Denise Van Sickel, a professional pet sitter and owner of Lawrence Pet Friends, recently attended the 11th annual Quest for Excellence conference in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The conference, sponsored by Pet Sitters International, was attended by about 300 professional pet sitters. Quest for Excellence is an international conference, offering educational and networking opportunities for pet sitters.

In addition, Van Sickel is now certified in Pet First Aid.

For more information, click on www.lawrencepetfriends.com.

¢ Emily Donaldson has joined Stevens & Brand LLP, Lawrence, as an associate attorney, after practicing at Kansas Legal Services in Salina. She is concentrating her practice in the areas of elder law and estate planning. Donaldson is a member of the Leadership Lawrence Class for 2006. Her e-mail address is edonaldson@stevensbrand.com.

¢ Dr. Tim McNamara, assistant professor and medical director of the Center for Healthcare Informatics at Kansas University, has joined HealthGate Data Corp. as its chief medical officer. HealthGate develops and markets evidence-based, online tools, applications and clinical guidelines for the health care community.

McNamara has more than 12 years of experience in medicine and IT product development. Before his affiliation with HealthGate, McNamara worked as vice president of content development at Cerner Corp.

McNamara holds two patents on computerized drug dosage and electronic prescription development and has developed large-scale classification system and relational database of pharmaceutical products.

Before Cerner, Dr. McNamara founded Bluestreak Data LLC, a Web-based distributor of healthcare data services, content and personalized analytic services. He also co-founded MetaContent, a professional services organization focused on healthcare information technology and publishing.

¢ Thomas Howe, a real estate consultant with Reece & Nichols Acres Realty in Lawrence, was included in a recent story, “Satisfied clients choose Kansas City’s best real estate agents,” in Kansas City Magazine.

Howe was cited as a “2005 five-star real estate agent – best in client satisfaction.”

Howe has worked for Reece & Nichols Acres Real Estate since 2001.

¢ Mark Pennel, natural gas service technician for Aquila Inc. in Lawrence, recently was recognized by the company for 15 years of service.

Pennel joined Aquila in 1990 in Lawrence as a service technician. In his current assignment, he is responsible for appliance repair and maintenance of the natural gas distribution system in the Lawrence area.

Aquila serves 69,000 electric and 100,000 natural gas customers in Kansas. It serves approximately 33,000 gas customers in Lawrence.

¢ Stephen Mona, chief executive officer of Golf Course Superintendents Association of America in Lawrence, is continuing a three-year term on the board of directors of the American Society of Association Executives, where he is helping to shape the agenda and direction of the 85-year-old society.

Washington, D.C.-based ASAE’s membership includes more than 22,000 association executives and industry partners. Its members manage trade associations, individual membership societies and voluntary organizations across the United States and in 50 countries.

Mona was sworn in during the ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership annual meeting and exposition Aug. 13-16 in Nashville, Tenn.

¢ Erin Rosebaugh, of Kizer-Cummings Jewelers, attended and completed the Gemological Institute of America’s Diamond Grading course Sept. 5-9 in Kansas City, Kan. Instructors from GIA presented the latest in cut, color and clarity grading innovations.

¢ Giles Thompson, a financial consultant in Lawrence, for will observe the first anniversary of his business, Thompson Financial Group LC, on Oct. 15.

Thompson specializes in financial and retirement planning for people in medical and academic fields. He also works with so-called “corporate refugees,” who have left jobs to start their own businesses.

Thompson helps works with clients on socially responsible investing.

Thompson Financial’s office is at 901 Ky., Suite 204.

Coming events

Lawrence Area Partners in Aging will meet at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 6 at Jade Mongolian Barbeque, 1511 W. 23rd St. Lunch will be at noon. Patty Johnston, of the Lawrence Public Library, will talk about programs available to seniors in the community.

¢ Holders of water rights who would like some leeway in how they use their water appropriations from year to year have until Oct. 10 to apply for a term permit that would allow for more flexible water use over a five-year period that begins Jan. 1.

The multiyear flex account option is available only to vested and certified groundwater water right holders, and it is based on historical use rather than authorized quantities. Applications received after Oct. 10 will be accepted, but flex accounts for those individuals will not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2007.

More information about flex accounts, including possible scenarios for their use, can be found at www.ksda.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=321.

¢ Community leaders from throughout Kansas will share successes, compare challenges, and plan for the future at the Kansas Main Street and Kansas PRIDE annual conference Oct. 19-21 in Emporia.

The conference will emphasize the activities of two programs run by the Kansas Department of Commerce: the Kansas Main Street program, which helps Kansas communities revitalize their central business districts, and the Kansas PRIDE program, which helps rural communities coordinate and develop community betterment projects that address economic, social and environmental needs.

The conference will feature presentations and workshops as well as awards ceremonies highlighting the achievements of Kansas community leaders and volunteers who have used the two programs to revitalize or improve their communities.

For more information on the conference or the PRIDE program, contact Ruth Smerchek, of the Department of Commerce, by telephone at (785) 296-3034 or by e-mail at rsmerchek@kansascommerce.com, or Dan Kahl, of K-State Research and Extension, at (785) 532-5840 or dkahl@oznet.ksu.edu.