Applause for business achievements

First Posted: 3/19/2015

AWARDS

Frost recognized as top pilot

Gregory Frost, formerly of Lima, currently of Naples, Florida, has been recognized by Angel Flight Southeast as a top pilot. Frost was president of Fidelity Builders Supply, in Lima.

Frost volunteers with Angel Flight Southeast, donating his time, personal aircraft and fuel to fly patients to life-saving medical appointments that otherwise would be too far away or too costly. He will be honored at the Dr. Norris Pilot Awards Gala for Angel Flight Southeast to be held in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Angel Flight Southeast is a non-profit volunteer pilot organization that provides free air transportation throughout Florida by private aircraft to distant medical facilities when commercial air service is not available, impractical or not affordable. For more information visit http://www.angelflightse.org.

Frost, flies a Piper, and is based out of Page Field. He is nominated for the “Dr. Norris Award,” which recognizes pilots for service to their country.

Nurse at Blanchard Valley Health System recognized

Dawn Jones, a registered nurse with Blanchard Valley Health System, has been nominated for the Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award, presented by the Ohio Hospital Association;

Jones works as a registered nurse in the surgery department at Bluffton Hospital. She has been an associate for 14 years. She assists during surgeries, helps patients in recover and cleans and stocks the operating room. Outside of work, she is active in her church youth group and takes part in mission trips. Dawn and her husband, Mark, have been married for 21 years and have one daughter, named Emily.

This award recognizes a hospital employee who demonstrates leadership, reflects the values and ideals of Ohio’s health care facilities, goes above and beyond the call of duty, gives back to the community and has overcome odds to succeed.

The recipient and four finalists for this award will be announced June 9.

Lifeline of Ohio honors

Lifeline of Ohio honored individuals and institutions recently. There were 16 awards presented with two award winners in our area.

St. Rita’s Medical Center was presented with the Tissue Recovery Hospital of the Year award. This award recognizes the efforts of a hospital that improved the outcome of tissue recovery in the hospital.

Deann Heiing, a nurse and clinical manager of ICU at St. Rita’s Medical Center, was presented with a S.T.A.R. award. This award is presented to winners demonstrating exemplary service, teamwork attitude and respect in the donation process.

APPOINTMENTS

Lima resident appointed director

Laura Ayers, an Ohio Northern University music education student and Venturer from Lima, has been appointed the aquatics director for summer camp at Camp Berry. Camp Berry is operated by the Black Swamp Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Ayers will be responsible for as many as a dozen other staff members at the camp pool and lakefront and for overseeing the instruction of merit badges such as lifesaving and swimming for hundreds of scouts.

Ayers is a part of Venturing, a co-educational organization that is part of the Boy Scouts of America.

First National Bank adds board members

First National Bank announced new board member John B. Arnold and the appointment of Chris Alexander as city executive for the Findlay market. Three new individuals joined the First National Bank team, Dave Walter, system administrator and security officer, Michelle Brandt, compliance/BSA officer and Jen Vastano, marketing director.

Arnold previously served on the board of First National Bank from 2007 to 2009. He has more than 30 years of banking experience, including vice president of Commercial Lending at First National Bank and president and CEO of Fifth Third Bank of Western Ohio. Arnold and his wife, Chris, reside in Findlay, where they own and operate a small family business. They are the parents of two married children, a daughter and a son, and have two grandsons.

Alexander was appointed city executive for the Findlay market. His education includes an undergraduate degree from Miami University and a master’s degree from The Ohio State University. He has almost 20 years of banking experience, including eight years with First National Bank. He will oversee commercial loans and overall bank activity for the Findlay market in this new role. He and his wife, Nicole, and their two children live in Findlay.

Walter serves as systems administrator and security officer at First National Bank. He has an associate of science degree in computer forensics from Marion Technical College/The Ohio State University Marion Campus. He has more than nine years of IT technical support experience with Upper Sandusky School District and Marion Technical College. For six years he has served as deputy sheriff for Wyandot County and is active in providing his technical skills to charities and on profits via his computer-support company.

Brandt joins First National Bank as compliance/BSA officer. After graduating from Tiffin University with a business management degree, she served as a teller, branch manager and personal banker and has accumulated more than eight years of banking experience. She serves as assistant den leader for Cub Scout Pack 309 in Findlay and is a committee member for the Children’s Mentoring Connection Bowl for kids. She and her husband, Jason, has have a son and a daughter.

Vastano serves First National Bank as marketing director. She has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Bluffton University and bring more than 12 years of marketing experience from McDonald’s Corporation and a McDonald’s Franchisee organization. Jen and her husband, Shawn, live in Lima with their daughter and own a small business.

Krech named advisor

Donna Krech has been appointed global medical wellness advisor for the Medical Wellness Association. Krech is an author and CEO of Think and Healthy Total Solution, in Lima.

NEW HIRES

Anytime Fitness Lima adds personal trainer

Dylan Legge, a 2011 Kenton High School graduate and a 2014 Ohio Northern University graduate has joined Anytime Fitness Lima as a personal trainer.

Legge has been bodybuilding for four years. He has a passion for health and fitness and he turned that passion into helping others reach their goals. After receiving his bachelor degree, he went on to obtain his personal training certification through ISSA.

St. Rita’s Health Partners welcomes Dr. Kevin Casey

Dr. Kevin Casey joined St. Rita’s Health Partners to serve in the role of vice president of medical affairs.

Dr. Casey comes from Johnstown, PA where he held the position of emergency medicine residency program director. He completed his medical degree at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his internship and residency at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo. He obtained his MBA at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He has served in healthcare leadership positions for the past twelve years in various capacities.

His responsibilities as vice president of medical affairs include close collaboration with all clinical departments and associated joint ventures, the chief of the medical staff and all medical staff division and department chiefs to provide professional expertise and input into the planing and programs dealing with health care delivery at St. Rita’s. He will also be responsible for oversight of the medical staff services department and continuing medical education programs.

Dr. Casey lives in Lima with his wife, Lisa, who is a family medicine physician, and their two children.