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2017 Men of the Year: Gerald Lee

Employer Service Partners

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Gerald Lee pours himself into civic activities that help guide children and strengthen community organizations, despite a busy schedule and successful career.

Voters chose him to serve on the Springfield Public Schools Board of Education four times since 2006, and he currently leads the seven-member team as president. He also serves as a member of the Missouri School Boards’ Association.

“Working with kids and issues that affect our children has been my passion for many years,” he says.

Professionally, he also works to help other businesses succeed. As president and CEO of Employer Service Partners, Lee’s company helps businesses with human resources, employee benefits, payroll administration and risk management. In addition, Lee also has been the operator qualification program manager for the American Public Gas Association Security and Integrity Foundation providing training and education for gas utility workers across the country for the past 11 years.

His work does not stop there; Lee co-owns and operates five UPS Stores in the area with wife, Lynne.

Lee’s personal focus on the health and well-being of local youth is his driving factor and it has not gone unnoticed. He was selected as chairman of the Mayor’s Commission for Children.

“It allows me to see a high-level view of what is going on in our community that impacts our kids, especially at the early ages,” he says.

Additionally, he found his own ways to improve opportunities for young people. As a graduate of the second ever class of Leadership Springfield and the Leadership Missouri charter class, he helped create a similar model for junior high and high school students. Leadership Springfield Academy was formed in 1990 and has helped develop leadership skills in 900 local students.

“It has been very rewarding to see these exceptional students recognize and develop their leadership skills to take back to their schools and to the community,” he says. “Certainly, from a selfish standpoint, I wanted these students to learn about their community and determine how they might fit in so that they may return to Springfield to live and start their careers.”

Lee also helped launch Southwest Rotary’s Interact Club at Glendale High School, which gives students opportunities to lead and serve within the community.

Beyond motivating others to participate in civic work, Lee has aspired to make local organizations and boards function more effectively. He helped reorganize the boards of Schweitzer United Methodist Church as well as the MSBA. In both cases, working with key people, he was able to simplify and improve the boards with large buy-in and support by members.

He is active in other Springfield community organizations, including Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Discovery Center, Friends of the Zoo, Community Blood Center of the Ozarks and Springfield Area Sports Hall of Fame, as well as the Midwest Energy Association.

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