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::2006
CONFERENCE SPEAKER BIOS
 Paul
Whitehill has been actively involved in the digital imaging industry for the past eight years. As a manufacturer’s rep and consultant, he has helped develop software and products for the dye-sublimation industry. As owner of Images In Tile, LLC, based in Joplin, Missouri, Paul offers custom ceramic tile murals to the architectural and interior design industry. Paul also owns and operates Bison Coating & Supply in Joplin, MO, a tile coating facility and manufacturer of glass tiles that revolutionized custom full color graphics for commercial and residential floor applications. Paul and his Wife Mary were
recently recognized for their outstanding achievements with
the Missouri Small Business Award for 2006.
Raeanne Presley is a Co-Owner of Presleys’ Country Jubilee, Branson’s Original Show on the Strip. She has over 30 years experience in the travel industry and is the current chairman of the Missouri Tourism Commission, having served on the commission since 2000. The Commission oversees the Division of Tourism and all aspects of marketing, research and promotion by the state of Missouri. The current budget is $17.8 million dollars and the Division’s funding formula was recently recognized as a “Best Practice” by the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is active in her community, having served as a city alderwoman, on the Skaggs Health Center board and she currently chairs the Springfield/Branson Airport Board. Steve and Raeanne Presley reside in Branson. Their 3 children continue the Presley tradition by both performing in and producing over 220 shows per year at Presleys’ Theatre, now in it’s 39th season with four generations appearing on stage nightly.
 Patti
Penny is the founder and
president; she founded Penmac in 1988, established its headquarters
in Springfield, Missouri, and oversaw the
firm’s expansion to over 40 offices in seven states Prior to
starting Penmac, Ms. Penny had extensive career experience in human
resources, working 17 years at Lily Tulip Cup Corporation and ten
years at St. John’s Regional Health Center. Through her positions
with these organizations, Ms. Penny realized a special interest in
working with people, so it was natural to combine this interest with
the desire to establish her own business. As a creative
entrepreneur, Ms. Penny is constantly seeking ways to enhance the
service Penmac provides, and she is very focused on improving job
opportunities in communities throughout the country. While
working to promote the growth of Penmac, Ms. Penny has also been
active in the following community and civic projects:
Chair – Missouri Training &
Employment Council – 1996 to 2004
Member – Missouri Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors – Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce – 2000 to
2003
Board of Directors – Safety Council of the Ozarks
Member – Associated Industries of Missouri
Member and Past President – Springfield Public Schools Board of
Education
Member and Past President – Region 10 Missouri School Boards
Association
Ron Marshall was the 2005 recipient of the Anita Ludwig Award from the Springfield Advertising Council. The award is given to recognize the
advertising agency professional who demonstrates
honesty, creativity and most of all, a passion for great advertising.
Ron has received
several awards for marketing and advertising. Some include awards
from the National Association of Home Builders, Gannett, The Medical
Marketing Group, the Springfield Advertising Council, Quorum
Corporation, just to name a few. He was a featured speaker at
Newspaper Association of America conferences, and was considered one
of the nations foremost experts in single copy marketing. He has
written and had published several articles on advertising, marketing
and sales. In addition to commercial advertisements, his music
works have been used in motion pictures and HBO.
Donald L. Davis
As
Manager, Business Applications for the Small Business Development
Center at Central Missouri State University, Don Manages the
business development operations of the Center and consults directly
with a number of business clients and start up entrepreneurs. He
has assisted a number of existing and new business’ secure financing
as well as assisting in the development of business plans. He has
held this position since July, 1997. He is also responsible for the
business education seminars provided to individual and companies by
the Small Business
Development Center and Central Missouri State University on campus
and remote locations. Don has over 20 (twenty) years
experience in commercial finance serving as a commercial Loan
officer, Manger-Customer Finance for Southwestern Bell Telecom in
St. Louis, Missouri and various other capacities including CEO of
various other financing companies. He also is experienced in the
areas of Equipment Leasing and Commercial Insurance. Don is a
graduate of Northwest Missouri State University located in
Maryville, Missouri.
 Lori
Walker Kravets first exhibited signs
of entrepreneurship at age five. She profitably rented her mother’s
good silver to Wichita children digging for treasure in her backyard
sandbox. The silver had to be returned, but the interest in
backyard business grew to become a Bachelors of Arts in Economics
and Spanish and later an MBA in Finance.
Lori’s first real job out of graduate
school brought her to Ottawa University as an Assistant Professor of
Business. While at OU, Lori carved a niche for small business in
the OU curriculum. At this time, she developed a strategic plan and
raised funds locally for an Associate Small Business Development
Center to KU. This center operated with the assistance of
graduating business students and earned a Wal Mart Fellowship for
Free Enterprise Education. Advising small Ottawa businesses also
helped Lori recognize a talent for developing computerized
accounting systems that aided in growth management. With a focus on
the control and understanding of cost of goods sold and inventory
management clients learned to manage growth profitably, developing
business strategies emphasizing cash flow and helping Lori develop a
consulting business she still operates today known as Building
Blocks.
A Building Blocks client, Underwood’s
Plumbing Supply, lured Lori back into the business world from
education as their Chief Financial Officer. In this position, she
restructured the company financing to include a line of credit based
on Accounts Receivables. She also developed a buying cooperative of
non-competing wholesalers to leverage purchasing power, extending
payables terms and decreasing cost of goods sold by nearly 15%.
Underwood’s new computer system enabled the company to empower
employees from salespeople to delivery drivers to query a real time
inventory and unit cost of goods sold, leading to better selling
prices to customers. This system also enabled employees to develop
Economic Order Quantities for their manufactured home customers.
Each week customer stock electronic scans triggered customized
purchase orders for Underwood customers, which not only increased
sales, but also led to greater satisfaction. Inventory seldom
stocked out and could be purchased from manufactures more
competitively. Over a five-year period, Underwood’s grew from
$100,000 a year in local sales to plumbers to $2million in regional
sales to manufacturers. Profitability also increased 5%.
In 1999, Lori refocused on Building
Blocks and new clients while at the same time improving her
technical skills by developing and supporting computerized
curriculum for the Basehor Linwood school district. She continues
to work with small businesses as a consultant both independently and
through the KU SBDC. In addition to her consulting, she teaches
business as an adjunct professor for DeVry University.
Lori has maintained her interest in
economic development, working since 1989 as an instructor and
advisory board member to the Entrepreneurial Development Center in
Kansas City KS. She has also worked strategically to develop and
maintain entrepreneur programs for Micro-Enterprise Development for
SRS recipients and overseas with Women Vision.
Lori Kravets continues to look for new
challenges that advocate empowerment through entrepreneurial
education and revitalize communities through economic growth. At
present she is the executive director of the Growth Opportunity
Connection, an organization providing both capital and education to
entrepreneurs.
Mark Manley
is a US Patent agent working
for the Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and Development at
Central Missouri State University (CMSU). Mark assists dozens of
technical entrepreneurs each year in starting new product projects
and in obtaining patent protection. Projects have ranged from
simple consumer products and business methods to coatings systems,
computer programs, fiber optic and medical devices. Mark
provides training for new product entrepreneurs including ‘Roadmap
to Success’ and ‘Kauffman Fasttrac Technology’ in addition to
teaching an Entrepreneurship course at CMSU.
Jean Zimmerman is the Executive Director for the Missouri
Women’s Business Center. She has owned two businesses: JZ
Company, Inc. and JKW Group, Inc., a business brokerage. JZ Company
provided consulting for privately owned businesses. Emphasis was
placed on transition planning whether for estate purposes, growth
strategies or exiting the business. Through these and other
endeavors, she has garnered broad experience analyzing diverse
industries and negotiating intricate transactions.
Ms. Zimmerman has
facilitated and been on the curriculum development team for the
Kauffman Foundation’s FastTrac™ program. She has taught and
developed curricula for courses in financial analysis, marketing,
business communication, management and planning at area colleges.
Jean holds an MBA from
Rockhurst University. She is a member of the Institute of Business
Appraisers.
 Dan
LeMunyon started Kansas
City Information Technology Solutions, LLC, in 2001 to meet the IT
needs of small businesses in the Kansas City area. Prior to starting
Kansas City IT Solutions, Dan served as a Systems Administrator and
IT Manager for a local start-up software company. He has a
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of
Missouri and an Associate’s degree in Computer Science. Dan started
his career at Trans World Airlines as an Engineer and transitioned
to the IT field after eight years with TWA. Dan is a Microsoft
Certified Professional and is working towards his Microsoft Small
Business Specialist certification. He is married and has three
children
Steve Highlander
is Co-owner and Director of Web Development of World Visions
Internet Services, LLC. (WVIS). WVIS is an International
company offering professional web site development, management and
hosting. Their branch office is in Lapu Lapu City, Cebu,
Philippines. The company now does 95% of their business
online. Steve's responsibilities include managing the business and
handling sales and development. As an award-winning graphic
artist, he is responsible for the majority of site designs. Before
concentrating on the Internet, Steve spent nearly 20 years in the
newspaper industry as Circulation Manager, Advertising Manager and
Publisher. He also has sales and and marketing experience in
the cable TV industry, as well as other multi-media applications. In
addition to his other responsibilities Steve holds a Doctorate in
Pastoral Theology and manages a number of ministries online and
offline.
 James
R. Krudwig
is actively involved in teaching and business consulting. He
is the Small Business
Development Center Director, Missouri Southern State University, and
has taught a variety of workshops including Pre-business
startup, Web Page Development and Balanced Scorecard and internet
classes such as Strategic Planning, Human Resources and Management
Process. Jim has an BSBA and MBA in Business and Finance.
He has provided research for over 200 companies in the the past
three years and has consulted for over 1100 companies since 1987.
Jim will be conducting one-on-one counseling sessions in the New
Business Resource Center for anyone who is planning a business
start-up.
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