Business in brief: JMARK CEO to address OTC grads, S&T student finds second triceratops

Tony Madden, Springfield News-Leader

JMARK CEO to speak at OTC graduation May 16

Tom Douglas
Tom Douglas

OTC has announced JMARK CEO Tom Douglas as the commencement speaker for Ozarks Technical Community College's graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 16, at 5 p.m. The ceremony will be held at Great Southern Bank Arena on the Missouri State University campus.

JMARK is a Springfield-based information technology company with a "People First, Technology Second" philosophy.

"Good people aspire to produce excellent work," Douglas said in a press release. "Here at JMARK, we believe that the essence of technology lies in its ability to empower individuals toward success."

A Bolivar native, Douglas began working at JMARK in 1997 after a stint in the Navy. He eventually purchased the company in 2001, and the company now employs 125 employees serving clients in 43 states. In 2022, Douglas published his book, "Adapt or Die."

Missouri S&T dinosaur-hunting student finds second triceratops

Emma Puetz prepares a triceratops fossil she discovered in 2022.
Emma Puetz prepares a triceratops fossil she discovered in 2022.

What's the only thing better than finding the remains of a triceratops? Finding the remains of two. Emma Puetz, a master’s student in geology and geophysics from Rolla, has now twice found triceratops fossils on separate digs of Montana's rocky terrain.

“In the summer of 2022, as part of the PaleoX Adventure 360 field school, I found a triceratops frill on the last day and within the final 30 minutes of my hunt,” she says. “This past summer, the exact same thing happened. I came back with a group to dig the first frill, and then we had a couple days to do more hunting. Again, right before I was out of time, I found a completely new site with even more bones exposed.”

With the naming rights for both dinosaurs, Puetz settled on the name “Joe Miner,” after the school mascot, for her first triceratops. The second dinosaur is named “Dave,” after her grandfather, who is also a dinosaur buff. Puetz finished her bachelor’s degree from S&T in December 2023 while also taking graduate courses, and she will complete her master’s degree in May.

Multi-industry hiring event to be held at the Fairbanks

The Missouri Job Center and the Drew Lewis Foundation will host a Multi-Industry Hiring Event on Tuesday, April 16 from 2 – 4 p.m. at the Fairbanks at 1126 N. Broadway Ave. in Springfield. Almost 30 employers will be on site ready to meet job seekers.

Job seekers should bring hard copies of their resumes and be prepared for on-site interviews. The Missouri Job Center on East Sunshine Street has a career closet to help individuals with appropriate clothing for the event. The resource is free to anyone looking for employment.

Participating employers include:

  • Atrium Hospitality

  • American StaffCorp

  • Big Cedar Lodge

  • Central Bank

  • CoxHealth

  • Edmonds Dental Prosthetics

  • Great Southern Bank

  • IWEIDD

  • Jack Henry

  • Jordan Valley Community Health Center

  • Manpower

  • Mediacom

  • MERS/MO Goodwill Industries

  • Missouri Army National Guard

  • Myers/Buckhorn

  • QPS Employment Group

  • Russell Cellular

  • SGC Foodservice

  • Springfield Public Schools

  • Springfield Rehabilitiation & Care Center

  • SPX Cooling Tech

  • SRC Logistics

  • Arc of the Ozarks

  • T-Mobile

  • TTEC

  • US Medical Center for Federal Prisoners

  • Wal-Mart

Jeffrey Goodnight joins Ozarks Legacy Law

Jeffrey Goodnight
Jeffrey Goodnight

Estate planning law firm Ozarks Legacy Law has announced the addition of Jeffrey C. Goodnight. Goodnight has more than 20 years of experience in law, most recently working at Hosmer, King & Royce. He was originally hired out of law school by Neale & Newman, where he became a partner.

Goodnight is a native of southwest Missouri, and he has spent his career in the Ozarks. A graduate of Carthage High School, Goodnight holds a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Oklahoma State University and a law degree from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

“Jeff’s understanding of farm and agricultural issues, cultivated through firsthand experience on his family’s farm, uniquely positions him as a trusted advisor for the client’s we serve, but also someone they can easily relate to," said attorney David Payne, the firm's founder. "Simply put, Jeff is one of them."

FORVIS announces manager, director, and senior manager promotions

FORVIS has announced the promotion of 12 associates to manager, director, and senior manager positions at its Springfield, Branson, and Joplin offices.

Career paths at FORVIS are divided into levels, and each position is defined by its own set of duties that require cumulative and advanced degrees of education, training, and experience. Personnel must demonstrate leadership abilities as coaches and mentors and take an active role in the community. Individuals become candidates for promotion after mastering their existing level.

The FORVIS associates promoted to manager are:

  • Steven Bard

  • Becca Faulconer

  • Malissa Fields

  • Dylan Lyon

  • Ashley Mueller

  • Garrett Smith

The FORVIS associates promoted to director are:

  • Morgan Crews

  • Travis Liles

The FORVIS associates promoted to senior manager are:

  • Sydnie Evgenides

  • Angela McLaughlin

  • Nicole Radtke

  • Chase Simmerman

OTC Table Rock campus president honored by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

Robert Griffith
Robert Griffith

The Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society has awarded Ozarks Technical Community College Table Rock Campus President Dr. Robert Griffith with the Paragon Award for New Presidents. Dr. Griffith was honored during PTK Catalyst 2024, the honor society's annual convention.

Griffith is one of 24 presidents nationwide to receive the award. To be eligible for the Paragon Award, presidents must be new to the role, having served fewer than three years. Recipients are nominated by students on campus. The award recognizes college presidents who support student success initiatives, leading to stronger pathways for completion, transfer, and employment.

Dr. Griffith began his career with OTC as the college's extension center coordinator in Branson. After opening the Table Rock campus in 2013, Dr. Griffith became the dean of academic and student affairs for the Hollister location. Now, as the Table Rock president, Dr. Griffith is responsible for all academic and student affairs and campus operations. Dr. Griffith also serves as board chair for the Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and in leadership positions with the Branson/Hollister Rotary Club Board and the Taney County Health Department Board.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: JMARK CEO to address OTC grads; S&T student finds second triceratops

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