FOCUS St. Louis has selected 67 outstanding individuals from the private, public and nonprofit sectors for the 42nd Leadership St. Louis (LSL) class. These participants join a prestigious group of more than 2,000 leaders who have graduated from the LSL program since its inception in 1976.
Leadership St. Louis is a highly respected program for emerging and established leaders who have demonstrated a deep commitment to improving the St. Louis region. The 18-day, 9-month curriculum explores such issues as economic development, racial equity, education, poverty and social services, arts and culture, and the criminal justice system. Participants visit key sites in the bi-state region, engage in face-to-face dialogue with regional decision makers and gain a deeper understanding of leadership approaches that produce results.
“We are excited to welcome this talented and diverse group of participants into Leadership St. Louis. Over the next year, they will experience this region in new ways and gain knowledge, skills and connections they can use to make a difference within it,” said Yemi Akande-Bartsch, Ph.D., President & CEO of FOCUS St. Louis and Director of the Leadership St. Louis program.
Leadership St. Louis is one of seven leadership programs offered by FOCUS St. Louis to achieve its mission of preparing diverse leaders to work cooperatively for a thriving St. Louis region.
2017-2018 Leadership St. Louis Class
Ellen Amato
Senior Specialist
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Kevin Anders
Assistant Vice President
Ameren Missouri
Jason Boone
Talent Acquisition Principal
SAIC
Jared Boyd
Chief of Staff and Counsel
City of St. Louis Treasurer’s Office
Lance Cage
Managing Principal
HOK
Kirk Capistrant
Technical Director
United States Air Force
Matt Clausen
Director, Strategy and Business Development
SSM Health
Steve Condrin
Director of Off Campus Real Estate
Washington University in St. Louis
Peter Corsale
Shareholder
Polsinelli
MaryAnn Taylor Crate
Principal/Owner
Added Dimension, LLC
Keith Crissman
Senior Vice President & Consumer Banking Executive
Regions Bank
Anthony D’Agostino
Executive Director
Criminal Justice Ministry
Caron Daugherty
Vice President of Instruction
Jefferson College
Rodney Denton
Global Environmental, Safety and Health Lead
Monsanto, Creve Coeur
Suvir Dhar
Shareholder Attorney
Simmons Hanly Conroy
Matt Dimmic
Lead, Genomics & Data Science, Biotech Division
Monsanto, Chesterfield
Larry Dobrosky
City Administrator
City of St. Charles
Alison Dreith
Executive Director
NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri
Tom Duff
Executive Director
Catholic Family Services
Beth Elders
Pastor of Missions
Manchester UMC
Phyllis Ellison
Director of Entrepreneur Services and Institutional & Corporate Partnerships
Cortex Innovation Community
Kristin Fleischmann Brewer
Director of Public Projects and Engagement
Pulitzer Arts Foundation
Karen Forté-Hazzard
Director, Communications
The Boeing Company
Jon Franko
Thinker and Founder
Gorilla 76
Herb Giorgio
Partner
Bryan Cave LLP
Demetrius Grooms
Principal, Retirement Services
Edward Jones
Daniela Grushevska
Senior Associate
Lawrence Group
Thomas Hake
Vice President
Hake Investment Group/Raymond James
Tom Hayde
Partner
Spencer Fane LLP
Debbie Hilke
Vice President Client Services
IMPACT Group
Terry Hoffmann
Senior Vice President
FleishmanHillard
Eddie Holman
Portfolio Specialist – Transatlantic Division
Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits
Jennifer Horrom
Officer
Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C.
Captain Chris Hunt
Bureau of Administration
St. Charles County Police Department
Ryan Russell Kemper
Partner
Thompson Coburn LLP
Beverly Tucker Knight
Parks and Recreation Director
City of Olivette, MO
George Kriegshauser
Vice President, Relationship Manager
Enterprise Bank & Trust
Chris LeBeau
Portfolio Marketing Manager
Enterprise Bank & Trust
Missy Lynch
Human Resources Director
St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Michael Macek
Chief Operating Officer
Saint Louis Zoo
Alysa McLaughlin
Senior Manager IT Talent Acquisition
Enterprise Holdings, Inc.
Anthony Mitchell
Team Leader, Human Resources
SSM Health
Andrea Moravec
Chief Operating Officer
College Bound
Craig Mueller
Assistant Chief of Police (Major)
Richmond Heights Police Department
Darryl Munden
President
Rx Outreach, Inc.
Nena Myers
435th Supply Chain Operations Squadron
United States Air Force
Cesar Paredes
Director of Corporate Marketing
BJC HealthCare
Carla Patterson
Managing Director, Portfolio Development
Nestlé Purina
Larry Perlmutter
Communications & Development Manager
Rise Community Development
Wade Price
Architect & Principal of Firm
WA Architects, Inc.
Jennifer Ralston
Regional Business Director
Monsanto, Creve Coeur
Raj Ramakrishnan
Systems Architect, Vice President
Wells Fargo
Tiffany Reed
Program Coordinator of the Office of Diversity & Inclusion
Maryville University
Regina Rideout
Director of Project Strategy
Simply Strategy
M. Jean Russell, Ph.D.
Organizational Development, Education and Research Specialist
Community Liaison
Susan Salzman
Owner
Brand 2 Creative
Angela Schreck
Retail Group Manager, Senior VP
Commerce Bank
Stella Sheehan
Deputy Director
World Trade Center St. Louis
Michelle Smart
Deputy Director
St. Louis County Department of Human Services
Muriel Smith
Director of Development
North Side Community School
Katy Mike Smaistrla
Sustainable Energy & Environmental Coordinator
University of Missouri – St. Louis
Dayna Stock
Vice President, Regions & Special Initiatives
United Way of Greater St. Louis
Cheri D. Tillis
Executive VP/COO
Fathers’ Support Center, St. Louis
Osei Kweku Tuffuor
Afternoon Drive and Assistant Program Director
iHeart Radio
Nicci Warr
Attorney
Stinson Leonard Street LLP
Stephen Westbrooks
Senior Lender
IFF
Jennifer Yackley
City Administrator
City of Rock Hill