NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | $4.95 November/December 2021
+ RICK HUGHLETT IS PASSING THE TORCH • BIZ 100 • CHRISTA MOSS’S SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWS
PERSON OF THE YEAR TIM O’REILLY
100 biz
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the most influential leaders in 417-land
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PHOTO COURTESY O'REILLY HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT, LLC
O'Reilly Hospitality Management's BigShots Golf opened in June.
44 53 BIZ 100
These are the people shaping 417-land's future. Get their professional insights, personal tidbits and the advice they'd give themselves if they could travel back to the beginning of their careers.
BY LUCIE AMBERG
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November/December 2021
PERSON OF THE YEAR
It's been a big year for Tim O'Reilly. BigShots Golf is bringing new life to Springfield's north side, and Boys & Girls Clubs opened the O'Reilly Unit at Williams Elementary. BY ETTIE BERNEKING BIZ417.COM
Breakthrough strategies
25 FOUR TO FOLLOW
Christa Moss on who she follows, the inspiration she seeks and the nonprofit she's cheering for.
27 BREAKTHROUGH
How Paddio took a hiring crunch and turned it into a chance to focus on company culture.
27
31 CORNER OFFICE
Darline Mabins is here to help small businesses.
32 NAILED IT FAILED IT
Some of our Biz 100 honorees share their victories and failures.
27 FORWARD THINKING
What does the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds plan to do with a $15 million project?
Tools to help you dominate
41
36 GEN NEXT
Rick's Automotive started from nothing and now it's about to be run by the next generation.
38 NETWORKING NOTES
Mike Rakes's seven to-do items as the new president at Evangel University.
41 MENTORSHIP MOMENT
Everywhere you need to be
76 CALENDAR
Network, learn and connect.
80 DOWNTIME
From financial advisor to sailor.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 6 ISSUES, $24. PLEASE CALL OR VISIT BIZ417.COM/SUBSCRIBE. ALLOW 4–6 WEEKS FOR PROCESSING ORDERS, PAYMENT AND CHANGES OF ADDRESS. SINGLE ISSUE: $4.95; BACK ISSUES, $6 PLUS $8 SHIPPING AND HANDLING, IF AVAILABLE. NO BACK ISSUE ORDERS OR SUBSCRIPTIONS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES. ADDRESS CHANGES: INCLUDE BOTH NEW ADDRESS AND MAILING LABEL WITH OLD ADDRESS. BIZ 417 (ISSN 23763604) IS PUBLISHED BIMONTHLY BY WHITAKER PUBLISHING, LLC, 2111 S. EASTGATE AVE., SPRINGFIELD, MO 65809–2146. © WHITAKER PUBLISHING, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY MANNER, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. POSTAGE PAID IN SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI, AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO BIZ 417, 2111 S. EASTGATE AVE., SPRINGFIELD, MO 65809–2146. THE MAGAZINE ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, ARTWORK OR CARTOONS. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
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PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE JOHNSON, BRANDON ALMS, LEAH STIEFERMANN
Heather Hardinger and Paula Dougherty prove online relationships can work.
• • JOIN OUR NEWSLETTERS AND CONNECT WITH US ON
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PHOTOS COURTESY SPRINGFIELD AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, BY KAITLYN OSBORNE | JUNIPER AND HONEY PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO
This year, the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce held its annual Community Leadership Visit in Springfield itself. On page 42 of this issue, you can read some short takeaways from 417 Magazine publisher and Chamber Chairman Logan Aguirre, or head to biz417mag.com/blog for the full story.
The Launch Biz Break
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PHOTO BY ALEX SOLOMON
BEST PLACES TO WORK 2022 Did your company enter Biz 417’s Best Places to Work last year? Whether you entered or didn’t make the list, you have the chance to enter again in 2021. Tell us what makes your company one of the best places to work in 417-land at biz417.com/bestplaces.
CELEBRATE LOCAL LEADERS Join us to celebrate the most powerful and influential business leaders in 417-land at the Biz 100 Party presented by SumnerOne on November 10 at Reliable BMW. Visit biz417. com/biz100 for event details and to see the full Biz 100 list for 2021. BIZ417.COM
November/December 2021
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER · Volume 7, Issue 1 · 2021
FOUNDERS
BUSINESS
Logan Aguirre
PUBLISHER LOGAN@417MAG.COM
Megan Johnson
Elisabeth Anderson
FOUNDER GARY@417MAG.COM
Brittni Casady
Joan Whitaker
VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS AND CUSTOM PUBLICATIONS MJOHNSON@417MAG.COM
ACCOUNT COORDINATOR BRITTNI@417MAG.COM
Ammie Scott
ACCOUNT COORDINATOR KATHY@417MAG.COM
VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGY AND SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE ASCOTT@417MAG.COM
Landra Bunge
FINANCE DIRECTOR ACCOUNTING@417MAG.COM
Sabrina Merrill
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT SABRINA@417MAG.COM
Christy Howell
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
Hannah Alarid
ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR CHRISTY@417MAG.COM
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR HALARID@417MAG.COM
Grace Chipley
BRAND DESIGNER HBROWN@417MAG.COM
ADVERTISING DESIGNER GRACE@417MAG.COM
Molly Weber
ADVERTISING DESIGNER MOLLY@417MAG.COM
Janelle Haik
ADVERTISING DESIGN ASSISTANT ADVERTISING@417MAG.COM
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE JANELLE@417MAG.COM
FOUNDER JOAN@417MAG.COM
Kathy Grieve
Jami Wightman
SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE JAMI@417MAG.COM
Gary Whitaker
ACCOUNT SERVICES DIRECTOR ELISABETH@417MAG.COM
Hannah Brown
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT INTERNS
Chelsey Traylor, Cela Cashel
Hailey Schrader
EDITORIAL
Lucie Amberg
EDITOR LUCIE@417MAG.COM
Katie Pollock Estes
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR EDITOR@417MAG.COM
Jamie Thomas
DIGITAL EDITOR JTHOMAS@417MAG.COM
Colin Shea Denniston
ENGAGEMENT & STYLE EDITOR COLIN@417MAG.COM
Jo Everhart
ASSISTANT EDITOR JO@417MAG.COM EDITORIAL INTERNS
Kate Duby, Katie McWilliams, Caroline Mund
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November/December 2021
Sarah Patton
ART DIRECTOR SARAH@417MAG.COM
Brandon Alms
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER & DESIGNER BRANDON@417MAG.COM
Danielle Giarratano
EDITORIAL DESIGNER DGIARRATANO@417MAG.COM
Leah Stiefermann
PHOTOGRAPHER LSTIEFERMANN@417MAG.COM
CONTRIBUTORS
About Faces Photography, Ettie Berneking, Karen Bliss, Tessa Cooper, Ella K Photography, Sonia Guzman, Heather Robbins Photography, Linda Huynh, Jennifer Johnmeyer, Stephanie Johnson, Ryan Kowalski, Kaitlyn Osborne | Juniper and Honey Photography, Garrett Layman, Lifetouch Photography, Elaina O'Neal, Cara Remington, Alex Solomon, Stephen’s Photography, Harrison Sweazea, Trent’s Portrait Design, Vivian Wheeler, Collin Yung, Brad Zweerink
Katie Batliner
EDITORIAL DESIGN ASSISTANT KBATLINER@417MAG.COM ART & STYLE INTERNS
Megan Cromer, Chloe Nelson
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KINGSLEY GROUP SELLING BUSINESSES IS OUR BUSINESS
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER · Volume 7, Issue 1 · 2021
ADVISORY BOARD
David Atkisson
“Chuck Woolley with Kingsley Group helped us immensely when we purchased Brookline Doorworks in 2002, even though he represented the sellers at that time. We have kept in touch over the
J.E. Dunn Construction
Springfield Office Leader
years and didn’t think twice before calling Chuck when we were considering selling the company. Chuck and Clayton Cooper at
Shaun Burke
Kingsley Group were phenomenal again and helped us beyond our
Guaranty Bank
expectations to easily sell Brookline Doorworks to some exceptional buyers that will carry on the business.”
President and CEO
Teresa Coyan
Vice President of Public Affairs
– Mark and Gayla Foley, Brookline Doorworks
CoxHealth
Thomas Douglas CEO
JMARK Business Solutions, Inc. Anna Evans
Vice President of Business Retention and Expansion
Show Me Christian County Brian Fogle President and CEO
Community Foundation of the Ozarks Heather Hardinger
Business Solutions & Talent Strategy Officer
Connell Insurance Sally Hargis
Vice President/Chairman
Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co. Ryan Mooney
Senior Vice President, Economic Development
Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Daniel Ogunyemi
Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Ozarks Technical Community College Ben Sapp
Communications Director
Sapp Design Architects Debra Shantz Hart Owner
Housing Plus LLC DHTC Development Sustainable Housing Solutions
Clayton Cooper and Chuck Woolley, brokers; Kevin Howell, buyer; Gayla and Mark Foley, sellers
CONFIDENTIALITY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
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Three Big Things in 417-land
Karen Johnson
This month, I share insights on Biz office buzz and some exciting tidbits from our local business community.
The Biz 417 office is buzzing about Think Summit 2022. After a two-year hiatus, courtesy of COVID, we are having so much fun planning this TED Talk–style day about the future of 417-land. My head is swirling with the ideas, people and future forecasting I want you to learn about. We are in the process of reaching out to speakers; so far, I can share the following lineup: David Cameron, Erin Danastasio, Jack Stack and Tim O’Reilly. They all happen to be on the Biz 100 list, so you can read up about them starting on p. 44. Save the date for Friday, February 4 at the Oasis Hotel & Convention Center. Tickets are live now at biz417.com.
1
The person I’m cheering for is Chelsey Bode. Chelsey and I have traveled parallel paths as young professionals in 417-land. We met during our Rotaract days, had our kids around the same time, share lots of mutual friends and both “grew up” working with our dads. Almost a year to the day that I purchased 417 from my parents, she purchased Pearson-Kelly Technology from her dad. That announcement came just weeks after PK Tech was announced as No. 5 on Biz 417’s Best Places to Work list. This woman is on a roll, and I’m cheering for her!
2
LOGAN’S FAVORITE LESSONS
I enjoyed learning that Tim O’Reilly’s career path had more twists and turns than I realized. He chose a career and then found his calling. So often, we’re taught that we must find our calling and then pursue a career. O’Reilly is proof that being a lifetime learner and listening to your gut can lead you right to the spot where you’re meant to be.
I’m excited to see ground moving on the Betty and Bobby Allison Sports Town. Visits to the airport have gotten a little more exciting, as I’ve watched dirt turning and turf going in on what used to be farmland and pasture. The site is going to have tournament-grade soccer fields and a massive indoor facility for basketball and volleyball. It will put Springfield on the map—in a huge way—for youth sports tournaments. Keep an eye out for the economic development this brings, in terms of hotel and restaurant development around the site, and the local impact of those dollars flowing into our region because families come here to cheer on their kids.
PHOTO BY LINDA HUYNH
3
Workers’ Compensation
Trusted by small and large business owners throughout Southwest Missouri
Logan Aguirre President, Biz 417
BIZ417.COM
November/December 2021
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“Our arena virtually doesn't have much going on from the middle of November until the first of March. So with us being able to add events throughout the winter months and bring in stuff that we can't do today, we could approach $55 to $60 million in terms of economic impact.”
“I have to choose to be myself and do things my way, and the way he’s taught me, at the same time.”
—Aaron Owen, Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, Page 27
—Travis Comfort, Rick's Automotive, Page 36
3
“Dream bigger! I really didn’t understand what a successful real estate career would mean for my family when I started this business… It has changed the financial trajectory of our family and created generational wealth.” —Michelle Cantrell, Cantrell Real Estate, Page 47
4
5
“I'm still sometimes shocked that I work in a role that is in constant communication and made for an extrovert.”
“I wanted to write my own story.”
—Teresa Coyan, CoxHealth, Page 52
—Tim O'Reilly, O'Reilly Hospitality Management, Page 53
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November/December 2021
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November/December 2021
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We’re still thrilled by the Best Places to Work celebration luncheon in September. Our heartfelt thanks to all the event sponsors: Penmac Staffing; JMARK Business Solutions, Inc.; Ollis/Akers/ Arney Insurance & Business Advisors; SFC Bank; Oasis Hotel and Convention Center and 37 North Expeditions. We’re also grateful to Dan Meers for the keynote address and to the businesses that made it onto 417-land’s first-ever Best Places to Work list.
SOME KIND WORDS “@OllisAkersArney took home 2nd place in @Biz417 20 Best Places to Work in 417-land. What a great event and a tremendous honor to work with my fellow employee-owners. Shout out to @OMGCommerce for taking home 1st place and to Dan Meers aka @kcwolf for being our keynote speaker.” —Ryan Allison, Ollis/Akers/Arney “As a 2021 @Biz417 Best Places to Work, #KPMCPAs was excited to celebrate during the awards luncheon! In addition to revealing the ranking, the keynote speaker was Dan Meers, mascot for the Chiefs. We're proud of our dynamic #KPMCulture and happy to receive this distinction!" —KPM CPAs & Advisors
HOW TO CONTACT BIZ 417 facebook.com/biz417 @biz417 linkedin.com/company/biz-417 Snail Mail
Lucie Amberg/Letters to the Editor Biz 417 2111 S. Eastgate Ave., Springfield, MO 65809 biz@417mag.com www.
BIZ417.COM
Biz417.com November/December 2021
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PHOTO BY LEAH STIEFERMANN
BREAKTHROUGH STRATEGIES
“I felt that the combination of my service, business ownership and finance background meant I could bring a lot to this role.” Darline Mabins on her new role as the executive director of the nonprofit organization Minorities in Business. Read more on p. 31.
A Helping Hand
Darline Mabins has stepped into a new role, one that leverages her experience in banking, entrepreneurship and community engagement. Page 31 BIZ417.COM
Dream Believers
Lessons Learned
Page 27
Page 32
Ozark Empire Fairgrounds already has a big impact on the local economy, and that’s with almost nothing happening during a good chunk of the winter months. So what kind of impact can it have with year-round events?
Everyone has those moments when they succeed but also when they fail. Even our Biz 100 winners have moments when something they’ve worked on has gone terribly wrong. These are their nailed it, failed it moments.
November/December 2021
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BIZ417.COM
[HEAT INDEX]
FOUR TO FOLLOW
HEAT INDEX
WITH CHRISTA MOSS
This month, we’ve got transitions, seasons and growth on our minds. There’s a potential merger, the culmination of a succession plan and a new slate of 417land leaders.
Christa Moss (@christabmoss) is the Assistant United States Attorney at the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Missouri. Moss’s favorite social media follows help her stay in touch with what’s happening in 417-land, all while getting great tips and advice.
BY LUCIE AMBERG
BY CAROLINE MUND
GROWING IMPACT Burrell Behavioral Health is exploring a merger with Comprehensive Mental Health Services (CMHS), which is based in Independence. According to CMHS CEO Julie Pratt, “Joining forces with an organization with the size and experience of Burrell will allow us to reach the next level in terms of scope of services, workforce development and the ability to provide timely care, wherever and whenever people need it.” Burrell and CMHS are currently conducting a period of due diligence; it’s expected to be completed by early 2022. Further details will be announced at that point.
@MOMWHOWORKS “Basically, it’s kind of just a blog for moms— whether you work or not, because if you have children you are constantly working anyways whether you’re in an office or at home. It’s just a really great community of women who offer really great advice and encouragement for moms who are in the throws of raising little, tiny humans.”
@THEDECORFIX
PHOTO BY BRANDON ALMS, COURTESY OF MOM WHO WORKS, HEATHER JAFRANI FREEMAN, DPZOO, BGC SPRINGFIELD
LEADERSHIP TRANSITION Following 10 years of succession planning, Chelsey Bode became the sole owner of PearsonKelly Technology (PK Tech). Bode has been president of PK Tech since 2018, and she’s been managing day-to-day operations for the past decade. She made the final buy-out payment to become the sole owner in September. Her father, PK Tech Founder Mike Kelly, continues his involvement with the company, with a focus on business development. PK Tech says the company has consistently communicated this succession plan to provide transparency and clarity for employees and clients. Bode calls the transition a demonstration that “we’re following through and doing what we’ve always said we would.”
A SEASONED SLATE Last month, the Directors Nominating Committee of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce submitted a slate of seven candidates for the Chamber’s board of directors. If approved, these individuals will serve threeyear terms. Nominees include Erin Danastasio of The Hatch Foundation, Thomas Douglas of JMARK Business Solutions Inc., Sally Hargis of Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co., Hal Higdon of Ozarks Technical Community College, Craig McCoy of Mercy Hospital Springfield Communities, Stephanie O’Connor of City Utilities of Springfield and Shari Reaves of O’Reilly Auto Parts. BIZ417.COM
FIVE ON FIRE ANDREA WEBER AMANDA HEDGPETH MICHAEL CALHOUN SHANDA TRAUTMAN NICK BURLISON
“I just love how genuine Heather’s account is. This educator and mom keeps it real with all things decor, home organization, mom life and cultural awareness. As a mom and woman of color, I totally identify with the content she shares about raising kids despite our doubts and imperfections. If you’re looking for inspiration on creating a home environment for your family or want to see great content on diversity and inclusion, give The Décor Fix a follow! Her stories are great!”
@DPZOO “Dickerson Park Zoo is one of our favorite places in Springfield. They constantly offer educational opportunities for little ones and share great stories of all the zoo babies and the wonderful keepers and care team. Friends of the Zoo members get special perks and up close and personal experiences too.”
@BGCSPRINGFIELD “I am beyond impressed with the amazing work this organization does for our kids in the area. Under the leadership of Brandy Harris, the clubs are flourishing and growing even more. If you want daily inspiration, you must check out all the great things the Boys & Girls Club is doing for our youth.”
November/December 2021
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November/December 2021
BIZ417.COM/BESTPLACES
BIZ417.COM
[FORWARD THINKING]
[BREAKTHROUGH]
MULTI-PURPOSE, MULTIPLE BENEFITS
BIGGER EVERY DAY How Paddio used a year of rapid growth to jumpstart a focus on company culture.
What will the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds' $15 million multi-purpose arena mean for the local economy?
BY KAREN BLISS
BY TESSA COOPER
The Problem Paddio, an online mortgage lender, is a sister company to Mortgage Research Center LLC, which does business as Veterans’ United Home Loans. Based in Columbia, Missouri, it’s the largest home loan company for veterans. Ryan Kluttz, director of production for Paddio, says the company has the same formula as Veteran’s United, except with a focus on non-VA lending. With the current fast-paced housing market, there are huge growth opportunities for all aspects of the home buying business. And to grow, Paddio had to find the right home base.
The Big Idea
PHOTOS BY ELAINA O'NEAL, COURTESY OZARK EMPIRE FAIRGROUNDS & EVENT CENTER
When looking into expansion, Kluttz says Springfield “checked all the boxes,” as a college town, but with a larger workforce than Columbia, where the company was founded in 2002. “Springfield felt like a great place with a ton of great people, and that kind of just tipped us over the edge of where to open up shop,” Kluttz says. He says Paddio’s expansion in Springfield launched with about 20 loan officers.
The Learning Curve In the year since Paddio has called Springfield home, it had to set itself apart as a great place to work in order to hire at the level needed for growth. Kluttz says the company makes sure potential recruits know they are the sister company to Veteran’s United, and try to get as “creative as possible” for getting the word out about Paddio through recruitment parties, billboards, internship opportunities and bus wraps. But it takes more than that to have a hiring boom. “Our secret sauce is our culture,” he says. “We focus a lot on engaging our team members at a personal level. If we can win in culture, we feel like everything else is going to fall in place.”
The Takeaway Now, Paddio in Springfield has more than 100 staff members, Kluttz says, and it plans to continue to grow as long as demand allows. Paddio is hiring about 15 to 20 more people every other month. Kluttz says the key to growth is making sure all team members know their importance within the company. “One of our values is ‘enhancing lives every day,’” he says. “You don’t want anyone to feel like a number. You want people to feel connected.” BIZ417.COM
NIGHTSTAND “Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson. Especially [in a time when] changes are happening literally every month, affecting our professional and personal lives, this book allows anyone to see which of the four types of ‘change agents’ they are… I’m always anticipating change, recognizing you have to quickly adapt and see it as an exhilarating journey to a new beginning.” —Julie Higgins, founder of I Pour Life
T
he Ozark Empire Fairgrounds & Event Center has been a Springfield community staple in joyful and dire times. The event center hosts countless recreational events like the annual fair, rodeos, antique markets and library book sales. However, it also served as a mass-vaccination clinic site and a safe place for the Greene County Office of Emergency Management to store vital supplies like hand sanitizer, gloves and gowns during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. And with plans in the works for a $15 million arena, the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds management team hopes to draw even more visitors to Springfield and expand its capabilities if disaster strikes. In 2017, Missouri State University conducted an economic impact analysis of the events at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds & Event Center. The study estimated the total impact of the events on the local economy from July 2016 to June 2017 was $29.7 million. “Now we are right around $40 million,” says Aaron Owen, general manager of the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds. “But our arena virtually doesn't have much going on from the middle of November until the first of March. So with us being able to add events throughout the winter months and bring in stuff that we can't do today, we could approach $55 to $60 million in terms of economic impact.” The 93,000-square-foot arena will also house a 20,000-square-foot youth ag education center on the lower level. The current center only seats 2,400, but this new arena is being built to seat 6,800. The Ozark Empire Fairgrounds management team began discussing the idea for the arena in 2014. “We traveled to several other fairs throughout the Midwest,” Owen says. “We worked with them and some of our promoters to learn what the need is, what those fairs do in the wintertime and what events bring in large revenue for them.” Owen notes there isn’t an estimated completion date for the project yet, since it is still in the fundraising phase. The Ozark Empire Fairgrounds is currently seeking sponsors and offering naming right opportunities. November/December 2021
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[ON THE RISE]
COME TOGETHER, RIGHT NOW In October, local bank BancorpSouth received final regulatory approval for its planned merger with Cadence Bank. We spoke to BancorpSouth Chairman and CEO Dan Rollins and Jay Titus, president of the Missouri Division, about the future. BY JENNIFER JOHNMEYER
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BIZ417.COM
PHOTO BY TRENT'S PORTRAIT DESIGN
D
an Rollins is people-focused. When the chairman and CEO of BancorpSouth discusses the future of the company following its upcoming merger with Cadence Bank, he does so with a customer-based mindset. “We’ll be able to expand our products and make more investments in technology solutions for customers and continue to support our communities as we’ve done in the past,” he says. Jay Titus, president of BancorpSouth’s Missouri Division, echoes that sentiment. “We are excited about the combination of BancorpSouth and Cadence that will leverage the respective strengths of both institutions, enhancing our ability to serve customers with a stronger, more comprehensive offering of products and services,” he says. At the time of the announcement, the companies said the merger would create a regional banking franchise with nearly $44 billion in assets, more than $37 billion in deposits and almost $30 billion in loans. It will be the sixth-largest bank by assets in BancorpSouth’s nine-state market. Cadence Bank is headquartered in Houston, Texas, with 98 branch locations in six states. BancorpSouth is based in Tupelo, Mississippi, with some 315 full-service locations, plus mortgage, insurance and loan production offices in nine states. Following Cadence’s merger into BancorpSouth, the combined entity will operate under the name of Cadence with headquarters in Tupelo, Mississippi, and Houston, Texas.
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[CORNER OFFICE]
TAKING THE REINS As a local small business owner with extensive experience at Guaranty Bank and as Chair of The Network, Darline Mabins brings a unique perspective to her new role as the executive director of the nonprofit organization Minorities in Business. BY SONIA GUZMAN Her vision for the role I hope to help the existing minority-owned businesses be as productive as possible and thrive. I want to give them and establishing businesses access to higher education, networking opportunities, and assist with connecting with nonprofits to gain access to new resources. Why Minorities in Business was the right fit I’ve always been passionate about community service. I’m also a small business owner myself. My husband and I purchased Drain Pro Plumbing four years ago. I felt that the combination of my service, business ownership and finance background meant I could bring a lot to this role. Where she finds inspiration My faith, my family, close friends and great leaders. I have worked with great mentors who have taught and inspired me to be a better professional, a better human and to help others.
PHOTO BY LEAH STIEFERMANN
What keeps her up at night I want to make sure I’m doing enough. I’m only successful if I’m able to help business owners succeed and start new businesses. What led her to this role My management experience, learning how to train people. The time I spent networking in Springfield and getting to know who is making decisions and how they are being made. Becoming a small business owner. All these experiences help me meet people where they are at, which is essential in helping small business owners because no experience is the same. BIZ417.COM
November/December 2021
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ATTENTION IS EVERYTHING. LET’S GET IT.
Promoting your business is our business. Shop online: advertising-plus.com Collaborate with our experts: 417.889.1200
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November/December 2021
It’s a special-edition roundup of victories earned and lessons learned—straight from a few of this year’s Biz 100. Read more about them on p. 44.
#Nailed It Failed It David Agee, equity partner, Husch Blackwell LLP, see his story on p. 57 “My nailed it moment was remembering my wife’s last name (and spelling) when I first met her. I had nothing to write on, and cell phones did not exist… I was successful, and we are still going strong over 40 years later. She has been critical to all my success.” #NailedIt “When I was a very young attorney, there was a lawyer I believed was making matters more difficult and costly for our clients… I sent a letter to the attorney responding to certain matters we had discussed, but I also sent a letter to my client, expressing my opinion about the other lawyer… My secretary at the time mistakenly inserted each letter in the wrong envelope, so the letter to my client was delivered to the opposing lawyer. He called me on it. We had a professional discussion in which I apologized, and I learned to always take the high road and keep such opinions to myself.”
#FailedIt
#Nailed It Failed It Jena Holtberg-Benge, general manager, John Deere Reman, see her story on p. 58 “Taking a chance and moving to India to develop the John Deere Technology Center.” #NailedIt “In my mid-forties, I decided it was a good idea to learn how to mountain bike and that I would do my first real experience down hill in Park City, Utah. My first instinct was to use my brakes a lot, which is the opposite of what you should do—you can overcome stumps, rocks and twists better with a deliberate measure of speed and braking. Of course, I flipped on one of the first turns as I broke to avoid a root. I broke my helmet and came away dirty and bloody, but for the most part intact. My lesson: Don't be afraid to try something new and fail. Then get back on the bike!” #FailedIt
#Nailed It Failed It Shawn Askinosie, CEO/founder, Askinosie Chocolate, see his story on p. 51 “I found a really good therapist.” #NailedIt “I went on QVC at 4 a.m. about 10 years ago, and it was one of the dumbest (and most expensive) things I’ve ever done. Let’s just say that we didn’t sell very many of the custom chocolate bars made just for that event. What I learned? Not to leave my lawyer brain at the door.” #FailedIt BIZ417.COM
PHOTOS COURTESY DAVID AGEE, ASKINOSIE CHOCOLATE, BY BRANDON ALMS
!
#NAILED IT FAILED IT
#Nailed It Failed It Abigail Pinegar-Rose, entrepreneur, Pinegar Chevrolet Buick GMC–Branson; Pinegar Chevrolet–Republic; Pinegar Land & Cattle; CATAA Properties; Wildwood Plaza, see her story on p. 62 “I felt very proud when I signed the lease to my last available space at Wildwood Plaza. This started out as a vision, and to see this development progress—literally from the ground up—has been an adventure.” #NailedIt “The biggest thing that comes to mind is [the supply chain difficulties] in our auto industry as a whole. The chip shortage has been a rude awakening for us all.” #FailedIt
#Nailed It Failed It Dan Reiter, vice president/general manager, Springfield Cardinals, see his story on p. 64 “[We improved] company culture and communication by implementing monthly socials.” #NailedIt
PLANNING FOR BUSINESS GROWTH
STARTS WITH THE RIGHT PROPERTY
PHOTOS COURTESY ABIGAIL PINEGAR-ROSE, MARK HARRELL.SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS, MSU, BY LIFETOUCH PHOTOGRAPHY
“I prepared a sponsorship pitch for a retail establishment based entirely on driving store traffic. They had zero interest, and the conversation was brutal because they didn’t want traffic. I didn’t get the deal or even a follow-up chance. It taught me to listen before I speak and also that people will do things for their reasons, not mine." #FailedIt
#Nailed It Failed It Clif Smart, president, Missouri State University, see his story on p. 50 “We achieved a major increase in our appropriations when others said it couldn’t be done. When Governor Parson signed the budget increasing funding by $10 million for the university after three years of hard advocacy, it felt really good. (Shoutout to Senator Lincoln Hough for his work here!)” #NailedIt “I experienced an unpleasant employee controversy that became public early in my tenure. Lesson: Cut ties with people when you know the relationship cannot be salvaged. It’s better for you, the organization and the impacted employee.” #FailedIt
#Nailed It Failed It Craig Wescott, president, The Track Family Fun Parks, see his story on p. 64 “Last October, I found myself in a position to help bring a real ice skating rink to Branson for the holiday season. A very short timeline didn’t deter us from partnering with The Holidays on Ice, mobilizing our team and other community members and having a beautiful ice rink operating next to the Branson Ferris Wheel. It was the perfect year to add an outdoor, festive experience.” #NailedIt
Jeff Childs, SIOR, CCIM
Senior Advisor, invested in 417-land RANKIN COMPANY, LLC
M. 417.860.5447 jeff.childs@svn.com P. 417.887.8826 ext. 104 Jeff Childs, SIOR, CCIM - SVN/Rankin Company
“Honestly, there’s too many to count! But the lesson is usually the same: Follow up on what you say you’re going to do.” #FailedIt BIZ417.COM
November/December 2021
33
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TOOLS TO HELP YOU DOMINATE
“I didn't come to manage. I came to lead.”
PHOTOS BY LEAH STIEFERMANN
—Dr. Mike Rakes, p.38
Rick's Next Gen
With a new generation of electric cars about to hit the market, it's also time for change at Rick's Automotive. Page 36 BIZ417.COM
Big Vision, Big Goals
Five Lessons Learned
Page 38
Page 42
Mike Rakes is the new president of Evangel University, and while he might be new to the job, he's not wasting time. He has seven big goals he's setting his sights on.
After attending the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce's Community Leadership Visit, our publisher Logan Aguirre put together her five key takeaways.
November/December 2021
35
[NEXT GEN]
RICK HUGHLETT PASSES THE WRENCH Forty-one years after starting his family business, Rick Hughlett is preparing for the next generation to assume daily operations as he steps into a new role as chairman of the board. BY KATE DUBY
R
ick and Karen Hughlett were newly married when they started laying the groundwork for Rick’s Automotive. When Rick’s opened for business in 1980, the couple had no idea how rapidly the company would grow in the next decade––let alone the next four. The shop started out as a small-team operation in a building that could hold about five cars at a time. Rick managed repairs; Karen did the bookkeeping, and another employee ran parts, drove customers home and helped clean the shop. From there, the company began to grow. “In 1987, we built a new shop right next to the old one, and we were able to get 10 cars in there,” Rick says. “We had grown to about 10 employees, and it was a perfect size. We didn’t need anything but that.” The Hughletts have now been married for 46 years, and Rick’s Automotive employs 41 staff members and services 120 fleet accounts of various sizes. Some of their customers have been doing business with Rick’s since its doors opened in 1980. “We’ve worked on their cars, we’ve worked on their kids’ cars, and now we’re working on their grandkids’ cars,” Hughlett says.
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After building the business together, Rick and Karen are ready to step back from daily operations and spend time traveling together. Their son-in-law Travis Comfort will take over as president, leading alongside his wife and the Hughlett’s daughter, Kala Comfort. In his new role as chairman of the board, Rick will continue working closely with Travis when there are major decisions to be made. “We’re here for the long haul, and Travis is even talking about (the business) going into the third generation with his boys,” Rick says. Kala and Travis have been with the company for 16 and 12 years, respectively. Travis started out as what’s called a porter—sweeping bays, working around the technicians and assisting them with anything they needed. He then became a parts runner and eventually worked his way up to oversee the parts department. For the last couple of years, he has served as an advisor and handled the day-to-day operations of the company. “Learning every aspect of the business really helps me know the ins and outs,” Travis says. “I’m in this position now, and I can relate to everybody, every employee at the shop.” During these leadership changes, Rick is focused on making the transition seamless for his customers. His business model has always centered around making customers, old and new, feel welcome and valued. “I don’t want our traveling to affect the experience that the customer has coming into that door,” Rick says. “I want them to feel no difference, because for probably the better part of ten years, I’ve basically been doing office work and running the company from the 30,000-foot level, and (Travis and Kala) have been running the day-to-day operations anyway.” As he looks to the future, Travis says to anticipate “no major changes––it’s really just adapting with our industry. Rick’s built a great place. We have such BIZ417.COM
PHOTO BY LEAH STIEFERMANN
Rick and Karen Hughlett started Rick's Automotive, and now their daughter Kala and her husband Travis Comfort are about to take the helm at the familyowned company.
“Of course, there are some big shoes to fill walking in Rick’s footsteps.” —Travis Comfort
PHOTOS BY LEAH STIEFERMANN
a great group of guys that I can lean on to do their job, and I don’t have to constantly tell them what to do. We just have a great atmosphere going, and we’re family-oriented. I’d call all my coworkers family.” Travis and Kala will lead the company into the electric car market. The team has been gearing up for industry changes that come with technological advancements, and they’ve taken time to learn about equipment updates and new types of fuel that will power the next generation of cars. The company has worked on hybrid cars for years, and so far, it has had no issues working on electric cars including Teslas. Travis is no stranger to technology, to the automotive industry or to stepping into new roles. In addition to more than a decade of experience at the company, he has a business degree from Missouri State University and a sharp knack for working with computers. While he credits Rick as his mentor and the person who made it all happen, he is prepared and excited to lead the company in a new direction. “Of course, there are some big shoes to fill walking in Rick’s footsteps,” Travis says. “He’s the true success story of making nothing into the big corporation where we are today. Obviously, Rick’s there mentoring me on some big issues, but (with) a lot of things… I can’t keep worrying myself about living up to Rick. I have to choose to be myself and do things my way, and the way he’s taught me, at the same time.” Rick says the staff are excited for what the future holds as Rick’s Automotive continues to embrace and adapt to the exponentially growing market for electric vehicles. “It takes a young mind––it takes the energy––to stay in there and stay up with all this new stuff,” Rick says. “We’ve got a staff that’s excited about it, our techs are excited about it, and it’ll take Travis and Kala to lead us into that generation.”
One way Rick's Automotive has made sure it stayed relevant in the evolving car industry is making sure it knows how to service hybrid and electric vehicles.
BIZ417.COM
Congratulations
BIZ 100 HONOREES THANK YOU FOR MAKING 417-LAND A SUCCESSFUL AND ENGAGING COMMUNITY TO LIVE IN
visit us at nixonins.com
FOR EVERYTHING YOU DEPEND ON November/December 2021
37
[NETWORKING NOTES]
Dr. Mike Rakes in the presidential suite at Evangel University
GET TO KNOW DR. MIKE RAKES Dr. Mike Rakes is a self-professed learner at heart, a student who never saw himself working in higher education. Now, Evangel’s fifth president is proud to oversee future generations of compassionate and thoughtful leaders. BY JENNIFER JOHNMEYER
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BIZ417.COM
PHOTO BY LEAH STIEFERMANN
“I
didn’t come to manage. I came to lead.” Dr. Mike Rakes, the recently named fifth president of Evangel University, may carry himself with purpose wrapped in homespun hospitality, but he’s always prepared. As we settled into his office to discuss his hopes for Evangel, conversation began effortlessly. We dipped in and out of hobbies, the process of his move here, how bare many of his shelves still were. Then, a casual comment about the recent news of Evangel’s new mascot, Valor, snapped him into focus. “You know, if you Google ‘valorize,’ the verb form of the word, that’s even cooler,” he says. “Going back to the Latin, it means bringing you to a place of validation. This generation is validating compassion and innovation.”
Rakes has been working in higher education since 1995. A self-described learner at heart, he admits that he had no aspirations to work in the upper levels of the field. He was more interested in personal growth, learning and coaching. Doors continued to open for him along the way, and he eventually found himself in those upper levels, after all. “As my wife, Darla, said, ‘What did you think you were doing?’” he says, laughing. Regardless of his path to Evangel, Rakes is always ready to extol its virtues and to lead at this critical point. “Higher education was in a rut,” he says. “COVID has kind of pushed the barriers.” He recognizes that Evangel students “live in a poly-centered world. There’s very little that they have in common with one another aside from spaces. We have a diverse group, and that’s really pushed me to create new spaces for them,” he says. “Where they sleep, study and eat. That’s important.” What did surprise him about Evangel was realizing how affordable the school was, as well as the quality of education offered. “The muscularity of our academic degrees is amazing,” he says. While Rakes loves what he’s seeing at Evangel, he also has a vision for the future. His Seven Key Initiatives cover everything from collective listening to campus beautification. They include: the call to prayer, the collective listening process, the generosity through giving in chapel, the excellence and beautification project, engaging the EU Planning Council, the innovation and compassion initiative, and elevating the student experience. He’s excited about the future, he says, because this generation gives him hope. “The optimism that is embedded within them to change things—they really do see that they need to change things, and I’m so proud of them for that,” he says. “They’ll be the first generation coming out of college having survived a pandemic. They’re hungry to be in community with one another, and it’s inspiring.”
SMALL TALK STARTERS School Days: D.M., Doctor of Management (ABD), University of Phoenix; D.Min., Doctor of Ministry, Biola University (La Mirada); M.Div., Biola University, Talbot School of Theology (La Mirada); M.Div. (study), Reformed Theological Seminary (Orlando); M.A., Biblical Literature, AG Theological Seminary (Springfield); B.A., Pastoral Ministries, Central Bible College (Springfield) Family: Rakes and his wife, Darla, have two children: a daughter, Whitney, who passed away in 2019 following a courageous battle with cancer; a son, Brayden; daughter-in-law, Heather; and two grandsons, Blake (2) and Beau (infant). Morning Musts: A really early start and dark roast coffee Currently Reading: Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein Little-Known Facts: Rakes has written two books. The most recent, Surrendered & Unafraid: The Flourishing of Faith During Seasons of Suffering
BIZ417.COM
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PROMOTION
B E YO N D B US I N ESS
Ryan Nothum, Brad Nothum, Bob Nothum Jr., Robert M Nothum
LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE THE NEXT 50 YEARS
NOTHUM FOOD PROCESSING 631 s. Kansas Ave springfield
417-831-2816
nothum.com
PHOTO BY TK PHOTGRAPHER
N
o t h u m Fo o d Pr o c e s s i n g Sy s t e m s i s c e l e b r a t i n g 5 0 y e a r s i n b u s i n e s s . Ev e n a s t h e y h o n o r t h e i r a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s a n d r e c o g n i z e t h e i r h i s t o r y, t h e y a r e l o o k i n g i n t o the future by planning the road map to the next 50 years. “ It a l l s t a r t e d w i t h a n i d e a . S o m e c a l l i t a d r e a m , b u t w e c a l l i t a v i s i o n . ” - B o b No t h u m In 1 9 7 1 , Ro b e r t No t h u m S e n i o r h a d a v i s i o n t o b e c o m e t h e m a r k e t l e a d e r i n c o a t i n g a n d c o o k i n g e q u i p m e n t . He d e v e l o p e d t h e f i r s t No t h u m b r e a d i n g m a c h i n e , k n o w n a s t h e 7 1 -A Br e a d e r. In 1 9 8 5 , h i s s o n d e c i d e d t o j o i n t h e f a m i l y b u s i n e s s . Wi t h f a t h e r a n d s o n working side-by-side, they would go on to design equipment that would revolutionize t h e f o o d p r o c e s s i n g i n d u s t r y. A s t h e y e a r s c o n t i n u e d , t h e c o m p a n y g a i n e d m o r e No t h u m f a m i l y e m p l o y e e s , e a c h contributing valuable skills and an unmatched passion for their business to succeed. They also continued to create and service game-changing food production equipment. In t h e p a s t f o u r y e a r s , No t h u m h a s e x p a n d e d i n t o a g l o b a l c o m p a n y, o f f i c i a l l y e s t a b l i s h i n g s a l e s a n d s e r v i c e t e a m s a c r o s s Eu r o p e , t h e M i d d l e Ea s t , A s i a , L a t i n a n d South America. T h e j o u r n e y i s n e v e r e a s y, e s p e c i a l l y f o r a f a m i l y - o w n e d b u s i n e s s . J u s t l i k e a n y c o m p a n y, No t h u m h a s l e a r n e d f r o m t h e i r m i s t a k e s a n d c o n t i n u e s t o m o v e f o r w a r d . A s f o r t h e n e x t f i f t y y e a r s , No t h u m’ s p l a n i s t o k e e p a c l e a r v i s i o n a n d t a k e c a r e o f their most important assets–their customers and team members. Always listen. Always c r e a t e s o m e t h i n g d i f f e r e n t . A l w a y s h a v e a “c a n - d o” c u l t u r e . A n d “ N E V E R. G I V E . U P ! ”
“As for the next fifty years, Nothum’s plan is to keep a clear vision and take care of their most important assets–their customers and team members.”
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[MENTORSHIP MOMENT]
Heather Hardinger and Paula Dougherty chat about friendship and balance over cups of Architect Coffee.
G
MEETING OF THE MINDS Heather Hardinger and Paula Dougherty are proof that a pandemic can't get in the way of a perfect mentorship pair. Hardinger is the business solutions and talent strategy officer at Connell Insurance and is on Springfield City Council. Dougherty is a private wealth advisor with Ameriprise Financial.
PHOTO BY BRANDON ALMS
BY TESSA COOPER
Biz 417: What led you two to forming this mentorship? Heather Hardinger: We got paired through the [Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce's] Young Professional Leadership Council. They basically pair up a young professional with someone from the Chamber board. I feel like this was definitely something that was supposed to happen, at least on my end. This was in 2020. Of course, I had stars in my eyes about what I BIZ417.COM
wanted the year to look like and dreams that I had for the future. We talked about that in our first session. We asked, “What do you want to get out of this? And what are your plans for the year? What’s going on?” That was in January. I had so many highs and lows in 2020, like everyone else. We were just hanging on for dear life, so having somebody that’s listening and being able to feed off of each other's energy was something I really needed. Paula Dougherty: As she’s saying this, I remembered we first met [at Architect Coffee]. And then COVID happened, so then we met virtually. Even that was a bit challenging because we had technology issues, but it still worked. We were just getting to know each other, so we did start out with some groundwork and expectations. But I think it blossomed into something bigger than we both expected. She obviously had a big year, with a lot going on personally and professionally. I felt like I had a seat in the front row getting to be with her. We just talked through a lot of things, and it turned into this friendship that I think we’re going to have now for a long time.
417: Since Heather decided to run for Springfield's city council during this period, how did that influence the mentorship experience? HH: We talked about me running and me not running. We also discussed different things that were going on in my life at the time, what I wanted to prioritize, and how I wanted to give back to the community. It was great to have a sounding board for that. I felt like you were fairly neutral. You said, “You’ll know when it's the right thing.” And I definitely needed that. Ultimately, this is not a space where a lot of women gravitate to, and I now know how hard it is and why more young women don’t do this. It’s because you have to balance everything in your life. PD: You were picked out specifically for a reason, for your talents, your experiences and your way with people. When they mentioned that you were running at one of the board meetings, I felt this sense of pride like, “Oh, I know her.” And then I thought, “Of course, that makes total sense. Why wouldn’t the council benefit from having her on their team and as a voice and a representative?” November/December 2021
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HUMAN RESOURCE CHALLENGE? OUR TEAM HAS THE SOLUTIONS TO PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER. [TOP TAKEAWAYS] Logan Aguirre speaks at the Community Leadership Visit.
WHAT I LEARNED FROM “VISITING” 417-LAND HR CONSULTING ∙ COMPLIANCE ∙ POLICIES ∙ FORMS ∙ TRAINING ∙ RECRUITMENT ∙ HR SUPPORT LINE
The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce held its Community Leadership Visit in Springfield. These are our Publisher Logan Aguirre's top takeaways. For her full reflections, visit biz417.com. BY LOGAN AGUIRRE
877-894-0202
HRADVANTAGEWEB.NET
INFO@HRADVANTAGEWEB.NET
417-land’s Ultimate Cocktail Party
the presented by
party Toast the Biz 100 , a collection of in southwest Missouri.
November 10 at 6 p.m. Reliable BMW BIZ417.COM/BIZ100PARTY
THE BANK FOR NEW BUSINESS
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November/December 2021
T
he Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce typically arranges for local leaders to visit other communities. This year, we took a trip to our own backyard. These are the insights that really stuck with me.
1. Think Regionally When you zoom out and see Springfield as a regional hub among Branson, Nixa, Republic, Ozark, Willard and Rogersville, you see a total package. Working together can help us advocate for broader funding, market our region as an outdoor paradise and attract new businesses to the area. 2. Workforce Training Growing our workforce begins with training those currently in our educational systems. Springfield Public Schools and Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) are partnering to create pipelines for students to enter the workforce immediately. OTC’s upcoming Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing will provide more training for current and future workers. 3. Identity Crisis One recurring theme in 417-land is the need for a cohesive identity or tagline. I personally like “Gateway to the Ozarks.” Everyone knows about the Ozarks' natural beauty, and no matter how you travel around the Ozarks, you have to go through Springfield first! I’d love to hear your thoughts. 4. Support our Next-Gen Entrepreneurs During a visit to the eFactory, we heard from three local startups that could live anywhere but choose to be here. Now, we need more angel investors to help keep startups like these here as they grow and require more capital. They need to see we’re invested in their success. 5. Bold Leadership Goes Both Ways We have some great leaders in 417-land—people whose vision, strategy and leadership are transformative. When we have strong leaders who set a vision and see it through, we all have to be willing to step up and support them when things get messy or complicated. BIZ417.COM
PHOTO COURTESY SPRINGFIELD AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
THE MIDWEST’S PREMIER HUMAN RESOURCE CONSULTING FIRM SINCE 2005
BIZ
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ARCHITECTURE
They’re the people shaping 417-land’s future. This list gets to the heart of why they’re essential to our economy and culture. It also shares a few personal tidbits, like their proudest achievements, their professional insights and the advice they’d give themselves if they could travel back in time to the beginning of their careers. BY LUCIE AMBERG AND ETTIE BERNEKING ART DIRECTION BY DANIELLE GIARRATANO PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRANDON ALMS AND COURTESY THE BIZ 100 HONOREES
METHODOLOGY The Biz 100 is selected by Biz 417’s editors, publisher, founders and advisory board members. We evaluate current and prospective nominees based on their individual business success, their impact on the local business community and their community involvement this year. Current honorees are eligible to appear again, but as people retire, leave the area or otherwise take a step back, they may be taken off the list. Generally speaking, leaders who are new to their roles don’t make the list in their first year, but when someone dives in and has an immediate effect, we make an exception. List-makers can come from any industry and hold any title; we’re looking for people whose hard work and vision make tangible differences in 417-land. Some leaders on this list might prefer to avoid the limelight, but we’ve chosen to brag about them anyway. For more information or to tell us who we missed, visit biz417. com/nominate. DENOTES FIRST-TIME BIZ 100 HONOREES. DENOTES BIZ 100 POWER PLAY, AN ESPECIALLY SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION OR BUSINESS MOVE MADE BY AN HONOREE.
BIZ417.COM
TIM CONNELL, P. 56
BRAD ERWIN, P. 46
TREVOR CRIST, P. 56 GORDON KINNE, P. 56
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
BIZ 100 HONOREES
You already know these names.
INSURANCE
RITA BARON, P. 46
RICHARD OLLIS, P. 56
BETH DOMANN, P. 46
AUTOMOBILES & TRANSPORTATION
LAW DAVID AGEE, P. 57 CRISTA HOGAN, P. 57 CHRISTA B. MOSS, P. 57 RANDELL WALLACE, P. 57 DEE WAMPLER, P. 57
RICK HUGHLETT, P. 46 ROBERT LOW, P. 46 MARK WALKER, P. 46 BRIAN WEILER, P. 47
BUSINESS CONSULTING & EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
MANUFACTURING BOBBY ALLISON, P. 57 JERRY COOK, P. 57 JOHN GENTRY, P. 58 JENA HOLTBERG-BENGE, P. 58 DAVID MOORE, P. 58 JOE REYNOLDS, P. 58 JACK STACK, P. 58
PAULA ADAMS, P. 47
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE CHRISTINA ANGLE, P. 47 MICHELLE CANTRELL, P. 47 MARCO DENIS, P. 47 JOHN GRIESEMER, P. 47 PATRICK MURNEY, P. 48 TOM RANKIN, P. 48 DEBBIE SHANTZ HART, P. 48 STEPHANIE STENGER, P. 48
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ROB BLEVINS, P. 58 ERIN DANASTASIO, P. 59 HAL DONALDSON, P. 59 BRIAN FOGLE, P. 59 BRANDY HARRIS, P. 59 MARY KROMREY, P. 59 FRANCINE PRATT, P. 59
CONSTRUCTION JOHN OKE-THOMAS, P. 48
EDUCATION AMAKA “COACH MOX” AGUGUA-HAMILTON, P. 49 J. TIMOTHY CLOYD, PH.D, P. 49 DANA FORD, P. 49 DR. HAL HIGDON, P. 49 DR. GRENITA LATHAN, P. 49 BOBBY PETRINO, P. 49 H. WES PRATT, P. 50 CLIF SMART, P. 50
PUBLIC & ELECTED OFFICIALS ROY BLUNT, P. 60 DAVID CAMERON, P. 60 JASON GAGE, P. 60 GARY GIBSON, P. 60 LINCOLN P. HOUGH, P. 60 BILLY LONG, P. 61 KEN MCCLURE, P. 61 MATT MORROW, P. 61 MICHAEL PARSON, P. 61 CRYSTAL QUADE, P. 61 TIM ROSENBURY, P. 61 PAUL F. WILLIAMS, P. 61
FINANCE & BANKING JOSELYN BALDNER, P. 50 SHAUN A. BURKE, P. 50 PAULA DOUGHERTY, P. 50 JOHN EVERETT, P. 50 RANDY JOHNSON, P. 51 DOUG NEFF, P. 51 GARY SCHAFER, P. 51 JOE TURNER, P. 51
FOOD & BEVERAGE SHAWN ASKINOSIE, P. 51 LYLE FOSTER, P. 51 SAM HAMRA, P. 51 SALLY HARGIS, P. 52 ANDY KUNTZ, P. 52 TERESA MCGEEHAN, P. 52 JEFF SCHRAG, P. 52 JAMES TILLMAN, P. 52
HEALTHCARE TERESA COYAN, P. 52 C.J. DAVIS, P. 52 STEVE EDWARDS, P. 56 BRENT HUBBARD, P. 56 CRAIG MCCOY, P. 56
PERSON OF THE YEAR: TIM O'REILLY
P.53
RETAIL AUDREY GARARD, P. 62 GREG JOHNSON, P. 62 JOHNNY MORRIS, P. 62 ABIGAIL PINEGAR-ROSE, P. 62 JEFFREY W. RUSSELL, P. 62
TECHNOLOGY THOMAS H. DOUGLAS, P. 63 DAVID FOSS, P. 63 DOUG PITT, P. 63
TRAVEL & TOURISM GORDON ELLIOTT, P. 63 JACK HERSCHEND, P. 63 PETER HERSCHEND, P. 63 MARY KELLOGG-JOSLYN, P. 63 BILLY MCQUEARY, P. 64 JOHN MCQUEARY, P. 64 KAREN MCQUEARY, P. 64 DAN REITER, P. 64 MEGAN STACK, P. 64 BRAD THOMAS, P. 64 CRAIG WESCOTT, P. 64 November/December 2021
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ARCHITECTURE
R i ta Ba r o n PRINCIPAL, BARON DESIGN & ASSOCIATES, LLC AND RAGA PROPERTIES, LLC B.ARCH., DRURY UNIVERSITY Returning, Fourth Year
power play
The Essential: In nearly 20 years spent designing and developing properties, Rita Baron has gained expertise in issues like sustainable design and construction, affordable housing and historic preservation. Among her firm’s awards and recognitions: achieving the first LEED Gold certificate (the standard in “green” buildings) in a hospitality industry project for Hilton Hotels. The Insight: Baron says she and her team hit new heights when they crafted a mission statement “that articulates and demonstrates [our] purpose and values.” The Advice She’d Give Herself: “Embrace your failures. It won’t always be easy, but the lessons you learn along the way will help you.” Power Play: Baron’s firm moved into its new building on East Sunshine. Law firm Husch Blackwell announced plans to join her there.
b r a d e rw i n
PRESIDENT/PRINCIPAL, PARAGON ARCHITECTURE M.ARCH., UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS; B.ARCH., DRURY UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Brad Erwin founded Paragon Architecture in 2010 and moved the firm into its new headquarters on West College Street last year. Erwin is known for his work with tornado-safe design. To date, he’s helped secure funding for more than 40 community safe rooms.
A R T S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T Beth Domann
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SPRINGFIELD LITTLE THEATRE B.F.A., STEPHENS COLLEGE Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Under Beth Domann’s leadership, Springfield Little Theatre (SLT) has navigated the pandemic, expanded its education department and partnered with Springfield Public Schools to offer the Academy of Fine and Performing Arts. Big in 2021: Thanks to COVID-safety procedures, SLT was able to welcome in-person audiences all year long to shows like Matilda, Kinky Boots and The Sound of Music. The Insight: If you’re looking for professional guideposts, consider the ones Domann says she lives by: “Cast a show right, and you’ve done 90% of the job. Get out of the way. Always have a contingency plan. Numbers don’t lie.”
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A U T O M O B I L E S & T R A N S P O R TAT I O N FOUNDER, RICK’S AUTOMOTIVE Returning, Fifth Year
The Essential: Since Rick and Karen Hughlett opened Rick’s Automotive in 1980, its clean waiting areas and warm service have made it a destination for 417-land car care. It’s important in local philanthropy, too. The company supports organizations like Springfield Southeast Rotary Club, Council of Churches of the Ozarks and the James River Basin Partnership. Big in 2021: Despite the pandemic, Rick’s Automotive remained open all year. His team helped keep local ambulances repaired and ready for service. Bet You Didn’t Know: “I fly a hot-air balloon for fun and charity,” Hughlett says. He’s participated in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and flown with more than 600 other balloons at a time. INSPIRATION CLOSE TO HOME WHEN ASKED WHO IN 417-LAND INSPIRES HIM, RICK HUGHLETT MENTIONED JACK HERSCHEND. READ ABOUT HERSCHEND ON P.63.
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November/December 2021
r o b e r t low
m a r k wa l k e r
The Essential: There’s a lot happening at Robert Low’s company. Prime Inc. recently invested in a flatbed securement bay for its Springfield terminal. According to the Prime website, it allows drivers to load up with a remotecontrolled crane, which means they don’t have to climb across the truck bed and risk falling. Prime has also implemented “green” initiatives, like constructing tires for improved gas mileage and finding new uses for old tires. “Prime’s policy has always been the Golden Rule—‘Do your best, do what’s right and treat others the way you want to be treated,’” Low says, according to a news release on Prime’s website. “Environmental sustainability practices fall into ‘do what’s right.’”
The Essential: Mark Walker became CEO of TransLand in 2013. The company now has 230 employees serving customers throughout the U.S. with transportation needs like dry van and flatbed trucking. He currently serves on the Drury University Board of Trustees, the National CASA Board of Directors and United Way of the Ozarks Campaign Cabinet. Big in 2021: In June, Walker and his son Andrew won the Highland Springs member guest golf event. “Just playing with [Andrew] was special,” Walker says, “but persevering to win the three-day event was extra special.” The Insight: When Walker looks to the future of TransLand, he’s excited about growing operations, particularly in the St. Louis area.
PRESIDENT/ FOUNDER PRIME INC. UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI Returning, Sixth Year
CHAIRMAN/ CEO, TRANSLAND B.A., DRURY UNIVERSITY Returning, Fifth Year
BIZ417.COM
PHOTOS BY ABOUT FACES, COURTESY OZARKS TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Rick Hughlett
Pa u l a A da m s
PRESIDENT, PENMAC STAFFING SERVICES, INC. B.S., UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Paula Adams says her industry is all about people. “You are helping individuals find employment so they can provide for their families. You are helping small business owners find the staff they need to keep things running smoothly. You are helping the people in our communities to make sure goods and services are available. Those daily connections with job seekers, employees and business leaders will always be the most inspiring part of the job.” Big in 2021: Penmac opened two new locations—its 33rd branch office in Republic and an on-site office at the Missouri Job Center in Springfield. Bet You Didn’t Know: Adams’s mother, Penmac founder Patti Penny, created the company’s motto, “We place people first.”
PHOTO BY CARA REMINGTON
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Those daily connections with job seekers, employees and business leaders will always be the most inspiring part of the job. —PAULA ADAMS, PRESIDENT OF PENMAC STAFFING SERVICES, INC.
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Brian Weiler power play
DIRECTOR OF AVIATION, SPRINGFIELDBRANSON NATIONAL AIRPORT M.S., UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI; B.S., EMBRY-RIDDLE UNIVERSITY Returning, Third Year
The Essential: Brian Weiler served in the Marines before managing airports and working with the Missouri Department of Transportation. In 2011, he was named director of aviation at the Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF). Big in 2021: Despite the pandemic, SGF retained all its airline partners and added two more nonstop destinations. Bet You Didn’t Know: In the ’80s, Weiler did a stint as the head bouncer at an MTV Spring Break bar in Daytona Beach, Florida. Power Play: Weiler closed a deal with American Airlines to build a new maintenance facility at SGF, an accomplishment he describes as “years in the making. Definitely a career highlight,” he says.
BIZ417.COM
C O M M E R C I A L R E A L E S TAT E
B U S I N E S S C O N S U LT I N G
Christina Angle CFO/VICE PRESIDENT OF GROUP SERVICES, ERLEN GROUP B.S., WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY Returning, Second Year
The Essential: Christina Angle sharpened her skills on the East Coast and in London before joining her family’s business. She’s part of the Erlen Group’s third generation. The Insight: The Erlen Group often refers to philosopher John Ruskin’s words: “When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight, nor for present use alone; let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for, and let us think, as we lay stone on stone, that a time is to come when those stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them, ‘See! This our fathers did for us.’”
Michelle Ca n t r e l l
OWNER, CANTRELL REAL ESTATE NEW
The Essential: For the last two years in a row, Michelle Cantrell’s team sold more than $100 million in 417land real estate. This year will break records, with almost $140 million in closed and pending sales at press time. Without actively recruiting agents, she says her group has added 23 new team members. Big in 2021: She launched her own brokerage, Cantrell Real Estate. The Insight: Cantrell applauds diversity and inclusion initiatives in 417-land. She says, “The effort is working, and we need to continue to be inclusive to grow.” The Advice She’d Give Herself: “Dream bigger! I really didn’t understand what a successful real estate career would mean for my family when I started this business… It has changed the financial trajectory of our family and created generational wealth.”
Marco Denis PRESIDENT, SPRINGFIELD PROPERTY LLC New
The Essential: Developer Marco Denis sparked a lot of excitement when he purchased the iconic Plaza Towers building at the corner of Glenstone and Sunshine. It should be in good hands—Denis has restored more than 250 homes in Springfield. Big in 2021: Denis hired architecture firms Esterly, Schneider & Associates and Marshall Waters Woody to work on the Plaza Towers renovation. The Insight: He sees his work as critical to 417-land’s future. “Refurbishing properties creates jobs for the hardest-working members of our community, such as plumbers, electricians and carpenters,” he says. “It’s a particularly good feeling to see all our community members grow and become successful.”
John Griesemer PRESIDENT/CEO, ERLEN GROUP B.S., PURDUE UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: John Griesemer assumed leadership of his family’s business in 2018 when his uncle, Louis Griesemer, retired. You’ll also find him on the boards of several 417-land nonprofit and for-profit organizations. He says service like this provides useful perspective on how other corporations deal with issues. He considers Jack Stack, SRC’s president and CEO (and fellow Biz 100 honoree), an important mentor. “Jack is a wealth of information,” Griesemer says, “and enjoyable to be around—personally and professionally.” The Insight: According to Griesemer, the best business advice he’s ever received is, “You have two ears and one mouth—use them in that proportion.” November/December 2021
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C O M M E R C I A L R E A L E S TAT E to m r a n k i n
Pat r i c k M u r n e y
OWNER, RANKIN DEVELOPMENT LLC AND SVN/RANKIN COMPANY, LLC B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
OWNER, MURNEY ASSOCIATES, REALTORS B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: When Murney Associates was formed, it had seven agents, and Patrick Murney says he thought it might eventually grow to include as many as 20 agents. It’s since become one of the most recognizable names in 417-land real estate. The Insight: “I’ve always sought to exceed my clients’ expectations,” Murney says. “If we can dispel the notion that buying and selling homes is an arduous process, then we’re headed in the right direction.”
Debbie Shantz Hart PRINCIPAL/OWNER, HOUSING PLUS, LLC; DHTC DEVELOPMENT, LLC J.D., UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI; B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Fifth Year
The Essential: Following a career in real estate law, Debbie Shantz Hart founded Housing Plus, LLC and DHTC Development, LLC. Since 2008, Shantz Hart has developed more than 900 units of affordable family, senior and special needs housing. Big in 2021: She’s now collaborating with her son. “Working with Riley has energized me and made my work even more exciting,” she says. The Insight: Shantz Hart hopes Springfield will succeed in curbing crime rates, something she believes is key to alleviating poverty because it will spur further economic development. She also hopes to see re-development in Springfield’s older neighborhoods “to attract younger families,” she says. INSPIRATION CLOSE TO HOME WHEN ASKED WHO IN 417-LAND INSPIRES HER, DEBBIE SHANTZ HART MENTIONED DAVID CAMERON. READ ABOUT CAMERON ON P.60.
The Essential: For more than three decades, Tom Rankin has been an important figure in 417-land real estate. Lately, he’s seeing significant activity in the industrial market. Big in 2021: Rankin played a significant role in the deal that brought the Amazon Fulfillment Center to Republic. The Insight: Rankin says the best business advice he’s ever received is, “Do all the little things right, and the big things will take care of themselves.”
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Do all the little things right, and the big things will take care of themselves. —TOM RANKIN, OWNER OF RANKIN DEVELOPMENT LLC AND SVN/RANKIN COMPANY LLC
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Stephanie Stenger
CEO, SPRINGFIELD LAND LP J.D., UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA; B.S., UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI Returning, Fifth Year
The Essential: Stephanie Stenger is passionate about developing 417-land. She’s had an up-close perspective on the community since the 1990s, when she began working for her father’s businesses. She now operates one of those businesses, Springfield Land LP, with her brother. Big in 2021: Stenger is part owner of medical marijuana dispensary The Farmer’s Wife.
CONSTRUCTION J o h n O k e - T h o m as PRESIDENT/CEO, OKE-THOMAS + ASSOCIATES, INC. B.ARCH., DRURY UNIVERSITY Returning, Fifth Year
The Essential: In Missouri, there are just three Chartered Member Architects of the Royal Institute of British Architects; one of them, John Oke-Thomas, is here in 417-land. He established his architectural and design-build company in 1996. He’s also a founding member of the local chapter of Minorities in Business and the current Chairman-Elect of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors. The Insight: Oke-Thomas believes that being a business leader requires awareness of the “social responsibility to our communities and our fellow human beings. It cannot just be about dollars and cents. We have to invest in a healthy community that values and provides equal opportunities for all.”
“We have to invest in a healthy community that values and provides equal opportunities for all.” —JOHN OKE-THOMAS, PRESIDENT/CEO OF OKE-THOMAS + ASSOCIATES, INC.
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November/December 2021
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E D U C AT I O N
Amaka
Da n a Fo r d
MEN’S HEAD BASKETBALL COACH, MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY B.S., ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Third Year
“ C oac h M ox ”
Ag u g u a Hamilton WOMEN’S HEAD BASKETBALL COACH, MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY M.S., VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY; B.B.A., HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY Returning, Second Year
The Essential: In 2018, Dana Ford became the 18th head coach of the Missouri State Bears. He and his wife, Christina, are known for their nonprofit organization, The Rebound Foundation, which seeks to restore women who’ve experienced domestic abuse and break the generational cycle of abuse. They’re the proud parents of five children. The Insight: Ford says, “Always choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong,” is the best business advice he’s ever received. Big in 2021: The Bears finished third in their conference and tied a school record with seven conference wins on the road.
The Essential: Since Missouri State University named Amaka “Coach Mox” Agugua-Hamilton head coach of its women’s basketball team, the Lady Bears have racked up a string of honors. This year, they finished 14th in the Coaches Poll, the team’s highest ranking since 2001. The Insight: She still gets goosebumps when she thinks of her team’s accomplishments. “These first two years have been amazing,” she says. The Advice She’d Give Herself: “Stay prayed up! Grind now; shine later. The best is yet to come.” Power Play: The Lady Bears went to a second consecutive NCAA Sweet 16 Tournament, where they were the No. 5 seed.
power play
J. Timothy C l oy d , P h D
PHOTO COURTESY MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY
PRESIDENT/PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP/PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, DRURY UNIVERSITY PH.D. AND M.A., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST; B.A., EMORY AND HENRY COLLEGE Returning, Fifth Year
The Essential: J. Timothy Cloyd believes his greatest triumphs have come when he’s given opportunities to others, and he considers his toughest moments “when I tried to do it or think it out alone.” He’s been Drury University’s president since 2016. The Advice He’d Give Himself: “There is no lesson in the second kick of a mule.” Power Play: Cloyd led a capital campaign that raised $100 million for the new C.H. “Chub” O’Reilly Enterprise Center and Breech School of Business. The Enterprise Center will be Drury’s first new academic building in 20 years.
power play
BIZ417.COM
DR. Hal Higdon CHANCELLOR, OZARKS TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE PH.D. AND M.ED., UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI; B.S., UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: This year, Hal Higdon observed his 15th anniversary as chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC). During his tenure, he’s expanded OTC’s program offerings and strategic partnerships. Big in 2021: The hotly anticipated Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing has received significant donations from the Robert W. Plaster Foundation, Emerson, American National, Durham Company, Larry and Donna Snyder, Rick’s Automotive and Sunderland Foundation.
D r . G r e n i ta L at h a n
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS PH.D., SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY; M.S., UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA; B.S., NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY New
The Essential: Dr. Grenita Lathan assumed leadership of Missouri’s largest school district in July and immediately began connecting with 417-land. “It is important for me—not only as a newcomer to Springfield but as superintendent—to be active and visible,” she says. Big in 2021: Lathan is pleased that Springfield schools opened with in-person learning available for all students. Due to the pandemic’s impact, “We have allocated additional resources to provide academic, physical and mental health supports that they can access at school,” she says. “This assistance is important to making the 2021–22 school year a successful one for everyone.”
B o b by P e t r i n o HEAD FOOTBALL COACH, MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY New
The Essential: When Missouri State University hired Bobby Petrino in 2020, it marked a turning point for Bears Football. During the spring season, Petrino led the team to a share of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) title and the Bears’ first playoff appearance in 30 years. The fall season looks promising for the Bears, too, with a 4-2 record at press time. Big in 2021: The MVC named Petrino coach of the year, and Missouri State extended his contract through the 2025 season. November/December 2021
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E D U C AT I O N H . W e s P r at t
ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT/CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER, MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY J.D., UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO; B.A., DRURY UNIVERSITY Returning, Second Year
The Essential: After growing up in Springfield, H. Wes Pratt spent time on the West Coast, where—among other roles—he served as the first African American director of the California Conservation Corps. He returned home “to promote the value of inclusion on campus and in the community,” he says. Around 417-land, he’s known as a go-to source for training in diversity, equity and inclusion. The Insight: Pratt wants to see our citizens, residents, organizations, institutions and businesses continue to cultivate cultural consciousness. “Springfield will be a model for the nation,” he says, “when it collectively and individually incorporates inclusive excellence in all sectors.”
clif smart PRESIDENT, MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY J.D., UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: According to Springfield Mayor (and fellow Biz 100 honoree) Ken McClure, Clif Smart “assumed the Missouri State University presidency during a very difficult time in the university’s history.” Smart says this career turn surprised him; it seems to have worked out. Since taking on the role in 2011, he’s successfully advocated for a $10 million increase in the university’s appropriations, overseen the “Onward, Upward” fundraising campaign—and he also made Bears Football happen. Bet You Didn’t Know: Growing up, Smart spent a year in Afghanistan. The Advice He’d Give Himself: “Always work hard, whether or not you love your job—or your manager.”
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FINANCE & BANKING Baldner power play
PRESIDENT/CEO, CENTRAL BANK New
The Essential: Eighteen years ago, Joselyn Baldner began her career as a teller with holding company Central Bank. Now, as the bank’s leader, she's been on the frontlines of the economic recovery through the facilitation of the Paycheck Protection Program. Big in 2021: She says she’s been inspired by “all of the work that the Chamber of Commerce has done for our business community, the teachers who go amazingly above and beyond... and the tireless work that the team at CPO did to ensure one of our most vulnerable populations, the homeless, was housed from week to week.” Power Play: Baldner is the first woman to become president and CEO of Central Bank.
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November/December 2021
Shaun A. Burke PRESIDENT/CEO, GUARANTY BANK GRADUATE BANKING SCHOOL OF COLORADO; B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Shaun A. Burke has experienced two of banking’s biggest challenges: the Great Recession, which led him to advocate for best banking practices and regulatory guidance, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Guaranty Bank has processed 630 loans—more than $53 million worth—as part of the pandemic relief-oriented Paycheck Protection Program. The Insight: Like many CEOs, Burke is focused on talent acquisition and retention. “We’re implementing a more flexible mobile work policy that will allow our associates to meet our customers’ needs while providing increased work-life balance,” he says. “This approach will greatly benefit our customers and our ability to serve them with talented, experienced bankers.”
Pa u l a Dougherty CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER/PRIVATE WEALTH ADVISOR/ OWNER, ACHIEVE PRIVATE WEALTH/ AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL M.B.A., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY; B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Second Year
The Essential: Paula Dougherty loves that her work involves “developing people and seeing their successes.” During her 26 years with Ameriprise, many women have joined her in the financial services industry. “It is an exciting time,” she says, “to see so many women in the C-suite and at the boardroom table.” The Advice She’d Give Herself: “Trust in God, and trust in yourself. A lot of people will come into your life. Some will stay, and some will go. Learn from all of it.”
“A lot of people will come into your life... learn from all of it.” —PAULA DOUGHERTY, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER/PRIVATE WEALTH ADVISOR/OWNER, ACHIEVE PRIVATE WEALTH/AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL
John Everett
PRESIDENT/CEO, LEGACY BANK AND TRUST B.A., DRURY UNIVERSITY Returning, Second Year
The Essential: John Everett says his experience as a charter employee of THE BANK “gave me the background and experience that has propelled me for the rest of my career.” In 2004, he joined Legacy Bank and Trust as CFO, and in 2009, Legacy named him president and CEO. This year, he’s serving as Chairman of the Missouri Bankers Association. Big in 2021: Legacy Bank moved into its new Springfield headquarters, a 40,000-square-foot building on East Sunshine. The Insight: Everett considers his father his greatest mentor. “He taught me how to treat everyone with respect,” he says. BIZ417.COM
PHOTOS COURTESY GUARANTY BANK, BY HEATHER ROBBINS PHOTOGRAPHY
Joselyn
FINANCE & BANKING doug neff
R a n dy J o h n s o n CEO/CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OAKSTAR BANK New
The Essential: Randy Johnson says he leads “the most amazing team.” With 500 employees in 27 locations, he feels “challenged daily to improve our company and be personal with each banking team I serve.” The Advice He’d Give Himself: “Invest [in] people. If we will listen, they will teach so much.”
“ ” We must become a more diverse and inclusive community to reach our potential. —DOUG NEFF, CHAIRMAN / CEO OF COMMERCE BANK, SOUTHWEST MISSOURI
CHAIRMAN/CEO, COMMERCE BANK SOUTHWEST MISSOURI GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BANKING, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN; B.S., UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Doug Neff recently celebrated his 30th anniversary at Commerce Bank, where he’s worked with every aspect of the industry, including commercial banking, credit and wealth management. The Insight: When asked about the biggest barriers 417-land needs to overcome, Neff says, “We must become a more diverse and inclusive community to reach our potential.” The Advice He’d Give Himself: “Be open-minded and willing to take on challenges that take you out of your comfort zone.” Bet You Didn’t Know: Neff describes himself as “a farm kid from western Kansas.” He graduated from high school with just 10 other classmates.
G a ry S c h a f e r
MANAGING PARTNER—SOUTHERN MISSOURI OFFICES, BKD LLP B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY | Returning, Third Year
The Essential: Gary Schafer helms BKD LLP and oversees the firm’s 417-land operations. After almost 25 years in his industry, Schafer says, “The opportunity to work with innovative entrepreneurs and outstanding business leaders and managers is one of the best things about being in public accounting.” The Insight: Schafer describes the moment he learned “that there was a hard limit to how many balls I could juggle at once,” as one of his most valuable lessons. While he values multitasking, he says, “trying to keep too many people happy at one time is a sure way to disappoint all of them.”
joe turner PRESIDENT/CEO, GREAT SOUTHERN BANK J.D., UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI; B.S., DRAKE UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Joe Turner tells us his father taught him the importance of effectively communicating with colleagues and subordinates. “[My father] always said, ‘People are down on what they’re not up on,’” Turner says. It was Turner’s father who convinced him to move away from his legal career and join Great Southern Bank. The Insight: During his career, Turner has learned to view things with a long-range lens. Early on, he says, “my time horizon was too short. Now, I realize it’s advantageous to think in terms of five-, 10- or even 20-year periods.”
FOOD & BEVERAGE S h aw n As k i n o s i e
PHOTOS COURTESY OAKSTAR BANK, ASKINOSIE CHOCOLATE, BY GARRETT LAYMAN
CEO/FOUNDER, ASKINOSIE CHOCOLATE J.D. AND B.S., UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Lawyer-turnedchocolatier Shawn Askinosie is 417-famous for making chocolate that tastes great and feels just as good, since the profits get shared with the smallholder farmers who produce the cocoa. He tells us he’s still inspired by the prospect of “finding God in all things and in all people.” Big in 2021: Askinosie’s biggest challenge has been supply chain issues with every ingredient, “except the cocoa beans,” he says. “They’ve been great and on time.” Bet You Didn’t Know: Askinosie managed Sheryl Crow’s band in college. He once pitched the band to the Junior League of Springfield, but, he says, “They turned us down.” BIZ417.COM
ly l e fo s t e r CEO, BIG MOMMA’S COFFEE AND ESPRESSO PH.D., UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI; M.A., BROWN UNIVERSITY; M.A., YALE UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: If you're out and about in 417-land, you'll run into Lyle Foster. You might see him at Missouri State University, where he’s a faculty member, or at his popular C-Street coffee shop, Big Momma's. There’s his new venture, Queen City Soul Kitchen, which he co-owns with fellow Biz 100 honoree Francine Pratt. He’s also the grant administrator for nearly $57 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for Greene County. Big in 2021: The Springfield-Greene County African American Heritage Trail, which Foster organized, raised funds for four more historic markers, bringing the current number to 13.
Sa m Hamra FOUNDER/ CHAIRMAN, HAMRA ENTERPRISES B.S./B.A., UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Hamra says the following wisdom from his friend, Danny Thomas, has always resonated with him: “Success has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It is what you do for others.” This might be why he’s as known for his philanthropic activities, including donations to The Kitchen, the Springfield Art Museum and multiple colleges and universities, as he is for his investments in quick-service staples like Wendy’s and Panera Bread. The Insight: His philosophy is, “Never give up! If something you invest in does not work, pick yourself up and keep going.” November/December 2021
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FOOD & BEVERAGE t e r e sa m c g e e h a n
sa l ly hargis
VICE PRESIDENT/ CHAIRMAN, OZARKS COCA-COLA/DR PEPPER BOTTLING CO. B.S., UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: The enterprise that Edwin C. “Cookie” Rice Sr. founded a century ago has become a major force throughout 417-land. Rice’s granddaughter, Sally Hargis, now leads the company, along with Edwin C. Rice Jr. and Bruce Long. The Insight: When asked about the best business advice she’s received, Hargis says, “Never let an opportunity pass to say a kind and encouraging thing to—or about—somebody. Praise good work.” Big in 2021: Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co. opened a new, 432,000-square-foot warehouse in Springfield.
A n dy Kuntz
PRESIDENT/CEO, ANDY’S FROZEN CUSTARD Returning, Sixth Year
OWNER/OPERATOR, MCDONALD’S RESTAURANTS New
The Essential: At 16, when Teresa McGeehan began working at McDonald’s, she couldn’t have guessed that she was destined to own the counter she was working behind. She rose through various leadership roles and was approved for her first restaurant in 2009. She and her husband Chip now own and operate 19 McDonald’s. She’s passionate about advocating for other female leaders—in her own organization and throughout the community. Big in 2021: Chip and Teresa McGeehan were executive producers of the Harmony House exhibit, “Standing Together,” which raised awareness of domestic violence. The Advice She’d Give Herself: “Lead confidently—if you don’t question your ability, others won’t either. Not taking risks because you fear failure is self-sabotage; get uncomfortable and grow!”
J e f f S c h r ag
OWNER/FOUNDER, MOTHER’S BREWING CO.; PUBLISHER, THE DAILY EVENTS B.S., KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: A “dedicated Downtowner,” Jeff Schrag says he “tries not to drive south of Sunshine unless I have to.” And since he owns the popular Mother’s Brewing Co., he rarely has to head south—eventually, everyone comes to him. The Insight: When Schrag looks to 417-land’s future, he hopes for continued progress in equity and inclusion. “Opportunity for all,” he says. Bet You Didn’t Know: Schrag considers his 1995 decision to purchase The Daily Events “for every dime I could muster, beg and borrow” one of his best moves. “It made everything else possible,” he says.
ja m e s t i l l m a n
The Essential: 417-land’s favorite drive-through dessert got its start more than three decades ago in Osage Beach, where John and Carol Kuntz began offering it. Now their son, Andy Kuntz, helms the business, which serves up deliciousness in 14 states. Big in 2021: In August, Andy’s opened its 100th store, located in Kansas City.
MANAGING MEMBER, FIRST WATCH Returning, Second Year
The Essential: When James Tillman brought the First Watch concept to Springfield in 2017, 417-landers fell in love with its health-oriented breakfast, brunch and lunch options. Tillman soon opened a second Springfield location; he’s now the managing member of seven First Watch restaurants. He also owns several other businesses, including Complete Electrical Solutions, and has multiple real estate ventures.
T e r e sa C oya n
VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, COXHEALTH M.B.A., WEBSTER UNIVERSITY; B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Fourth Year
The Essential: As CoxHealth’s Vice President of Public Affairs, Teresa Coyan calls on her enthusiasm for connecting people
mined
with state and local issues. Bet You Didn’t Know: She tells us she used to be uncomfortable speaking publicly. “I pushed myself till it became easier and easier,” she says. “I'm still sometimes shocked that I work in a role that is in constant communication and made for an extrovert.” And she’s proud that those days of shyness are in her rear-view mirror. “It helps me remember that if you work hard at something and are determined enough, anyone can achieve their goals,” she says.
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c . j . d av I S power play
PRESIDENT/CEO, BURRELL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PSY.D., FOREST INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY; M.S., UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI; B.S., CULVERSTOCKTON COLLEGE Returning, Third Year
The Essential: When C.J. Davis joined Burrell Behavioral Health in 2017, he came in with more than 20 years of experience—as both a clinical psychologist and an executive. As president/CEO, he’s remained committed to accessibility, mission expansion and promoting a better understanding of behavioral health. Bet You Didn’t Know: He played college basketball. Power Play: Davis and the whole Burrell organization are driving the conversation around mental health in 417-land. They’re raising awareness through high-impact programs, such as the Be Well Community and the suicide prevention project, ONE Initiative. BIZ417.COM
PHOTOS BY VIVIAN WHEELER, ABOUT FACES, COURTESY BURRELL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
H E A LT H C A R E
2021 P E R S O N O F T H E Y E A R WHY WE SELECTED HIM
CEO of O’Reilly Hospitality Management Tim O’Reilly says he spent most of his youth trying to figure out what he wanted to do. Turns out, he knew what he loved all along. BY ETTIE BERNEKING
F
or the past 12 years, O’Reilly Hospitality Management has been best known for managing hotels such as the DoubleTree by Hilton on Springfield’s north side or the Hilton Garden Inn at Farmers Park. OHM oversees five hotels in Springfield, but its footprint extends into Arizona, Texas, Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, Florida, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kentucky. That’s why it was surprising when in 2020, OHM made a different move—it opened a BigShots Golf location on Kearney Avenue. Then it opened a second location in Fort Worth, Texas. For those wondering why a hotel management company would venture into the entertainment industry, Tim O’Reilly says it’s obvious. The two go hand-in-hand. O’Reilly is CEO and the managing partner at OHM. In a lot of ways, he’s the life force behind the company. He’s the one who says yes to new projects. He’s the one who came up with the idea to start a property management company, and he’s the one who saw an opening when another larger name—John Q. Hammons—practically controlled the hotel market in town. But that’s just half of O’Reilly’s story. Despite the impressive portfolio of hotels under the OHM umbrella, O’Reilly didn’t start off in the hospitality industry. He spent the first 12 years of his working years as a lawyer. During that time, he helped start the firm O’Reilly, Jensen & Preston. So is O’Reilly a searcher always on the hunt for the next big opportunity? He says no. He says he’s just an entrepreneur— always has been. (continued on p. 54)
PHOTO BY TK PHOTGRAPHER PHOTO BY BRANDON ALMS
By developing BigShots Golf on East Kearney Street, Tim O’Reilly took concrete steps to transform one of Springfield’s most important gateways. With a vital donation to Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield, his family foundation will help transform young lives at the new O’Reilly Unit inside Williams Elementary. He is Biz 417’s Person of the Year.
TIM O'REILLY
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2021 P E R S O N O F T H E Y E A R O'Reilly Hospitality Management has designed, developed and staffed local businesses, such as Houlihan’s Restaurant & Bar at the DoubleTree By Hilton, Towneplace Suites By Marriott, and Fairfield Inn & Suites By Marriott (all pictured below).
(from p. 53) He says he got the bug for work when he was still a kid. At 12 or 13 years old, he’d hop in the car with his dad and drive to the O’Reilly Automotive warehouse where he’d spend his days stocking shelves in the unairconditioned storeroom. “I always liked paychecks,” he says. “My family’s philosophy isn’t one where you give money to young kids, so I saved.” He bucked hay bales, kept score at local softball games and saved every penny. His goal was to save up for a car so he could give up riding the family horse into town. He doesn’t say this as a joke. “We’d ride horses from the farm into Nixa to go to the Dairy Queen. Now when I look back on it, it sounds ridiculous, but it wasn’t that uncommon. All of the development you see now, none of that was there.” Once he bought a car and graduated high school, O’Reilly’s next step wasn’t as clear to him. Despite the family name and the business tied to it, O’Reilly couldn’t see a spot for himself at O’Reilly Auto Parts. He loved the business and still has a lot of pride in what his family has created, but “I wanted to write my own story.” O’Reilly attended Westminster College in Folton, Missouri, and eventually settled on law school, not because
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it felt like a calling but because he didn’t see a lot of other great options. “I had a political science professor named John Langton who encouraged law school as a great education for those of us who didn’t have a specific and strong calling,” he says. “It was a huge educational opportunity to figure out how things worked, and I felt like I could get a legal education and continue my education instead of jumping into a job I didn’t love.” In some ways, it was the competitiveness of law that attracted O’Reilly. In high school, he’d dedicated nearly all of his free time to basketball, and he says there was a connection between what he had learned through team sports and succeeding in law school. As he explains it, “if you work really hard and prepare better than the others, you have a great chance of winning.” So that’s what he did. He worked, and he worked really hard. Arguing in front of a courtroom didn’t come naturally to O’Reilly. Unlike his father, who he says is a gifted public speaker, O’Reilly says he struggled. “My friends had done debate in high school, and they were so far ahead of me. I felt so behind.” But just like in basketball, O’Reilly kept practicing until he finally got the hang of things. Then almost 12 years into his legal career, O’Reilly bought a hotel.
Even O’Reilly’s dad was puzzled by the move. Why would a successful lawyer, who was a founding partner at his firm, pivot into hotel management? “I’ve always been interested in this,” he says. In past interviews, O’Reilly has talked about the first time he fell in love with hotels. He was 6 years old and had tagged along with his dad to a Rotary conference in New Orleans. “It broadened my universe all of a sudden,” he says. “We stayed at the Holodome, which was just spectacular to a young kid.” It was the new people he saw and the stories he heard that captured his imagination. “I remember thinking it would be great to work in a facility like this,” he says. For years, that buzz that O’Reilly felt in that moment lay dormant. Then in the year between college and law school, O’Reilly felt it again. This time, he experienced it while he backpacked around Turkey, the Middle East and Europe. Anytime he stopped at a restaurant, he was drawn into the customer experience that was being created for him. He watched the servers and noticed when someone loved their job—or didn’t. “When you have a good server, it can change your day because it was such a great experience,” he says. “If you’re in hospitality, you enjoy serving other people. If you don’t enjoy that, it’s obvious.” BIZ417.COM
PHOTOS BY ELLA K PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY O'REILLY HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT, LLC
Tim O’Reilly started out his career working in law above). Now, he has brought BigShots to Springfield, and he spoke at the facility’s ground breaking (right). BigShots (pictured below just before its opening) is now a major local attraction.
O’Reilly says it was the way restaurants and hotels could create an experience for customers that enthralled him, but even after working as a server in restaurants, he says he couldn’t figure out where he fit into that world. Then in 2006, he found it. For several years, O’Reilly had been investing in real estate, and he decided he wanted to invest in a hotel—preferably a small one. “I didn’t understand how hotels worked, but I knew I wanted to figure it out,” he says. Then the Hawthorne Park Hotel went up for sale, and O’Reilly converted it into a DoubleTree by Hilton. It was a huge move, and at the time, John Q. Hammons still loomed large, but O’Reilly never saw himself competing with John Q. He didn’t even think John Q. would notice he’d bought the hotel. Turns out, John Q. did notice. “I had the chance to hire some of the folks who worked for John Q., and it was through them that I heard he’d found out about me,” O’Reilly says. “He didn’t think much of it. He probably thought I wasn’t that bright or that I was getting in way over my head.” O’Reilly spent the next two years renovating the DoubleTree and hiring a management company to run it for him, but it wasn’t long before he realized he needed to manage the hotel himself. It might have been that he wanted total control of his guest experience or maybe it was that he knew
the market better than the outside management company, but either way, in 2007 he founded O’Reilly Hospitality Management. By 2009, OHM bought its second property in Branson and turned it into a Baymont Inn & Suites. Then it bought a property in Tulsa that became a Holiday Inn and kept growing. Despite being a total newcomer to the industry, O’Reilly says he knew this was where he was meant to be. “Practicing law and arguing with people every day didn’t fit my personality,” he says. “Building a team and a culture where people support each other and it’s fun to work… that’s what I was meant to do.” O’Reilly eventually phased himself out of his law firm, though he still consults with the firm, and focused solely on OHM. Now, he’s set his sights on his next big venture into the customer experience—BigShots Golf. He says OHM saw the golf entertainment industry as a “profitable business venture that would complement its hotel portfolio well.” There were franchise opportunities, and the company could build facilities like BigShots near its hotels so guests could find entertainment nearby. OHM opened its first BigShots on Springfield’s northside. “We believe the northside is primed for a great resurgence in business and housing,” O’Reilly says. The location on Kearney
“Building a team and a culture where people support each other and it’s fun to work… that’s what I was meant to do.”
Street is also close to several OHM properties including DoubleTree by Hilton, Fairfield Inn and Holiday Inn Express. With the Springfield location open, OHM launched a second BigShots in Texas. It’s been a whirlwind, and O’Reilly says cycling is what keeps him sane. He got into cycling as a kid when he would join his dad and uncle on the MS150 ride. O’Reilly and his dad still ride together, and O’Reilly races in endurance events including the Leadville 100. Now he hopes to share his love of cycling with the Springfield’s Boys & Girls Clubs. The O’Reilly Wooten family donated $500,000 to the club’s $1.2 million capital campaign to build a new club at Williams Elementary School. O’Reilly has been on the board of the Springfield chapter for 15 years, and he credits his dad for teaching the family the importance of giving back. “Hopefully we can initiate some cool programs,” O’Reilly says, “and get kids bikes and put them on a team. I think that can create some positive energy for those kids.” O’Reilly wasn’t the only one in his family to vote yes on the $500,000 donation; he says it was unanimous. But the level of excitement he has for the club resembles the excitement he has for his team’s success at OHM. It’s another project, and it’s one he’s excited about. More importantly, it’s a way O’Reilly can serve others much in the same way he can serve customers who stay at his hotels and golfers who pick up a driver at BigShots. Once again, O’Reilly sees a chance to create a memorable experience, and whether that’s through bikes, through a hotel stay or through a round of golf, that seems to be what he’s meant to do.
PHOTOS BY ELLA K PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY O'REILLY HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT, LLC
— TIM O'REILLY
Tim O’Reilly and his team break ground at BigShots (above). He also helped pave the way for the new O'Reilly Unit for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Springfield (right). BIZ417.COM
November/December 2021
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H E A LT H C A R E S t e v e E dwa r d s PRESIDENT/CEO, COXHEALTH M.H.A., WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Steve Edwards comes from a healthcare family with deep roots at CoxHealth. “If I had my mom, dad, sisters and brother-in-law around the table, I think we’d have 155 years of service to Cox,” he says. Edwards has spent 29 years with the hospital—the last decade as CEO. CoxHealth’s Vice President of Public Affairs (and fellow Biz 100 honoree) Teresa Coyan tells us he’s a mentor, too. “He has taught me through leading that ethical leadership and the highest integrity are so important,” she says. “Our organization is grounded in doing the right thing. Top down.”
“Our organization is grounded in doing the right thing. Top down.” —TERESA COYAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, COXHEALTH
B r e n t H u b ba r d C r a i g M c C oy COO, MERCY HOSPITALS SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITIES M.B.A., SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY; B.S., OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Second Year
The Essential: Mercy President and COO Brent Hubbard says that in some ways, his job is like managing a small city. He keeps things running smoothly for 10,000 team members working across multiple sites. This year, as they’ve responded to the pandemic with grit and grace, Hubbard says 417-land’s strong history of collaboration has been a big asset. Big in 2021: In June, Mercy opened the first pediatric ER in the region, which will help keep the youngest patients close to home. The third phase of Mercy’s Heart Hospital— an $80 million investment that serves a four-state region—just passed its one-year anniversary.
PRESIDENT, MERCY SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITIES M.H.A., CLEMSON UNIVERSITY/MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA; B.A., FURMAN UNIVERSITY; A.D., GREENVILLE TECHNICAL COLLEGE New
The Essential: Craig McCoy spent seven years working as a paramedic before transitioning into healthcare administration, so he understands the pressure frontline responders experience. And he makes a point of investing in people throughout the organization. He says by doing so, “you have a greater impact than you ever could have by only focusing on your own goals.” The Insight: McCoy says Springfield reminds him of his old hometown, Greenville, South Carolina. Greenville’s downtown experienced a resurgence, which proved vital to the city’s development, and he sees something similar happening here. “The downtown area is primed to explode,” he says.
INSURANCE OWNER, CONNELL INSURANCE, INC. Returning, Second Year
The Essential: In more than three decades with Connell Insurance, Tim Connell has defined a few principles he can count on to keep him grounded. Among them: “You will draw critics, which can come in the form of friends or relatives, people who oppose you or who just have bad advice,” and, “You will receive accolades; be humble.” After many professional highlights, including a string of exciting new hires during the last couple of years, Connell still calls his marriage to his wife, Kim, one of the most defining moments of his career.
“
”
Be honest and never burn the bridge. —GORDON KINNE, PRESIDENT OF MED-PAY INC.
Gordon Kinne PRESIDENT, MED-PAY, INC. B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Gordon Kinne founded Med-Pay, Inc. less than a decade into his career, and it’s become a major provider for 417-landers. He says, “COVID has and is testing us all. We as a community have and will get through it.” Big in 2021: Kinne has been enjoying time with his grandchildren, Walker and Kate. The Insight: He says his favorite piece of business advice is, “Be honest and never burn the bridge.”
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T r e vo r C r i s t CEO, NIXON & LINDSTROM INSURANCE B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Trevor Crist joined the team at Nixon & Lindstrom Insurance in 2002—the result of a cold call he made to President/Owner Luke Nixon. Crist rose to a leadership position as CEO. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. The Insight: When asked for his favorite piece of business advice, Crist says, “The deal of a lifetime only comes around every couple of months.”
Richard Ollis CEO, OLLIS/AKERS/ARNEY B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Richard Ollis helped steer the company his great-grandfather founded through its transition to an entirely employee-owned model. This change, which began in the 1980s and was completed in 2008, “has enabled significant buy-in to our mission of protecting clients,” he says. The Advice He’d Give Himself: “Spend as much time building and nurturing your team as you spend developing yourself.” Bet You Didn’t Know: When he was 17, Ollis joined the Navy. “I began my career cleaning bathrooms, mopping floors and washing dishes.” Turns out these skills come in handy; he still volunteers for trash duty around the office. BIZ417.COM
PHOTO BY COLLIN YUNG
Tim Connell
L AW Dav i d Ag e e
C r i s ta H o g a n EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SPRINGFIELD METROPOLITAN BAR J.D., UNIVERSITY OF TULSA SCHOOL OF LAW; B.BA., GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Returning, Fifth Year
EQUITY PARTNER, HUSCH BLACKWELL LLP J.D., UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI; B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: David Agee’s two decades with Husch Blackwell have taken him on many journeys—of the professional and literal varieties. He’s traveled to 44 states and 14 countries, including Russia, Bahrain, Panama, Brazil and the United Kingdom, while working with law related to manufacturing, transportation, aviation and technology. Big in 2021: Agee was invited to join the boards of directors of United Way of the Ozarks and Wings of Hope. Bet You Didn’t Know: When Agee was a kid, he showed Hereford cattle at the Ozark Empire Fair. One year he showed the grand champion bull.
The Essential: Crista Hogan has worked with the Springfield Metropolitan Bar for two decades. The organization, which has been part of 417-land since 1903, has more than 900 members. Big in 2021: The Community Partnership of the Ozarks and the Ozarks Alliance to End Homelessness recognized Hogan with the Housing Champions Award. The Insight: When Hogan looks to the future, she says, “attracting and retaining progressive young talent,” is one of the greatest hurdles our region needs to overcome to reach its full potential.
R a n d e l l Wa l l ac e PARTNER, KUTAK ROCK, LLP J.D., VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL; B.A., DRURY UNIVERSITY Returning, Fifth Year
M A N U FA C T U R I N G B o b by A l l i s o n FLUNKY, CUSTOM PROTEIN CORP. Returning, Sixth Year PHOTOS BY BRAD ZWEERINK, RYAN KOWALSKI
ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE J.D., COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY; B.A., ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY Returning, Second Year
The Essential: In barely more than a decade, Christa B. Moss went from graduating summa cum laude from Oral Roberts University to being sworn in as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. She says much of this success stems from her parents, “who taught me the value of hard work and sacrifice and the significance of standing on the shoulders of my ancestors.” The Insight: For businesses seeking to nurture diverse teams and foster inclusive environments, Moss recommends taking a proactive approach. “Don't underestimate the influence that intentional sponsorship and mentorship have in recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce,” she says.
D e e Wa m p l e r
The Essential: Randell Wallace says mergers and acquisitions have been particularly busy this year. Kutak Rock closed a number of transactions in 2021, some of which commenced more than 18 months ago. Big in 2021: BTI Consulting Group included Kutak Rock’s national mergers and acquisitions practice group in a list of 32 law firms that are highly trusted to make deals happen. Bet You Didn’t Know: Wallace originally intended to spend a few years practicing law before transitioning into a business career. But, he says, “I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy practicing law.”
The Essential: Around 417-land, Bobby Allison is known for business success and charitable impact. You’ll spot his contributions across Missouri State University’s campus, at the Betty and Bobby Allison Ozarks Counseling Center, at the Springfield Dream Center and in many other cherished institutions. Big in 2021: In the spring, construction began on the Betty & Bobby Allison Sports Town, an eagerly anticipated sports park on Springfield’s west side. BIZ417.COM
C h r i s ta B . M o s s
PARTNER, WAMPLER & PASSANISE LAW OFFICE J.D. AND B.S., UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI New
Shortly before press time, Biz 417's editorial board learned of the death of Dee Wampler. With a career that spanned half a century, Wampler was an institution in Missouri courtrooms. Having begun his career as a prosecutor before transitioning to criminal defense, he was an expert on the ins and outs of the legal process. In addition to his legal work, he published extensively. Before Wampler's death, he was selected for the 2021 Biz 100 by the Biz 417 editorial and advisory boards. We hold this space in his honor.
j e r ry c o o k CEO, LOREN COOK COMPANY New
The Essential: Loren Cook Company, which was founded by current CEO Jerry Cook's father, celebrated its 80th anniversary this year. The Springfield-based company is known as one of the most important manufacturing employers in 417-land. It specializes in a range of air-moving products. Last year, in response to COVID-19, Loren Cook quickly developed the Mobile Air Cleaner, a high-efficiency air purifier. November/December 2021
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M A N U FA C T U R I N G j o h n g e n t ry
ADVISOR/SENIOR ENGINEERING DIRECTOR, POSITRONIC INDUSTRIES INC. B.S., GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: John Gentry served as CEO of Positronic from 1978 until February of this year, when the company sold to Amphenol Corporation. Gentry remains on in an advisory role. On its website, Amphenol is described as “one of the largest manufacturers of interconnect products in the world. The Company designs, manufactures and markets electrical, electronic and fiber optic connectors, coaxial and flat-ribbon cable, and interconnect systems.” Big in 2021: Gentry is the current Chair of the Board of Trustees for Ozarks Technical Community College.
Dav i d M o o r e
PRESIDENT/CEO, PAUL MUELLER CO. M.B.A., UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO; B.A., MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: David Moore leads the company his grandfather founded in 1940. Paul Mueller Co. employs approximately 1,000 people who work from locations all over the world, including Osceola, Iowa, the Netherlands and Vietnam. Big in 2021: The City of Springfield named August 7, 2021, “Paul Mueller Day” in honor of the company’s 80 years of impact on 417-land.
Joe Reynolds PRESIDENT, CENTRAL STATES INDUSTRIAL (CSI) B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Third Year
The Essential: It’s Joe Reynolds’s 23rd year with CSI and his sixth as president. You’ll also find him serving on the City Utilities Advisory Board, the Food Industry Supplier Association and advisory boards for Missouri State University and Ozarks Technical Community College as well as in various roles at his church. Big in 2021: When many organizations were making tough calls about pandemic-related layoffs, CSI committed to retaining its employees. At the end of the fiscal year in June, CSI wasn’t only at 100% employment, it had also made a profit. The Advice He’d Give Himself: “Be kind and live generously! Give your L-IF-E (labor, influence, finance and expertise) to serve others.”
Jac k S tac k
PRESIDENT/CEO, SRC HOLDINGS CORP. B.S., ELMHURST COLLEGE Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: When you ask folks in the 417land business scene to name someone they admire or regard as a mentor, Jack Stack’s name comes up—a lot. This shouldn’t surprise anyone. Stack and his partners earned their credibility by transforming a failing business into a thriving one. They did it with an open-book management style that’s designed to empower every member of an organization. Stack wrote about this system in his book, The Great Game of Business: The Only Sensible Way to Run a Business. The Insight: Stack says he lives by the motto, “You get what you give.”
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JENA HOLTBERGBENGE
GENERAL MANAGER, JOHN DEERE REMAN M.IM., THUNDERBIRD SCHOOL OF GLOBAL MANAGEMENT; B.A., VASSAR COLLEGE New
power play
The Essential: As general manager of John Deere Reman, Jena Holtberg-Benge is responsible for strategy and production related to the remanufacturing of engines as well as drivetrain, hydraulic, fuel and electronic components. This work helps John Deere provide “quality products while executing on sustainability goals,” she says. Big in 2021: She’s now a foster parent. The Insight: Holtberg-Benge is a fan of 417-land placemaking, which she calls “collective work to create a place where people want to come and stay.” Power Play: In March, Deere & Co. announced expanded operations in Springfield. As a result, Holtberg-Benge hired more than 100 people “in the midst of an economic recovery, inflation and pandemic,” she says.
NONPROFIT
ROB BLEV I NS power play
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DISCOVERY CENTER OF SPRINGFIELD INC. B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Second Year
The Essential: Rob Blevins says he’s always “embraced his inner geek.” As executive director of the Discovery Center, he’s built on his history in community engagement to broaden the center’s programs and services. He’s passionate about education, mentoring and helping provide pathways out of generational poverty. Bet You Didn’t Know: Blevins’s history with NASA goes back to high school, when he got to predict dust storms on Mars. Most recently, he was asked to lead a NASA TV segment as part of the coverage of the 2020 SpaceX, NASA and JAXA Crew-1 Flight. Power Play: The Discovery Center opened Discovery School in 2020. This year, the school expanded, and there’s currently a waitlist for admission.
BIZ417.COM
NONPROFIT E R I N DA N AS TAS I O
power play
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HATCH FOUNDATION B.S., UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI New
The Essential: In 2019, Erin Danastasio’s family sold its businesses, and she arrived at a personal crossroads. “I’ve now learned that our family legacy will be played out through our new family foundation,” she says. “We believe that Springfield can reach its full potential when we all come together and create the change that our neighbors see as a need.” Power Play: When local teens started building mountain bike trails, the Hatch Foundation stepped up with financial support, which helped formalize the Lone Pine Bike Park. We’re looking forward to more of this fresh, grassroots approach to philanthropy with initiatives like the MIDxMIDWST street art festival, now slated for September 2022.
B r i a n Fo g l e PRESIDENT, COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE OZARKS M.B.A. AND B.B.A., UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: You’re likely to find Brian Fogle wherever people are working to build a better 417-land. In addition to leading the Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO), he currently serves on the Good Community Committee, the Healthy Living Alliance, Every Child Promise, the Downtown Council of Champions, The Missouri Scholarship and Loan Foundation and the Missouri College Access Network. Big in 2021: This year the CFO set a record for gifts and contributions—$73 million. By the end of the fiscal year in June, $53 million had been distributed, nearly $5 million for COVID-related needs. Bet You Didn’t Know: He tells us his motto is, “Often wrong, seldom in doubt.”
PHOTOS COURTESY HATCH, COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE OZARKS
Brandy Harris CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SPRINGFIELD M.A., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY; B.A., DRURY UNIVERSITY Returning, Second Year
The Essential: As a kid, Brandy Harris attended 13 different schools before moving to Springfield in 1999 and joining Reed Academy. This life experience infuses her leadership of Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield with depth and compassion—key assets in the organization’s mission to provide positive, nurturing environments for 417-land kids. The Insight: Early in her career, Harris moved to Lawrence, Kansas, and planned to teach. “But there were zero teaching jobs,” she says. “The Boys & Girls Clubs offered me a frontline position where I made $300 a month. I took it.” The Advice She’d Give Herself: “Get a therapist. Worry less because integrity prevails. Listen more.” BIZ417.COM
HAL DONALDSON
power play
PRESIDENT/CEO, CONVOY OF HOPE B.A., BETHANY UNIVERSITY; B.A., SAN JOSE UNIVERSITY Returning, Fifth Year
The Essential: Everyone in 417-land knows the nonprofit Hal Donaldson founded, which has delivered more than $1.5 billion in food and supplies to more than 165 million people. For 18 years, Convoy of Hope has maintained a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, and Forbes recognized it as one of the “Top 100 Charities” in the United States. Big in 2021: Convoy of Hope has distributed 200 million meals in response to challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Power Play: In August, Convoy of Hope opened its new World Distribution Center in Republic. The facility offers significantly more space and easy access to the James River Freeway.
M a ry Kromrey
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OZARK GREENWAYS M.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY; B.S., ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Second Year
The Essential: If you’ve enjoyed the trails that connect our region’s neighborhoods and landmarks, you’ve benefited from Mary Kromrey’s work. As she builds on last year’s milestone—the completion of the Fulbright Spring Greenway—Kromrey is looking forward to partnering with City Utilities, Watershed Committee of the Ozarks, the Missouri Department of Conservation and TrailSpring for a recreation destination that connects 417-landers with our primary source of drinking water, Fellows Lake. The Advice She’d Give Herself: “Pace yourself.” Bet You Didn’t Know: The Kromrey family is planning to build a tiny house. At least, “in theory,” she says.
Francine P r at t
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MISSOURI COLLEGE ACCESS NETWORK AND PROSPER SPRINGFIELD, CO-OWNER, QUEEN CITY SOUL KITCHEN B.S., UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX Returning, Fifth Year
The Essential: Francine Pratt says her favorite business advice is, “When someone says ‘no,’ do not give up… If it is important to you, repackage your presentation, stay consistent and be willing to crawl before you walk.” This tenacity helps her tackle some of our region’s most important issues, like poverty reduction, community development and inclusion. Big in 2021: 417-landers rave about the food at Queen City Soul Kitchen, the restaurant Pratt opened with fellow Biz 100 honoree Lyle Foster. November/December 2021
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PUBLIC OFFICIALS
“The work will sometimes be harder than expected. Always try to be empathetic and listen intently before making a decision.” —JASON GAGE, CITY MANAGER OF CITY OF SPRINGFIELD
Jas o n G ag e CITY MANAGER, CITY OF SPRINGFIELD M.P.A., UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI; B.A., MISSOURI SOUTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Third Year
The Essential: Jason Gage is excited about Quality of Place projects like the Grant Avenue Parkway and the Jordan Creek Renewal Project, examples of his belief in city government’s power to help build community. The Insight: When Gage needs to recharge, he pencils in outdoor time or picks up a book about a leader who’s navigated tough situations. “If that doesn’t work,” he says, “a good action movie followed by Andy’s usually does the trick.” The Advice He’d Give Himself: “The work will sometimes be harder than expected. Always try to be empathetic and listen intently before making a decision.”
r oy b l u n t
The Essential: History teacher-turned-public servant Roy Blunt was the first in his family to graduate from college. After teaching, he worked as Greene County Clerk and served in the U.S. House of Representatives before getting elected to the United States Senate in 2010. Big in 2021: In March, Blunt announced he will retire when his term ends in January 2023.
DAVID CAMERON power play
CITY ADMINISTRATOR, CITY OF REPUBLIC B.S., JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY New
The Essential: David Cameron tells us that since 2020, his team has executed more than 1.7 million square feet of industrial development—$200 million worth—in Republic. The Advice He’d Give Himself: “Seek wise counsel. Asking for help is not a sign of incompetence—quite the opposite. Commit to your convictions, values and leadership style. Select your path and decisions. Not everyone will like you. Be your best self and leave the results to the Lord.” Power Play: We’re excited about Republic’s explosive economic growth—epitomized by the new Amazon Fulfillment Center. Cameron says, “The ability of our team to take the call on June 2, 2020, approve the plans by August 2020, and start construction in September” is what propelled the center to its opening in August of this year. INSPIRATION CLOSE TO HOME WHEN ASKED WHO IN 417-LAND INSPIRES HIM, DAVID CAMERON MENTIONED TOM RANKIN. READ ABOUT RANKIN ON P.48.
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GARY GIBSON power play
PRESIDENT/CEO, CITY UTILITIES OF SPRINGFIELD B.S., MISSOURI S&T Returning, Second Year
The Essential: As the leader of City Utilities, Gary Gibson shoulders the responsibility for keeping 320 square miles supplied with electricity, natural gas, water, broadband and public transportation services. The Insight: When asked about the future, Gibson says, “One of the biggest opportunities is working together to ensure Springfield is an inclusive community where we can celebrate the best parts of each other.” Bet You Didn’t Know: He enjoyed the unique experience of attending his great-grandmother’s wedding. Power Play: Last winter, extreme weather overwhelmed utilities infrastructures in several parts of the United States—but not in 417-land.
Lincoln P. Hough MISSOURI STATE SENATOR, DISTRICT 30 B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Fifth Year
The Essential: Throughout his political career, Lincoln P. Hough has been passionate about supporting firefighters, who suffer from higher rates of certain cancers due to specific hazards of their work. This year, he was instrumental in establishing a firefighter pool fund to help with cancer-related expenses. “Negotiating common ground was a lot of work,” he says, “but it was a great feeling to be in Governor Parson’s office when he signed the bill.” Bet You Didn’t Know: Hough is part of the seventh generation of his family to call Greene County home; he’s currently raising the eighth. BIZ417.COM
PHOTO BY HARRISON SWEAZEA
U.S. SENATOR FOR MISSOURI M.A., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY; B.A., SOUTHWEST BAPTIST UNIVERSITY Returning, Fourth Year
b i l ly lo n g U.S. CONGRESSMAN FOR MISSOURI’S 7TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT New
The Essential: Billy Long has represented 417-land in the U.S. Congress for the past decade. He lists reducing diesel emissions, rural broadband deployment and suicide prevention among his top legislative priorities. Big in 2021: In August, he announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate.
M at t M o r r ow PRESIDENT/CEO, SPRINGFIELD AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE M.B.A. AND B.S., SOUTHWEST BAPTIST UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Matt Morrow believes collaboration is the heartbeat of Springfield’s success. He hopes 417-land can resist a nationwide “collapse of civility” and retain its identity as “people who may see the world in different ways but are willing to work constructively together for shared goals and shared good.” The Advice He’d Give Himself: “Don’t get in a hurry… Learning to persevere through a little workplace adversity turns those years into an investment that will pay dividends for decades.” Bet You Didn’t Know: He’s the reigning Community Partnership of the Ozarks lip sync champion. Morrow and his kids wowed the audience with “In Summer” from Frozen. (Morrow played the part of Olaf.)
Crystal Quade
DISTRICT 132 REPRESENTATIVE, MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; HOUSE MINORITY FLOOR LEADER, 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY B.S.W., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Fourth Year
The Essential: Before getting elected to public office in 2016, Quade worked at Care to Learn. Locally, she is involved in the League of Women Voters of Southwest Missouri. Big in 2021: Quade’s support was critical to a number of 417-land business priorities this year, including the passage of the online sales tax, the gas tax increase, the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and the HandUp Pilot Child Care Assistance Program.
Paul F. Williams
CHIEF OF POLICE, CITY OF SPRINGFIELD M.S., NORTHEASTERN STATE UNIVERSITY; B.S., NORTHERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY New
The Essential: The past two years have demanded particularly strong leadership from Paul F. Williams. In March 2020, the department lost its first officer killed in the line of duty since 1932. Shortly thereafter, a nationwide downturn in police applications left the force short-staffed. But Williams tells us he leads “an outstanding group of men and women… who work day in and day out to keep the community safe, all while grieving the loss of a fellow officer.” The Insight: Williams considers his service as board chair for Burrell Behavioral Health a transformational experience because it provided greater knowledge of mental health needs and services. The Advice He’d Give Himself: “Life doesn’t always go as planned. Embrace the circumstances and adjust.” BIZ417.COM
Ken McClure
MAYOR, CITY OF SPRINGFIELD M.A., UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI; B.A., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Fifth Year
The Essential: When the Delta variant hit our region, Springfield Mayor Ken McClure and his partners in healthcare responded aggressively. “The solution is vaccination,” he says. “I urge, in the strongest possible terms, everyone to be vaccinated. A high vaccination rate is the only way we can defeat the virus.” The Advice He’d Give Himself: “Treat each position you hold as if it will be the one from which you retire.” Bet You Didn’t Know: McClure has played the national anthem on trombone for the Springfield Cardinals—three times—and played for the Springfield Symphony. He also spent eight years singing bass in a traveling gospel quartet.
Michael Pa r s o n GOVERNOR, STATE OF MISSOURI Returning, Fourth Year
The Essential: The 57th Governor of Missouri, Michael Parson, has given significant focus to issues like infrastructure and workforce development. His career in public service began in the early 1990s when he was elected Polk County sheriff. Big in 2021: In August, Parson delivered his annual State of the State address at Springfield’s JQH Arena. He highlighted job growth in the state, calling Missouri “a hub for new economic activity,” according to the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s recap of the event.
Tim R o s e n b u ry DIRECTOR OF QUALITY OF PLACE INITIATIVES, CITY OF SPRINGFIELD B.ARCH., MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: After more than three decades with BRP Architects, Tim Rosenbury took on his new role as Springfield’s director of quality of place initiatives. His work focuses on developing plans, policies and projects that achieve public placemaking excellence, raising the bar for capital projects and promoting placemaking to the development community. Big in 2021: Rosenbury and the City of Springfield announced a team to design and build the Grant Avenue Parkway, which will connect downtown Springfield to Wonders of Wildlife.
“life doesn't always go as planned. embrace the circumstances and adjust.” —PAUL F. WILLIAMS, CHIEF OF POLICE, CITY OF SPRINGFIELD November/December 2021
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R E TA I L
do the right thing... you’re only as good as your word. - AUDREY GARARD, OWNER OF GROOMS OFFICE ENVIRONMENTS
”
Audrey Garard OWNER, GROOMS OFFICE ENVIRONMENTS B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Second Year
The Essential: Audrey Garard began her career with Grooms Office Environments as a sales representative, just two years after her college graduation. She worked her way up the ladder, serving as sales manager and COO before she and her husband purchased the company. The Insight: Garard says she lives by the motto, “Do the right thing.” And she recommends doing so regardless of whether it ends up costing more money. “You’re only as good as your word,” she says.
Johnny Morris CEO/FOUNDER, BASS PRO SHOPS B.A., DRURY UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Bass Pro Founder Johnny Morris is famous for celebrating the beauty of the Ozarks through projects like Top of the Rock, Big Cedar Lodge, Finley Farms and Dogwood Canyon—and for enticing tourists with attractions like Payne’s Valley Golf Course and Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium. Big in 2021: In September, Morris was inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians.
Jeffrey W. Russell PRESIDENT/CEO, RUSSELL CELLULAR, INC. Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Since transitioning from turkey farming to selling Alltel wireless phones out of his car, Jeffrey W. Russell and his wife Kym have made Russell Cellular one of the nation’s largest Verizon-authorized retailers. There are now more than 700 stores across 42 states. Big in 2021: Russell Cellular adapted to the realities of the pandemic, learning how to serve customers while keeping employees safe. The company also rolled out a new call center to support retail stores. The Insight: When he looks to the future, Russell says he’s excited about “5G wireless and the capabilities it will offer our customers through speed and technology.”
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The Essential: Greg Johnson considers his move to Springfield "a leap of faith" and "the best decision of my career." In his leadership role at O'Reilly Auto Parts, he loves coaching and mentoring employees and watching them grow. The Advice He'd Give Himself: "There is no better way to earn and maintain [people's] respect than to demonstrate you are willing to work alongside them, no matter what job title you hold."
“There is no better way to earn and maintain [people’s] respect than to demonstrate you are willing to work alongside them, no matter what job title you hold” —GREG JOHNSON, CEO/CO-PRESIDENT OF O’REILLY AUTO PARTS
A b i g a i l P i n eg a r - R o s e ENTREPRENEUR, PINEGAR CHEVROLET BUICK GMC–BRANSON; PINEGAR CHEVROLET– REPUBLIC; PINEGAR LAND & CATTLE, CATAA PROPERTIES; WILDWOOD PLAZA B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY New
The Essential: Abigail Pinegar-Rose plays a vital role in her family’s auto dealerships and in commercial real estate. She was recently appointed to the Missouri Lottery Commission. The Insight: Pinegar-Rose’s father, businessman Ed Pinegar, died in 2020. “This loss hasn’t only been my biggest challenge this year; I’m sure [it will be] for the rest of my life,” she says. “I didn’t just lose my father. He was a mentor, a confidant and my champion. I learned my ‘juggling act’ from him. Personally, this loss will never be filled, but professionally, his absence has to be filled to the best of my ability. He always said, ‘Just do the best you can, and if it still doesn’t work out, then you know you did your best.’ I remember this every day.” BIZ417.COM
PHOTO COURTESY O’REILLY AUTOMOTIVE, INC.
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G r eg J o h n s o n CEO/CO-PRESIDENT, O’REILLY AUTO PARTS B.S., TENNESSEE TECH UNIVERSITY New
TECHNOLOGY Dav i d Fo s s
T h o m as H . D o u g l as
BOARD CHAIR/ PRESIDENT/CEO, JACK HENRY & ASSOCIATES, INC. B.S., MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Fourth Year
The Essential: Thomas H. Douglas’s company has been easing many organizations into new realities, including increased remote work. “Reliance on technology has never been greater,” he says. “There are many shifts that have occurred that will never reverse.” As a result, JMARK has been helping clients level up security protocols that will prevent breaches and protect intellectual property. The Insight: Douglas says one of his favorite bits of advice is, “Surround yourself by smart people and let them do their work.”
The Essential: David Foss led Jack Henry & Associates through many challenges in 2021. With 7,000 team members working throughout the country and more than 8,000 bank and credit union customers depending on its services, the company had to remain productive and deliver positive results for shareholders—even as various regions contended with surges of COVID-19. Big in 2021: Foss’s oldest son is now a doctor in Milwaukee. “Three days after he completed his residency, he brought his girlfriend to our home and asked her to marry him while they were with us for the week,” Foss says. “That was pretty cool.”
CEO, JMARK BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, INC. Returning, Sixth Year
“Surround yourself by smart people and let them do their work.”
T R AV E L & T O U R I S M Gordon E l l i ot t
—THOMAS H. DOUGLAS, CEO OF JMARK BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, INC.
Doug Pitt
FOUNDER/CO-OWNER, PITT TECHNOLOGY GROUP; OWNER/ DEVELOPER, PITT DEVELOPMENT GROUP LLD; FOUNDER, CARE TO LEARN B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Businessman and philanthropist Doug Pitt founded Care to Learn to help alleviate challenges for families living in poverty in Springfield. Pitt was also the first Goodwill Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania. Big in 2021: Care to Learn hired a new CEO, Krystal Simon, in July.
Peter Herschend CO-FOUNDER/CO-OWNER, HERSCHEND ENTERPRISES B.S., UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI Returning, Sixth Year
PRESIDENT/CEO, ELLIOTT LODGING, LTD B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Sixth Year
PHOTOS BY STEPHEN’S PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY SILVER DOLLAR CITY
The Essential: After founding the public accounting firm Elliott, Robinson & Company LLP, Gordon Elliott has gone on to own and manage hotels and apartment complexes throughout 417-land. The Insight: Elliott says one of his business mottos is, “Always put yourself in the other person’s shoes.” He believes that once you know someone else’s values and goals, you can work on finding common ground.
“always put yourself in the other person's shoes.” —GORDON ELLIOTT, PRESIDENT / CEO, ELIOTT LODGING, LTD
jac k herschend
CO-FOUNDER/CO-OWNER, HERSCHEND ENTERPRISES Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Jack Herschend founded Herschend Enterprises with his brother, Peter. For the first 50 years of the company’s history, he served as the company’s chairman, president and CEO, according to the Herschend Enterprises website. BIZ417.COM
The Essential: Peter Herschend worked as Herschend Enterprises’ executive vice president of marketing and vice-chairman, per the Herschend Enterprises website. He was inducted into Missouri's Public Affairs Hall of Fame in 2018.
M a ry K e l lo g g - J o s ly n PRESIDENT/COO/CO-OWNER, TITANIC MUSEUM ATTRACTIONS Returning, Fifth Year
The Essential: Mary Kellogg-Joslyn spent 10 years at CBS and 20 years at Walt Disney Co. before founding Titanic Museum Attractions. Her TV know-how helps make the immersive Titanic experience a huge draw for tourists in 417-land. “The concept is the same,” she says. “When you do a television show it has to be perfect for your viewers, and when you open your doors at a museum, it has to be perfect for your guests.” The Insight: Her motto is, “Stay the course.” Even when dealing with big challenges like COVID-19, she says, it’s important to invest in and develop a solid management team. The Advice She’d Give Herself: “Don’t let the men bully you!”
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stay the course.
- MARY KELLOGG-JOSLYN, PRESIDENT / COO / CO-OWNER OF TITANIC MUSEUM ATTRACTIONS November/December 2021
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T R AV E L & T O U R I S M Billy McQueary john McQueary
The Essential: When Billy McQueary started discussing opening an upscale hotel with his brother and sister-in-law, they hoped it would advance the downtown revival that was already underway. The result of those discussions, Hotel Vandivort, opened in 2015 and quickly became a favorite 417-land meet-up. The hotel's V2 expansion opened in 2019, along with the Vantage Rooftop Lounge and Conservatory, which offers epic views of downtown Springfield—the very neighborhood the family's original business, McQueary Bros. Drug Company, used to call home.
CO-DEVELOPER/ CO-OWNER, HOTEL VANDIVORT; FOUNDER, SPRINGFIELD IDENTITY PROJECT B.S., MISSOURI S&T Returning, Sixth Year
The Essential: Native 417-lander John McQueary says, “The culture, lifestyle and prosperity of our city depends on its residents. We have the ability to make Springfield what we want it to be.” Hotel Vandivort, which he opened with his wife and brother, is known for wowing guests and ushering in a new era for downtown. Big in 2021: McQueary’s Springfield Identity Project succeeded in getting the proposed Springfield flag, already a fixture in businesses around town, up for official consideration with the City of Springfield. The Advice He’d Give Himself: “Think bigger and pay attention to your instincts.”
Da n R e i t e r
VICE PRESIDENT/GENERAL MANAGER, SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS B.S., UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI | New
The Essential: Since joining the Springfield Cardinals in 2005, Dan Reiter has risen through the ranks to his current role as the franchise’s leader. He sees his mission in two parts: ensuring the Springfield Cardinals are advocates for a great community and doing everything possible to help the St. Louis team bring the World Championship back to Missouri. Big in 2021: Reiter says he’s never been prouder of the people around him, like the Cardinals’ front office team, which “came together to innovate, do it quickly, then change and keep pressing forward the entire time.” Bet You Didn’t Know: Reiter got his start with Cardinals Baseball in 2004, when he won the Fox Sports TV contest “Payin’ Your Dues.”
M eg a n S tac k
FOUNDATION & PHILANTHROPY ADVISOR, BASS PRO SHOPS M.A., UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON EVANS SCHOOL; B.A., UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO Returning, Third Year
The Essential: Megan Stack continues to follow in her father and fellow Biz 100 honoree Johnny Morris’s footsteps as she develops showstopping retail and hospitality destinations, such as Finley Farms. Big in 2021: This fall, the hotly anticipated Ozark Mill restaurant opened at Finley Farms. It quickly lit up social media all over 417-land.
B r a d T h o m as
PRESIDENT, SILVER DOLLAR CITY ATTRACTIONS M.B.A. AND B.S., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Fifth Year
The Essential: Brad Thomas likes to ask, “What is our objective?” This clear-eyed thinking helps him effectively lead one of 417-land’s most popular destinations, Silver Dollar City. And this work is vital, he says, because “guests still want and need to laugh and have fun, and they need to do all of that in an environment that is safe.” The Insight: For Thomas, focus is the key. “No business can be successful at everything,” he says. “[When we] prioritize, it helps ensure that our few focused priorities can be delivered at excellence.”
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CO-OWNER, HOTEL VANDIVORT B.A., MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Returning, Fourth Year
The Essential: Karen McQueary leveraged her flair for design to create Hotel Vandivort’s memorable look, and the hotel has become a centerpiece of 417-land culture. She thinks of it as “a retreat for those in our community and a showcase spot for those visiting.” She says, “We are so incredibly grateful that the community continues to embrace us.” The Insight: McQueary believes Springfield is poised for progress. “We have great assets and amenities,” she says, “but there is plenty of space and support for entrepreneurship.” The Advice She’d Give Herself: “Connect with people every chance you have. The way to stay excited and energized is to surround yourself with bold people who are passionately creating.”
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the way to stay energized is to surround yourself with bold people who are passionately creating.
”
—KAREN MCQUEARY, CO-OWNER OF HOTEL VANDIVORT
c r a i g w e s c ot t PRESIDENT, THE TRACK FAMILY FUN PARKS M.B.A. AND B.B.A., BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Returning, Third Year
The Essential: Craig Wescott has made The Track Family Fun Parks a distinctive feature of Branson’s skyline and a top stop on many family to-do lists. He serves on the board of directors for the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce/CVB. Big in 2021: People were ready to gather and have fun, he says, but labor shortages presented some challenges. Even so, he says, “our team crushed it as they helped many families escape from reality and create unforgettable moments together.” Bet You Didn’t Know: Wescott’s a guitarist. He plays in the worship band at his church, with his band Mile Zero, and in his vintage Volkswagen bus, “Sunnie.” BIZ417.COM
PHOTOS COURTESY MARK HARRELL, SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS, SILVER DOLLAR CITY, BY LIFETOUCH PHOTOGRAPHY
CO-OWNER/ CO-DEVELOPER, HOTEL VANDIVORT B.S., WILLIAM JEWELL COLLEGE Returning, Sixth Year
karen McQueary
Thanks Teresa for being there for ALL of us!
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Teresa, I’m so proud of you sweetie.
Your dad is and would be so proud of you. — Love, Chip
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C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S
MICHELLE CANTRELL
BIZ 100 “Congratulations for making the Biz 100 and on the launch of your new brokerage! We are so proud of you and know you will be successful in all that you do.” — The Michelle Cantrell Group
A LEADER IN LUXURY HOME SALES
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BIZ417.COM
ABBI ROSE
ON MAKING
BIZ 100 BIZ417.COM
January/February 2020
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It’s Our Passion QUALITY FURNITURE FOR WORK + LIFE At Grooms, we demonstrate an approach to design that supports the people within. We strive to create a workplace that feels personal and natural to cultivate mental and physical wellness. Everyone needs to feel secure, comfortable, and valued. Making small changes to the workplace can move the bottom line and create a culture where employees thrive.
COMMERCIAL FURNITURE • DESIGN • SPACE PLANNING • INSTALLATION
GROOMSINC.COM | 1285 E. MONTCLAIR | 417.883.4646
“Our work culture was well represented as we celebrated being in the 20 Best Places to Work!” —Elliott, Robinson & Co.
(THE 20 BEST PLACES TO WORK WORE SOME AMAZING OUTFITS— SEE THEM ON P. 78.)
EVERYWHERE YOU NEED TO BE
PHOTO BY KAITLYN OSBORNE
Biz 417's 20 Best Places to Work brought nextlevel team spirit to the celebration luncheon in September.
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NETWORK
9–10 a.m., Wednesdays 1 MILLION CUPS
Keep your finger on the pulse of local entrepreneurs’ sprouting businesses and innovative ideas at this weekly program. Free; Bambino’s Café, 2810 E. Battlefield Road, Springfield; visit 1mcsgf.com for information about upcoming speakers. 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Tuesday, November 2
THE EFFECTIVE LEADER
Join this all-day event to learn tips and strategies for being an effective leader in your organization. The course is based on the Management Competency Model and teaches how to improve communication, align actions with shared values, envision the future and more. $249; efactory, 405 N. Jefferson Ave., Springfield; visit efactory.missouristate.edu to register 2–4p.m., Tues., Nov. 2 WINNING GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
Get a crash course in the complex rules for submitting government contract bids at this event organized by the Small Business Development Center. Sign up to learn the in and outs of this complex process, including registrations, eligibility and more. Free; efactory, 405 N. Jefferson Ave., Springfield; visit efactory.missouristate.edu for more information or to register.
6–11 p.m., Wednesday, November 3 and December 1
DEV NIGHT
Springfield Devs is a nonprofit organization that aims to grow the developer community in southwest Missouri. At their monthly Dev Night, you can connect with others in the development community and hear presentations from local groups on dev-related topics. Food and beverages are served. Free; efactory, 405 N. Jefferson Ave., Springfield; visit efactory.missouristate.edu to register. 5:30–8 p.m., Wednesday,
bers; register at springfieldchamber. com; call 417-881-3711 or email addie@springfieldchamber.com for more information 7–8 a.m., Friday, November 5 and December 3
FIRST FRIDAY COFFEE
The Ozark Chamber of Commerce hosts a monthly meet-and-greet for its members. Drop in for a few minutes or stay the whole hour. Free for chamber members, Ozark residents and Ozark businesses; location varies each month. Visit ozarkchamber.com for information.
November 3 and December 1
7 a.m.–4 p.m., Friday,
This monthly networking event by We & Co. includes appetizers, giveaways and lots of chances to meet and mingle with others in the Springfield business community. You can order drinks as well, but they are not provided. Free; Classic Rock Coffee, 1900 W. Sunset St., Springfield. Visit weandco.org for more information.
JOPLIN REGIONAL INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT
THE BUSINESS MIXER
7:30–8:30 a.m., Thursday, November 4 and December 2
GOOD MORNING, SPRINGFIELD!
Knock out some networking before the workday at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s monthly breakfast. The November event takes place at the Springfield Cardinals Training Facility, and the December event is at White River Conference Center. $25 for members, $35 for non-mem-
November 5
This first-time event focuses on local innovation- and techcentered businesses. There are breakout sessions covering topics like cybersecurity, e-commerce, development of the digital workforce and more. There will be many networking opportunities, and breakfast and lunch are provided. $19–45; James River Church– Joplin, 1850 S. Maiden Lane, Joplin; visit joplincc.com for a link to register for the event. 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Tuesday, November 9
BUILD A STRONG WORKPLACE CULTURE
This day-long course offers advice to business leaders for being strategic with finding
and retaining talent through a healthy workplace culture. Learn about identifying your mission and what sets you apart, and cultivating the team you have. $249; efactory, 405 N. Jefferson Ave., Springfield; visit efactory.missouristate.edu for more information or to register 11 a.m.–1 p.m., Tuesday, November 9
NIXA CHAMBER LUNCHEON
Join Nixa Area Chamber of Commerce for a recurring luncheon that features a variety of topics. Lunch will be served, and there’s a raffle. $15–25 for members, $30 for guests; The Bridge Church, 308 W. Mount Vernon, Nixa. Visit nixachamber. com for more info. 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., Wednesday November 10
SMALL BUSINESS AWARD
This annual event recognizes entrepreneurship and small business achievement in the Springfield area. Come meet the five finalist businesses, and learn who won the 2021 W. Curtis Strube Small Business Award. $45; Oasis Hotel & Convention Center, 2546 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield; register at springfieldchamber.com; call 417-881-3711 for more information 4:30–6:30 p.m., Thursday, November 11
BUSINESS AFTER HOURS
Mix and mingle with Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce
Thank you to the sponsors who made 417-land’s inaugural Best Places to Work contest and event so special. For more information, visit biz417.com/bestplaces 2021
Morning Event
Lunch Event
Evening Event
All Day
7:30–9:30 a.m., Thursday,
members at this casual monthly happy hour held at locations around Springfield. Come for food, drink specials and door prizes. The November event is at Andy B’s Entertainment Center. $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers; Andy B’s Entertainment Center, 1127 E. Battlefield, Springfield; register at springfieldchamber.com; call 417-881-3711 or email kim@springfieldchamber. com for more information
You’ve heard of speed dating. Well, how about speed networking? This event is designed to help you meet new people. $25; Relics Antique Mall & Event Center, 2015 W. Battlefield Road, Springfield; register at springfieldchamber.com; call 417-881-3711 or email kim@springfieldchamber. com for more information
11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., Tuesday,
11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., Thursday,
November 16 and December 21
WWIN (WORKING WOMEN IN NIXA) LUNCHEON
Enjoy lunch while meeting other businesswomen at this monthly event by the Nixa Area Chamber of Commerce featuring a guest speaker, lunch and networking. $15–25 for members, $30 for guests; The Main Event Center, 101-B S. Main St., Nixa. For more information visit business.nixachamber. com/events. 5–6:30 p.m., Tuesday, November 16 and December 21
TOP FIVE TUESDAY
Top Five Tuesday is the Ozark Chamber of Commerce’s monthly business after hours networking event. Each month, this come-and-go event is held at a local business where the host provides attendees with their Top Five Tips from their field. Free; Scrivener Oil Company, 1605 W. State Highway J, Ozark; visit ozarkchamber.com for more information.
November 18
BIZ BLITZ
November 18 and December 16
GOOD AFTERNOON OZARK NETWORKING LUNCHEON
Good Afternoon Ozark is a monthly Ozark Chamber of Commerce membership luncheon. Members and guests are invited to network, get caught up on upcoming events, enjoy a delicious catered lunch and hear from fellow Chamber members about issues that affect the business community. $12–17 for members, $20 for nonmembers, Ozark Community Center (The OC), 1530 W. Jackson St., Ozark. For more information, visit ozarkchamber.com. 5–6:30 p.m., Thursday, November 18 and December 16
IDEAS ON TAP
This mixer from the Joplin Chamber of Commerce offers an opportunity for people in creative, tech, e-commerce, interactive marketing, startup businesses and more to network together in a casual setting. The November event is at Just a Taste,
and the December event is at Chaos Brewing Company. Free; find more information at joplincc.com. 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., Monday, November 22 and December 27
CHRISTIAN COUNTY NONPROFIT ROUNDTABLE
Christian County social service nonprofit executives can gather at this monthly meeting where organizations can share resources, information and referrals. Be sure to pack your own lunch to eat during this brown-bag event. Total Highspeed Community Room, Nixa Area Chamber of Commerce, 106 W. Sherman Way, Suite 5, Nixa 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., Thursday, December 2
MAXIMIZE YOUR MEMBERSHIP
This event is designed to introduce you to new contacts as you learn how to maximize chamber membership. Lunch is provided and RSVPs are required. $95 for OzSBI members, $125 for non-members; Ozarks Small Business Incubator, 408 Washington Ave., West Plains; call 417-256-9724 or visit ozsbi.com for more information. 11 a.m.–1 p.m., Wednesday, December 8
MANUFACTURING OUTLOOK
Join the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Development Center for this annual event.
Business and community leaders in attendance will hear about manufacturing trends both in southwest Missouri and beyond. White River Conference Center, 600 W. Sunshine St., Springfield; call 417-881-3711 or email rachael@ springfieldchamber.com for more information. 11 a.m.–1 p.m., Tuesday, December 14
NIXA CHAMBER LUNCHEON
Join Nixa Area Chamber of Commerce for a recurring luncheon that features a variety of topics. For August, they’ll be discussing future Nixa parks plans alongside other community information and updates. Lunch is served, and there’s a raffle. $15–25 for members, $30 for guests; The Bridge Church, 308 W. Mount Vernon, Nixa. Visit nixachamber. com for more info. Ongoing MEET WITH A MENTOR
Take the opportunity to chat with local business leaders and learn from their experiences at the ongoing Meet with a Mentor program. You can ask questions and receive honest and practical feedback from professionals who’ve been there. It’s a product of the efactory, along with the Missouri Small Business Development Center and MSU Mentorship Program. Free. Visit efactory.missouristate. edu to see the schedule of upcoming mentors and their availability.
[THE SCENE]
Biz 417 Best Places to Work
Biz 417 celebrated the best in the business with the Best Places to Work awards ceremony revealing the top 20 rankings from our contest administered by Best Companies Group. Businesses showed off their team spirit in the hopes of winning a team building experience from 37 North Expeditions for being the team with the most spirit. Guests enjoyed networking, playing corn hole and listening to keynote speaker, Dan Meers. Date: September 8 | Location: Oasis Hotel and Convention Center | Website: biz417.com | Attire: Team spirit Sponsors: Penmac Staffing, JMARK Business Solutions Inc., Ollis Akers & Arney Insurance & Business Advisors, SFC Bank, 37 North Expeditions
Tim Johnson, Jim Wadkins, Kevin Carpenter, Tony Beabout (JMARK)
Sabrina Shipley, Chris Abercrombie, John Taylor (Abacus CPAs)
PHOTOS BY LEAH STIEFERMANN
John McNabb, Ben Sapp, Kristin Haar, Cheryl Doran (Sapp Design Architects)
Justin Coyan, Katy Stewart, Tammy Johnson, Lauren Smith, Elizabeth Drewry, Ashlae Cook (Ollis/Akers/Arney Insurance & Business Advisors)
Mike Kelly, Derris Butler, Chyna McKee, Scott Hewlett (Pearson-Kelly Technology)
Hailey Lopez, Haley Armstrong, Aislynn Hamilton (Next Level Solutions)
PHOTOS BY LEAH STIEFERMANN
Paragon Architecture team members
Megan Bruce, Shelley Wehner, Caitlyn Wodrich, Sarah Shelton (Cabinet Concepts by Elliott, Robinson & Company, LLP team members Design & Simply Organized by Design)
PHOTO COURTESY ERIC PETERSON
DOWNTIME
One Word: Synergy
Eric Peterson of Peterson Wealth Advisors began sailing a small dinghy near Chicago when he was 16. He moved to Springfield 16 years later, in 1984, after a sailboat upgrade and years of racing in the Northern Tier. He found Fellows Lake that fall when he went looking for somewhere to sail nearby. Peterson’s first boat was named Synergy, a word that helps him get his bearings both on the water and in the investment world. Synergy, he says, is the coming together of water, wind, waves and sailing ability; it is also the coming together of financial discipline, good advice and persistence. When Peterson heard that the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks would be bringing sailing instruction back to Fellows Lake, he was eager to help facilitate youth involvement in the program. He donated $15,000 to help kickstart the Fellows Lake Sailing Project. Peterson now has a monohull on Stockton Lake. Though he speaks fondly of his time racing there, when he finds time to sail nowadays, he goes for pleasure and relaxation.—Kate Duby
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November/December 2021
BIZ417.COM
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | $4.95
11 2111 S. Eastgate Ave. Springfield, MO 65809
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VOLUME 7 ISSUE 1