Caitlyn Adams named new executive director of Missouri Jobs with Justice

Replaces longtime director Lara Granich

By TIM ROWDEN

Editor

Caitlyn Adams has been named the new executive director of Missouri Jobs with Justice. She replaces Lara Granich who is leaving the post after 15 years to take on special projects dealing with ballot issues.

Apart from Jobs with Justice Granich is also working with the Rev. Starsky Wilson of Deaconess Foundation and a group of his colleagues dealing with philanthropy in the state.

Granich was one of the founding board members of Jobs with Justice (JwJ) and became the founding staff person of JwJ in Missouri in 2002. Since that time, JwJ has been key to successful campaigns to stop right to work, raise the minimum wage and protect affirmative action.

Adams, who is based in Kansas City, has been an organizer and served as deputy director of Missouri JwJ.

“Her experience, skills and leadership abilities are why the Board of Directors selected her for this new challenge,” Granich said in an email to JwJ supporters. “I know she will lead us into the new year stronger than ever.

“The stakes couldn’t be higher right now for the families of Missouri, and we’re up against politicians and corporations who are intent on making things worse for workers,” Granich said. But I’m more confident than ever that we have the people, the plan and the power to get things back on track — with higher wages, safer workplaces and an economy that works for everyone.”

In her previous role, Adams ran the JwJ push on a local ordinance to increase the minimum wage in Kansas City. She also managed staff, work plans and campaigns, and oversaw grass roots fundraising and grant writing.

Going forward, Adams said JwJ is continuing its solidarity work to support workplace fights and protect workers’ rights among its member organizations, while working to increase its reach outside of St. Louis and Kansas City.

“We’ve got to be talking to voters in every corner of the state, not just the urban hubs,” Adams said.

That includes continuing to be a leader on increasing the minimum wage, democracy reform and supporting the Missouri AFL-CIO’s ballot initiative banning “right-to-work” laws.

“Jobs with Justice is going to be leading efforts to increase the minimum wage and fix the political system, leading the way toward real ethics reform and getting big money out of politics,” Adams said.