The Regional Commission on Homelessness is pleased to announce the hiring of Layne Bourgeous as the new Director of Homelessness Response for the Joplin region.
The City of Joplin, the Regional Commission, and the Homeless Coalition have partnered to address issues around homelessness in the Joplin area. In 2025, the partners adopted the Community Plan to Address Homelessness, a city-chartered study, which gathered information and data from community groups and organizations to identify the priority needs of the homelessness services community. One of the first agreed upon goals was to hire a director of homelessness response to help align and coordinate community efforts. The City approved initial startup funds for the position to implement the plan.
Layne brings a strong background in public administration, regional collaboration, and community-centered leadership to the role of Director of Homelessness Response. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Southeast Idaho Council of Governments (SICOG), a federally designated Economic Development District, where he leads community and economic development initiatives, oversees community-based aging services programs, and works across government, nonprofit, and private sectors to strengthen community systems and support vulnerable populations.
Duane Dreiling, Chairman of the Commission, states, “Layne is especially passionate about building bridges between partners and fostering collective action to address complex community challenges. With a Master of Public Administration and a proven track record of convening stakeholders, aligning efforts, and advancing shared goals, the Commission and Homeless Coalition partners believe he has the expertise to bring people together, elevating diverse perspectives, and supporting coordinated solutions that create lasting impact. We are excited for him to get started.”
Layne reports, “I really believe the best way to tackle any community challenge is by working together. No one group can do it alone. It takes all of us coming to the table, listening, and being willing to work side by side. I am looking forward to building those connections and working together to make a real difference in the Joplin area.”
Having family in both Joplin and Carthage, Layne and his family will be moving to Joplin in May, and he begins his work April 13. After that time, he will start coordinating initial discussions with partners and community groups. He will be available for interviews at a future date to be announced.
Reference:
Lynn Onstot, Public Information Officer
City of Joplin
417.624.0820, ext. 1204
LOnstot@joplinmo.org
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