Special Agent in Charge Randall C. Thysse of the Omaha Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is pleased to announce that Mr. Stephen B. Quirk has been named as the local recipient of the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award.

Mr. Quirk currently serves as the CEO of the Youth Emergency Services & Shelter (YESS), where he has made a positive difference in thousands of troubled children’s lives. YESS is a safety net of services designed to care for children and their families when they need it most. What began as a teen runaway shelter, under Mr. Quirk’s direction, has grown into a nationally accredited organization serving 1,900 children per year. YESS is home to Iowa’s largest and most comprehensive emergency shelter.

Mr. Quirk’s strong commitment to the community goes above and beyond his work at YESS as he plays an integral part of the greater Des Moines community through volunteer work. He continually leads with a focused, high-energy attitude through which he is able to bring about true change, growth, and transformation not only for the youth that thrive at YESS but also to staff, volunteers, and the local community. Mr. Quirk has worked hand-in-hand with the FBI in order to help identify and secure victims of human trafficking; not only during the work day but on his on time. Mr. Quirk is also a 2010 graduate of the FBI Citizen’s Academy Program.

The Director’s Community Leadership Award was established in 1990 by the FBI to publicly recognize the achievements of individuals and organizations that have gone above and beyond the call to service by making extraordinary contributions to their communities in the areas of civil rights, terrorism, cyber, drug, gang, or violence prevention and education.

FBI Director James B. Comey formally recognized Stephen B. Quirk during the Director’s Community Leadership Award ceremony at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. on April 15, 2016.