Beyond a Second Chance

In the depths of a St. Louis winter, when a state of emergency left 16 city blocks without water, Water Maintenance Technician Matthew Richardson was in the trenches. Alongside his crew, he worked frantically to restore service to the community.

“We got them back their water,” Richardson reflects. “I felt respected. I felt like I could do something. Like I mattered.”

For Richardson, the victory wasn't just in the flowing taps—it was in the uniform he wore. As a "second chance" employee and justice-involved individual, the path to a stable career once felt like a dead end due to the "invisible wall" of a criminal record.

His turning point came at a MET Center job fair, where he met Leanndra Cheatham, a Senior HR Specialist with the Department of Personnel’s Talent Acquisition team. Cheatham looked past his GPS monitor to see a man with a construction background and a hunger for a fresh start.

For Cheatham, recognizing Matthew’s potential was a mission rooted in personal experience and driven by a supportive leadership team. Today, her team is pioneering proactive outreach by visiting Missouri’s correctional facilities to build professional bridges before residents even reenter society.

“To see someone grow... it’s just remarkable,” Cheatham says. “Serving time is not the end of your story—it’s a new beginning.”

“My mother’s proud of me, my brothers are proud of me, my son’s proud of me,” Richardson says. “Just because you have a background, that doesn't make you who you are—it’s who you’re trying to be. I can see myself succeeding for once.”