Faces and places

Jacqueline Redwine has joined Sunflower Bank’s Lawrence office as customer service manager. She previously has worked as a branch manager for Douglas County Bank and Commerce Bank, both in Lawrence.

The Kansas Health Institute, Topeka, announces its recent hires. Laura Loyacono, a Kansas University graduate, is vice president for public affairs. She previously served as manager of public affairs with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Gianfranco Pezzino is director of public health studies. He was the state epidemiologist for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Amanda Reichard, a KU graduate, is senior policy analyst. Previously, she worked as a health policy analyst for the state Medicaid agency. Marc Velasco is research assistant and information technology assistant. He was a research assistant for the Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center.

Farmers in Douglas, Franklin, Johnson, Osage and Shawnee counties who suffered losses because of natural disasters since Jan. 1, 2003, may apply for Farm Service Agency emergency loans. To be eligible, an applicant must be operating a family-size farm or ranch, must be unable to get credit elsewhere, and must have suffered a qualifying physical and/or production loss from the disaster. The deadline is Sept. 23. To apply, contact Eric Guenther, FSA farm loan manager, at (785) 242-3527 or visit him at his Ottawa office, 107 E. 23rd St.

Stephen Garlow was named executive vice president of Blue Sky Satellite Services, 2116 Del. He will be responsible for finance, human resources and legal matters. Blue Sky Satellite performs satellite dish installations in Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska for Dish Network. Garlow is an attorney and previously practiced business law with the Riling, Burkhead & Nitcher law firm.

The Lawrence Women’s Network elected officers during its Feb. 27 meeting. New officers are: Rusty Thomas, president, Insurance & Financial; Janis Bunker, vice president, The Trust Company of Kansas; Debbie Liddel, treasurer, Pinnacle Career Institute; Betty Markley, secretary, Central National Bank; Dorothy Devlin, past president, retired; Julie Prideaux, membership chairwoman, Midland Hospice Care; and Connie Warkins, social chairwoman, Scott Rice Office Works.

Jane Tuttle, Lawrence La Leche League leader, was elected to the La Leche League International board of directors on Feb. 22 in Schaumburg, Ill. Before joining the 17-member board, Tuttle served on the Kansas La Leche League board of directors for 12 years and has been a local resource for nursing mothers for 18 years.

Coca-Cola Enterprises board of directors elected William T. Plybon as vice president and deputy general counsel. Plybon, 43, comes to the company from the law firm of Alston & Bird LLP, where he was a member of the firm’s Litigation and Trial Practice section. He has extensive experience as a trial attorney and in areas of corporate governance. Prior to joining Alston & Bird, Plybon served as litigation counsel at The Coca-Cola Co. He received an accounting degree from Kansas University and a law degree from Emory University.

Cindy Johnson, owner of TherapyWorks, recently addressed a group of physical therapists at a national conference about how worker’s compensation costs can be lowered by using physical therapy.

Johnson discussed proper lifting techniques and how preventive steps can help save employers 20 percent of worker’s compensation costs.

Honors and awards

McDonald’s recently received a Lawrence Education Achievement Partners Shining Star Award. The company supports students and educators at Southwest Junior High School and South Junior High School through classroom presentations, student scholarships, McTeacher Nights, incentive coupons and financial donations.

For the second-consecutive year, Xerox Corp. has recognized Midwest Data Systems Inc. for outstanding achievements during the past year. The Lawrence business is one of a select few sales agencies across North America to be named a Xerox Premier Authorized Sales Agent. Recognition as a premier agent is based on customer service, sales performance and significant investments.

Coming events

The Center for Business and Technology at Johnson County Community College is offering its annual Administrative Professionals Day from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 6 at the Ritz Charles Conference Center in Overland Park.

Mary Feeley, who has an extensive background in business and comedy, will deliver the keynote address, “Revival Of The Fittest: Skills For Coping With Change.” Tom Burgoon, a magician and comedian, also will give a presentation. The cost, which includes breakfast and lunch, is $159 for a single registration and $153 for two or more registrations. To register, call (913) 469-2323. The deadline is March 30.

The American Society of Agricultural Appraisers and American Society of Equine Appraisers is offering a personal property appraisal seminar from Wednesday through March 21 in Wichita. The seminar is designed specifically for those who currently are, or desire to become, a livestock, farm equipment or horse appraiser. For more information, call (800) 488-7570 or click on www.amagappraisers.com.

Topeka-based Capitol Federal Savings will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the opening of its Lawrence office, 1025 Iowa, on Wednesday.

The business will have a special open house all day with staff members serving refreshments.

The Kansas Small Business Development Center and its eight regional centers and two outreach centers will celebrate the organization’s 20th anniversary by honoring 16 small businesses. The ceremony will be from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the state Capitol. Simply Wireless, Ottawa, will receive an Existing Business of the Year award. Inter-State Wireless, Basehor, will be honored as an Emerging Business of the Year. For more information, call the Lawrence regional center at 843-8844.

The Twilight Chapter of the American Business Women’s Assn. will celebrate its 45th anniversary at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Madame Hatter’s Tea Room, 702 Main, Eudora. To make reservations, call Wanda Easterwood at 841-1552.

The Kansas Department of Commerce will present “Cultivating Agritourism,” for tourism professionals, farmers and ranchers who are actively involved in agritourism.

The workshop will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 23 at Fort Hays State University and from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 25 at Emporia State University.

The workshop is a component of the department’s Agritourism Initiative, designed to increase tourism revenues in Kansas.

The workshop will be presented by Jane Eckert, one of the country’s leading experts on agritourism and a farm marketing consultant. Eckert helped build her family’s farm operation into one of the top tourism destinations in the St. Louis area, attracting 500,000 people per year.

The workshop costs $20 per person, including lunch and materials. To register for the workshop or for more information, contact Alisa VinZant at (785) 368-7260.