Springfield Victory Mission cuts jobs, closes restaurant

Amid budget cuts, Springfield Victory Mission Inc. this month laid off a handful of employees and closed a restaurant operated by its Victory Trade School.

Victory Mission Executive Director Jim Harriger said the faith-based, poverty-fighting nonprofit reduced its expense budget 10 percent to $2.9 million for 2014.

"We've observed the county having to make cuts. We've watched other businesses make cuts. We've worked hard during the past two years to build income," Harriger said. "It came to a point to where it was necessary to where we had to cut expenses."

Among the five employees let go was VTS President Victoria Queen, whose last day was Jan. 2, Harriger said. Queen was hired in 2001 by Victory Mission board members and Harriger to create the school, a postsecondary culinary arts institution for troubled students that opened in 2003, according to Springfield Business Journal archives. Among SBJ's 2012 class of Most Influential Women, Queen also has served on the board of directors for the Community Alternative Sentencing Program Inc. and as a member of the North Springfield Betterment Association and the American Culinary Federation.

Two other administrative jobs were cut from the trade school, as well as two in Victory Mission's development office, Harriger said. He noted leadership of the trade school has passed to compliance officer David Myers, who is serving as interim chief administrative officer. Victory Mission's board of directors hasn't decided whether to fill the post permanently, Harriger said.

Harriger said Victory Mission also will reduce the nonprofit's vehicle fleet by up to two vehicles and close one of the trade school's two restaurants. That means one less opportunity for VTS students, who started the spring semester Jan. 6.

The Branch Bistro, which was operated in leased space at the Assemblies of God Headquarters, 1445 Boonville Ave., closed Jan. 3, Harriger said. VTS continues to operate The Cook's Kettle restaurant, 200 W. Commercial St., which allows students to get on-the-job training. VTS graduated about 20 students this winter and a couple immediately entered the workforce with jobs at Twin Oaks Country Club and Big Cedar Lodge.