After nearly 27 years working in the Jefferson City Transit Division, Assistant Operations Manager Maurice Burnley received the city's Employee Service Award earlier this month.
As the assistant operations manager, Burnley is tasked with coordinating drivers' routes, assigning people to cover extra routes and finding people to fill in for absent drivers. While things normally run smoothly, he said, it can get hectic during flu and allergy season.
"There are have been times when I came in at 6 in the morning and there are five people off, so I have to coordinate a fill-in and adjust the schedules so we can get the job done," Burnley said.
Burnley has worked several jobs at the Transit Division since joining its staff in 1992, including working as a para-transit driver and para-transit dispatcher. While Burnley has only been assistant operations manager since November 2018, he served in the position from 1997-2011.
The job's long hours can be wearing and challenging, Burnley said, but helping Jefferson City residents is a proud accomplishment.
"Our customers, our riders, we help them get through each day, whether that means going to work, going to school, grocery store," he said. "They're part of the community, so I really enjoy assisting people."
Despite a couple of decades of experience, Burnley said he was surprised to receive the city's Employee Service Award for March.
"I was surprised and thankful for it and my staff," he said. "Without the staff, I probably wouldn't have even gotten an award like this. They work hard, we work together, and we get the job done."