Mayor Cortez talks Compass Award, General Mills plant closures

Joplin Mayor Keenan Cortez, who is also the Crothall Healthcare’s Patient Experience Manager and an associate pastor at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, was recently awarded the Compass in the Community Award. The award recognizes someone who is not only an exemplary employee, but goes above and beyond in the community as well.

Mayor Cortez joined the Morning NewsWatch on Monday and said he was honored to receive such an award.

“There are 28 different sectors, like 28 little sub businesses to Compass Group North America,” Cortez said. “Each sector had a winner, and then they had to choose a winner out of those winners to advance to the national recognition. That was me. So it’s pretty cool.”

Cortez will be rewarded with a trip as well, to celebrate with other winners as well.
“They’re going to send me to Florida for a couple days,” Cortez added. “I get to hang out in Orlando. And I got a beautiful crystal trophy already and a nice certificate. So it’s going to be fun. I’m really looking forward to the end of the month going down to Orlando and hanging out with all the other winners from all the other things that we celebrate in our company annually.”

Mayor Cortez also was asked about the two General Mills plants closing in Joplin. He noted that he essentially found out when everyone else did, though he was given a little heads up.

“I kind of found out with everybody else,” Cortez said. “I did get a call from a representative of General Mills—I don’t think (from) here in Joplin, at one of their national headquarters or something—saying ‘hey, here’s what’s coming down the pipe. Wanted to let you know before you saw it on the news.’

“I think General Mills, just like any other company with the times that we’re in, is looking at ways to streamline their business, you know, cut costs, you know, get a little bit more efficient. So, they have decided to close a couple of their plants, not only here, but in other areas across the state of Missouri. It affects about 60 employees. Those 60 employees are going to be fine. They’re going to have opportunities to go work in some of their other sectors if they so desire.”

To view the whole interview with Joplin Mayor Cortez, visit here.