Bank repeats
top rating
The Olpe State Bank has received its 74th consecutive 5-Star Rating from a Florida-based independent bank rating and research firm.
BauerFinancial of Coral Gables, Fla., said in a news release that the 5-Star rating indicates that the Olpe bank is one of the strongest banks in the country. Because the bank has received a 5-Star designation for 10 years or more, it is termed an “Exceptional Performance Bank,” a status achieved by fewer than 16 percent of the nation’s banks.
In a news release, Karen L. Dorway, BauerFinancial president, said, “We are all aware of the problems in the banking industry these days. Consumers need to know there are still well-run banks, like The Olpe State Bank, that continue to shine even when times are tough. The Olpe State Bank puts safety and soundness ahead of all else, making it an ideal place to put your deposits.”
The Olpe State Bank, established in 1905, operates through its office on Westphalia Street in Olpe and online at www.olpestatebank.com.
Trained in
retirement issues
Cheryl Muench of New Strawn has completed Merrill Lynch & Co.’s Chartered Retirement Planning Counselors Program and has earned the CRPCA designation.
To receive that rating, she studied a variety of retirement issues including sources of retirement income, personal savings, investing for retirement, planning for incapacity and long-term care, estate planning and asset management.
Muench, who works through the Merrill Lynch office in Leawood, previously worked at Black & Veatch, where she held a number of positions, including vice president of nuclear business development. She has a bachelor’s degree in engineering sciences from Dartmouth College and a master’s in business administration from the Wharton School of Business.
Earns professional scholarship
Former Emporian Randy Mathews, assistant manager of the Salina Bicentennial Center, has received a scholarship to attend advanced training at the Public Assembly Facility Management Graduate Institute.
Mathews will participate in a week of study in the spring at the Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, W.Va. He previously completed a two-year Public Assembly Facility Management School sponsored by the same professional organization, the International Association of Assembly Managers.
Mathews, who has been at the Salina center for six years, was previously executive director of the Granada Theatre in Emporia.
Web promotes
Kansas students
Emporia State University has joined forces with six other Kansas campuses to provide a central Web site to help students find jobs.
The site, Hire Kansas Talent, allows employers to post jobs free and know that the information will be distributed electronically to all member campuses. Students can view the postings at their college’s career service office Web site.
The site, www.hirekansastalent.com, is aimed at collaborating to make it easier for employers to tap into
the pool of job-seeking talent. The other campuses participating are Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University, the University of Kansas, Washburn University and Wichita State University.
U.S. cellular names reps
Todd Dingler of Council Grove is U.S. Cellular’s wireless business consultant for Emporia. Dingler, who joined the company in January, previously worked in customer service and sales for various businesses in Emporia. He holds a bachelor of science degree in agricultural economics from Oklahoma State University.
The company has also named Robert Disberger of Wichita to a similar position for the Iola office.
U.S. Cellular has one store and seven employees in Emporia and two stores and nine employees in Iola.