American Red Cross board members of the Douglas County Chapter approved four new members at their recent annual meeting. The new members will join the 13-member board Jan. 1 to form the new 2004 board and each will complete a three-year term. New members include Mary Burg, executive assistant to the chancellor at Kansas University; Rich Lorenzo, financial advisor with Berthel Fisher & Company; Kim Murphree, of the Lawrence Police Department; and George Norton, of GDN Communications.

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Allisa Hurst, Lawrence, has joined Douglas County Bank as mortgage loan processor/closer. She previously worked for six years at Kansas Secured Title where she was an assistant vice president of 1031 tax deferred exchanges and closing department manager.

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Four employees of Lawrence-based Prosoco completed a month-long course in emergency response, sponsored by Douglas County Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Ted Barnekof, Overland Park; Bruce Boyer, Lawrence; Dwayne Fuhlhage, Olathe; and Gary Henry, Lawrence, received certification as Community Emergency Response Team members after going through 36 hours of training. The employees are trained in fire suppression, search and rescue and medical operations in emergency situations. They can respond as a team or individually.

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Karen Arnesman has joined the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center as a clinical case manager in child and family services. She will serve on the multi-systemic therapy team, which provides comprehensive service for troubled youth. Arnesman received a master’s degree from Washburn University and previously worked as director of social work at Lakeview Manor and as an in-home therapist with the Franklin County Mental Health Center.

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Lawrence attorney Dan Watkins recently was elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the International Association of Insurance Receivers. Watkins also was elected secretary at the organization’s annual meeting Dec. 6 in Anaheim, Calif.

The association provides individuals involved with insurance receiverships an organization through which they can receive education, exchange information and establish standards for those who work in the professional area.

Watkins has been a member of IAIR since 1998 and achieved the designation of Certified Insurance Receiver-Multiple Lines in 2001. He also serves on IAIR’s accreditation and ethics committee.

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Landlords of Lawrence Inc. has an installation of officers ceremony on Dec. 8. The new officers are: William Harmon Jr., president; Terri Pippert, vice president; Elaine Nelson, secretary; and Robert Eggert, treasurer. Members of the association’s board of directors are David Chen, James Dunn, Alice Kimberley, Jean Lemesany, Mark Lehmann and Marilyn Lynch.

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Dusty Coultis, financial service representative with the Heartland Business Group, an office of MetLife Financial Services in Overland Park, has been appointed financial services representative by MetLife Securities Inc. He has worked in the Greater Kansas City and Lawrence area.

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Brian Pine, of Pine Family Farm, has been elected president of the Kansas Turfgrass Foundation. He was elected at the association’s annual conference Dec. 2-4 at the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka.

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The Friends of Hidden Valley Inc. announces the members of its board of directors. Margaret Townsend was elected to the board while Suzanne Collins and Flora Wyatt were re-elected. Townsend, Collins and Wyatt will serve three-year terms. Other members of the board are: Cris Bandle, Joseph Collins, Ellyn Owen, David Reber, Durand Reiber, Robin Robertson and Karen Warner. Friends of Hidden Valley is a charitable foundation dedicated to the preservation of Hidden Valley Camp, located near 15th Street and Kasold Drive.

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The Kansas Department of Commerce recently announced funding for a Lawrence work force training project. MartinLogan, Lawrence, is starting an automated costing system that will allow for more accurate inventory counts. It also is beginning a total quality management training that will be focused on lean manufacturing. As a result of the project, 58 existing employees will receive instruction in costing modules, inventory stock and total quality management. Total estimated cost of the training project is $13,931. Commerce will invest $6,965 in the program with the company providing matching funds of $6,966.

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Troy Roberts, director of convention sales at the Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau, recently attended two trade shows to promote Lawrence to meeting and event planners.

He attended the Association Management Conference for the Kansas City Society of Association Executives on Dec. 2 in Kansas City, Mo. Roberts touted Lawrence’s facilities and attractions to association event planners.

The bureau had an exhibit at the annual Kansas Society of Association Executives Conference and Expo Dec. 5 in Topeka. Mary Cronemeyer, of the Circle S Ranch & Country Inn, and Cindy Bonham, of SpringHill Suites by Marriott, also attended the event.

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The Lawrence Paper Company recently gave a donation to the Kansas Council on Economic Education. The contribution was used to provide tuition assistance to local teacher participating in economic education courses sponsored by the council and given at the state’s regents universities.

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Volunteering members of the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Assn. of Kansas will donate gasoline to Kansas Highway Patrol troopers from Dec. 20 to Jan. 1. This year marks the 13th anniversary of the Holiday Highway Safety Program, a partnership between the PMCA of Kansas and the patrol to ensure motorists’ safe travel during the holidays. Last year, the patrol estimates the contributions added up to more than 1,740 gallons of gasoline, which allowed troopers to patrol more than 26,000 miles with no fuel cost to Kansas taxpayers.

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AdWorks Indoor Billboards, of Wichita, has acquired E.L. Bailer Indoor Advertising, of Lawrence. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. The companies, which both provide restroom billboard advertising, will be merged and will be known as E.L. Bailer Indoor Advertising, effective Jan. 1. Corporate and administrative offices will remain in Wichita. The company will maintain a satellite office in Lawrence. It plans to open satellite offices in Salina and Topeka.

Honors and awards

Robert Kerr, Lawrence, of Schifman, Remley & Associates, recently was honored by the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors for his ongoing pledge to education, commitment to excellence and dedication to the insurance profession.

Coming events

The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce announce the following upcoming ribbon-cutting ceremonies:

• Midland Hospice Care Inc., 11:30 a.m., Jan. 8, 1008 N.H.
• The Eye Doctors, 11:30 a.m., Jan. 15, 2600 Iowa St.
• Flowerama, 11:30 a.m., Jan. 23, 1700 W. 23rd St.

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InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum announced a call for applicants to present their business plans to an audience of venture capitalists, corporate and private investors, and investment bankers. The application deadline is Feb. 20 to be considered for participation in the May 5-6 venture capital forum in St. Louis. The application form can be obtained online at www.investmidwestforum.com and information can be submitted electronically to investmidwest@stlrcga.org.

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The Kansas Women’s Business Center is offering “Hot Lunch Topics,” a new interaction forum featuring expert speakers for area women business owners and aspiring business owners. The networking event will offer insight into critical business topics. The forums will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at the Kansas Women’s Business Center in Lenexa. Martha Gershun, assistant vice president at H&R Block will present “Avoiding Marketing Disasters” on Jan. 21. To make reservations, call (913) 492-5922, ext. 147.