JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Greg Powell, the ARPA unit chief with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Environmental Quality, has been selected as the department’s Team Member of the Month for December 2023. He was selected for his service to the department’s Financial Assistance Center.
The ARPA unit manages a wide range of stormwater, clean water, drinking water and lead service line inventory projects related to grant funding obligated from the American Rescue Plan Act. When Powell recently accepted the position of ARPA unit chief, he was tasked with building the new unit from the ground up, including hiring five new team members to fill the unit’s ranks.
In May, Powell and his team faced an unexpected deadline. Because a $16 million portion of the ARPA funding had not been obligated with the bulk of the grant, the team had to obligate those funds by June or risk having to return them, to the detriment of Missouri communities who could benefit from the financial assistance.
Powell rallied his team and they were able to obligate of the funds in less than two months, meeting the deadline. His leadership helped accomplish this goal while he trained new team members who all had been with the department for less than six months at the time.
“Greg’s leadership has built a team culture of respect and collaboration, where ideas are welcome and everyone feels included,” said Ross Strickland, a project manager in the ARPA unit, who nominated Powell for the award. “It is an honor to work with Greg and be part of a new team with a goal of helping Missouri communities build, repair or upgrade their water infrastructure.”
Powell joined the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in March 2016 and resides in Jefferson City.