• The Leadership Lawrence Class of 2013 will be formally introduced at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 18 during a reception at Landmark National Bank, 4621 W. Sixth St. There is no charge for the event, which is open to the public.

Leadership Lawrence is a yearlong professional development program sponsored by the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. It is beginning its 31st year and has graduated more than 700 community leaders.

The Leadership Lawrence Class of 2013 includes:

Ryan Brittingham, Legends Dental; Daryl Bugner, Kern Group; Lori Carson, Intrust Bank; David Cronin, City of Lawrence; Kristin Eldridge, Snap Promotions; Brad Farmer, Laser Logic; Andy Flory, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical; Emily Hampton, Douglas County Child Development Association; Andrew Hansen, Peoples Bank; Garrett Harper, New York Life Insurance; Jeffrey Heiman, Stevens Brand; Kristi Henderson, Kansas University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences;

Ryan Hornberger, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire-Medical; Linda Jalenak, Jalenak Accounting Service; Kathleen Johnson, The World Company; Susan Johnson, K-State Research and Extension; Shannon Jones, Simple Solutions & Peak Performance Health Center; Cynthia Lewis, Douglas County VNA; Julie Lintecum, Julie Neal & Co.; Mike Logan, The Granada; Deborah Moody, Douglas County District Attorney’s Office; Debbie Pitts, Theatre Lawrence; Scott Risley, Risley Chiropractic; Adam Ritchie, LED Source;

Eunice Ruttinger, Bert Nash Mental Health Center; Grant Ryan, Emprise Bank; Sarajane Scott Koch, Scott Temperature; Dan Simon, KU Endowment Association; Jay Smith, Central National Bank; Leslie Soden, Pet Minders of Lawrence; Amanda Storm, Trinity In-Home Care; Casey Toomay, City of Lawrence; Dori Villalon, Lawrence Humane Society; Jay Wachs, Great Plains Media; Jeanne Waisner, ICL Performance Products; Colby Wilson, Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence; Scott Woodhead, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

• Ann Merkel, Lawrence, won the 2012 Ann Olson Award presented at the National American Emu Association Convention July 12-15 in Kansas City, Mo. Merkel, known locally as “Emu Annie,” is a long-standing leader in the emu industry. She owns and operates Sundance Emu Ranch, a farm-to-finish emu operation northeast of Lawrence. The eggs from the farm-raised birds are hatched in incubators and personally raised by Merkel in large safe pens and houses, free from antibiotics or hormones.

• Richard W. Hird, a partner at Petefish, Immel, Heeb & Hird, LLP in Lawrence will be a panelist at the IIT Real-Time Communications Conference and Expo sponsored by the Illinois Institute of Technology Monday in Chicago. Hird’s panel will discuss legal and public policy aspects of the implementation of Next Generation 911 in the United States. His presentation will focus on the recently adopted Next Generation 911 Advancement Act of 2011 and the state regulatory policies that impact the move to new technology. Next Generation 911 utilizes IP-based technology to deliver emergency communications and will allow the public to send text, video and pictures to first responders.

• Mize Houser & Company P.A. announces the relocation of its two Lawrence offices to a new, combined office at 211 E. Eighth St. in Lawrence. The firm has maintained two offices in Lawrence since Mize Houser’s merger with Lowenthal, Webb & Odermann on Jan. 1. The new office, at the corner of Eighth and Rhode Island, offers the firm ample space to continue its growth in the Lawrence community. Shareholders in the Lawrence office are Kenneth R. Hite and Audrey M. Odermann.

Mize Houser & Company P.A. was founded in 1956 in Topeka and currently has offices in Topeka, Lawrence and Overland Park. The firm provides a complete range of accounting, audit, tax and information technology services to privately owned businesses in this region and to quick service restaurant owner/operators nationwide.

• Women of all ages, income and education levels are invited to enroll in the Women & Money Series to be offered form 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays from Sept. 11 through Oct. 30 at Lawrence High School. The classes are offered by Housing and Credit Counseling Inc. in partnership with Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. The classes will be offered by long-distance interactive television in Lawrence. Local volunteers will lead live breakout discussion groups following the keynote presentations.

Presentations are designed for all women who want to know how to manage their personal finances, build assets, and strategically plan ahead to make wise investments, develop a will, learn more about Social Security, and make informed decisions about other life choices.

Women enrolling in the series may choose to pay the fee that best fits their budget; either $45 or $25. Fees cover the cost of two books and other handouts. No one will be turned away if they cannot pay an enrollment fee.

The classes are sponsored in part by grants from the Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner, The Women’s Fund, the Office of the Kansas Bank Commissioner and by other local sponsors. To enroll contact HCCI at 1-800-383-0217, ext. 319 or go to hcci-ks.org.