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2010 40 Under 40: Daphne Greenlee

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When Daphne Greenlee became coordinator of the Safe Kids Springfield program in 2002, the coalition had just six active members and a budget of about $1,300.

Today, the program has more than 100 members in 10 southwest Missouri counties, and the Safe Kids Springfield coalition was named the 2007 Coalition of the Year by Safe Kids USA.

The program is one of more than 300 grassroots coalitions dedicated to preventing childhood accidents and injuries. Safe Kids Springfield is hosted locally by St. John’s Health System and housed within St. John’s Injury Prevention Center.  

“One of my goals was to rebuild the program that had been previously active and successful,” says Greenlee, who has 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector.

Through her position, Greenlee also leads pedestrian safety task forces, which bring together representatives of city, county and state agencies, school districts and volunteers and have led to more safety measures around area schools.

Other professional involvement includes membership on statewide and area committees, and she’s also a certified child passenger safety technician instructor through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a National Safety Council-certified pediatric and adult CPR and first aid instructor trainer. 
Greenlee is secretary of the Marshfield Basketball Booster Club, a member of the Marshfield Parent-Teacher Support Group, member of Ozarks Business Women of Missouri and a teacher at Marshfield First Baptist Church.

Whatever she’s doing, Greenlee says the most important factor in helping others succeed is to provide opportunities for growth and serve as a mentor and role model. 
“I believe each person should focus on how they can leave the world – or a situation – in a better position than they found it in,” she says.

She is most proud of her leadership role in the development of Safe Kids Boot Camp, a weeklong summer safety camp for area children. In 2009, the camp earned Greenlee the 2009 Springfield Safe Community & Injury Prevention Award.

Greenlee says the most rewarding part for her was hearing from a past camper after a serious scooter crash that left him with a broken arm and stitches in his chin.

“Today, his parents attest that he was saved from serious head injury because he was wearing his helmet, which was destroyed in the crash,” Greenlee said. “These types of success stories keep me and other injury prevention specialists working tirelessly to protect children.”[[In-content Ad]]

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