Amy Shaw became the President and CEO of the Nine PBS in February 2020. She is the first woman to lead Nine in its 67-year history. Shaw is recognized as a national leader and innovator in community engagement and public media. She leads a talented team in groundbreaking work that leverages on-air, online and community engagement for measurable impact around important and complex issues in the St. Louis region.

Shaw led numerous national content initiatives that created durable change in local communities, including national/local Facing the Mortgage Crisis, public media’s response to the national financial crisis and the American Graduate initiative to rally communities to improve outcomes for youth. Shaw created the Nine PBS Media Model for Engagement designed to guide the work of public media organizations in deepening their commitment as essential community institutions. Shaw is deeply committed to the power of public media as a means for strengthening communities.

Shaw currently serves on the national board of PBS, the Public Television Major Market Group, and serves on the Grand Center, Inc. board. She is a member of the St. Louis Forum, the International Women’s Forum, and is a graduate of the 2012-13 class of Leadership St. Louis. She was inducted into the St. Louis Media Hall of Fame in 2022. In 2021, Shaw was named by the St. Louis Business Journal as one of 25 Most Influential Business Women in the St. Louis region. Under her leadership, Nine PBS was recognized in 2020 and 2021 by the Women’s Foundation of Greater St. Louis as one of the region’s best places to work for women. She was an inaugural Eisenhower Zhi-Xing Fellow in 2015, spending a month in China studying Chinese media and how communities address complex issues. Shaw is a proud alumna of Bradley University and holds a master’s degree in telecommunications from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Since 2010, Jason Carter has overseen UNCOMN’s growth from a one-man consulting firm to the region’s “#1 Fastest Growing Company” in 2017 and a national “Best Places to Work” as rated by Glassdoor in 2021. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Rolla with a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering and served in the U.S. Navy as a submarine driver and information professional for over 20 years. He retired from the Navy as a Commander in 2009. A lifelong learner, Jason holds three master’s degrees, including his most recent—an Executive MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, having graduated in 2020.

Jason is active in the community, having founded and served for six years as Board President of CyberUp before turning it over this spring, Board President of the UNCOMN Foundation, and board member to numerous local non-profit organizations. He is an investor and mentor in local startup accelerators, including SixThirty Cyber and the Cultivation Capital Geospatial Tech Fund.

Leann Chilton serves as vice president for BJC HealthCare, one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States. She works collaboratively with elected and appointed government officials at the state, local and federal levels on behalf of BJC’s hospitals and service lines including inpatient and outpatient care, primary care, community health and wellness, workplace health, home health, community mental health, rehabilitation and hospice. Prior to joining BJC HealthCare in 1999, she worked in Denver and Washington, D.C. and St. Louis in the telecommunications field.

A 2001 graduate of Leadership St. Louis and a 2016 graduate of FOCUS Impact Fellows, Leann serves on the Government Relations Council of Greater St. Louis, the Hawthorn Board and Missouri Partnership Board. She was named among the Most Influential Business Women Class of 2003 by the St. Louis Business Journal. She has an MBA from Washington University and has called St. Louis her home since 1985.

As Vice President at UBS Financial Services, Maria Briggs is one of the founding partners of the Omega Group, providing advisory and brokerage services across the U.S. the last 30 years. After receiving both her BSBA and MBA from Washington University, she earned her CFP and the CIMA designation from the Wharton School of Business, and has been recognized as one of the America’s Top Financial Planners. Prior to joining UBS, she was with Smith Barney Shearson 17 years, and has management, operations, and lending experience from Boatmen’s Bank, Community Federal Savings and Loan, and Citicorp Mortgage.

A 2009 graduate of Leadership St. Louis, Maria currently serves on the Board of the Artist Presentation Society, the Advisory Council for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and various committees on behalf of Rosati-Kain High School, Washington University and Forest Park Forever. Born in the Philippines, and a transplant from Chicago, Maria also serves as an ambassador for the St. Louis Mosaic Project and was one of the founding board members of Belas Artes Multicultural Center and Art Gallery. Prior to that, she received multiple President’s Volunteer Service Awards for her time with Mentor St. Louis, St. Louis Tax Assistance program and Habitat for Humanity.

Dr. Karen I. Hall is an accomplished Educational Consultant, University Professor, and a Department of Education Regional Supervisor with extensive experience educating, advocating, and guiding action-focused conversations centered around the theory, practice, and business of equity-focused leadership. She started her career as a distinguished educator and academic program administrator evaluating curriculum, maximizing learning opportunities, and employing innovative methods in education throughout several school districts. She has been instrumental in assessment forecasting, analysis, and strategic planning for academic initiatives while mentoring, coaching, and supporting educators to ensure professional development and equity-focused student progress.

Dr. Hall’s  passion for educational equity and excellence is displayed throughout her academic and professional accomplishments. She has received numerous awards, including the Outstanding Administrator Award from the Missouri State Thespians Association in 2013 and the Inspiring St. Louisan Award from the St. Louis County NAACP in 2014. She has also received recognition from The National Conference for Community & Justice, Metropolitan St. Louis, with the Brotherhood Sisterhood Award in 2019 and the 2020 Salute to Excellence in Education from the St. Louis American Foundation.

As an educational consultant, her mission to “Stand Up for Justice” provides her with an extended platform for delivering equity-focused leadership through numerous public presentations, community-based consultations, and the acquisition and development of superintendents throughout the country. She continually advocates for diversity and inclusion at the forefront of every educational endeavor by forging innovative community awareness initiatives, cultivating trusted relationships, and directing organizations to adopt inclusive methodologies with an in-depth understanding that education for all students is the fundamental stone in our society’s foundation.

Susan Barrett believes that art is a verb. This belief has guided the companies she has started, the projects she has led and her work with nonprofits. Her company, Barrett Barrera Projects, and its subsidiary spaces—projects+gallery, projects+exhibitions, and Guest House—produce exhibitions and projects that create a dialogue on contemporary issues through art and design. For over 30 years, Susan has fought for the arts to be a part of public transportation, city planning and social change. She is a visionary with a background in painting, architecture and fashion design, which has influenced the projects she has spearheaded and championed. Notable among these, Susan conceptualized and developed the St. Louis Chess Club and served as the founding executive director of the World Chess Hall of Fame, where she created the innovative exhibit A Queen Within which is still touring internationally. Susan is a graduate of Washington University, where she holds a Master of Architecture, a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Arts and French, and a Bachelor of Fine Art. Susan is an active board member at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Laumeier Sculpture Park, Southside Day Nursery, Arts in Transit, Sheldon Art Galleries, the St. Louis Chess Club, Circus Flora, Mid America Arts Alliance, and the Saint Louis Fashion Fund. Susan is the recipient of awards including the 2019 St. Louis Women’s Visionary Award, the Visitation Academy St. Jane de Chantal Distinguished Alumna Award and St. Louis Magazine Influencer in Art St. Louis, award.

Matt Blakely has 24 years of experience working with foundations and corporate social responsibility programs. He is Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability for Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA). In that role, Matt leads the philanthropic, employee volunteerism, sustainability, and CSR reporting for RGA – one of the world’s largest global life and health reinsurance companies. Previously, Matt served as Executive Director of Motorola Solutions Foundation and Director of Inclusion, Diversity and Outreach for Motorola Solutions, coordinating the giving, volunteerism, and inclusion efforts of Motorola Solutions Foundation and Motorola Solutions.

Matt is a 2020-21 graduate of FOCUS Leadership St. Louis and has served on the boards and advisory committees of many large and small nonprofit organizations.

Ed Bryant has over 20 years of expertise developing and executing effective strategic and integrated stakeholder engagement, communications and public affairs, and minority economic inclusion solutions for a variety of for-profit and non-profit organizations. He currently serves as Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications, for Heartland Coca-Cola. Previous positions include serving as President of the St. Louis Minority Business Council, leading the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership’s Economic Development Collaborative, and serving as Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement at the United Way of Greater St. Louis, where he led the Ready by 21 St. Louis and East Side Aligned collective impact teams.

Ed holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Memphis and a master’s degree in public policy from Regent University. In addition, he has completed graduate level coursework in policy development and urban planning at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. He is also a certified DEI trainer (NCCJSTL). Throughout his career, Ed has served numerous state and local government commissions and Boards, as well as several non-profit boards. Ed has been married to his wife, Mary, for 21 years and has two young adult children (Caleb and Charis).

Ginny Burns serves as the Executive Director for Knowledge Finance, a division of MOHELA. Burns serves as Director of Borrower Experience and Processing for the Authority. She is responsible for the overall Borrower Experience of the Authority, including the Customer Advocacy Team, Training, Specialty Servicing, Loan Servicing and Quality Assurance Group. Burns joined the Authority in 2013. For the 28 years prior, she served as the Vice President-Manager of the Student Services division of Commerce Bank. She has over 36 years of experience in the student loan industry. Burns holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Communication and a Master of Arts in Business Management from Lindenwood University, located in St. Charles, Missouri. She serves on the Missouri Association of Financial Aid Personnel Board.

As a Principal at Edward Jones, Irasa Downing is responsible for leading the Centers of Excellence for culture, organization effectiveness, workforce planning and high-performance team effectiveness in strategy, design and execution for the firm. She works in partnership to lead the development and execution of the talent strategy, which encompasses how Edward Jones attracts, develops and engages a diverse and inclusive workforce. Irasa is also member of the Human Resources Strategy Team, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Strategy Committee and an executive sponsor for the Black and African American Business Resource Group.

Irasa joined Edward Jones in 2012 as the area human resources leader responsible for the central division of Branch Development. She was named the director of Human Resources for the Client Strategies Group in 2014 and immediately set to work developing and executing a five-year talent strategy and developing talent metrics to ensure alignment with the firm’s five-year talent strategy, which includes increased representation of women and people of color. She was named an Edward Jones principal in 2019.
Irasa has extensive experience in the human resources industry, including serving as human resources manager for Energizer Battery Inc. Prior to coming to Edward Jones she was the Director of HR at MGP Ingredients.

A native of Winfield, Mo., Irasa earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. She also holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) professional designation. She and her husband, Kurtis, have two daughters, Kira and Kumari. Irasa has served with Connections to Success since 2013. She is a deaconess with her church, First Baptist Church of Chesterfield. Irasa has also been a part of many organizations in St. Louis and Kansas as a part of her community impact.

As Edward Jones Dean and professor of economics at Saint Louis University’s nationally ranked Chaifetz School of Business, Dean Barnali Gupta provides strategic direction and leadership for the faculty, staff and students in 24 academic programs and four centers of distinction. Gupta serves on the Cortex Innovation Community and FOCUS St. Louis Boards.

Dean Gupta is a teacher-scholar with a distinctive record of service and a global and intercultural perspective. She is focused on inclusive leadership, continuous innovation and impactful actions that drive positive change. Under Gupta, Chaifetz School is driven to be THE top business school where “Mission Meets the Market”. Previous to Chaifetz, Gupta served 27+years at the Farmer School of Business, Miami University. Areas of expertise include industrial organization and applied game theory.

Ana Hernández Kent is a senior researcher for the Institute for Economic Equity at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. She is a nationally recognized expert on various economic topics including: the racial wealth gap, gender wealth gap, Millennial wealth, the economic returns of a college degree, the effects of COVID-19 on wealth inequality, women in the economy, single mothers and the importance of child care for the broader economy.

Kent received a Ph.D. in experimental psychology from Saint Louis University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Notre Dame.

Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Bloomberg, The Atlantic, The Financial Times, NPR, and CNN, among other outlets.

She lives in Des Peres with her husband and two young children.

Molly was named as Senior Vice President, Community Relations and Government Relations, for Commerce Bank in 2015. In this role, she is responsible for strategy and team leadership for all community relations and charitable contributions activities within the St. Louis market and she develops and manages government relations strategy, relationship building and communications between Commerce executives and local, state and federal elected officials. She joined Commerce Bank in 2007 in a public relations and investor relations role and has more than 25 years of experience in strategic communications, advocacy and nonprofit board experience. Prior to Commerce, she held positions at KMOX Radio and FleishmanHillard.

Molly holds a bachelor’s in communications and marketing from Marymount University in Arlington, Va. She is currently a member of steering committee for the Mosaic Project and chairs the St. Louis Regional Chamber’s Economic Growth & Fiscal Policy committee. She was a member of Leadership St. Louis class of 2002-03 and completed the Commerce Bank Advanced Leadership Development Program.

As head of Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C.’s Franchising & Distribution industry group, Dawn leads a team of transactional and litigation attorneys who represent clients nationally and internationally, from startups to some of the most recognized brands. She is also co-leader of the firm’s appellate practice and has argued before the Missouri Supreme Court and Missouri Court of Appeals, the Illinois Court of Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Before receiving her law degree from Washington University, Dawn was an award-winning reporter for the Herald & Review daily newspaper in Decatur, Illinois. After law school, she served as law clerk to U.S. Magistrate Judge David Noce in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri.

A graduate of the 2011-12 class of Leadership St. Louis, Dawn serves on the boards of directors for Safe Connections and Gateway Legal Services, Inc. She also served on the Citizens Advisory Committee for CityArchRiver 2015 and as chair of the College Summit Missouri Site Advisory Board.

Stephen Lee is currently a Vice President and the Deputy General Counsel at Ameren Corporation leading the legal department of over 45 legal professionals in support of Ameren Corporation’s various power companies. Prior to joining Ameren in 2020, Stephen was a Managing Counsel at BP for over 19 years leading the downstream legal team in the Americas.

Stephen graduated with a B.S. in Business Logistics from the Pennsylvania State University in 1993 and a J.D. from Case Western Reserve Law School in 1996. He currently serves on the Board of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of St. Louis and is an Advisory Board member at the Pennsylvania State Law School. Stephen and his family currently live in Creve Coeur, MO.

As Vice President of Community Development for Regions Bank, Eric Madkins is responsible for developing partnerships with business groups both internally and externally to assist in successfully identifying community development lending opportunities, investments and services in low and moderate income communities. He is also responsible for corporate compliance for community reinvestment act activities for Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois.

 He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and has dual master’s in business management and communications from Webster University. He is a 2018-19 graduate of FOCUS Leadership St. Louis. His community involvement includes serving on the boards of directors for the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, St. Louis Community Foundation, St. Louis Metropolitan Equal Housing and Opportunity Council and Epworth Children & Family Services. He also serves on the steering committee for the Regional Business Council’s Young Professionals Network Leadership 100 and UMSL’s Alumni Association Governing Board.

Nalini has been in practice since 2003, specializing in Immigration, Estate Planning, Special Needs and Elder Law. She is outside General Counsel for Phinix Group of Companies and serves as Alderperson for the City of Frontenac, Missouri. Her career started off as a corporate lawyer in India for five years before relocating to the U.S. She holds an undergraduate degree in accounting, a master’s degree in law from the University of Mumbai, India, an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis and obtained a JD from Saint Louis University.

Nalini volunteers as an advisor to several local nonprofits, including The Arya Foundation, The Hindu Temple of St Louis, and South Asian Women Empowerment Regional Association St Louis (SAWERAA). A 2014 graduate of Leadership St. Louis, she taught Law Practice Management and Immigration Law as an Adjunct Professor at Saint Louis University School of Law. She was the chair of the Missouri Bar Immigration Committee and one of the founding members of the South Asian Bar Association of Metropolitan St Louis (SABA). Her book, How to Start a Law Practice and Succeed, is based on her personal experience.

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 COO 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.

Ronda Sauget, D. Mgt, MBA, has over 30 years of expertise working across industry sectors and in transformational leadership roles helping business, industry, governmental, and organizational clients to solve complex problems. Her natural passion to assist executive leaders in bridging the digital alignment and innovation gaps to unlock the cultural wealth of hidden intellectual talent, while generating powerful industry alliances to energize thriving growth strategies, has made her a highly sought-after executive.

She has assisted in driving prominent billion-dollar infrastructure projects positively impacting over 700,000 residents and a $19B industrial revenue base. She has led a nationally significant legislative coalition work for military spouse licensure and reciprocity impacting thousands of military families.

Steve Savis is Chief Human Resources Officer for ESCO Technologies, serving as a key member of and adviser to the executive leadership team by envisioning and implementing human resources strategies and practices to support ESCO’s increasingly complex business across its locations and subsidiaries. Before joining ESCO in December 2022, Steve was Vice President for North America Crop Science Human Resources at Bayer. He previously was the Human Resources Lead for Monsanto’s North America & Climate business. He joined Monsanto in 1996 in IT supporting HR and 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.

Sara Stock is founder and CEO of Stock Legal, and co-founder of Legal Back Office. Her legal practice focuses on general corporate work for small- to medium-sized businesses and commercial real estate transactions, advising clients in all aspects of the business lifecycle. Sara’s joint MBA and law degree uniquely position her to provide the highest quality legal advice seasoned with a solid understanding of her clients’ business objectives. She left an equity position at a large St. Louis law firm to join KWS Law, and later to form Stock Legal, because she felt she could better serve her target clients – small- to medium-sized businesses – from a small- to medium-sized law firm. Sara is passionate about these types of clients because they surround her in her personal life. Sara’s mom and dad ran the family trucking company out of their home while Sara was a child, and Sara’s dad and brother continue to run this successful business today. In 2018, Sara cofounded Legal Back Office, which provides back office services to small- to medium-sized businesses.

Sara is chair of the Middle Market and Small Business Committee, a committee of the American Bar Association, and sits on the YWCA Board of Directors, the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Development Board of Directors, and the Gateway 180 Board of Directors. She is also an active member of ACG St. Louis, and sits on the advisory board for a number of institutions, including banking organizations and local companies.

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.

A Senior Vice President and Partner in FleishmanHillard’s public affairs group, Tony has worked on behalf of several Fortune 500 companies on reputational and issues based campaigns since he joined the firm in 2005. His areas of expertise include public affairs campaign planning, business-to-government outreach, coalition building and community affairs. In addition to his client work, Tony is the Director of Culture and Engagement for FleishmanHillard’s headquarter office in St. Louis.

Before joining FleishmanHillard, he worked for former New York Governor George Pataki in his Office of Federal Affairs in Washington, D.C. Tony graduated from the State University of New York at Albany with a bachelor’s degree in public policy and was a member of the FOCUS Leadership St. Louis class of 2012-13.