A new job for Lori Dreiling will create an opening for a new United Way director.
Dreiling, who is human resources manager for Camoplast, has accepted a similar job with Modine Manufacturing in Joplin, Mo. Her last day at Camoplast will be on Aug. 22, and she will begin her new duties in Joplin on Sept. 1.
Her husband, United Way Executive Director Duane Dreiling, will remain in Emporia temporarily with their children, Jake and Katie. Duane Dreiling will continue working at United Way, for the time being.
Dreiling does not intend to resign, however, until the family’s home is sold. Once that has been completed and another home purchased in Missouri, he and the children will join Lori in Joplin.
Dreiling said that he had talked individually with the organization’s board of trustees to assure them that the upcoming annual fundraising drive and its associated events will go on as planned.
“We want this to be as smooth a transition as possible,” he said.
If need be, he will visit Emporia from Joplin to assist in the campaign or the training for his replacement.
“My goal is to help as much as I can for the campaign,” he said. “We have a strong board of directors. With or without me, they’re going to be able to do the campaign. I just want to reassure people.”
For Lori Dreiling, the move will be a reunion of sorts. She came to Emporia from Woodward, Okla., to work at Modine Manufacturing when the company had a plant here.
“So Modine moved me here in the first place,” she said.
Emporia’s former plant manager, Jerry Retallick, called her recently to see if she was interested in becoming human resources director for him at the Joplin plant.
“And he’s the one who hired me in the first place,” she said.
Retallick has returned to the United States after working in China, and now manages the Joplin plant. Modine has gotten a substantial contract to manufacture Exhaust Gas Recirculators that soon will be required on certain vehicles, she said, and those EGRs will be manufactured at the Joplin plant. It will undergo extensive modifications and will increase its workforce.
USNretired (anonymous) says...
Too bad they couldn't have done that here. Maybe if the State Regents would put some engineering programs here we could attract some new business or some old ones back.
August 2, 2008 at 1:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Summer_Breeze (anonymous) says...
I agree--too bad Modine didn't expand their operations in Emporia, instead of closing. It's also a shame that the city is losing two excellent people like Duane and Lori Dreiling. Both of them have been involved in "good works" for the community since they moved to Emporia. Their energy, enthusiasm, and good natures will be sorely missed!
August 4, 2008 at 11:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )