Springfield Business Journal_2020-06-15

SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 19 JUNE 15-21, 2020 Drury University recognizes alumni, from left, Thomas Bieker ’08, Joel Thomas ’06 MA, Derek Cheney ’13, Andy Drennen ’06, Molly Miller ’07, ’10 MBA and Danny Collins ’13 MA, MBA for their insight and innovation. Congratulations on being honored as part of the 40 Under 40 class of 2020. S e t g o a l s . C r u s h g o a l s . R e p e a t . E rica Gaynor is an employee benefits adviser, but she’s held just about every position offered at Ollis/ Akers/Arney. During her 14 years with the company, she’s helped navigate the often-complicated waters of health insurance, including the 2014 rollout of the federal Affordable Care Act. In her civic work, Gaynor partnered with girls at Bingham Elementary School to create messages of hope for children living at Isabel’s House, a local crisis nursery. She also is an active member of the Junior League of Springfield, volun- teering for projects with the Plaid Door, Ozarks Technical Community College Middle College, Reed Elementary and Arts in the Park. What is your best productivity hack? Orga- nization. I’m probably the most organized person you’ll ever meet. I make very de- tailed lists and plans that get me through the day. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Don’t wish your life away! My parents would always tell me this grow- ing up. The older I get, the faster time goes and it can be really sad; you blink and the years just pass you by. I try to live each moment God gives me of this beauti- ful life to the fullest. Have you ever met a celebrity? I’ve met Mike Tyson twice in Las Vegas. And no, he did not bite my ear. Extremely nice guy! What is your favorite hobby? My husband and I love to travel. Cabo and Turks and Caicos are a couple of our favorite spots. —Emily Letterman, Contributing Writer I n addition to filing clients’ tax forms, supervisor Katie Fulp aims to make KPM CPAs PC a great place to work through her role train- ing new staff and managing teams. Fulp is a part of KPM’s Employee En- gagement Council that solicits feedback from employees and develops internal programs to benefit them. She’s also a part of the firm’s Buddy Program, which is designed to provide new staff with resources to confer with during their first year of employment. Outside of work, she takes pride in helping the Springfield community. She established Local Grace in her hometown of Crane, with the goal of meeting critical needs of local high school students. She says she’s helped students financially with gas cards, cellphone minutes and groceries. After learning Spanish, Fulp also began volunteering as a second language tutor at Ozarks Technical Community College. What was your first job? I was born and raised on a farm, so my first job was feeding baby calves. The pay was grit and work ethic.  What about your job would shock people?  Being an accountant is very interactive and social. What did you learn the hard way? Learn- ing the value of my individual skills and talents. Not everyone fits in a box. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? My grandpa sent me a write up titled “Attitude is Everything” when I was 18. The title says it all. It was a game changer for me. —Karen Bliss, Contributing Writer ERICA GAYNOR, 38 Employee Benefits Adviser, Ollis/Akers/Arney KATIE FULP, 39 Supervisor, KPM CPAs PC JESSICA ROSA