Freightquote promotes long-time associate to Culture and Community Relations Manager.

Freightquote has promoted Cle Ross to culture and community relations manager. Ross, who has been with the company for 10 years, is very active in the community and leads organizations including Kansas City Kansas Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (KCK RBI), whose opening day is May 16 and is sponsored by Freightquote.

The creation of this position is part of Freightquote's new strategic vision for the company. One of its strategic pillars, "People Matter," focuses on encouraging company and civic involvement among associates as well as increasing engagement in the community.

“Our goal is to be the best employer in Kansas City. Part of that obligation is to impact our community in positive ways," said Tyler Ellison, Freightquote chief executive officer. "Cle has been a model for what we continually aspire to be as a corporate citizen and this appointment will accelerate our commitment to our community.”

In his new role, Ross will ensure Freightquote associates not only have a plethora of internal activities to participate in, but also can easily give back to the multitude of charitable organizations around Kansas City.

Besides the new title, Ross is the first recipient and namesake on Freightquote's inaugural Cle Ross Community Impact Award. The annual award, which will be given out at the President's Club meeting in March, honors a Freightquote associate who lives and promotes Freightquote's "People Matter" mindset.

"It's hard not to be inspired by Cle's story and his ambition to make our community better," said Julie Schaller, Freightquote's vice president of human resources. "We are proud to have him on our team and know he will turn Freightquote into one of the best places to work in Kansas City with the activities he initiates here and in the community."

Since 2007, Ross has founded Success Achieved in Future Environments (S.A.F.E.) a nonprofit organization that offers programs which include S.T.I.C.K.S. (Support Towards Inner City Kids Sports), KCK RBI and Dirt Dandies Elite Showcase, all aimed at improving the lives of area youth.

Freightquote has been a long-time supporter of Ross' work with KCK RBI, which uses baseball as a vehicle to teach Kansas City youth about the importance of education. Under Ross' leadership, the program has swelled to nearly 1,000 kids. This organization is a natural fit for Freightquote, which regularly sponsors and contributes to organizations focused on education and improving the lives of children.