea, it may need some refinement, it may not be ready to go tomorrow, but I get to be that person that helps people figure out how to do it. It’s very liberating that you get to live in dream world all day but to mix it with reality. How can we help to mitigate these risks to have these startups succeed? And then I get to help be that matchmaker—to be able to connect those people who are established out in the community doing well and partner them with startups.”

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE 417-LAND CHANGE IN THE NEXT DECADE? “For Springfield to continue its growth pattern, we must be intentional about diversity. Springfield has long been a community that is attractive to business and families. To remain competitive with top talent and millennials staying in and moving to Springfield, we have to rival what people expect and want in their city of choice. We have a lot of great things going for us, but we also have a lot of opportunity to diversify and appeal to more people. I’d love to see additional diversity in not only ethnicity, but also restaurants, bars, music, types of businesses, clothing stores, etc. Music, arts and culture are part of what make a community great. I’ve seen a tremendous amount of emphasis in the last few years and am excited to see more.”

10 10

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

Jeff Houghton FOR LIVING HIS HOLLYWOOD DREAM IN SPRINGFIELD

J

eff Houghton wears a lot of hats. The list includes creator of The Mystery Hour, TV personality, Instagram husband, writer, producer, father and actual husband. And while his accomplishments continue to pile up—such as his 2016 Emmy win for the mega-popular Instagram Husband video—it’s his unabashed love for Springfield that sets him apart in our eyes. Houghton’s on a mission to make everyone love Springfield as much as he does, one hilarious skit at a time.

WHAT AH-HA MOMENTS HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS? “This sounds so simple, but all these ideas I have, I can just do them. I used to have a lot of ideas and think someone should do that, and now I’m like, ‘Oh, I can do it.’ And going to Los Angeles was a huge deal to me. I didn’t know how much confidence it was going to take.

So the realization for me was decide to do something and then figure it out. I didn’t know how scary and hard this was going to be, otherwise I wouldn’t have done it.”

WHAT’S THE THING THAT DRIVES YOU? “Fear of failure. That’s half-joking. I think probably deep down it’s real. It’s just not something you say in a magazine. The other side of that is that I always see the potential in things and want to work to reach that potential. So the flip side of that is I can get too much like, ‘Oh but we aren’t there yet. Let’s work on these things to get there.’ That’s the side that annoys me, but the good side of it is I do see the potential of everything, and so I think that drives me.”

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE 417-LAND CHANGE IN THE NEXT DECADE? “One, I would like to see more diversity and more of a celebration of diversity. Where I’m from, Iowa City, it’s probably a similar city demographically but it really celebrates diversity and values it. I’d like to see Springfield value that diversity more. Two, more pride in the area. Springfield has a great creative community—better than you would expect for a city this size I think, and I’d love to see that grow. I’d love to see Springfield become that creative hub. There’s also a big poverty problem. Domestic violence is a big issue.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

11 11

Britton Jobe FOR FIGHTING THE BRAIN DRAIN

K

nowing he wanted to pursue a career in law, Britton Jobe didn’t consider staying in Springfield after college because he thought there wasn’t a strong law sector. It wasn’t until he was graduating law school in Nebraska that he realized he was wrong. Now that he’s back in Springfield and an attorney at Neale & Newman LLP, he’s working to connect local college students with the business community through a partnership between Springfield universities and The Network, the Springfield Chamber of Commerce’s young professionals group.

WHAT AH-HA MOMENTS HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS? “I’ve received this advice from multiple people at different levels of my education and career; it’s been to find a mentor. As you go to each different stage of your life, there are so many questions. To be able to find someone that you can trust—somebody who is where you want to be and have that respect for them—that has really paid off. Whenever you can have a good relationship with a mentor, I think that really helps with your confidence. It helps with you professionally.

It helps you personally. And I think that I’ve really benefited from that.”

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB? “What I like about my job and why I’m so happy here is because it’s allowed me to do what I wanted to do when I went to law school, which was to be in court with some frequency. That’s getting rarer these days, and Neale & Newman wasn’t afraid in the beginning to give me those opportunities. I like the—I hate to use the word—but the rush, the advocacy. I’m an advocate.

I like that being in court allows you to do that. I went to Missouri State on a debate scholarship, so I’m just kind of wired that way. Law school was the same way and being able to continue to do that in my professional life has really been special.”

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE 417-LAND CHANGE IN THE NEXT DECADE? “For years there were so many colleges and college students here. Springfield was kind of a training ground for college students, and then they went to the cities.

And you’re always going to have some of that. That’s not necessarily going to change, but I think you’re going to start to see Springfield evolve into a destination as opposed to a starting place. That’s going to happen as more young professionals stay here. That’s going to happen as we get more cultural amenities here, as we become more diverse. I think that those are things that are changing right now. There’s some resistance to that. Some of that has been very public. I think that for the most part we’re moving in the right direction.”

12 12

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

Amanda Callaway FOR MAKING SPRINGFIELD A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE

A

s a Springfield native, Amanda Callaway loves seeing the positive impact her job as an assistant city attorney has on her hometown. Callaway is responsible for drafting the city ordinances that made it possible for transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft to operate. She also simplified ordinances that govern outdoor events on city property, making it easier to throw events like Artsfest and Taste of Springfield.

WHAT AH-HA MOMENTS HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS? “We get asked a lot of questions on the spot, and sometimes it’s in a public meeting. My former boss Dan Wichmer told me, ‘Never give an answer that you’re not sure of. It’s always okay to say “I wrote down your question. I’ll get back to you.”’ I love the idea that you don’t always have to have the answers. You’re not supposed to be an encyclopedia of all the legal answers under the sun. I will go back and research it, and I’ll provide them with a timely answer. That builds confidence in you as an attorney.”

WHAT’S THE THING THAT DRIVES YOU? “Anything is possible. It is even written in a sign that I have hanging on my office door. I believe that if you work hard, find ways to overcome setbacks and have a positive attitude you can achieve much more than you realize. I applied this mantra to law school, the bar exam, half-marathons, even when I was recovering from a bad ACL tear. In all of those situations, I have briefly let doubt creep into my thoughts—wondering if I could do those things—but I reminded myself that anything is possible and if I keep trying, I can succeed.”

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE 417-LAND CHANGE IN THE NEXT DECADE? “I hope that we continue to be a competitive market for young professionals. I hope that Springfield is a place where people choose to vacation due to our access to some of the most beautiful hiking trails, rivers and lakes. I think we just need to continue with what we have been doing over the last few years—being open to change and new ideas. We are doing something right because this is a wonderful place to live.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

13 13

Catherine Bass Black FOR SHAKING THINGS UP

W

hen Catherine Bass Black found herself dissatisfied in the nonprofit sector, she made a plan and got busy. The plan included a career move to the world of executive recruiting and enrolling in the MBA program at Goizueta Business School at Emory University. This eventually led to her current role as the head of talent acquisition and community affairs at Bass Pro Shops, where the South Carolina native draws on her experience from the corporate and nonprofit worlds.

WHAT AH-HA MOMENTS HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS? “It’s critical to understand not only the culture of the company you’re going to work for in your career but who your boss is going to be. So interviewing your manager or your boss is going to be critical. And that chemistry that you have between you and him or her is incredibly important to your happiness and success in that path. Another a-ha moment is you need to own your success. Know what’s going to do it for you, and when things don’t go your way, you need to adjust and not expect the environment to shift or put blame on others. Just own your own path.”

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB? “Working with people. I enjoy building relationships and getting to know all the incredible team members that we have here at Bass Pro Shops, but also we have such an amazing story, it’s rewarding to get to share that experience with individuals, either prospective associates and candidates [or] community partners and community members. From a philanthropic standpoint, it’s rewarding both internally and externally to be in the position I’m in.”

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE 417-LAND CHANGE IN THE NEXT DECADE? “Four-one-seven–land has been incredibly welcoming and very open to discussing and hearing new ideas.

We had a great experience coming to 417-land on the surface. I think once you peel back one layer, you’ll see that a lot of leadership is very risk-averse and has yet to make goals and commitments or changes to move this region forward. We just haven’t had the appetite to take the risk, and the rewards can be so much greater.

I also think we’re very insular in thought leadership.

There is a huge opportunity to tap into individuals that are from outside of Springfield on ideas of how to better improve Springfield. In a lot of ways, I’m incredibly appreciative and grateful to be in a position to offer my opinion as somebody so new to the community.”

14 14

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

Max Buetow FOR INCREASING ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE ACROSS 417-LAND

M

ax Buetow first moved to Springfield to play junior hockey. While here he fell in love with the city and his future wife, but it would take a few more years and a couple of moves to different cities before he’d settle down and take a job as vice president of regional services and neurosciences at CoxHealth. In his position, he’s been instrumental in the implementation of DirectConnect, the region’s first direct-to-consumer telemedicine program.

WHAT AH-HA MOMENTS HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS? “I was working as an overnight supervisor in a bakery at Sara Lee, and we had a conveyor belt that kept going down [and] all the product that was in the oven would burn up. So every night for like two straight weeks, I would go over with our foreman, and we would take these hot trays of hot dog buns off the line and put them on racks. Once the conveyor belt got back up and working, we’d put them back on the conveyor belt, and I was really proud of the work I was doing. My plant manager strolls in one night. He sits across from me and says, ‘What are you doing?’ And I said, ‘What do you mean what am I doing?’ He said, ‘All you’re doing is firefighting. Your job is to make sure the conveyor belt never goes down again.’ And that was probably the biggest change—to make that transition from firefighting to proactive problem solving. I think I’ve been on a different path since then.”

WHAT’S THE THING THAT DRIVES YOU? “I think I’ve been placed in a position where a lot of people put a lot of trust in me, and I want to be able to rise to that occasion. I live by a saying: To whom much is given, much is expected. I feel like I’ve always been put in a position that’s probably a step ahead of where I should be in life. I take that very seriously when someone puts that level of confidence in me.”

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE 417-LAND CHANGE IN THE NEXT DECADE? “We’re in a state that politically a lot of things are driven by two larger cities. I think we’re starting to come into our own as a region and are being seen as on par and not necessarily a tertiary thought.”

READ MORE ABOUT ALL THE 10 FOR THE NEXT 10 ON BIZ417.COM. JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

15 15

16

JULY/AUGUST 2026

al nomination period each February. sit biz417.com/nominate. These inn edited and condensed for space.

Our second class of 417-land’s most promising emerging leaders doesn’t shy away from hard work. These big thinkers and creative problem-solvers aren’t seeking the limelight, though it has a way of finding them. They simply share a strong desire to do whatever they can to improve our community and won’t take no for an answer.

BY: ADRIENNE DONICA PHOTOS BY: BRANDON ALMS ART DIRECTION BY: ALEX WOLKEN

17

JULY/AUGUST 2026

B-SCHOOL BREAKFAST: 10 FOR THE NEXT 10

Start your morning at the bowling alley with a panel discussion featuring Brandy Harris, Maurice Moss, Dan Reiter and Matthew Simpson, who share their big ideas for our community’s future.

When: 7:30–9 a.m., August 9 Where: Andy B’s, 1127 E. Battlefield Road, Springfield Tickets: biz417.com/bschool

JULY/AUGUST 2026

18

FOR THE RECORD Title: Director of Programs and Sertoma Unit Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield Hometown: Springfield Twitter: @benverharris Take Note: We’re not the only ones impressed by Harris’s work. In October, she received the inaugural John Alesch Outstanding Program Staff Award from Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Midwest/ Northeast region. This May, she and her team took home two highly coveted national awards from Boys & Girls Clubs of America for general excellence and for a program about confronting personal bias.

BRANDY HARRIS FOR LETTING OUR KIDS BE KIDS When Brandy Harris hears about something that can improve the lives of local youth, she immediately rolls up her sleeves and gets to work. That’s how the 31-year-old developed a nationally recognized set of programs about opioids for Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield and successfully pitched a second role for herself as director of programs for the organization’s four local clubs.

“My childhood and my experience drive me. I could have gone one way, and I worked really hard to not go that way. I want to make sure no kid ever feels out of place because of their circumstance or their experiences or their upbringing. The moment I fell in love with the Boys & Girls Club was when I saw my personal experiences were no longer hindrances, 19 19

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

they were ways for me to connect with kids and to keep them safe.

“When we first opened [the Sertoma] unit in 2015 [at Sherwood Elementary School], we’re like, ‘We’d be lucky to have like 100 kids.’ A lot of people assumed south-side kids don’t need as much of a club as north-side kids do. But there are no lines in Springfield where kids need

you. They need you everywhere.

They just need you in different ways.

We were full after the first month of opening. It just kind of shows you that everywhere in Springfield kids need opportunities like this.

“My dream is [to have] more models like this unit, where you’re half club space, [half school]. The model works incredibly well, and the

partnership with Springfield Public Schools has been a dream. I’d love to see a teen center dedicated to 13- to 18-year-olds, a safe place for them to come that’s open late. And I would love for more people to understand truly who we are and what we do. A lot of people associate Boys & Girls Club with swim and gym. We’re so much more than that.”

KYLE DRENON FOR REMINDING US HOW GREAT IT IS TO CALL 417-LAND HOME If you’ve ever devoured a post on The Murney Blog, you have Kyle Drenon and his team at Murney Associates, Realtors® to thank. The temp–turned–full-time graphic designer began exploring how content marketing could work for the firm in 2015. Six months and a 45-page proposal later, he had talked himself into a new job: Murney’s first director of marketing. Two years since Drenon, 34, transformed the blog, Murney’s content marketing strategy is paying off big time.

FOR THE RECORD Title: Director of

Marketing at Murney Associates, Realtors® and owner of Drenon Consulting Hometown: Springfield Twitter: @kdrenon Take Note: In 2017, Drenon beat out Madison Hildebrand of Million Dollar Listing fame to win the award for best social media strategy from The Enterprise Network, the prestigious industry group to which Murney belongs.

“With any writing, you have to know your audience first and foremost, and [you should] have a mission for the content you’re creating. People say you should have a blog, but the plan behind the blog is more important than just getting stuff out there.

It has to always go back to a mission statement, and ours is that we’re selling more than a home, we’re selling a community as well. We feel like we’re uniquely qualified to be the stewards of that information—giving people a real picture of what it’s like to live in Springfield and really the Ozarks as a whole—because we’re out in that community every day.

“One of our KPIs for the success of content marketing has been overall web traffic and the number of sessions on our site. At last count, we had over 200,000 unique viewers of the blog content for the calendar year.

Since we implemented it, we’ve seen a yearly increase of 500,000 sessions.

That’s [the] number of times [people have] logged on. I think it was an increase by about a third. Overall web traffic went up exponentially as well.

Content has given us the ability to connect with people in our community and shine a light on some of the things that people are doing that our readers may not have known about.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

20 20

CHRISTOPHER LAZZARO FOR ENCOURAGING INNOVATION AT EVERY TURN Rarely has Christopher Lazzaro, 37, been without a side hustle or two on top of his successful 15-year career at Associated Electric Cooperative Inc., where he leads a team of roughly 30 people. In his free time, he has taught at Drury University; consulted for local technology companies; co-founded MetaMythic, an award-winning employee training startup; and, as of 2017, created Startup Forge to coach leadership teams of startup companies.

“One of the things that I am passionate about is growing organizations and individuals and creating technology products that make a difference in people’s lives. I see our products making a difference in people’s lives daily at Associated [Electric], both for employees inside the company and for our members who receive power from us. “[Startup Forge] seemed to start naturally. I think MetaMythic was becoming a little bit more known in Springfield, and I had people start reaching out to me to say, ‘Hey, I know this person who has a startup. Can you help them?’ So, I took one on for fun. Right now, I’ve got one in St. Louis that I’m helping, which is The Mini Social. I’ve got FitByPhase, which is a fitness app that reaches Latin American countries, [and] I’ve got a startup that’s basically doing land access for hunters [called] Easy Access Hunts. It’s been fun to focus on the executive coaching, helping them get their team set up and get their structure, then using the other resources in Springfield to connect them with development talent or marketing talent, things like that.

I’ve been watching other cities like St. Louis get this great reputation of being a startup center, and I want Springfield to have that, [too].”

21 21

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

FOR THE RECORD Title: Senior Manager of Solutions Engineering at Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. and CEO of MetaMythic Hometown: Baltimore Twitter: @chrislazzaro Take Note: Lazzaro is one of the founders of Associated’s monthly Tech Faire, which began in 2013 with a handful of employees and has grown to include the whole company. At the event, employees share innovative ideas while developing their communication skills.

FOR THE RECORD Title: Vice President and General Manager of the Springfield Cardinals Hometown: Tulsa and Springfield Twitter: @babybirdsgm Take Note: A big St. Louis Cardinals fan, Reiter won a TV contest and got to be president of the team for a day in the early 2000s. His enthusiasm helped secure him a job as account executive when the Springfield team formed.

DAN REITER FOR BEING THE SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS’ NO. 1 FAN Dan Reiter, 37, isn’t afraid to tell you he loves his job. His enthusiasm for the organization he’s worked for since 2005—the Springfield Cardinals’ inaugural season—practically seeps from his pores. In June 2017, Reiter became general manager and has wasted no time setting ambitious goals for his employees and his team.

“I’m an advocate for change. You have to have change to have growth, and I want to grow the team. Our goal is at the end of three years to sell out every Thursday-through-Sunday game, to have the best employee culture in all of Springfield and to become the focal point of Ozarks pride and a regional example of helping in the community.

“[We need] to re-energize our fans, to look for change that makes our crowds as large as they were in season 1. I always ask myself: What do fans want? And I think that simple premise has guided me very well. Instead of thinking about what can the Cardinals sell, I try to think of what do fans want.

It’s very easy because I’m a fan, and I remind our staff that. The only reason that I’m here with the

Cardinals [is] that I was a giant fan who won a TV contest.

“I’m in my dream job. It’s kind of calming because I’m not worried about what’s my next step up. It’s given me a very different focus from what I’ve had in the past. My new focus is on making this community better and making sure that the Springfield Cardinals are as welcoming and growth-oriented as we possibly can be.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

22 22

CHARLIE ROSENBURY FOR CREATING NEW REALITIES FOR OUR COMMUNITY Charlie Rosenbury, 32, has an eye for progress. Self Interactive, his formerly solo web development venture, is now an interactive development studio encompassing eight employees and a second brand called Tacit that harnesses the power of virtual and augmented realities to create custom training simulations.

“I think what really excites me about this space is the possibilities that are opened up with these new interfaces to the digital world.

Something similar to all this stuff we’re playing with now is the future, without a doubt. What’s interesting is thinking about the possible applications [of VR and AR] and then also getting to have a hand in determining best practices. The hyperlink is so obvious now, but that was a groundbreaking idea when they came up with it. So, what’s the next thing? I feel like no one’s really cracked whatever’s going to be the most natural way to interact with a lot of these things.

“I think we’re well positioned in Springfield, more than other people would think, to actually take this out into the business world because of all the manufacturing and the health care and the size of the town. [It] is that perfect balance to where it’s easy to get meetings with people, but it’s also big enough to actually have companies of [a decent] size. It’s just really exciting to be exploring this uncharted world.”

23 23

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

FOR THE RECORD Title: Founder of Self

Interactive and Tacit Hometown: Springfield Twitter: @chuckmo Take Note: Rosenbury is

no stranger to building things from the ground up. In college, he opened LemonDrop, a community art and music space, and served on the founding board of Springfield Creatives in 2014.

FOR THE RECORD Title: Chief Mission Officer and Supportive

Housing Developer at The Vecino Group Hometown: Torrance, California Twitter: @juradomiller Take Note: Jurado-Miller pitched the idea for what became iCare, Harmony House’s annual fundraiser and public awareness campaign, and helped develop marketing for the first event.

STACY JURADO-MILLER FOR LEADING WITH PURPOSE AND PUSHING THE REST OF US TO DO THE SAME When Stacy Jurado-Miller’s husband, Matt Miller, asked her to start a development company with him, she wasn’t interested unless the business would work to address social justice issues through housing. He agreed, and with Kim Buche, the couple started The Vecino Group in 2011. The firm now works in 10 states, and Jurado-Miller, 38, has built several supportive residential developments for various populations facing housing instability.

“In the ideal sense, home is where you go to feel safe and have your needs met, so the idea that housing can help solve broader social issues, to me, is very natural. By taking resources from the federal and state governments and developing best practice models of what housing can

and should be, you can help meet those needs. In the beginning, we led with our mission because it was our point of [differentiation]. Vecino means neighbor in Spanish. Our tag line from the onset was ‘Housing for the greater good,’ and our mission became our calling card.

“In the beginning, we were three people. We’re more than 60 people now. About a year ago, we realized the company was growing to the point that if we didn’t designate somebody to focus on the mission as if it was a development, we were going to lose the focus that had started the compa-

ny. I was a fairly natural fit for that. So now I’m responsible for making sure that our mission and our culture are carried out in every employee, every development, everything we do. I think even if you are a mission-driven company and you started from a good place, you can always get better.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

24 24

MAURICE MOSS FOR CHALLENGING SOUTHWEST MISSOURI’S LACK OF DIVERSITY Maurice Moss has had family ties to Springfield since he was a kid, but now it’s the place he and his family call home.

Despite being a relatively recent transplant, the 34-year-old has become an advocate for diversity in the community. He is a member of Minorities in Business, sits on the President’s Community Diversity Council at Missouri State University and believes one of the fastest ways to promote change is through society’s youth.

“When I was younger, I remember Springfield being not so racially diverse. Besides my aunt and uncle, I didn’t know anybody else really who was African American. When we moved here [in] 2017, I was very impressed with the changes Springfield had made downtown and how progressive it has become.

“It’s changing, but we still have a diversity issue. [If] you don’t see anybody like you doing anything, it makes it kind of hard to believe that there’s opportunity here. I feel like Springfield is very open, and it’s trying, and it’s pushing. In the next 10 years, if we could continue raising that number [of diverse people], we would, as a city, be better off because it would attract highly qualified talent to Springfield. Until we are able to change that perception of southwest Missouri, it’s going to be difficult to get the type of businesses you need to stay here. Google and Amazon are not moving to places where there’s not diversity because it’s one of their No. 1 priorities. Companies want a diverse workplace, so it’s kind of hard to move somewhere where there are no diverse candidates. To me, Missouri State’s where it starts, keeping our incredible, intelligent diverse students here [instead of] letting Kansas City and St. Louis pick them off.”

25 25

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

FOR THE RECORD Title: Utility Counsel for City Utilities of Springfield

Hometown: Poplar Bluff Take Note: Moss likes to spend his free time giving back to local kids.

He serves on the board for Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield, and when he and his wife, Christa, lived in Kansas City, they received the 2013 Big Couple of the Year award from Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City.

FOR THE RECORD Title: Speaker Pro Tem, Missouri House of Representatives Hometown: Springfield Twitter: @elijahhaahr Take Note: This spring, Haahr sponsored a bill that, if signed, will bring sweeping changes to Missouri’s tax code, including a reduction in the individual and corporate tax rates.

ELIJAH HAAHR FOR FOCUSING THE STATE SPOTLIGHT ON 417-LAND A long-time political junkie, Elijah Haahr has represented Springfield’s 134th district since 2012. He quickly sought a leadership role in the Missouri House of Representatives and has risen through the ranks at a quick pace. Should his final House re-election campaign this fall go as planned, Haahr, 36, will become the first Speaker of the House from Springfield. He’s hoping the position can shine a light on southwest Missouri’s future opportunities.

“Every year, [my parents] would take us to the Capitol so we could meet our state representatives. I think I was probably 10 or 11 years old the first time I wanted to volunteer on a campaign. I started going to campaign events and parades and door-to-door knocking for State Representative Val Dunn down in the Republic area and was pretty much involved in a campaign every two years thereafter. I think just being exposed to it at an early age, I

became very interested in politics and policy.

“I’ll say this to anybody: Running for office is one of the most rewarding things you can do because knocking on several thousand doors will open your eyes to your community. This race is a little unique because my vision will include an opportunity to lead the state. If I’m re-elected, I will be the first Speaker in the history of the state from Springfield. It’s an

opportunity for us, particularly the 134th district, to be on the map.

“I think one of the things we need to work on going forward is higher ed budgets. We’ve got tremendous schools, but you look at two of the lowest funded four-year schools in the state: it’s Missouri State and Missouri Southern. Two of the lowest funded junior colleges in the state are OTC and Crowder College in Neosho. Southwest Missouri is somewhat of an economic engine

in the state. It’s growing in population and in business. I think we need those four schools to be on the level that the other schools in the state are on. Workforce development kind of dovetails with [that].

I think more than anything else we need a good educated workforce.

If we can right-size our tax policy and we can create an educated workforce, I think the amount of jobs that will flood to southwest Missouri will be dramatic.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

26 26

FOR THE RECORD Title: Chief Research and Planning Officer,

Ozarks Technical Community College Hometown: Springfield Twitter: @mattsimpson417 Take Note: The first Captain Springfield and 5 Pound Apparel co-founder is no stranger to accolades.

He received the Missouri Community College Association’s 2017 Technology Innovation Award for his work on OTC’s guided self-placement instrument.

MATTHEW SIMPSON FOR REDEFINING STUDENT SUCCESS Matthew Simpson’s guiding principle—to leave the community a better place—is something he learned from his father while on camping trips as a kid. The 33-year-old is well on his way to fulfilling this goal as a recent Springfield City Council addition, active community participant and visionary leader at Ozarks Technical Community College, where he is helping improve student outcomes every day through an innovative placement exam.

“For a long time, we used an ACT product called Compass to place students into their math and English courses, but the test results were not predictive of student success. When [ACT] discontinued it, we decided that was an opportunity to make a change.

We looked at the evidence, found the factors that were predictive of success and then built our own guided 27 27

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

self-placement instrument to provide students with recommendations for not only the course that was the best fit for them but also the support services and assistance that would help.

Then we made the decision, which is a big deal in the community college world, to give students the choice.

We’re going to give them the best possible recommendation, but ultimately,

we’re going to trust that they know how to make the best decision and do our best to help them be successful. “[Spring 2016] was the first semester we used it. Right away, we had a 10 percent increase in the number of first-time students completing college-level English and a 31 percent increase in the number of first-time students completing college-level math.

For our underrepresented minority students, the gains have been much greater. We saw a 41 percent increase in college-level English completion and a 100 percent increase in college-level math completion within the first term. Before [students] had no choice under an instrument that was flawed. Now there’s a path to success.”

SARAH KERNER FOR CLOSING DEALS THAT IMPROVE SPRINGFIELD’S FUTURE An anthropology major in undergrad and one-time lawyer, Sarah Kerner, 39, didn’t plan to run Springfield’s economic development team. But since October 2015, she has focused on leveraging our community’s assets to propel redevelopment efforts and bring well-paying jobs to town.

FOR THE RECORD Title: Economic Development Director for

the City of Springfield Hometown: Chillicothe Twitter: @sarah_kerner Take Note: Kerner designed two major

deals between the city and Fortune 500 companies while still serving as interim economic development director. Thanks to those incentive packages, 3M and The Kraft Heinz Co. poured millions of dollars into expanding their local operations, adding about 200 jobs in the process.

“I work on [several] sets of projects with economic development: blight remediation, major capital investment, jobs and retail.

Everybody loves to talk to me about retail because everybody shops. But there’s such close interrelation [between retail and jobs], because if our income levels go up or our education levels go up, that changes the kind of retailers that are looking to locate here. Something that’s top of mind is we want good jobs. We practically have full employment in this town, but we have a poverty problem, so what we need to do is get higher paying jobs and [invest in] skills training and hopefully raise that income level for people.

“The thing we’re running up against lately is having available buildings. There’s just a mismatch between what companies coming in want—fairly large scale, like 100,000-square-foot buildings—and what developers and banks are willing to risk [or] finance, which is more in the 60,000-square-foot range. We’re working with developers on that.

There are definitely developers out there building now and filling that gap, and we’re making those known to the companies as well.”

VISIT BIZ417.COM TO WATCH EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEWS WITH ALL 10 HONOREES. JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

28 28

29

JULY/AUGUST 2026

10 for the next 10 BY: ADRIENNE DONICA

PHOTOS BY: BRANDON ALMS

ART DIRECTION BY: SARAH PATTON

Our community’s brightest leaders sound off on where southwest Missouri could be a decade from now.

Ten years ago, the Springfield-Branson National Airport had just moved to its current location, Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium was on hiatus, and the Branson Ferris Wheel was still operating in its former Chicago home. What will our corner of the world look like in another decade? We asked our third annual class of emerging

44 30

JULY / A U G U2019 ST 2026 July/August

leaders. They see residents walking past an expanded IDEA Commons and using a first-of-its-kind immersive app that touts all that 417-land has to offer. They envision a place that is known for its strong business climate, mental health care offerings, inclusivity and innovation. If you ask us, we’re all in good hands. (Editor’s note: These interviews have been edited and condensed for space.)

BIZ417.COM

Paige Oxendine For creating opportunities for entrepreneurs to flourish Paige Oxendine moved to Springfield 10 years ago as a college student and thought she’d pursue a career in politics. Instead, she landed in the world of business assistance, which she sees as a way to sustain the city’s future.

For the Record Title: Program

Coordinator, The efactory Hometown: Neosho Twitter: @MissOxendine Take Note: In 2013, this Missouri State Bear received the prestigious Citizen Scholar Award, which is given annually to six students who are recognized for their academic, community and leadership efforts.

BIZ417.COM

“Safe is boring,” Paige Oxendine says. That’s an attitude the 28-year-old has developed in the past couple of years while supporting startups and entrepreneurs who take risks in the name of creating their dreams. Oxendine doesn’t take her role lightly, nor does she believe the impact of her work as the efactory’s program coordinator is limited to clients. “For me, it’s about being involved in community-centric, mission-driven work that really brings value to everyone,” she says. “While we might do something here in the building that provides a specific value to one individual client and their business, the broader value is really for our entire community.”

That’s the common thread Oxendine sees throughout her career and civic involvement. At the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, she was the first full-time coordinator for The Network and established the Day at the Capital, an annual event that encourages young professionals to interact with lawmakers in Jefferson City. She co-founded Rosie, a women’s advocacy network that largely works behind the scenes to elevate women to leadership roles on public and private boards, as well as within the workplace. And at the efactory, she plans events, handles community outreach and acts as the point person for the 45-plus companies and co-working clients based at the business incubator. On a large scale, these efforts nurture the creation of a vibrant city.

“I think our community and our region as a whole has a ton of momentum and a ton of assets and advantages,” Oxendine says. Capitalizing on that, she believes, takes courage and persuasive skill to get buy-in from stakeholders. “I think it requires bold, visionary leadership, and I think it requires a certain appetite for risk that I don’t know our community always had, but I’m hopeful.”

Big Picture: Oxendine looks forward to seeing the renderings for the IDEA Commons expansion project come to life. Meanwhile, she’s hard at work growing the efactory’s footprint through the addition of eight offices, a conference room and even more space dedicated to training and programming.

J U L Y / AJuly/August U G U S T2019 2026

31

45

Tyler Drenon For working to make the impossible possible Mention virtual or augmented reality in 417-land, and the conversation eventually leads to Tyler Drenon. He returned to Springfield after living in Atlanta, got involved in the local tech startup scene and began spreading the gospel of immersive technology. When it comes it VR and AR, Drenon, 35, sees business applications like employee training (the idea behind Tacit, which he co-founded). Drenon is working on a project with several others that could make Springfield a national leader.

For the Record Title: Co-founder, Tacit

Hometown: Springfield Twitter: @TylerDrenon Take Note: This Kansas City Royals fan is also a big supporter of foster kids. Since January, Drenon has served on FosterAdopt Connect’s Helping HHands ands Advisory Advisory Board.

Board.

“The internet revolution. Everybody’s familiar with that. All the information in the world is available at your fingertips. But the next is a spatial revolution, where the internet comes into 3D, and information is integrated into the space around us. I’ve helped put together a roundtable of Springfield institutions. We’ve been talking about different ways we can integrate emerging technologies, so not just immersive tech like AR but spatial, audio and geolocation. It’s taking shape as a project that will potentially be an app.

It’ll be focused on content that accentuates the great things about our city.

“I think Springfield has the opportunity if we nail this—We could have, for example, GPS-enabled push notifications. Like if you’re walking past a trail, you could receive a push notification that would say, ‘Hey, there’s a podcast for this trail system.’ Or ‘There’s an augmented reality mural on the side of this building.’ Unique projects like that are ways for us to stand out and hopefully [be] a catalyst for some other endeavors. We can make this a technological destination, I think, if we invest.”

Big Picture: Drenon envisions a future in which Springfield is one of the first—and best—smart cities in the entire country.

46 32

J U L YJuly/August / A U G U2019 ST 2026

BIZ417.COM

Kristin Carter For showing young professionals how it’s done Taking a public political stance isn’t in Kristin Carter’s nature. But the certified public accountant and youngest member on the City of Springfield Board of Public Utilities will make herself uncomfortable in the name of future progress. And Carter, 35, is determined to bring others along with her in the process.

For the Record Title: Tax Officer, Central Trust Co. Hometown: Pacific, Missouri Twitter: @k_carter_cpa Take Note: Carter became Central

Trust Co.’s first tax officer in 2016. In the role, she manages tax operations for the company’s seven offices across five markets.

BIZ417.COM

“[My husband and I] moved to Springfield in 2011, and we’re never leaving,” she says. “I freaking love it here. When I moved here I didn’t know anybody, so pretty much everyone I know is through The Network. I just started going to a couple of the events. I was not a member for very long before I applied to be on the Leadership Council. I’m one of those people; I jump in like a thousand percent. I was on Leadership Council for a year before I applied to be the vice-chair, and I was elected. As the vice-chair, you’re just kind of waiting in the wings, and then when you’re the chair, which was for me in 2018, it’s a huge responsibility.

“I’m really proud of our work on the OTC ballot issue in 2018. That was our first real deep-dive getting involved in a campaign and affecting positive change on the community. I don’t know the final statistics, but I do believe we increased voter turnout, and we lowered the median age of voters. We’ve created all this positive momentum. Now, we have organizations that call on The Network to say, ‘How can young professionals support us in what we’re doing?’ So I think I’ve seen that change just over the last year.

“We need young professionals to step up and dig in and really get engaged in what’s going on in your community because this is their community, too. The current business leaders and the people who are making the decisions now, they’re willing to let us have a seat at the table, so we just have to show up and get out of our comfort zone and be willing to get involved.”

Big Picture: “I want to see us become more diverse, more accepting and more inclusive because diversity makes a community stronger. I think we’re starting to get there.”

J U L Y / AJuly/August U G U S T2019 2026

33

47

C.J. Davis

For championing mental health care access A clinical psychologist and one-time business major, C.J. Davis, 47, has found the sweet spot between his desire to be a change agent in other people’s lives and his business mindset as a mental health care executive.

C.J. Davis could have been a tech mogul. He started a website development company that might have hit the big time. But it was the mid-1990s, and the dot-com boom was some years off. So, he decided to sell the business, one of three he owned before becoming a child and adolescent clinical psychologist. We’re glad he made the switch because today, Davis is transforming Burrell Behavioral Health, increasing access to mental health services across the Ozarks and showing no sign of stopping.

Since starting as Burrell’s president and CEO in October 2017, Davis has instituted so much change it’s hard to recognize the health system that has grown from $85 million to $125 million in annual revenue. Burrell opened a walkin clinic that provides care within three days, dramatically reducing wait times that used to be up to 90 days. There’s a new logo, website and tagline all focused on creating a post-stigma society. Davis reorganized the leadership team and created the system’s first marketing and communications department, which has been pumping out news of new partnerships and acquisitions at astonishing speed. If that weren’t enough, Burrell has hired 250 additional employees, opened three new clinics across its 25-county service area and has double-digit growth in the percentage of new clients and services provided each month.

“I want Burrell to be the Mayo Clinic of behavioral health,” Davis says. He envisions a future where Burrell, already one of the largest community behavioral health centers in the nation, serves as the hub for behavioral care in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas. He also wants to increase telehealth services by building an app and developing an online chat service, which is in the works.

“Accessing services should be easier than attempting suicide or getting high,” Davis says. And when people are considering care, he wants his organization to be the trusted experts. “If they’re considering services, I want everyone to think of Burrell,” he says.

For the Record Title: President and CEO,

Burrell Behavioral Health

Hometown: Lee’s Summit Twitter: @cjdavisBBH Take Note: Under Davis’s guidance, a Pennsylvaniabased children’s psychiatric hospital became the largest of its kind on the East Coast, and a community mental health center in Indiana doubled the size of its workforce and the number of counties it served.

Big Picture: Davis wants Burrell to become a regional behavioral health network with 5,000 employees, compared to the 1,800 people currently on payroll.

48 34

JULY / A U G U2019 ST 2026 July/August

BIZ417.COM

Crystal Quade For amplifying the voices of Missourians in need Creating change as part of a super-minority is no picnic, but Rep. Crystal Quade, 33, won’t let that stop her. After a sixyear tenure working for Care to Learn, the Democrat began representing the Missouri House’s 132nd district in January 2017. Today, as minority floor leader, Quade focuses on supporting her Democratic colleagues and working across the aisle to pass legislation for a more equitable Missouri.

For the Record Title: Minority Floor Leader, Missouri

House of Representatives

Hometown: Rogersville Twitter: @crystal_quade Take Note: Quade helped Care to Learn grow in its early years. During her time on staff, the organization tripled the number of schools it served and reached more than 750,000 needs met for children in the Ozarks.

BIZ417.COM

“Half of my childhood, my mom was a single mom, and she utilized state services for awhile. I definitely grew up watching my mom really struggle. When I got to Missouri State [University], I knew I wanted to do something to help make the world better, make people’s lives better. I went to Jeff City because I felt I brought a perspective as a social worker that was lacking when it came to what we were doing for Missourians and social programming.

“One of the things I’m most proud of and that I continue to do is change the conversation. It’s very similar to the work I did with Care to Learn: trying to get folks to understand poverty, that it’s not shameful, that it’s not these people’s fault, that there are so many contributing factors to why families are in this situation. And then we, as a state, what can we do with our policies to remove barriers? A lot of barriers that exist are because of state policy. So one of the things I have done very well, and that I continue to do, is help my colleagues see it differently. I’m never going to pass a bill. I know that, and that’s okay because I don’t care who gets credit, but it’s learning how to work effectively and strategically so that good policy can still make it.”

Big Picture: “I think Springfield will continue to grow, not only in population, but when you look at our business community. I’m hopeful young people will continue to stay here. I would like to see sexual orientation and gender identity protections back in the City of Springfield, [and] I would like to see public transit improved.”

J U L Y / AJuly/August U G U S T2019 2026

35

49

Rob Blevins For spurring growth at Discovery Center of Springfield Rob Blevins, 33, grew up alongside seven siblings in generational poverty and wasn’t expected to go to college.

The self-proclaimed science nerd could have taken a very different life path were it not for his older brother Scott.

That’s why Blevins is determined to help kids thrive as an active Springfield Sertoma Club member, former employee for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks and now as a visionary leader at the Discovery Center.

“I remember when [Springfield Business Journal] wrote an article basically saying the Discovery Center was closing down—that’s how it read to me anyway. It was a bunch of really bad financial numbers. At the time, I had volunteered to serve on the board. I really wanted to help them raise money and get out of debt, but I was told that my employment was against the conflict of interest policy.

“I came in [as executive director later], and first, I just wanted to figure out what was going on. The organization was without an executive director for months. They have been losing money for years. So my first goal was to make sure we all had paychecks, to make sure I didn’t lose staff. I immediately did some promotions, reorganized the leadership team structure a little bit. [I] looked at the strategic plan and simplified it to three things: to share our story in the community and make it a story worth sharing, increase or create top-line growth while looking at bottom-line reductions to stabilize the financials, then the third piece is to deliver our services to underserved communities, so senior citizens, girls and women in STEM, low-income [people], preschool kids and rural communities.

“General admission and memberships have been on the decline for I don’t know how many years. In the past three years, they’ve been averaging about 20 percent decline. To me [that’s] the canary in the mine—if people aren’t willing to invest in a yearlong membership, your canary’s dead. But we’re seeing double digit growth in those areas right now.”

Big Picture: “I want to see that every kid [has] had the opportunity to get the educational, inspirational resources they need to fulfill the jobs of the future and attract high-paying jobs to Springfield. My dream would be to have a full-blown STEM elementary school attached to the Discovery Center.”

50 36

JULY / A U G U2019 ST 2026 July/August

For the Record Title: Executive Director, Discovery

Center of Springfield

Hometown: Springfield Twitter: @Rob_Blevins Take Note: Blevins developed the idea for Springfield Prom, which was first held in 2014 and is now hosted by the Sertoma Club and the Abou Ben Adhem Shriners. This April, an estimated 1,000 people hit the dance floor and collectively gave around $30,000.

BIZ417.COM

Paden Paden Wilcox Wilcox For welcoming young professionals to 417-land A natural salesman and community builder, Paden Wilcox, 30, is determined to make every one of Springfield’s young professionals feel at home in the Queen City.

For the Record Title: Business Development Director,

Computer Recycling Center LLC Hometown: Springfield

Twitter: @PadenWilcox Take Note: Wilcox was one of many community leaders who successfully lobbied Springfield City Council to adopt legislation about transportation network companies, paving the way for Uber, Lyft and carGO to start operating here.

BIZ417.COM

When Paden Wilcox returned to 417-land after an 18-month stint in Boulder, Colorado, he didn’t just dip his toe into the metaphorical business community pool. He stood at the edge of the diving board, no doubt wearing one of his trademark suits, and dived in headfirst. He started attending Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce events and Rotary Club meetings in addition to joining Rotoract and The Network, which he now leads as the 2019 chair.

Needless to say, he made quite the splash.

Meeting new people has always been easy for Wilcox, the business development director for Computer Recycling Center LLC, an electronics recycling and secure data disposal company. But he knows it doesn’t come naturally to everyone. He’s devoted his time on The Network’s Leadership Council, and especially as the chair, to growing the organization and making sure new members feel at home. “We have a membership task force now that greets new members and, you know, introduces them and connects them,” Wilcox says. “We do 90and 30-day calls to new members just to see if there’s a way we can help them get plugged in.” Additionally, a recent meeting focused on basic networking tips, and the organization’s Student Outreach Task Force meets with area college students to expose them to the broader Springfield community in hopes that if they learn about the job opportunities and amenities available here they will put down roots after graduation. They’re aiming to reach 800 students this year, up from 200 during the task force’s first year in 2017.

Wilcox is excited that The Network is now a sought-after resource for experienced professionals and community organizations looking to engage young professionals. “It’s so awesome,” the avid fly fisherman says. “It just speaks to how many passionate, incredible young professionals we have here in this community.”

Big Picture: “I hope that we start to see an attitude change. It has to start within, in my opinion, and we have to talk about what we love about here and not the things we like about it. It’s all about place-making.”

J U L Y / AJuly/August U G U S T2019 2026

37

51

Andrea Sitzes For driving economic development in Christian County In the two years and two months Andrea Sitzes served the Ozark Chamber of Commerce, she and her team updated the organization’s mission statement and budget structure, formed its education committee to focus on building a skilled workforce and launched a total resource campaign that fostered new engagement among business and the community while growing the Chamber’s budget. Now the 30-year-old hospitality and sales veteran is the sole employee of Show Me Christian County, a public-private entity with big plans to strengthen the local business community.

“I was meant to serve here in Christian County.

Honestly, it was a God thing. I didn’t know that what I do now was a thing that you could do when you grow up. I started March 1, 2018, with four walls and nothing. A lot of this last year has been just creating awareness for what we’re doing—just talking about the need to work together—and a lot of project work in the middle of that. Creative Audio was our first project announcement. We competed regionally for that. They were also looking at other places in Springfield, in Republic, in Strafford maybe. My number was 22 for total business assists last year, and we announced 32 new jobs with two different companies last year.

“One of the biggest reasons that it’s difficult for us to compete on larger projects is lack of available sites and buildings. So that is a big goal of ours. We’ll be identifying developers that want to make investments down here in Christian County and working on building those facilities. So project development is a big portion and then business retention and expansion. I really want to work on creating a strong BRE program, where we go out with our existing business community and just support them in a way that really hasn’t been done before, at least in Christian County. It’s finding the things that keep them up at night, kind of connecting them with the resources, so they can continue to grow and have a successful business.”

Big Picture: Sitzes wants to see Christian County break through its bedroom community status by growing the pool of local employers and creating additional recreational and hospitality amenities.

52 38

JULY / A U G U2019 ST 2026 July/August

For the Record Title: President and Chief

Executive Officer, Show Me Christian County

Hometown: Rolla Twitter: @AndreaSitzes Take Note: When she’s not spending time with her husband and their 5-year-old son, Sitzes serves on a few boards, including the statewide Missouri Economic Development Council and Least of These Inc.

BIZ417.COM

Scott Scott Fitzpatrick Fitzpatrick For using his fiscal prowess in the name of public service Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick, 31, started MariCorp U.S. as a high school sophomore. The business focused on simple boat dock work back then. Now, MariCorp U.S. employs nearly 60 people and generated 2018 revenue of about $10 million. His experience as a business owner inspired the Cassville Republican to successfully run for the Missouri House of Representatives in the 158th district.

For the Record Title: State Treasurer, State of

Missouri, and CEO, MariCorp U.S.

Hometown: Shell Knob Twitter: @FitzpatrickMO Take Note: During Fitzpatrick’s first year as its chair, the Missouri House Budget Committee successfully balanced the budget by cutting $500 million in expenditures while still fully funding the K-12 education formula for the first time since its implementation in 2006.

BIZ417.COM

“We basically didn’t have any work going on toward the end of ’08 because everything had just fallen off a cliff. I had probably around 20 employees. There were not a lot of opportunities, and the ones that there were, were just facing regulatory hurdles that were making it hard to keep people employed. That was kind of the impetus for me running for office because I felt like if bureaucrats and the people I met with had been more responsive, I would have been able to grow my business faster. I would have been able to help more people put food on the table.

“When I got to the legislature, I really just wanted to focus on making government work a little bit better. I figured the best way to get the attention of people in charge was to control their money. So, I got involved with the budget. I served six years in the House. I was Budget [Committee] chairman the last two of those. As treasurer, I’m going to take a lot of pride in MO ABLE, growing that [disability savings] program. We just announced with CoxHealth that they’re going to be the first business in the state to offer direct deposit options for MO ABLE. I’ve got twin boys. They both were born with a kind of rare chromosomal condition, and so that has changed my perspective on life. Moving forward a big focus of mine is going to be trying to help advocate for people with disabilities [and to] make sure that we’re considering those needs in the public policy space.”

Big Picture: This hobby pilot knows firsthand that southwest Missouri is a great place to do business.

He believes future economic growth depends on statewide initiatives to bolster workforce development, improve transportation infrastructure and institute a right-to-work law.

J U L Y / AJuly/August U G U S T2019 2026

39

53

Stephen Stephen Hall Hall For connecting public schools with the community When When he he was was growing growing up, up, Stephen Stephen Hall Hall wanted wanted to to be be aa TV TV news news reporter. reporter. Instead, Instead, the the 40-year-old 40-year-old discovered discovered his his calling calling isis toto use use communications communications for for the the greater greater good. good. Since Since joining joining the the Springfield Springfield Public Public Schools Schools in in November November 2017, 2017, Hall Hall has has led led the the charge charge toto incorporate incorporate communication communication and and engagement engagement into into the the district’s district’s strategic strategic plan. plan. His His efforts efforts and and those those of of his his four-person four-person team team are are paying paying off off in in big big ways. ways.

“I’m “I’m encouraged encouraged by by what what we we saw saw through through the the Prop Prop SS process. process. II really really believe believe that that our our schools, schools, quality quality pubpublic lic schools schools are are the the heart heart of of any any community. community. II think think that that more more and and more more people people are are understanding understanding that that ‘I ‘I don’t don’t have have to to have have aa child child enrolled enrolled in in school school to to want want what’s what’s best best for for those those students students or or those those teachers teachers because because the the fufuture ture of of our our community community depends depends on on that.’ that.’ We We know know that that the the needs needs of of students students are are changing, changing, that that the the workforce is is changing. changing. II believe believe itit is is critical for the school district to to work work in in collaboration collaboration with with community community partners partners to to prepare prepare students students for for aa wide wide range range of of opportunities.” opportunities.”

“We’re “We’re doing doing that that in in aa number number of of ways. ways. We We have have aa number number of of choice choice programs programs for for students. students. We We are are providproviding ing college college and and career career assistance assistance in in new new ways. ways. We We have have developed developed our our online online curriculum, curriculum, what what we we call Launch.

Now, Now, we’re we’re up up to to 168 168 districts districts across across the the state state that that we’re we’re working working with with to to provide provide that that quality quality online online curriculum curriculum developed developed by

by Missouri Missouri educators educators for for Missouri Missouri students. students.

“We “We know know that that ifif the the first first online course a student takes takes is is when when they’re they’re aa freshman in college, they’re at aa significant significant disadvantage because others who have had had access access to to online online learning learning are are much much more prepared to to succeed succeed and and thrive thrive in in that that environment. environment. That’s That’s one one of of the the reasons reasons why why we we have have such such an an emphasis emphasis on on technology technology because because we we see see itit as as being being an equity issue.

Students Students need need to to be be prepared prepared to to adapt adapt and and thrive thrive in in a technologically technologically diverse diverse environment. environment.

“So, “So, II mention mention all all that that because because II think think 10 10 years years in in the the future, future, the the needs needs are are going going to to continue continue to to change, and and so so I’m I’m proud proud of of SPS SPS for for being being on on the forefront and thinking thinking ahead. ahead. What What are are the the innovative innovative ways ways that that we we can can anticipate anticipate what’s what’s coming coming for for our our students?” students?”

Big Picture: “When “When II think think about about [what [what Springfield Springfield looks looks like] like] 10 10 years years down down the the road, road, I’m I’m thinking thinking about about the the progress progress that that we’ll we’ll make make collaboratively collaboratively in in this this community, community, and and that that starts starts with with our our schools.” schools.”

40

5440

JULY/AUGUST 2026 J U L YJuly/August /AUGUS T 2026 2019

For the Record Title: Title: Chief Communication Officer,

Springfield Public Schools

Hometown: Hometown: Mountain Mountain View, View, Missouri Missouri Twitter: Twitter: @StephenHall_PR @StephenHall_PR Take Take Note: Note: While While working working at at the the American American Heart Heart Association, Association, Hall Hall served served on on the the leadership leadership team team of of One One Air Air Alliance, Alliance, which which worked worked to to pass pass the the Springfield Smokefree Air Act of 2011.

BIZ417.COM

41

JULY/AUGUST 2026

10

for the next

BY: JAMIE THOMAS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY: BRANDON ALMS | ART DIRECTION BY: DANIELLE GIARRATANO

42

JULY/AUGUST 2026

10

One is pushing to connect rural areas to high speed internet, another is changing the narrative about law enforcement, while another is using past experience to teach others how to network.

Whatever got them on the 10 for the Next 10 list for 2020, they have one thing in common: They are leading Springfield into the future.

The last year has been an eventful one, to say the least. In 2019, we saw 417-land make strides toward a bigger future with new initiatives like Forward SGF, walkability and greenspace development, and SGForum. Then, 2020 brought COVID-19, a national lockdown and a historic wave of social unrest. This year’s 10 for the Next 10 continue to move us forward with the networks they build and the connections they make, even when they have to dramatically pivot how they do things. With their leadership, we can be confident that, whatever may be next, southwest Missouri can face it head-on.

JULY/AUGUST 2026

43

Christina Angle For her part in managing a large-scale manufacturing space while making time for 417-land leadership.

Christina Angle’s education and career trajectory has taken her from Springfield, to Virginia, to London and all the way back to 417-land again.

Now, Angle is firmly planted in her hometown in a key role at her family’s business, the Erlen Group, and the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

On Keeping the Next Generation in Mind

“The Erlen Group is a family business and we make decisions generationally, so we try to do what will be good for the next generation. We're being stewards for the next generation [...] For example, with our Joplin site where we've got a quarry and we're mining limestone, we're mindful that when that's reclaimed, it will be a beautiful lakefront property and a wildlife habitat. We've actually actively reclaimed over 70 acres of what we've already mined. You're here for a short time and you're a steward of the assets and the earth around you, to take care of it for the next generation.”

On Being a “Springfield Boomerang” “I grew up here and the Erlen Group [formerly Springfield Underground] is a family business. My father [Louis Griesemer] is the former president, he started developing accounting software for the company and became president, so I grew up around the business, did some work around the company as a kid, but went away to college in Virginia and studied accounting and business administration, then got a job with an accounting firm in Virginia and lived there for seven years. And then that [job] took me to London.

“I was looking for what would bring me back here and it was either stay with [PwC Accounting] or look for a new opportunity. I was really excited about the opportunity to come work at the family business, mainly due to the ability to get involved in some more operational things and not just be pigeonholed into accounting. So, we came back from London in 2016 and it's been great ever since. The opportunity to be near family, certainly a much easier lifestyle than the London commute […] and rediscovering Springfield as a city, because it's very different from when I left as an 18-year-old. Perhaps it was my perception as an 18-yearold, but I felt like people sort of ended up in Springfield. The attitude was ‘why would you choose Springfield?’ Now there's a real enthusiasm for the city and people are actively talking about how they're proud of our city, how they enjoy being here, how they've chosen to be here.”

44 44

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

FOR THE RECORD Business Title: Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Group Services at the Erlen Group Hometown: Springfield Social Media Handle: You can find her on LinkedIn The Big Win: Focusing on how the Erlen Group can continue manufacturing while being stewards of the environment for the next generation.

Latest Amazon Order: A set of books in the Magic Tree House series for her oldest daughter.

Green Thumb: While in the UK, Angle became a fan of the BBC gardening series Gardener’s World.

“We had a garden in our first floor flat,” Angle says. “I did some gardening, but it felt too densely populated. It’s my one regret because everything grows in England.

My roses were beautiful.”

FOR THE RECORD Business Title: Design Associate at Dake Wells Architecture Hometown: Lecompton, Kansas Social Media Handle: You can find Jones on LinkedIn The Big Win: Taking bold steps toward the beautification of downtown Springfield.

Latest Amazon Order: An audio interface for home-studio music recording You Might Not Know: Jones, along with his wife, Katie Jones, has held a live concert series, Lamplight Sessions, from their apartment in downtown Springfield.

Addison Jones For leading Springfield to a greener future with Better Block SGF. Architect Addison Jones started the Springfield chapter of the Better Block Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to reinvigorating urban areas, to bring the outdoors to the inner-city.

On Making the Most of Our Surroundings

“Our geography and location are under-utilized. Once you come into Springfield, for the most part, you feel like you're not in the Ozarks anymore. It's rare to see a nice well-developed landscape… I've studied urban design and urban planning and that larger scale development. There's a lot of crossover in a professional vocation and what Better Block does, which is nice to be able to utilize. “[Architecture] was a field that perfectly fit the balance of two of my passions, one of which is the arts and the creative fields.

I've been a musician for a long time and an artist all through high school and college. I love that creative element of architecture, but then also the community impact, almost like a sociology side of creating things for the purpose of bettering the human condition.”

On the Impact of Better Block SGF's First Project

“The very first project that we did [in downtown Springfield] was part of this national, annual event called Parking Day. We took a single parallel parking space and occupied it for a day, turning it into a micro park. It was really cool. One of the main features of the park was a chalkboard. It was essentially an opportunity for people to share what they think would make that block better, or spaces like it. The vast majority of comments were either greenscapes or trees, and just spaces to enjoy being outside. It's obvious that the majority of the public wants more spaces like that. It was good to have that feedback in writing.

“My next big step is really just seeing those ideals that Better Block tries to communicate—investment in public space and in public transportation, more sustainable living in general, a more sustainable model come to fruition. See them realized in our city and as the new standard of quality of place.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

45 45

Travis Allen For his focus on creating a more connected 417-land.

Travis Allen has been goal-driven for as long as he can remember, and as the president of Total Highspeed Internet Solutions, his ultimate goal is to make sure everyone has access to reliable, high-speed internet through capitalizing on new technologies as they emerge.

On Launching Total Highspeed Internet Solutions

“I started the business in 2005 and was just looking to find a way to get people better internet service.

I lived about four miles south of Ozark and, at my parents' house, they couldn't get any kind of high-speed internet. We had dial up internet and we had to have an extra phone line for the dial up. That cost like $40 a month just for the phone line, then the dial up alone was $25. So, we were paying like $65 a month just for dial up. I thought, well, I can save people money and get them a lot faster speed. So, we did that.

“We set up a tower and got a connection to the internet and got a few neighbors hooked up. I got about 10 customers and I thought, well, maybe we can make a business out of this […] I met the guys at Total Wireless. They were based over in Republic. We worked together for a few years where I was able to use their towers and they could use the tower I had. I bought theirs in 2011 and they came to work for me.”

On Getting Communities Connected

“People want service. They need it […] These days it's much more of a necessity, but it's still really difficult to get really good speeds to people in rural areas. Our future is to do more fiber optic connections […] There are two rounds of ReConnect [the Rural eConnectivity Program]. We’ve already been awarded the funding for round one. It'll cover a lot of rural Greene County. We're going to be able to run fiber optic cables to 8,600 locations, which is pretty phenomenal because it's very expensive. That program is a 50% grant and 50% loan.

“We've applied for the second round of funding and they're currently reviewing the applications. They'll be awarding those later this year. If we win that one, that'll be even bigger—over 10,000 locations. It'll cover some of Greene County still, but also Lawrence County, Stone County Christian County and a little bit of Webster County.

“The rules are very specific [...] we aren't able to be funded for this unless we have an area that's 90% unserved […] Building a network is a local process. You can't say, ‘Okay, we're going to do the whole state or the whole country.’ It’s got to be a city-by-city, or county-by-county type of thing because every single situation is unique.”

46 46

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

FOR THE RECORD Business Title: President of Total Highspeed Internet Solutions Hometown: Ozark Social Media Handle: You can find Allen on LinkedIn The Big Win: Securing funding from the USDA's ReConnect program to expand high-speed internet into rural areas Latest Amazon Order: Garmin inReach Mini GPS Satellite Communicator To-Do List: A few other things on Allen's goal list are getting scuba certified, visiting the Eiffel Tower and being financially free by age 25—all of which he has achieved.

What about something he didn’t achieve? “An underground house.

Not sure what this one was about!”

FOR THE RECORD Business Title: Deputy Superintendent of Academics at Springfield Public Schools Hometown: Springfield Social Media Handle: @DrNicoleHolt The Big Win: Moving SPS online during 417-land's stayat-home order Last Amazon Order: Shin guards and soccer balls for her sons in preparation for soccer season.

Early Education: Holt’s tendency toward teaching started at an early age. “I think if you were to ask my mom, I probably was an educator from the start. She always shows me pictures of me setting up my bedroom like a classroom and forcing my younger brothers to be my students.”

Nicole Holt For pivoting the largest school district in Missouri to virtual education in a matter of days.

Nicole Holt’s career in Springfield Public Schools began with teaching first grade and she is now the deputy superintendent of academics for SPS. When the COVID-19 outbreak meant schools had to close, Holt helped to transform the way SPS engaged with students.

On Responding to a Crisis

“I was not surprised at all with how Springfield Public Schools or other community agencies responded.”

Nicole Holt says oft the 417-land response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I just look at the different partnerships that were already in existence and how we have leaned in and leveraged those, whether it be just simply providing childcare for first responders or figuring out how we're all going to collectively support feeding people during this time.

Those were our first priorities—the wellbeing and the physical needs of our students and of our families was the first thing that we attempted to solve. Then we very quickly moved into, ‘Okay, how are we going to continue to educate?’ That’s taken a lot of work from a lot of great individuals within our system and our teachers—oh my goodness. They're the real heroes. I think as we move forward, it’s another point of connection for us and it only further allows us to collaborate in more efficient and effective ways to support people in crisis and out of crisis.”

On Her Connection to Springfield

Holt considers herself a Springfield native, with her family moving here when she was just two years old. “I had really wonderful experiences with Springfield,” Holt says. “I think my investment in the community has started in the latter half of my career through my involvement in some organizations that highlight the community and service aspects of Springfield that, as an early adult, I just didn't have awareness of.

That has really helped me to look back and just see the places and opportunities where I can pour back in or be a part of shaping that.”

Community is important to Holt, especially for teachers. “I believe that a well-rounded teacher is a teacher that not only knows the internal workings of the system they work for, but also understands how the community functions in the larger picture of educating our kids.”

Holt has helped to facilitate this connection through her role and her involvement with Leadership Springfield. “My partnership and connection to [Leadership Springfield] is strong." Holt says. "The network of other leaders and organizations that I've been able to learn with and from all really stem from my involvement with that organization.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

47 47

FOR THE RECORD Business Title: Engineer II in Traffic Operations at the City of Springfield Hometown: Miller, Missouri Social Media Handle: @DerrickEstell The Big Win: Combining the Let's Go Smart committee and the Transportation Collaborative into a single organization.

Latest Amazon Order: PE Civil Engineering Reference Manual to study for an upcoming Professional Engineering exam.

Universal Language: Estell spent time in China as part of an internship, working with engineers in a totally different culture. “It just so happened that I got paired with the only company that didn't have any English-speaking people. Luckily for me, engineering is a pretty universal language.”

Derrick Estell For his dedication to making Springfield a destination city for young professionals.

Before moving to 417-land, Derrick Estell was at Valparaiso University in Indiana, studying civil engineering. Now he’s helping build a better city for the future.

On an Internship Becoming a Career

“During my studying at Valparaiso, I ended up getting an internship here at the City of Springfield. I came down and learned about not just traffic engineering but transportation, environmental services, a pretty broad spectrum of how the city works and how different departments work together. After I graduated, I came on here at the City full-time.

“I’ve been in my position here for three years now… no two days are the same. Most days I come in and say ‘okay, I’m going to sit down and knock out this project’ and it never fails that there’s always something that pops up... I've been heading the bike and pedestrian projects and infrastructure. I've been involved in the different groups and organizations surrounding that, such as the transportation collaborative and the walkability group. Just working with the community [...] I'm a people person, I love to talk to people.

“Being able to communicate and to have those conversations with people, to put that information into your design and have all that coordination together is extremely valuable. No matter what project I'm working on, I’m making sure that we get that feedback and input from the communities and the experts.”

On Springfield Becoming the Place to Be

“I would like to see Springfield as a community make that next step… Really make a name for itself, become that place that people talk about on a nationwide scale, just like we talk about Austin or Boulder or Boise or any of these cities that you hear us talking about that like, ‘Let's go there, let’s raise a family there.’ I really want Springfield to be that and I think it definitely has the bones to do that. It's just a matter of putting everything together and making sure that it all meshes.”

48 48

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

Katie Jones For working to make sure up-andcoming talent stays in Springfield.

Katie Jones believes in the potential of 417-land. Through her role at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, she makes believers out of young professionals through initiatives like The Network for Springfield’s Young Professionals and spearheading its first SGForum event and now planning a second.

On Tapping Into Young Talent

“I think that we really need to focus on trying to retain more college students in Springfield.” Jones says. “College students bring a really exciting energy to a community. We have a natural pool of talent from all of our universities.

I would love to see the continued effort to retain college students [...] I think part of that retention is to continue to be laser-focused on pouring all of our investment into making Springfield a really attractive and competitive community.”

FOR THE RECORD Business Title: Talent Retention Coordinator at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Hometown: Springfield Social Media Handle: You can find Katie Jones on LinkedIn The Big Win: Making The Network a vital platform for next generation of community leaders.

Last Amazon Order: A Camelbak backpack for day-hikes.

Flexible Thinking: Jones started college as an illustration major before moving to advertising and public relations, which allowed her to capitalize on her people skills. “An advertising and public relations degree gave me flexibility [and] several different routes after I graduated from college.”

On What's Kept Her in 417-land

“We always joke at the Chamber that no one ever goes to college to work for a chamber of commerce because a lot of people don't really understand everything we do,” Jones says. “It's definitely not a role that I pictured myself in beforehand, but I kind of took a leap of faith and the rest is history.”

Jones had planned to move away from Springfield until a visit to Drury University. “I fell in love with Drury,” she says. “That’s where Addison [husband Addison Jones] and I met.” Since starting at the Chamber in 2017, Jones has been managing the Network, a committee within the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce for young professionals under 40. “It's kind of funny that part of my job is talking to college students about staying in Springfield,” she says. “When I started college, I didn’t want to stay here.

At first it was really circumstances that kept us here, but after we decided to stay it didn’t take us long to realize it was not by accident. It’s easy to think the place you grew up in isn’t ‘cool.’ I think that’s a stigma a lot of people need to get over—it was something I had to get over. Once I did, I realized what an amazing community Springfield is... Most of my friends actually moved to L.A. after high school and college and it’s really fun when they come back to Springfield to visit. We’ll go up to Vantage, and they’re like, ‘Wait, this is in Springfield?’”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

49 49

Chelsey Bode For her work with multiple local organizations that give back to 417-land.

Chelsey Bode is not only president of an office technology provider but works with organizations like the Rotary Club of Springfield, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks and the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

On Almost Leaving Springfield

“I absolutely had the desire that I wanted to get out of town. I interned with a Kansas City company on the wholesale side… Then in interviewing in New York for some internship opportunities and looking at what that lifestyle would look like, what the pay scale would look like, I'm sitting there going ‘Am I being super-ignorant? A really great community where you can actually be something and make a huge impact is right under my nose and all I want to do is just get out of here and be in a little tiny office, hopefully with a window, that's 54 flights up. What am I thinking?’

“Springfield has been super-exciting from the time I was in my young twenties. The mentors were there. They want to see young people succeed. The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and other organizations are trying to put together the programs, trying to include you in Rotary groups and things like that because they see that those groups aren't sustainable if they don't have that good, diverse mix.”

On Giving Back

“Having grown up here, I knew it was very important for me, as much as I get from the community, to make sure that I’m giving as well… I choose three things that I want to be cognitive that, if I say ‘yes’ each year, I'm absolutely going to be making a difference in that organization. I'm not just checking the box to be involved for the sake of being involved… We created an internal nonprofit committee so, as an organization, we can do much more. There are several organizations that I may not personally sit on their board, but we're sending shifts of people and involving their families—we're cooking dinners for Ronald McDonald House or sending shifts to go organize cans for Convoy of Hope or we're doing clothing drives for Harmony House.

“I kind of approach everything, whether it's parenting, nonprofit work or running a business, with the same philosophy. I want to understand the purpose.”

50 50

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

FOR THE RECORD Business Title: President at Pearson-Kelly Hometown: Springfield Social Media Handle: @ChelseyBode The Big Win: Bode is a female business leader of a company that has seen 30% year-over-year growth in a male-dominated industry Last Amazon Order: A creative stuffed animal bean bag. “It basically holds years and years’ worth of stuffed animals and consolidates them into a cute bean bag.”

You Might Not Know: Bode, along with other team members, once duct-taped Pearson-Kelly’s director of sales to a wall as part of a fundraising drive for Harmony House. “You donated a dollar and got a foot of duct tape,” Bode says.

“The whole office was having a blast with it.”

FOR THE RECORD Business Title: Corporate Services Development Officer at Guaranty Bank Hometown: Missoula, Montana Social Media Handle: @DeeKingSGF_MO The Big Win: Starting classes to pass on her networking skills.

Latest Amazon Order: “A red face mask to match my red #417Strong shirt so I can promote #MaskUp417.”

Strong Foundation: King worked her way through college as a single mother, having had her son at 18 years old.

Part of her love for Springfield developed through using the free amenities like parks and greenways with her son when he was growing up, and they both recently signed their names on a brick at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park.

Dee King For passing on her passion for meaningful networking.

Dee King has a natural knack for networking and uses her people skills to contribute to 417-land through the Leadership Council for The Network for Springfield’s Young Professionals, the SGForum Committee, the Voice of Business Committee, the Springfield-Greene County Park Board and more. In the last year, she has been teaching her experience-based networking tips through interactive classes.

On Why She’s Teaching Her Networking Tips

“I'd had this elevator pitch and I would try to give it to people, but it would fall flat. I can remember just working so hard to develop the perfect pitch. I finally came up with it and I'm like, ‘this is amazing, this is fantastic.’ So, I confidently marched into this Good Morning, Springfield! event and found someone, cornered them and gave this ‘perfect’ pitch. It fell flat and they just walked away. Books and the internet were telling me how to network and it was going horribly. I decided to change it up and just get to know people. That’s really when everything changed, that's when I started to develop genuine relationships that weren't about trying to give a perfect pitch. That's what I teach in my networking classes [...] that's why I love to share my networking tips.”

On How She Got Her Start

“In 2008, I was about to graduate into a recession. I was a college student and I’d been working from home for my dad through college. I had zero connections. There was a lady who was the director of sales for a hotel who came and spoke at one of my classes when I was a graduating senior. I wanted to go up and meet her because I knew that networking was important, but I felt intimidated. I didn't really have the courage to go talk to her, but I decided to write her a thank you note, at the last minute I decided to put in my resume and I sent off the letter, didn't think about it again. A couple of weeks later I was sitting in the Missouri State University library and my phone rang—I didn't pick it up because I was in the library—but I listened to the voice message and it was from that lady. She said she’d received my thank you card and in all the years she had been speaking to that class, she'd never received a thank you card. She said she had a job opening and wanted to know if I wanted to interview for it.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

51 51

Brock Shamel For improving accessibility in 417-land’s health care industry.

Brock Shamel is using his proactive attitude and passion for serving others to open up access to health care for patients throughout CoxHealth’s service area.

On His Unexpected Career Trajectory

“I honestly was unsure of where I was going to land after graduation. My last semester of college, I needed an internship to graduate and by just the grace of God I got an internship opportunity and was able to start working in human resources and quality assurance.

Toward the end of the semester, the director over the quality department lobbied that I actually go and work as a paid intern for the CEO, and now-president of the Cox Medical Center in Branson, William Mahoney.

“That's how I really got into administration and got to work alongside our physicians and the medical group. In many ways, health care was kind of a foreign territory for me, it was not something that I had really looked into. I had some interest in maybe public health of some sort, but not in the actual care delivery… It all kind of came together and I fell in love with supporting those who take care of patients. I don’t have a clinical education, but in many ways, I enjoy trying to find ways to help take care of patients.”

On Building Pathways for Patients

“In 2018 we saw a dramatic shift in how our patients were connecting to us… We had lost touch with what great access and great response looks like. We knew we had to shore that up. We opened up the schedules to a central number, we also turned on some online opportunities—a lot of patients like having self-serve capability, so we turned on some pathways to make that happen— and I think we found great results when we gave the autonomy to the patient to really choose…

It was really a team effort all the way round from our physician leaders to our support teams essentially saying, ‘we have to have an attitude of ‘yes, we can.’

“Growing up on a farm, if there’s a problem that needs to be fixed, it’s really not an option [to not fix it]. In many ways it can mean the difference between success and failure. I have two parents who are very devoted, not only to the farm, but our family and their faith, and that consistency has been ingrained in me. And my wife is an incredible source of drive.”

52 52

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

FOR THE RECORD Business Title: Administrative Director at Cox Medical Group Hometown: Lebanon, Missouri Social Media Handle: You can find Shamel on LinkedIn The Big Win: Along with improving patient access, Shamel played a role in bringing retinal scanning into CoxHealth's primary care setting.

Latest Amazon Order: The book Why I Believe by Chip Ingram Fitness Focused: Brock Shamel played baseball in college and both he and his father are fans of the Springfield Cardinals. He doesn’t play anymore, but still keeps fit through CrossFit classes with his wife.

Jasmine Bailey For connecting the community to those who keep them safe.

Jasmine Bailey is spearheading community outreach initiatives for the Springfield Police Department, like SPD in PE with schools in 417land, and keeping communication between the police and the public open—something that's more important now than ever.

On Tentatively Taking On Her Role

“I really wanted to be in Springfield; my family's in Joplin and Springfield is close to home and there's just a lot of energy here. My uncle used to work at the police department, he’s a retired lieutenant and knew that this position I'm in now was coming open. He encouraged me to apply […] I was a little apprehensive to work at a police department, [but] one of my mentors had said to me that it would be an opportunity for me to maybe change the narrative surrounding law enforcement.

“When I first moved into this position, I was working with our recruitment officer and he felt like we needed to do something to drive up recruitment numbers, but we didn't have any community engagement programs. I just got to thinking, ‘How can we, the police department, show our community love?’ I feel like kids are so receptive to that, and it made sense to me that we should be in the schools in the capacity of PE We started meeting with Springfield Public Schools and they liked it.”

FOR THE RECORD Business Title: Public Relations Officer at Springfield Police Department Hometown: Joplin Social Media Handle: @Jasmine_Bailey_ The Big Win: Developing SPD in PE Latest Amazon Order: Bear spray.

“I like to hike, and I want to make sure I have options for self-defense.”

Sparkling Insight: Bailey spent a year in South Korea teaching English at an elementary school. “I learned so much about the world and myself.

Sometimes it was hard being so far away from home, but I had to tell myself that diamonds are made under pressure.”

On How SPD in PE Works

“I try to make it to where the same officers are going for each visit [...] there are four visits. The first one we just go and participate. On the second visit, we create a warm-up, we'll run the warm-up and then just participate in whatever the teacher sets up. The third visit we create the activity for the day. We’ll do the warm up with the kids, then we have QR codes that they can scan with their phones [with] different exercises that relate to being a police officer, because this is about building relationships with them, but also about showing kids that there are careers in law enforcement. The last one is all run by our officers. We bring a modified agility testing course, it's the test that people have to take to get into the police academy.

“It's just about bridging those gaps and lifting the veil. It's important to me, but it's important to our officers, too. They got into this field to make positive impacts, to protect and serve and to show love to their community. This is a way that they can do it.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

53 53

54

JULY/AUGUST 2026

FOR THE NEXT MEET THE PEOPLE IN 417-LAND’S BUSINESS COMMUNITY WHO ARE LEADING US INTO THE NEXT DECADE.

55 55

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

BY RAE SWAN SNOBL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRANDON ALMS ART DIRECTION BY SARAH PATTON AND DANIELLE GIARRATANO

From improving city planning and economic growth, to health care, art, culture, tourism and diversity, these 10 individuals have contributed in significant ways to 417-land and they are just getting started. These are the people to watch (or better yet get involved with) as they are poised to make an even bigger impact in 417-land over the next decade.

VISIT BIZ417.COM TO READ 10 VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE FROM THE 10 FOR THE NEXT 10 WINNERS.

MEET THE ARTIST

MEET THE INNOVATOR

MEET THE MICROBREWER

MEET THE VISIONARY

MEET THE LEADER

MEET THE EDUCATOR

MEET THE REVITALIZER

MEET THE CARER

MEET THE HEALER

MEET THE DEVELOPER

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

56 56

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

CLASS OF 2021

ASHLEY CASAD

FOR HELPING LEAD COXHEALTH’S RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC

W

hen COVID-19 hit 417-land, Ashley Casad was one of the leaders of CoxHealth’s treatment response and vaccination plan. Originally from West Plains, Casad completed a two-year Administrative Fellowship at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore and was their Assistant Administrator of Neurosciences for nearly four years.

In graduate school at the University of Missouri, Casad was an intern at CoxHealth. So, when the opportunity to rejoin CoxHealth as the Vice President of Clinical Services came up in January of 2020, she couldn’t pass it up. “It was a chance to help improve the health care in the community that raised me,” she says.

After one month with CoxHealth, Casad was asked to be one of two deputy incident commanders for the hospital’s COVID-19 incident command response. “I worked on getting a portable CT and extra vents purchased, opening a monoclonal antibody infusion center and transitioning COVID testing to in-house,” she says. She also oversaw CoxHealth’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout for both the staff and the community earlier this year. The organization gave more than 90,000 vaccines in three months, averaging 1,000 per day. “I truly believe that the vaccine is our way out of this pandemic, our chance to get back to normal,” Casad says.

“Getting to be a part of this impactful work was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.”

Casad now plans to devote more time to overseeing several clinical services including the expansion of oncology services. The hospital just completed a renovation to the oncology clinic in Hulston Cancer Center and is also building a new infusion center. It has brought in additional oncologists and is expanding research trials, telemedicine, nutrition services and patient navigation associated with oncology. Casad is working with a lab team to expand the CoxHealth medical technologist school to accept and train more students annually. “We will be able to care for more community members with cancer locally and timely, and more exhaustively address all aspects of their care needs,” Casad says.

BIG PICTURE Casad sees the focus of health care in the next 10 years shifting to more home-based services rather than hospital or clinic based. “As there continues to be advances in artificial intelligence within health care and precision (essentially, personalized) medicine, I expect to work on many projects around how we utilize these advances to provide better and more timely care to our patients with everything from remote monitoring to telehealth visits to more home-based treatments,” Casad says.

57 57

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

MORE ABOUT ASHLEY Title: Vice President of Clinical Services, CoxHealth Book recommendations: Good to Great by James C. Collins and Blink by Malcolm Gladwell LinkedIn handle: @ashleykimberling Breakthrough moment: “Being selected as a fellow for Johns Hopkins Medicine and getting to learn from some of the world’s best health care executives and clinicians.”

CLASS OF 2021

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

DEREK SHIMEALL FOR GROWING AND INNOVATING THE LOCAL MICROBREW SCENE

A

little more than three years ago, Derek Shimeall and his wife, Danielle, along with three couples set out to build a community-focused neighborhood taproom when they started 4 By 4 Brewing Company in the Galloway area. Now, the brewery is building a second location in Fremont Hills and has been instrumental in helping grow the craft beer industry and Springfield tourism with a focus on giving back to local charities.

Shimeall enjoys seeing the growth and support of the community for 4 By 4. “We had a passion for good beer but more so for a culture of meeting people, making friends, connecting with the community and supporting charity,” Shimeall says. 4 By 4 has joined with other local breweries to implement a tap and pour passbook to help increase Springfield tourism. They helped create Springfield Craft Beer Collective, which connects all the breweries together to focus on giving back to the community.

With the new facility, 4 By 4 hopes to continue this tradition in the Ozark area. “This will be a much larger facility that takes in everything we learned at our current Galloway location and allows us to put all our dreams into one package,” Shimeall says. The new space will include a large indoor facility/taproom with more event space, meeting space and an indoor beer garden full of games and activities. There will also be a considerably larger outdoor space with both covered and uncovered patio areas as well as much more green space to spread out and enjoy company outside.

The new location allows 4 By 4 to partner with Mueller to grow beer production capacity, which results in more product in the 417 market as well as potentially further around the state. “We will take our three-plus years of work and learning to develop a handson-approach brewery for more efficiencies, better product qualities and most importantly to grow and to employ more people with the 4 By 4 Family,” Shimeall says.

BIG PICTURE Shimeall and the 4 By 4 crew are excited about continuing to make an impact on the craft beer scene. “I think we will see considerable tourism to the area, boosting revenues for hotels, restaurants and shops as well as tax revenues,” he says. “We are striving to make our taproom a true destination microbrewery.” They also want to partner with the Fremont Hills community, as well as Ozark and Nixa, just as they have done in Springfield in the Galloway area to support important initiatives and charities that help give back to the community.

MORE ABOUT DEREK Title: Co-Owner of 4 By 4 Brewing Company Podcast or book recommendation: You got me on this one, I don't have much time to do either at this point.

Social media handle: @4by4BrewingGalloway & @4by4BrewingFremont Breakthrough moment: “When I realized I could take an idea and dream, research, learn, ask questions and be told no many times and still open a business that was met with excitement and demand immediately.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

58 58

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

CLASS OF 2021

MEG WAGLER FOR DIVERSIFYING THE LOCAL ART COMMUNITY THROUGH ECONOMIC VITALITY AND TALENT RETENTION

W

ith a 10-year career as a designer and art director, Meg Wagler is elevating the art scene in Springfield with MIDxMIDWST, a new live mural event slated for September.

As a visual artist and illustrator, Wagler has called 417-land home since 2007 when she began earning her BFA degree from Missouri State University. After working as a graphic designer and art director for a decade, Wagler shifted to an independent practice but found it difficult to find an art community where she fit in. “I was toggling somewhere in between the design ecosystem and the fine art ecosystem, and there didn’t seem to be a bridge connecting the two,” she says. While contemplating a move to a larger city with a stronger public art presence, Wagler realized she wanted to bring that sense of community to Springfield. “From there, MIDxMIDWST was born and has been developing alongside my art career simultaneously,” she says.

Originally slated for last fall, MIDxMIDWST will debut in September 2021, and will be the area's first mural festival experience. The two-day fest will include a collection of nine local, regional and national mural artists painting live on downtown buildings while festivalgoers watch. There will be two stages with live music, beer gardens, art installments, vendors and an art skatepark.

The event will also include a VIP opportunity to mingle with the artists while listening to the headliner band later in the evening.

“MIDxMIDWST is a not-for-profit arts and culture initiative focused on elevating artists’ careers and baking new layers of flavor into our art community,” Wagler says.

The event has a non-negotiable approach to make sure all artists and bands are paid respectable wages for their time and creative contributions. “We’re moving the needle on our community’s intent in valuing art and artists,” Wagler says. “It will take time and consistency, but by showing up year after year and not asking for free or devalued work, we’re showing artists locally and abroad that 417-land values what they bring to the table.” Wagler hopes this will increase the retention of artists who already call 417-land home and will give the community a foundation for creative talent acquisition.

BIG PICTURE Eventually, Wagler plans to work on bigger initiatives like establishing a public art residency program. “I don’t believe grass is greener on the other side. I believe it’s green where you water it,” Wagler says. “I have a deep desire to create a really loving, robust and diverse community here in 417-land. The best way I know how to bring that to fruition is through the world’s best connector: art.”

59 59

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

MORE ABOUT MEG Business Title: Founder, MIDxMIDWST Podcast or book recommendation: Braving The Wilderness, Brene Brown You Are a Badass, Jen Sincero Start Here: Master the Lifelong Habit of Wellbeing, Eric Langshur Social media handle: @megwagler_illustration @midxmidwst Breakthrough moment: “In 2019 an artist in Paris featured my work in Stockholm, which led to some additional work features in Berlin and London. After that, I think people back here in the states thought, ‘Oh, maybe she’s not just a weirdo.’ I was able to book my first outof-state mural in Dallas, which I think really propelled that avenue for me.”

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

CLASS OF 2021

REVEREND SAEHEE DURAN FOR HER LEADERSHIP IN CHANGING THE CULTURAL NARRATIVE IN 417-LAND

A

s the lead pastor and co-founder of Life360 Intercultural church, Reverend Saehee Duran has made it her mission to bring multicultural voices, experiences and views to 417land. An immigrant from South Korea, Duran has 10 years of theological education,18 years of ministry experience at local, regional and national levels, and is currently completing her doctorate in ministry. “In 2015, my husband and I founded Life360 Intercultural church as part of his doctoral project,” Duran says. “Since then, we’ve hosted people from more than 72 nations.” Duran is now pastoring the only intercultural church in Springfield and is one of the area’s few female, ethnic minority lead pastors.

In 2019, Duran chaired Springfield’s very first city-wide outdoor international event called SGF CultureFest with various local business and organization partners and sponsors. The six-hour event hosted more than 3,000 visitors on Commercial Street. “I believe our city is well poised for the next great thing to continue this effort to celebrate, collaborate and cultivate ethnic diversity,” Duran says.

Duran has lived in Springfield for the past 12 years where she has also been an adjunct professor at Evangel University, the Springfield police chaplain, co-chair of the mayor’s initiative on equity and equality, a board member of Assemblies of God US missions, a national

training coordinator at the Network of Women Ministers and the Vice President of KoreanEnglish Fellowship.

THE BIG PICTURE Duran and her husband are currently working on a multiethnic center that will showcase the rich ethnic diversity in Springfield. The center will house international food courts, ethnic stores and organizations; provide music, art, dance and language taught by natives of the countries they represent and provide a first-class global-minded preschool for low-income families. “The vision is to normalize and celebrate ethnic diversity in our city as a positive way to challenge systemic racism and change the cultural narrative toward greater harmony, unity and mutual love,” Duran says. The working name for this facility is “SGF Multiethnic Legacy Center,” and the couple is eyeing a property at the heart of downtown Springfield where an infamous lynching took place in 1906.

Duran acknowledges the challenges she faces with this vision but is hopeful she can help make a difference. “It will be unwise and unrealistic to think that a multiethnic center will solve the historical issues of systemic racism overnight,” she says. “But it certainly is a right step toward much-needed change through normalizing and celebrating ethnic diversity in our city for the sake of generations today and tomorrow.”

MORE ABOUT SAEHEE Business Title: Lead Pastor, Life360 Intercultural church Podcast recommendation: The Network of Women Ministers (@ agwomenministers) Book recommendations: Leading on Empty by Wayne Cordeiro Hero Maker by Dave Ferguson Results at the Top by Barbara Annis and Richard Nesbitt Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn handle: @saeheeduran Breakthrough moment: “I left the security of stable income with health benefits, familiar organizational culture and system, and friends to gain more intangible opportunities for social networking, community partnerships, flexible schedule, personal growth and increasing influence.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

60 60

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

CLASS OF 2021

MITCH JENKINS FOR DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE SPACES LIKE THE NEW MIXED-USE TREADWAY AREA IN GALLOWAY

M

itch Jenkins graduated from Hillcrest High School and attended Missouri State for a few years on a football scholarship as a quarterback before transferring to Evangel University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business finance (BBA) in 2014. While earning his MBA at MSU, Jenkins was offered a position as a commercial realtor at R.B. Murray Company. “The Murray family provided me with a foundation of knowledge in the real estate industry,” Jenkins says.

In 2017, Jenkins founded Elevation Development Co., which invests in and develops commercial real estate. The company also provides consulting services for other developers and businesses in the community such as Miller Commerce, a senior housing development company in the Midwest.. “We strive to create unique and innovative retail, office, mix ed-use and multi-family real estate developments in the region,” Jenkins says. “We view development as an opportunity to impact lives while making a place that people love to hang out.”

One of these unique developments is the new Treadway—a mixed-use community located on Lone Pine across from Sequiota Park in Galloway. The development has faced opposition from the residents. Many in the Galloway neighborhood have pushed back against the plans and there have been some legal hurdles to contend with as well. Jenkins says he wants the development to be woven into the fabric of the Galloway area and hopes Treadway will ultimately be an asset to the neighborhood and community as a whole, by providing housing, commercial space and amenities for residents like a pool, dog park, covered parking, electric vehicle charging station and grilling pavilion.

Jenkins and Elevation Enterprises are also working on two senior living communities in Arkansas and a rehabilitation of an existing apartment community located in downtown Springfield. Jenkins is an avid volunteer in 417-land and is dedicated to service. He is the Missouri State University men’s basketball team character coach. “During the season, I meet with the team weekly to discuss various topics surrounding character such as integrity, honesty, humility, servant leadership, perseverance, grit and compassion,” he says. Jenkins also previously served as campus pastor at The Courageous Church.

BIG PICTURE “Within the next 10 years, we hope to provide quality housing for 15,000 residents throughout the Midwest,” Jenkins says. “It is our mission to create value and positively impact our community by developing vibrant mixed-use communities where individuals and families can live, work and play.”

61 61

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

MORE ABOUT MITCH Business Title: Owner of Elevation Development Co. Podcast or book recommendation: The Bible, Principles by Ray Dalio, What It Takes, Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence by Stephen Schwarzman Breakthrough moment: “The opportunity I had to work for R.B. Murray Company was a turning point for me. The Murray family provided me with an incredible opportunity, which allowed me to build a solid foundation for understanding commercial real estate. I’m forever grateful for them.”

CLASS OF 2021

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

DANIELLE R. KINCAID FOR HER COMMITMENT TO HELPING MARGINALIZED MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY

I

n the last two years Danielle Kincaid has not only opened an elder law practice, but she also ran a successful campaign and was elected to the Springfield Public Schools Board of Education.

Kincaid grew up in Raymore, Missouri, and moved to Springfield in 2002 to earn a BA in Criminology and an MBA at Missouri State University. She attended Creighton University School of Law in Omaha, Nebraska, and worked as an attorney for a few years in Omaha before returning to Springfield in 2013. “When I left Springfield to attend law school, I knew I would move back to this community I love with the specific intention to do more for Springfield than just calling this place home,” Kincaid says.

Since then, Kincaid has fulfilled this goal. She narrowed her scope to practice elder law and received a fellowship through the American Bar Association’s Real Property, Trust & Estate section. In 2019, she and her law partner, Angela Myers, opened The Elder Law Group. The firm helps with estate planning, powers of attorney, disability and long-term care planning, Medicaid planning, guardianship, conservatorship, probate and trust administration and advanced directives.

Kincaid not only has a passion for helping the elderly community, she is also dedicated to the area’s youth. Kincaid served on the Board of Directors for the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools for many years, but she wanted to make a bigger impact. In April, she was elected to the Springfield Public Schools Board of Education. “I support a focus on equity and diversity in our district, including facilitating learning opportunities that encourage cultural consciousness,” she says.

BIG PICTURE Professionally, Kincaid wants The Elder Law Group to become the “goto” law firm for elder law and estate planning. “No one is promised tomorrow,” she says. “Everyone over the age of 18 should at the very least speak with an attorney to ensure their wishes are carried out in the event of incapacity or death.”

On the school board, Kincaid hopes to continue the collaboration with community partners, such as Burrell, to expand access to qualified mental health providers and support students with social and emotional health concerns. She will also prioritize Springfield Public Schools’ Focus Area 5 on Equity and Diversity. “All of our students, including our underresourced and underrepresented students, deserve a safe, welcoming and empathetic environment in which to learn,” Kincaid says. “Equity and diversity training that is appropriate, wellthought-out and reasonable should be welcomed by all individuals who wish to broaden their understanding of and connect with underresourced and underrepresented students.”

MORE ABOUT DANIELLE Business Title: Attorney/Partner at The Elder Law Group Podcast or book recommendation: Dolly Parton’s America Social media handle: Twitter: @SGFDanielle Breakthrough moment: “Taking a leap of faith with my law partner to open our own law firm in September 2019.

Opening a small business/law firm six months before a global pandemic was difficult, but we survived due to the support we had from friends, family, colleagues and our community, and we are better for it.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

62 62

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

CLASS OF 2021

DAVID CAMERON FOR REVITALIZING THE CITY OF REPUBLIC

D

avid Cameron has worked in City Planning for nearly 30 years and has been instrumental in spearheading and developing the new mission, vision and values for the City of Republic. Cameron’s innovations have led to numerous additions in Republic including the new Garton Business Park and Amazon Fulfillment Center, and he has devoted his working career to the public sector by addressing infrastructure and environmental challenges. Prior to coming to Republic, Cameron served 10 years as City Administrator in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, where he negotiated the sale of a city-owned hospital to a private health care provider that yielded $10.6 million in proceeds back to the community.

After joining the City of Republic in October 2016, Cameron got to work creating a new set of guiding principles. He established buy-in with the mayor and City Council to make changes to the City Charter, changed the mayor’s terms to four years for more consistency and consolidated Public Works and Community Development under one umbrella. These changes led to reduced wait times for permits and paved the way for developments like the Amazon Fulfillment Center. “I am very proud of the team that delivered this project on time and how it will impact our regional community,” Cameron says.

Cameron also helped negotiate the public-private partnership developed between the City of Republic, Drury University and Tom Rankin that has since resulted in more than $200 million in capital investment in less than four years. Cameron says, “We incentivized development, and these partnerships bring the community in as a partner to the development since we as a community will recognize a return from the jobs they bring, tax generation, community involvement, housing starts and commitment to the community they bring.” David’s leadership has since contributed to the development of Convoy of Hope, Andy’s Frozen Custard, Wildwood Plaza—Flat Creek, Red Monkey, Lew’s, the McLane expansion and two large residential developments.

THE BIG PICTURE In the next 10 years, Cameron plans to strategically place infrastructure in undeveloped areas, continue the partnership with investors and members of the development community to capitalize on available land use and access to I-44 and the James River. He wants to partner with investors to develop additional entertainment opportunities, a conference center, hotels, outdoor recreation and an event center. There are also plans to expand the trail system, improve transportation, construct two new fire stations, develop a 130acre sports complex and construct new Public Works Municipal campuses.

“Watching this community recognize its potential is my favorite accomplishment,” Cameron says.

63 63

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

MORE ABOUT DAVID Business Title: City Administrator, City of Republic Book recommendation: The Trust Edge: How Top Leaders Gain Faster Results, Deeper Relationships, and a Stronger Bottom Line by David Horsager Twitter handle: @addminone Breakthrough moment: Creating an “I Will” statement documenting the City Administrator Core Leadership Values.

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

CLASS OF 2021

NATHAN ALDRICH FOR INNOVATING AND ELEVATING LOCAL PHARMACY SERVICE

W

MORE ABOUT NATHAN Business Title: Pharmacist/ Co-owner at Lawrence Drug & Compounding Lab Podcast or book recommendation: The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz and Craig Groeschel Leadership podcast Social media handle: @LawrenceDrug Breakthrough moment: “There have been a collection of small but significant opportunities that have led us here. I think with each challenge I’ve faced, I’ve learned to back up, look at the whole picture, and then lean in with faith.”

hen the pandemic hit, Nathan Aldrich and his staff at Lawrence Drug & Compounding Lab found a way to make their own hand sanitizer, selling it for donations and using the overage to supply sanitizer to first responders.

It’s just one example of the autonomy and responsiveness Aldrich was seeking when he left his position as a clinical pharmacist at Mercy to partner with his wife, Brooke, who is also a pharmacist. Together, they opened a second location of Lawrence Drug, the business Brooke’s family founded 30 years ago. This new chapter in the pharmacy’s history leveraged her family’s deep roots in the industry and his passion for entrepreneurship to extend Lawrence Drug’s reach in the community.

At the newer Ozark location, which was established in 2014, and the original Springfield location, Lawrence Drug offers traditional pharmacy services along with specialty compounding. Aldrich says this capability “allows us to customize and combine therapies to make individualized treatment options,” something he believes people are seeking.

“Everything in our society right now is customized,” he says. “Netflix knows what you want. You can customize any type of order online, but somehow we’re okay with set, standard doses and therapies.” Particularly with genetic testing poised to play an increasing role in healthcare, Aldrich sees compounding as a way to tailor treatment to a specific person’s needs. For example, he says, “If Patient A only needs a fifth of the dose, compounding pharmacies can make that.”

Four-legged family members are part of Lawrence Drug’s patient base, too. Aldrich has been working with area veterinarians to distribute a medicine-delivery paste, specially formulated for pets’ palates. He recently rolled out a chicken flavor—“Even cats seem to like it,” he says—and he’s working on tuna-salmon and peanut butter varieties. It’s all part of reducing medication-related anxiety for both owners and pets, which, he says, leads to greater compliance with prescribed therapies.

BIG PICTURE Aldrich wants to continue to grow the pharmacy’s impact in 417-land.

He also hopes to make pharmacy pricing more transparent by partnering with employers to offer fair pricing on prescription medications. He will continue to make his local pharmacy even more integrated with the community and has a goal of opening a nonprofit community pharmacy.

“I view the pharmacy to become not just a place to pick up your prescriptions but to become a partner in your health,” Aldrich says.

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

64 64

CLASS OF 2021

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

GRIFFIN BOBBETT

FOR HELPING LEAD THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE OZARK COMMUNITY

A

s a broker and partner with Torgerson Design Partners (TDP), Griffin Bobbett has been involved in many successful commercial projects in Ozark, including the relocation of the Ozark Fire Protection District and the Christian County Ambulance District. Through his volunteer efforts with the Chamber of Commerce, he also helped Ozark to safely enjoy Christmas celebrations during the pandemic.

With a passion for real estate and development on a local and national level, Bobbett brings service and perspective to the growing architecture and commercial-design firm of TDP in Ozark. “I enjoy helping developers make their process smoother, whether it’s through zoning studies, site selection or just bridging the communication gap with the local jurisdiction,” Bobbett says.

Bobbett worked directly with the Fire and Ambulance districts in Ozark to find the perfect property to better serve the community. “The new locations will tremendously improve response times and be a landing zone for training and classes,” he says.

BobbettalsoservesonseveralvolunteerboardsincludingtheOzarkChamber of Commerce. When Ozark had to cancel its 2020 Christmas Parade for the first time in 56 years, Bobbett helped find COVID-safe Christmas options for the Ozark community through lighting up the square and adding a Christmas mailbox for kids to deliver letters to Santa. They even enlisted emergency personnel to drive their trucks every Friday through the square with Santa on top waving and collecting the letters. Bobbett is poised to take over as Chairman of the Board for the chamber next year and is working with the Historic River District group that’s focsed on revitilization efforts in downtown Ozark. TDP is donating design, construction and administration services for the new gazebo renovation and expansion that will provide seating, meeting space and a venue for live music on the square. “We know this is going to make downtown the place to be, the true heart of Ozark,” Bobbett says.

The Big Picture “In the next 10 years, I hope to make Ozark the destination for the Southwest Missouri region,” Bobbett says. “We are poised for huge growth in tourism and development, and I plan to be a part of that.”

65 65

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

MORE ABOUT GRIFFIN Business Title: Broker / Partner at TDP (Torgerson Design Partners) Podcast or book recommendation: The Heart of Business / The Go-Giver Series Social media handle: @GriffinBobbett Breakthrough moment: “Shortly after I joined TDP, I started to see how we could, together, make our clients’ dreams come to life with an easier process and broader menu of services tailored to fit their needs.”

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

CLASS OF 2021

MELANIE STINNETT FOR IMPROVING ACCESS TO CARE FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

A

MORE ABOUT MELANIE Business Title: Owner & Founder, TheraCare Outpatient Services Podcast or book recommendation: Called to Create by Jordan Raynor Social media handle: facebook.com/MelanieStinnettSWMO/ and @melaniestinnett on Instagram Breakthrough moment: “After three years of advocating in Jefferson City with Missouri Disability Empowerment (MoDE), we were able to get the ‘Therapy for All’ bill passed, which resulted in decreased discrimination by insurance companies regarding coverage of therapy services. I realized I can be a voice for families of children with disabilities and make a difference.”

fter Speech-Language Pathologist Melanie Stinnett noticed a lack of private practices for kids with developmental and intellectual disabilities, she opened TheraCare Outpatient Services in 2014 as a one-woman show.

The practice now has 27 employees and has served more than 2,000 children across 417-land.

Stinnett graduated with a Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from Missouri State University in May 2010. She has since worked in a variety of settings including acute/inpatient care, inpatient rehabilitation, home health care, skilled nursing facilities and outpatient services, which gave her the skills she needed to start her own practice. “I realized children in our community had essentially two options for therapy; they could go to Mercy or they could go to Cox, and both had long wait lists,” Stinnett says. “This is where the dream of TheraCare began.”

TheraCare provides speech, occupational, physical, feeding, dyslexia, assistive technology and music therapy services for children. TheraCare has seen exponential growth since its inception, even enjoying an increase of 14% in gross revenue during the pandemic. Now, with approximately 4,600 square feet of space, the clinic provides services and screenings in nine public school districts, three private schools and teletherapy to children living overseas.

But Stinnett’s impact does not stop with TheraCare. After listening to parents tell stories about their difficulty finding resources for their children and how they felt isolated from their community, she started the nonprofit Include Ozarks in 2016. Include Ozarks provides an annual Sensory Safe Trick or Treat and Sensory Safe Easter Egg Hunt for families of children with special needs. “Each event has brought in 300–500 individuals and helped give families a place where they can enjoy a community event together,” Stinnett says. Include Ozarks also provides monthly parent workshops in collaboration with the Springfield Greene County Library District. “We cover topics like legal planning for children with special needs, navigating schoolbased services and trauma,” Stinnett says.

Stinnett also frequently advocates at the state level helping push major legislation through for children with disabilities. “It has always been important to me that I am impacting those around me in a positive way,” she says. “My work is not for myself but in service to the people and community around me.”

THE BIG PICTURE Stinnett plans to continue to focus on improving the community for children with disabilities through advocacy efforts and an expanded footprint for TheraCare by offering therapy services in other communities and making a difference in the lives of children outside of the Greater Springfield area.

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

66 66

67

JULY/AUGUST 2026

Big ideas. Intense effort.

Vision and tenacity. These are the forces that will shape 417-land’s next decade, and they’re the qualities we looked for when we chose the 2022 10 for the Next 10.

This year’s honorees work in a wide range of fields.

They’re contributing to our region’s economy, culture, communication and workforce development. We can’t know all the ways their ideas and efforts will develop, but we believe that 10 years from now, we’ll see their impact everywhere.

BY SAVANNAH WASZCZUK WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LUCIE AMBERG PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRANDON ALMS ART DIRECTION BY SARAH PATTON

68

JULY/AUGUST 2026

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

69 69

GENERAL MANAGER, BETTY & BOBBY ALLISON SPORTSTOWN

stacie wells FOR GUIDING 417-LAND YOUTH SPORTS TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

Stacie Wells’s love of sports began in front of a T-ball tee.

It deepened as she grew up and participated in volleyball, softball and track. When she thinks of those days, she’s as quick to talk about team sleepovers and bus rides as big games. “I remember braiding other girls’ hair on the way to games,” she says. “Those are the people you’re spending the majority of your time with. They’re your family.”

70 70

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

As Wells went on to college, started her own family and began her career, sports continued to play a major role in her life. She coached kids’ teams, and in 2013, she became the director of Fieldhouse Sports Center, where she worked until November 2021. Not long after she chose to leave that position, another opportunity came knocking.

“I got a Facebook message from the owner of a new project going up in Springfield by the airport,” Wells explains. “He was interested in talking with me about being the general manager.”

By January, Wells was the general manager of Betty & Bobby Allison SportsTown, a new complex consisting of 12 outdoor fields, plus a 94,000-square-foot facility with indoor fields, multi-use courts and more. “There’s also a 27acre retail development that will house hotels and restaurants,” Wells says. “It’s definitely going to bring a lot to the community and that area of town.”

The complex is expected to be a popular destination for regional and national sports tournaments. “An economic development report predicted it will bring an additional $30 million in tax revenue to the area,” Wells says.

But she says the benefit for kids can’t be calculated in dollars. “For so many kids, that team sport is something they rely on,” she says. “It’s an outlet. I’m just trying to help kids who are looking for a place to play a sport they love.”

417-LA N D FAVOR ITES

Meaningful Mentor: “My former boss, Kristen Naugle,” Wells says. “I’m a better person and stronger woman because of knowing her. She’s that big sister I never had.”

Top Event: “Friday Night Lights!” Wells says. “If I have to pick one game I never miss, it’s the Ozark/Nixa Backyard Brawl.”

Instant Boost: A mind-clearing drive around town—windows down.

FOUNDER/CEO, SAAB

Dr. Tyrone Bledsoe FOR KEEPING THE WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW CONNECTED TO 417-LAND.

In 1990, during his tenure as Associate Dean of Students at Georgia Southwestern State University, Dr. Tyrone Bledsoe made a shocking discovery. “I was looking at Black and white fraternities and sororities and their academic performance compared to other students,” he says. “In doing so, we disaggregated the data, and we learned that the Black male undergraduate GPA—cumulatively—was 1.75.”

Bledsoe immediately gathered a group of nearly 70 Black male undergraduates to learn their social and academic interests. This organically led to the formation of SAAB, a culturally sensitive national organization designed to help young men succeed in education and beyond.

Today SAAB is headquartered at Missouri State University, with 352 chapters in 41 states. Two-thirds of its chapters are at colleges and universities; the remaining are housed in middle and high schools. “Our success rate is off the charts,” Bledsoe says. “The national graduation rate for Black males ages 18-24 is barely 20 percent, according to Lumina Foundation. We’re graduating at 86 percent at the collegiate level. The national retention rate average is 50-55 percent, and SAAB is 80-85 percent.”

Since moving to Springfield in 2020, SAAB has become part of 417-land. “We have partnerships with all area colleges and universities, and we’re in all five SPS high schools,” Bledsoe says. “We hope to start phasing in middle schools within the city, and then we’ll have 14 chapters.

No other city in the country has that many.”

SAAB helps root students in the fabric of the community.

“One of my bold predictions is that in the next 10 years, I can see at least five of our guys seeking leadership roles, with an emphasis on City Council,” Bledsoe says. “They may even be running for commissioner positions and the school board. And then we have entrepreneurs who will be starting businesses here.”

While Bledsoe has a laundry list of reasons he’s happy with Springfield’s SAAB engagement, the excitement from SPS high school students tops the list. “They’re fired up,” Bledsoe says. “In our history, I’ve never seen high school students as excited and as passionate as these kids. And I’m just as excited because I know what we’re going to do in this community. We’re just getting started.”

417-LA N D FAVOR ITES

Meaningful Mentor: Missouri State President Clif Smart.

“Clif is the main reason we moved,” Bledsoe says. “He was the last piece of the puzzle for me. When I saw how enthusiastic he was about us coming, I knew it would be a success.”

Top Event: The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting.

Instant Boost: A pedicure at US Nails on Glenstone Avenue.

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

71 71

FOUNDER, FRIED DESIGN CO.; CO-FOUNDER, SUPPER CO.; CO-OWNER, SWEET BOYS; CO-MANAGING PARTNER, EBBETS FIELD

josh sullivan FOR GIVING 417-LAND ITS UNIQUE LOOK.

Step foot into many of the locally owned businesses near Pickwick and Cherry, and you’ll see something designed by one of Josh Sullivan’s companies. “We’ve done work for The Royal, Culture Counter and Team Taco,” Sullivan says. “We’ve worked with Tie & Timber, too, and of course, Cherry Picker.”

Sullivan is founder of Fried Design Company and co-founder of Supper Co., both of which produce a multitude of work for 417land restaurants. “It’s a really cool thing to go to a part of town and see so many things that you’ve helped create,” Sullivan says of Rountree. “It’s like that in downtown Springfield now, too. And it’s starting to happen in other parts of town, all around Missouri and even around the country.”

While Fried Design’s small-but-mighty crew of six focuses on high-end graphic design, Supper Co. is a full-service advertising agency. Its 11 team members specialize in food, alcohol, cannabis and hospitality work. “I think we’re bringing a sense of elevated design and branding to the area that perhaps wasn’t here before,” Sullivan says. “That’s not to say there aren’t really good designers and creatives here—because there are—but historically, a lot of high-end design work in Springfield has been done for bigger institutions and isn’t as seen on the local level.

The little guy gets overlooked. Well, we help a lot of those little guys, and we’re seeing a lot of those little guys become big guys.”

A prime example is Big Whiskey’s, a restaurant that started in Springfield and now has more than a dozen locations in four states. “Being able to watch their growth and play a small part in it—and for us to have grown alongside them—has been really rewarding,” Sullivan says.

As each company’s portfolio expands, clients continue to line up. “I’d say we have about a 50/50 split of local and regional/ national clients right now,” Sullivan says. While Fried will likely remain its current size, he says Supper is poised for growth. “We really want to grow into a national agency, and I think that we have the core talent to do that right now.”

Regardless of growth, one thing’s for sure: Sullivan’s ideas will bring magic to menus and pop to packages for years to come. “I’ll always do local work,” Sullivan says. “I have the opportunity to help the economy here by helping other people make more money... and I’m going to do it. It’s really important to me, personally, to give it all I’ve got. And I’m going to give Springfield all I’ve got.”

41 7-L AN D FAVO R I T E S

Meaningful Mentor: Gary Whitaker. “Gary is always generous with time, advice and a solid joke when you need one,” Sullivan says.

“He also fundamentally understands my business and what it takes to be successful in my industry.”

Top Event: ArtsFest on Historic Walnut Street.

Instant Boost: The picnic tables at Cherry Picker.

72 72

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BURRELL FOUNDATION

gabrielle martin FOR ELEVATING AWARENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH IN 417-LAND.

Gabrielle Martin never planned to leave her job at Hickory Hills Country Club, but she knew she had to make the switch after hearing C.J. Davis, Burrell Behavioral Health’s president and CEO, say, “We need to become the Mayo Clinic of mental health.”

Martin calls it a divine moment. “Not only was I born at Mayo, but I had recently experienced a traumatic situation that hit very close to home around that same time,” she says. And she knew Davis was right; the need for better mental health care was significant. So she became Burrell Foundation’s first-ever executive director in November 2020.

“The Burrell Foundation was created in the 80s, but it had been inactive in the community for some time,” Martin says. Given Burrell’s continuous growth— since 2017, it’s more than doubled its mental health providers—Martin says the need for a philanthropic conduit was apparent.

Burrell Foundation strategically focuses on four main impact pillars: mental health awareness, community engagement, program enhancement and creating a culture of giving. “I would love for us to be the first thing people think of when they think of mental health support,” Martin says. “And I’m not just talking on the financial side of things. If you need mental health support, or your family or friends need access, or you want to donate or leave a legacy gift, you think, ‘Burrell Foundation.’”

Martin also has a goal of growing the footprint for the Burrell Foundation, representing all Burrell regions in its current four-state territory. She draws

inspiration from the enthusiasm people have expressed for the Art of Being ME, a multimedia collaboration between Randy Bacon, Burrell Behavioral Health and the Burrell Foundation. “The conversations, the tears, the laughter—these discussions need to happen all the time, everywhere,” Martin says. “We plan to bring this exhibit to communities all over the country in an effort to shatter stigma and offer hope through these crucial conversations.”

417-LA N D FAVORIT ES

Meaningful Mentor: Past Artistic Director of Springfield Little Theatre, Mick Denniston, who died in 2007. “He was the first person in the community that believed in me. That will stay with me forever.”

Top Event: Springfield Catholic’s Emerald Evening Instant Boost: “Hands down, an Andy’s butter pecan concrete,” Martin says. “Best therapy ever.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

73 73

BUILDS ADMINISTRATOR, CITY OF REPUBLIC

Andrew Nelson FOR CHAMPIONING INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN A BOOMING 417-LAND COMMUNITY.

Ask Andrew Nelson a question about infrastructure, and his face lights up like a kid on Christmas morning. “We’ve been able to secure $30 to $40 million for transportation improvements by working with MODOT and the Ozarks Transportation Organization,” Nelson says, discussing the nearly $200 million in capital improvement funds he has helped secure as the City of Republic’s BUILDS Administrator. “The city is currently obligating $43 million for wastewater improvements, and we have another $50 million that has been requested through appropriations, grants and outside funding to partner with our local funds.”

74 74

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

Nelson’s excitement about bringing money to the area comes naturally. “I grew up on a farm just outside of the Republic city limits,” he says. “Even though I didn’t go to school here, it’s where we went to shop. These are the roads we drove, and this is where we would go to eat.”

Now, these roads and services—the connective tissues of the community—are Nelson’s job. “I go out to developers and investors, and I show them what is coming in both infrastructure and other commercial and residential developments,” he says. “People make investments based around our infrastructure.” Paired with an ideal geographic location—at the center of the country, near multiple major highways and only a few minutes from the Springfield–Branson National Airport—Republic’s infrastructure improvements make the city attractive to global companies like Amazon and regional

organizations like Andy’s Frozen Custard. Republic has attracted both businesses in the last few years, and Nelson says there are more on the way.

“In the next five years, people are going to see a level of construction in Republic that they’ve probably not seen anywhere,” he says. And the population will follow. “At our last census, we were 18,000,” Nelson says. “I think we could be 30,000 to 40,000 pretty easily in the next five to 10 years.”

417-LA N D FAVORIT ES

Meaningful Mentor: David Cameron, Republic City Administrator. “He’s the guy you want in the trenches with you,” Nelson says.

Top Event: Republic’s Annual Have-a-Blast Patriotic Celebration.

Instant Boost: “Walking at Wilson’s Creek with my wife, Angela, and our 2-year-old son, Eli,” he says.

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, SPRINGFIELD CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

Megan Buchbinder

PHOTO BY LEAH STIEFERMANN

FOR SHARING THAT SPECIAL 417-LAND SOMETHING WITH THE WORLD.

When July 2020 rolled around and the majority of the world was just emerging from pandemic lockdown, Megan Buchbinder was starting a new job. To make things even more interesting, she was taking on the responsibility of marketing a city to visitors—all during a time of limited travel.

“It was a scary time for anyone in the hospitality industry,” she says. “Hotels and restaurants are still trying to come back with enough staffing. We’re funded through the city’s hotel licensing fees that are paid by visitors, so if nobody is staying in our hotels, our money is gone.”

Two years in, it’s obvious that Buchbinder was the right woman for the job. “In 2020 we had the worst year on record, obviously, from a hotel occupancy standpoint,” Buchbinder says. “But 2021 was a record-breaking year for us, and with the numbers from [2022 first quarter], we’re on pace to be record-breaking as well.”

When Buchbinder started her role, the CVB team applied for state and federal grants. Those dollars went toward marketing materials that promoted topics like safe travel and social distancing. “We were able to advertise when no one else was and gain some market share,” she says.

Several campaigns followed, including a “One Night on Us” promotion in which the CVB used a portion of grant funds to pay for one night of a guest’s two-night hotel stay.

The CVB also partnered with the Springfield Hotel Lodging Association to host a $30,000 staff recruitment campaign for 417-land hotels and restaurants.

Next up, Buchbinder says, are big, regional goals, like defining Springfield’s role in the Ozarks. For example, visitors flock to Branson for live entertainment. People go to Northwest Arkansas for biking and hiking. “The question is, what’s our hook?” Buchbinder says. “Well, we have ‘baby hooks’ that bring people in, but we don’t have an identity yet. That’s part of my vision for the next 10 years.”

And that vision extends past city limits. “Visitors don’t see boundaries,” she says. “It’s not just about Springfield or Branson—it’s about branding this area as a whole.”

417-LA N D FAVOR ITES

Meaningful Mentor: Logan Aguirre, publisher of 417 Magazine. “I value her opinion, and I have a huge respect for what she does,” Buchbinder says.

Top Event: The Springfield Cardinals’ opening day. (Her husband is the broadcaster.)

Instant Boost: A show at Springfield Little Theatre.

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

75 75

CO-FOUNDER, 14 MILL MARKET

Rich Callahan FOR GIVING 417-LANDERS A COOL, NEW WAY TO DINE.

After more than 15 years of working in heating and air, Rich Callahan has a thorough understanding of what he does well: He loves to provide exceptional experiences. He has a long track record of building and training teams, with a special focus on making sure “service” is the key word in “customer service.”

Now, he’s leveraging these skills to bring a bold, new project to life. Callahan spends his nights—and his weekends, and nearly every free second he has— working on 14 Mill Market, Nixa’s new 10-restaurant food hall.

“We like to travel a lot, and we wanted to bring something here that we know culturally can happen somewhere else,” Callahan says. This is what led Callahan and his wife, Leah, to pursue the project. “We had visited Mother 76 76

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

Road Market in Tulsa, and after about 30 to 40 minutes, we knew that was it.” The two reached out to the general manager of Mother Road, and they soon found themselves learning his tips and tricks.

“We also visited 15 other food halls around the country,” Callahan says. They met with Nixa’s mayor, city manager and a dozen others to pitch their idea, which was to construct their own food hall on a 3.5acre lot the couple purchased in downtown Nixa.

Once the idea was approved and supported by all parties, the two got to work with their grand plans.

“The space will have 10 restaurants, plus a bar in the center,” Callahan says. At press time, all 10 restaurants were occupied, and there was a waiting list of 16 more.

“There’s seating for 200 right now, plus artificial turf for bocce ball and a stage for live entertainment,” Callahan says.

And they’re just getting started. “Other businesses have started purchasing properties around the mill for some other concepts,” Callahan says.

“We’re hoping to make it a place where people want to come, shop, stay and hang out. Our goal is to grow the area as a whole and make it a one-ofa-kind destination for Nixa.”

417-LA N D FAVORIT ES

Meaningful Mentor: “God is always my inspiration,” Callahan says. “But in 417-land, Ron Bogart was always someone who inspired me. He may not even realize how much of an influence he had on me becoming a leader at work and striving to be professional.”

Top Event: Price Cutter Charity Championship.

Instant Boost: 417-land’s food scene. “If there’s something new coming in, we’re going to try it!”

VICE PRESIDENT, CLEAR CREEK GOLF CAR

Justin fraker FOR HELPING 417-LANDERS HOP ON THE GOLF CAR TREND.

Justin Fraker was in middle school the first time he joined his neighbor in driving a golf car along the otherwise quiet streets of Marshfield. “We’d drive it all the way up to the golf course,” Fraker says, laughing at the memory.

These happy trips around the neighborhood helped him appreciate the importance of something that seems like a straightforward vehicle. “A golf car can be the first car you drive and the last car you drive,” Fraker says. “Kids learn to drive on golf cars, and you’ll meet people who just went into the nursing home and use a golf car to drive around and see their friends.”

Fraker can describe the Club Car Onward’s bells and whistles with the same pride and care most people only muster up for their puppies or grandchildren. And that’s what makes it 100% evident—this is a guy who has found his passion.

“I started working for Clear Creek part-time in the parts department,” Fraker says. “Well, that led to the next step and the next step, and eventually I got into sales.” Once that happened, Fraker was able to bring his true talent to light. “I found a way to help grow our market share significantly over two to three years,” he says. “From there I turned into a sales manager, and now I’m vice president of the company and own a part of it as well.”

Clear Creek offers golf car sales, service, parts and rental.

It’s grown from its original location in Springfield to six locations throughout Missouri and Arkansas. Some of the locations seem like obvious choices, such as Lake of the Ozarks, but others—such as Lamar and West Plains—are more surprising.

They make sense when Fraker explains the company’s growth strategy. “We look for markets that are underserved and where we can provide a better experience for our customers, whether that’s on the service side or product side,” he says. “These may be small towns, but they’re actually hubs in their regions. The number of customers these locations pull in on a weekend is impressive.”

Fraker says Clear Creek makes a point of engaging with each community through outreach like a discount program for nonprofits that rent golf cars for events. And over the next decade, Clear Creek’s presence should continue to grow—with even more locations expected in the near future.

“We have some things in the works,” Fraker says. “We’ve particularly seen a shift in neighborhoods across the area as people are going into more planned communities, and we see a huge potential for growth in that market. We’re growing, and we don’t plan to stop any time soon.”

417-LA N D FAVOR ITES

Meaningful Mentor: Rob Voss, who died in May. Fraker calls him “a great friend and mentor.”

Top Event: Price Cutter Charity Championship. “I’m a golf guy— I’d never miss this,” Fraker says.

Instant Boost: A round of golf at Twin Oaks.

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

77 77

PRESIDENT, MOSTLY SERIOUS; CO-FOUNDER, HABITAT COMMUNICATION & CULTURE

spencer harris FOR ADVANCING THE CONVERSATION AROUND THE VALUE OF 417-LANDERS’ WORK.

Anyone who has met Spencer Harris knows his innate ability for conversation. Regardless of the topic at hand, he always has an impactful question or thoughtful response. Harris has a way with words that simply puts people at ease—his words and thoughts flow naturally.

This talent comes in handy when Harris is working with his clients at Mostly Serious—a full-service digital agency that produces custom web design, digital marketing, advertising, SEO and web content—and when he’s leading conversations at Habitat Communication & Culture, the consulting company he and co-founder Jarad Johnson began in 2020 to help companies with strategic planning, performance management, leadership development and data collection. But as he looks to the future, Harris is hopeful that he can also use his communication skills in an even bigger way; he wants to use them for the betterment of 417-land.

“As companies around the world have begun to go more and more remote, people who live in 417-land have the ability to work for companies that are not in 417-land,” Harris says.

“Well, one of the things that we talk about a lot as a value of this community is cost of living—it’s cheap to live here.

But that perception also influences how much money people are willing to pay for the goods and services that our regional workers produce.”

Harris goes on to explain how local companies often pay less to employees due to the region’s low cost of living. “To prevent 417-land from becoming a community where people live here but work elsewhere, we have to start talking about the value of our work being equal to the value of work offered in other communities,” Harris says. “We have to start raising wages to be competitive with other areas. If we don’t, we’re going to have a lot of people who are living here and making a lot of money working for companies elsewhere. We’ll lose our own workforce, all while they continue to live in this area.”

Harris approaches this challenge fundamentally, as it’s not just about “giving people more money,” he says. “We need to shift the mindset so individuals understand that our work is as good as—if not better than—work produced in other communities around the country and should be priced and compensated accordingly.”

41 7-L AN D FAVO R I T E S

Meaningful Mentor: “My wife, Brandy,” he says. “We brainstorm a lot together. After her, it’s my trainer and my therapist.”

Top Event: “Moon City Con,” he says. “It’s a board game convention held annually here in Springfield.”

Instant Boost: Farmers Gastropub.

78 78

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, BRYAN PROPERTIES

ericka peppers FOR MAKING 417-LANDERS FEEL AT HOME.

Back in third grade, when a school assignment required Ericka Peppers to state her career ambition, she answered: “I want to be a CEO.” This spring, after a decade in the rental housing industry, she made it to the C-suite when she was named Bryan Properties’ first-ever COO. She credits the difficult moments with helping her reach her goal. “Every moment of growth I’ve had has come out of a difficult moment,” she says. “Those conflict moments

shaped who I was the next time and the next time. I’ve been more equipped for the next role because of those moments—because I wasn’t afraid of the resolution, and I wasn’t afraid of the tough conversation.” As a result, she says, “When I got a seat at the table, I came to it with experience, education and a little bit of luck.”

Peppers’s leadership philosophy is all about community.

She says it’s critical to acknowledge and honor the ways in which team members depend on each other. So it’s fitting that she’s leading in an industry where she says residents are increasingly seeking community.

She says young families and empty nesters are the most active renters right now, and they’re opting for living environments that radiate warmth and belonging. They’re responding to complexes with ample green spaces and extras like dog parks and fire pits. People have sparked to a living concept that she describes as “almost like a mi-

cro-unit meets a cruise ship.” It offers nearly every amenity imaginable—in exchange for less personal living space.

Initially, Peppers didn’t think that trade-off would appeal to 417-landers, but after two years of pandemic life, the vibe has officially shifted. She thinks it’s a long-term change.

“We’re going to see designs that break the barriers of our idea of what a rental property looks like,” she says. “It will mean finding out what people are longing for in a community and then building that community around them.”

417-LA N D FAVOR ITES

Meaningful Mentor: Her dad, Rick Pasquale, who died last year. “He really never settled for anything less than perfect, and it pushes me to be the very best version of myself.”

Top Event: ArtsFest on Historic Walnut Street.

Instant Boost: A chair massage at Brightness Massage Spa in Battlefield Mall.

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

79 79

80

JULY/AUGUST 2026

For The Next

A decade. That’s what stands between 417-land and endless possibilities. Meet 10 leaders who are challenging the status quo and celebrating what’s possible in the next decade and beyond in our region.

WRITTEN BY

Ren Bishop PHOTOGRAPHED BY

Brandon Alms 81 81

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

t his core, Coach Ryan Beard relies on two principles: hope and hard work.

“My parents instilled that hard work was key to any success,” he says.

“But having a positive attitude is the foundation for everything we do at Missouri State.

Instead of focusing on what we lack, we celebrate what we have. Relationships and optimism build results.”

In 2020, Ryan Beard joined Coach Bobby Petrino’s staff as defensive coordinator. His dynamic approach to building a team focused on discipline earned a team that only gave up 15.8 points per game in 2022. That December, MSU promoted him to the top job at just 33.

With a smile on his face, Beard has a Ted Lasso style of leadership. A former All-Sun Belt Team player himself, he knows what it takes to win, but he also takes time and encourages his coaches to invest in their own relationships and keep imagining bigger, better. MSU coaches visited top college football programs to ask strategic questions, learn and dream of the possibilities.

“Ryan is very well connected with high school and junior college coaches,” says Kyle Moats, Director of Athletics for MSU. “His staff has strategic connections throughout the country. Today’s programs need to be able to understand the NCAA transfer portal and build relationships. Ryan stands out in this area. He understands talent, and his personality is contagious.”

To keep players excelling on and off the field, Beard has implemented a Fifth Quarter program. From financial planning to a new suit for job interviews after graduation, MSU football players are taught what Beard calls contagious confidence, an energetic, positive approach to life. Better men are better football players, and they perform better on the field. The scoreboard matters, but so do players earning meaningful college degrees and finding success after college, he says.

“Our players will go on to be leaders in their community and here in Springfield,” he says. “I want people to look back on the Ryan Beard era and be proud of what we accomplished as a team. I want this community to be proud of Missouri State University.”

A

Ryan Beard H E A D FO OT B A L L COACH , M I SS OUR I STATE UNI V ER SITY

INSTANT BOOST

His backyard, with his wife, Katie, and four kids: Beau, Lainey, Jacob and Kailey

TOP EVENT Hickory Hills Easter Egg Hunt

MEANINGFUL MENTOR Bobby Petrino, Jeff Brohm, Jim McElwain and Walt Wells. “That’s my coaching brain trust. There are quite a few wins and championships in that group.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026

82

Kate Francis MU S E UM A F FA I R S O F FI C ER, D E VELO P M ENT AND FUNDRAISING S P RIN G F I E L D A R T M U S EUM

INSTANT BOOST

A long drive on country roads in the Ozarks

TOP EVENT

99X at the Springfield Art Museum

MEANINGFUL MENTOR

Cynthia Prost, former President and CEO of Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis. “Two of Cynthia’s mantras continue to influence my work: “no means ‘not now,’ and ‘Hope is not a strategy.’”

ne of Kate Francis’ favorite pieces in the Springfield Art Museum’s collection is called Springfield Landscape. “It’s one of the earliest known paintings of the city of Springfield,” says Francis.

“It’s not on exhibit right now because it’s currently being conserved. In 2021, our community raised funds to restore the painting and ensure its life would continue. But the painting shows what Springfield was, to help us reflect.”

In every way, Francis’ job centers around celebrating and elevating Springfield through innovation at its Art Museum.

Since joining the team in 2021, Francis has helped the museum raise more than $13 million toward its 2028 Campaign.

The comprehensive capital plan includes renovation and expansion of the museum on improved grounds, enhancing the museum’s space for its 10,000-piece permanent collection.

“The Art Museum and Springfield have this rich commitment to culture with a heart for Americana,” she says. “Our galleries and especially our focus on American Art inspire awe, curiosity and joy. We want to improve the museum’s building to attract more cultural tourists, who spend more and stay longer than other types of travelers. A more modern museum will add to Springfield’s unique identity; we don’t profess to compete with Crystal Bridges or Nelson-Atkins. We are our own, unique destination.”

Artists and creatives in Springfield benefit from this effort.

The Springfield arts and culture industry generates over $26 million in economic impact, $4 million from the museum.

New, dynamic spaces and opportunities to showcase art and artists provide value to both patrons and practitioners, says Nicole Chilton, Springfield-based artist and writer.

“Investing in the arts is investing in the community,” says Chilton. “When most people visit other cities, they remember what makes it stand out, and almost always that’s public art.

In addition to being a free and equitable way for all to enjoy the arts, the Museum adds intrinsic value to our quality of place and life.”

O

83

JULY/AUGUST 2026

hen Cade Rogers was 15, he knew exactly what he wanted to do: not be in an office.

“My dad was a banker and when I was 15, I worked organizing files in a file room, and it was the worst job,” he says. “I swore I would never work an office job. My dad introduced me to a contractor, and from day one, I fell in love. I started working for Rick before I could drive.”

A couple of decades later, Rogers is now the principal at HC Rogers Construction, a growing construction company based in Springfield. He started the business in 2014, after years of experience in construction and real estate development in Thailand, New Zealand, Chicago and across the United States. But he chose Springfield to start a construction company because he loved the community and saw the opportunity to grow within it.

In 2022, HC Rogers completed a number of significant new residential developments and commercial projects. From the 55+ community Tera Vera to Kids First childcare center and more than 50 high-end homes, HC Rogers is pushing the boundaries and elevating the aesthetic of new construction.

“Our work is helping to build the new Springfield,” he says. “As the core gets torn down and rebuilt, we’re at the center of building the buildings that will define the city center and help grow it outwards. There are a lot of people moving here from Colorado, New York, LA. With them comes a bigger city mindset, and they’re looking for new spaces, different housing options. Our city has to come together to meet the demand.”

To build the next phase of Springfield, Rogers knows he can’t do it alone. Connecting and managing employees, plus dozens of subcontractors and their hundreds of employees, is his favorite part of the work.

Because at its heart, construction is about people, he says.

“Cade is a great networker,” says Josh Sullivan, founder, partner and creative director at Fried Design Company. “He’s got a great network of contractors and specialists to help him complete his projects. He’s doing huge things in Springfield, but he kind of flies under the radar about it. I like that.”

W

Cade Rogers PR IN C IPA L , H C R OG E R S CONSTR UCTI ON

INSTANT BOOST

A round of golf at Hickory Hills Country Club

TOP EVENT Mother’s Fest at Mother’s Brewing Co.

MEANINGFUL MENTOR

Rick Spencer, superintendent for HC Rogers Construction. “He was my first boss in construction, and I got him to come out of retirement and work for me.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026

84

Marie Moore CHIEF N U R SIN G OFFICER MERCY CE NTRAL COMMUNIT I E S

MEANINGFUL MENTOR

INSTANT BOOST

Table Rock Lake

Robyn Weilbacher, Chief Nursing Officer for Mercy’s St. Louis region.

TOP EVENT

Biz 417’s Ladies Who Launch, “I always leave that event so inspired and passionate about building the community of women around us.

It fills my cup.”

n 2008, Marie Moore began her career at Mercy as a nursing tech on the surgical telemetry floor. There, she worked as a nurse assistant at bedside, providing essential care to patients.

“Our ministry started in the 1800s by a woman who was really committed to serve,” says Moore. “I drew a lot of inspiration from that, not only as a nurse and now female executive, but as someone who has a strong passion for service.”

In Moore’s role as Chief Nursing Officer, she supports more than 2,500 nurses across Southwest Missouri. Nurses are the backbone of a health care system, and when she took the role a year ago, she had one goal: better support the workforce of critically important nurses, she says.

“Nurses are a presence and a constant support for patients, but we have to support our nurses,” she says. “Through innovation, technology and AI, we’re better able to support our nurses by ensuring our staffing is truly optimized for the best patient experience.”

In 2022, Mercy launched a pilot program at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, centered around an app: Mercy Works on Demand. The app provides full- and part-time co-workers the ability to easily pick up extra shifts on their schedule.

So-called gig nursing helps meet staffing needs and provides a way for nurses to make additional income, on their own terms. A culture of exceptional care for others, as well as their own co-workers, is critical to recruiting, says Lindsay McHenry, clinical educator in the Mercy Nurse Residency Program.

“When Marie first took her role as CNO, our new nurse hire rate was extremely low,” says McHenry. “Instead of looking at it as a nationwide nursing shortage we cannot fix, Marie took bold steps forward with pushing recruitment in new ways. Almost one year later, our graduate nurse onboarding is booming and our applications have increased tremendously.”

The more nurses with a passion for high-quality, relationship-centered care, the healthier 417-land becomes—literally, says Moore.

I

85 85

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

Riley Shantz PA RTNE R A N D D E V E LO P E R, D HTC D EV ELOPM ENT AND DHTC CONSTRUCTION

INSTANT BOOST

Sequiota Park for a walk with his wife and son

TOP EVENT

Biz 417’s Think Summit. “You get some unique perspectives, and the takeaways are immediately impactful.”

MEANINGFUL MENTOR

Debbie Shantz Hart. “She’s my business partner, my mom and my best friend. We have a lot of fun together.”

iley Shantz has always been competitive, playing sports growing up and football in college for Missouri State. There, he dreamed of the NFL, but chose a different path for himself.

“Closing the door on playing football was the smartest thing he could have done,” says Debbie Shantz Hart, his mother and now business partner. “He took all of that determination and drive to play pro ball and put it into real estate development.”

Six years ago, Shantz started over and began working in his mother’s real estate development company. He started from scratch, earning his real estate license and asking thousands of questions, he says. But quickly his mother’s passion for low-income housing projects became his professional focus, seeing the transformational potential and power his projects could provide.

“I have an entrepreneurial spirit, and with real estate development projects, you have to have a vision and sell it to a city, to a community,” he says. “I enjoy the salesmanship, but these projects change residents’ lives.”

In 2023, DHTC Development broke ground on Nordic Landing, a 41-unit affordable housing project. Rents start at $400 a month for qualifying residents, up to $700 for two bedrooms, and 8 to 10 units will be set aside for youth aging out of foster care.

But Nordic Landing isn’t just an apartment complex: it’s a center for life change.

Employment training, personal finance classes and mentoring provided by nonprofit partner Flourish will help Nordic Landing residents thrive.

“To help our neighbors and get more affordable housing in the marketplace, it comes down to projects like Nordic Landing,” says Shantz. “The more supply a market has, the more options, the cheaper the rents. That helps overburdened renters, who are often paying way north of 30 percent of their monthly income in housing. Our goal is to see everyone who rents in these developments save money that caused them to be an overburdened renter and then go on to succeed. Those extra dollars are life changing and community changing.”

R

JULY/AUGUST 2026

86

t the corner of Florence and Delmar, Austin Elliott and Chris Olson lived in a five-bedroom house crammed full. They saved every dollar they could, extremely limiting their personal expenses to buy one thing: film equipment.

“We were both working full-time jobs in video production for Convoy of Hope, but we kept moonlighting, kept creating and kept buying more gear to make better, higher-quality work,” he says.

Elliott now serves as co-owner and operations director for Locke and Stache, a video production company that specializes in award-winning commercials, music videos, short films and more. Austin serves as the leader of the pack, managing operations for a team full of dynamic creatives who have chosen to make Springfield home.

“We’re a part of a community making exceptional creative work here in Springfield, and we know that this city can become an even larger hub for creatives,” he says. “Here, you can create high-quality art and enjoy all that life has to offer. We strive to make excellent videos on a national scale, and we’re proud to create art that also makes an impact on our community.”

Locke and Stache’s team creates a variety of work for passion projects that positively impact 417-land. From low-budget music videos to promoting Springfield businesses, Elliott is proud that his team spends nearly a third of their time creating videos and telling stories for nonprofits and worthy causes.

Elliot’s biggest challenge: avoiding burnout within his talented team. Monthly checkins, flexible schedules and outstanding benefits keep them creating, all made possible because of Elliot’s exceptional oversight, says Josh Pfaff, partner and creative director.

“Without Austin, I would be an unemployed, starving artist,” he says. “He is really exceptional at balancing profit and passion, and he makes our business work by making sure we both stay profitable and stay creative with passion projects that stretch us. Austin cares deeply about our mental health and the experience of being a creative, because he used to live behind a lens. Now, he’s leading us to the next level.”

A

Austin Elliot

PARTNE R A N D O P E R ATI O NS D I RE CTO R, LOC K E AND STACHE

INSTANT BOOST

A casual ride on the Greenways or mountain biking at Fellows Lake

TOP EVENT

Rosé Day at Cherry Picker Package x Fare. “It’s such a fun way to celebrate life with friends.”

87

JULY/AUGUST 2026

MEANINGFUL MENTOR

Brandon Goodwin, CaveState Productions “Brandon has been a sounding board and inspiration from day one of starting Locke and Stache. His business experience has been critical to launching and growing our creative team.”

Sara Choate H U M A N C A P I TA L SO LUTI O NS M ANAGI NG D I RE CTO R K P M C PAS & A DV I SOR S

INSTANT BOOST

A retreat with my family to Ponca, Arkansas

TOP EVENT

Artsfest on Walnut

MEANINGFUL MENTOR

Randall Moots, former KPM managing shareholder. “Randall taught me how to lead with empathy. Listening and seeking to understand is of utmost importance.”

rowing up, Sara Choate hated math. So, finding herself at an accounting firm was a surprise.

“For a non-accountant, public relations major to carve out an interesting career path at a CPA firm is somewhat unconventional,” she says. “But as an innovative firm, KPM is willing to try something different to better serve the people and businesses of 417.”

Choate is the Human Capital Solutions Managing Director at KPM CPAs & Advisors. There, she helps KPM’s clients develop strategies to recruit, retain and develop top talent. Along with ever-evolving workforce data, she’s changing the conversation about how leaders and owners engage with employees.

“If most days your workers are drained at 5 p.m., you may be missing the mark as a leader,” she says. “To have a healthy culture, your employees must be highly engaged and thriving, and having a healthy culture is the only way to recruit and retain thriving and highly engaged employees.

The two go hand in hand.”

For years, Choate has been encouraging numbers-driven owners to become people-focused leaders. From compliance and employee handbooks to leadership boot camps and culture-building strategies, Choate is helping employers develop and enhance engagement initiatives.

“Every industry is guilty of promoting people because of technical expertise and then expecting them to manage people well, but that’s just not how it works,” she says. “No magic fairy comes and sprinkles someone who is good at their job with leadership dust at night. We have to provide leaders with the tools they need to be successful at leading other people.”

At KPM, Choate walks the walk, encouraging others to utilize what she calls power skills: empathy, emotional intelligence, problem solving and self-management. Her purpose is to amplify and magnify leaders’ strengths, so they can then use a well-rounded approach to leadership instead of just looking at numbers or productivity stats.

That, ultimately, helps their team members be more fulfilled and successful, says Megan Artz, marketing director at KPM. “Sara always puts people first,” says Artz. “It’s rarer and rarer to see a positive, people-focused culture in an organization, and Sara is working to change that.”

G

JULY/AUGUST 2026

88

Mark Hecquet PR E S I D E N T/C E O, S P R INGFI ELD CONV ENTI ON & V I S I TORS BUREAU

INSTANT BOOST

Running around Lake Springfield, cycling or swimming at the Y

TOP EVENT

MEANINGFUL SUPPORTER

Tracy Kimberlin, previous president of CVB

To be determined. “I have no idea. Every day I’m immersing myself further into the community, to do and see as much as possible. I can’t wait to visit them all!”

89 89

JULY/AUGUST 2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026

rom the moment he landed at the airport, Mark Hecquet knew he wanted to be a part of the Springfield community.

For 16 years, he served as the President and CEO of Travel Butler County, promoting the travel and tourism industry in southwestern Ohio. He knew little about Springfield, but he was very interested in a new challenge. He found it the moment he arrived, he says.

“From getting off the plane, meeting the first people in the airport, the welcomeness I felt, I knew it was a community I wanted to be a part of,” says Hecquet. As the president of the Springfield Convention & Visitor Bureau, Hecquet sees himself as a champion for the tourism industry, the community he serves, and a challenger to the status quo. As someone totally new to the area, he views his fresh perspective as a strength—and a tool for innovation.

“Mark not only brings experience from the industry but he’s also brought a new challenge and energy to our team to rethink, reimagine and renew,” said Megan Buchbinder, director of marketing for the CVB. “It is an exciting time for tourism in Springfield. As a key economic driver for Springfield, there is a lot of momentum around tourism-related projects in the city. It is the perfect time to have Mark here at the beginning stages to lead the organization.”

With his team and in the community, he poses strategic questions and proposes bold ideas, encouraging people to think differently about what’s possible in their hometown. In every interaction, he encourages decisions to increase tourism. “‘Why not?’ is the question I ask myself every day,” he says. “There’s no reason why we can’t have best-in-class tourism right here. We’ve got the most popular attraction in Missouri. We’re the birthplace of Route 66. We’ve got elements that draw people from all over the world. The recent Hamilton production generated over $10 million in spending, but what’s the next Hamilton? Let’s think really, really big. What’s possible?

My challenge is to find out, and showcase the world to Springfield.”

F

e s s i c a Ha r m i s o n Olson was hooked after her first sale.

It was 2016 and her first day at Maxon Fine Jewelry. She had made a career change, leaving a CPA firm for something new that made her smile.

“The first person I recognized who came through the door, I was so excited,” she says.

“He bought a ring as a birthday present for his wife, and he was with his two little boys.

That was so fun and it made me want to help all our clients celebrate life’s milestones, to make them shine.”

Three years later, Jessica became a partner at Maxon Fine Jewelry, entering into an agreement with the previous owners to eventually purchase the established brand. She completed the purchase in February 2023, keeping every member of the veteran team at Maxon, all older than her. Now, she leads them with a spirit of collaboration, celebrating sales goals and encouraging dynamic relationship-building practices that keep generations of customers coming back for more.

“Jessica is a collaborator; she does not make decisions in silos and wants to gather the input of those around her,” says Katie Jones, account executive at Revel Advertising and Olson’s 10 for the Next 10 nominator.

“That means that her vision for the future is not just her own, but it encompasses the vision of those around her, too. As she has taken more of the reins at Maxon, I think she does a great job honoring the past, while looking for opportunities to embrace the future and adapt as needed.”

One way Olson is adapting the landmark retailer is with a strategic emphasis on customization and sustainability. By combining technology and craftsmanship, her clients can update an heirloom piece or design a dream item, utilizing gems and diamonds that meet ever-elevating ethical standards.

“Our bench jeweler is amazing, and I try to give every member of our team the freedom to do something different, to innovate,” she says. “A second location is a dream, but I want to explore ideas and keep innovating as a business owner and keep saying yes, to keep my customers and team happy. I lead with a sense of joy and a lot of sparkle.”

J

Jessica Harmison Olson OW N E R , M AXO N F I NE JEW ELRY

INSTANT BOOST

Galloway Greenway Trail

TOP EVENT

Care to Learn Soiree

MEANINGFUL MENTOR

Jerry and Jean Harmison. “Both of my parents are entrepreneurs, and when I was growing up, they put a lot of hours and sweat and tears into what they were doing. They’re my inspiration and my best source for advice.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026

90

Dr. Nichole Lemmon

DI RE C TO R VIRT UA L L E A R N I NG A ND STRATEGI C PLANNI NG FOR S P RIN G F I E L D P U B L I C S C HOOLS

INSTANT BOOST

“Pagination Bookshop is the best place to grab a book and take a breath. Owner Jen Murvin knows exactly what you need and makes the best recommendations.”

MEANINGFUL MENTOR

Her grandmother, Edna Deaton. “She always knew the right thing to say. She’s been my biggest cheerleader and champion.”

TOP EVENT

“You’ll find me on the second row at opening night of Springfield Ballet performances each season. My daughter has danced for nine years, and we love the professional performances this organization brings to 417-land.”

r. Nichole Lemmon describes her career as a series of “doing things that haven’t been done in our community before.” When she was a teacher at Central High School, she established Central Intelligence, the popular student journalism club.

Then in 2011, Springfield Public Schools (SPS) asked her to take on a new role with a very 2011-sounding title: coordinator of eLearning. Now, she’s the director of virtual learning and strategic planning for SPS—in charge of virtual programs for students all over Missouri. “We serve 120,000 enrollments annually,” she says.

The virtual programs were developed to help solve scheduling issues for students. Over the next several years, SPS’s virtual learning programs grew, as did nationwide interest in virtual education. Ultimately, legislation was enacted guaranteeing families access to virtual learning—and requiring school districts to provide it. “Our school board believed in what we’d built [at SPS] and said, ‘Let’s offer it to the state,’” Lemmon says. “I thought we’d get 30 districts to sign on, but we had over 100 partners within the first six months of the idea.”

With this new scope, Lemmon’s program took on a new name—Launch—and expanded. Then the pandemic arrived, and Launch flexed again to offer programs for all grade levels.

Coming out of the pandemic, a new educational need emerged. Employers were struggling to find enough qualified employees, and the Launch team believed it could help. They envisioned a new curriculum focused on job readiness, which could be tailored to specific industries, such as teaching or com-

D

91

JULY/AUGUST 2026

puter programming. In 2022, the State of Missouri’s Office of Workforce Development and Higher Education dedicated more than $2 million in funding to support the program.

Missouri State Senator Lincoln Hough says this investment makes sense. “Making sure that our students have access to diverse educational and workforce training programs is a key component to moving Missouri forward,” Hough says. “These programs help us attract new businesses and continue to grow our small business sector. ” For Lemmon, it’s just the latest chapter. “I don’t know what the next need will be in education,” she says. “I just know we’re flexible enough and creative enough that we can meet it.”—Lucie Amberg

JULY/AUGUST 2026

92

93

JULY/AUGUST 2026

Million-dollar ideas are so 10 years ago. In 417-land, these 10 leaders are thinking bigger by cultivating ideas, chasing dreams and building spaces that will change our community for generations to come. For these innovators, a

by REN BISHOP photos by KATY ST. CLAIR

decade is only the beginning.

JULY/AUGUST 2026

94

PHOTO BY BRANDON ALMS

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

Partner at Longitude° Branding and Design and Flyover Developments

For the Record

S

ome of Jeremy Wells’ best memories as a kid were made in Branson.

“Growing up, my family would camp out at Table Rock at Indian Point a couple of times a summer, and those are some of the best memories of my childhood,” he says. “I guess I’m chasing nostalgia, but I’m also trying to create spaces and places for real connection.”

Today, Wells is a partner at Longitude° Branding and Design and Flyover Developments. As a creative and a real estate developer, Wells is passionate about designing brands that resonate with travelers and families to make meaningful memories.

Since 2018, his design company has developed brand identities for hospitality companies looking to make a mark. Developing brand interactions was his favorite part of the work—so in 2021, he and his partner Dustin Myers purchased a roadside motel to build their own hospitality brand, The Ozarker Lodge. Part retro vibe, part Instagrammable hub, the hotel is booked and busy.

95

JULY/AUGUST 2026

“We’re not some roadside mom and pop motel; we’re trying to elevate this area and inspire people to imagine what’s possible in hotels, restaurants, experiences and beyond,” says Wells.

In the year since The Ozarker Lodge’s opening, the hotel has earned a handful of national awards, and Wells is excited to do more. Flyover also recently added Ascent on Main in Parker, Colorado, to its portfolio, but that’s just the beginning.

His goal: to own and operate 10 to 15 more boutique hotels in the Midwest by 2034.

“Jeremy’s endeavors are poised to shape our community’s future by fostering job creation, developing sustainable and eco-friendly ventures for the benefit of future generations, and making indispensable contributions to our community’s welfare,” says Garage Door Guy President Derek Lyons, who nominated Wells.

“What’s admirable about Jeremy is his unwavering commitment to approaching every idea with a community-oriented mindset. He’s constantly seeking ways to enhance the lives of everyone around him.”

BOOK RECOMMENDATION The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter

AS A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? Cartoonist

YOUR HOMETOWN Springfield

YOUR COFFEE ORDER Black coffee with oat milk at Kingdom Coffee

FAVORITE WAY TO UNWIND IN THE OZARKS? Hiking the trails at Busiek State Park with my family

MEANINGFUL MENTORS Darren Pierce and Doug Austin

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

Assistant Director of Aviation at Springfield-Branson National Airport

D

ave Schaumburg spends a lot of time thinking about the carpet at the airport.

Originally opened in 2009, the current terminal at Springfield-Branson National Airport has more than 250,000 square feet, covered mostly in its iconic water, grass and stone abstract designs. But after 15 years and millions of travelers, the airport’s flooring and footprint are about to experience a dramatic change.

As assistant director of aviation, Dave Schaumburg oversees the infrastructure of the region’s busiest airport.

And in the next 10 years, SGF Airport could double the annual travelers it saw in 2018. And, the airport will invest tens of millions of dollars to improve and expand to better serve more and more passengers.

Up first: a 250,000-square-foot expansion of the terminal ramp, increasing the concrete slab under the entire commercial terminal. The project was made possible by a $6.5 million grant from the FAA, thanks to an effort led

by Schaumburg.

“By expanding the terminal ramp, we then have the infrastructure for the Airport Master Plan to really take off,” he says, surrounded by renderings of airport improvements. “The experience, the amenities, even an outdoor patio next to a bar overlooking the airfield—they all have the possibility to change and better serve our community.”

After the added concrete settles in 2025, the infrastructure improvements could begin. Schaumburg is considering a three-story parking garage to the west of the current commercial terminal. Once that’s complete, Dave’s dream project begins: a terminal expansion that would

add up to six more gates, and with them, more travelers— and maybe, eventually, more connections and airlines.

“Dave is forward-thinking, which has paid off as the airport has experienced tremendous growth,” says Joy Latimer, Airport Legal Counsel. “SGF has repeatedly exceeded even the highest projected passenger numbers, and there is no end in sight. Dave has been and will continue to be instrumental in meeting the airport’s needs.”

No matter the runway to the next project, Schaumburg never stops pursuing innovation for SGF. “Any thriving city in America is going to have a thriving airport,” he says. “Springfield is a thriving city and deserves a thriving airport. It’s the first impression of our entire community, and our community deserves the best.”

For the Record FAVORITE PODCAST New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce

AS A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? Fighter pilot

YOUR HOMETOWN Lake Ozark

YOUR COFFEE ORDER Strawberry Hulk Smoothie from Smoothie King

FAVORITE WAY TO UNWIND IN THE OZARKS? Boating on Table Rock Lake

MEANINGFUL MENTOR Jim Anderson JULY/AUGUST 2026

96

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

Chief Executive Officer at Perimeter Behavioral Hospital of Springfield

A

mental health crisis can happen to anyone, but for children, the experience can have dire results, says Alyssa Ingle.

Supporting the mental health of children helps to establish and ensure their future as healthly adults in our community. “As a culture, we’ve lost a sense of self-efficacy for our children, so it’s important for mental health resources for our kids to help them get back to baseline and build resilience,” Ingle says.

Ingle is Chief Executive Officer at Perimeter Behavioral Hospital of Springfield, a 24/7 acute behavioral facility for children ages six to 17. Nearly 100 staff members ensure the safety of 32 children on a weekly basis, providing resources for children to help stabilize their mood and equip them with resources for a safe transition back home.

97

JULY/AUGUST 2026

“Before a child leaves us, we have therapy set up in the community within seven days,” Ingle says. “I advocate for those resources and then work to ensure that they’re going to be provided.”

Ingle began her career at Perimeter as a therapist on the floor, but she knew she wanted to help build solutions in addition to providing services. After serving as director of business development, she took on the CEO role with a mission: to equip Perimeter staff with better training to respond to trauma more effectively, while advocating for more mental health resources for children in her community.

“Acute crisis stabilization services are an imperative piece of the continuum of care for those struggling with their mental health,” says Delaney Yocom, who submitted the nomination for Ingle. “The team at Perimeter creates opportunities for connection to tools that can guide their patients toward hope.”

For the Record BOOK RECOMMENDATION Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

by Lori Gottlieb

AS A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? Fashion designer

YOUR HOMETOWN Joplin

YOUR COFFEE ORDER

As a leader, Ingle encourages her team to develop innovative programming that helps children have the time, space and support to recover from mental illness. From music therapy to holistic treatments, Ingle works alongside local health care providers to ensure children heal.

“When I do my job well, children receive the treatment to become successful leaders themselves,” she says. “When you see a child who was in our facility out working or they’re enrolled in college, even if they’re just still breathing, it keeps me going and doing this hard work.”

Sugar-free vanilla latte with almond milk at Echelon Coffee

FAVORITE WAY TO UNWIND IN THE OZARKS? Any activity with her daughter, family and friends

MEANINGFUL MENTOR Doneen Kaunley, her mother

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

President at Toth & Associates

O

n January 2, 2004, Toth & Associates (TOTH) began at Adam Toth’s parents’ kitchen table. The other first employee: his father, co-founder and fellow engineer Louis Toth.

“After working for a major corporation on ‘cool’ government projects, the work and responsibility I had were not that fun,” Adam says. “I realized it’s the work and responsibility, not the product, that makes work enjoyable, so I started a company where I would want to work.”

Now, 20 years later, Toth & Associates is an engineering firm with five offices throughout the country and closing in on 200 employees. Nearly all those team members are based in TOTH’s Springfield HQ, less than a mile from where Adam went to elementary school.

With a focus on building and sustaining relationships, Toth is committed to earning clients nationally and creating high-paying engineering jobs for the Ozarks. In 2023, Toth & Associates’ gross revenue was nearly $33 million, up from $24.6 million the year before.

“We are seen as a national expert in the electric utility space, and with that, we bring dollars into the Springfield market,” he says. “We’ve also helped our clients secure hundreds of millions in FEMA grant money across Missouri, improving critically important infrastructure, including our schools.”

TOTH supports communities throughout 417-land, helping to ensure safe, reliable and cost-effective power, streets, sidewalks, water and more to the region for generations to come. But the firm is doing more, taking on more and bigger projects as its impact and team continue to grow.

“The future of our community and country is heavily dependent on having reliable energy infrastructure, so attracting younger generations to this field is critical,” says Warren Brooks, Vice President of Electric Operations at City Utilities. “We work in a very challenging field where companies are always competing for talent, yet Adam has been able to not only maintain but grow the organization because of the culture he’s built.”

In 10 years, Toth hopes to have a bigger team—with a goal of leading 500 employees.

“My dream would be for Springfield to be seen as an engineering hub.

Springfield has never been a hard science destination, but I want people to think of Springfield and think of us as a high-tech, engineering town. Our company and our growth can help change this perception.”

For the Record BOOK RECOMMENDATION Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

by Stephen Covey

AS A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? Doctor

YOUR HOMETOWN Springfield

YOUR COFFEE ORDER Lukewarm black coffee

FAVORITE WAY TO UNWIND IN THE OZARKS? Wake surfing on Table Rock Lake with his four kids

MEANINGFUL MENTORS His parents, Louis and Mary Lou Toth JULY/AUGUST 2026

98

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

Assistant Vice President, Commercial Lending, at Central Bank of the Ozarks

M

arshfield is the home of the longest running Fourth of July celebration west of the Mississippi River.

It’s a point of pride for the community, but it’s also something that Blair Gann just knows.

“My family is a fourth-generation farm family in Webster County, and the Saddle Club here, my great-grandpa was one of the founding members,” she says. “Marshfield is more than my home, it’s my family’s history, and it’s where I’m trying to leave a legacy.”

Gann was raised in Marshfield, where she began her professional life as an agriculture teacher. Now, she’s Assistant Vice President of Commercial Lending with Central Bank of the Ozarks, working to build connections and capital in Webster County’s economy. To do that, she develops relationships with local business owners and encourages leaders to not just live, but work, grow and build businesses in Webster County.

“Blair’s ability to harness the strengths of both innovation and tradition cultivates a dynamic environment, where local businesses thrive and residents flourish,” says Monica Stewart, President/CEO of Monica’s Media, who 99

JULY/AUGUST 2026

nominated Gann. “Her commitment to staying ahead of the curve, while remaining deeply invested in the community, makes her an invaluable asset to our community’s continued success.”

As a leader, Gann serves on the board of The Webster County Fair, Marshfield Area Community Foundation and the Missouri University Extension Webster County.

Plus, she started a nonprofit, the Webster County Market Animal Show and Sale, which cultivates skills and scholarships for local students.

After watching many Webster County young professionals leave for opportunities nearby, she helped launch Leadership Marshfield, a dynamic professional development experience designed to help young people engage, invest and, hopefully, plant deep roots in Marshfield.

The future of Webster County depends on local talent choosing to not just stay but invest and build on a tradition of success for a brighter future, she says.

“I’m a big believer in no one is coming to save us in our community,” she says. “If there’s a cow out of her pasture and you are the only one around, you have to figure out how to fix the problem yourself. We can help ourselves now, invest and innovate now, and 10 years or a generation from now, we will reap the benefits.”

For the Record FAVORITE PODCAST The Fallon Taylor Podcast

AS A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? Agricultural lawyer

YOUR HOMETOWN Marshfield

YOUR COFFEE ORDER Sugar-free vanilla latte at Rise Coffee

FAVORITE WAY TO UNWIND IN THE OZARKS? Riding horses and team roping

MEANINGFUL MENTORS Jon and Lindsey Cartwright

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

Market Development Coordinator for Environmental Services at City of Springfield

A

s a theater major at Missouri State University, Ashley Krug had an assignment: learn how to behave like a tree.

“I went on a date and saw An Inconvenient Truth to do research for my acting class and learn more about the environment,” she says.

“As cliché as it sounds, that night changed my life, and I changed my major.”

As Market Development Coordinator for Environmental Services at the City of Springfield, Krug describes herself as an educator and advocate for the Noble Hill Sanitary Landfill.

The landfill is an invisible but vital resource for 417land, and along with a team of five educators, she’s helping to extend the capacity of our community’s landfill through proactive recycling and waste management.

“Ashley is always on the

lookout for ways to encourage citizens to rethink, repurpose and recycle waste,” says Laurie Davis, education outreach coordinator for Environmental Services.

“The landfill is a limited community resource, so Ashley is always exploring ways to keep that message front and center in all of her interactions.”

In 2023, Krug secured USDA funding for Dish to Dirt, a citywide effort to keep food waste from ending up in the landfill. More than 14 percent of all waste, 40,000 tons of compostable food scraps end up in the landfill each year. Dish to Dirt empowers citizens to collect their food scraps and drop them off at one of three Springfield recycling centers, turning food scraps into rich compost.

For every pound of waste deferred from the landfill, the landfill’s life extends, with a positive impact on the environment and the local economy. Companies looking to invest in commu-

For the Record BOOK RECOMMENDATION Wasteland by Oliver Franklin-Wallis

AS A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? Marine biologist to study sharks, then a Broadway star

YOUR HOMETOWN Mountain Home, Arkansas

nities look to infrastructure when making decisions, and sustainable practices with waste management are key to securing more and bigger investment in the region, says Krug.

“I see Springfield being the next city where forward-thinking, environmentally conscious companies are looking to invest,” she

says. “Sustainability isn’t scarcity. Sustainability is about making smarter decisions to ensure our environment in the Ozarks is just as beautiful in two generations as it is for us today. Being a little more thoughtful now can have a huge impact on our future.”

YOUR COFFEE ORDER Iced tea brewed by her husband, Eric

FAVORITE WAY TO UNWIND IN THE OZARKS? Gardening

MEANINGFUL MENTOR Mary Kromrey

JULY/AUGUST 2026

100

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

Executive Director at Watershed Committee of the Ozarks

M

ike Kromrey is always thinking about decades when it comes to his work.

At Watershed Committee of the Ozarks, Mike leads a team of about 30 educators, conservationists and scientists who have a simple mission: keep our water clean. But 40 years after its founding, the organization’s work is increasingly challenging and complex.

“Global ecological systems are in crisis,” he says. “We’re using our 40th anniversary as a platform to use what we’ve learned in the last 40 years to scale up our local impact and prepare us to face the challenges of the next 40 years, which include population growth and climate change. We know what works best, we know how to do it, we just need to do more to keep pace with the threats we’re facing.”

Since 2006, Kromrey has worked to improve 417-land’s waterways through projects and education. When he was promoted to executive director in 2012, he helped foster partnerships with municipalities and other nonprofits to do more: more stream restorations, more innovative programs, more educational opportunities with local schools.

When it comes to clean water, there’s always more to be done, he says.

“Mike is a visionary leader who sees opportunities where others may see challenges,” says Marra Holt, communication coordinator for Watershed Committee of the Ozarks. “He’s willing to take risks and use lessons learned to adapt for the future. Mike embraces bold ideas and cultivates collaboration among community groups, nonprofits, agencies, businesses, students and hobbyists to make our collective clean water dreams a reality.”

For Kromrey, he’s always thinking about how his work will impact the next generation. But when there’s an endless stream of projects, literally, Kromrey is now focused on how the work for cleaner water can be more strategic for even greater impact in the decades to come.

“The challenges of population growth and climate change are tracking on an exponential growth curve, but our progress has only been linear,” he says. “We need to catch up. We need to do more.”

For the Record BOOK RECOMMENDATION From Strength to Strength

by Arthur Brooks

AS A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? A conservationist with the Missouri Department of Conservation

YOUR HOMETOWN Sullivan, Missouri

YOUR COFFEE ORDER Black

FAVORITE WAY TO UNWIND IN THE OZARKS? Floating, fishing and hunting throughout the seasons

MEANINGFUL MENTORS Brian Fogle, Dan Hoy, Mary Kromrey

101

JULY/AUGUST 2026

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

Founding Attorney at Fortified Elder Law

W

hen Rachel Fortenberry was in law school, she had a plan: She was going to work in the prosecutor’s office of a county in Ohio. She had accepted a job, had plans for the summer and had a path paved for her career ahead.

And then, she made a phone call.

“I called my dad to wish him happy birthday, and he said he was in the hospital,” she says.

“They told me my dad had a mass on his liver and that the doctor said ‘cancer.’ He had to have a tumor removed, and I gave up that job and came home.”

Her father recovered, but her life changed. Now, she helps people navigate their own life-changing news: a terminal diagnosis, a devastating prognosis, a tragedy unfolds. And for so many of her clients, she’s the person they look to for guidance in navigating next steps as a person reaches life’s end.

As an attorney specializing in end-of-life care, Fortenberry is a millennial attorney paving the way for better, kinder end-of-life care for baby boomers and beyond. At Fortifield Elder Law, she helps her clients, but she’s also helping organizations and care providers increase and innovate their services, with more and better end-of-life care available for an aging population.

For the Record “Seniors are a forgotten population,” she says. “But they are an increasing population. What we’re trying to do is put Springfield and Southwest Missouri on the cutting edge of navigating these hard topics.”

Fortenberry serves on the executive board for Hospice Foundation of the Ozarks, a nonprofit that has distributed millions in grants for end-of-life services. With her help, the nonprofit is working to launch a premier End-of-Life Care Summit in 2025, with attendees from the four-state region coming together to design, develop and discuss best practices for end-of-life care.

“Knowledge truly is power, and education is the cornerstone of empowerment,” says Fortenberry. Working with HFO to create and distribute reliable information is crucial to helping others understand the necessary steps to take when faced with end-of-life situations.

“Rachel’s dual role as an HFO Executive Board Member, cochair of the HFO Advisory Committee and an elder law attorney underscores her holistic approach to serving the community,” says Anjanette LaBellarte, executive director of Hospice Foundation of the Ozarks. “By combining her legal expertise with her commitment to compassionate care, Rachel makes a significant and lasting impact on the lives of those she serves.”

BOOK RECOMMENDATION Mindset by Carol Dweck

AS A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? First female president of the United States of America

YOUR HOMETOWN Rogersville

YOUR COFFEE ORDER Lavender latte at Kingdom Coffee

FAVORITE WAY TO UNWIND IN THE OZARKS? Camping at Stockton Lake

MEANINGFUL MENTORS Noble Bowman and Sativa Boatman

JULY/AUGUST 2026

102

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

Boys Director of Coaching at Sporting Springfield

G

erard Barbero began his soccer career before he could lace up his cleats.

More than 30 years ago in Georgia, Barbero began playing soccer at age 3. At 18, he scored a scholarship and played for Missouri State University’s soccer team. After college, his career as a player was over, but his career as a coach was taking off.

“I got my start coaching at Springfield Soccer Club, which is now Sporting Springfield,” he says. “I went and coached in Birmingham, Alabama, and came back because I love this city and I love working for this club, and there’s so much potential for soccer to grow here. Twenty years ago, soccer was barely available in our local high schools. Now, we’re a part of soccer’s exploding growth across the country.”

As boys director of coaching, Barbero oversees 103

JULY/AUGUST 2026

coaches and teams for players ages 9 to 19 at Sporting Springfield. Last summer, his team of 17-year-olds, the 2006 Atletico Madrid, won the national championship for their age division in Denver, Colorado.

But for Barbero, he’s thinking beyond the scoreboard when it comes to soccer. A competitive soccer market brings more tournaments, more traveling teams and ultimately, more dollars to the local economy, and Sporting’s success as a club helps push forward more and better athletic facilities in the Ozarks. But developing players into champions of their own success with a growth mindset is Barbero’s persistent goal, he says.

“We’re working with the next managers, the next owners, the next entrepreneurs, and we’re helping to develop them as leaders,” he says. “When young people go into job interviews and they’ve played a sport competitively, they have an advantage because they’ve already been successful in

For the Record FAVORITE PODCAST “Any podcast about soccer.”

AS A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? Professional soccer player

YOUR HOMETOWN Marietta, Georgia

YOUR COFFEE ORDER Water

a team environment. Our workforce benefits from strong athletics for children locally.”

Brianna Reitzner is the mother of two Sporting Springfield players.

Barbero’s innovative and supportive coaching style allows each player to shine, she says.

“Coach is teaching players the importance of perseverance and grit, as well as how to be a part of a community, working together, to build each other up,” she says. “These are the future leaders of our community, and it’s all starting with the values being instilled on the pitch.”

FAVORITE WAY TO UNWIND IN THE OZARKS? Silver Dollar City with his wife, Kelly and their three daughters: MacKenly, Kacelynn and Sutton

MEANINGFUL MENTORS Eric Sorlie, executive director of Sporting Springfield, and Jerry Barbero

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

For the Record BOOK RECOMMENDATION Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

AS A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? Conservationist. “I love being in the outdoors.”

YOUR HOMETOWN Marshfield

YOUR COFFEE ORDER White mocha

FAVORITE WAY TO UNWIND IN THE OZARKS? Boating on Table Rock Lake with his wife and kids

MEANINGFUL MENTOR Jeremy Loftin

Chief Operations Officer and Managing Partner at Next Level Solutions

N

ext Level Solutions is a global IT services provider for property and casualty insurance companies. Over 300 team members are based in four locations: Guaynabo, Puerto Rico; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Columbia, South Carolina; and the company’s headquarters in Springfield.

But away from work, you’ll find NLS co-founder, Chief Operations Officer and Managing Partner Michael Smith on the back of his tractor in Marshfield.

“Selfishly, I wanted NLS to be headquartered out of Springfield because I love this community; this is my home,” he says. “But Springfield is a strategic and low-cost city to build a tech company.”

Smith and Chris Sawyer, NLS President and CEO, launched NLS in 2018.

The duo had worked in building custom solutions for software utilized by insurance companies and wanted to build a company that could combine good, hard work with smarter, custom solutions.

“Michael’s big dreams and small-town values have helped create a culture in which NLS is making significant impact for our national accounts, while maintaining a connectedness to our 417 home and community,” says Christie Browne, NLS Vice President of Delivery. “We’re able to do big things under Michael’s leadership because we follow his example of taking risks and believing in ourselves.”

Prior to starting NLS, Smith felt limited in his career opportunities. Now, he recruits top talent for high-paying insurance software professional jobs in Springfield, with opportunities for team members to grow, live and invest in 417-land. “We’re promoting people who are innovative, challenging the norm, looking for efficiencies and doing things differently, while working well with others,” he says. “I’m not looking for years of service, I’m looking for value added to the company, and we reward that mindset with a culture that supports their success.”

Since launching in 2018, NLS has quietly donated hundreds of thousands to local charities, including $68,000 raised for Men Wear Pink with the American Cancer Society. Investing in the community isn’t just a core value to NLS, it’s a call to action, he says.

417-land has proven to be a reliable resource for talent for NLS, and as needs arise, will continue to hire from the rich local talent pool.

“We believe that when you invest in people, they’ll want to invest in their community,” he says. “We have nearly 200 employees who live here, and we want our community to be the best it can be for them, too.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026

104

105

JULY/AUGUST 2026

FOR THE NEXT

Over the next 10 years, there is such potential on the horizon.

These 417-landers are the ones to watch as they make our region a more innovative, connected and forward-thinking place to be.

WRITTEN BY

PHOTOGRAPHED BY

Jordan Blomquist

Brandon Alms

106

JULY/AUGUST 2026

2025

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

Abbye Bobbett A R C H I T E C T A N D CO O, KI NETI C D ES I GN + D EVE LOPME NT

“I knew I wanted to be able to POUR into Springfield somehow.”

What is your favorite podcast or book recommendation?

“Both are by the same person, Dan Martell. He wrote Buy Back Your Time, and he has an amazing YouTube channel and podcast.”

What is your go-to coffee shop order?

“I am loving an iced latte with the salted butterscotch cold foam from Architect Coffee Co. It’s a seasonal one, but I hope they just keep it on the menu.”

Which 417-lander do you turn to for inspiration and advice?

“Can I pick three? Logan Aguirre, Sara Choate and Joselyn Baldner.”

2025

A

Abbye Bobbett understands the challenge of balancing work and life in the architecture industry.

That, along with her faith, inspired her to take the leap and start her own company. “And to create a business that prioritizes people, promotes work/life balance and is innovative in its approach to architecture, interior design and development services,” Bobbett says.

In 2022, she co-founded Kinetic Design and Development with her husband, Griffin, and business partner, Adam Kreher. In just two and a half years, the company has grown from a small team of three to a workforce of 56 employees.

“We put a lot of emphasis on our culture, our core values and our mission,” Bobbett says. That mission includes Kinetic Kares, a quarterly initiative that includes a volunteer and donation opportunity for a local organization.

“Abbye took a leap to follow her own dreams of what architecture in our community could look like,” Jordan Ryan, Director of Development Services at Kinetic said in her nomination of Bobbett.

Bobbett manages firm operations, ensuring her teams have the resources they need to succeed.

She also explores new software and drives innovation, and she does a bit of architecture herself.

In the next 10 years, Bobbett and the team are dreaming big.

Their vision is to grow Kinetic into a thriving firm with more than 100 members, expanding their footprint with satellite offices and strengthening national presence.

JULY/AUGUST 2026

107

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

2025

Betsy Fogle H O US E O F R E P RES ENTATI VE S , STATE OF M I SSOU RI

“Almost all of the BEST things in my life have happened outside of the plan I had for myself.”

T

he current state representative for House District 135, Betsy Fogle, represents the northeast quadrant of Springfield. Now in her fifth year, Fogle was reelected to her third term this past November. She is especially proud of the work she and her team have accomplished in public education. “We have done things like raise base teacher salary,” she says.

This year, she is serving as a ranking member on the budget committee, giving her a greater say in how tax dollars are spent. Fogle advocates for fully funding the foundation formula, funding student transportation and ensuring kids have what they need to succeed. “I believe education is the most important pathway out of poverty for families,” she says.

“Betsy is not just a policymaker— she is a changemaker,” Brandy Harris, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield, said in her nomination.

Looking ahead to the next 10 years, Fogle hopes Springfield continues to grow, remains one of the best places to raise a family and continues building strong schools and economic opportunities.

Saying “yes” to unexpected opportunities is what brought Fogle to this position. “Almost all of the best things in my life have happened outside of the plan I had for myself,” Fogle says. “That’s when the good part of life happens.”

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“A point guard for the Chicago Bulls.”

What is your go-to coffee shop order?

“I go to Cherry Picker Package + Fare, and I get a hot chocolate or an iced tea.”

What’s your favorite way to unwind in 417-land?

“Sit at the corner of Cherry and Pickwick at one of the many small businesses.”

108

JULY/AUGUST 2026

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

“I’m a blue-collar guy at heart.”

Josh Manning FO U N D E R , VA LI ANT GR OUP

What is your favorite book recommendation?

“Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter

by Curtis Jackson aka 50 Cent.”

What’s your favorite way to unwind in 417-land? “My wife and I are

big foodies, so a food truck at a brewery. Wire Road Brewing Co. is one of our favorite places.”

Which 417-lander do you turn to for inspiration and advice?

“Bruce Adib-Yazdi”

2025

I

“I’m a blue-collar guy at heart,” says Josh Manning, founder of Valiant Group. In the beginning, Manning didn’t set out to work in real estate or development. While at Missouri State, he took an internship at a large commercial construction company to fulfill a credit requirement, but he ended up staying for 10 years, the last three years as vice president. Later, he and a friend started flipping houses, and Valiant Group was born.

Today, Valiant Group is a full-circle real estate company with in-house brokerage and licensed real estate agents.

The team buys heavily distressed, single-family properties, renovates them and sells them typically to first-time home buyers. On the development side, they purchase raw land and work with in-house designers and a licensed architect to build apartment communities. Their property management division oversees about 700 units across Springfield.

Forward SGF has been a a guide as Manning thinks about growth and development across Springfield. Valiant Group is wrapping up three multi-family developments and launching major renovations at two apartment complexes. Construction is underway on The Arcadian, a 100-unit luxury condo project on East Battlefield. This project pipeline will create $70 million in growth for the company. “My goal isn’t just to grow bigger, it’s to grow better,” Manning says. “That means developing great projects, investing in our people, building strong community relationships and setting the standard for how real estate should be done. I want Valiant to be known for doing meaningful work that lasts.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026

109

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

2025

“I realized one day that I was an organized creative, and that was a rare breed.”

Dustin Kirkpatrick O P E R AT I O N S DI RECTO R, LO C K E A N D STACHE

D

ustin Kirkpatrick has been working in the creative industry for a little more than 10 years now. He first fell in love with photography, which eventually led him to graphic design, a field he worked in for six years.

“I realized one day that I was an organized creative, and that was a rare breed,” Kirkpatrick says. “I realized you can make a career out of being the person who does the organization, and that was a real pivot point for my career.” That realization led him to Locke and Stache, a video production company where he oversees internal operations and tactical project management, keeping communication flowing smoothly between the team and clients. With Kirkpatrick settled into his new role, Locke and Stache is already taking big steps towards their five year goals. His professional goals are to make collaboration easier and more effective through a clearly defined project cycle and build a system that serves as Locke and Stache’s single-source-of-truth for

110

JULY/AUGUST 2026

What is your favorite book recommendation?

“A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload by Cal Newport.”

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“A cowboy!”

What is your go-to coffee shop order? “Matcha latte

with oat milk.”

equipment inventory, rentals, payments and production schedules. “The reason that I always love working with Dustin is not just his attention to detail and excitement for a good process, but more importantly how he thinks about and cares for every person involved in that process,” says Austin Elliot, president of Locke and Stache.

Kirkpatrick also serves as president of Springfield Creatives and has been on the board for six years.

What’s inspired him most is the chance to connect with others in the industry and watch local creatives lift one another up.

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

Jeff Bertholdi D I RECTO R- S P RI NGNE T, C I TY UTILITIE S

What is your favorite podcast recommendation? “I enjoy

pretty much everything that Kevin Rose puts out.”

“Springfield is far more than just a metro.”

What’s your favorite way to unwind in 417-land?

“Go down to Table Rock Lake at Cape Fair.”

Which 417-lander do you turn to for inspiration and advice?

“Mary Beth O’Reilly”

2025

I

In 2023, The Wall Street Journal named Springfield the top city in the United States for remote work, and Jeff Bertholdi is one of the people helping make that possible.

He’s the director of SpringNet Broadband at City Utilities (CU), where he’s worked for 25 years.

SpringNet, CU’s fiber network, was established in 1997 to bring reliable high-speed internet to Springfield.

“Jeff brings a creative vision and relentless dedication to everything he does,” says Dwayne Fulk, president/CEO of City Utilities. “His leadership at SpringNet goes beyond broadband. He’s laser-focused on building a more connected, competitive and resilient Springfield for the next generation.”

Bertholdi’s goal has always been to ensure Springfield was ready for economic change and positioned as a place where businesses could relocate—and where gigabit fiber was available. Bertholdi believes over the next decade, Springfield has a major opportunity to extend its thinking toward regionalism.

“Springfield is far more than just a metro,” he says. “We feed off of the surrounding communities and work hard to join together to grow all of southwest Missouri.”

In addition to broadband, Bertholdi oversees the trunk radio system, which spans seven large towers across Greene County that the police, fire, sheriff and public works departments use. Bertholdi and his team are responsible for protecting that system and keeping it up and running.

JULY/AUGUST 2026

111

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

2025

Dakota Crow

I

OW N E R & D R O NE P I LOT, M ONA RCH DR ONE SOLU T I ONS

“I’m a ZIZZER, and I have no idea, still to this day, what that is.”

Where is your hometown? “West Plains. I’m a Zizzer, and I have no idea, still to this day, what that is.”

What’s your favorite way to unwind in 417-land?

“I like to jog. One of my favorite places is at the Springfield Conservation Nature Center.”

112

JULY/AUGUST 2026

Which 417-lander do you turn to for inspiration and advice?

“If it’s personal, definitely my wife Annah. If it has to do with application things, Roger Sanders. He was a crop duster for 40 years. If I need emotional support, I call my grandma.”

In 2021, Dakota Crow began flying agriculture drones for seeding and crop protection projects on his family’s farm after his dad came across the technology and shared it with him. Little did he know it would become a game-changer for farmers.

Once word got out, more people became interested in the work he was doing, and it blossomed into a commercial application business.

That growing interest eventually extended to the drones themselves, and Monarch Drone Solutions was born. As the owner and drone pilot, Crow now oversees a robust sales and service department and a test application crew. “Dakota is making huge waves for farmers in the Ozarks,” Annah Crow, marketing and event coordinator, said in her nomination. This technology helps farmers reach difficult areas to control invasive species and weeds, increasing grass growth, and it helps with seed application.

What’s next? Dakota aims to bring a fully autonomous and electric tractor to the Ozarks market.

His love for these products comes from watching his hardworking grandfather while growing up.

“The part that drew me to what we do now with the sales and service of autonomous ag equipment was how he treated his customers,” Dakota says. “It’s been neat to do the same thing in a new era.”

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

2025

“It’s really amazing to be part of that BIGGER picture.”

Julie Reams P R E S I D E N T & CEO, CA R TH AG E C H A M B ER OF COM M E R C E

A

t the Carthage Chamber of Commerce, Julie Reams works with local businesses, leaders and citizens to improve the overall business climate by helping to foster economic

development for a thriving community. “Julie consistently promotes Carthage in a way that makes everyone proud, strengthening community ties and fostering a sense of shared pride and collaboration,” said Cheryl Church, education and gallery director of Art Central, in her nomination.

Reams has been with the Carthage Chamber for three and a half years and has worked in the industry for 35 years. One initiative she launched is the monthly Empowering Women Luncheon, which is a way for women to get together and network.

Its success has inspired her to start a similar series for men.

“If we can provide these opportunities to come together, it puts food for thought,” Reams says. “It is making a difference.”

Other successful initiatives Reams has spearheaded include weekly Chamber Coffees, where she hears directly from the business community about their needs. Looking ahead, she hopes to see Carthage continue to prosper. She is always eager to try something new or switch gears when needed, and she’s constantly dreaming up new ideas and presenting them to her team. “If you have an active Chamber and can help businesses achieve their goals, the sky’s the limit,” she says. “It’s really amazing to be a part of that bigger picture.”

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“I wanted to be famous!”

Where is your hometown?

“I grew up in a little bitty town in Kansas called Scammon, home to about 200 people.”

What is your go-to coffee shop order?

“When I go to a coffee shop, I always have to try their chai latte. Gotta have it with oat milk.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026

113

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

2025

Nicole McCauley C E O, B R E ATH OF LI FE PR EGNA NCY A ND P E DI ATR I C C H I R OPRACTI C , M CCAULEY F OU NDAT I ON

D

r. Nicole McCauley stands at the intersection of food equity, innovation and philanthropy. She owns Breath of Life Pregnancy and Pediatric Chiropractic, a business that has been a fixture in Springfield since 1966.

Breath of Life is growing into a new location, creating space for complementary natural health care options for patients. “Dr. McCauley is not just a doctor, she is a game changer for families,” Daniel Ortega said in his nomination for McCauley.

Beyond her clinic, McCauley is the CEO and founder of the McCauley Foundation, which creates agricultural ecosystems for nonprofit organizations to develop self-sustainability. McCauley’s local goal with the foundation is to end food insecurity for this generation through access and education, “because everyone deserves to know where their next meal is coming from”—a topic she knows all too well, as she grew up food insecure herself. One of the ways her team is tackling this is through aeroponic growing, which allows for increased production and nutrient density equal to that of produce grown organically in soil. McCauley helps schools, nonprofits and communities set up tower farms, which are vertical growing systems that deliver fresh produce while using 98% less water and 90% less space than traditional farming. “My whole life is going to be dedicated to feeding people from here on out,” McCauley says.

114

JULY/AUGUST 2026

“EVERYONE deserves to know where their next meal is coming from.”

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? “When I was

5, I wanted to be a tap-dancing brain surgeon.”

What is your go-to coffee shop order?

“I don’t always drink coffee, but when I do, I like to go to Dancing Mule and get a Razzle Nut with coconut milk. It’s off-menu, except around Christmastime.”

What’s your favorite way to unwind in 417-land? “I like to go to Acacia

Spa. I schedule it once a month, and I like to take the whole day and just recharge.”

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

Michael Calhoun C E O/E X E C U T I VE D I RE CTO R, CI TI Z ENS M EM ORIAL HOSPITAL

“The facility allows us to have a home that is more reflective of the care that CMH provides.”

What is your favorite podcast recommendation? “I check out the news every day on a podcast called The World and Everything In It.” As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“A baseball player, but once those aspirations weren’t there, I wanted to be a doctor or pharmacist.”

Which 417-lander do you turn to for inspiration and advice?

“There are a lot. Our previous CEO, Don Babb, has been a real help to me, and also Gary Fulbright. I have also found a lot of joy in getting to work with Max Buetow at CoxHealth on health care initiatives.”

2025

M

Michael Calhoun has worked at Citizens Memorial Hospital (CMH) since he was 18 years old. Today, he serves as CEO of CMH and Executive Director of the CMH Foundation, overseeing the entire health system. He is leading the team through a $100 million expansion that includes a new, state-of-the-art facility to house all inpatient services. “I’m excited to be able to bring that vision to reality,” Calhoun says. “[The facility] allows us to have a home that is more reflective of the care that CMH provides.”

Calhoun is an advocate for rural health care. He is a member of the Missouri Association of Rural Health Clinics, where he previously served as president, and was on the board of the National Association of Rural Health Clinics. “Michael wants patients in Missouri to have access to health care and works to help ensure that is possible,” said Tamera Heitz-Peek director of marketing in her nomination. With that in mind, he proudly partners with CoxHealth and Mercy to provide the top level of care to patients. In the next 10 years, Calhoun sees expansion in long-term care and skilled nursing, leveraging technology to extend the reach of the workforce and stronger pipelines to encourage more young people to choose health care careers.

JULY/AUGUST 2026

115

10 FOR THE NEXT 10

2025

Luke Phelps

“We’ve got the FIRST-OF-A-KIND technology in the solar market.”

CO - FO UN D E R A ND CEO, V R OOM S O L A R

F

or the last four years, Luke Phelps has been working on new technology to disrupt the solar and power management industries as the co-founder and CEO of Vroom Solar.

“We’ve got the first-of-a-kind technology in the solar market that makes solar easier to access and lowers costs for everyone across the board,” Phelps says. Before launching Vroom

116

JULY/AUGUST 2026

Solar, Phelps owned and operated a solar installation company in northern Missouri, helped run a farm and installed agricultural solar systems. He saw the need for remote solar and a lack of good solutions on the market. “Everything was burdened by a massive battery cost or by the regulations,” he says. “I wanted to make a solar solution that was completely independent of all those hurdles.”

Ten years from now, Phelps hopes Vroom Solar has a presence in multiple countries, making energy available to everyone. He’s especially excited about the company’s recent partnership with Convoy of Hope, which will launch a pilot project at their headquarters to test how new technology performs. “We know it’s going to change the power dynamics, allowing people to truly own their own power without the high costs and regulations of the utility grid,” he says.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“A farmer. I never really saw myself as a business owner as a kid.”

What is your go-to coffee shop order?

“A mocha latte.”

Which 417-lander do you turn to for inspiration and advice?

“Jason Hynson, and I also follow Jack Stack and his business ethics.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026

117

for the next

118

JULY/AUGUST 2026

These 10 change-makers are getting the job done today, while looking ahead and discovering new ways to influence the future of our communities.

BY JO RDAN B LO M QU IST PHOTOS BY BRANDON ALMS

JULY/AUGUST 2026

119

10 For The Next 10

Danny Perches B U S I N E S S C O N S U LTA N T, O L S S O N

Danny Perches is using his experience and connections to move projects forward and strengthen economic growth across the Ozarks region.

Danny Perches is a problem solver focused on serving people. A business consultant at Olsson, he works with clients across 417-land to move projects forward on time and on budget. “Early on in my career, I learned how to take care of the people I’m working with,” Perches says. “How to be their advocate and ultimately help them solve their problems.”

Perches’ path through workforce development, the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Springfield taught him that progress comes down to service. At the City, he helped first-time business owners navigate the development process and supported large companies planning their next move, acting as a connector between ideas and execution. His time at the Chamber was especially formative, giving him a close view of regional growth and leadership.

“Danny doesn’t just react to change—he creates change,” says Jim Anderson, former president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. “He is a change agent. His entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in everything that he does.”

Outside of work, he serves on the Battlefield Fire Protection District board as the board president. It’s a role that reflects his long-time commitment to supporting first responders. “Our primary charge is to serve as the governing body responsible for efficient operation of the district and the stewardship of public dollars that fund what we do as a fire protection district,” he says.

Looking ahead, Perches sees his work as part of a larger effort to strengthen 417-land’s capacity for growth. “It’s all about promoting economic development,” he says. “Helping municipalities and educational or healthcare institutions accomplish their goals that lead to job creation, capital investment and economic opportunities for the area.”

120

JULY/AUGUST 2026

What’s your go-to coffee order?

“An Americano with a splash of cream.”

Favorite way to reset after a long day?

“Listening to music.”

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“A veterinarian.”

Favorite local spot?

“Retro Metro.”

Where is your hometown?

“Springfield, Missouri.”

What’s your favorite podcast recommendation?

“Huberman Lab Podcast.”

Callie Swafford V P, B U S I N E S S D E V E L O P M E N T & S H A R E H O L D E R R E L AT I O N S OFFI CE R, OMB BANK

Callie Swafford is proving that showing up and building real relationships is still one of the most powerful drivers of growth.

“My job is community,” Callie Swafford says. “I go to events all day, every day, and I love it.” Her job at OMB Bank is built around showing up. Most days, that means meeting people and strengthening relationships that directly support the bank’s growth.

In addition to building relationships, she works on raising capital and connecting with shareholders, all while representing a locally rooted, privately held community bank. “This is the community we serve,” she says. “Therefore, my relationships in the community are very important for our growth.”

That people-first approach also shapes how she leads. Swafford describes her leadership style as intentionally untraditional, focused less on titles and more on connection. For her, networking is not transactional. “It is my job to get to know people, but not just for the sake of knowing people,” she says. “It is to build relationships with them.”

Her civic role on the Springfield City Council connects directly to that same mindset. Being in the community, she says, keeps her grounded in real needs and real conversations. It also shapes how she approaches decision-making. “Everything Callie does, she does with her whole heart,” says Seth Swafford, Callie’s husband and president of Palen Music Center. “She’s not afraid to roll up her sleeves and dive in—even when the work is hard, messy or unpopular.”

Swafford is energized by what young professionals offer. “When young professionals feel a part of something that’s bigger than themselves, they want more,” she says.

What’s your go-to coffee order?

“Hot Americano, splash of almond milk.”

Favorite way to reset after a long day?

“Probably a Missouri State Bears game, something athletics-wise or just grabbing dinner with my husband.”

What’s one word you want people to associate with your work?

“Optimism.”

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“Miss America or a WNBA player.”

Favorite local spot?

“Architect Coffee.”

Where is your hometown?

“Springfield, Missouri.”

What’s your favorite book recommendation?

“Daily devotionals with my husband.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026

121

10 For The Next 10

Ben Shantz PA R T N E R, S P E N C E R FA N E

Ben Shantz is using his legal expertise and leadership to help solve complex challenges and shape Springfield’s future.

Ben Shantz is a lawyer at Spencer Fane who spends his days helping clients work through complicated problems that rarely come with simple answers. His practice centers on real estate and construction, but over time, it has expanded into something closer to outside general counsel, where he is often helping clients navigate whatever issue shows up next.

“There’s really not a typical day for me,” he says.

Most of it is conversations, strategy and problem-solving, layered with a steady litigation practice that keeps him in court filings, legal documents and constant communication with other attorneys.

As his role has evolved, so has his approach to leadership. “I think of myself as a servant leader and an experiential leader,” he says. Rather than directing from a distance, he focuses on collaboration and accessibility. “My door is quite literally and figuratively always open,” he says.

That mindset is implemented even outside of the firm. Shantz serves on the Springfield Board of Public Utilities, the Springfield Community Land Trust and the History Museum on the Square, roles he sees as a natural extension of what it means to be a lawyer. “We are principally people designed to serve the community,” he says. “We help sustain and repair the fabric of our community.”

For Shantz, that service mindset also shapes how he thinks about Springfield’s future, especially housing. “The only silver bullet solution is to build more housing,” he says, pointing to affordability as a longterm community challenge.

Even as his work spans law and civic life, his focus stays grounded in people, not process, to help make Springfield a place more people want to be. “He chooses Springfield every day,” says Krystal Simon, CEO of Care to Learn. “He is caring, strong-willed and gives 100% to whatever is in front of him.”

122

JULY/AUGUST 2026

What’s your go-to coffee order?

“A hot Americano.”

Favorite way to reset after a long day?

“Sitting on the porch with my wife and our baby, just hanging out with them before we put her down for the evening.”

What’s one word you want people to associate with your work?

“Reassuring.”

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“An astronaut.”

Favorite local spot?

“Cherry Picker Package & Fare.”

Where is your hometown?

“Springfield, Missouri” What’s your favorite book recommendation?

“Dune.”

10 For The Next 10

What’s your go-to coffee order?

“A cold brew coffee with a splash of milk.”

What’s one word you want people to associate with your work?

“Caring.”

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“A teacher.”

Favorite local spot?

“The Coffee Ethic.”

Favorite way to reset after a long day?

“I like to listen to music really loud.

Then probably after that, a good workout. I love to go take a walk or go to the gym with my husband and honestly, just get outside, get away from screens.”

What’s your favorite book recommendation?

“The Correspondent

by Virginia Evans.”

Where is your hometown?

“Nixa, Missouri.”

Allison Cash EXECUTIVE DI RECTOR, LORE

Allison Cash is helping the Ozarks think and act as one region, using LORE to connect people, tell a stronger story and create momentum for the future.

Allison Cash is guided by the belief that the Ozarks region is stronger when its community moves together. For her, the opportunity at LORE (Leaders for Ozarks Region Evolvement) felt like a natural extension of her professional background and her personal pride in the Ozarks. “It really was something where I could use my pride for the region in a business sense,” she says.

At its core, LORE is a regional collaboration effort designed to connect

businesses, communities and leaders across the Ozarks. “LORE really represents working together as a region,” Cash says. “We can tackle regional challenges more effectively and seize new opportunities together.”

When LORE formed, she immediately saw its potential, noting that regional collaboration is a proven strategy for long-term success.

Cash’s career started in advertising, working at Noble and Associates, where she built a foundation in strategy and client service. That experience shaped how she leads today. “Marketing is really about listening and connecting needs,” she says. “It’s communicating solutions and options clearly.”

Now, she applies that mindset to regional development. In her first year, she will focus on building connections across communities, recognizing that the region already functions as one interconnected system. “Allison embodies the kind of leadership our region needs right now,” says Erin Danastasio, executive director of Hatch Foundation. “She brings energy, authenticity and a deep commitment to this community.”

“We already live regionally,” Cash says. Over the next decade, she sees LORE’s role as amplifying that reality by telling the region’s story in a way that resonates, with efforts in workforce attraction and quality of life.

JULY/AUGUST 2026

123

10 For The Next 10

What’s your go-to coffee order?

“I am a dark roast, just straight black coffee guy.”

Favorite way to reset after a long day?

“Playing Hot Wheels or dinosaurs with my son.”

What’s one word you want people to associate with your work?

“Selflessness.”

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“A Secret Service agent.”

Where is your hometown?

“Springfield, Missouri.”

Dillon Low

What’s your favorite podcast or book recommendation?

“The Shawn Ryan Show and Meditations

by Marcus Aurelius.”

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SALES, PRIME, INC.

Dillon Low is driving growth at Prime while using his work and community involvement to strengthen systems that support people on and off the road.

Dillon Low builds relationships for a living, and at Prime, that work shows up in fuel costs, logistics strategy and long-term partnerships that keep the transportation company moving. His role focuses on expanding Prime’s fuel program by bringing in third-party trucking companies to increase overall fuel volume, which strengthens the company’s ability to secure better pricing with major fuel vendors and helps reduce costs across the network.

124

JULY/AUGUST 2026

In short, the more gallons flowing through the program, the more leverage Prime has to drive down fuel costs, directly supporting both efficiency and long-term growth.

Outside of sales, Low is just as invested in community impact. He serves on boards and helps support initiatives like Harmony House’s iCare campaign, which raises awareness around domestic violence, and the Good Dads program designed for over-the-road truck drivers balancing parenting and distance. “My cup gets filled pretty well by helping others,” he says.

That mindset traces back to his time as a volunteer firefighter and, more recently, to becoming a father. What

the future looks like for his now threeyear-old son is something Low thinks about often, especially when considering how his work and service can help shape a stronger community. “Dillon is always looking for ways to make a positive impact,” says Nathan Kelley, corporate security at Prime, Inc. For Low—grandson of Prime CEO and Founder Robert Low—success at Prime is about company growth, and building healthier systems. “Success means making Prime an even more dominant force in the market and helping the people I work with grow,” Low says. “For Harmony House and Good Dads, the sky is the limit. There’s good work happening, and more ahead.”

10 For The Next 10

Rachel Watson O P E R AT I N G P R I N C I P A L , K E L L E R WI LLIAMS LOCAL

Rachel Watson is driving long-term growth in Springfield real estate by strengthening leadership, culture and connection across hundreds of agents.

Rachel Watson is the operating principal at Keller Williams Local, a role that puts her in the CEO seat for the Springfield office, where she helps steer big-picture strategy, culture and agent growth. “I am setting the vision for our office and the direction we want to go,” she says. That includes coaching nearly 500 agents, working with the brokerage leadership team and guiding hiring decisions, partnerships and long-term growth. She also just led Keller Williams through a rebrand to better reflect the company’s expanding footprint across southwest Missouri and northern Arkansas while reinforcing a locally connected culture.

For Watson, leadership starts with consistency.

“Do what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do it,” she says. The phrase sits on a plaque on her desk and anchors how she shows up.

At Keller Williams, she is intentional about modeling the culture she expects others to carry forward.

That culture matters even more in a real estate market that never really slows down. “We really focus on relationships,” she says. “I care about people so much, but I also want to help provide clarity in their world.” For her, success isn’t just measured in transactions, but in agents who feel supported and proud of the lives and businesses they’re building.

Watson also carries that belief to a community she helped build, Flourishing Female. The group hosts quarterly meet ups for women in 417-land. “Rachel has a heart of gold and is a solid leader,” says Ericka Peppers, team leader at Keller Williams. “She can be direct and elevated and still lead with empathy.”

As she continues her work, the impact Watson hopes to make is simple but empowering. “I want people to feel seen, heard and supported,” she says.

What’s your go-to coffee order?

“Black iced coffee.”

What’s one word you want people to associate with your work?

“Clarity.”

Where is your hometown?

“El Dorado Springs, Missouri.”

What’s your favorite book recommendation?

“The Energy Bus by John Gordon.”

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“I wanted to be a wedding planner.”

Favorite way to reset after a long day?

“Taking a family walk with my husband and my daughter.”

Favorite local spot?

“You will typically find my husband and our family at Galloway on Lone Pine.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026

125

10 For The Next 10

What’s your go-to coffee order?

“A triple shot of espresso over ice.”

What’s one word you want people to associate with your work?

“Dedicated.”

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“A musician.”

Favorite local spot?

“A toss-up between JW's Kitchen for eggs Benedict, or Ariake for sushi. I’ve got to give that an equal 50-50 right now.”

Where is your hometown?

“Watertown, New York.”

Steve Belden

What’s your favorite podcast recommendation?

“The Joe Rogan Experience.”

O P E R AT I N G P A R T N E R , A M P R E C R E AT I O N

Steve Belden is reimagining a high-traffic corner of Springfield into a multi-use hospitality hub designed to serve the community all day, every day.

Steve Belden is the operating partner at AMP Recreation LLC, the company behind Daily Blend Coffee Shop, Sunshine Event Center, a rooftop bar and patio and the recently-opened Scratch and Co. restaurant inside Plaza Towers.

He sees the project as a way to reimagine a central piece of Springfield, on the busy corner of Glenstone and Sunshine. “What I saw was potential to utilize space currently in 126

JULY/AUGUST 2026

this building,” he says, pointing to its location, parking and untapped opportunity for hospitality growth.

“This is a perfect fit on this corner.”

As a lead investor, Trent Overhue has seen how Belden shows up day to day. “His character, work ethic and consistently uplifting attitude are truly second to none,” Overhue says. “Steve brings a level of pride and energy to the project that elevates everyone around him, and we’re excited to create something genuinely special for the Springfield community.”

For Belden, the vision is a connected, all-day experience under one roof, with morning coffee, daytime

lunch, rooftop evenings and dinner service all flowing together in a single space. “I like seeing people have that right in their building where they don’t even have to leave the property,” he says. “It’s just a convenience factor for them.”

That hospitality mindset also shapes how he defines success, with guest experience at the center, alongside consistent food quality. He also prioritizes a strong, stable team culture. “Seeing people leave with smiles on their faces is near and dear to me,” he says. “Creating and developing and executing a great culture is probably at the top of my list for a success point.”

10 For The Next 10

Bryant Young AG E N CY P R I N C I PA L , I N S U R O RS O F TH E OZ ARKS

Bryant Young is carrying forward a multigenerational business while modernizing how insurance leadership connects with and serves 417-land.

Bryant Young stepped into ownership of Insurors of the Ozarks in April, a big move for both his career and his personal life. The agency was started by his father and grandfather 44 years ago, and now Young carries the next generation of leadership forward.

He reflects on the unusual gift of building a career alongside his father. “I get to spend every single day, five days a week, with my dad,” he says. “That’s rarefied air.”

Young prioritizes clarity and honesty in an industry he believes is often misunderstood. “How much time you got?” he says with a chuckle when asked about misconceptions. He says insurance is less about price and more about having guidance and protection when it actually matters. “We’re having a conversation with somebody—whether it’s a nice conversation or a negative conversation—we’re leading with honesty, clarity and consistency,” he says.

Through his involvement with the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, The Network and boards like the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools and Visit Springfield, Young works to bring young professionals into bigger community conversations and decisions. “His representation has not only afforded the next generation an invite into the decision rooms, they’re getting seats at the table,” says Dave Schaumburg, director of aviation at the Springfield-Branson National Airport.

Young’s focus is carrying the agency forward without losing what made it work in the first place.

He approaches ownership as a team responsibility, with perspective that leadership means working alongside others. “If I’m going to be involved, I’m not just going to be a name on the roster,” he says. “We’re all pulling together.”

What’s your go-to coffee order?

“The largest black coffee I can find.”

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“Lego Master Builder was chief among them.

A marine biologist for a second. And then, for the longest time, I thought I was going to be an attorney.”

Favorite local spot?

“Hickory Hills Country Club.”

Favorite way to reset after a long day?

“Time with my daughter.”

What’s one word you want people to associate with your work?

“Enthusiasm.”

Where is your hometown?

“Springfield, Missouri.”

What’s your favorite book recommendation?

“I’ve been rediscovering my inner dork recently, reading some Brandon Sanderson Mistborn.”

JULY/AUGUST 2026

127

10 For The Next 10

Favorite way to reset after a long day?

“It’s walking my dogs with my wife around University Heights.”

What’s one word you want people to associate with your work?

“Sincerity.”

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“I wanted to be a sports journalist.”

Where is your hometown?

“Brick Township, New Jersey.”

Jesse Tyler

What’s your favorite podcast recommendation?

“There is an episode of How I Built This with Bob, from Bob’s Red Mill. This interview was profoundly impactful for me... I’ve listened to it probably 10 times at this point.”

CO - OWN E R, ALL TRUE AN D SGFCO

Jesse Tyler is shaping how organizations and communities tell their stories, along with building brands and creative platforms that strengthen Springfield’s identity.

Jesse Tyler is a co-founder of All True, a branding studio in Springfield that builds names, strategies, logos and websites for organizations looking to better understand and express who they already are. “We create foundational assets for how organizations and companies describe themselves and present themselves,” he says. The work is less about inventing something new and more about uncovering what is already true. “We’re usually think128

JULY/AUGUST 2026

ing about tapping into what’s true and making it easier to understand.”

Outside the studio, Tyler channels that same mindset into SGFCO, a creative platform that celebrates and supports Springfield’s identity. Projects have included a locally inspired apparel line, the Jubilee concert series and public art efforts. He sees that work as an extension of the same awareness that drives the studio. “Jesse is a master at envisioning what something can become and tinkering, or rather shepherding, until it reaches its full potential,” says Austin Elliott, president of Locke and Stache. “And his propensity toward seeing the good in something and keeping it alive extends to all ar-

eas. The way that he has helped guide and champion brands, inspire pride in Springfield and continued to be a loyal friend is rare and worth celebrating.”

Tyler is a genuine community builder, always looking for people to partner with on new ideas. “If I really love something, if I believe something’s good, I want to bring attention to it and share it with people,” he says.

Looking ahead, Tyler wants to keep growing All True by helping more organizations clearly say who they are and what they stand for, while staying grounded in work that feels honest.

His goal is to create things that stick with people and make Springfield feel even more like home.

10 For The Next 10

What’s your go-to coffee order?

“Travellers House Coffee & Tea’s iced hazelnut latte.”

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“A writer.”

Favorite way to reset after a long day?

“I live in east Springfield. It’s about 25 minutes from the airport, and I love listening to music superloud in my car on the way home.

Show tunes. My favorite.”

Favorite local spot?

“Any stage with live theater.”

What’s one word you want people to associate with your work?

“Bold.”

Where is your hometown?

“Springfield, Missouri.”

What’s your favorite book recommendation?

“Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara.”

Ren Luebbering M A R K E T I N G A N D C O M M U N I C AT I O N S C O O R D I N AT O R , S P R I N G F I E L D - B R A N S O N N AT I O N A L A I R P O R T

Ren Luebbering is reshaping how travelers experience Springfield’s airport, turning everyday touchpoints into moments of connection and community.

Ren Luebbering is the ears of the Springfield-Branson National Airport.

As the communications and marketing coordinator, she shapes how travelers experience everything from signage to social media, all with the goal of “helping people choose to fly Springfield every time,” she says.

She started in 2025 after more than a decade at Springfield Public Schools, where she led digital strategy and helped reframe how it told its story.

Now at the airport, she oversees communications that shape every touchpoint of the passenger journey. A major example is the 110,000-squarefoot carpet replacement, which she turned into a community moment.

“Some people think it’s just carpet, and it definitely is just carpet, but it’s also a memory made real,” she says. “When you’re at the airport, it’s some of your best and your worst days. We hope they’re always great, but sometimes travel isn’t for a positive reason… those visuals are the anchors of our memories that are associated with travel.

And we honor that, and people want to be a part of it.” The airport leaned into nostalgia and donated the carpet

squares to the Springfield Regional Arts Council, which raised more than $10,000 for the arts.

Just a piece of Luebbering’s job is managing and making creative content for the airport’s social media accounts (@flysgf). “She never says no and is always eager to see what a collaboration can look like, willing to face a project or task she has never done before,” says Tina Pham-Morgan, operations director for The Alliance for Healthcare Education.

Luebbering sees the airport as a civic engine. “The airport is for everyone,” she says, while advocating for sensory spaces, improved amenities and a stronger passenger experience overall.

JULY/AUGUST 2026

129

10 For The Next 10

Where Are They Now?

For our 10th anniversary of 10 for the Next 10, we are showing how some of our honorees have made an impact, how their career path has evolved and how many of the honorees are connected to each other. Call it our version of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon—but 417-land style.­­—Edited by Dori Grinder

Heather Hardinger Then: programs and communications director for Taney County Partnership Now: named director of consumer experience at CoxHealth in September 2023

S TA R T H E R E

Teresa Coyan Then: director of public affairs at CoxHealth Now: named chief of staff/ VP of governmental relations at CoxHealth in March 2023

COWORKERS

CO-FOUNDED ROSIE

TWINS

Kyle Drenon Then: director of marketing at Murney Associates, Realtors® Now: Supper Co. CEO/ co-owner since March 2021

Max Buetow Then: vice president of regional services and neurosciences at CoxHealth Now: named the president and CEO of CoxHealth in June 2022

Brandy Harris Then: director of programs and Sertoma unit director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield Now: chief executive officer at Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield; opened the Risdal Family Teen Center August 2025

2017

Paige Oxendine Then: program coordinator at efactory Now: director of consulting services at Habitat Communication & Culture Tyler Drenon Then: co-founder at Tacit Now: account manager at Pitt Technology Group

Derrick Estell Then: engineer II in traffic operations at the City of Springfield Now: project manager at Toth and Associates

MARRIED

COWORKERS

Rachel (Anderson) Munday Then: entrepreneurial specialist for The eFactory Now: named executive director at efactory in February 2023

Andrea Sitzes Then: chief executive officer at Show Me Christian County Now: commercial banker, VP at Arvest Bank

Addison Jones Then: design associate at Dake Wells Architecture Now: architect at Dake Wells Architecture Katie Jones Then: talent retention coordinator at Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Now: account director at Revel Advertising

David Cameron Then: city administrator at City of Republic Now: city manager at City of Springfield Griffin Bobbett M A R R I E D Then: partner at Torgerson Design Partners Now: broker + partner at Kinetic Design + Development

Dr. C.J. Davis Then: president and CEO at Burrell Behavioral Health Now: CEO at Centerstone

Dee King Then: corporate services development officer at Guaranty Bank Now: chief governance officer at Centerstone

Melanie Stinnett Then: owner and founder of TheraCare Outpatient Services Now: vice president of therapy services at The Arc of the Ozarks; elected to Missouri State Representative District 133 in 2023

2018

2019

2020

2021

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022

Rachel Watson Now: operating principal at Keller Williams Local

Michael Calhoun CEO at Citizens Memorial Hospital Big Project: Completed phase one of 117,000square-foot expansion including a new ER, ICU, birthing unit and more

David Schaumburg Then: assistant director of aviation at SpringfieldBranson National Airport Now: director of aviation at Springfield-Branson National Airport

Kate Francis Then: museum affairs officer, development and fundraising at Springfield Art Museum Now: executive director of the Friends of the Springfield Art Museum

Ericka Peppers Then: chief operating officer at Bryan Properties Now: team leader at Keller Williams

Ren Luebbering Now: marketing and communications coordinator at Springfield-Branson National Airport

Abbye Bobbett architect and COO at Kinetic Design + Development Then: 56 employees Now: 79 employees

COWORKERS

Adam Toth president at Toth & Associates Then: 194 employees Now: 246 employees

Sara Choate Then: human capital solutions managing director at KPM CPAs & Advisors Now: chief people officer & managing director at KPM Human Capital Solutions

COWORKERS

COWORKERS

130

JULY/AUGUST 2026

Gabrielle Martin Then: executive director at Burrell Foundation Now: director of strategic partnerships & events at Barnabas Foundation