FOCUS St. Louis® is pleased to announce the officers for the 2019-20 fiscal year, as well as nine new directors who have been named to the board. Board members are community leaders who demonstrate interest and commitment to FOCUS’ mission to educate leaders, connect leaders and facilitate the important conversations in the St. Louis region.
Board Officers for July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020 are:
Chair – Felicia Shaw, Executive Director, Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (Experience St. Louis 2015)
Vice Chair – Sharon Harvey Davis, Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion & CDO, Ameren (Leadership St. Louis 2017)
Vice Chair – Amy Shaw, Interim President and CEO, Nine Network of Public Media (Leadership St. Louis 2013)
Treasurer – John Peluso, Senior Managing Director, Wells Fargo Advisors (3rd term)
Secretary – Johnny Wang, Partner, Stinson LLP (Leadership St. Louis 2017)
New board members are:
- Eric Breuer, Chief Sales Officer, IMPACT Group (Experience St. Louis 2018)
- Alex Gillette, Principal Consultant, Daugherty Business Solutions (Emerging Leaders 2018)
- Karen I. Hall, Ed.D., Superintendent, Maplewood Richmond Heights School District (Leadership St. Louis 2013, Diversity Leadership Fellowship 2015)
- John McClelland, CFP, Portfolio Manager, Acropolis Investment Management (Leadership St. Louis 2014)
- Shayn Prapaisilp, Vice President, STJ Group Holdings LLC
- Devin Price, Vice President, Talent Development, Enterprise Holdings LLC (Leadership St. Louis 2019)
- Steve Savis, Vice President, North America Crop Science Human Resources, Bayer (Leadership St. Louis 2016)
- Ann Seeney, Vice President, Human Resources, St. Louis Cardinals (Leadership St. Louis 2017)
- Alisa Warren, Executive Director, Missouri Commission on Human Rights (Leadership St. Louis 2017)
In addition, FOCUS St. Louis® welcomes to the board two youth members, who are 2019 graduates of FOCUS’ Youth Leadership St. Louis program: Heela Momand from Gateway STEM High School and Momo Kikuchi from Pattonville High School . Both will serve one-year terms.
Executive Committee
Felicia W. Shaw joined the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis as Executive Director in 2015. A native St. Louisan, Felicia brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in the public and nonprofit arts and culture sector. Previously, she served for eight years as director of arts and culture strategy and analysis at the San Diego Foundation, where she directed a diverse portfolio of community and civic engagement programs, including a fellowship program for creative entrepreneurs, a grant program supporting neighborhood revitalization, a creative placemaking initiative, and a leadership training program for early career arts administrators. While at the Foundation, she also managed the Balboa Park Trust. Prior to that, Felicia was program manager at the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture. In San Diego, she was an active and vocal advocate for the arts and served on the San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition for many years.
Locally, she serves as vice-chair of the Greater St. Louis Community Foundation and treasurer of the St. Louis Artplace Project. She is past-chair of the Americans for the Arts’ United States Urban Arts Federation, an affinity group of executive directors of the country’s 60 largest local arts agencies. She is an alumnus of the 2015 Amherst Wilder Foundation Shannon Leadership Institute and was recognized with the San Diego Magazine “Women who Mean Business” Award, among others. A graduate of Northwestern University with a B.S. in communications, Felicia completed postbaccalaureate studies at the University of California, San Diego in art history, theory, and criticism. She is a 2015 graduate of Experience St. Louis.
As Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for Ameren, Sharon Harvey Davis is responsible for diversity training, the Ameren Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Academy, Employee Resource Groups, community partnerships, diversity communications and the Corporate Diversity Councils. Prior to joining Ameren in 2002, Sharon worked for HBE Corporation as Vice President of Corporate Affairs.
A native of St. Louis, Sharon graduated from Washington University with a bachelor’s in political science, St. Louis University with an executive master’s degree in international business and Cornell University’s Diversity Management Certification Program. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources by the Society of Human Resource Management and as a Certified Diversity Professional Advanced Practitioner by Cornell University. Sharon is extensively involved in the St. Louis community as the Immediate Past Chairman of NCCJ-St. Louis and a Teach For America and St. Louis Public Schools Foundation board member. Sharon is a graduate of the 2016-17 class of Leadership St. Louis.
Amy Shaw is the Interim President and CEO of the Nine Network of Public Media, reporting directly to Nine’s Board of Directors. In addition, she continues her role as the Senior Vice President and Chief Content Officer. Recognized as a national leader and innovator in community engagement and public media, Amy has led numerous national content initiatives that have created durable change in local communities, including Facing the Mortgage Crisis, public media’s response to the national financial crisis. Amy currently spearheads the American Graduate initiative to rally communities to improve outcomes for youth, a groundbreaking national/local public media initiative. She also oversaw the creation of a Community Engagement Guidebook designed to help public media organizations deepen their commitment as relevant and essential community institutions.
Amy was an inaugural 2015 Eisenhower Zhi-Xing Fellow, spending a month in China to advance bilateral dialogue and understanding between the China and the United States. She was a member of the 2012-13 class of Leadership St. Louis, and she has served on numerous local and national boards. She currently serves as chairperson of the Webster University School of Communications Advisory Board. She is deeply committed to the power of public media and the strengthening of communities across the country.
As President, John Peluoso is responsible for the strategic direction and management of First Clearing, including developing strategic partnerships with current and prospective broker-dealer principals. He is a member of the Wells Fargo Advisors Operating Committee. Previous positions included serving as President of Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network and Managing Director in the Private Client Group.
He is a past chair of the SIFMA Independent Firms Committee, a former board member of the Wealth Advisory Institute and a former executive member of the Athletic Educational Foundation of the College of William & Mary. John has served on the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Development Board. He earned his bachelor’s in economics from the College of William & Mary and his MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University. He completed the Wachovia Executive Leadership Program at the Keenan-Flagler Business School of the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill and is a graduate of the SIFMA Securities Industry Institute at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
As a domestic, international labor and employment attorney with the firm of Stinson Leonard Street LLP, Johnny Wang helps his clients develop and retain their most valuable asset – their employees, around the world. He presents frequently on employment law and workplace-related subjects and helps employers build productive, sustainable diversity and inclusion programs.
He is founder of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of St. Louis and served as president of the Missouri Asian-American Bar Association in 2012. Nationally, he is involved with the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and will serve as the Regional Governor for the Central Region in 2020-2022. He has received the Diverse Business Leader Award from the St. Louis Business Journal and been named an Up and Coming Lawyer by Missouri Lawyers Weekly. He was also selected as a member of the inaugural class of Leadership 100, which consists of members from the Young Professionals Network of the Regional Business Council. He earned a law degree from Washington University School of Law and an undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is a 2017 graduate of Leadership St. Louis.
New Board Members
Eric Breuer joined IMPACT Group as Senior Vice President in 2018, bringing more than 28 years in the consulting industry and deep experience building innovative and pragmatic solutions and strategies for Fortune 500 companies. He spent the last 10 years with Right Management as Vice President and Senior Member of the Executive Committee, where he was responsible for the achievement of P&L exceeding $30 million through territory and sales process/opportunity management, business development, project management and operational oversight.
Eric began his career at Xerox, holding roles as a systems analyst and programmer for seven years. During 15 years with IKON Office Solutions, he served as National Director, Enterprise Services, and was the Regional VP/Director for the Western region. A lifelong learner, he has trained in such areas as Six Sigma Champion Yellow Belt, Emerging Leadership, Smart Process and Malcolm Baldridge Quality. He is a 2018 graduate of the Experience St. Louis program.
Alex Gillette is currently a Principal Consultant at Daugherty Business Solutions where he builds enterprise software solutions for Fortune 500 clients in the local area. Recognized in the 2018 St. Louis Business Journal 30 Under 30, he also leads an internal engineering boot camp, Daugherty University, and co-leads his 130-consultant account as a Client Manager.
Alex moved to St. Louis from Pensacola, Florida, in 2015 after completing a B.S. and M.S. in Computer Science from the University of West Florida. Wanting to continue his community involvement and leadership after his Sigma Chi Fraternity membership in college, he graduated from the FOCUS Emerging Leader program in the fall of 2018.
Dr. Karen I. Hall has served as superintendent of the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District since July 2012, overseeing more than 1,500 sutdents, 275 employees and a $25 million budget. She joined the MRH district as assistant superintendent in 2008, coordinating a wide array of programs: human resources, professional development, curriculum and instruction, federal grants, home visits, gifted instruction, and social justice training, among others. Dr. Hall has held principal positions in the Pattonville and Ritenour school districts and was a third-grade teacher in Kirkwood. Under her leadership, MRHSD was named a “District of Distinction” from District Administration Magazine and has consistently earned national attention for its system-wide sustainability practices.
Dr. Hall is committed and passionate about ensuring educational excellence for all MRH students. She is dedicated to developing rich learning experiences in schools so that students develop leadership skills, are actively engaged in the community, have opportunities to explore social justice issues, and have access to artistic self-exploration balanced with academic rigor. She is a 2013 graduate of Leadership St. Louis and a 2015 graduate of the Diversity Leadership Fellowship program.
John McClelland joined Acropolis in 2003 as a Portfolio Manager. He works directly with clients developing and implementing personal financial plans and investment strategies, as well as advising on estate and tax planning, retirement planning, insurance and banking needs, and trust administration. Prior to Acropolis, John worked for six years as a fixed-income research analyst at A.G. Edwards & Sons.
John holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and Master of Business Administration, with a concentration in finance and accounting, from Washington University. He earned his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation in 2006. Outside of work, John serves on the finance committees of the Sheldon Arts Foundation and FOCUS. Previously, he served on the finance committee at New City School and on the young friends board at the Contemporary Art Museum. He is active in the Yale Club of St. Louis, previously serving as its President and Treasurer and currently directing its Alumni Schools Committee. A resident of St. Louis since 1998, he is married with three children. He is a 2014 graduate of Leadership St. Louis.
Shayn Prapaisilp is the Vice President for STJ Group Holdings LLC, his family’s company specializing in food and beverage concepts. Currently their holdings include two international supermarkets as well as four restaurants.
Shayn received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from The George Washington University and a Master of Science in public service management from DePaul University. Other board memberships include serving as a Director for the Asian American Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Board Leadership Forum for Enterprise Bank & Trust, and past President of the St. Louis Young Democrats. He is a 2005 graduate of Youth Leadership St. Louis.
Devin Price is Vice President of Talent Development for Enterprise Holdings and is responsible for several HR functions including Training, Diversity and Inclusion, Global Mobility, and Meetings and Travel. Devin has been with Enterprise for 30 years, starting as a Management Trainee in Southern California and moving up in the management ranks. He was promoted to Regional Vice President in 1998 and then VP of Human Resources in 2004. In 2006, Devin moved to Winnipeg, Canada, where he was Vice President/General Manager of the Central Canada Group. In 2008 he moved to Toronto and spent nine years as VP of Airport Operations for Canada supporting the Enterprise, National, and Alamo brands. In 2017, Devin moved to St. Louis for his current position.
Devin was born and raised in Palo Alto California and graduated from University of Oregon. While in Southern California, he served on the board of Junior Achievement in Los Angeles. He currently lives in Frontenac with his wife, Teresa. He is a 2019 graduate of Leadership St. Louis.
Steve Savis is Vice President for North America Crop Science Human Resources where he is responsible for driving the people strategies across Bayer’s $10 billion USD U.S. and Canada Crop Science organizations. He also serves as a member of the HR Leadership Teams for Global Crop Science and the U.S. Country HR Platform as well as the North America Commercial Leadership Team. Steve previously was the Human Resources Lead for Monsanto’s North America & Climate business. He joined Monsanto in 1996 in IT supporting HR. Since 2001, he has held HR leadership roles of increasing responsibility in HR IT, Benefits, HR Operations, and as the HR Lead for Global Biotechnology, Global Strategy, Corporate Engagement, Law, and US Commercial functions.
Steve holds both a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in management information systems from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration with an emphasis in management and organizational behavior from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. He is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and an Executive Committee member of The Conference Board’s Senior HR Executives Council. He resides in St. Louis with his wife Laura and their two boys, Bryan and Steven, where they are active in their church, community, sports, and travel. He is a 2016 graduate of Leadership St. Louis.
Ann Seeney is Vice President of Human Resources for the St. Louis Cardinals, responsible for overseeing all HR functions for the team, including recruitment, training and benefits administration. The Cardinals offer one of the most unique places to work, employing hundreds of full-time, part-time and seasonal employees in St. Louis, as well as nationally and, even to a limited extent, internationally. She joined the Cardinals in 2013 with more than 15 years of experience in human resources, holding a variety of progressively responsible positions in several organizations. Immediately prior to joining the team, Ann served as the Executive Director of Human Resources for the Riverview Gardens School District in North St. Louis County.
Ann relocated to St. Louis from the Washington D.C. area where she worked for Goodwill Industries International, The HR Team, Experience Works and Sagex. She has a B.A. in mass media arts – public relations from Hampton University and MBA from the University of Maryland University College. She holds Professional in Human Resources (PHR) as well as SHRM-CP certifications. Ann sits on the boards for the Diversity Awareness Partnership and The Little Bit Foundation. Ann is a member of the Society for Multicultural Professionals in Human Resources (SMPHR) and holds the position of Chief of Staff. She is a 2017 graduate of Leadership St. Louis.
Dr. Alisa Warren has served as the Executive Director for the Missouri Commission on Human Rights (MCHR), a state agency housed in the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, since January 2008. Under her leadership, MCHR works diligently to prevent and eliminate discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Her professional positions are many and distinguished: Director of Diversity Initiatives for the University of Missouri – College of Engineering; Executive Director for the Missouri Community Service Commission; Missouri Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity; Director of the State of Missouri Supplier Diversity Program; and Minority Contracts Coordinator for the State of Missouri Division of Design and Construction.
Dr. Warren holds a Bachelor of Science, Master of Public Administration, and a Ph.D. in Applied Social Sciences in the area of community development and social disparities, all from the University of Missouri- Columbia. She has been involved with a number of organizations, such as: the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis Fair Housing Task Force; the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights State Advisory Council; Board of Directors and past Vice President for the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies; U.S. President’s Initiative on Race “A Day of Dialogue”; Chair of the Missouri Human Rights Conference; Governing Board for Central Missouri United Way; Board of Directors for Girls Scouts of the Missouri Heartland; Strategic Leadership for State Executives at the Duke University Governors Center; Advisor to the University of Missouri National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Women in Engineering, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers; Mentor for the Lincoln University Minority Women’s Leadership Program; and Chair of the State of Missouri Diversity Council. She is a 2017 graduate of Leadership St. Louis.