Faces and places

Lawrence residents Kelvin Heck, Richard Konzem and Tim Van Leer were selected to participate in the 2004 class of Leadership Kansas, a nationally recognized program that aims to develop and motivate future leaders for the state. The 35 class members will be exposed to a variety of recognized experts and engaged in educational and informational three-day training sessions in six Kansas communities.

• Dave Tacha, of Calvin Eddy & Kappelman Inc. in Lawrence, recently became a PaceSetter agent of State Auto. State Auto sales personnel will work closely with Tacha in forming a sales alliance and providing professional assistance and feedback.
• Capital City Bank’s Board of Directors elected Matthew C. Sabatini, Topeka, as chairman of the bank during its annual meeting. Sabatini most recently served as vice chairman. Former chairman Frank C. Sabatini, Topeka, was elected chairman emeritus. He will continue to serve as chairman and president of the bank’s holding company, Capital City Bancshares Inc.

Other members re-elected to the Capital City Bank Board include Bob Kobbeman, Bill Michener and F. Marc Sabatini, Topeka; Don Hazlett, Cindy Maude and Daniel Sabatini, Lawrence; and David Newcomer and Michael W. Sabatini, Overland Park.

The Capital City Bank Board announced record earnings for 2003 with assets growing from $311 million to $347 million. The bank will continue to emphasize growth in Topeka, Lawrence and Johnson County.

• Lawrence Memorial Hospital recently named Patty Winslow as the director of surgical services. She joins LMH with 13 years of nursing experience. Winslow is a registered nurse and received a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Washburn University, Topeka. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in nursing at Kansas University. Winslow most recently was manager of surgical services at Woodsmill Anesthesia at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital in St. Peters, Mo.

Winslow supervises about 50 employees. She works closely with anesthesiologists and surgeons. She also manages the operating and capital budgets for her departments.

• Lt. Governor and Secretary of Commerce John Moore has announced the formation of the STAR Bonds Evaluation Group.

The six-person group will assist Moore in determining whether potential development projects are eligible to be financed using Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bonds.

The review team includes Joan Wagnon, secretary of revenue; Tracy Taylor, president and CEO of Kansas Technology Enterprise Corp.; Jerry Lonergan, president of Kansas Inc.; Steve Weatherford, president of Kansas Development Finance Authority; Steve Kelly, deputy director of the Kansas Department of Commerce; and Bob North, general counsel of the Kansas Department of Commerce.

STAR Bonds are retired through state and local sales tax revenues. Eligible governmental units can use STAR Bonds for infrastructure improvements that will enhance the economies in their communities. STAR Bond projects are subject to approval by the Kansas Secretary of Commerce.

• Danny Fox, owner of Lawrence Automotive Diagnostics Inc., was featured in the April issue of “Parts and People.” Fox was interviewed about how his shop faces the challenges of educating customers about diagnostics and other services.
• Aquila employee Linda Sneegas recently was recognized by the company for five years of service. Sneegas joined Aquila in 1999 in Lawrence as a natural gas meter reader. She is responsible for the accurate and timely reading of gas meters.

Honors and awards

Bonita Joy Yoder, a Lawrence attorney and owner of Joy Realty, a real estate brokerage firm, recently won a runner-up award in a national writing contest sponsored by the Colorado Independent Publishers Assn. The introduction and first chapter of Yoder’s book about real estate investing won the award in the CIPA’s self-help and improvement category. Her book, scheduled to be published later this year, incorporates spiritual principles as the basis for investing in real estate.

• John Gladman was named “2004 Kansas Photographer of the Year” at the annual Missouri and Kansas Professional Photographers Assn. convention April 5 in Kansas City, Mo.

Gladman also received a Kodak Gallery award and his first American Society of Photographers award. Gladman owns two studios called The JGladman Gallery, which are in downtown Lawrence and Olathe. He has been a professional photographer for more than 18 years and specializes in children and family portraiture.

Coming events

The Kansas Non Profit Assn. will present “The Grant Writing Process” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday in Wichita. Participants will have the opportunity to learn techniques to research foundations and other sources, review an outline of a grant proposal, review application guidelines from private and public funders, and learn about establishing an agency dialogue with funders and understand the grant review process. To register or for more information, call the association at (785) 266-6886.

• The City of Topeka Human Relations Commission is sponsoring a free Fair Housing Summit titled “Keepers of the Dream” from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the downtown Ramada Inn, 420 SE Sixth St, Topeka.

The summit’s activities will include information about predatory lending, tips on how to request reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities, performances about discrimination delivered by Appletree Productions and group discussions about recognizing subtle discrimination.

Ronald Griffin, of Washburn University’s law school, will deliver the keynote address during the luncheon. Griffin also is head of the Brown Commission that is planning the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education.

To make reservations or for more information, call the Human Relations Commission at (785) 368-3606 or e-mail mailto:cvaldivia@topeka.org.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency conference will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Saline County Livestock & Expo Center in Salina. The free conference will cover funding opportunities under the USDA Rural Development’s “Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Program.”

For more information, call the agency at (785) 271-2702 or click on www.rurdev.usda .gov/ks.