A Jefferson City man is among the list of leaders who will be celebrated for progressing the field of human rights.
Eric Krekel, deputy director of the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, will receive the Lucile Bluford Lifetime Achievement Award on Dec. 10 at the virtual Missouri Human Rights Conference.
Coinciding with International Human Rights Day, the Missouri Commission on Human Rights hosts the annual conference to discuss ongoing civil and human rights topics and recognize the individuals working to advance causes related to them.
Krekel has served with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights for 43 years, starting as a Kansas City investigator in 1978. He now works in the Capital City as the commission’s deputy director, where he oversees statewide operations and helps lead program development.
In addition to strategic and budget planning, Krekel also acts as the commission’s liaison with the state Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
He also provides initial training to investigators with Missouri Commission on Human Rights and provides training and outreach to government agencies, private businesses and the public.
Krekel won’t be the only one to receive the Lucile Bluford Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s virtual conference.
Alvin Brooks, founder of the Ad Hoc Group Against Crime in Kansas City, will also be honored with the award for his work in law enforcement.
A former police officer and detective with the Kansas City Police Department, Brooks was the first Black department director in Kansas City government when he was appointed to organize the city’s first Human Relations Department.
Brooks later became assistant city manager before starting the Ad Hoc Group Against Crime, a community-based organization created in response to violent crimes in the Black community in 1977.
He was also appointed to the President’s Drug Advisory Council in 1989 and the state Board of Police Commissioners in 2010, and served on the Kansas City Council for several years.
The Missouri Commission on Human Rights will also be awarding the Human Rights Champion Award to The Whole Person, a nonprofit that has been providing independent living services in the Kansas City area for 43 years.
Serving approximately 2,500 clients each year, The Whole Person offers community-based programming to help people with developmental, cognitive, mental, sensory and physical disabilities live on their own.
The virtual conference runs 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 10. Register for the event online.