Business Briefcase
Jo Murphy, director of volunteer services at Hays Medical Center, recently passed the certified administrator of volunteer services examination for the Association for Healthcare Volunteer Resource Professionals. The AHVRP is an organized structure for ongoing development, advancement and recognition of professional administration of departments of volunteer services within health care facilities.Murphy has been an employee of HMC since 1986.
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Fort Hays State University faculty members Ken Trantham, associate professor of physics, and Paul Adams, director of the FHSU Science and Mathematics Education Institute, have received a $5,600 Kansas NASA Space Grant, "Robotics for Western Kansas Schools," to promote robotics in schools in western Kansas. The grant will help fund a teacher workshop this fall. Teachers in attendance will each receive a LEGO Mindstorm kit with the understanding they will participate in the fourth annual FHSU LEGO Robotics Competition for Middle Schools in April.
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Gin Dreiling and Justin Randa of Insurance Planning in Hays recently completed the Insuring Commercial Casualty Exposures Insurance course sponsored by the National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research and the Kansas Association of Insurance Agents. The course, which includes a written exam, is one of several needed to obtain the certified insurance service representative designation. Dreiling is a commercial account representative, and Randa is an account executive.
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Darin Reed has been named the Knights of Columbus Western Kansas Agency July field agent of the month. This the second straight month and fourth time this year he has received the honor.
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Mary Jo Hafliger, an American Family Insurance agent in WaKeeney and Quinter, has been recognized for customer satisfaction excellence under the J.D. Power and Associates Distinguished Insurance Agency Program. She has been an agent for American Family since 1988. The distinction was determined through a two-part evaluation process conducted by J.D. Power -- a customer satisfaction survey and an on-site evaluation.
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Glen Braun, a partner at Glassman, Bird, Braun and Schwartz in Hays, has been elected to serve as the vice president of the Kansas Bar Association for 2008-09. He also serves as the city of Hays prosecutor and previously has been elected to two terms as the Ellis County attorney. Braun was elected twice, in 2004 and 2007, to serve as the District 10 KBA Governor and has previously served on the organization's executive committee. He received his law degree from Washburn University School of Law in 1981.
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Shayne Rupp, Ellis, recently passed the ServeSafe, a national food management, safety and preparation course sponsored by the National Restaurant Association this summer. Rupp is the manager of the Dairy Queen and Subway at Ellis Travel Plaza and has been with the company since late 2006.
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Mary Dinkel has reached her 20th anniversary at Emprise Bank. Dinkel is a teller at the Hays West branch at 27th and Hall and has been with the company since 1988.
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Registered nurse Sue Noll, clinical supervisor of hospice and palliative care at Hays Medical Center, recently obtained board certification in pain management from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Noll has been with HMC since 1998.
Couture for Men in Hays recently received an Elite Retailer award from Jim's Formal Wear. Jim's is the largest formal wear distribution network in the U.S. with more than 5,000 independent retailers. Couture for Men has been renting tuxedos from Jim's since 2007.
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McDonald's of South Hays Crew Trainer Danielle Lovin has been promoted to the position of swing manager. Lovin has been employed at the restaurant since June 2006.
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Kirsten Barnes, McDonald's of Colby swing manager, recently attended a three-day advanced shift management course in Wichita. Training consultants of the Heartland Region of McDonald's Corporation instructed the course. The course covered topics including human relations, leadership, customer satisfaction, profitability, sales building, communication and managing people practices. Barnes joined the North Hays restaurant in 2003 and transferred to McDonald's of Colby in 2008.
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Jolene Biggs, Larry A. Caspers, Connie Forssberg and Doris Pilatus, certified insurance counselors of Insurance Planning recently were honored by the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors. Caspers was honored for 30 years of continued participation in the CIC program; Biggs for 25 years; and Forssberg and Pilatus for 20 years. Insurance Planning has offices in Hays, Great Bend and Russell.
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Joyce Newell, Hays, joined more than 35,000 Mary Kay independent business owners from throughout the United States and around the world at the company's annual seminar held July 17 to Aug. 2 in Dallas. Newell began her Mary Kay business in 1989 and is a future executive senior sales director. Newell was recognized in the National Court of Sales, selling approximately $36,000 retail production, and honored with the circle of achievement award with an estimated $350,000 in unit retail production.
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Several new employees recently have joined Golden Belt Bank, including: Nathan Legleiter, Hays, as a loan officer trainee. Legleiter graduated from Hays High School and earned his bachelor's degree from Fort Hays State University; Taryn Leiker, Hays, as an operations assistant for Golden Belt Bank. Leiker graduated from Thomas More Prep-Marian High School, attended FHSU and received her insurance license from the state of Kansas.; Ashley Schmidt, Hays, as a full-time teller. Schmidt graduated from Hays High School and attended the Hays Academy of Hair Design, where she received her cosmetology license; and Tammi Legleiter, Gorham. She was hired in May 2007 as a full-time teller, and since has been promoted to a teller supervisor at the Hays branch. Legleiter graduated from Gorham High School and earned her bachelor's degree from Fort Hays State University.
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