Fletcher Bone, an environmental program specialist with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Missouri Geological Survey, is the department’s Team Member of the Year for 2025. The department selected Bone for his efforts to assist the Missouri community of Fair Play with potential issues related to its wastewater treatment facility.
In November 2024, while conducting a routine wastewater facility site visit, Bone noticed what appeared to be a set of sinkholes along the corner of the berm near one of the facility’s three lagoons. The location of the anomalies carried the potential for catastrophic collapse of the lagoons.
Bone quickly contacted the city engineer and the department’s Southwest Regional Office and provided technical assistance while the regional office conducted an inspection. In addition, he assisted with a follow-up geophysical analysis with a team of fellow geologists from the department’s Missouri Geological Survey. Using electrical resistivity tomography, the team identified additional potential sinkholes. The department’s Environmental Emergency Response team responded to the site to conduct ground-penetrating radar tests.
The department shared its findings with the city, which helped it make informed decisions about how to best proceed with planned infrastructure improvements, including decisions about working with the department’s Financial Assistance Center to secure funding assistance for facility upgrades.
“Fletcher’s willingness to collaborate, share information and work as part of a team are greatly appreciated,” said Brenna McDonald, the environmental program supervisor who nominated Bone for the award. “His work is ultimately in service to Missouri citizens and reflects his continual commitment to the core values of his program, division and department.”
Bone joined the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in November 2010 and resides in Rolla.
The department Team Member of the Year is selected from the pool of Team Member of the Month recipients throughout 2025.
