It's Your Business includes Michelle McCormick, John Bell, Cory Hollar, Kurt Patberg
Hires
Michelle McCormick, LMSW, will join the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence as its new executive director on Feb. 20. McCormick has a background in victim advocacy and intervention with deep experience working with and serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence. She joins KCSDV from the Office of the Kansas attorney general, where she was the director of the victim services division and the victim rights’ coordinator. She has a bachelor of science in sociology from Emporia State University, and a master of social work from the University of Kansas. McCormick takes the reins from longtime executive director Joyce Grover who led KCSDV for 11 years. Grover announced her Feb. 3 retirement in November.
Mammoth announced athletics consultants Kurt Patberg and Tim Selgo, formerly of Athletics Staffing & Consulting, are joining the modern master build firm to provide success strategies and growth plans for educational institutions nationwide. Patberg and Selgo will work closely with Mammoth chief business officer Brian Morris, with their focus to provide custom solutions exclusively for NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA institutions. Selgo has 40 years of successful college athletics experience, including 20 years as athletics director at Grand Valley State University, where he led the school to the top of the NCAA Division II. He’s a graduate of the University of Toledo, where he was also a graduate assistant, assistant men’s basketball coach and head women’s basketball coach. He’s the author of three books, including Competitive Greatness the Grand Valley Way. Kurt Patberg, Ph.D, has conducted more than 500 athletic job searches and 40 departmental reviews for more than 250 small colleges nationwide. He has 35 years of college athletic experience, serving in on- and off-campus roles. For 15 years, he served as a small college commissioner for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, and Southern State Athletic Conference. His consulting expertise focuses on helping athletic departments and conferences operate more efficiently, boost enrollment and optimize management.
John Bell has been appointed parks superintendent for Shawnee County Parks + Recreation. Bell brings to the position 25 years of knowledge of its parks and facilities, including managing park assets and programs. Bell began his career with the former City of Topeka Parks and Recreation Department in 2004. He supervised the Gage Park mini-train and carousel from 2012-2016 and has supervised Old Prairie Town since 2010 and Great Overland Station since 2020. He has overseen the establishment of Tulips and Twilight and Ward-Meade Garden Glow, overseen the Apple Festival and took the department’s lead in preparing Great Overland Station for the Topeka Dino Days exhibit. He established the Friends of Ward-Meade to support Old Prairie Town and the WardMeade Botanical Garden. He helped the group establish two national display gardens and recently oversaw the addition of a Native American Encampment to Old Prairie Town. Bell has been named to Emporia State University’s Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department Alumni Hall of Honor. He was named one of Topeka’s 20 under 40 and has twice served as vice president of the Topeka Tourism Alliance.
Cory Hollar has joined Shawnee County Parks + Recreation as multimedia coordinator. Hollar will be responsible for social media, managing the department’s website, and photography and video production. He has spent the past 1.5 years with Cumulus radio doing social media, representing the radio stations at public appearances and supporting sports broadcasts. A Topeka native, Hollar has a degree in mass media from Washburn University.
Timothy Bergeron, MBA, MHA, FACHE, has accepted the position of regional director, operations/hospital administrator of Stormont Vail Health — Flint Hills. Bergeron will be returning to the Junction City area where he and his family resided twice during Bergeron’s long military service. He will begin his responsibilities at Flint Hills on April 3. Bergeron is a U.S. Army colonel who is transitioning from his 30-year military career. He has held leadership roles in multiple U.S. Army medical facilities across the country, most recently as chief operating officer at Evans Army Community Hospital, Colorado Springs. Bergeron has a master of health care administration from Baylor University, Waco, Texas, a master of business administration from the University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas, and a bachelor of science in business administration from Western New England University, Springfield, Mass. He also has a graduate certificate in Global Health Engagement from the Uniform Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Md.
Promotions
Tracy Duran has accepted the position of acute care director/regional director of nursing at Stormont Vail Health — Flint Hills. Duran has been an integral transition team member at the Flint Hills campus. Her background includes acute care operations, regulatory and compliance work, virtual nursing, and emergency department nursing. Duran began at Stormont Vail in 2004 as a patient care technician while she was working toward her nursing degree and joined the organization as a registered nurse in 2008. Duran’s strengths include team building, nursing efficiencies and process improvements across our organization. Duran has a bachelor of science in nursing from Baker University School of Nursing and a master of science in nursing in Healthcare Administration from MidAmerican Nazarene University. She was honored as an Ingram’s Magazine Heroes in Healthcare in Nursing in 2019.
Boards
The Topeka Public Schools Foundation recently announced new board members are Tracy Wagner, Washburn University, and Pastor Shampayne Lloyd, Topeka Rescue Mission. Board officers elected included Janel Johnson, president; Megan Martin, vice president; Miranda Carmona, secretary; Aric Harrington, treasurer; Mark Carr, investment committee chair. Pamela Johnson Betts is the TPSF executive director.
Certification
Journey Home Care LLC announced Beverly Blassingame, owner and administrator of the agency has completed, through the International Association of Professions Career College, a Death Doula certificate program. With this certification, clients may receive added value consultation in end-of-life planning. Areas include advance directives, legacy projects, home safety and organization, planning for final days and pre-funeral and burial research. Blassingame has worked in the home care, health care and assisted living industry for more than 30 years.
Topeka-area hirings, promotions, retirements and other announcements can be emailed to iyb@cjonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: It's Your Business has Mammoth, Shawnee County Parks, Stormont Vail
