FOCUS St. Louis® has selected 29 talented young professionals for the Spring 2021 cohort of Emerging Leaders. This competitive program provides participants (ages 22-35) with an increased sense of engagement in the region, as well as the tools to take an active role as the next generation of St. Louis regional leaders.
Since its launch in 2012, the FOCUS Emerging Leaders program has trained more than 450 young professionals from across the public, private and nonprofit sectors. The three-month program includes a two-day opening retreat, group Civic Action Project and seminar days covering a variety of leadership and regional issues, for a total of 40 hours of civic leadership development.
“Emerging Leaders offers a unique opportunity to connect with both peers and mentors across industries, sectors and background,” says Program Director Matthew R. Kerns. “Participants leave the program with a better understanding of themselves and our region and a clearer vision for their future.”
During the program, participants meet with area leaders to gain a better understanding of the inner workings of St. Louis, explore their personal, professional and civic leadership styles and gain a diverse network of peers. Upon graduation, participants become part of the FOCUS network of more than 10,000 leadership program alumni.
Spring 2021 Emerging Leaders Class
Tomi Akinyemi
Corporate / Real Estate Attorney
Spencer Fane LLP
Anna Lisa Baguio
Supervisor, Patient Access
BJC HealthCare
Sam Beffa
Associate Attorney
Hamilton Weber LLC
Maggie Brockmeyer
Manager, Social Capital & Volunteer Programs
Rung for Women
Elizabeth Casale
Associate
Thompson Coburn LLP
Dashawn Cason
Assistant City Counselor (Attorney I)
St. Louis City Counselor’s Office
Shanae Chapman
Senior UX Designer
SmartBear / Nerdy Diva
Dr. Maurya D. Cockrell
Founder & Consultant
YKNOT Consulting LLC
Jazmyn Ferguson
Senior Nonprofit Solutions Consultant
LinkedIn Corporation
Jon Givens
Development Officer
Webster University
Jessica Grafton
Senior Interior Design Professional
HOK
Tiarra Harris
High School Coach
Wyman Center
Jeff Hood
Community Development Specialist
Washington University Medical Center Redevelopment Corporation
Greg Howard
Web & Social Media Marketing Coordinator
Intrado SchoolMessenger
Praisy Isaac
Career & Workforce Readiness Specialist
St. Louis Internship Program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis
Jessiree Jenkins
Grants & Programs Coordinator
Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis
Jacque Knight
Multimodal Planner
CBB Transportation Engineers + Planners
Justin Kralemann
Director of Development
Food Outreach
Lindsay Kramer
Vice President – Governance Manager
Citi
Joel Longanecker
Senior Operational Excellence Consultant
Centric Consulting
Hannah Moore
Grants Manager
Safe Connections
Adriana Osorio
Senior Human Resource Services Representative
Centene
Amber Overton
Diversity and Inclusion Specialist
Nestlé Purina North America
Ruskin Singh
Project Manager – Operational Strategy Group
MilliporeSigma / Sigma-Aldridge / Merck KGaA
Jermecia Starks
Primary Care Development Coordinator
Washington University Medical School
Erica Thum
Landscape Architect
HOK
Taquera Walker
Therapist and School Counselor
Terrace House STL / MICDS
Alexus Williams
Attorney
St. Louis County Government
Aja Williams
Capital Planning Specialist
Ameren Missouri