Johnie Johnson, chief executive officer/general manager of Nex-Tech Wireless, has been elected president and chairman of the Rural Cellular Association board of directors in 2008-2009. RCA is an association of approximately 100 rural wireless carriers that represents rural wireless telecommunication providers in the United States. Johnson has served vice president and in the position of secretary/treasurer.He also serves on the board of directors for CTIA and has served as executive vice president and chief operating officer for Mid-Missouri Cellular, has held general and sales management positions with companies such as SunCom Wireless, AT&T Wireless and U.S. Cellular.

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Kurt David, chief financial officer of Eagle Communications, and L. Earl Watkins, president and CEO of Sunflower Electric Power Corp., have joined the advisory board of directors at Commerce Bank in Hays. David received a master's of business administration from Kansas University and master's of agribusiness from Kansas State University. Watkins is a graduate of Great Bend High School and has a law degree from the University of Kansas.

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KFHS-TV, the student-run campus television station at Fort Hays State University, was the winner of three first-place awards and one honorable mention at the annual meeting of the Kansas Association of Broadcasters in Wichita. Seniors Jennifer Montenegro, Wichita, and Cole Reif, Great Bend, received the honors during a luncheon at KAB's student broadcast seminar. FHSU competed with all other institutions of higher learning in Kansas. Fort Hays State's first place awards were: Station Promotion Announcement, "Democracy Matters Thanksgiving 2007," Montenegro, producer; Hard News Package, "School Air Conditioning Check," Montenegro, reporter; and Sportscast, "KSN Sports," Reif reporter and producer. In addition, Reif won an Honorable Mention for Complete Sports Feature, "Coach Cody Bickley's Ceremony."

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Dr. Babu Prasad of Hays Medical Center was the featured speaker for the Honor Society members of the master's of education graduating class at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo. on May 9. The Honor Society includes Lalita Prasad, daughter of Babu and Sara Prasad. Prasad spoke on the topic of "What Education Is, What Education Means and Education's Role in the Student's Life and Society." He is the medical director of radiation oncology and has practiced¬  at the Dreiling/Schmidt Cancer Center at Hays Medical Center for 25 years.

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Travis Keller has joined the administration department of Sunflower Electric Power Corp. as applications support technician. Keller graduated from Fort Hays State University with a bachelor's degree in information networking and telecommunications. He previously was employed at Brungardt Hower Ward Elliot and Pfeifer L.C.

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Hays native Jim Steeples has been named market president at Mutual of Omaha Bank in Colorado. Steeples is responsible for overseeing the strategic growth and management of the bank's operations in Colorado, which include seven locations along the Colorado Front Range. Steeples has more than 25 years of banking experience, most recently serving as the Denver market president for First Community Bank. He previously served as president of Colorado State Bank and Trust. Steeples earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration from the University of Kansas. He served on the State Banking Board of Colorado and the Board of Governors for the Greater Denver Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Corporation. Steeples is also a past board member and chairman of the Colorado Bankers Association, Young Americans Bank and Young Americans Center for Financial Education.

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