Susan Lown has joined Christal K9, 3109 W. Sixth St., Suite C. Lown, who formerly worked at Accent Pet Grooming, has more than 11 years of experience as a professional pet groomer and is a member of the National Dog Groomers Association of America. For more information, call 842-8349.r

Laura Bennetts, physical therapist, and Kimberly Hoffman, occupational therapist, attended the two-day Governor’s Conference on Aging in May in Topeka. Bennetts and Hoffman are co-owners of Lawrence Therapy Services and Baldwin Therapy Services. The conference was sponsored by the Department on Aging.

¢ FryeAllen Inc., a regional advertising and marketing firm, announces staff changes within the firm because of increased business needs.

Lawrence resident Jinwon Park, who has worked at FryeAllen since April 2004, joined the creative staff as a graphic designer. A graduate of Kansas University, he previously worked as an artist for a large specialty apparel company in the Kansas City area. Jinwon specializes in logos, type treatment and publication work.

Chris Foree, Lawrence, who joined FryeAllen in March 2003 as an account executive, has been named creative director and will coordinate creative implementation of marketing needs. Foree previously was a creative director with Summit Marketing in Lenexa, and an advertising agency in Lawrence.

Julie Kroenlein was hired in May to provide service, management and market planning for FryeAllen clients. Previously an account supervisor with Stone Ward Advertising in Little Rock, Ark., Kroenlein supervised marketing, planning and service for several national accounts.

Diana Stahly, hired in November as business manager, oversees the financial and business operations for FryeAllen and their clients. She previously was a staff accountant with an area public accounting firm for four years.

¢ Ken Ollila, Rozi Stone and Dana Duellman, of Lawrence Realty Associates, have completed their Council of Residential Specialists classes. Four percent of all licensed Realtors are certified residential specialists. CRS designees are required to have significant experience and volume of real estate transactions, or gross sales, as well as complete educational requirements. The training of CRS designees includes a focus on technology and its applications in the real estate business.

¢ Diane Bell has joined the staff of Lawrence Therapy Services as a physical therapist. Bell has been a physical therapist for more than 29 years and has advanced training in treating back and neck injuries, lymphedema, orthopedic injuries, joint mobilization, trigger point therapy and craniosacral therapy. Bell is part of the Lawrence Therapy Services Worker’s Compensation Rehabilitation team and specializes in functional capacity evaluations and on-site ergonoic job analysis.

¢ Lawrence architect Sven Alstrom, a member of the Lawrence Historic Resources Commission, will attend the 29th annual conference and theater tour July 20-23 in Kansas City, Mo., conducted by the League of Historic American Theatres. He is owner of Ecological Architecture, Lawrence.

¢ Don Cunningham has opened Designers Salon and Day Spa at 27th and Iowa streets. The business offers hair services, skin care, manicures, pedicures and massage, plus lines of Redken, Matrix and Graham Webb products. For more information, contact 842-9650.

Coming events

The Community Bankers Association of Kansas is having its 27th annual convention Thursday through Saturday at the Overland Park Doubletree Hotel.

New officers will be installed and past chairmen will be honored during the Chairman’s Banquet. The convention also will include educational programs for bankers, family entertainment, a trade show, several speakers and opportunities to network with other financial representatives.

¢ Minimizing pension plan costs, managing bottom line impact and maximizing employee appreciation will be topics during an upcoming educational symposium for Kansas City-area employers.

The symposium, “Pension Plan Topics and Trends Affecting Your Business in 2005 and Beyond,” will be from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Overland Park Marriott.

There is no charge to attend the symposium, which is geared toward chief financial officers, human resource executives, key decision makers and others who deal with defined benefit plans.

It is sponsored by the Principal Financial Group. Experts from The Principal will share research that business leaders can use to better understand the critical implications of pending Social Security and pension reform along with other benefit plan issues.

Registration is required by calling Mary Lou McDowell at (515) 247-5289.

¢ “The Certification Maze,” a seminar that aims to help women understand city, state and federal certification, will be from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Kansas Women’s Business Center in Lenexa.

The seminar is geared for women business owners in Missouri or Kansas who are interested in learning about certifying their business.

The cost is $79. To register or for more information, click on www.kansaswbc.com or e-mail kpruneau@kansaswbc.com.