From the economy to workforce, crime and homelessness, local business owners and community leaders gathered at Zimmer Midwest Communications in Springfield Thursday for our CEO Roundtable luncheon.
Who Attended: CEO’s and leaders from a number of different industries participated, including Sean Thouvenot, Vice President of Branco Enterprises, Bill Lingenfelser, CEO of Harry Cooper Supply Company, Lance Kettering, Executive Director of the Springfield Sports Commission, Aaron Owens, Co-Owner of Alpha Realty, Tim Hayes, Attorney and Founding Partner of Bishop & Hayes, Tyler Overstreet, Superintendent of Republic School District, and Will Cox, CEO of Solera Energy.
What was Discussed: Our roundtable started with an overall look at the local and regional economy, and what level of optimism each of our leaders have at the midway point of 2026. We talked about the recent high fuel costs and its effect on local industry, how to do a better job of attracting new business to our area, training our future leaders on job skills needed to succeed in the workforce, how to combat the problems of crime and homelessness, and making Springfield and the Ozarks a better place to live.
What’s Next? Our CEO’s agreed to keep the dialogue going and collaborate with each other on the key issues. Some of these leaders will be asked to make future appearances on The Elijah Haahr Show or Wake up Missouri.