Encouraging Community Recovery and Company Growth
Jane has had two career paths - one was traditional and the other she never saw coming.
For over 25 years she was an entrepreneur and small business owner running the internal operations of a regional IT networking company. The grew from one location to seven through M&A and she managed the systems integration, internal software, accounting and HR functions. She was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in the IT Channel and inducted into the CompTIA IT Hall of Fame. The partners sold to new ownership in 2012. For the last 10 years, she has also been active as a facilitator for peer groups and assisting companies with their strategic planning process. She continues to enjoy helping companies move forward.
In May of 2011 Joplin, Missouri was devastated by an EF-5 tornado that destroyed 1/3 of our city. Since that time, she's been heavily involved in the community's recovery as a volunteer that led the CART (Citizens Advisory Recovery Team) that worked to develop a long-term vision for Joplin. She has seen firsthand what difficult work long-term community recovery really is and has had opportunities to work with cities across the country.
Her goal is to find ways that communities can share what they have learned after disasters to help others recover faster and better.
Since 1993
"Jane Cage, of the Joplin Citizens Advisory Recovery Team, is a true asset for Missouri. Jane offers a highly useful review of how CART engaged the citizenry to get their ideas about the community they wanted Joplin to be as it moved forward.
Discussions of long-term recovery efforts are often abstract and intangible, but Jane has provided a practical framework to help guide us through the planning and engagement process that made the most of the Joplin community's vision."
Ron Walker - Missouri SEMA Director
“I know the Joplin community has a bright future ahead because of residents like Jane Cage who exhibited great leadership and resolve in the aftermath of the tornado. Though lives were lost and homes and businesses destroyed the one thing the tornado did not take is the sense of community that makes Joplin a welcoming place. I want to congratulate Jane on receiving this award (Rick Rescorla National Award for Resilience awarded by the Dept. of Homeland Security), and thank her for all her work and dedication in helping Joplin rebuild. I could not be any happier for or prouder of Jane and the entire Joplin community.
Billy Long - U.S. Representative