SGF Insider

In this episode of "Plugged In", Rachel Munday—executive director of efactory and champion of local innovation—reflects on a decade of impact, community building, and bold leadership. Tune in for a conversation full of insight on leading with vision, nurturing partnerships, and staying deeply connected to the place you call home. Thank you to KPM CPAs & Advisors for sponsoring the Plugged In episodes of the SGF Insider podcast!

In the latest episode of "Plugged In," get the inside scoop on the future and growth of the Community Focus project! Traci Nash, transition consultant for Community Focus in Ozarks Public Health Institute at MSU, sat down to talk about how she got involved with the project, what's next for the Community Focus program, opportunities from recent grant funding from the Missouri Foundation for Health, and more! Thanks to KPM CPAs & Advisors for sponsoring the "Plugged In" segment of the SGF Insider Podcast.

On the latest episode of "Plugged In", we had a conversation with the Nic(h)ole's of SPS! Dr. Nicole Holt, Deputy Superintendent of Academics, and Dr. Nichole Lemmon, Director of Virtual Learning and Strategic Planning, sit down to chat about their work on the LeadSGF Curriculum Committee, valuable leadership development tools being shared with program participants, the importance and impact of strengths-based leadership, and so much more you don't want to miss. Thanks to KPM CPAs & Advisors for sponsoring "Plugged In"!

Get Connected with 2025 Chamber Chairman of the Board Bob Helm as he shares about how he has come into his leadership position, his key objectives for 2025 and how the business community can make a lasting impact in Springfield. Get additional insights such as a monthly business tip, and upcoming Chamber events you won't want to miss! 

Tune in to our conversation with Bethany Burrows, Community Events Project Manager at Convoy of Hope, and Diana Tyndall, Owner of Modern Day Marketing! Both Bethany and Diana serve on the LeadSGF board and Alumni Committee and have been instrumental in getting our new Alumni Impact Series off the ground. Learn more about this new offering for alumni, the inspiration for the series, why they stay involved as volunteers, and more! 

To kick off 2025, we are excited to introduce a new format for the Chamber's portion of the SGF Insider Podcast! Sharing with you monthly business tips, Chamber events and a new topic and guest each month. This first episode is just a sneak peek into what we have in store for you in 2025! 

Tune into this month's episode of "Plugged In" to hear our conversation with Francine Pratt, Prosper Springfield Director and co-chair of the Springfield-Greene County Gun Safety and Gun Violence Reduction Collaborative. Learn about the work of the gun safety and violence reduction collaborative, how they are bringing awareness to the community, how you can help, and the next steps for their work!

This month's episode of "Plugged In" features a conversation with Larry Stock, founder of Peak Influence, LeadSGF Board Past President, and Lifetime Legacy Leader. Larry shared about his recent career transition, his approach to mentoring, and exciting leadership development opportunities with Larry in partnership with efactory coming in 2025.

On this month's episode of "Plugged In" we sat down for a conversation with two leaders from Burrell Behavioral Health's Be Well Initiatives, Bailey Pyle, Director, and Nia Howard, Program and Engagement Leader! Learn more about the Be Well Community, how your organization can get involved, and how LeadSGF is partnering with Burrell this year as our Be Well Sponsor.

This month on "Plugged In", join us for a conversation with Megan Buchbinder, Director of Marketing at the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, Leadership Council Chair of The Network for Springfield's Young Professionals, and co-chair of Celebrate Springfield! We chatted with Megan about growing her career as a young professional in Springfield, the mission of the CVB, how to get involved with Celebrate Springfield, and more!

Are you already missing the nonstop Olympic coverage like we are? Well, you're in luck! This month, on our LeadSGF episode of "Plugged In," you can continue the Olympic hype and join us for a conversation withTeri Cantwell, Olympian and Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Central Bank! We chatted with Teri about her Olympic experience, valuable leadership lessons learned as a professional athlete, passion for building others up, and more. You don't want to miss this one!

This month, on our LeadSGF episode of "Plugged In," you can join us for a conversation with Brendan Griesemer, Executive Director of Restore SGF, and Tim Rosenbury, Director of Quality of Place Initiatives for the City of Springfield! Tune in to hear us talk about Forward SGF 2040 updates, rebuilding the community with Restore SGF, and more. Special thanks to Mercy Hospital Springfield for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes.

This month, on our LeadSGF episode of "Plugged In," you can join us for a conversation with Duan and Michelle Gavel, co-founders of All Things Diverse SGF! Tune in to hear us talk about their entrepreneurial journey and mission to highlight diverse resources and businesses in our community. Check out All Things Diverse to find diverse businesses, organizations, professionals, and resources.

This month's "Plugged In" episode features a conversation with Leadership Springfield's two outgoing board members, Eric Lampe and Stephanie Wan! Tune in as we discuss their experience on the LeadSGF board over the last six years, what board service means to them, and advice for anyone getting involved in local boards. Special thanks to Mercy Hospital Springfield for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes.

This month's "Plugged In" episode is a conversation with Caitlin Kissee, a Gallup Strengths expert, local business owner, and this year's Signature Class Strengths facilitator! Tune in as we discuss partnering for performance, how differences are advantages, the benefit of well-rounded teams when it comes to strengths, and more. Special thanks to Mercy Hospital Springfield for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes.

Join Leadership Springfield for our conversation with Jay Miller and Tiffany Taylor, teachers at Parkview High School, and students from the Parkview Leadership Program. Tune in as we discuss their experience with the Youth Civic Leadership Access Class, a collaborative project funded by a Musgrave Grant through CFO, and the students' experience in the program learning about civic engagement at all levels! Special thanks to Mercy Hospital Springfield for sponsoring the LeadSGF "Plugged In" episodes in 2024.

This month's "Plugged In" episode is a conversation with Kai Sutton, President of the Springfield NAACP! Tune in as we discuss the nation's largest and oldest civil rights organization, which celebrates its 115th Founders Day this month, and Kai's involvement with the Springfield chapter and our community. Special thanks to Mercy Hospital Springfield for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes.

Join us for our conversation with Dr. Spencer Harris, President of Mostly Serious, Co-Founder of Habitat Communication & Culture, and LeadSGF board member. Tune in as we talk about setting your business up for success in the new year! Special thanks to Mercy for sponsoring the LeadSGF "Plugged In" episodes in 2024.

Join us for a conversation with Stephanie Matthews and Stephanie Wan, co-chairs of the Rosie Committee, and Cindy Mergen, Leadership Springfield Program Director! Tune in as we celebrate one year of Rosie being a LeadSGF program and talk about the growth of the committee, upcoming events, and what it means to be a part of Rosie. Thank you to our Rosie Riveter Sponsor, Volt Credit Union, and Rosie Quarterly Programming Sponsor, Cox College for supporting Rosie! Special thanks to Mercy Hospital Springfield for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes.   

Join us for a conversation with Jonathan Garard, Owner of Grooms Office Environments and executive board member for The Warrior's Journey. Tune in as we talk about Jonathan's leadership at Grooms, involvement with The Warrior's Journey's impactful mission, and more! Special thanks to Mercy Hospital Springfield for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes.

Join us for a conversation with Dennis Davis, Director of Safety for Prime! Tune in as we talk about Dennis' career with Prime, managing teams, community engagement, and more. Special thanks to Mercy Hospital Springfield for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes.

Join us for a conversation with Logan Aguirre, Publisher of 417 Magazine! Tune in as we talk about bringing your unique energy to #417land, recap this year's Ladies Who Launch event, Logan's recent sabbatical, and more. Special thanks to Mercy Hospital Springfield for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes.

In the September edition of SGF Business Insider, the Chamber's Digital Communications Manager, Noah Hester, shares audio from a fascinating conversation among community members highlighting how and why we should Celebrate Springfield from our recent Good Morning, Springfield.  The conversation was moderated by Matt Morrow, Chamber president, and featured the following community leaders: Erin Danastasio, Executive Director of the Hatch Foundation; Leslie Forrester, Executive Director of the Springfield Regional Arts Council, and Andrea Brady, Community Outreach and Development Manager of Great Southern Bank.

Join us for a conversation with Erin Danastasio, Executive Director of the Hatch Foundation and Co-Chair of Celebrate Springfield! Tune in as we talk all about Celebrate Springfield, how to enjoy the best Springfield has to offer this fall, and living a philanthropic life. Special thanks to Mercy Hospital Springfield for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes. 

In the August edition of SGF Business Insider, Chamber President, Matt Morrow, sits down with the new Executive Director of Regionalism and Economic Development Dean Thompson, and our new Vice President of Communications, Tiffany Batdorf.  Thompson and Batdorf discuss economic development, regionalism, and communicating the Chamber's message to the community.

Join us for our conversation with Leadership Springfield's six outgoing board members, Mandy Anthes, Monica Horton, Krista Shurtz, Kathy Smith, Larry Stock, and Tony Vienhage. Tune in as we talk about their experience on the LeadSGF board and what board service means to them. Special thanks to Mercy Hospital Springfield for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes.

Join us for a conversation with Francine Pratt, Director of Prosper Springfield! Tune in as we talk about what Prosper Springfield is, the progress of our community's efforts to reduce poverty rates, and what sets Springfield apart. Special thanks to Mercy Hospital Springfield for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes.

Join us for a conversation with Bridget Bechtel, Executive Director of Sculpture Walk Springfield! Tune in as we talk about public art and art accessibility, creating a museum without walls, and the benefits of a thriving arts community. Special thanks to Mercy Hospital Springfield for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes

In the May edition of SGF Business Insider, Chamber President, Matt Morrow, sits down with the new President/CEO of the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, Mark Hecquet. For the past 16 years, Hecquet led the Butler County Visitors Bureau in Ohio where he oversaw community engagement initiatives and several development projects, including the $165 million sports facility, Spooky Nook. Hecquet and Morrow discuss sports tourism, tourism in Greene County, and the impact tourism has on the economy.

Join us for a conversation with Kaitlyn McConnell, Founder of Ozarks Alive. Tune in as we talk about the Ozarks, pursuing passion projects, and cultural preservation. Special thanks to Mercy for sponsoring the LeadSGF "Plugged In" episodes in 2023.

In the April edition of SGF Business Insider, the Chamber's Digital Communications Manager, Noah Hester, shares audio from a Q and A session with the finalists for the 2023 W. Curtis Strube Small Business Award at our recent Good Morning, Springfield.  These companies exemplify the hard work, innovation and resilience that the Springfield region's small businesses are so well known for. The Q and A session was moderated by Matt Morrow, Chamber president, and featured representatives of the finalists: Ivan Eftink, owner and company founder of Bug Zero; Jonathan Garard, owner of Grooms Office Environments, Nancy Bogart, CEO of Jordan Essentials, Keri Sutton, nurse practitioner and owner/founder of Kare Health & Wellness, and Chris Jarratt, chief creative officer & co-founder of Revel Advertising.

Join us for a conversation with Lisa Langley with the League of Women Voters of Southwest Missouri about the formation and mission of the Informed Voter Coalition. Then hear interviews with SPS school board candidates hosted by OTC and produced by the coalition. Tune in as we talk about educating voters and engaging candidates with citizens.  Special thanks to Mercy for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes.

In this month's episode, Chamber President, Matt Morrow, sits down with the 2023 ATHENA recipient Stephanie Stenger and Virginia Fry Rising Star recipient Heather Hardinger. The ATHENA Award is given to someone who has spent their career empowering women to achieve greatness and improving the quality of life for others in the community. The Virginia Fry Rising Star Award is given to a young professional woman who is already making a difference in the community for herself and other women. Stenger and Hardinger discuss their personal journeys, the importance of support networks, the people who have inspired them, and how they work to inspire others.

Join us for a conversation with Christine Peoples, Timmons Hall Education Coordinator with the Springfield-Greene County Park Board. Tune in as we talk about the collaboration and purpose-driven focus on history, culture, and education happening in our community. Special thanks to Mercy Hospital Springfield for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes

In the February edition of SGF Business Insider, Chamber President, Matt Morrow, sits down with Senator Lincoln Hough and Representative Alex Riley. Lincoln Hough represents District 30 in the Missouri Senate, and Alex Riley represents District 134 in the Missouri House of Representatives.  Hough and Riley discuss what's on the horizon at the start of the 2023 state legislative session - and in particular, those measures that impact the business community.   

Join us for an insider's look at our Leadership Springfield team! Tune in as we talk about the real-life application of a strengths-based team and how we leverage our strengths in our day-to-day operations. Special thanks to Mercy Hospital Springfield for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes.

In the January edition of SGF Business Insider, the Chamber's Digital Communications Manager, Noah Hester, shares audio from a panel interview with local manufacturing leaders featured at our recent Manufacturing Outlook.  This event is an opportunity to hear how manufacturers are pivoting to adapt to a new normal in their industry - from managing supply chain disruptions and workforce shortages to incorporating new technologies and advanced automation into production. The panel was moderated by Christina Angle, chief financial officer for Erlen Group, and featured four local business leaders: Kevin Ausburn, CEO and chairman of SMC Packaging Group; Reginald Davis, plant manager of The French's Food Company, and Nikki Holden, president of Custom Metalcraft, Inc.

Join us for a conversation with with Holly Beadle, Director of Philanthropic Services at Community Foundation of the Ozarks, and Diane Drollinger, President and CEO of the Network for Strong Communities. Tune in for a discussion about building capacity and the power of service in our community Special thanks to American National for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes in 2022.

In this month's episode of  SGF Business Insider, Chamber president Matt Morrow sits down with Brandi Bailey and David Cameron. Bailey is the Vice President of Strategic Development & Marketing at Snyder Construction Group and Cameron is the City Administrator at the City of Republic. Bailey and Cameron discuss insights from their recent Community Leadership Visit to Northwest Arkansas. Topics include takeaways on regional collaboration, brand identity around natural assets, talent attraction and retention, the value of long-range regional planning, and much more.

Join us for a conversation with Brent Baker, Vice President - Chief Customer Officer, and Stephanie O'Connor, Vice President - Chief Information & People Officer, with City Utilities. Tune in for a discussion all about transportation in our community, leading teams, and how personal connections between our transit system and community members help make things run smoothly.

In the November edition of SGF Business Insider podcast, Chamber president Matt Morrow is joined by our Membership Development Manager Peyton Andrews in a conversation with Tom Douglas. Douglas is the CEO of JMARK and the author of the new book Adapt or Die. Douglas shares actionable insights from his new book and lessons learned from years of executive leadership. Podcast recorded via Zoom due to logistical challenges - apologies for lesser quality audio than in-studio recordings.

Join us for a conversation with Jan Kraft, Executive Director of Abilities First, and Jamie McGranahan, Program Manager at Art Inspired Academy with Abilities First. Tune in as we talk about the inspiration and heart behind the mission of their organizations.

In the October edition of SGF Business Insider podcast, Chamber president Matt Morrow sits down with Erin Danastasio and Mary Kromrey. Danastasio is the Executive Director of the Hatch Foundation and Kromrey is the Executive Director of Ozark Greenways. Danastasio and Kromrey discuss topics centered around defining, taking pride in, and celebrating the assets of our community; and creating a vibrant, desirable place to live as we compete for talent and grow our working population.

Join us for a conversation with Christina Ford, owner of Kids Inn Child Care Center and founder and director of The Rebound Foundation. Tune in as we talk about how to see a need and fill a need in your community. Special thanks to American National for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes.

In the September edition of SGF Business Insider podcast, Chamber president Matt Morrow is joined by our public policy analyst Lauren Mustoe in a conversation with two impactful non-profit leaders in the community, Brian Fogle and Brandy Harris. Fogle is the President of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and Harris is the CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield. They share the twists and turns of their journey to leading a non-profit, unpack challenges faced by non-profit leaders in the region, and discuss how engagement in Chamber committees, such as the Non-Profit Roundtable and the Legislative Policy Committee, has improved their ability to meet the needs of those they serve. 

Join us for a conversation with David Burton, County Engagement Specialist in Community Development at the University of Missouri Extension. Tune in as we talk about being an engaged neighbor and learn what we can do to make an impact right in our backyard.

In this month's episode of SGF Business Insider, Chamber President Matt Morrow shares audio from interviews with volunteer leaders featured at our recent Member Appreciation Celebration. The event is both an opportunity to thank members for their investment of time, talent and resources in the Chamber's mission, as well as a mid-year accountability check-in on strategic progress. You'll hear from board, committee and other volunteer business leaders about why they engage in the Chamber and how those experiences benefit them, the community and their organizations.   

Join us for a conversation with Leslie Forrester, Executive Director of the Springfield Regional Arts Council. Tune in as we talk about educating, advocating, and collaborating for the arts community and how to exercise your creative muscle. Special thanks to American National for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield Plugged In episodes.

In this month's episode of SGF Business Insider, Chamber President Matt Morrow sits down with Vicki Pratt, the Chamber's new senior vice president of economic development. They cover a variety of topics all aimed at providing a look at what goes into the process of economic development, how it impacts the overall community, and what communities need to do - and not do - to encourage private sector growth.

Join us for a conversation with Amy Blansit, senior faculty in the Kinesiology department at Missouri State University and the founder and CEO of the Drew Lewis Foundation. Tune in for a discussion about building authentic connections, moving to a thriving life and looking at how our citizens can make a local difference. Special thanks to American National for sponsoring the Leadership Springfield "Plugged In" episodes.

This month, Chamber President Matt Morrow sits down with Chief Paul Williams of the Springfield Police Department. They talk about the department's work in crime prevention, officer recruitment efforts, and ways that the business community can help in crime prevention. They also highlight the Chamber's new Let's Keep Springfield Safe Business Toolkit, which gathers multiple resources for businesses together in one place.