Former BCFO director now CEO at Morelock Builders

Photo provided by Crystal Webster

Crystal Webster leads Morelock Builders with owner and President Wayne Morelock.

Crystal Webster, the longtime former executive director of Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks, is now CEO of Morelock Builders & Associates Inc.

Webster joined the company in September 2019, shortly after her exit from BCFO after more than 11 years leading the nonprofit. At BCFO, she was succeeded by Joe Daues.

Webster said when she came on board at Morelock Builders, she wasn't assigned a specific job title. But she said the CEO position was in discussion with company owner Wayne Morelock, who remains active in daily operations as president. During the interim, she worked in a spokesperson role.

"As I transitioned from a leadership position in one industry to another, I had concerns about fitness for the position. When Wayne and I initially discussed the role, I wasn’t certain that my experience would correlate to the needs of his business," Webster said via email. "After being with the company, it feels like a perfect fit."

Webster said her role is to make sure the company is "building quality projects in southwest Missouri in the decades to come."

Morelock Builders' current projects include a $27 million apartment complex in east Springfield called The Crossings at East Cherry; the $6.9 million Logan Heights apartment complex in Rogersville; and a $1.6 million apartment and office complex for Good Samaritan Boys Ranch's Footsteps Transitional Living program.

Webster said as she has learned more about the construction industry, she's discovered some challenges.

A lack of skilled tradespeople is one, she said. And while construction has been considered an essential business under coronavirus pandemic rules, the industry is working on projects while attempting to reduce client and employee risk.

"We continue to look for ways to minimize the risk of infection as those working from home return to the office and those in the field resume work inside occupied buildings," Webster said.