Newsmakers

Ida Mae Wombwell (‘42, ‘64) was inducted into the Brookfield (Mo.) High School Hall of Fame. She began her teaching career in Sedalia, Mo., where she taught instrumental and choral music. The remainder of her teaching career was spent in the Brookfield school system until her retirement in 1976.

Joyce (Luker) Wilson (’58), of Waldport, Ore., received Job Corps’ National Director’s Honor Award for Excellence in Education. She is a high school teacher at Angell Job Corps, which offers high school students the opportunity to earn a GED or a high school diploma while at the same time receiving training to become proficient in a number of vocational pathways.

Dennis Buhr (’63, ’67) received the Special Ambassador Award, the highest recognition given by the Special School District of St. Louis County. The award is presented to members of the community who demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to the District’s students and staff. Buhr, of Chesterfield, Mo., is a volunteer with the Special Education Foundation.
Craig Hintz (’69), superintendent of Warsaw Community School Corporation, was honored as the 2013 State Superintendent of the Year by the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents.

Randa Rawlins (’79) was presented with the Enterprise Award at the Missouri Lawyers’ Weekly Women’s Justice Awards Ceremony in April 2012. The award recognizes women in a business setting for their contributions to improving the quality of the justice system. Rawlins serves as general counsel for Shelter Insurance in Columbia, Mo.

Mary Rhodes Russell (’80), who serves on the Missouri Supreme Court, was recognized with the Spirit of Martha Award presented by the Griffiths Leadership Society for Women at the University of Missouri-Columbia. The award honors a Mizzou alumnus or faculty member who has distinguished herself in her chosen field as well as exemplified the spirit of leadership, particularly in the furtherance of women.

Cindy (Bonser) Gurney (’82) was inducted into the Chaffey College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Mary McFarland (’84) received the Special Ambassador Award, the highest recognition given by the Special School District of St. Louis County. The award is presented to members of the community who demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to the District’s students and staff. McFarland is a teacher at Ritenour High School in St. Louis.

Tania Cook (’85) was honored with the President’s Call to Service Award which was presented by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The award was given in recognition of Cook’s commitment to strengthening the nation and making a difference through volunteer service.  Cook, who is a skills training coordinator at Job Point in Columbia, Mo., was also named to the Show-Me State Games Hall of Honor. She has been involved with the State Games for 25 years.

Scott Zajac (’85) was named among the Class of 2012 “50 Missourians You Should Know” published in Ingram’s magazine. He is the managing partner at Advantage Capital Partners in St. Louis.

Sarah (Hartmann) Burkemper (’92), of Troy, Mo., was named on the most recent list of “50 Missourians You Should Know” published in Ingram’s magazine (March 2013). Burkemper, who is a certified public accountant and a certified financial planner, is a member of Truman State University’s Board of Governors.

Aaron Wills (’93, ’95) received the Special Ambassador Award, the highest recognition given by the Special School District of St. Louis County. The award is presented to members of the community who demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to the District’s students and staff. Wills, of Ballwin, Mo., is principal at Claymont Elementary in the Parkway School District.

Brent Schowe (’94), vice president with Commerce Trust Company, St. Louis, was part of an investment management team honored by Lipper with its highest rating in the Best Fixed Income Small Fund Group. Lipper, a leading provider of mutual fund information, analytical tools and commentary, selected Commerce for the top spot from 61 qualified companies in this category. Schowe is a senior fixed income analyst for Commerce Trust, the money management arm of Commerce Bank.

Anthony Butler (’96) was named a 2012 Rising Star by the Living Classrooms Foundation and the Baltimore Business Journal. The award recognizes outstanding young leaders for their achievements and philanthropic efforts. Butler is a partner with the law firm of Trye Butler Mayo Griffith in Baltimore, Md.

Kelly McCambridge-Parker (’96) received a Rising Star Award at the Missouri Lawyers’ Weekly Women’s Justice Awards Ceremony in April 2012. The award recognizes women lawyers age 40 or under or within the first 10 years of practice who have already made a difference in the justice system or the profession and who appear on a path toward even greater accomplishment. McCambridge-Parker is a trial attorney and mediator with Holman Schiavone in Kansas City, Mo.

Carli Conklin (’97, ’99), an associate professor of law at the University of Missouri School of Law, was presented with the Legal Scholar Award at the Missouri Lawyers’ Weekly Women’s Justice Awards Ceremony in April 2012. The award is presented to female faculty members or administrators at Missouri law schools in recognition of their work on behalf of the justice system, through their research or scholarship or through teaching and inspiring others.

Chad Moore (’97), of Kansas City, Mo., was named among the “40 Under 40: A 15-Year Honor Roll” published in Ingram’s magazine (April 2013). He is the director of operations for the Children’s Mercy Pediatric Care Network.

Hina Patel (’97, ’98) was honored with the Professional and Scientific Distinguished Service Award presented by Iowa State University. The award recognizes professional and scientific employees who demonstrate exemplary service to the college. Patel is the director of Teacher Education Services at Iowa State University.

Jas Sullivan (’97) received the 2012 MKN TRiO Achiever Award at the 34th Annual Missouri-Kansas-Nebraska (MKN) TRiO Conference in Kansas City in April 2012. The award recognizes outstanding former TRiO participants for success in their current field. Sullivan is an assistant professor of political science and African and African-American studies at Louisiana State University.

Petra DeWitt (’98), a professor in the Department of History and Political Science at Missouri University of Science and Technology, was honored with the 2012 Missouri History Book Award presented by the State Historical Society of Missouri. She is the author of Degrees of Allegiance: Harassment and Loyalty in Missouri’s German American Community During World War I.

Elizabeth Schuerman (’00) was a recipient of the Indiana Lawyer Leadership in Law Award and has also been named in the Indiana Super Lawyers-Rising Stars Edition. Schuerman is a partner at Bose McKinney & Evans LLP.

Dominic Armstrong (’02), an opera singer, was among the seven winners who received the 2013 George London Foundation Awards. The London Foundation supports and nurtures young singers, and the George London Foundation for Singers competition is one of the oldest vocal competitions in the United States and Canada.

Karin (Ellis) Ricker (’03) was among the “40 Under 40 Nurse Leaders” honored by the Nebraska Action Coalition. The award recognizes 40 nurse leaders under the age of 40 across the state of Nebraska.

Frank Fleschner (’05), a member of the Kansas City Chorale, attended the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in February 2013. The Kansas City Chorale won two Grammy Awards for their recording, “Life & Breath: Choral Works by Rene Clausen,” including Best Engineered Album (Classical) and Best Choral Performance. Fleschner is a technology professional and consultant in Kansas City, Mo.

Oseyi Ikuenobe (’05) was named in the St. Louis Business Journal’s 2012 “30 Under 30.” The publication had more than 200 nominations and features some of the most accomplished young professionals in the St. Louis area. Ikuenobe is an IT solutions
architect for Monsanto.

Brian Santos (’05, ’06) was named Teacher of the Year at Francis Howell North High School in St. Charles, Mo. He teaches Spanish 1, 3 and 4.

Amy (Schweizer) Guthrie (’07, ’09), of North Central Missouri College, received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, which was presented by the Missouri Community College Association.

Kevin Harrison (’08) was honored as Area Director of the Year by the K-Life National Board of Directors. He serves as the area director for the Kirksville K-Life. K-Life works with more than 200 area youth to build positive relationships through activities such as weekly clubs for middle and high school students and bi-weekly meetings for those in K-5th grade.

Tajanette Sconyers (’10) received the MKN Rising TRiO Achievers Scholarship. MKN is the Missouri-Kansas-Nebraska chapter of the Mid-America Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel, one of 10 regional associations that form the Council for Opportunity in Education.

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