Springfield Business Journal_2020-06-15

30 · SBJ.NET JUNE 15-21, 2020 JOEL THOMAS, 36 Principal, Buf Studio A dam Toth has an empathetic view of the employees working at Toth and Associates Inc., the company he started at the age of 21 with his father Lou. “When a personnel challenge arises,” Adam Toth says, “I often ask myself, ‘If one of my children were working for the company, how would I want their em- ployer to handle the situation?’” That mentality paved the way to the 38-year-old’s promotion to executive president in March 2019. He envisions a future where the electric utility engi- neering firm grows into a national brand while maintaining its local presence. Civically, Toth is on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks and Discovery Center of the Ozarks. What was your first job? Twin Oaks as a bag boy, cart boy and driving range ball picker upper.   What are you doing to make the Ozarks bet- ter? I try to improve the lives of everyone around me. I volunteer as a youth basket- ball coach and previously as a youth soc- cer coach and try to teach our youth life lessons and hard work. I attempt to treat our over 100 employees the way I would want an employer to treat my children. What is your best productivity hack? Sur- round yourself with high-quality, hard- working people.  How many times do you hit the snooze button? Zero. After years of being awak- ened by our kids or dogs, I am incapable of sleeping in. —Kyle Boaz, Researcher J oel Thomas is leaving his mark on Springfield – in more ways than one. By day, Thomas is principal architect at Springfield’s newest firm, Buf Studio, a branch of the Bentonville, Arkansas, startup. On the side, Thomas is an original found- er of the Springfield Identity Project – the group responsible for the Queen City’s new, but unofficial, flag design. “I just hope to make Springfield better than when I came,” he says. Thomas also has been a part of numer- ous boards, including the U.S. Green Building Council, Downtown Springfield Association, Springfield Planning and Zoning, and the Drury University Alumni Council. What was your first job? For one month every summer, my father would drop me off at 5 a.m. every morning to hop on a bus and go to one of the many cornfields selected to detassel corn. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? To move back to Springfield. Af- ter I graduated, I’d planned to move back to Illinois and find a job. I moved home, but was dating my future wife who was still liv- ing in Springfield. My dad said, “You need to move back and be with that girl.” What’s your most treasured possession? My father’s watch. He won the watch in 1964, at a local, small-town farming competi- tion, in which the competition award was named for my great-grandfather. Al- though it doesn’t work anymore, it always reminds me about where I came from.   —Emily Letterman, Contributing Writer ADAM TOTH, 38 Executive President, Toth and Associates Inc. ALLYSON TUCKNESS, 38 Chief Operating Officer, Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks B reast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks Chief Operating Officer Allyson Tuckness was first hired at the foundation as a part-time temporary worker. She’s come a long way since then. Tuckness was named COO at BCFO in 2019, and was tasked to lead the founda- tion’s main fundraiser, Hooked on Dance. In her first year, the event brought in about $700,000 with roughly 900 attendees. “I am not afraid to take on my task, but also remain humble in the fact that I am there to assist in whatever capacity,” she says. In addition to her work at BCFO, in 2012, she became the first ever executive direc- tor for Champions Committed to Kids, a nonprofit organization that works to develop a special bond between children with medical conditions or disabilities with local athletic teams. She helped start the Tour de Crawdad bike ride and craw- fish boil. The nonprofit had 75 registered riders for the first year, surpassing the group’s goal. What is your theme song? Garth Brooks’ “Standing Outside the Fire.” I am not one to let opportunities pass me by or be afraid of a challenge. That is how I was able to grow into my position at work and how I fought (and beat) my leukemia diagnosis. Have you ever met a celebrity?  I interned for the George Michael Sports Machine. They needed b-roll from a Washington Wizards basketball game. It also meant going into the Wizards’ locker room post game and getting a quick interview for soundbites from Michael Jordan. —Karen Bliss, Contributing Writer A ndy Trussell is in the business of fulfilling dreams. As a real estate agent with Murney Associates, Realtors for the past seven years, Trussell knows buying or selling a home can be stressful, so he works hard to be his clients’ advocate. His leadership helped him rise to the top 5% of agents in the local MLS and earned him the Realtor Salesperson of the Year from the Greater Springfield Board of Realtors. Trussell is a leader both at work and at home. He helps educate young agents and serves on two GSBOR committees, works with Habitat for Humanity and attended the Missouri Realtors State Leadership Academy. What was your first job? Mowing yards. Although I hated it at the time, it (and my mom) taught me the value of hard work and how to save money. What about your job would shock people? Homes don’t always sell in 30 minutes, and I usually have to show buyers more than three houses before they pick one.  What is your best productivity hack? Eat healthy and gets lots of rest so you can be the best version of you and be as produc- tive as possible! What’s your most treasured possession? My Bible and my smartphone. It seems like it would be really hard to live without either one. Although, the Bible would be the more important one of the two. —Emily Letterman, Contributing Writer ANDY TRUSSELL, 39 Realtor, Murney Associates, Realtors JESSICA ROSA