It’s Your Business

Items for It's Your Business can be submitted online at http:// cjonline.com/business, by email to [email protected] or by mail to The Topeka Capital-Journal, 616 S.E. Jefferson, Topeka, 66607. Items and photographs will run in print as space permits.

RETIREMENTS

Seaman Unified School District 345 has announced the retirements of the following staff members:

Connie Arbogast, Seaman Middle School, 17 years of district service; Dr. Rob Balsters, Seaman Education Center, 38 years; Gary Brinkley, North Fairview, eight years; Pam Broadbent, Pleasant Hill, 33 years; Jane Brumley, Seaman Middle School, 24 years; Melanie Campbell, Logan, 29 years; Karen Good, Seaman High School, seven years; Duane Hoss, Pleasant Hill, nine years; Sharon Hoss, North Fairview, 22 years; Pat Johnson, Rochester, 10 years; Marlene Kohlmeier, Pleasant Hill, 10 years; Brad May, Pleasant Hill/ Rochester, 16 years; Karen McConnell, Logan, 40 years; Dr. Carolyn Orozco, Seaman Education Center, 36 years; Sandy Peyton, Pleasant Hill, 35 years; Melody Pollom, Pleasant Hill, 10 years; Diane Renner, Pleasant Hill, 12 years; Lee Renner, Seaman Middle School, 12 years; and Linda Walshire, Elmont, 20 years.

NEW FACES

FHLBank Topeka has announced the following hirings since January:

Jay Malone, strategic development financial analyst, previously a capital markets specialist II with Commerce Bank.

Angie Drake, auditor III, previously senior internal auditor at Payless ShoeSource.

Marco Rentier, software architect, previously a software development manager at Heartland Crop Insurance.

Daniel Crook, community programs and reporting specialist, previously the regional production manager for Equitable Mortgage.

Christa Chesmore, financial services analyst I, previously a loan processing specialist at Capital City Bank.

Amir Qasim, programmer analyst II, previously a software developer for Davis & Henderson in Canada.

Sarah Gillespie, HCD financial specialist, previously a senior pipeline specialist for CapWest Mortgage in Overland Park.

Eric Degenhardt, HCD financial specialist, previously a lock desk specialist and universal banker for CapWest Mortgage.

Amy Pope, human resources representative.

Tyler Schuckman, returns as systems administrator II, previously a network administrator at Bartlett & West.

Jennifer Kathrens, HCD administrative specialist, previously an air transportation craftsman for the Air Force.

John Scott, data modeler analyst, previously the regional IT manager for Correct Care Solutions.

Christy Light, HCD disbursement specialist, most recently a team leader and manager for US Bank Home Mortgage.

Jaime Lake, wire services specialist I, previously senior sales associate, mortgage loan processor and loan processor II at CoreFirst.

Joe Archer, audit intern, currently attending Washburn University, previously worked for Onyx Collection.

Joel Stottlemire, intern in IT, currently attending Washburn University, previously worked for the state of Kansas.

NAMES

Kansas Department of Transportation employees in northeast Kansas celebrating service anniversaries in June:

- 30 years -- Tina Cramer, applications developer III, Topeka; Robert Selley, field survey project manager, Topeka; Donald Whisler, bridge inspect engineer, Topeka; Robert Herman, survey CADD support, Wamego; and John Rausch, equipment operator specialist, Cottonwood Falls.

- 20 years -- Leif Holliday, traffic field operations engineer, Holton; Lynn Van Nortwick, equipment operator senior, Belleville; and Curtis Weyand, engineering technician specialist, Manhattan.

- 10 years -- Joshua Greening, equipment operator senior, Topeka; Dominique Shannon, structures squad leader, Topeka; Nathan Jeffries, engineering associate II, Lawrence; Stephen Swartz, special assistant, Lawrence; and Stacie Cook, engineering technician, Kansas City.

RECOGNITION

Elon Torrence recently received the 2014 Distinguished Elder award from the Kansas Health Care Association. Torrence is a retired newsman for The Associated Press (1946 to 1982), a former state ethics commission member for 16 years and was a LINK trainer for the Army Air Corps during WWII. Among the major stories Torrence covered during his career were the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb that became the subject of the Truman Capote book "In Cold Blood" and a later movie, and the 1966 Topeka tornado.

Stormont-Vail HealthCare honored 17 patient care staff members recently at its 7th annual Excellence in Nursing Awards. The award recipients were:

Gina Geis, RN, excellence in nursing practice; Sharon Reed, RN, excellence in nursing practice; Alison Wilson, RN, excellence in nursing leadership; Ursula Beuchat, RN, excellence in nursing mentorship; Tisha Schmidt, RN, excellence in nursing mentorship; Karen Burns-Reynolds, RN, excellence in nursing preceptorship; LaDonna Andritsch, RN, excellence in nursing research; Dana Jones, RN, excellence in nursing research; Rebecca Rocha, LPN, excellence in licensed practical nursing; Staci Thompson, LPN, excellence in licensed practical nursing; Nicole Brandenburgh, PCT, excellence in patient care; Curtis Johnson, Surgical Tech, excellence in patient care; Jerry Martens, LMHT, excellence in patient care; Kaytee Winsor, PCT, excellence in patient care; Brooke Shumaker, RN, distinguished community service award; Ashley Berroth, RN, rising star; and Tony Zoucha, RN, rising star.

Patty Guadian and Joe Vining were honored by the Kansas Department of Labor at its Employee Recognition and Award Program for March/April. Guadian, architecture analyst in information technology, received the award for Meritorious Service. She was recognized for her ability to go our of her way to create solutions for problems taking place in other divisions. Joe Vining, KDOL's chief of contributions for unemployment insurance tax, received the award for Distinguished Accomplishment. Vining managed the implementation of the employer tax relief package passed by the Kansas Legislature.

Westar Energy recently received the Dale Randall Award from the Region VII Voluntary Protection Programs Participants' Association. The Randall award is the top safety award given each year to one of Region VII's 159 member companies. 2013 was Westar's safest work year on record.

MISC.

The Jackson Heights Educational Foundation in Holton has been awarded a $1,500 grant by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to support adult, family and summer literacy programs. Dollar awarded more than $6 million in grants to approximately 700 schools, nonprofits and organizations across the 40 states the company serves.

THA Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides accessible affordable housing for low to moderate income people in Topeka, recently received a $500 grant from U.S. Bank. THA plans to use the money to "beautify and enhance" the Pine Ridge Community.

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