Opinion: These honorees are building a brighter future

Dwayne Fulk

At City Utilities, we often talk about building connections. Not just literal connections like power lines and fiber networks, but true, lasting connections within our community that create a better quality of life for everyone in Springfield. That’s why it’s such an honor to congratulate the honorees of the 2025 Economic Impact Awards who demonstrate this commitment through their work every day. The contributions of these businesses and individuals go far beyond making an economic impact. They are community builders who bring ideas to life, invest in others and whose efforts help shape the future of Springfield.

We know that being successful goes far beyond dollars and cents. It’s about the lives impacted, the opportunities created and the legacy left behind. At City Utilities, we’re proud to serve our community and customers, but our commitment goes deeper. We live here, we work here and we care deeply about the future of this region. The honorees we celebrate today also share that deep commitment to building something meaningful.

No one exemplifies the spirit of giving back more than this year’s Lifetime Achievement in Business recipient, Doug Pitt. Doug has long demonstrated what it means to build with purpose. In 2008, he founded Care to Learn to meet students’ most basic needs – health, hunger and hygiene – so they can focus on learning and growing. What began as a simple act of meeting a need has grown into more than 45 chapters across Missouri which have addressed over 4.2 million individual needs so far. That’s not just a humanitarian triumph – it’s an economic one. When children succeed, our whole community succeeds.

Doug’s vision has made a lasting difference and his impact is undeniable. Congratulations to Doug on adding to an already distinguished list of honors. While I suspect he doesn’t do it for the accolades, I am glad to take this opportunity to thank him and honor his work. He’s led successful business ventures and championed causes that will benefit this region for generations.

To all the finalists and honorees: Thank you for your commitment to innovation, service and community. Your work helps make Springfield a place where people want to live, work and thrive.

Together, we are building a brighter future.

Dwayne Fulk is the president and CEO of City Utilities of Springfield, a recipient of a 2024 Springfield Business Journal Economic Impact Award. He can be reached at dwayne.fulk@cityutilities.net.