Irene Crawford showed strong leadership in the development of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources's Compliance Training Project.
The online training portal went live in March after only 12 months, in which more than 175 modules of training topics were developed to assist new and existing staff to perform their jobs more efficiently and effectively.
The modules establish the base level of performance and knowledge that employees are expected to understand and use, said Executive Sherry Wiggans, who nominated Crawford for the State Employee of the Month.
"Irene has long been an advocate of staff training," Wiggans said. "As chair of this work group, she had a vision of providing staff with complete, convenient and effective training.
"It was Irene's leadership, efforts and enthusiasm that produced high quality and comprehensive results in a short time."
The project was completed without additional budget costs, and all work group members continued their regular job duties.
"The cost savings from having this training available for staff from the first day of employment at their computer is significant," Wiggans said. "The improvement to staff knowledge and work performance are just beginning to emerge and are expected to increase."
Crawford has been the regional director for the Northeast Regional Office since 1999. She is an effective motivator and has instilled pride in quality work among her eight staff members, Wiggans said.
She works many additional hours responding to late-night security calls, completing guidance as the office liaison and other unexpected duties.
"She is creative and fair, but believes in working hard to accomplish results," Wiggans said.
The State Employee of the Month is selected by the State Employee of the Month Selection Committee from among nominations submitted by the 16 state departments and some elected offices. The six committee members also are members of the State Training Advisory Council.