COMO | February 2021 by The COMO Companies Magazines | COMO Magazine

FEBRUA RY 2021 | T HE HEA LT H & WELL N E SS ISSU E | A PU B L ICATION OF TH E B U SIN E SS TIM ES COM PAN Y

Frontline Heroes Columbia nurses rise to the challenges of a global pandemic.

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Letter from the Publisher

Stay strong and walk on

ART DIRECTOR'S PICKS Nothing beats getting lost in a good book! Check out these quick reads. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai I love stories told from the child’s point of view (like "Room"). This story follows a family as they flee Vietnam during the war. They move to the United States and meet a different set of challenges adjusting to a new culture in Alabama. It is written in verse form, like poetry.

always find this time of year as a weird in-between. It’s not the holidays, but it’s also not yet spring. It’s as dark as early, but it’s still so cold. Everyone starts strong at New Year’s with their fitness goals, but by February . . . eh. This issue felt like that to plan. It’s not at the beginning of anything new in health, and nothing has been resolved yet. No one thought COVID precautions would last this long. Vaccines are either scarier than COVID, or they’re our saving grace, depending on who you are. I also think it’s safe to say that the political landscape has threatened all of our mental health regardless of our politics. None of us can control what happens around us. But what we can do is put up and hold to healthy boundaries. One of those boundaries for me was to limit my daily news intake. I had to make a decision about what I needed most: A fully informed brain along with the emotions that came with that or room to find peace and save those emotions for my family and friends. I didn’t stick my head completely in the sand, but I also didn’t sit glued to the TV or radio listening to gloom and doom on a 24-hour loop. Instead, I chose to invest that time in positive things in my life. An example of something new that I have implemented is a fun workout routine with my daughter at Wilson’s Fitness. I’ve never been able to stick to a workout routine before, but there’s nothing like a very assertive (read: nagging) and determined 12-year-old athlete to hold you to your promises. I have found that the time I do spend with her at the gym has been priceless. The conversations have been wonderful and do my heart good. What is it that you need to add for your health this year? The important thing is not to get overwhelmed by all the options. Just pick one thing and start. If you need ideas, you can find them here in the pages of our February issue. If you need help processing

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah Sometimes Hannah’s narratives are predictable, but this one was more complex than "Summer Island," for example. Set in France in WWII, the story follows two sisters who react to the Nazi occupation in heroic ways. I read it straight through in about two days. The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel I love stories about people surviving extreme situations. This one is compelling because Christopher Knight chose his struggle. Finkel was lucky to interview Knight, a very private hermit who lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years — without ever lighting a fire.

past or current trauma, see how the Reed Miller Group approaches it on page 19. If you need ideas for creating a unique, safe place for yourself while you are staying home, see what your neighbors have done on page 23. And, if you want to look good working out or just look the part, see the stylish picks that our editor, Kim Ambra, picked for you on page 41. Lastly, there are too many good things in this issue to mention them all, but if you read nothing else, read our story on how our local nurses are coping with COVID on and off the job on page 51. I hope you enjoy reading this, and as usual, if you have any feedback, I’d love to hear from you. Stay healthy, my friends.

ON THE COVER Xavier Scott, nurse for University Hospital’s progressive care unit, provides care and support to COVID-19 patients. Read more on page 51. Photo by Justin Kelley

ERICA PEFFERMAN PUBLISHER

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FEBRUARY 2021

President Erica Pefferman

Erica@comomag.com

Senior Vice President Fran Patrick Fran@comomag.com

EDITORIAL Publisher Erica Pefferman Erica@comomag.com

Editor Fran Patrick

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Managing Editor Kim Ambra

Kim@comomag.com

Department Editor Hannah Kueck

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DESIGN Art Director Cassidy Shearrer

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Senior Graphic Designer Jordan Watts Jordan@comomag.com

Director of Photography Sadie Thibodeaux Sadie@comomag.com

Graphic Designer Kate Morrow Kate@comomag.com

MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES Account Executive Charles Bruce Charles@comomag.com

Account Executive Kendall Lappe Kendall@comomag.com

Director of Operations Amy Ferrari Amy@comomag.com

OUR MISSION

To inspire, educate, and entertain the citizens of Columbia with quality, relevant content that reflects Columbia’s business environment, lifestyle, and community spirit.

Adjusting Your Health In The Right Direction

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ON T H EM E

What do you do during the winter months to focus on wellness?

Arun Kumar Director of Account Services

Kate Morrow Graphic Designer

Kendall Lappe Account Executive

Lauren Brannon Account Manager

I stay healthy by eating well and avoiding processed sugars. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a commoner, and dinner like a frugal human being.

In our home office, my husband and I moved our desks to face the window so we get as much sunlight (the original Happy Light!) as possible throughout the workday.

I like to get outside with my pets! I also love bundling up in cute sweaters and booties when going to work or seeing friends. If you’re looking good, you’re feeling good.

Winter weather takes a toll on my motivation. Staying active by riding horses, playing with my dog, or just going for walks keeps me in shape physically and mentally!

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FEBRUARY 2021 | The Health & Wellness Issue

Publisher’s Letter

LIVING

STYLE In Pursuit of Good Health

LOCAL GOVERNMENT Inauguration Party for One

ART & CULTURE Forging a Path to Healing

21 PET FRIENDLY Caring for the Furry Members of the Family

23 WELLNESS 5 Ways to Keep the Winter Blues at Bay

HOMES Making Room

GOURMET Expert Tips for Healthy Dining Out

FRIENDS & FAMILY Reconnecting with Food

CELEBRATIONS Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri

COUPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW Amber and Charlie Goodwin

WORKING

BUSINESS UPDATE Kia of Columbia

CLOSER LOOK

PERSON YOU SHOULD KNOW Jordanne Panton

68 BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS

71 MOVERS & SHAKERS

106 THIS OR THAT Beth Bramstedt

51 NAVIGATING THE STORM Columbia nurses rise to the challenges of a global pandemic.

57 A DOSE OF COVID NEWS The COVID vaccine is finally here, but hold onto that mask for a while longer.

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Living

MAKING ROOM

IN PURSUIT OF GOOD HEALTH

The various ways readers have been adapting their homes in the time of COVID.

A great workout starts with a great outfit (at least that’s what we’ve heard).

47 RECONNECTING WITH FOOD Bamboo Nutrition is devoted to helping those with a negative relationship with food rekindle a positive one.

FEBRUARY 2021

Living

ART & CULTURE

Forging a Path to Healing Reed-Miller Group creates community through data-backed artistic workshops. BY M ARY KATE HAF N ER

hether it’s transgenerational, individual, or collective, trauma has impacted all of us. Trauma manifests itself in our bodies through aches and pains and in our minds through anxieties. Trauma prevents connection to not only ourselves but to those around us, whether that’s our family, community, or workplace. Th is lack of connection can cause misunderstanding and an overall breakdown of communication, leading to strife and mislaid judgment. With the mission to promote well-being in communities, the Reed-Miller Group engages with individuals, families, and organizations in multi-modal, integrative workshops to start the journey of healing from trauma. Through various forms of art, including music, mindful movement, and writing, RMG seeks to restore the body and mind. “Since I am not a clinician, I often engage in frontline work to build coping skills in self-regulation of body and mind,” says Renée Reed-Miller, a social scientist, organizational development consultant, and founder of RMG. At her core, Renée is an artist with a scientific mind. Her diverse childhood experiences, along with her background as a creative writer and her formal training obtaining her Master of Science in rural sociology with an emphasis in community development and organizational leadership, has equipped her with unique and essential skills in her field. Renée works with data-backed, integrated methodologies that care for the brain and body. “Think of these methods as trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive,” says Renée. “If verbal processing becomes overwhelming, we can use alternate, nonverbal activities — and avoid going too deep, to carefully maintain safety. The goal is not to retraumatize.” During sessions, Renée is joined by one or two other partners, such as an art therapist or music therapist, to work with the client. Tools are provided for individuals to come down from a threshold of stress and anxiety or overwhelm. Each instructor, including Renée, is one of many parts within a more comprehensive integrative care approach. “It’s important to maintain a safe setting and understand that healing must occur gradually,” says Renée. “We don’t dive into processing.” Sessions are designed to create “lightbulb moments” where the journey of healing begins. Workshops conclude with takeaways such as practical tools like wellness wheels, which are the keys to continued success. “In a workshop, we never assume one will find immediate healing from trauma,” says Renée. “You’re going to find cathartic ways to cope and chart your own healing journey. It’s a starting point, not something that is immediate. If there’s buy-in, the work can be done by an individual over time; it also needs to be individually appropriate and provide relief.”

“It’s important to maintain a safe setting and understand that healing must occur gradually. We don’t dive into processing.” — RENÉE REED-MILLER

HEAL YOURSELF TO HEAL YOUR COMMUNITY Renée believes that we all require a restorative and safe space to regroup, analyze our options, choose which ones suit our current needs, and set goals. RMG’s workshops are not exclusive to those feeling the direct effects of trauma. Workshops can bring an office team together for better planning and collaboration. “Community-based planning could be focused on economic development because it links to financial well-being. We don’t need to focus on selfcare or wellness in a traditional, physical sense,” says Renée. “We can reach a productive area of planning that’s transformative in community — in additional areas of community-based capital — beyond the arts and traditional wellness-based activities.” Regardless of the planning and its result, lasting change begins on the individual level. Renée’s work is rooted in the idea that, through consistent work, we can cope with our obstacles, reestablish understanding, and develop connections that will ultimately bridge together our community and design a brighter future.

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FEBRUARY 2021

Living

PET FRIENDLY

Caring for the Furry Members of the Family Five things your vet wished you knew. BY JU LES N. GRAEB N ER

r. Richard Meadows of the MU College of Veterinary Medicine shares the five things he wished all pet owners knew. TALK TO YOUR VET BEFORE ADOPTING A PET.

Vets have extensive knowledge about different types of animals and their patients, so they can help you decide what kind of pet would be the right fit for your lifestyle. “For example, if a 75-year-old person decides they want to get a Dalmatian, that’s not a good match,” Richard says, “They’re great dogs, but they have boundless energy.” He explains that an older person may be more comfortable with an animal that can live a more sedate lifestyle. Not all pets can fit every situation, so if you’re looking to adopt a pet, consider consulting with your veterinarian to see what your best match will be. PET OBESITY IS PREVENTABLE, SO TAKE STEPS TO ENSURE THEIR HEALTH.

“Like Benjamin Franklin once said, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’ You can prevent pet obesity a lot better than you can deal with it,” Richard explains. Obesity is often linked with inflammation in other parts of the body, which can cause a plethora of problems in our pets. Richard cites a 14-year study done by Purina that showed the long-term effects of obesity in pets. Forty-eight Labrador retriever puppies were randomly assigned to two groups — one group was allowed to eat an unlimited amount of food during their feeding time, and the other was fed only 75% of the amount eaten by their counterparts. The dogs that had their food intake restricted lived, on average, 1.8 years longer than the dogs that were permitted to eat unlimited amounts.

GET YOUR PETS VACCINATED.

With vaccine hesitancy on the rise for both humans and animals, it’s paramount to understand their importance. Richard explains that young animals are highly susceptible to diseases like parvovirus, which can be fatal. He also goes on to say that some diseases, like rabies and leptospirosis, are zoonotic, meaning that they can be transferred between animals to humans and can be extremely harmful for both.

Dr. Meadows with Betty the dog.

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Let’s face it. Vet bills can be expensive, but you still want to give your pet the highest quality of care that they deserve. “There is usually less paperwork and less haggling than with human insurance,” Richard says, “Animals that are insured get better care.” He goes on to say that, when a pet owner has insurance, that means their flexibility to spend out-of-pocket increases, too, which can get even better care for their pet. Pet insurance can cover the care a furry friend needs and help lower the stress associated with pet ownership. LOOK INTO BEHAVIOR TRAINING FOR YOUR PET.

“The number one reason for young, healthy animals to die in America is due to behavior issues,” Richard says, “For instance, it is not abnormal for a male dog to mark his territory. That’s a problem in the human world, but it’s not abnormal behavior for a dog.” Many animals are euthanized or surrendered for behavioral issues that could be easily solved by training, and we owe it to our animals to explore every avenue that can help them better navigate the human world.

Not all pets can fit every situation, so if you’re looking to adopt a pet, consider consulting with your veterinarian to see what your best match will be. COMOMAG.COM

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Living

WELLNESS

5 Ways to Keep the Winter Blues at Bay A licensed psychologist’s advice on staying healthier, happier, and more connected during the winter months — even during the pandemic. BY LIZ GOODWIN

s temperatures drop, daylight hours get shorter, and the stimulating colors of fall fade to gray, you might find that your dopamine levels regularly decrease in the winter. Th is changing of the seasons can bring out loneliness in us all — from a general gloomy feeling to the more serious seasonal affective disorder — and the holidays can bring feelings of grief over lost loved ones. Throw in a pandemic and canceled celebratory plans, and it’s a whole new ball game as far as “winter blues” are concerned. Dr. Shelly Farnan, a licensed psychologist and system director of diversity and inclusion at Burrell Behavioral Health, says it’s normal to feel these changes — and she has some tips on staying happier and healthier during the winter months.

TEND TO THE BASICS

Shelly’s fi rst piece of advice sounds simple but is the foundation of staying mentally well — taking care of yourself physically. That means getting enough sleep, keeping a balanced diet, getting some form of exercise, and, you guessed it, drinking lots and lots of water. “To give ourselves the best chance at overcoming loneliness, we need to do these things, and we have to be kind and gentle with ourselves,” Shelly says. “Self-care is not selfish — it is necessary.”

MAKE A PLAN TO PLUG-IN

Th ink about what communities make you feel happy, safe, and energized — and then reach out to them. Whether it’s through a phone call, a text, a Snapchat, or good old-fashioned snail mail, reaching out to people who make us feel good is a great way to accomplish goals and introduce positivity in our lives on a regular basis. “We make a plan and then set that plan in motion,” Shelly says. “[We] reach out to them in a way that feels best to us and cycle back through . . . this helps us set a goal and take action.”

EXPRESS GRATITUDE

As the saying goes, you get what you give, and that certainly applies to expressing gratitude.

Ask yourself who and what you feel thankful for and express it physically — through a phone call or by writing it down, for example. Not only does expressing gratitude help others feel appreciated, but it chemically makes your brain feel better. “Gratitude is this unsung hero in emotional health and wellness,” Shelly says. “When you express gratitude, your body creates dopamine — this critical chemical which keeps us moving forward and feeling motivated.”

PRIORITIZING PLAY — EVEN AS AN ADULT!

Although official playtime might have ended in our elementary school days, the benefits of doing something just for fun last our whole lives. Laughter and creativity can help your brain take a mental break, and you can reach this state through any number of fun activities, like music, a creative project around the house, or taking a walk with a loved one through a video call. “Ask yourself, ‘When was the last time you lost track of time? When is the last time you did something you love without an actual purpose?’” Shelly says. “There is this myth that we play as kids and then you get old and work all the time, but we are still kids at heart. And [taking time to play] actually helps us achieve more!”

“Self-care is not selfish — it is necessary.”

— Dr. Shelly Farnan

‘BE WELL’ THROUGH ONLINE COMMUNITIES

In an increasingly virtual world — a trend that was happening even before the COVID-19 pandemic — we don’t have the same opportunities to connect in person that we used to. That is why Shelly’s last suggestion is to plug into online platforms that allow for that connection with others. She invites anyone to take advantage of Burrell’s own online community called Be Well. The community, which is on Facebook, focuses on ways to put brain science into practice and experience the benefits of mindful living through self-care and connection. Shelly is a leader of the community and has enjoyed helping others connect during a time of uncertainty. “We’re having a ton of fun connecting with folks we’ve never even met before,” Shelly says. “Whoever feels disconnected and unplugged, come be well with us.”

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FEBRUARY 2021

Living

The various ways readers have been adapting their homes in the time of COVID.

HOMES

BY JENNIFER TRUESDALE

In many ways, 2020 was the year of adaptation. As COVID-19 forced many of us to spend unprecedented amounts of time in our homes, we found ourselves looking for ways to make our homes accommodate the activities that normally took us away from them. Columbians found ways to make room for home offices, home gyms, and more.

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THE HOME GYM “I wanted a place for all of us to be able to stay healthy, exercise, and release some COVID and winter-stress blues,” says Kim Becking. After overcoming breast cancer a few years back, Kim, who is a best-selling author, motivational speaker, and leadership expert, started hitting the gym to rebuild her strength. For years, she’s been working out with a personal trainer at the ARC, but the pandemic changed that for Kim — especially after contracting COVID-19 herself. She decided it was time to turn a catch-all room in her home into a dedicated home gym. With winter coming, Kim wanted a space where she, her husband, and their two teenagers could work out. “The gym would provide not just a place for physical well-being, but also mental well-being. This is needed now more than ever. There is power in movement, in exercise, in strength training — especially during tough times. It helps build our resilience,” Kim says. “I got the kids involved. They brought their weights and things from their rooms. We made a list of other things they wanted in the gym and built the room together.” The home gym has provided the family with a refuge that allows Kim to keep her eye on her future health and well-being. “I turn 50 in March, which is a big milestone for me, and I want to be strong and healthy,” she says. “I’m also excited to be able to start working out virtually with my trainer again in the coming months, and now I have a space that will work perfectly for our sessions!”

FEBRUARY 2021

The Beckings gym is not just a place for physical well-being, but also mental well-being.

The Beckings home gym is used daily.

When the pandemic began, certified yoga instructor Jessica Macy needed a home yoga studio to both practice and teach. She transformed an unused space in her basement into a yoga space. Jessica started taking yoga classes at Alley Cat Yoga three years ago and became a certified instructor in December 2019. She doubts she would have created the home studio if not for the pandemic because she would still be going to Alley Cat. “I created a space where I could teach yoga but also practice. I love going to the studio and practicing with others, but times do change. While a big part of yoga for me is

Macy created a space of her own.

The White gym includes a rower; a bike; men’s, women’s, and kids’ weight bars; a bench and rack; dumbbells; kettlebells; wall ball; yoga mats; jump ropes; and more.

the community that you practice with, it is also about respecting all living things. For me, that meant getting online to protect me, other students, and other teachers,” Jessica says. “I had no desire to teach online. Heck, I was still figuring out how to teach! But I also needed a place for me to practice where I don’t feel like the world is watching — the windows in the living room are way too big!“ She says the yoga studio is a space of her own where she can practice daily, which relieves stress and saves her sanity. For Revee White, director of marketing and communications at Missouri Employers Mutual, staying physically active has al-

ways been a priority for her, her husband, and their two children, who are 7 and 10. She says that fitness is important to their mental, physical, and emotional health, and that working out as a family helps her kids learn how important physical activity is. The gym also provides a space for the kids to do their remote P.E. class for school. When the pandemic hit, the whole family got involved in finishing an existing home gym by selecting equipment for the space. “We had the start of a home gym before COVID, and we used it periodically — primarily on the weekends or when we didn’t have time to go to the gym. During

Living

COVID, this was our primary space to work out,” Revee says. “We already had a rower and weight bars, and we gradually added other equipment. Our gym includes a rower; a bike; men’s, women’s, and kids’ weight bars; a bench and rack; dumbbells; kettlebells; wall ball; yoga mats; jump ropes; and more. We have a TV for when we want to follow along to a program like [YouTube channel] Yoga with Adriene. During lockdown, our entire family would do Zoom workouts through our gym, CrossFit Fringe.” At least one family member uses the gym daily, and Revee loves the convenience of having a home gym. “When the gym is in your home, there’s no excuse not to work out. It’s part of our routine. My husband and son still go to the gym a few times a week, but for me, I do most of my workouts right here at home. It saves me time and keeps me healthy and working toward my goals.”

HOMES

The Trabues’ two home offices are in the basement (above left) and an extra bedroom (above right) to put distance between the two full-timers. LeMieux’s setup in her basement (right) acts as a temporary art studio until she can move into a permanent studio location.

THE HOME OFFICE “Being empty nesters allowed us to adjust our home for two offices,” says Kim Trabue, the manager and secretary treasurer of PWArchitects. “[If we weren’t] at this stage in life, the shift would have been much more difficult.” Kim and her husband, Tom, repurposed bedrooms to create not one but two home offices. Tom is the chief engineer at Trabue Engineering and founder and CEO of theNextStep, a professional

training and coaching business. Tom had previously been using one of their three bedrooms for his consulting business, and Kim converted another bedroom into her office. That bedroom was originally their son’s, and years back, they added a built-in desk and shelves for him. After he left home, the bedroom became a craft room. Kim says by adding a few pieces of furniture, the room became a great office space for her.

But with the bedrooms on the same floor, the proximity of their home offices was too close, so the basement became Tom’s new office — which had previously been a long-term project he had been working on. The pandemic has had a way of accelerating plans like that.

“With only minor adjustments, Tom and I set up two home office spaces,” Kim says. “We certainly needed some separation between our offices. With him in the basement and me upstairs, it works well — except when we compete for bandwidth.”

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Living

HOMES

Kim says that she and Tom once thought they could one day share a home office, but the reality of virtual meetings changed that. Having separate spaces helps to keep out of each other’s way. For artist Madeleine LeMieux, founder and director of Resident Arts, a nonprofit that provides professional development for artists of all levels, working from home meant creating a home art studio. She also is currently attending MU to receive her MFA in painting. “While we were sheltering in place and out of classes, I was still expected to make work and have virtual critiques, so I needed space away from pets and children where I could do that. I created a temporary art studio in my unfinished basement when I could no longer use the graduate studios at the university,” Madeleine explains. “I had used the [space] previously in a rougher state when I went on maternity leave in 2018. This time, I made more of an effort to make it feel like a space I wanted to spend a lot more time in. It was always a temporary solution, as I am [now] moving into a more permanent studio space outside of my house that isn’t affiliated with the University.” Madeleine says it was just a matter of adding some rugs to the concrete floor and hanging some panels to frame out temporary walls to make the space more functional. The basement already had a sink and a bathroom to complete the space. With her husband working from home and both kids always at home, she says the space isn’t perfect, but has worked in a pinch. She plans to use the space for art storage after she settles into her new out-of-home studio.

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THE OUTDOOR OASIS In addition to creating two home offices, Kim and Tom Trabue renovated their back deck and yard to create an outdoor refuge. Years ago, they added a Trex composite deck to an existing concrete patio. In 2020, they added new patio furniture to create an outdoor living room. The yard boasts a koi pond, greenhouse, and large vegetable garden. They used Rost Landscaping to fence in a portion of their backyard to give their dogs more freedom and security. They had already planned on these renovations, but like their plans for a basement office, the stay-at-home order motivated them to tackle the project sooner.

“The deck and yard improvements allowed us to continue our Friday night dinner ritual with extended family. During pandemic restrictions, our restaurant dining became outdoor deck dinners with safe social distancing,” Kim Trabue says. “Being able to maintain our routine has been a great stress relief, and we have done something positive in supporting local restaurants with takeout from our favorites. The improvements to the backyard and deck were on our agenda before the pandemic. We just didn’t know how much we would enjoy the space.”

The Trabues’ outdoor space has allowed them to maintain routine during the pandemic.

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WHAT THE

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JAKE BAUMGARTNER

Jake essentially grew up in the furniture industry as he is the fourth generation involved in Baumgartner’s Furniture. Working very closely with his father, Alan, Jake has been devoted to the stores full-time since 2004. His greatest enjoyment, however, still comes from working closely with the customers. He is married to Sarah, and they have two active boys, Noah and Laine. Jake received his degree in finance from Saint Louis University.

By Jake Baumgartner

s we make our way into the new year, it’s time to welcome new trends and say goodbye to the ones that made their way into 2020. Here are some trends you can use to keep your space up-to-date. ECLECTIC SPACES The days of having every item and decor piece in your home match perfectly are out, and they’re being replaced with thoughtfully curated spaces that exude a cozy feel as soon as you walk through the door. Bring in a vibrant-colored loveseat or some floralprinted throw pillows to help create your eclectic space. INDUSTRIAL STYLE When it comes to creating the space that’s right for you, it’s okay to mix materials.

In fact, mixing woods and metals is a trend we will be seeing more of this year as the industrial style continues to take off. Get a taste of the industrial style in your space by adding a leather couch and openstyled wood bookcases and entertainment consoles. EARTH TONES Although the all-white interiors were loved by many, this trend is starting to fade out, and earth tones are taking their place. After spending so much time in our homes this past year, it’s time to make our spaces warm and inviting with nature-inspired color palettes. Burnt oranges, deep greens, and reds will be making their way into the home. Incorporate these tones in simple ways, such as

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adding a new throw blanket to your space. LIGHTER WOODS Lighten up your space with some light wood tones. After years of dark woods being the popular decor choice, light woods are taking over. Adding light wood pieces to your home can make the space more inviting, it’s easier to decorate with as it matches a multitude of colors, and it will make you feel as though you have more space to work and play with your designs. Is it time to give your home a fresh look? Whatever project the new year brings you, we’re here to help. Visit our showrooms in Columbia and Auxvasse and let our staff help you find everything you need to get your space organized.

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E XPE RT TIPS FOR HE ALTHY DINING OUT Eas y ways to eat smar t at res taurant s . BY AMANDA LONG

ating at a restaurant is one of life’s great pleasures, and Columbia has a diverse food scene, including a delicious list of locally owned spots, each one with its own ambience and iconic dishes. You may think that to enjoy a meal out — while being mindful of health and safety, of course — nutrition must fall to the wayside. But what if we told you it’s possible to eat healthier meals at your favorite restaurants?

Kelsie Knerr and Family

When you’re not in charge of the menu or the cooking, it is harder to control the nutritional balance of your meal — excess calories, salt, fat, sugar, and other additives can sneak their way into your favorite dishes. According to Journal of the American Medical Association, the average restaurant meal has more than 50% of the USDA's current daily calorie recommendation, nearly 90% of the daily recommended amount of fat, and 150% the daily recommended amount of sodium. The good news is that dining at your favorite local restaurant doesn’t have to mean disaster for your health. According to Kelsie Kerr, a clinical dietitian at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital, it’s possible to eat at restaurants and be healthy — you just need a few tricks up your sleeve so you can be prepared to make good, healthy choices. For Kelsie, health and nutrition have always been passions. Born and raised in Columbia, Kelsie graduated from MU’s coordinated program in dietetics. After college, she joined the FoodCorps for a year, helping school-aged children access healthy food, followed by ﬁve years at Boone Hospital as a dietitian. For the last year, she has worked in the primary care clinic at the VA, where she offers veterans nutritional support and counseling, teaches weight-loss classes, and provides weight loss surgery consultation. Kelsie says she loves the counseling aspect of her job. She says: “It’s hard to ﬁnd time to cook when you work full-time and life is crazy. My husband and I are pretty health-conscious with the way we balance our plate, and we’re budget-conscious, so we cook at home as much as we can. But we are also Columbia natives, so we have our favorite restaurants that we reserve for special occasions.”

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We asked Kelsie to share her top ordering tips that will help give a meal a nutritional boost. “At the end of the day, it’s all about balance and picking healthy and delicious foods that will make you feel satisfied rather than deprived,” she oﬀers.

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What are some of the common mistakes people make when trying to dine out smartly? Part of being intentional about food is knowing what you are eating and being prepared. It’s smart to look ahead at menus online before going out to a restaurant. Remember, you can always ask the staff to explain a menu item in more detail, and it is never a good idea to go out to eat when you’re starving.

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GOURMET

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Are there certain easy choices one could make when ordering?

Is portion size a bigger problem than most people think?

Absolutely! Try tricks like asking for sauces on the side, asking for less (or no) cheese, skipping the bread or chip basket, and substituting in extra veggies instead of heavy, starchy sides. Learn to decode the menu and choose foods that are described as baked, boiled, broiled, grilled, poached, roasted, or steamed, and avoid descriptors like alfredo, au gratin, breaded, gravy, pastry, rich, southernstyle, buttery, cheesy, creamy, or fried, which tend to mean more calories.

Portions do tend to be oversized, and it can be hard not to think about trying to get your money’s worth when dining out. You may consider minimizing how often you eat at buffets for that same reason. Splitting an order with a friend, ordering à la carte items, or asking the server to put half of your order in a take-home container before the other half is served are simple ways to avoid overeating. Some foods, like the pasta at Addison’s, taste amazing as leftovers! If you can tune in to your body, choose satisfying foods, and feel great after your meal, then you are doing something right in your relationship with food.

TIP

At the end of the day, isn’t it okay to treat yourself once in a while? Yes! It’s all about moderation. If you regularly settle for unsatisfying food or unappetizing eating experiences, you will likely continue to search for food even though you aren’t hungry anymore. There is a philosophy called intuitive eating, which encourages giving yourself unconditional permission to eat and not attaching morality to food — i.e., the mentality that a certain food is “bad” and I’ll be “bad” if I do it. Eating with the intention to feel good physically allows for far more satisfaction.

4 TIP

What meal feels like a treat but also provides critical nutrients? Seafood is nutrient-dense — a super healthy choice that can be expensive to make at home. Ordering seafood at a restaurant is always a great idea. You’ll be making a health-conscious choice, plus you’re eating a dish prepared the best way possible by a trained professional. Although Murry’s are served fried, chicken livers are chockfull of healthy vitamins and minerals, including folate, iron, vitamin B, vitamin A, and copper.

Should we be worried about our health when dining out, or is that an unnecessary stress? Don’t be so hard on yourself — food is not the enemy. If you don’t fry much at home and want to have some fried things done right, then ordering those dishes at a restaurant is a great way to treat yourself. There is nothing to be ashamed of if you decide to order the nachos bianco at Addison’s. Own it. Enjoy it. Just don’t overdo it.

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Oyster

We asked Kelsie to pick a healthy yet delicious menu option at three of Columbia’s food hotspots.

GLENN’S CAFÉ 2 9 S . Eighth St . glenn s c afe.com

Salmon

Fresh oysters on the half shell or seared salmon with asparagus: Oysters are low in calories and provide important minerals like zinc, iron, copper, and selenium as well as some vitamin D and B12. Salmon is loaded with those healthy omega-3 fatty acids and is packed with flavor, even when prepared simply.

Broccoli

MURRY’S

Chicken

3 1 0 7 Gre en M eadow s Way murr y s re s taur ant . net Lemon pesto chicken with a side of broccoli with lemon: Lean, grilled protein is always a good option, and pesto is high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and iron, and unsaturated fats. Broccoli is a colorful and tasty side that is loaded with fiber and protein.

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Salad

FEBRUARY 2021

Mediterranean salad with ahi tuna: Salads can often be a good choice, but not all salads are necessarily healthy, low-fat, or low-calorie. Look for options that feature lots of greens, vegetables, and fruits. Ordering with a vinaigrette or asking for the dressing on the side for dipping is a great way to get the flavor without overdoing it.

Vinaigrette

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A great workout starts with a great outfit (at least that’s what we’ve heard). P H OTO S BY K EI T H B O R G M E Y ER M O D EL ED BY H O P E H AW L E Y, W I L L I A M WA LT ER S , A N D A L E X A N D R I A R I N EH A R T

Mono B cropped mineral wash long-sleeve sweatshirt. From Brickwood Boutique. Mono B gray and yellow leggings. From Brickwood Boutique.

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Under Armour white menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tank. From Academy Sports Under Armour white and gray speckled sweatpants. From Academy Sports

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Mono B black harness leggings. From Brickwood Boutique Hayden pink timid sports bra. From Brickwood Boutique Hayden alpine jacket. From Brickwood Boutique

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Nikibiki denim leggings. From Glik's Dynamic mauve tank. From Glik's

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BCG black joggers. From Academy Sports Nike peach menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tank. From Academy Sports

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Reconnecting with Food Bamboo Nutrition is devoted to helping those with a negative relationship with food rekindle a positive one. BY HANNAH KUECK Content warning: eating disorders and disordered eating

e live in a world where we are constantly being exposed to diet culture, and for many, fad diets that promote fast weight loss can create a toxic relationship with food. That’s where Bamboo Nutrition comes in to help. “You can refer to us as ‘food behavior specialists,’” Isabelle Bouchard, registered dietitian and owner of Bamboo Nutrition explains. “We’re worried about your relationship with food, your behaviors around food, more so than calories-in, calories-out, or weight management,” she adds. Bamboo Nutrition is a private practice comprised of dietitians that take an “intuitive eating” approach, where the focus is on balancing food decisions between three pillars: emotions, instincts, and thought. Bamboo Nutrition also uses the Health at Every Size approach, a practice that doesn’t make medical assumptions based on a person’s weight or body type. At the practice, Isabelle and Laura Rende work with individuals with eating disorders or disordered eating — patterns of behavior that are similar to eating disorders, but not to the same extent — and, most recently, Julia Henry has joined the team to focus on chronic disease and gastrointestinal tract issues.

GETTING STARTED Isabelle Bouchard

“I love to meet where clients are at,” Laura, a registered dietitian, says. As clients come in, many of them have fallen victim to diet cul-

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COMING INTO BALANCE

Laura Rende

ture, and it can be overwhelming, especially with so many prescriptions, advice, and opinions at our disposal. “Breaking [nutrition misconceptions] down early on and letting them know that it doesn’t have to be that difficult or overwhelming to get adequate nutrition is where I start.” It’s not just putting clients on yet another new diet and hoping for the best — Bamboo Nutrition goes deeper than that. The Bamboo Nutrition clinicians cater each client’s plan to what fits their lifestyle, their body’s needs, and their preferences. It’s about connection, too. As clients walk into the office space, they are greeted with the warmth that comes from

FEBRUARY 2021

both the cozy environment and the passion of the Bamboo Nutrition team. To start, the clinic’s dietitians work to get to know each client and their relationship with food, going as far back as the client can remember. “I focus on behavior changes rather than weight changes, because there’s so much more to health than just being at a certain weight,” Laura says. The practice has worked with all ages. The youngest, Isabelle explains, was 8-years-old, while the oldest have been in their 80s or 90s. “It’s never too late to want to improve your relationship with food,” she adds.

Food has always been an integral part of Isabelle’s life. “My dad is French, so food has always been the center of everything we did,” she explains, adding that he cooked for three days leading up to this past Christmas. It wasn’t until Isabelle left home for college that she saw how common it was for people to not get excited about food. “It really saddens me to see people not looking forward to food, or when their eyes don’t light up around food,” she says. “So much of that is because of the culture we live in. We’re trying to mend that from the inside out.” Th is process of strengthening a client’s relationship with food looks different for everyone. And while there’s no set solution that will help everyone, Laura has some favorite techniques. One approach the practice uses is cognitive behavioral therapy to help reframe what food is and what it’s serving us in the moment we are eating it. Laura also loves to do meal exposures with her clients. Th is process is also different for everyone, but essentially, it’s choosing a food that someone is fearful of, or something not in their normal routine, and making it more approachable. Th is process helps clients be less fearful of the food and more comfortable buying it, eating it at a social setting, or even making it by themselves at home. “It can be

Living

“For some people, they might not get to the point where their eyes light up around food — and that’s OK. We’re here to try to help make being around food easier and help them meet their baseline energy needs, achieve nutritional adequacy, and understand what fuels their body.” — Isabelle Bouchard

really intimidating for some at fi rst,” she explains. “But over time, just seeing how that food becomes less scary for someone is really rewarding for me to see.” And that’s the practice’s ultimate goal — to improve an individual’s relationship with food. “For some people, they might not get to the point where their eyes light up around food — and that’s OK. We’re here to try to help make being around food easier and help them meet their baseline energy needs, achieve nutritional adequacy, and understand what fuels their body,” Isabelle says. Some people do achieve that passion and enjoyment for food again. “The biggest thing is just being able to be in a social setting and be present with family and friends rather than being so internally disturbed and focused on the food,” Isabelle adds.

HELP IN A TIME OF NEED Isabelle and Laura have noticed a lot of added stress on patients due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the beginning when

FRIENDS & FAMILY

food shortages, food insecurity, and lockdowns began. They add that the increase in isolation has had the biggest impact on their clients. “A lot of eating disorders and disordered eating is about control and seeking for control somewhere,” Isabelle notes. “So when there’s something like a pandemic going on, where we can’t control a lot of our lives, a lot of individuals are controlling food more.” But Isabelle and Laura have been there to help their clients in need, explaining that they’ve done a lot of meal planning, meal exposures, and pivots on clients’ meals when a food they’re looking for is unavailable. “We’re the only people in our clients’ lives that they’ll come to for an hour or half-hour just to talk about food, their relationship with food, their feelings around food, and feel it’s acceptable to do that,” Isabelle says. “We break down a lot of boundaries when they come in.”

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Co l u m bia nurses rise to th e

navIGAtINg cha l l e n ges of a g loba l pa n dem ic .

tHe BY LAUREN SABLE FREIMAN

STORM Nurses are used to a fast-paced, constantly changing, and stressful environment, but COVID-19 has challenged health care workers in a whole new way. Columbiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nurses have risen to that challenge by providing competent and compassionate care while finding the encouragement and hope they need to return to the hospital shift after shift.

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Kaitlyn Kral S

he’s still working the same number of hours each week, but for Kaitlyn Kral, a registered nurse in University Hospital’s progressive care unit, those 36 hours feel much longer and harder than they did before COVID-19 hit Columbia. “I’m absolutely exhausted,” Kaitlyn says. “I think I can speak for a lot of my co-workers. We are tired. We are exhausted. I work the night shift, and it takes me two days to recover from a shift.” Kaitlyn never dreamt she would be a first-year nurse in the middle of a pandemic, but that’s exactly what’s Ph otos by Justi n happened. She began her nursing career at University Hospital in July 2019 and says she enjoyed her job in the progressive care unit, which served as a middle ground between the ICU and the step-down unit. She spent her nights caring for a variety of patients — those admitted from the ER, those recovering from surgery, and those with infections like pneumonia. Less than a year later, her unit transformed into the COVID-19 unit, and nursing as she knew it completely transformed. “It has changed in so many ways,” Kaitlyn says. “With the PPE we have to wear now, it takes us a lot longer to get into patient rooms with the gloves, gowns, and goggles. We are clustering care, so we have to be conscious of everything we need to do in a patient’s room. We try to conserve PPE, so we try to think of everything we need and bring it all into the room at once.” Though nursing is always a stressful profession, refuges from work have become an even more important part of nurses’ lives this year — at the same time, doing certain things to unwind has become difficult or impos-

FEBRUARY 2021

Kel l ey

sible due to the pandemic. Kaitlyn says binge-watching television and doing puzzles has become her way of decompressing in a time when she can’t hang out with friends. She says being part of a close, strong team at work means that she has a good support network, and talking about what happened the night before helps her process what she’s experienced and prepare for her next shift. “I will give myself a limit for how long I can talk about something with my co-workers,” she says. “After a shift, we will vent, get it all out, talk about the hard things we’ve seen or had to deal with that shift, and then try to forget it. Sometimes it works, but not always. There are some things that you see at work that you don’t ever forget.”

XAVIER SCOTT X

avier Scott also works nights on University Hospital’s progressive care unit. Despite his one and a half years of experience on the floor prior to COVID-19, he says that when the unit transformed into the hospital’s COVID-19 unit, it was a new experience for everyone. “It was an anxious feeling going into work because you didn’t know what it would be like,” Xavier says. “I Ph otos by Justin Kelley had worked with easily spreadable diseases before as a nurse, but it was a new experience trying to care for our patients while keeping staff and the community safe.” One of the hardest parts of nursing in the age of COVID-19 is that patients are separated from family members, who often serve as a source of comfort and as advocates. Being separated from their families adds to patient anxiety, so Xavier says he spends a lot of time calming them down as much as possible. “We are the only people they see in person while they’re in the hospital, and it’s hard not having family members there to help them,” he says. “Part of my job at night is to try to let people sleep, but I also try to talk to them and give them company. It can get lonely when you’re stuck in a room all day with not much to do.” Outside of work, Xavier tries to avoid news about the virus. He’s found an escape in reading and in research-

ing and building a new computer for gaming. His wife, also a registered nurse, is another big source of comfort to him, as she understands the nuances of patient care. “I’ve witnessed more patients dying in the past few months than I had in my fi rst year and a half as a nurse,” he says. “I try to talk about my day with my wife and other nurses, and faith is a big part of my life. I also realize that my job is to help people, and when there’s not much else that can be done or things that families don’t want to do anymore, I can help them pass in a way that allows their families to say their goodbyes and let [patients] keep their dignity and be comfortable.”

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Photos provided by Boone Hospital Center

RACHEL JENNINGS R

achel Jennings is the medical specialties supervisor at Boone Hospital Center. While she’s always stepped in to care for patients around the hospital as needed, she has found herself involved with direct patient care much more frequently since the pandemic hit Columbia. Despite her 10 years of experience caring for patients as a nurse, she says COVID-19 has brought with it a whole new learning curve. “We’re always acutely watching patients, but these patients can change quicker than I’ve ever seen,” Rachel says. “They can be fine, breathing

FEBRUARY 2021

room air, and within hours, they need to go to the ICU and be intubated. It is different in every patient, and you never know what will happen. You can't look at an 80-year-old or a 30-year-old and say who is going to make it. That takes its toll.” As nurses focuses their complete attention on patients, Rachel says communicating with anxious family members has become more important — and challenging — than ever. She and her colleagues have found the delicate balance between sharing updates with families and being available for patients by designating hours of their time to make phone calls.

“I’m proud of my profession and the team I work with. None of us expected this, but we have all dug in and given it our all."

“You have phone calls coming in all day long from family members, and you can’t leave the room to get the phone,” Rachel says. “You understand what they’re wanting to know and why they’re calling, but balancing that has been stressful.” Despite long, hectic days at the hospital, Rachel says she and her colleagues have become an even closer team, relying on each other for a laugh or support throughout the day. Outside of work, they’ve created Facebook groups to help one another find ways to be healthier. “One of the hardest things, now that we’ve been doing it for so many months, is feeling isolated,” Rachel says. “We were a floor that constantly had therapists, volunteers, and doctors. We hardly see anyone anymore. The social aspect is gone for patients and for us.” As she continues to navigate the challenges of nursing during a pandemic, Rachel says she has been touched by an outpouring of appreciation from patients, their families, and the community, and she is prouder than ever to be a nurse. “I’m proud of my profession and the team I work with,” she says. “None of us expected this, but we have all dug in and given it our all.”

he primary care coordinator at Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital, Stephanie Bernard got a sneak peek into Columbia’s future when she deployed to Maryland in April and Mississippi in September as part of a VA effort to provide relief for overworked nurses. “It was a big eye-opener,” Stephanie says. “When I went, we hadn’t had a surge here in Columbia, but in Maryland, they were completely shut down and at the height of their surge. I got to bring back a lot of knowledge about what they were seeing symptom-wise and what they were doing with PPE. It was really helpful.”

Leaving town for her deployments meant that Stephanie’s husband had to take on more responsibilities at home, including taking their 7-year-old daughter to school. Friends, family, and co-workers stepped up to support her family — support that was integral to her ability to deploy. Although the pace was fast and the environment and care protocol was constantly evolving, Stephanie says the experience of a deployment, and being able to bring relief to an overworked facility, was personally and professionally fulfi lling. “It was very rewarding,” she says. “You get there, and the staff is so happy to have help, it gives

Ph otos by Mi n d y R oettgen

them new hope that we are going to beat this and that things will be okay.” Although she’s been a nurse for 11 years, Stephanie says nursing during COVID-19 looks different than anything she’s seen. Walking into a patient room used to involve simple hand-washing and putting on a pair of gloves rather than the methodical assessment of the necessary PPE. “The care is a lot different than what I did 10 years ago on the floor,” she says. “The patients are a lot sicker, there are a lot more unknowns about symptoms, and it presents differently than any disease we’ve known.” As the vaccine provides a recharge and the glimmers of hope that she and other nurses need to keep pushing through the pandemic, Stephanie says she has found comfort in support from nursing school friends and other nurses, including a nurse she met while deployed in Maryland. “We check on each other to make sure everyone’s health, [including] mental health, is stable,” she says. “Everything was different last year, but now there is new hope for 2021.”

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Wellness is a lifetime journey. ARE YOU READY TO TAKE YOUR FIRST STEP? Empowerment through movement.

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FEBRUARY 2021

A Dose of COVID News

The COVID vaccine is finally here, but hold onto that mask for a while longer. BY J O D I E JAC KS ON JR.

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the ubiquitous face covering is the forever symbol of 2020, will the vaccine syringe be the lasting image of 2021? As of January 6, at least 7,000 health care workers in Columbia had received the first dose of the new COVID-19 vaccine. Though a far cry from the federal government’s goal set a month ago, the vaccination numbers are encouraging to public health officials and local health care professionals who welcome the inoculations as the next step to ending the COVID-19 pandemic. “There’s a lot of information out there. There’s a lot of misinformation,” says MU Health Care pediatric disease specialist Dr. Christelle Ilboudo. She just happened to be at the head of the line when the shot was first administered on December 16. As the first health care professional vaccinated in Columbia, Christelle had a chance to make a statement to minority communities that are more likely to have COVID-19 — and, historically, among the most hesitant groups to seek out a vaccine, she says. “It was a statement,” Christelle explains. “I am an immigrant. I am a person of color. I chose to get vaccinated because I know it works.” As expected, Christelle says she had a sore arm for about 24 hours and some muscle aches. “It was actually easier on my body than the flu vaccine,” she adds. “Some people react more than others.”

PICKING UP THE PACE

There’s been a sluggish start to the largest federal vaccine program in history. Operation Warp Speed, the initiative to develop and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine, aimed to vaccinate some 20 million people in the U.S. in December. As of January 1, only 22 million doses had been delivered to states and about 6.6 million people had received their first shot. Around 66,000 of those were patient-facing health care workers, residents, and staffers of long-term care facilities in Missouri. The American Hospital Association has estimated that 1.8 million people need to be vaccinated daily from January 1 to May 31 to reach

FEBRUARY 2021

widespread immunity by the summer. The current pace is more than 1 million people per day below that. Before taking office on January 20, President Joe Biden announced his commitment to administer 100 million shots in his first 100 days. That plan calls for releasing most doses now, rather than holding second doses in reserve. The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services is working with state and community partners to administer the vaccine, which will be available in phases as determined by the state health department. While supplies are limited, the first phase of people to receive the shot — Phase 1A — are those patient-facing health care workers, residents, and staff mentioned above. The other phases, outlined by the state and subject to change, are: Phase 1B: High-risk people ages 18 to 64; those older than 65; first responders; and essential workers, including childcare workers, teachers, water and wastewater workers, energy workers, critical manufacturing workers, and food and agriculture workers.

Phase 2: Populations at increased risk, including prisoners and unsheltered people. Phase 3: All other residents.

ONE SHOT, TWO SHOTS

As executive director of pharmacy and laboratory services at MU Health Care, Brad Myer leads the vaccination effort there, a massive undertaking that involves three teams of 50 people. Brad is enthusiastic about the cutting-edge, state-of-the-art difference with the COVID-19 vaccine, where “pieces” of the virus are not introduced into the body via injection. Instead, decades of research with messenger RNA technology, or mRNA, has led to a way of artificially mimicking the characteristic “spikes” of the coronavirus, teaching the immune system to recognize the spikes and fight off the virus. There are still some unknowns when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine. The biggest question mark is how long immunity will last. That’s the main reason there are two shots for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

“But the biggest lesson we’ve learned with COVID is ‘everything can change tomorrow.’” — Trina Teacutter, nursing supervisor, Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services

bit of imaginative time travel is necessary to discover the wonder of vaccines and to grasp a better understanding of the COVID-19 vaccine. China began the practice of variolation sometime in the 15th century. That was the practice of giving material from smallpox sores to people who had never had smallpox. The process was done by scratching dried smallpox scabs into the arm or inhaling it. Most people developed symptoms of smallpox — a fever and a rash — but only 1 to 2% died. Smallpox killed 30% of those who contracted the disease naturally and left survivors with horrific scars and disabilities, including blindness. In 1796, English doctor Edward Jenner noticed that milkmaids who had gotten cowpox did not show any symptoms of smallpox after they had been variolated. He tested a theory on a milkmaid and his gardener’s 9-yearold son, injecting material from a cowpox sore on the milkmaid’s hand into the

boy’s arm. The little boy did not contract smallpox when he was later exposed to the virus. That’s a crash course on how vaccines work. The virus is killed or weakened and injected into the bloodstream. The body’s immune system then responds by building proteins called antibodies that will fight the virus.

The important difference with the new COVID-19 vaccines — and why it didn’t take years of research to develop and get approved — is that the vaccines use a molecule called messenger RNA, or mRNA. The mRNA tells human cells to build the spike protein or antibody, and the immune system then learns to recognize and attack it.

“We don’t know what effectiveness we’ll have with one shot,” Brad says. “The data hasn’t yet shown how long natural immunity lasts after recovering from COVID-19 or how long immunity lasts after getting the vaccine.” He says the current advice is that everyone who has already had COVID-19 should get the vaccine. He’s also waiting to see if the COVID-19 vaccine will become as regular as the flu shot. The quick success of the COVID-19 vaccine development has led to relief among public health officials, but the process has also spawned intricate conspiracy theories on social media and across the internet. Brad is quick to dispel one of the biggest false narratives. “You cannot get COVID from getting the shot,” Brad explains. “You can still get COVID

Brad says the speed in developing COVID-19 vaccines was the result of a years-long global focus on researching mRNA technology for vaccines — “Not because they’ve cut any corners.” Brad says the vaccines are safe and effective, and are still being researched. The vaccine developed by Moderna is considered 94% effective against COVID. The vaccine from Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTechare is reportedly 95% effective at preventing COVID-19. Both shots are given in two doses. The Moderna vaccine is given four weeks apart; the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is given three weeks apart. It was the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that was approved first — for emergency use — on December 11. But what about those side effects? Soreness in your arm, mild fever, fatigue, headache, and possibly even nausea and diarrhea? “That means it’s working,” says Trina Teacutter. She adds, “You can’t get COVID from the COVID vaccine.”

after getting the vaccine, but you should have less symptoms.” The use of mRNA technology, though not new, has also birthed some humdinger myths in cyberspace, including the notion that the vaccine can change human DNA. “It doesn’t change your DNA,” Brad says. “The mRNA sends a message to your cells that says, ‘Hey, make this protein.’ That’s not changing DNA.”

PATIENCE, PLEASE

In a news release, Columbia/Boone County Health Director Stephanie Browning asked for “patience and understanding” as the health department works through the vaccine phases set by the state. For more information, residents

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can regularly check out the COVID vaccine webpage, a new page on the city of Columbia’s website that provides the latest on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Residents can also fill out a survey on the website to get information about when the vaccine will be available for them and when and where shots will be given. “It’s going to come in small increments until we’re able to get everybody,” says Trina Teacutter, nursing supervisor and vaccination program overseer at the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services. “We’re kind of at the mercy of the federal government and the manufacturers.” Trina expects the COVID shot will be available to the public in “late spring or early summer.” “But the biggest lesson we’ve learned with COVID is ‘everything can change tomorrow,’” she adds. “We just need to be flexible so we can pivot. For someone who likes to stick to the plan and not deviate from the plan, this has been a growth year for me.”

BEHIND THE SCENES

Vaccine distribution involves a long, complex chain of events. Every dose must be tracked. Providers need to know how much staffing they will need. Eligible people must be notified to schedule their shots, given the vaccine’s handling requirements (the Pfizer-BioNTech shot must be stored at 70 degrees below zero, for example), and the need to observe people for 15 minutes after the shot — all while social distancing is observed. Hospitals cannot give all their workers shots on the same day because of possible side effects and staffing issues, so they must be spaced out. The three-team vaccination effort that Brad leads at MU Health Care meets twice a day with a steady flow of emails and planning to be sure the vaccination phases are on track and leading to community vaccination. “There’s a lot behind the scenes,” Brad says. “When we register you [ for a vaccine], we col-

FEBRUARY 2021

lect 20 data points. We’re talking about hundreds of people who make this happen.” Team members are also tending to their fulltime duties in other departments. “It seems so simple: Line up, give me a shot, let’s roll,” he says. “It’s not that simple.”

WHAT ABOUT THESE MASKS?

Christelle wants to dispel the notion that surviving COVID-19 doesn’t mean patients will have no lasting effects. Some are hospitalized later with blood clots. Children are susceptible to a condition called multi-inflammatory syndrome. Many COVID-19 cases have resulted in heart inflammation three to six months after symptoms subsided. Athletes have reported getting heart disease. But COVID-19 fatigue is also a real factor. “Rightfully so, people are tired. It’s been a year now living with COVID-19,” she says. “Then there’s the trauma of losing so many people. People are still dying from COVID-19. People are still getting sick.” That means the “mitigation strategies” that have been in place since March “will be here for a while,” Dr. Ilboudo says: wearing a face covering, practicing social distancing, and frequent hand washing. Brad offers a bit of encouragement for those facing COVID-19 fatigue. “One question I get a lot is, ‘Am I going to be wearing a mask forever?’” he says. “We do know we’ve got to first get a certain percentage of the people vaccinated or get the virus — which we don’t want to do.”

The information in this article was accurate at the time of publication. For current guidance, please refer to the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services.

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Amber and Charlie Goodwin Amber and Charlie Goodwin talk about their love of f itness; working together in their business, Nutrishop; and more. HOW DID YOU MEET? Amber: We met in Las Vegas at the age of 21. I was there with girlfriends celebrating a birthday, and he was there with a group of friends that knew my friends. We hung out pretty much all weekend together. We didn’t start dating until five or six years after that.

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C: I just love helping people reach and find new

goals. Health and fitness can be as simple or as complex as you or your goals want it to be. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR FREE TIME? A: I compete in bodybuilding competitions, so I’m usually at the gym or riding my bike on the trails, or playing with my dogs. C: I love doing anything active outside and

trying out new activities like weightlifting, bodybuilding, and CrossFit, among others. But to the other extreme, it’s nice from time to time to just have a lazy day where I don’t get out of pajamas and do nothing productive all day. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ART/CULTURE ACTIVITY IN COLUMBIA? A: Columbia is an active community. I love all the trails, fitness groups, and options for physical activity. C: Pre-COVID, I loved how there always

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST DATE? Charlie: We went on a Valentine’s Day hike.

She knew I wanted to go out, as I was very keen on cardio. WHAT KEEPS YOU BUSY DURING THE WEEK? A: I work at Nutrishop pretty much every day, helping customers crush their health and fitness goals. C: Working as a mailman (yes, for USPS),

doing things to help around Nutrishop, and working on my fitness goals. I keep my days on the fuller side. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO WORK TOGETHER? A: It’s just like a marriage — it takes work,

but in the end, it’s a freaking blast! C: We work well together in the shop and the

house. We try to tackle everything and go after most things with a team mentality. WHAT INTERESTS OR EXCITES YOU ABOUT WORKING IN THE HEALTH CARE FIELD? A: Seeing people’s reactions when all of their

hard work starts to pay off and you can see them fall in love with their own bodies.

seemed to be a festival or show happening or coming up with things like Roots N Blues, True/False, and Summerfest downtown. WHAT IS THE KEY TO A LASTING AND HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP? A: Communication and laughter. Charlie’s grandmother gave me the best advice that I will remember forever. “Never go to bed mad at each other, and always say ‘I love you.’” C: Having fun and experiencing new things together. Not being closed-minded and being open for adventure. WHAT IS THE BEST QUALITY OF YOUR PARTNER? A: Charlie’s warm-heartedness gives me enough

confidence to tackle anything in the world. C: She loves the heck out of me, so that’s

pretty important. She’s also my rock and is extremely dependable. If I fall, she’s there to pick me up. WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP? C: We share the same middle name, just with a different spelling. Mine is spelled Renae, and hers is Renee. And we constantly think and say the same things. She can ask

me a question, like ‘Hey, what’s that band that I like?’ and I can successfully answer that somehow. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THE TWO OF YOU? A: Lots of travel plans. Seeing the world is

the reason why I work so hard. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN COLUMBIA? C: I’m all about the meat, so either

Buckingham’s or Como Smoke and Fire. WHAT BROUGHT YOU BOTH TO COLUMBIA? A: When we decided to leave California, I

knew I wanted a completely different lifestyle. We had friends that moved here a couple of years before us, so they let my husband crash with them for a couple of months until we got our own place and jobs. We didn’t pick Columbia — Columbia picked us.

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84 SHARING FOOD AND HOPE The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri continues to provide food and services to those who need it most.

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CLOSER LOOK

FEBRUARY 2021

and in September of 2020, she did just that with the opening of Crazy Good Burritos. The restaurant serves California-style Mexican food, with a specialty of, you guessed it, burritos. But that’s not all the restaurant offers — there’s also tacos and nachos and much, much more. “We have great food for reasonable prices,” Maribel says. “I love providing food in large portions as much as I can.” She adds that sometimes, one burrito can feed a whole family. Within the next few years, Maribel hopes to open more locations, specifically on the south side of town. And as she continues to grow, she hopes to continue to provide large portions to customers at an affordable price. 815 BUSINESS LOOP 70 E. 573-447-6232 CRAZYGOODBURRITOS.COM

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In a tucked-away strip on Conley Road, you’ll find Crumbl Cookies, owned and operated by Beverly and Chad Davis. The duo opened the gourmet cookie bakery in November of 2020 with a grand opening that had cookie lovers lined outside of the shop waiting to try the newest cookie spot. “We serve big cookies,” Chad says with a small laugh. “But what’s unique about us is that we have a rotating menu.” Every week, the bakery has six cookies available. There are two staples — chocolate chip and chilled sugar — and every Monday, the four cookies of the week will begin. “We have over 100 different cookies that we offer, so every week is a new line-up,” he adds. Chad describes a visit to Crumbl Cookies as

a sensory experience. When customers walk into the bakery, they’re greeted by the staff, they can see the process of the cookies being made, and then, once they’re home, they can take that long-awaited bite. 21 CONLEY RD STE. R 573-355-5787 CRUMBLCOOKIES.COM/COLUMBIA

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At every family gathering Maribel Torres attends, the fi rst question she’s asked is “What do you want to eat?” Food has always been a prevalent part of Maribel’s life. In fact, it’s basically a tradition in her family to open your own restaurant,

In 2019, BagChasersOnly was created as an online clothing store with a mission to inspire others and motivate them to meet their goals, regardless of age. The brand offers a collection of urban apparel, and this year, the store is expanding to have a physical storefront in collaboration with Urban Kulture, a brickand-mortar store that will offer BagChasers products and support local creators around the community. “We help artists in town sell their creations, and we’ll represent them in our store,” says Gavin McHenry, one of the eight owners of BagChasers. Supporting the community is a priority for this business, they explain. “We’re always working on projects to give back to the community,” co-owner Darrius Washington explains. “Whether it’s helping with the food bank, or helping with protests downtown for gun violence, we’re always looking at new ideas to give back to the community we grew up in.” 573-639-3787 BAGCHASERSONLY2020@GMAIL.COM FACEBOOK: BAGCHASERSONLY

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Briefly in the News

F E B RUARY 2021

FEBRUARY 2021

FOOD AND D R INK

Missouri Craft Brewers Guild Releases New Collaborative Beer With the COVID-19 pandemic thwarting festivals, conferences, and other events that typically provide operational funding for the Missouri Craft Brewers Guild, the members of the guild got creative and did what they do best â&#x20AC;&#x201D; brewed a beer. Selling out quickly, the sales from this collaboration brew benefited the MCBG and support their efforts to protect and promote craft beer in the Show-Me State. Twenty-two of Missouriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

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independent craft breweries joined forces this fall via video conference and email to select a style and develop a recipe for the MCBG’s first collaboration beer, “Missouri Loves Company.” Several of MCBG’s allied trade members generously donated supplies, ingredients, and financial resources to assist with the special project.

help establish the Veterans United Foundation Patio. This is one of the largest gifts the college has received in support of the new facility. This space will serve as a hub to host programming and further build camaraderie in the college’s military student community.

BRIEFLY

helping to build a strong workforce of tomorrow. The division’s strategic initiatives and goals include convening strategic partners and organizations working on workforce development, collaborating with the business community, developing workforce development programming, and collaborating with state workforce programs.

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First Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opens in Columbia 3Fifteen Primo Cannabis, a medical marijuana dispensary located on Ponderosa Street, passed state inspection and opened its doors in December. The company will be the first dispensary open in the Columbia market. Its premier location will offer highquality medical cannabis to patients in an accessible, personal, private, and streamlined manner. 3Fifteen Primo Cannabis holds licenses for four additional dispensaries and one manufacturing facility in Missouri.

US Cellular Invests to Honor Veterans As part of its ongoing commitment to serving and honoring veterans, US Cellular announced that its Midwest chapter of Veteran Associates Leading Organizational Results, or VALOR, has invested more than $3,000 in initiatives positively impacting veterans in Mid-Missouri, including $900 in food hunting gear and wireless technology; $1,500 for National Wreaths Across America Day; and over $775 in bedding and towels for the Welcome Home organization. The donations represent just a few of the many veteran-oriented initiatives in Mid-Missouri and select communities in Illinois that the US Cellular Midwest VALOR Chapter supports each year.

EDU CAT IO N

Veterans United Foundation Makes Donation to Columbia College Columbia College and Veterans United Foundation officials announced that the foundation has made an influential $25,000 gift to the college. The contribution will benefit the Brig. Gen. Charles E. McGee House, home of the Ousley Family Veterans Center, and

G ROWTH

Columbia Chamber of Commerce Launches New Division To meet the business community’s workforce needs, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce has launched a workforce development division. The division’s mission will be to retain talent in Columbia while

“We have heard from our business community, the city, and the county that this is a need. The goal is not to duplicate what is being done already in workforce development, but to collaborate and capitalize on what is being accomplished. Columbia needs a convener to help push our community forward. We are proud to fill that role.” — MATT MCCORMICK, CEO AND PRESIDENT OF THE COLUMBIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COMMUNITY

Downtown CID Announces New Project The Downtown Community Improvement District announced the January 2021 groundbreaking of the Gateway Plaza. The plaza will consist of groundwork, landscaping, and an iconic sculpture that spells out Columbia. The plaza development follows more than eight years of planning and public engagement. The Downtown CID will lease and maintain the land from the city to complete the project. Through an extensive RFP process, done in Summer 2020, local contracting firm PEC has been hired to conduct ground and site work by late spring to coincide with Columbia’s bicentennial celebrations.

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B O O N E H O S PI TA L BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Boone Hospital Board of Trustees has announced the formation of Boone Health. Six community members were selected to join the current members of the Boone Hospital Board of Trustees to create the 11-member Boone Health Governing Board. The six community members are: Dr. Charles Bondurant: Charles has been a member of the Boone medical staff for 26 years and is a courtesy provider at University Hospital and Rusk Rehabilitation. Dianne M. Lynch: Since June 2009, Dianne has served as the 24th president of Stephens College. Under her leadership, the college has developed a strategic focus on the health sciences, including the 2020 launch of a Bachelor of Science in nursing program in partnership with Boone Hospital Center. Judy Starr: Judy has been with Central Bank of Boone County for more than 30 years and takes an active role in the community, serving as treasurer for the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri Board of Directors and as budget and finance committee co-chair for the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. Gary Thompson: Gary has served on boards of directors for many prominent local organizations, including Heart of Missouri United Way and Job Point Inc. Stacye Smith: Stacye has been with Shelter Insurance since

1987 and has been part of the company’s HR leadership since 2008. She has served on multiple boards throughout the community. William “Barry” Orscheln: In 1990, Barry became president of Orscheln Industries, a privately owned group of diversified companies in manufacturing, commercial real estate, and retail. William also serves as a commissioner of the Missouri Department of Conservation and director of Citizens Bank & Trust.

NELL CHRONISTER

Nell Chronister has joined Veterans United Home Loans as an e-learning specialist in the learning and development department. Nell previously worked as a designer at a small agency of 12 people. In her role, she does everything from creating compliance courses to internal branding to anything a department manager might need to help unite their team. Nell has her bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Columbia College. After graduating, she landed a job as a designer at Hoot Design Co.

MISSOURI EMPLOYERS MUTUAL

Missouri Employers Mutual has welcomed a new claims leader and expanded its executive team. Tim Smith has joined MEM as vice president of claims. He will provide executive-level leadership to claims outcomes, strategy,

and initiatives. Tim comes to MEM from NORCAL Mutual Insurance Company, where he served as senior vice president and chief claims officer. He has more than 25 years of experience leading and managing claims organizations. Sarah Mazzocco has been named chief human resource officer. In her new role, she will continue to lead all aspects of talent management, workforce strategy, and facility planning. Kevin Miller has been named chief operating officer. Kevin will oversee the company’s strategic value delivery as well as functions for digital transformation and information technology. Jennifer Peck has been named chief strategy and customer officer. Jennifer will lead the development of ongoing growth strategies as well as functions for marketing, customer care, community impact, and sales enablement.

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Woodhaven announced the selection of Dan Soliday as its new CEO. Dan began his new role in January. He joins the team after spending the past decade serving as the CEO and president of Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters. During his tenure there, he has helped increase the impact of the statewide organization to impact the lives of thousands of Kansans. He has an MBA from the University of Missouri — Kansas City and a long history of leading organizations through growth, transition, and change.

ORSCHELN

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S O L I D AY

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Inauguration Party for One Recapping Governor Mike Parson’s inauguration. BY KRCG 13’S KERMIT MILLER

“. . . To support the Constitution of the State of Missouri . . .” It was an interesting collection of Missouri statewide office holders inaugurated earlier in January. Four of the five on the inaugural stage were incumbents who had never been part of an inauguration ceremony for the offices they hold. The resignation of Governor Eric Greitens in 2018 triggered a realignment of officials affecting all but two statewide offices. Mike Parson became governor with a bible and an oath and nothing more. The same was true for Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, appointed by Parson to replace him in that job, but now affirmed by Missouri voters. Parson had also appointed State Treasurer Eric Schmitt to replace newly-elected U.S. Senator Josh Hawley as Missouri Attorney General. And he appointed State Representative Scott Fitzpatrick to replace Schmitt as treasurer. Likely, none of them really felt like newcomers as they took their oaths. But there’s nothing like an hour spent outdoors under an overcast sky with a biting January breeze hitting you in the face to make you feel like you’d finally earned it. The program on the capitol lawn appeared to go off without a hitch, despite long-simmering concerns about a potential exposure to COVID-19 in what could be a super-spreader event. There was a mixture of masked and unmasked attendees, and many, if not most, of the folding chairs set up were left empty, as small groups in the audience heeded the advice of organizers to maintain social distance by leaving space between them. “[COVID was] actually how we lost my father-in-law,” Sedalia resident Lisa Ditzfeld told KRCG 13 reporter Brock Higley. “So we are masked up and ready. I think we’re going to be alright. I think

they’ve got this pretty prepared for everybody to be safe.” The bigger gorilla on that lawn was the heightened need for capitol security. The January 11 Missouri inauguration came just five days after the violence at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, when a mob supporting outgoing president Donald Trump stormed the building to try to stop the certification of the presidential election of Joe Biden. It was only after the Missouri inauguration that word got out the FBI had alerted authorities to potential trouble in capital cities around the country, with an official warning about armed demonstrations everywhere in the days leading up to the presidential inauguration January 20. But it’s safe to assume police agencies in Jefferson City were aware of the FBI’s concerns before Parson and the others stepped onto that inauguration stage. When I asked her about security the preceding Friday, Mis-

souri Capitol Police Chief Zim Schwartze told me: “We understand that people have safety and security concerns right now, and they can rest assured that we have plans in place. We are very fortunate that we partner with all of our local agencies, as well as those that work inside the capitol. Our highest priority is the safety of people who visit the seat of government and will continue to be so.” In hindsight, her language was circumspect. For his part, Mike Parson focused on the positive. He titled his inaugural address “Missouri Shines On,” and kept the spotlight on 2021 as Missouri’s bicentennial year. There were lots of applause lines in the speech: “Missourians are strong . . . Missourians are courageous . . . Missourians are family!” Parson avoided specific promises. Those would come later, in his State of the State address to lawmakers. He talked instead about his desire to care for everyone, regardless of race, age, or

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“We’ll be talking about Washington, DC, every day from hereafter. Everybody has to be responsible for the decisions they make, good or bad or indifferent. That’s what I’ll say.” – G OVERNO R MI KE PA R SON

socioeconomic status. And facing a budget year depleted by a loss of revenue in the COVID economy, Parson told medical providers, law enforcement officers, teachers, and farmers they will get the tools they need to succeed. “Sunny days are ahead!” he exclaimed. It was a special day for the officeholders and their families — one filled with the pomp of an army band, a B-2 flyover, and a 21gun cannon salute over the Missouri River valley. And Mike Parson would have preferred to leave it that way. But the traditional postspeech news conference brought the crushing reality of gubernatorial challenge back into focus. There were questions about getting Medicaid expansion online, about a renewed police reform debate, and about reaching out to people who didn’t vote for him. When David Lieb, of the Associated Press, asked about local security adjustments in the wake of the U.S. Capitol siege, and KRCG 13’s Mark Slavit asked whether Parson thought Senator Josh Hawley should resign ( for pressing the electoral college challenge after the riot and, in the eyes of many, inciting the mob members in the first place), the governor winced. “We’ll be talking about Washington, DC, every day from hereafter,” Parson said in response to Slavit. “Everybody has to be responsible for the decisions they make, good or bad or indifferent. That’s what I’ll say.” Don’t expect Missouri Democrats to leave it at that. “In setting the tone for his coming term, Governor Parson could have used his inaugural speech to forcefully denounce the members of his political party who helped encourage and incite the insurrectionist mob that assaulted the U.S. Capitol last week,” House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, of Springfield, proclaimed in a statement. “He instead pretended the events that have shaken the very foundations of American democracy didn’t happen and ignored his party’s complicity in them. At this critical juncture in our history, we need leaders who will unequivocally and vocally oppose domestic terrorism. On the first day of his new term, Governor Parson failed to do so, and Missourians should demand to know why.” At that point, the inauguration party was pretty much over.

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Community Cares

Recap!

These amazing organizations help further our Mid-Missouri communities by offering programs to those in need.

During 2020, we shared over $100,000 to Columbia nonprofit organizations. This year, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be surprising non profits around town with EVEN MORE! We are so grateful for our thriving Columbia community and cannot wait to see what 2021 brings.

Together, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make 2021 our best year yet!

To learn how to contribute, visit: joemachens.com/community

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GUEST VOICE

Behind the Photographs What really goes into REDI’s projects for the community that you don’t see in photographs or videos. BY STACEY BUTTON, REDI PRESIDENT

egional Economic Development Inc. — known to most people as REDI — is a local collaboration that has worked to benefit the Columbia and Boone County community since its founding in 1988. Yet, many people still ask: What does REDI do? It’s not a short answer, as REDI has a variety of programs and works with many partners to serve the community. REDI’s mission is to help create quality, living-wage jobs that provide upward economic mobility for our residents and sustain a dynamic local economy. Some of the ways REDI collaborates to fulfill this mission come through business attraction, retention, and expansion strategic programs.

ATTRACTION REDI’s work to attract new businesses to the area may be its best well-known program. When large projects are successful, such as the Aurora Organic Dairy project, it captures the attention of the media. Pictures and videos of ground-breaking and ribbon-cutting ceremonies appear in the news. When they do, people often ask, “How does this process work?” Attraction projects come about in several ways. Usually, REDI’s first interaction with a company is when REDI receives a request for proposal, or RFP, regarding the project. These can come directly from a company, from a consultant working for the company, or most often for us, from the Missouri Partnership, an economic development organization that serves the state as a whole. A company may contact the Missouri Partnership first to determine which communities in the state can meet its needs. RFPs outline what a company is looking for in a location. Responding to RFPs requires extensive knowledge about the availability and cost of land and available buildings, infrastructure, utility capabilities, proximity to transportation, workforce, and more. RFPs often require short turnaround times. REDI staff members have been known to interrupt

vacations to complete an RFP and not miss an opportunity for our community. REDI serves as a contact point for the inquiring company throughout the attraction process, coordinating site visits and information responses from many entities across the community.

CONFIDENTIALITY Sometimes REDI projects are viewed as being “secret,” but they are not. They are, however, confidential. REDI staff and others involved in the project usually must sign non-disclosure agreements to not share details about the project. This protects the company in a number of ways — it keeps the company’s future plans confidential until decisions are finalized and protects the company’s proprietary processes. Throughout the progression of projects, updates on the progress of the project are reported at REDI’s monthly public board meetings, although company names aren’t revealed. These updates include the expected amount of investment in the project, what type of land or building is being sought, the number of jobs the project plans to create, how fast the project appears to be moving, and how promising it looks that the company may choose Boone County for a location. At the same time, REDI does due diligence on the project, including ensuring the company is acting in good faith, is in good financial standing, is compliant with any legal, regulatory, or environmental requirements, and is a good fit for our community overall. REDI also works to attract businesses that provide employees with living wages and benefits. Companies that sell products and services outside the immediate area are ideal, as that brings money into our economy and benefits the community as a whole.

BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION Business retention and expansion is another strategic hallmark of REDI’s work. Companies

already operating in the community are critically important to our residents and our economy. Companies that have operated here for a long time, which we refer to as legacy companies, sometimes need support to modernize their plants or compete for new production lines for updated products. The Kraft Heinz plant is an example of a successful expansion and retention project. Through modernization of the plant, Kraft Heinz was able to add an additional hot dog production line in Columbia and retain 375 employees. Kraft Heinz’s other hot dog production plants were later closed, making the Columbia plant the sole manufacturer of Oscar Mayer hot dogs in the U.S. Another example is Nanova Inc., a local biotechnology company. When the pandemic began to affect businesses in 2020, Nanova reached out to REDI for support in pivoting to the production of personal protective equipment. REDI connected Nanova with state programs that helped it quickly start and scale production of Novagel sanitizing hand gel and sanitizing wipes. With REDI’s help, Nanova was able to keep its business viable during the challenges of 2020 while producing much-needed PPE for the community.

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REDI also coordinates with local businesses to identify skill gaps and partners with educational institutions to ensure training programs meet employers’ needs. REDI offers existing businesses the opportunity to share information at REDI Board of Directors meetings and provides ongoing support to businesses, including connections to local and state support.

INCENTIVES Incentives are an important tool for business attraction and retention or expansion projects. Incentives are used across the nation to assist companies to locate or remain in communities. Typically, the first contact from a company, the RFP, requests information on incentives. Communities without incentives to offer are often eliminated from consideration for projects. Columbia and Boone County offer one incentive program: the Boone County Chapter 100 Revenue Bond program. First adopted by the county in 2005, it has been approved for use on five projects — four of which were for companies already operating here in full or in part. The first company to make use of the Chapter 100 program was ABC Laboratories. ABC Labs used the program as an incentive to build a new pharmaceutical research lab at Discovery Ridge Research Park rather than locate the lab out of state. The incentive offered a tax abatement of 50% over 10 years with a requirement that ABC Labs retain 224 jobs and create 50 new jobs for a total of 274 jobs. At the end of the 10-year abatement period, ABC Labs had 370 employees. And even with the abatement, over the 10 years, ABC Labs’ Discovery Ridge facility paid a total of $3,674,670.87 to our local taxing districts. These funds, and all future taxes collected from the facility (now owned by Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing), would have been received by another community without the Boone County Chapter 100 Revenue Bond program as an incentive.

COLLABORATION Collaboration is the heart of REDI. REDI brings together the City of Columbia, Boone County, MU, local businesses, organizations, educational institutions, municipalities, service agencies, and more. REDI’s mission spelled out 30 years ago is still the focus of REDI’s work today: Increase economic opportunities, maintain our community’s superior quality of life, recruit new businesses, retain existing business and assist with expansion, and support new business startups. These successful businesses create and retain jobs for our community, and the companies and their employees contribute to the tax base that supports schools, libraries, roads, public safety, and other services. REDI’s ongoing support of business in ways big and small sustains our dynamic local economy and ensures a thriving community for us all.

DID

YOU

? KNOW As we jump into 2021, let’s tune into ourselves.

Let’s take the opportunity to treat ourselves well and have the best 2021 we can. Check out these local

Stacey Button has been the president of REDI since 2015. You can reach Stacey at 573-441-5542.

FEBRUARY 2021

businesses who have our best interests at heart.

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It is believed to help with anxiety, inflammation, headaches, head trauma, epilepsy, insomnia, arthritis, gut health, chronic and acute pain and a number of other health conditions.

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DID

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Alpine Shop–Columbia Store Manager, Shell Cook, climbs at Capen Park in the Grindstone Nature Area.

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CLIMBING IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST TRENDS IN PHYSICAL FITNESS SINCE IT APPEALS TO PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND SKILL LEVELS. • Strengthens Your Muscles While Being Low Impact • Improves Your Flexibility • Challenges Your Cardiovascular System • Combats Chronic Disease • Can Help Improve Coordination

A Work of (Martial) Art Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu is making its way to Columbia to offer the community a family-f riendly experience. BY HANNAH KUECK PHOTO BY CHARLES BRUCE III

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“I actually never wanted to do [jiu-jitsu],” Oly Warner, owner of Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu, remembers. She was introduced to the martial art by her husband, who spent his days working for the Northeast Narcotics Task Force in Hannibal, Missouri, and started practicing Jiu-Jitsu as a way to defend himself without the use of deadly force. And after his first class, when he got “choked out by a teenager,” he decided to continue practicing to sharpen his skills. “When we got married, he wanted to open [Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu], which we did in Jefferson City,” Oly says. “I wanted to do it — I figured if it was our school and I was telling people to do it, then I should be doing it, too.” The couple opened the Jefferson City school in 2017. Now, three years later, Oly has found herself addicted to the art of jiu-jitsu, so much so that the couple has opened a second school right here in Columbia.

BREAKING IT DOWN Jiu-jitsu, as Oly explains, is a martial art that focuses on grappling or submissions without striking or blows. “We have students that practice jiu-jitsu for weight loss, we have some that do it for self-defense, and we have students that do it just to stay active,” Oly says. And now, as the cold, crisp air greets us, Oly explains that the school’s numbers are growing as families and students try to find new ways to stay active during the winter. Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu is a martial arts organization with schools all around the world. Each school practices the same warm-ups and the same techniques. “If you’re a member of one of us, you’re a member of all of us,” Oly explains, “So you can visit any school and be welcomed as part of the team as if you trained there your whole life.” Each class starts with a warm-up session, which can either include standard exercises

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CELEBRATIONS

2017 The Warners open Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu in Jefferson City.

2017 The school hosts its first Women’s Self Defense Seminar.

2019 Gracie Barra Jefferson City hosts its first tournament.

2019 The school hosts its first antibullying seminar.

2020 The school begins an afterschool program.

2020 Gracie Barra Jefferson City moves to a larger location.

2021 Gracie Barra Columbia opens.

like push-ups or more jiu-jitsu-focused movements like “shrimping,” which is also referred to as “hip escapes.” After warm-ups, the lesson moves on to practice a self-defense technique. Then, the class begins working on techniques that are more grounded in jiu-jitsu fighting. “These can be something like switching positions or submissions, too,” Oly explains. Classes are similar from day to day so each student knows what to expect when they come to class. Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu is for anyone that wants to learn. The school begins teaching students as young as 4 years old.

THE JOURNEY TO COLUMBIA When the couple opened their first school in Jefferson City, they saw the benefits it would bring to themselves and what it could do for other people. There were no other jiu-jitsu schools in the city at the time, and the Gracie Barra family was growing. (The organization now has 700 schools across the country.) “[Gracie Barra] has a great program and support network for any team member hoping to open their own school,” Oly explains. With all of this, the couple knew it was the right time and the right place to open their own school. As jiu-jitsu grew, the couple noticed that the people of Mid-Missouri had a demand for new martial arts. This area was ready to explore something new, something different than karate. “Although Columbia had a couple of other jiu-jitsu schools, we saw a potential for more growth within the sport and wanted to expand our Jefferson City team. We strive to provide the same family-friendly atmosphere in COMO as we have in Jefferson City,” Oly explains. With the expansion to Columbia, Oly can now expand their team, and now, she and her husband can each be in charge of their own school.

AHEAD OF THE GAME It’s no surprise that the COVID pandemic has changed what “normal” looks like for the business, but Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu has actually been ahead of the game. “Our regional and national directors have always been providing guidance and tips [regarding COVID],” Oly explains, “So we haven’t seen as many of the school closures as other health and fitness gyms have because we’ve provided students ways to stay training.” Gracie Barra has been there for its students throughout all of the pandemic stress. The school has provided a piece of normalcy in a not-so-normal time by offering Zoom classes during the times in which classes typically meet. After the community began opening back up, the school shifted to limited training where the instructors trained with families, and now, students are back at the school working on their techniques with a limited number of partners. “We’ve tried to stay ahead of the game and train the best as we can while keeping safety in mind,” Oly says. “It’s still a contact sport, but we can still limit contact, or practice with the people we’re already in contact with.” At the end of the day, it really is all about striving to have a family-friendly atmosphere for Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu. It’s a safe environment to learn, to grow, and to connect as a family. “For the kids, it brings them self-confidence,” Oly says. “They grow so much from doing the martial art itself.”

GRACIE BARRA JIU-JITSU 128 E. NIFONG, STE. E 573-397-8786 GRACIEBARRA .COM/COLUMBIA-MO/

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Sharing Food and Hope The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri continues to provide food and services to those who need it most. BY KATIE PERRY HARRIS

magine your own monthly budget. You probably have expenses for fi xed costs like mortgage payments or rent, child care, and utilities. These costs don’t change, meaning that you have to cut back on another area of your budget when you meet a financial challenge. For many people, food spending is the fi rst thing to go when the going gets tough. “One of the misconceptions is that there is one type of person who experiences food insecurity and may need access to our services,” says Lindsay Young Lopez, president and CEO of the Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri. “There is no one person or type of person who makes up our demographic.” Since 1981, the Food Bank has been providing food and, with it, hope to our community in Boone County and beyond. The Food Bank is a regional disaster and hunger relief network that acquires and distributes millions of pounds of food annually to partner agencies across a 32-county area. “We are so much larger than people here in the local community may believe,” Lindsay says. “Boone County is our most populous area, but we also take food into very rural communities in a third of the state of Missouri. That’s a large footprint.”

HELPING PUT THE NEXT MEAL ON THE TABLE As a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, the Food Bank works with 140 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other agencies to ensure food gets to those who need it most. Because of these partnerships, the Food Bank can turn every dollar into $21 worth of groceries. “We are the wholesaler, and [partners] are the resaler,” Lindsay says. Feeding America has six food banks in the state of Missouri. The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri has the largest territory in the state and is also the only food bank in the state that provides food at no cost to recipients.

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In addition to coordinating food distribution, the Food Bank operates the Central Pantry, located on Big Bear Boulevard in Columbia, where those in need can shop for food in a grocery store setting. One of the largest pantries in the state, Central Pantry typically feeds 10,000 people a month. With its mobile pantries, the Food Bank is able to reach even more people, bringing non-perishable foods, produce, and meat to low-income communities that don’t have an actual food pantry. Other programs reach across age groups, such as the Buddy Packs program, which brings nutritious food to elementary school children; the VIP Veteran Pack program, which distributes food and toiletries to veterans; and Senior Boxes, which are delivered to senior citizens, the fastest-growing demographic that the Food Bank serves. All of the Food Bank’s programs are designed to reach those in our community who need assistance, whether they just need one-time help or ongoing service. “Any one of us could find ourselves in the situation where we are the person that needs that assistance,” Lindsay says. “We are all just one tragic event — a divorce, a job loss, an illness — away from that situation where you need assistance. We hear frequently that this made such a tremendous difference that they were able to free up resources to pay for other things.” The Food Bank’s goal is to get those it serves to a point where they don’t need its services anymore. “If you take away the worry of where somebody’s going to get assistance to put their next meal on the table, then maybe we’re helping them in other ways, like paying their utility bill or rent. We take away some of their everyday concerns,” says Heather Hargrove, board chair of the Food Bank. “We’re here to help anybody,” Heather says. “You’d be surprised who needs help sometimes. These are the people who live side-by-side with us, and we can help them across all ages.”

The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri Mission Statement:

Through empowerment, education, and partnerships, The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri brings together community resources to feed people in need.

Founded: 1981

Board Members: • Heather Hargrove, Chair • Amy Schneider, Vice Chair • Kelley Frink, Treasurer • Jennifer Hedrick, Treasurer • Michael Kateman, Past Chair • Judy Starr • Wilson Beckett • David Coil • Andre Cook • Gina Gervino • Danny Hammack • Claudia Kehoe • George Kennedy • Scott Maledy • Marty McCormick • David Nivens • Jennifer Peck • Joe Priesmeyer • Janice Serpico • Steve Sowers • Tim Vicente • Todd Weyler • Mary Winter

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NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT

ADAPTING DURING THE PANDEMIC Food banks were originally built on a model focused on shelf-stable items, Lindsay says, such as those non-perishable foods that might not always have the best nutritional value. During her tenure at the Food Bank, she’s focused on providing “foods to encourage” — healthier items that include more produce, dairy, and whole grains. Now, more than 60% of the food provided on an annual basis is considered “food to encourage,” although Lindsay says it’s more challenging and expensive to procure. The normal challenges associated with running the Food Bank have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are a large, complex organization in normal times, and obviously the pandemic is anything but normal,” says Lindsay. “We’ve had to literally alter everything we’ve had to do across our organization. We’ve had to be adaptable and look to creative approaches and solutions.” Central Pantry, for example, shifted to a drive-thru only during the first wave of the pandemic. Throughout the past nine months, Central Pantry has seen an uptick in those it serves, reaching a high of 12,500 in October. Many of those people are visiting a pantry for the first time, and the Food Bank encourages anyone who may find themselves in need to reach out by visiting their website or calling. “We have compassionate people who want to help,” Lindsay says. “Don’t be afraid to reach out.” The Food Bank also relies heavily on its volunteer program, which was suspended during the pandemic. The Missouri National Guard came to help out on-site, both at the volunteer room and Central Pantry. Volunteers are just starting to phase back in, albeit in smaller numbers with the appropriate safety precautions. “We have to keep looking for the silver lining in all of this,” says Lindsay. “More than 100,000 people rely on us to provide food to them in some capacity, and we can’t let them down. We’re considered frontline workers. Our team is committed to our mission, and they have adapted and risen to the occasion in a way that is nothing short of remarkable.” Despite the challenges, the Food Bank is still working to feed people in need, as it has for 40 years. “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped us during the pandemic,” says Lindsay. “Our community has been so generous,” adds Heather. “It grabs my heart to see how generous this community is for those who are in need during this time.”

THE FOOD BANK FOR CENTRAL & NORTHEAST MISSOURI 2101 VANDIVER DR. 573-474-1020 SHAREFOODBRINGHOPE.ORG

“We are a large, complex organization in normal times, and obviously the pandemic is anything but normal. We’ve had to literally alter everything we’ve had to do across our organization. We’ve had to be adaptable and look to creative approaches and solutions.” — Lindsay Young Lopez, president and CEO of the Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri

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Reimagining the Automotive Experience

kiaofcolumbia.com | 573-442-9200 710 Business Loop 70 W, Columbia, MO 65203

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BUSINESS UPDATE

Reimagining the Automotive Experience Kia of Columbia is changing the car sales game — and you want to know about it. BY MCKENNA NEVILLE | PHOTOS BY SADIE THIBODEAUX

ith everything going on in the world, one could be forgiven for not knowing that one of Columbia’s car dealerships, Kia of Columbia, changed ownership this fall to McLarty Automotive Group which also owns all Joe Machens dealerships as well as Columbia Honda. But an even lesser-known fact is the direction this car dealership is heading. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that Matt McMahon, the new general manager of Kia of Columbia, is one of the best dreamers Columbia has to offer. “It’s been a long journey to get here,” says Matt, “I started in the car business in 2009 in Wichita, Kansas. I was going to school at

Wichita State University, working at Buckle [the shopping-mall staple clothing brand] when I ran into a guy who asked if I wanted to try earning a better living. I said ‘What?’ he said, ‘Cars.’ I said, ‘Forget about it.’” Little did Matt know his whole life was about to change. “I was 19 years old when I decided to start selling cars — and it went over really well,” he says. After eventually transferring to MU and getting connected to Machens, Matt found himself selling cars with Joe Machens Nissan, Joe Machens Volkswagen, and Columbia Honda before accepting the general manager position with Kia of Columbia.

“In the middle of October, I got a call from the McLarty Automotive team [Machens’ ownership group]. They said, ‘Hey, we’re buying the Kia store and we would like you to be the general manager to help us grow that franchise,’” Matt remembers. “I was honored and humbled. I decided to take this journey on and build this franchise up. I’m excited to be here. I spent the past 11 years of my life getting to this place.”

A NEW PARTNERSHIP Before teaming up with the McLarty Automotive Group, Kia of Columbia was not a thriving business. “Th is store hasn’t ever had the at-

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tention it deserves. Kia is one of the hottest cars on the planet right now. We have an entire new model lineup,” says Matt. “And the McLarty Group is fantastic — their approach to employee satisfaction is unparalleled in our industry. They genuinely care about their employees.” Matt sees this as an outstanding opportunity to showcase all Kia has to offer. “There’s value with a Kia — and that’s what we want our customers to see. We have a beautiful looking car with the most up-todate technology possible. And, oh, by the way, it comes in a better value than some other cars on the market.” Kia of Columbia is the only Kia store within 108 miles. “We have a large area we can service — Jefferson City, Boonville, Moberly . . . any of the small towns around us,” Matt says. “We’re anxious to have those people come by as well and check out our product and let it do its talking for itself. The Kia brand of today is different from the Kia brand of 10 years ago. They’ve done a tremendous job of marketing, design, safety, and innovation.”

A TRANSPARENT WAY TO SELL CARS If you’ve gone through the car-buying process a time or two, you know it can be difficult to find a car dealership you can trust. For many dealerships, overcoming the stereotype of the slick and fast-talking car seller can be tough. But Matt, and the entire Kia of Columbia staff, are dedicated to building a car-buying experience unlike any other. “I really don’t like selling people cars,” Matt says. “I like selling the product, providing a service, and letting customers make their own decisions. I think customers today appreciate that, especially when it’s transparent.” Having his own store is going to give Matt the opportunity to experiment and try things other stores might not. “I’m not arrogant enough to think I can think of everything car-sales-related, but I can surround myself with people who love where they work and want to see it do better,” he says. Kia of Columbia has a new motto you may hear around the dealership: “Nobody is above selling cars.” Every single employee of Kia of Columbia can help with the selling process. “We all help with making a

FEBRUARY 2021

good customer experience. We want everyone who comes to Kia to feel special, and we want everyone who comes here to know that we’re thankful for the opportunity,” Matt adds. When you visit Kia of Columbia, they won’t be like your run-of-the-mill car dealership — they’re going to listen, find a way to make it easy, be transparent with pricing, and try their best to make it as easy as possible to do business with them.

IT’S COOL TO TAKE CARE OF CUSTOMERS A distinctive aspect of Matt’s leadership is his constant ability to dream. “I would say we’re coming in with a blank canvas, and we have the ability to paint whatever masterpiece we want,” he says. “There is a tremendous amount of opportunity here. We came in and there were only three salespeople, one manager, one finance guy, and a small shop. They weren’t doing much volume.” Matt has a tremendous opportunity to build Kia of Columbia into something unique and transparent, but how does he plan to do it? He has an incredible amount of ideas. “I’m a dreamer — I like to see the bigger picture, and I love trying new things. “We want to build a culture where people have fun, want to come to work, and want to be part of a team — and where it’s cool to take care of customers,” Matt adds. “We take a lot of pride in that. It’s not going to happen overnight, but it’s definitely something we’re going to strive for.” Matt also wants to bring in people who want to work hard, be successful, and take care of customers. And, in time, it’s going to happen. Matt and the employees of Kia of Columbia want to create a fun, growing, transparent work environment, and they won’t stop until they do. “I’m excited to come in here with a blank canvas and grow Kia of Columbia,” Matt says. “We want to prove to local people that this store is a player and is going to be unique in the Columbia and Mid-Missouri community.”

KIA OF COLUMBIA 710 BUSINESS LOOP 70 W. 573-442-9200 KIAOFCOLUMBIA .COM

“We want to prove to local people that this store is a player and is going to be unique in the Columbia and Mid-Missouri community.” — Matt McMahon, general manager

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BUSINESS UPDATE

Matt McMahon

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What is REDI?

Regional Economic Development Inc. (REDI) is a nonprofit, public/private par tnership created to enhance the vitality of business and increase the number of quality, sustainable jobs in Columbia and Boone County.

Attract

Expand

Grow

New Businesses

Legacy Businesses

Entrepreneurship

For more information, visit our website or give us a call!

(573) 442-8303 â&#x20AC;˘ REDI@CoMo.gov â&#x20AC;˘ columbiaredi.com

FEBRUARY 2021

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PERSON YOU SHOULD KNOW

Jordanne Panton Powerlifter, two-time world record holder, f ive-time national champion SCHOOL

University of Missouri. EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

I graduated with my degree in health science in December of 2020. I will begin the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Washington University in St. Louis in the fall of 2021.

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HOMETOWN

Hartland, Wisconsin. YEARS LIVED IN COLUMBIA

Three. QUOTE YOU LIVE BY

“Don’t wait for the world to recognize your greatness. Live it and let the world catch up to you.” FAVORITE VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY

My favorite volunteer activity is being a big sister through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. For the past year, I was a big sister to a 10-year-old girl. I had the opportunity to serve as a role model and be her mentor. A PERSON YOU ADMIRE AND WHY

Someone I admire a lot is my mom. She’s one of the hardest workers I know, and she doesn’t let anything get in the way of her goals. I get my drive and determination from her. My mom is the reason I started powerlifting. After watching her compete in a powerlifting meet, I decided to start competing as well. FAMILY

My family consists of me, my mom, my dad, and my older brother. My parents live in Wisconsin, and my brother lives in Connecticut. WHY YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO

I’m passionate about powerlifting because I love getting stronger and pushing my body past its limits. I love inspiring other women to get into lifting weights and helping them realize it’s not just a sport for men. WHAT YOU WOULD BE DOING IF YOU WEREN'T DOING THIS

If I weren’t doing powerlifting, I would be a swimmer. I was a swimmer my whole life up until I began powerlifting when I was 13. As a swimmer, I competed at the state level and set a state record. WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WHAT YOU DO

Powerlifting is not just for men. I often hear women say they don’t want to lift weights because they’re afraid of getting bulky or looking masculine. That’s a myth. Women don’t automatically get muscular from lifting weights. More and more women are getting into powerlifting, and this is attracting younger female powerlifters.

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“I want to show young women that they shouldn’t put limits on their goals or what they want to do in life. They shouldn’t let society dictate what they can do. Instead, they should create their own path.”

twice. Although I set world records in the deadlift on both occasions, I took second place both times. In 2016, I competed in Poland, and in 2018, I competed in South Africa. The 2020 world championships were supposed to be held in Belarus, but the competition was canceled due to COVID-19. BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

The biggest lesson I’ve learned from powerlifting is that not everyone wants to see you succeed. As you become successful in any aspect of life, there will be doubters and people that want to bring you down to their level. Surround yourself with people who want you to win and who will inspire you to be your best. HOW YOU WANT TO IMPACT THE COLUMBIA COMMUNITY

I want to show young women that they shouldn’t put limits on their goals or what they want to do in life. They shouldn’t let society dictate what they can do. Instead, they should create their own path. GREATEST STRENGTH

My greatest strength is my determination. Once I set my mind to something, I don’t stop until I get there. I attribute my success in powerlifting to this. GREATEST WEAKNESS

My greatest weakness is that I’m very hard on myself if I don’t perform at my best or reach my goals. WHAT YOU DO FOR FUN

I’m a huge animal lover. This past year, I was a dog foster parent for the Central Missouri Humane Society and fostered several dogs. I also love cooking because my nutrition is important to me for my training. FAVORITE PLACE IN COLUMBIA

THE NEXT CHALLENGE YOU’LL BE FACING

The next challenge I’ll be facing will be learning to balance my powerlifting training with physical therapy school. They both require a lot of time and dedication, and it will take a lot of work and time management to be successful at both.

My favorite place in Columbia is The Iron Fortress Gym. That’s where I spent most of my time outside of school. ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF

I am most proud of my two world records that I hold in the deadlift. One record is 451 pounds and the other record is 474 pounds.

YOUR NEXT GOAL

MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT YOU

My next goal is to become a world champion. I’ve competed at the world championships

Most people don’t know that I am Jamaican. Both of my parents grew up there.

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W ha t i s i t? M ari j u an a f l owe rs , or "buds"

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W ha t i s i t? R ol l i n g t ray, to keep th e f l owe r i n on e p l a ce while ro llin g a jo int .

THE

Green LIGHT

Medical marijuana has finally arrived in Columbia. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what you need to know. BY JO N HADUSEK | PH OTO S BY A N T H O N Y JI N S O N

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or many decades, marijuana has carried negative connotations built on misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric. Only in recent years has the general public started to recognize and accept the medical and therapeutic aspects of cannabis, as numerous states have legalized marijuana for medical and even recreational use. In 2018, Missouri legalized medical use through a ballot initiative. It has been a long journey to get to this point. Marijuana is still labeled a Schedule I controlled substance by the United States government — making it technically illegal to possess and distribute — and marijuana advocacy has long been smeared by propaganda that goes far beyond the documented medical effects of the drug. The most famous example is the 1936 film “Reefer Madness,” an altogether nonsensical portrayal of marijuana smokers who go on murderous rampages, hallucinate, and essentially lose their minds. This stereotype of cannabis and its users was pervasive until the 1960s, when the “free love” and counterculture movements proudly and publicly espoused the virtues of marijuana — though this was not necessarily the best endorsement to win over public support for legalization. While the widespread use of cannabis during that era proved that you wouldn’t lose your mind and murder people after hitting a joint, it did convince many Americans that you might drop out of school, grow out your hair, and join a nomadic psychrock band. Post-1950s America connected marijuana with hippies and traded one stigma for another. Now, however, that stigma is beginning to fade. For GrassRoots Smoke Shop owner John Borland, it’s been a long time coming, and he’s excited about the increased business at his storefronts. “It’s exploded,” John says. “Once [the amendment] passed, it’s been non-stop upstream momentum — every [ fiscal] quarter is getting bigger and bigger. There are more patients and now, with dispensaries open, there’s a whole whirlwind of people who weren’t even thinking about it last year.” Perhaps because of its official illegality, many who previously avoided cannabis are trying it for the first time to help with medical conditions like chronic pain. Before, obtaining marijuana meant a shady deal and a blind draw — what was in the bag was what you got. Now, a medical patient can enter a

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dispensary and buy a specific strain of professionally-grown and cured cannabis and cannabis-derived products suited to their needs and/or preferences. If you have trouble sleeping, a calming indica strain works best. If you seek creativity and energy, a sativa strain would likely be the correct choice. If you can’t or don’t want to smoke marijuana, there are THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoac-

“There are people who are coming out who previously wouldn’t have given it the time of day because they’re seeing the advantages and how it’s actually helping people.” —John Borland

Columbia Dispensaries (approved as of January 2020)

The following medical marijuana dispensaries have been approved for operation and will open in the coming months, if they aren’t already. Following the lead of other dispensaries around the country, many of Missouri’s medical facilities offer web menus for online orders and quick in-store pickup: BBMO 3 LLC

5320 I-70 Dr. SE 573-480-0703

COMO Health LLC 4003 Ponderosa St. 240-447-5806

GRD Columbia LLC 204 E. Broadway 660-233-2359

Holistic Missouri LLC 1400 Forum Blvd. 866-217-4063

QPS Missouri Holdings LLC 1500 I-70 Dr. SW 248-255-1283

Shangri-La Columbia South LLC 3919 Peachtree Drive 573-462-0890

Shangri-La Columbia LLC 1501 Creekwood Parkway 573-462-0890

3 Fifteen Primo

4003 Ponderosa St 573-355-2866

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Columbia “Green Docs”

You can obtain a recommendation for medical marijuana from the following statelicensed physicians. You can also get connected with a licensed Missouri physician via telemedicine through Leafly.com: Green Health Docs

303 N. Stadium Blvd., Ste. 200 877-242-0362

tive ingredient in marijuana) edibles, drinks, and tinctures. These breakdowns, as seen on websites like Leafly — a catalog of the many strains of marijuana and its effects — have made cannabis consumption far more clinical and precise. Instead of obtaining a random bag of weed that might actually have the opposite of the desired effect, you can approach a budtender at one of Columbia’s medical dispensaries and obtain exactly what you need. “I’m seeing a lot more people who can use it for the beneficial medical value of it rather than just wanting to smoke cannabis,” John says. “There are people who are coming out who previously wouldn’t have given it the time of day because they’re seeing the advantages and how it’s actually helping people.”

How to Obtain a Medical Marijuana Card and Who Qualifies

Prospective patients with qualifying medical conditions can apply for a Missouri medical marijuana ID through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services after obtaining certification from a licensed Missouri physician. John says that GrassRoots can also point customers toward the right physician. You may have to bring proof of your qualifying condition to the in-person or virtual meeting with your physician. As outlined on the DHSS website, individuals with any of the following medical conditions meet the criteria for an ID: cancer; epilepsy; glaucoma; intractable migraines

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Marijuana Card Clinic

303 N. Stadium Blvd., Ste. 218 573-326-4496

unresponsive to other treatment; a chronic medical condition that causes severe, persistent pain or persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to those associated with multiple sclerosis, seizures, Parkinson’s disease, and Tourette’s syndrome; debilitating psychiatric disorders including, but not limited to, post-traumatic stress disorder if diagnosed by a state-licensed psychiatrist; human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS); or a terminal illness. With your physician certification, you can then apply for the medical card on the DHSS website. The completed application must include proof of Missouri residency, the physician’s recommendation (signed no more than 30 days prior), a color photo of the patient’s face, and a $25 application fee. Patients may also nominate a caregiver to assist with their medical cannabis usage and purchases. Care-

CBD Flower

givers must be 21-years-old and submit a separate form and a $25 fee. The base-level physician’s recommendation allots for four ounces of cannabis, but this amount can increase if approved by the physician. Patients can also apply for a $100 cultivation license, allowing them to grow up to six flowering marijuana plants at home. John himself has such a license, operating his Domestic Gardener grow stores in addition to GrassRoots to assist in DIY cultivation. “People are able to grow their own medicine instead of buying it at dispensaries,” John says. “We’re trying to build a network of caregivers and help people be able to grow at a facility where they can grow legally if they don’t already grow them at home.” The DHSS has 30 days to process applications. Medical ID cards expire after one year, and must be renewed through the DHSS 60 days prior to — and no less than 30 days before — the expiration date. “If you’re considering getting the card, you should do it as soon as possible,” John says. “The longer you don’t have it is just wasted time.”

CBD vs. THC — What’s the Difference?

When John is asked this question by customers at Grassroots, his answer is simple. “CBD doesn’t get you high,” he says. CBD (cannabidiol) is the second-most active ingredient in cannabis. An essential component of medical marijuana, it is also derived from the hemp plant, which is a cousin of the marijuana plant. CBD products do not contain THC. Proponents say the naturally occurring CBD compound possesses the therapeutic effects of cannabis without the psychoactive element, making it an option for those seeking some of the medical benefits of marijuana without getting “stoned.” According to John, long-time marijuana users might not feel the effects of CBD, but for those who are wary of the psychoactive effects of marijuana, it’s ideal. Much like medical cannabis, CBD can be consumed in flower form, as an edible (i.e. gummies, tinctures, soft drinks), as vape oil, and in various other forms. CBD is also legal to Marijuana Flower purchase with or without a medical marijuana card.

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Children Are the Future MU Health Care makes a major investment in the future of MU Women’s and Children’s Hospital and in itself. BY MI CH ELLE T ER H U N E D R ON E PH OTOGR APH Y BY K E ITH BORG M EYE R

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he mission of MU Health Care is simply stated: To save and improve lives. Achieving that straightforward goal requires careful operation and constant maintenance of multiple mechanisms — health care never stands still. New and improved technology, advances in research, and the changing health care needs of the community make for constantly moving targets. Imagine several spinning circles of different sizes, overlapping at times like a Venn diagram. For MU Health Care, one of those circles is the MU Women’s and Children’s Hospital, and it’s about to spin its way back to the university’s main medical campus. After operating for more than a decade in what began as Columbia Regional Hospital on Keene Street, Women’s and Children’s Hospital will return to a shining new pavilion adjacent to University Hospital and Ellis Fischel Cancer Treatment Center. Jonathan Curtright, CEO of MU Health Care, says the project will improve the quality, safety, accessibility, and efficiency of a health care service line vital to MU Health Care’s mission. “We’re 100% committed to Women’s and Children’s Hospital,” Jonathan says. “It’s a jewel in central Missouri to have these services right here and a big part in what makes MU Health Care shine.” Jonathan says the move was spurred in part by the need to invest $50 million in the current hospital facility just for maintenance. The university purchased the building in 1999 and opened the dedicated women’s and children’s facility in 2010.

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MU Health Care works to reintegrate Women’s and Children’s Hospital to the main campus with a completion date set for 2024.

“The building has served the university well for more than 20 years,” Jonathan says. “But $50 million is a lot to just keep things running as they have been without adding space, technology, or services.”

The Right Move at the Time

Dr. David Gozal chairs the Department of Child Health at MU Health Care. He says that, although the opening of Women’s and Children’s Hospital on Keene Street was before he started working at the MU Health Care, he thinks the move was necessary at the time: It created a separate identity for the women’s and children’s services at a time when they were lost in the larger University Hospital. “Separating children’s services from the hospital on the main campus probably helped consolidate the favorable reputation for Women’s and Children’s Hospital,” David says. “Now, we get to enjoy and contin-

Jonathan Curtright CEO, MU Health Care

“We’re 100% committed to Women’s and Children’s Hospital. It’s a jewel in central Missouri to have these services right here and a big part in what makes MU Health Care shine.”

ue working on that reputation, but we have missed not being in touch with other colleagues at MU Health and have also missed the opportunities for synergistic interactions in academic medicine, which is inherently interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary.” David jokingly says that, of course, pediatricians are the best doctors because “we tend to spoil our patients.” And he is confident the new pavilion will provide the environment they need to continue doing so. The cost for the Women’s and Children’s Hospital project is $232 million, making it the largest single investment in the history of the University. While that’s a lot of money, the price tag is significantly less than similar undertakings at other university health systems. Hospital projects at Indiana University, the University of Nebraska, and Ohio State University range from $1.2 billion to $1.8 billion. The new patient tower that will house Women’s and Children’s Hospital will be constructed on the east side of the existing University Hospital, with floors adjoining one another. A raised glass-and-steel pedestrian walkway will curve from the southeast corner of the new tower and connect with the University Physicians Medical Building. Those physical connections, plus the proximity to the NextGen Precision Health Institute and the MU School of Medicine, provide efficiencies and convenience for patient care, academic medicine, and research.

Economies of Scale

“To help drive down the cost of health care and elevate academic medicine, we need to become more efficient,” Jonathan says. Moving Women’s and Children’s back to campus will accomplish those goals — MU Health Care will no longer need to duplicate services like radiology and digital imaging, among others. “Tonight, for example, we’ll do one to three MRIs at Women’s and Children’s Hospital,” Jonathan says. “University Hospital will do 15 to 20, so the Women’s and Children’s volume can easily be absorbed into that without adding staff and technology.” He also says the move will vastly improve physician recruitment in the pediatric subspecialty. Specialties must be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. That means MU Health Care would need to recruit more pediatric neurosurgeons, for example, just to fi ll the staffing calendar. With Women’s and Children’s sharing space on campus with University Hospital, adult neurosurgeons trained to work with pediatric patients can fi ll the void. That creates better coverage, which means better patient care. “When we come back to the main campus, we will bring our identity while having the opportunity to engage in real interdisciplinary medicine,” David says. “The transition from child to adult care will be seamless, and collaboration among disciplines will make for better medicine.” The Women’s and Children’s Hospital project comprises four phases: Phase one, spanning the next 12 months, will optimize 80 to 90 beds at University Hospital and move the pediatric inpatient beds there in the fall of 2021. During phase two, they’ll complete the planning and construction of the

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new tower on the main campus with a targeted completion date of June 2024. Phase three is to move the remaining women’s services, including obstetrics, neonatal, and ancillary services, to the main campus in the summer of 2024. And phase four is to utilize the extra space of the new tower as needed to expand and improve health care services.

Growing Pains

“Like kids, during the transition, we’re all going to have to get used to sharing our room with someone else and be considerate with our adult and pediatric colleagues while doing so,” says David. “Space will be tight for a while in this process, creating tighter quarters for everyone. But the price to pay is worth it.” David describes this project as the “fi rst of a reaction chain that should lead MU Health to unparalleled heights.” As older facilities like University Hospital require updating, there will be a new facility with space to care for patients during improvements. And as the patient population demands change over time, there will be space flexible enough for MU Health Care to expand, contract, and respond. About 30% of the square footage of the new tower will be “shelled” for future growth. “Shelled,” according to Jonathan, is like building a new house but not finishing the basement right away so you can finish it as your needs change and grow. In total, 75% of the new tower will be dedicated to patient services, with the remaining 25% devoted to lobby areas and mechanical systems. Eventually, Jonathan says, every square foot will be utilized to deliver high-quality patient care.

The Right Move Now

The reintegration of Women’s and Children’s Hospital to the main campus has been in the planning stages for a while, but Jonathan says the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the timeline. The pandemic has also accelerated the growth of telehealth, spurring a 15% growth in delivering ancillary services via telemedicine. The telehealth circle is growing as it spins. According to Jonathan, changes such as these illustrate the need for MU Health Care to be nimble. Delivering care on a single campus makes those pivots much, much easier. Jonathan says the MU Health Care family is united behind the project because it benefits patients by optimizing infrastructure and providing economies of scale. “Everyone has a vested interest in MU Health Care [as a whole] rather than just their ‘side’ of things,” David says. “We have to maximize and optimize for the community and also thrive as an academic medical center if we want to lead in health care.” Th is project is not just an investment in Women’s and Children’s Hospital,” David says. “Th is is MU Health Care investing in MU Health Care while prioritizing the children in our communities. And children, after all, are our future.”

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Dr. David Gozal Chair, Department of Child Health at MU Health Care

“This is MU

Health Care investing in MU Health Care while prioritizing the children in our communities. And children, after all, are our future.”

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Working

THIS OR THAT

Mac Details Cursive Early Bird Cinema Michael Jackson Firefox

WE LOVE

9-5 Learn At your Desk

YOU BETH!

Soda Chocolate

2. Eric Church — good girls never miss church. 3. Can you do one without the other? 4. Thanks to Zoom, there’s not much difference these days. 5. A little bit of both. 6. Spring and fall. 7. Whichever one will take me someplace I haven’t been! 106

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Netflix The Beatles Chrome Flexibility Teach In a Meeting Pop Vanilla

Country

Save

Spend

Summer

Winter

Cat

Dog

Car

Plane

Business

8. I love connecting over food and conversation.

Night Owl

5. City

Optimistic

1. And Hallmark Movies Now.

Planner

Ocean

Church Life Administrator, Christian Fellowship Church

Big Picture

Improviser

Beth Bramstedt

Mountains Realistic Casual

Solo

Team

8. For Here

To Go

DISC

10. Books

StrengthsFinder 9. Magazines

Reading

Writing

Introvert

Extrovert

Podcast

Playlist

Cluttered

11.

Minimalist

9. I’m also a fan of the Enneagram.

12. Card Game

Board Game

10. And COMO magazine, of course!

Concept

Execute 13.

11. Just barely.

Fiction Text

12. I’m pretty good at Spades. 13. Integrate. 14. I’ll take a margarita, please.

Soup

Nonfiction Call Sandwich

Beer

Wine

People

Tasks

14.

18 S. 9th St. Ste 201 Columbia, MO 65201