Shawna Allison-Leslie has joined Lawrence-based Landplan Engineering as director of business development, responsible for leading strategic marketing tasks and identifying new project and client opportunities. She also will help with proposals and presentations, and will be based in the company’s Kansas City, Mo., office.

Allison-Leslie has 20 years of design and construction marketing and business development experience. She had been employed by local architectural and construction management firms with national presences.

¢ Allen Press Inc., a Lawrence publishing and printing company, has hired Rob Chestnut as chief financial officer, a new position created at the company.

Effective Jan. 2, Chestnut will be responsible for management of all company financial, accounting and information technology functions.

Chestnut, CFO of Remel Inc. in Lenexa, is a Lawrence native and resident. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and a Master in Business Administration degree from Kansas University.

Chestnut’s hiring was announced by Gerald Lillian, who joined Allen Press in October as chief executive officer after working at Remel as vice president of operations.

¢ Bill Fair, of Bill Fair and Co. in Lecompton, has been elected president for 2006 of the Kansas City Commercial Brokers Assn. The association is an organization of metropolitan area commercial real estate brokers and their associates in related fields.

¢ Tug McTighe and Matt Wegerer have joined Lawrence-based Callahan Creek, a marketing communications firm.

McTighe, associate creative director, and Wegerer, senior art director, previously worked for the Sullivan Higdon & Sink in Kansas City, Mo., where they earned a collection of local, regional and national advertising awards. McTighe also previously worked for Barkley Evergreen & Partners.

¢ Stan McMechan, working supervisor in Lawrence, recently was recognized by Aquila for 25 years of service. McMechan joined the company in 1980 in Lawrence as a pipe fitter. He now is responsible for the field supervision, operation and maintenance of the natural gas distribution system in the Lawrence district.

¢ Broken Arrow School has received a $10,000 donation from Manhasset, N.Y.-based CMP Media, a marketing solutions company serving the technology, health care and lifestyle industries. CMP Media donated the money for the school’s before- and after-school math and literacy tutoring program.

¢ The Farm Inc. announced a modification of its name and logo during a recent open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony at its newly-remodeled office building in Topeka.

While the corporate name continues as The Farm Inc., the agency now is known as TFI Family Services. The change better reflects the variety of services offered to families, the company said, including foster care, family permanency, family preservation, adoption, behavioral health, drug and alcohol abuse, independent living, and a visitation and exchange center.

The agency serves northeast Kansas as the Region Three contractor for family preservation services. It also operates a visitation and exchange center in Lawrence. The agency is the Region One contractor for foster care and reintegration as well as an adoption contractor throughout the state.

TFI has more than 600 licensed foster homes statewide. About 3,300 children receive services annually from the agency.

Honors and awards

Marsha Stevens has been named the Lawrence Women’s Network Woman of the Year. Stevens received a master’s degree in music education from the University of Missouri. She is a sales director for Mary Kay and currently volunteers at the Leo Center.

Coming events

Karen Johnson will be conducting a yoga class from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 1 at Bodyworks Massage Studio. She will offer the class for participants who agree to make donations benefiting the Lawrence Humane Society.

¢ Bigg’s Barbeque, 2429 Iowa, will be giving away a serving of black-eyed peas to every customer who comes to the restaurant on New Year’s Day, putting a Lawrence twist on a Southern food staple. A dish of peas is a New Year’s tradition thought to bring luck and prosperity for coming year, said Doug Holiday, a Bigg’s co-owner.