Chamber adds eight to board

Eight new members — two executive officers and six directors — joined the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce board of directors.

Here’s a brief look at the board’s new members:

Executive officers

David Johnson

David Johnson, vice chairman for government/community affairs, is chief executive officer at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. He has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree in health services administration from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill. Johnson’s activities include city’s Task Force on Homelessness; Douglas County Community Corrections/Junvenile Justice advisory board; Community Health Improvement Project Leadership Group; vice president and public policy chairman of the Association of Community Mental Health Centers in Kansas; The Consortium Inc. board of directors; president of Lawrence Country Club board of directors and Cottonwood Inc. Community Developmental Disability Organization council of community members.

Peggy Johnson

Peggy Johnson, vice chairwoman for small business, is a financial adviser for American Express Financial Advisors Inc. She previously owned Johnson Liquor Store/Cork & Barrel Liquor Store and Jennings Daylight Donuts. She has a degree in business administration from Kansas University. Johnson is a member of Financial Planning Assn., National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and Million Dollar Roundtable. She has been president of Downtown Lawrence Inc. and Cosmopolitan Luncheon Club.

Directors

Kent Beisner

Kent Beisner has been with Jayhawk Beverage Inc. since 1989. He studied pharmacy at the University of Arizona and business at Baker University. His community activities include Kansas Beer Wholesalers Assn. board of directors; Jayhawk Breakfast Rotary Club; past member of Lawrence Public Library Endowment board of directors; member of parish council and past president of Corpus Christi Catholic Church; tax advisory committee at Topeka Chamber of Commerce; member of former board of trustees for Leadership Kansas; National Beer Wholesalers Assn.

Mary Beth Brown

Mary Beth Brown is production center manager for Hallmark’s Lawrence Production Center. She joined Hallmark in 1981 as an industrial engineer. She was director of fixture operations, chief technology director and director of Global Supply Chain before assuming her current role in October 2003. Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Iowa State and a master’s degree in business administration from Kansas University. She is on the board of the Lawrence Arts Center.

Bonnie Lowe

Bonnie Lowe is president of First Bank in Lawrence. She has a bachelor’s degree in banking/finance from Fort Hays State. She has been involved in Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, Lawrence Rotary Club, Kansas Health Insurance Assn., Summit III, Douglas County Community Corrections, Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Fort Hays State Alumni Assn. and Lawrence Homebuilder’s Assn. Lowe is a former Lawrence mayor.

Peggy Loyd

Perry Loyd is vice president for corporate compliance and internal auditing at Westar Energy. She has a degree in accounting from Wichita State. She has served on the boards of Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence and Topeka YMCA.

James Marchiony

James Marchiony is associate director of athletics/external relations at Kansas University. He previously was associate director of athletics at University of Connecticut, worked at the National Collegiate Athletic Assn., most recently as media coordinator for the NCAA Div. I men’s basketball championshiup. Before going to the NCAA, Marchiony worked at Georgetown University as director of sports information and regional director of development. He also served as assistant director of college and community relations at Iona College. He has a journalism degree from St. Bonaventure University.

Kyle Taylor

Kyle Taylor and his wife, Jamy, opened Golf USA, 33rd and Iowa streets, an indepedently owned and operated full-line golf store in 1995. Kyle is president of the Lawrence Amateur Golf Assn. and a member of the chamber’s Small Business Council.