Newsmakers

Dr. James Allen Ruffer was awarded the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution's Medal of Honor at the Las Vegas Country Club Dec. 4.

The honor is given to a U.S. citizen who has shown extraordinary qualities of leadership, trustworthiness, service and patriotism.

Ruffer was a captain in the U.S. Marines, a full colonel in the U.S. Air Force and a commander in the U.S. Navy during his military career, which spanned 40 years.

As a Marine Corps pilot, Ruffer flew 92 missions. He then trained to be a doctor and surgeon and served with the Inactive Marine Corps until his graduation from medical school.

He entered the Navy as a flight surgeon, serving as an officer, then transferred to the Air Force.

Ruffer was nominated for the honor by the Valley of Fire chapter of DAR.

Jason Shkorupa has been named president of the Epicurean Charitable Foundation of Las Vegas, and Kelley Jones has been named chairman of the board.

Destination Services Association, a nonprofit state tourism organization, has added four new members: Judy DiPietro, Jill Glantz, Monica Maciel and Ava Bahnam Wideen.

Katie Mueller-Lopez has been promoted to senior department manager for Pediatric Service.

A 2001 graduate of Durango High School, she has a Bachelor of Science in technical management with a concentration in health services management, an Associate of Arts in medical assisting and an Associate of Arts degree in medical office administration.

She has more than 10 years of health care experience.

She is the daughter of Peter Mueller of Las Vegas and Diane Apodaca of Placerville, Calif.

Carole Fisher received an honorable mention and was named one of the top five finalists nationwide for Modern Healthcare's Community Leadership Award for 2012.

Fisher is president and chief executive officer of Nathan Adelson Hospice.

Las Vegas City Manager Elizabeth "Betsy" Fretwell was selected as a fellow by the National Academy of Public Administration during its meeting Nov. 15-16 in Washington, D.C.

The academy is an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan organization established to assist government leaders in building more effective, efficient, accountable and transparent organizations.

Larry and Camille Ruvo were honored by the Cleveland Clinic for their efforts to ensure that Nevada residents have access to world-class neurological care.

The couple were named Cleveland Clinic Distinguished Fellows, the organization's highest lifetime honor, for their work on behalf of Keep Memory Alive and the partnership they forged to establish Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas.

John Krieger, a partner in the Las Vegas law firm of Lewis and Roca, received the Myrna Williams Children's Pro Bono Award by the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada on Dec. 7.

Krieger's pro bono work with the legal aid center involves helping children under the Children's Attorneys Project and helping abused and neglected children who are in foster care placement, institutions or wards of the State of Nevada by giving them a voice and allowing them to take an active role in their own destinies.

Paul Climer of Las Vegas received the National Customer Service Award for October from Kitchen Tune-Up, a kitchen and bath remodeling franchise.