Business in brief: Dickerson Park Zoo names director; Table Rock named best SWMO chamber

Dickerson Park Zoo names Thompson zoo director

Jackson Thompson has been named Assistant Director of Parks & Recreation, according to a press release from the Springfield-Greene County Park Board. The position is informally known as Zoo Director.

Thompson has spent his entire professional career at Dickerson Park Zoo, starting as a member of guest services staff in 2004. He has served in the zoo's commissary/Missouri habitat, as tropical Asia zookeeper, head zookeeper, elephant manager, education ambassador collection manager, and superintendent of the Zoo. Most recently, Thompson was interim zoo director following the retirement of longtime director Mike Crocker.

Thompson began working for Friends of the Zoo while in college before earning a bachelor's degree from Evangel University in 2006. He became a full-time zoo employee after graduation. He is also active in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Zoo Conversation Outreach Group, and the American Association of Zookeepers.

Ozarks Food Harvest honors volunteer Keidle for garden program contributions

Ozarks Food Harvest has honored volunteer Mary Keidle with the fourth annual Golden Cleaners Award for contributing more than 350 hours of service with Ozarks Food Harvest's Full Circle Gardens Glean Team and the Food Bank's warehouse. Keidle has volunteered with the Glean Team since 2015, pulling weeds, prepping garden beds, and helping harvest produce. Produce from the Ozarks Food Harvest Farm and partner farms is distributed to the Food Bank's network of faith and community-based charities.

The Golden Gleaners Award is given annually to a volunteer who has shown outstanding contribution to Ozarks Food Harvest’s Full Circle Gardens program. Ozarks Food Harvest currently needs volunteers for the Glean Team to help harvest produce at The Food Bank’s farm in Rogersville and at local partner farms.

Those interested in volunteering can apply and schedule sessions online at ozarksfoodharvest.org/volunteer. All sessions must be pre-scheduled and closed-toed shoes are required. For volunteer program questions, contact volunteer recruitment coordinator Dillion Smith at 417-865-3411.

Table Rock Chamber of Commerce named best in southwest Missouri

The Table Rock Lake Chamber of Commerce has been named "Best of Southwest Missouri" at a May 10 gala held at the Oasis Hotel and Convention Center in Springfield. Earning the highest honor, Table Rock Lake Chamber of Commerce won Gold in the Best Chamber of Commerce category.

"We are very grateful to those who voted for us and thrilled to receive this recognition for the second year,” said Sheila Thomas, Chamber President/CEO. “My team works very hard to serve our members and community, and to be called the ‘Best in Southwest Missouri’ is indeed an honor.”

The 2024 Best of Southwest Missouri contest had more than 160,000 votes cast in its second year of the competition. There were 76 chamber members honored in 96 categories. The Table Rock Lake Chamber of Commerce has more than 500 members, focusing on the Stone County and Table Rock Lake area.

Register now for Lake Regional’s hospital career camp

Lake Regional Health System is inviting students ages 10 to 14 to register now for its 2024 career camp. The career camp is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 29 and 30 at Lake Regional Hospital in Osage Beach.

Over the two-day camp, students will gain an understanding of careers in the health care field including patient care, administration, engineering, computer systems, pharmacy, rehab therapies, social work, and more. Participants will also learn about patient confidentiality and infection control.

In addition, students will also have the opportunity for hands-on experience through job shadowing and lifelike scenarios. This includes but is not limited to CPR techniques for individuals 8 years and older. The career camp is free, but students must bring $2 cash for a card if they want to be officially CPR-certified. Attendees should plan to bring a sack lunch or plan to purchase lunch in the hospital cafeteria.

White River Connect now signing up customers in Goodhope for reliable internet

White River Connect, a subsidiary of White River Valley Electric Cooperative, is now signing up customers in parts of Goodhope, Pansy, Red Bank, Brownbranch, and Ava for its high-speed fiber internet service.

Construction began on White River Connect in June of 2023. The project, which will provide internet to rural areas of Christian, Douglas, Ozark, Stone, and Taney Counties. It is expected to take four years to complete and will cover over 4,200 miles of fiber.

Residents can visit https://www.whiteriverconnect.com to view the map of service availability and sign up for service in those areas. People can also pre-register for areas coming soon. For more information about White River Valley Electric Cooperative’s fiber-to-the-home project, White River Connect, visit https://www.whiteriverconnect.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Dickerson Park Zoo names director; Table Rock named best SWMO chamber