Buchanan chosen TPI Employee of the Month



TPI Staffing Service Inc. announced Ashley Buchanan was chosen by the employment coordinators as Employee of the Month for October 2006. Buchanan was recognized for consistently doing a wonderful job.

TPI Staffing Service offers a broad range of employment services designed to match clients’ needs with workers skills and goals. TPI is located at 2200 W. Willow in Enid and 1722 N. 4th in Ponca City. In Enid call 234-1267 for all staffing needs.





Reed inducted into OSU business hall of fame



Joel Reed recently was inducted into the Oklahoma State University Spears School of Business Hall of Fame at the Conoco-Phillips OSU Alumni Center in Stillwater.

Reed was born in Enid and graduated from Okarche High School in 1968. His parents are Arrel and Velma Reed of Kingfisher.

Reed is a principal of RA Capital Advisors and Titan Investment Partners. He previously was a founding member of Relational Group, an investment management and financial advisory firm, which was a predecessor of RA Capital Group. With many years of operating experience and an extensive background advising public and private company boards of directors on a wide range of corporate issues, Reed offers counsel to RA Capital Group’s clients and partners.

Prior to joining Relational Group in 1994, Reed served as president and chief executive officer of Wagner & Brown Ltd., a privately owned group of energy, real estate, manufacturing, agribusiness and investment services businesses based in Midland, Texas. Among his chief accomplishments during his 10-year tenure at Wagner & Brown were the formation of an in-house investment-banking group and numerous investments and acquisitions.

From 1981 to 1984, Reed was a member of the founding group of Ensource Inc., a New York Stock Exchange-listed company, where he served as controller and chief financial officer. Prior to 1981, he was a manager with Deloitte, Haskins & Sells.

Reed has served as a member of the boards of directors for a number of public and private corporations and currently is a director of Venoco Inc. He is married to Ann, and they have three children.





Hospice named Shearer co-medical director



Christopher Shearer, DO, has begun serving as co-medical director for Hospice Circle of Love. Shearer will share duties with Brian Whitson, MD, of pulmonary medicine.

As medical director, Dr. Shearer will sit in on interdisciplinary team meetings with staff, take patients who transfer from out of the area such as from a VA hospital, will be available after hours and on holidays to take care of prescriptions needs or problems when a primary physician is not available and will serve as an advocate for hospice with his peers.

Dr. Shearer is board certified in internal medicine. He graduated from the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1992 and has been in practice in Enid for the past 11 years. He says he is looking forward to the additional role of medical director.

“I have been working with Hospice Circle of Love since I have been here and I think the staff does a great job caring for the terminally ill. I am ready to help them assist patients who are going through this important process,” he said.

Hospice Circle of Love is a not-for-profit organization providing physical, emotional and spiritual support to patients at the end of life. The Enid office is located at 314 S. 3rd. Staff can be reached at 234-2273.





CNB employees complete commercial lending school



Braydon Dodson AVP, agriculture lending officer; Casey Felix AVP, small business manager; and Stacey Jones, special projects coordinator at Central National Bank, Enid, recently completed the 2006 Commercial Lending School. This school was held Oct. 23-27, in Topeka, Kan.

The Commercial Lending School is sponsored by the Kansas and Nebraska Bankers Associations and in partnership with the Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming Bankers Associations.

The school provides bankers intense instruction in the entire commercial lending process. Completion of this course assists students in developing skills, which allow them to better serve their customers’ multiple financial needs.

The Schools of Banking, located in Lincoln, Neb., is a jointly owned subsidiary of the Kansas and Nebraska Bankers Associations. For information on the Schools of Banking, visit www.schoolsofbanking.com or call (402) 474-1555.





McKinney attends Zales managers meeting



Dixie McKinney recently attended the annual Zales managers meeting held in Irving, Texas. While at the meeting she was awarded the Runner-up Manager of the Year Award.

She has been employed by Zales since 1973.

During that time she has received awards that include the 500 Award for Excellent Inventory Control and the Diamond Z Award for Excellence in selling.

She has completed the diamond and colored gem stone course given by the Diamond Council of America.

She is married to Phil McKinney and has two grown sons, David Cooper and Doug Cooper. She also has one grandson, Jay Cooper.





Holsten achieves counselor designation



Keith Holsten of the financial-services firm Edward Jones has achieved the professional designation of chartered retirement plan counselor.

Holsten successfully completed the Chartered Retirement Plan Counselor Professional Education Program from the Denver-based College for Financial Planning. Those who complete the program, pass a final exam and sign a code of ethics and disclosure form earn the CRPC designation.

This advanced training program focuses on the pre-and post-retirement needs of individuals. Study topics include principles of retirement planning, sources of retirement income, employer-sponsored plans, deferred compensation plans, plan distributions, investment strategies during retirement and planning for incapacity, disability and long-term care.

Edward Jones provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliates, in Canada and the United Kingdom. Every aspect of the firm’s business, from the types of investment options offered to the location of branch offices, is designed to cater to individual investors in the communities in which they live and work. The firm’s 10,000-plus investment representatives work directly with more than 7 million clients to understand their personal goals — from college savings to retirement — and create long-term strategies for their investments that emphasize a well-balanced portfolio and a buy-and-old strategy. Edward Jones embraces the importance of building long-term, face-to-face relationships with clients, helping them to understand and make sense of the investment options available today.

Edward Jones is headquartered in St. Louis. The Edward Jones interactive Web site is located at www.edwardjones.com, and its recruiting Web site is www.edwardjonesopportunity. com.





Streck completes training



Jim Streck, a financial consultant with the local A.G. Edwards & Sons office, has completed training for the title of accredited asset management specialist.

This program is offered through the College for Financial Planning, the country’s oldest provider of financial planning education for more than 28 years.

“Financial consultants who are awarded the accredited asset management specialist title are not only prepared to identify opportunities in investments but also in such areas as insurance, tax savings, retirement and estate planning,” said Greg Stong, branch manager of A.G. Edwards’ Enid office.

Accredited asset management specialists have in-depth knowledge of the financial-planning process and understand as clients gain wealth, they have more complex financial needs.

To become an AAMS, Streck completed 120 hours of training focused on subjects such as asset allocation, retirement planning and risk management. He also agreed to abide by a comprehensive code of ethics.

Streck lives in Enid with his wife, Kelli, and their three children. He has been with A.G. Edwards since July 10.





Payne to be at Enid furniture store Saturday



Michael Payne, host and interior designer of HGTV’s “Designing for the Sexes,” will be in Enid at The City of Furniture on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

He will be available throughout that time to visit with customers.

Customers can register to win an in-home consultation with Payne for $1. All proceeds raised from this drawing will benefit Enid’s Cimarron Montessori School.

On his hit TV show, Payne introduces new furniture collections that mix traditional and contemporary styles with the flair and attention to detail that will satisfy the most discerning.

He has been on numerous network television programs and on radio stations throughout the country, and has been the featured speaker at various national home shows, design events, museums, conferences, corporate events and charity functions.





Webster named to Triangle Insurance Co. post



Dave Webster, CPCU, CIC, has been named director of underwriting services for Triangle Insurance Co., a member of The Triangle Companies, headquartered in Enid.

He previously served as manager of product development and pricing for two years.

In his new position, Webster will oversee both underwriting and the newly formed compliance and information departments. The formation of the compliance and information department will allow Triangle to remain updated on regulatory compliance issues and respond to competitive issues more quickly and efficiently. Webster hopes to continue strengthening and improving the department. Another of his goals in his new role is to increase Triangle’s level of employee training.

He also has received the chartered property casualty underwriter (CPCU) designation from American Institute for CPCU. The institute is an independent, nonprofit educational organization founded in 1942 that confers the CPCU professional designation. The CPCU program was the first designation program to establish academic standards in addition to both experience and ethics requirements for a professional designation in property and casualty insurance.

To earn the designation, Webster had to pass eight courses of an 11-course program. All CPCUs are required to maintain and improve their professional knowledge, skills and competence through their commitment to the American Institute’s Code of Professional Ethics.

Webster is a graduate of Phillips University with a bachelor’s degree in business and marketing. He has more than 30 years of experience in both the insurance and agri-business insurance industries, with an extensive background in claims, loss control, marketing and underwriting. Webster has been with Triangle since 1998 and has served in several management positions.

In addition to his CPCU designation, Webster has held the certified insurance counselor (CIC) designation since 1993. He also is in the process of obtaining his certified risk managers (CRM) designation from the National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research.

Webster and his wife, Jenny, live in Enid, and have two daughters, Holly and Julie.





Shreck gets certification



Carrie Shreck, chief nurse officer at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, recently received nurse administration advanced certification.

Shreck holds a master’s degree in nursing and has served as St. Mary’s CNO for five years.

Shreck is responsible for managing nursing services and is accountable for the environment in which clinical nursing is practiced. She ensures standards of nursing practice are established and implemented and are consistent with the standards of professional organizations and regulatory agencies.





Wymer Brownlee employees attend national conference



H.D. Vest advisers Kyle Brownlee, Matt Barnes, Aaron Brownlee and Chuck Lipps, along with marketing director Delena Hardaway, all members of Wymer Brownlee and Associates Tax, Accounting and Financial Services, recently attended the 20th annual National Conference of H.D. Vest Financial Services.

H.D. Vest is one of the oldest and largest independent financial services firms specializing in training and supporting tax professionals. The conference was in Grapevine, Texas. Those attending chose from more than 75 educational sessions and heard from expert speakers.

The Wymer Brownlee investment team serves the needs of individuals and business owners with life-centered financial planning through all the stages and changing circumstances they face.

“Leveraging our strong tax background, we address short-term tax needs and long-term tax efficiency in all the areas that impact a client’s financial life now and in the future,” said Kyle Brownlee, managing partner and CEO. “This helps clients to live the life they truly desire, understand what they value most and helps ensure income and assets support what is most important to them. This is a critical component of our client’s financial life and in the financial services field a unique added value we can provide.”

Offices are in Enid, 297-0060, and Fairview, (580) 227-4709.