CWDB Board Member Jerrell Morton Honored with Employee of the Year Award at Job Point’s Annual Awards Banquet

Job Point in Columbia recently hosted its Annual Awards Banquet to honor key community partners, employees, and graduates from its various programs. Among the awardees was Jerrell Morton, the YouthBuild Director, who received the highly coveted Employee of the Year award. Morton has also served on the Central Workforce Development Board (CWDB) since 2022.

Jerrell has established himself as a highly regarded leader in the YouthBuild arena, sitting on numerous national and statewide committees and frequently asked by federal grant staff to guide other YouthBuild directors on best practices. He recently helped launch a formal coalition of Missouri YouthBuild programs. Despite having the opportunity to make more money elsewhere, Jerrell chooses to drive back and forth from Kansas City to Columbia every day because of his dedication to YouthBuild.

Jerrell’s mantra is that they are family, and he walks the talk daily with his staff and students. Whether it’s personally visiting an employee who is ill, mentoring a new co-worker, or calming down an upset student, Jerrell approaches all challenges using the philosophy of Love and Logic. Although the YouthBuild program is Jerrell’s passion, he is a team player at Job Point, working collaboratively with the other program staff.

To increase the impact of Job Point services, Jerrell has recently taken the initiative to establish formal partnerships with numerous entities, including local school districts. These projects allow students not slated to graduate from high school to earn their diploma by participating in Job Point programs and then walking at the graduation ceremony with their peers.

In addition, Jerrell has implemented a program at the Juvenile Justice Center so that residents can work toward a high school equivalency and obtain career readiness skills. These new initiatives don’t necessarily benefit the YouthBuild program, but Jerrell does it for the good of Job Point and the students who would otherwise be unserved.

“Jerrell’s contribution to Job Point has been immense, and his work has not gone unnoticed,” said Liz Sensintaffar, Marketing Director for Job Point. ” Jerrell consistently goes above and beyond his duties. He is an invaluable leader for Job Point and the youth in the community seeking a path to successful adulthood for themselves and for the benefit of those who rely upon them.”

Upon receiving the award, Jerrell said, “This award is not about me, but about the way this whole team works together to help our students succeed. There is nothing that I do that is not because of what we do together. It truly takes a village, and I am glad to be a part of this one.”

The Central Workforce Development Board is honored to have Jerrell Morton serve on the board, bringing that same commitment and dedication to the Central Region as he does to YoutBuild and Job Point.