Christian Basi

Boone Health has announced that Christian Basi joined its team as director of marketing and communications on August 5. Basi had been with the University of Missouri for the past thirty-two years — first as a student intern and then for more than twenty-nine years in the university’s News Bureau, beginning as a writer and eventually being named director in 2017. At MU, he routinely offered advice and counsel to administrators and served as the main spokesperson for the university, becoming known by many as the face of Mizzou. Basi holds a Bachelor of Journalism degree and a master’s degree of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis with an emphasis in administration, both from MU. Basi is an advocate for people with disabilities, serving on the State of Missouri’s Special Education Advisory Panel and the Columbia Public School District’s Special Education Committee.  

John Scalise

Job Point’s Board of Directors has announced the appointment of John Scalise as the organization’s new president and chief executive officer. Scalise has served in the Rehabilitation Services unit at Job Point for nine years, most recently as director before his appointment as CEO. Working at Job Point since 2015, he was an advisor and then Rehabilitation Services manager six months later. He was Employee of the Year in 2016 and Administrator of the Year in 2023 from the Missouri Rehabilitation Association. He succeeds Steve Smith, who is retiring but working alongside Scalise to ensure a smooth transition. 

Talking Horse Productions  

Talking Horse Productions has selected Mary Paulsell and Randall Kenneth Jones as the company’s next executive director and artistic director, respectively. They will succeed Nathan O’Neil and Rochara Knight, who are stepping down later this summer. Paulsell, a Columbia native, is perhaps best known as president of Central Missouri Honor Flight. She also serves on the Friends of Mid-Missouri Fisher House board and is on the steering committee for Columbia’s Military Morning. Born and raised in Columbia, Jones recently returned after thirty-nine years in Washington, D.C., and Naples, Florida. An accomplished director, actor, author, podcaster and speaker, Jones places a premium on the marriage of art and income — creativity and inclusion. 

Bonni Heithold 

Dr. Bonni Heithold has joined the team at Big Tree Medical as a certified lactation consultant. She recently earned her International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) certificate. In addition to Dr. Heithold, Big Tree Medical boasts a comprehensive team of experienced lactation consultants that includes Dr. Sarah Calhoun, Calla Wood, FNP-BC, and Kortney McFall, RN.  

Lori Popejoy 

Lori Popejoy, the dean of the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing, was named among sixty exemplary professionals as the newest fellows of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization dedicated to the field of aging. Popejoy was selected for her outstanding contributions to the field. The distinction is given for diverse activities that include research, teaching, administration, public service, practice and notable participation in the Society. Popejoy is a health systems researcher. She has more than 100 publications in refereed journals and has received funding from the National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.