Around and About in Local Business

• Saint John Hospital, Leavenworth, recently named Ashley Muchnick as the director of its Senior Behavioral Health Center. In her new position, Muchnick oversees the 18-bed program’s clinical staff, including nurses, psychiatrists, social workers, activity and rehabilitation therapists; as well as all aspects of the facility’s daily operations. Muchnick resides in Tonganoxie.

• Natalie Baumchen recently joined Body Boutique as a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. Baumchen has been certified as a personal trainer and group exercise instructor since 2003.

• Lyn Jaimez has been named manager of Douglas County Bank’s branch at 23rd and Louisiana. Jaimez has been with Douglas County Bank for 11 years and most recently was a universal customer service representative II and teller training specialist, working at all of the DCB locations.

• KU Credit Union announces Gabriel Gutierrez has accepted the position of branch manager of the KU Credit Union South office, 2221 W. 31st St., Lawrence. Gutierrez has been with KU Credit Union for five years and has served as senior member consultant handling duties ranging from opening accounts to consumer loans.

• Bicycleresearch.com, in conjunction with Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, has released the list of the top 100 bike shops in the U.S., which included Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop of downtown Lawrence. Plans are being made to celebrate the honor with a bike ride.

• Robert Baker, director of education for Housing and Credit Counseling Inc., received the National Foundation for Credit Counseling PACE Award for the Outstanding Individual Educator for 2010 at the NFCC’s annual conference in Minneapolis. The PACE Award recognizes Professional Achievement and Counseling Excellence. Baker co-directed a team of volunteers in Lawrence to develop the Family Financial Security Program.

• Allen Reed of Lawrence was elected to serve as president on the Kansas Manufactured Housing Association Board of Directors for the 2010-2011 membership year during the KMHA’s annual meeting. Reed has been a board member for the past five years and has been involved in the factory-built housing industry for the past 24 years.

• Three members of Lawrence Plastic Surgery — plastic surgeon Dr. Scott Thellman, registered nurse Cheri Thompson, and aesthetician Patty Rymer — attended an Advanced Gemini Laser Seminar Sept. 17-19 in Newport Beach, Calif. The conference featured lectures and hands-on demonstrations regarding age spots, hair reduction and skin rejuvenation.

• Elaine McCullough will retire from the field of Early Childhood Care and Intervention after 37 years. McCullough has spent the last eight years of her career at tiny-k Early Intervention in Lawrence/Douglas County where she served as a family resource specialist. Her last day at tiny-k was Friday .

• Trena Rausch, Lawrence Memorial Hospital speech pathologist, attended the Lindamood-Bell Seeing Stars workshop in Kansas City, Mo. The workshop introduced techniques for creating mental representations for sounds and letters within words as well as word recognition and spelling awareness.

• Riling Burkhead & Nitcher Law Firm of Lawrence won the Star Performance Award from Pre-Paid Legal Services Inc. on Oct. 22 at its 2010 Black and Gold Banquet in Tulsa, Okla. The Black and Gold Banquet honors the 38 independent provider law firms that provide legal services to PPD customers throughout the U.S. and four provinces of Canada.

• Jacque Lumsden has been appointed sales manager for The Olivia Collection, the management company for The Oread, The Eldridge and The Eldridge Extended. Lumsden joins the company with a background in strategic communications and event planning.