Patti Butcher, library development coordinator for the Northeast Kansas Library System in Lawrence, attended the Mountain Plains Library Assn. Leadership Institute, Nov. 30 to Dec. 5 at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. Thirty candidates from 12 states attended the six-day institute, learning from five library professionals who served as mentors. Butcher was one of the mentors. Holly Mercer, of Kansas University Libraries, was chosen to attend.

Butcher received the 2004 Distinguished Service Award from MPLA during a conference Oct. 20-24.

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John Salvino, president of Midwest Property Management in Lawrence, has earned the certified property manager (CPM) designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management, an affiliate of the National Association of Realtors. The designation is given to real estate managers who have met requirements in the areas of professional education, examination and experience.

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Frank Hays, Lawrence, recently became a member of the Northeast Kansas chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals. He was honored during the chapter’s 40th annual conferment ceremony in Topeka. The society emphasizes relationships, education and ethical guidance. He was recognized as a new designee along with Kristopher Miller and Kimberly Wilhoite.

Hays is a field training instructor for American Family Insurance in Topeka. This year he earned a registered health underwriter (RHU) designation.

Miller, Topeka, has been an associate with T-M Financial for seven years. He was named director of operations in 2004.

Wilhoite, Manhattan, is a life insurance underwriter II for Farm Bureau Financial Services in Manhattan. She recently passed her final exam for a chartered financial consultant (CFC) designation. She serves on the board of the Kansas City Risk Selectors Club.

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Steve Hedges, manager of Integrated Plant Scheduling at Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corp. in Burlington, moves into the role of vice president of operations and plant manager, effective Friday. Hedges has been with the company since 1991.

He is filling the post vacated by Donna Jacobs, who left Wolf Creek for a job with Pacific Gas and Electric at Diablo Canyon in California.

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Sven Erik Alstrom, of Ecological Architecture in Lawrence, was featured in the holiday issue of Mountain Homestyle magazine for his work on a residence in Colorado.

Alstrom also was selected recently to work as associate architect for a luxury, five-unit ski resort townhome in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

Jonathan Tramba, a 2003 Kansas University graduate, recently joined the firm as an apprentice architect. He works on resort projects and a modernist custom home to be built in Leavenworth County, using a comprehensive 3-D software.

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James M. Jesse, Lawrence, has returned to his law practice after taking time off to raise his two sons. He has a general practice specializing in the areas of family law, criminal law, real estate, property tax appeals, landlord/tenant, wills and estate planning, and mediation.

Honors and awards

Diane McDermed was named employee of the month for December by Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging Inc. McDermed is the agency’s volunteer coordinator and editor of Amazing Aging, the agency’s newsletter. She has been an agency employee since April 2003.

Coming events

The Lawrence Technology Assn. will meet at 11:45 a.m. Jan. 13 at Vermont Street BBQ, 728 Mass. A representative from FilterLogix will be the guest speaker.

FilterLogix, a provider of advanced filtering technology, helps customers address issues involving Internet access control, spam, PopUp mitigation and advanced virus protection.

The cost is $8 for members and $12 for nonmembers. To make reservations, contact Peggy Williams by e-mail at pwilliams@ittc.ukans.edu., by voice mail at 864-7354 or fax at 864-0387.

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The Lawrence Apple User’s Group 2.0 will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the community room at Signs of Life, 722 Mass.

The topic will be “8 Tracks to iPod: Digitizing Your Analog Past.” Members of the group also will discuss ways to transfer VHS memories into a DVD library.

For more information, contact Dave Greenbaum at dsg@mac.com.

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Lawrence Professionals in Aging will meet at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Jade Mongolian Barbeque, 1511 W. 23rd St. Jocelyn Lyons will talk about the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging. The cost of the meal is $11.50. Guests are welcome.

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Summit meetings are scheduled in January to discuss the production of hard white wheat.

The summits will be Jan. 18 in Colby and the Jan. 20 in Guymon, Okla.

The meetings are for wheat producers, grain merchandisers and handlers, university and extension personnel, and government agencies including Farm Service Agency directors and staffs.

To register for one of the summits, call the Kansas Wheat Commission at (785) 539-0255.

The meetings are sponsored by the Kansas Wheat Commission, the Nebraska Wheat Board, the Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee, the Oklahoma Wheat Commission and the Texas Wheat Producers Board. There is no cost to attend the summits and lunch will be provided.

For more information, click online at www.wheatonline.com.

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Kansas Non Profit Assn. will present “Corporate Funding: Opportunities for Nonprofits,” from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. The workshop will assist nonprofit managers and development directors to identify and seek corporate funding. The workshop is designed for executive directors, board members, professional staffers, grant writers, development staffers and others interested in the nonprofit sector.

To register or for more information, call the association at (800) 582-1428.

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The 2005 state annual convention for the Kansas Farmers Union will be Friday through Jan. 9 at the Best Western Holiday Manor Convention Center in McPherson. Convention delegates will consider and adopt policy and adopt a bylaws statement. They also will elect officers and board members. Delegates also will be elected to represent the state at the national convention Feb. 25-28 in Lexington, Ky.

For more information about the convention, call KFU at (620) 241-6630.