Faces and places

Hallmark Cards Inc. has promoted Margaret Keating to group vice president of operations. Keating oversees Hallmark’s North American manufacturing and distribution organizations, including a plant in Lawrence, graphic arts, global procurement, global supply chain and operations planning, advancing technologies and product quality. She also oversees human resources and finance for the operations division. Keating serves as a corporate officer for Hallmark, a position she has had since 1994.

• Jack Greenwood, Lawrence, has formed Greenwood Consulting, an independent consulting company working with nonprofit organizations in northeast Kansas in the development of planned giving programs. Greenwood, a former president and CEO of a Topeka-based financial institution, began his fund-raising career 13 years ago specializing in planned giving for the Kansas University Endowment Association and Arizona State University. He most recently was an independent contractor with a national fund-raising consulting firm.
• Robin McNevin recently completed the 2003 Operations School, a course designed for area bankers. The three-day course was sponsored by the Schools of Banking, a jointly-owned subsidiary of the Kansas Bankers Assn. and Nebraska Bankers Assn. McNevin is a customer service representative for Emprise Bank in Lawrence.
• The Kansas Board of Accountancy has announced Lawrence residents who passed the two-day CPA examination given in May. They were Nicole Clark, Kimberly Field, Terry Garrett, Clara Hemphill, Michael Mondi and Amy Smith.

The last paper and pencil examination will be Nov. 5-6 in the Sunflower Ballroom at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka. The deadline for receipt of applications and materials to verify a candidate’s eligibility to sit for the November exam is Sept. 1. The April 5 CPA examination will be provided in a computerized format and will be given at Prometric Testing Centers in Topeka and Wichita.

• Kansas Speedway officials have named two new managers. Kate Gregory will serve as the speedway’s marketing manager. Michelle Campbell is the accounting manager.

Gregory previously worked in external relations at Cabela’s in Sidney, Neb. Campbell formerly worked for Heart of America Photography in Lawrence.

• John Evans recently joined Realty Executives Hedges Real Estate at 721 Wakarusa Drive.

Before joining Realty Executives, Evans was a sales executive with Pitney Bowes for 3 years. He also owned the direct mail franchise Val-Pak serving Lawrence and Topeka.

• Robert Seitz, executive director of the Topeka Performing Arts Center and Compass of Topeka, earned the certified facilities executive designation on July 25 while attending the International Association of Assembly Managers 78th annual meeting in New Orleans. The IAAM is the worlds’ largest professional association dedicated exclusively to issues relevant to the management of public assembly facilities.

The CFE recognizes those who have attained the industry’s premier designation and acknowledges those individuals as among the leaders in the public assembly facility management profession.

Coming events

Consumer Credit Counseling Services will present “Discover More Dollars” from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Topeka Public Library, 1515 SW 10th St. in Topeka. The workshop will cover: financial goal setting, developing a realistic budget, cutting costs, evaluating spending habits and starting a savings plan.

To make reservations for the free workshop, call (785) 234-0217, ext. 368 or (800) 383-0217, ext. 368.

• Producers can learn more about growing the state flower as a cash crop by attending the Southwest Kansas Sunflower Field Day at 9 a.m. Aug. 19 near Garden City.

The event will cover the following topics: weed control, water use, insects, economics and production.

For more information contact Curtis Thompson, Kansas State University Research and Extension southwest area crops and soils specialist, at (620) 275-9164 for more information.

• The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce announced that Emprise Bank will have a ground-breaking ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Aug. 22 at 1121 Wakarusa Drive.
• The Kansas University Small Business Development Center will have several seminars this month.

“Exploring Entrepreneurship,” will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, 734 Vt. The cost is $25. It will cover the process of starting and running a small business.

“Making Cent$ of Your Financial Statements” will be from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, 734 Vt. The cost is $30. The workshop aims to help participants learn the management aspects of their income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement.

“The Right Start” will be from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 28 at the SBDC, 734 Vt. The seminar is for those considering owning a business.

For more information, contact the center at 843-8844.