Kip Kendrick, Presiding Commissioner

Justin Aldred, District I Commissioner

Janet Thompson, District II Commissioner

Roger B. Wilson

Boone County Government Center

801 E. Walnut St., Rm 333

Columbia, MO 65201-7732

(573) 886-4305 (573) 886-4311

Boone County Commission News Release

Boone County's Upward Mobility Initiative Highlighted by Urban Institute

COLUMBIA, Mo. (June 3, 2026) - The Upward Mobility Initiative, facilitated by the Boone County Community Services Department and driven by community workgroups, has been recognized nationally by the Urban Institute and featured on the "In Their Own Words" section on the Urban Institute's website. Four of the Upward Mobility Initiative leaders were interviewed for the story, which was published May 19, 2026.

The story, "How Local Leaders in Boone County, Missouri, Are Advancing Upward Mobility for Residents," shares information about the Upward Mobility Initiative and insights from Boone County Community Services Department's Joanne Nelson, Director; Gina Jenkins, Data and Performance Analyst; Enola-Riann White, Program Coordinator, Upward Mobility Initiative; along with Affordable Housing Coalition Workgroup Facilitator Jane Williams, Love Columbia Co-Founder and Executive Director.

In 2021, Boone County was selected as one of eight counties or municipalities to join the inaugural Upward Mobility Cohort, with funding from the Urban Institute. Over the course of 18 months, community leaders from various sectors in Boone County received training and technical assistance on how to use the Upward Mobility Framework to understand and improve local opportunities for the three concepts that define upward mobility: dignity and belonging, economic success, and power and autonomy.

Boone County's Upward Mobility Initiative has brought together leaders and organizations from across Boone County to identify needs, develop goals, and establish action plans to make measurable progress. Workgroups are focused on goals related to early-grade literacy, fair and inclusive housing, and jobs and workforce development to make strides toward improving these community-identified areas of life that directly impact upward mobility and are most in need of attention in Boone County.

The story can be read at https://www.urban.org/stories/how-local-leaders-boone-county-missouri-are-advancing-upward-mobility-residents.

###