Cheri Tune said she was shocked and humbled when she was selected in June by the Missouri Economic Development Council (MEDC) as the 2015 Governmental Member of the Year.
She has made her way up the ladder in the 30 years she has worked in the government sector and was once again promoted to director of Certified Work Ready Communities after receiving the award.
"I was extremely surprised," Tune said. "I had no idea I would be receiving it, and I was very honored."
Currently 24 states participate in the Certified Work Ready Communities Initiative that marries local businesses and education practices to ensure students are learning what employers are seeking.
Missouri was one of the first states to adopt the program since its inception in 2006 and currently has 18 certified counties and 46 that are in progress toward becoming certified.
"We've been one of the leading states helping communities quantitatively validate their workforce to prospective businesses," Tune said.
Cole County is among those that work with emerging, current and transitioning workers to earn a certificate while engaging businesses, she said.
In order for individuals to achieve the certificate they take a series of tests in applied mathematics, locating information and reading for information.
More than 2.8 million ACT National Career Readiness Certificates have been issued so far, according to the ACT NCRC website.
Counties have to work with a particular number of each workforce category, and it is part of Tune's responsibility to show employers the value in hiring workers who have earned a National Readiness Certificate.
"My goal is to see the entire state engaged in this initiative," Tune said. "I really enjoy what I'm doing. I enjoy working for the state."
Tune works with all 114 Missouri counties and does work in Jefferson City with the community and state technical colleges as well as economic development agencies such as the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Missouri native resides in Rolla with her husband of 26 years, Terry Tune, on a large cattle operation.
"When I'm not at work, I'm in muck-boots or in a tractor," she said with a laugh. She and her husband are avid hunters, and she said she enjoys being outdoors.
Her daughter, Catie Tune, is attending Missouri State University in Springfield studying animal science. She also has two married stepdaughters who live in Arkansas and Minnesota and a stepson who lives in Rolla.