Transitions
Drew Seidel, energy production superintendent at AEP Southwestern Electric Power Co.'s Welsh Power Plant near Pittsburg, has been named plant manager at the company's Pirkey Power Plant near Hallsville.
Seidel succeeds Arne Melson, who plans to retire this July. Stan Minter has accepted the energy production superintendent position at Welsh.
A 17-year employee, Seidel joined the generation organization in 1992 and has extensive engineering, operations, maintenance and management experience at both natural gas and coal-fired SWEPCO plants across Texas, including the Knox Lee Power Plant near Longview.
Melson began his SWEPCO career as an engineer at Knox Lee in 1972 and worked on the Welsh units 2 and 3 construction sites. He moved to Pirkey in 1981 during construction there and later was named plant manager in 1987.
Minter joined the company in 1991 and has held various engineering, training and process improvement positions at several AEP power plants in Texas and in the regional engineering and technical skills group.
Bob Oldham has joined the staff of ESA Consulting as a pipeline safety manager.
Oldham worked in the Texas Railroad Commission Pipeline Safety Division for more than 22 years, with stints as regional supervisor in the Abilene and Kilgore regions. For the past six years, Oldham has worked in the private sector providing pipeline safety management and consulting services to pipeline operators throughout Northeast Texas.
Samuel W. "Dub" Oliver will become the 12th president of East Texas Baptist University on June 1. Oliver comes from Baylor University where he was the vice president for student life.
The Navigator Group of Longview, a MetLife office, has announced that Kylie Welch has joined the firm as financial services representative. She has worked in the financial services industry for eight years.
Recognition
The Texas Bankers Foundation recently presented a Leaders in Financial Education Individual Recognition Award to Jon B. Ruff, president and CEO of First State Bank in Hallsville, for his many years of providing financial education to local high school students.
The foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Texas Bankers Association,
The LiFE Award and the LiFE Individual Recognition Award honor Texas banks and bankers who are dedicated leaders in promoting financial education in their communities. The LiFE Award was accepted by Ruff at the Texas Bankers Association's 125th Annual Convention and Exposition in San Antonio.
Ruff, who has been the president of First State Bank in Hallsville for the last 41 years, has made a dedicated effort to provide local high school students with solid consumer financial information, the group said.
Skip Morton, broker/owner of Century 21 Skip Morton & Associates, recently announced sales associates awards.
Steve Ferguson, sales associate, earned the Century 21 System's Centurion Producer Award following his 2008 sales success. The award honors Century 21 System sales associates who earn $209,000 in sales production or 60 closed transaction sides within a calendar year.
Jeff Ramsey, sales associate, earned the emerald-level Century 21 Masters Award.?In addition, he was honored with Top Rookie of the Year and the Top 21 Agent and units award. Also honored were JoAnn Freeman and Glenda Hughes with the ruby-level Century 21 Masters Award.
East Texas Baptist University honored employees for service earlier this month. Among those recognized were:
Twenty Years: Martha Moore, coordinator for accounts payable; and Eric Wilburn, director of physical facilities;
Twenty-Five Years: Mary Beth Bender, administrative assistant-spiritual development, and Bill Mills, professor of computer science; Thirty Years: Kathy Bland, coordinator for payroll/employee benefits.
The East Texas Association of Health Underwriters was recently honored at the Texas Association of Health Underwriters state convention held in Dallas.
The local chapter received a total of four awards. Mark Hobgood, president, was presented the 2008 Chapter of the Year Award on behalf of the association. State Education Award was presented to Jennifer DaVault. She served as both education chair and symposium co-chair. Beverly Davis, president elect and Kimberly Braly received presidential citations for newsletter and Web site technology.
The East Texas chapter is comprised of more than 80 insurance agents and carrier representatives who are also members of the Texas and national associations.
Good Shepherd Medical Center has announced the appointment of paramedic and certification coordinator Michael A . Williams to the Advanced Cardiac Life Support National Faculty position. National faculty are nominated and recommended by the regional Emergency Cardiovascular Committee and staff.
In the position Williams will sit on the regional emergency cardiovascular committee and serve as a conduit between the local ECC committees and the national ECC program, volunteers and staff.
Charles Rader, president of LeRoy Rader Funeral Home of Longview and the Charles Rader Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Henderson, was recently honored by the Order of the Golden Rule which bestowed its 2008 Golden Light Award to him.
Rader was selected by a committee chaired by Kevin Opsahl and including Leonard Attrell, Gordon Flinn, Tom Hemmerle and Barbara Poole. Rader's grandfather, LeRoy Rader, started the business in 1938. Charles Rader said he learned the business early in life from observing his father, Charley Rader.
Rader is active in the Longview-Greggton Rotary Club, having served as president. He is a Paul Harris Fellow and has volunteered actively for the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Windridge Therapeutic Equestrian Center, March of Dimes and the Greater Longview United Way. He is also a member of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
The Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Iota Nu Chapter, held its fourth annual awards banquet on May 14 and bestowed its award for "Excellence in Nursing Practice" to Kristi Mize Saxon for her work as a certified nurse-midwife at Good Shepherd Medical Center.
The criteria for this award includes a demonstration of a breadth of knowledge in area of clinical nursing practice, the developing of creative approaches to nursing practice that contribute to quality client care and the possession of clinical expertise and attributes of a clinical scholar.
At the East Texas Baptist University board of trustees meeting on May 8, retiring President Dr. Bob E. Riley was named president emeritus of the university effective June 1. Board of trustees Chairman Hal Cornish said the recognition was bestowed "in grateful appreciation for his years of service to ETBU, the title of president emeritus is an expression of our respect and admiration for Dr. Riley."
Spring Arbor University of Spring Arbor, Michigan, has announced that Christian higher education leader Brent Ellis has been named special assistant to the president on June 1. Formerly with LeTourneau University in Longview, Ellis will also serve in the philosophy/religion department part-time and in the advancement office as a major gift officer.
Donna Smart, sales associate with Century 21 Skip Morton & Associates, was named the office's top-producing sales associate in the month of May. Smart had nearly $500,000 in sales, according to broker Skip Morton.
Kilgore Economic Development Corp. recently accepted the 2009 Community Project/Program Impact Award from Business Retention and Expansion International at its annual conference in Des Moines, Iowa.
The 2009 honor is the first time the organization has rewarded a community program for its impact and was awarded to the Kilgore entity based on the success of the Freeport Tax Exemption in Kilgore.
Under Kilgore Economic Development Corp. direction, the City of Kilgore, Kilgore Independent School District and Kilgore College executed payment in lieu of taxes agreements with nine companies in Kilgore that stipulated cash payments from the companies to the taxing entities in lieu of Freeport Taxes.
Calendar
Dozens of employers are seeking to fill positions in East Texas, and job seekers will have the opportunity to apply for them at a job fair being hosted by U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler.
Hiring employers still have time to register their business or entity for the free job fairs, and job seekers with a range of backgrounds and experiences are encouraged to attend, Gohmert said.
Employer participation and job seeker admission are free. Employers can register online at www.gohmert.house.gov. Those people seeking jobs do not need to register. For more information call Gohmert's office toll free at (866) 535-6302.
The Longview job fair is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on June 29 at LeTourneau University's Solheim Arena, 2100 S. Mobberly Ave. Among employers committed are the City of Longview, Convergys, Good Shepherd Medical Center, Kelly Services, KYTX-CBS 19, Longview Independent School District, Longview Police Department., Express Employment Professionals, The Made-Rite Co., Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., SuddenLink Communications, TCIM Services, Inc., University of Phoenix, U.S. Census Bureau and other businesses.
The Kilgore College Small Business Development Center will host a seminar providing updates on worker's compensation topics from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 25 at the East Texas Conference Center at the LaQuinta Inn, 5301 East End Blvd., Marshall.
Cost is $99. For more information contact the center at (903) 757-5857 or log onto www.kilgore.edu/sbdc.asp .
The seminar will provide a comprehensive overview of the Texas Workers' Compensation program and a discussion of the state's return to work program among other related topics.
Leadership Longview is now accepting applications for the 2009-2010 year. The eight-month program begins in September and concludes in April. The class sessions are one day a month and covers varios aspects of community study and involvement. Applications are available online at www.longviewchamber.com or by contacting Mary Whitton at (903) 237-4003 .
Editor's note: Deadline for submissions for Enterprise's July Databank is 5 p.m. June 30. Submissions may be faxed to (903) 757-3742; e-mailed to melswick@longview-news.com or mailed to: Mike Elswick, business editor, Longview News-Journal, P.O. Box 1792, Longview, TX 75606. For questions, call (903) 237-7737.
