2020 What’s Right with the Region Awards

Congratulations to our 2020 honorees!

Demonstrating Innovative Solutions

Honorees have demonstrated innovation and vision in making the St. Louis region a better place to live, work or visit.
Covenant Place
HeartLands Conservancy
Lock It for Love, a program of Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice
Urban Harvest STL

Fostering Creativity for Social Change

Honorees have harnessed the power of the arts and imagination to bring about change in the region.
Arts & Faith St. Louis
Circus Harmony
Opera Theatre of St. Louis
Prison Performing Arts

Improving Equity and Inclusion

Honorees have shown a commitment to promoting diversity, access, inclusion and opportunity for all.
FLOURISH St. Louis powered by Generate Health
Grace Strobel
Join Hands ESL, Inc.
Parents Learning Together at the St. Louis Arc

Promoting Stronger Communities

Honorees have worked to address problems, develop initiatives, or make lasting improvements that result in stronger, more stable communities.
Community & Children’s Resource Board
Greater East St. Louis Early Learning Partnership
Provident Behavioral Health
Thomas Dunn Learning Center

Emerging Initiatives

Honorees are new organizations that are developing practical solutions, responding to identified needs and serving as catalysts for change.
MindsEye’s Arts & Culture Accessibility Cooperative
St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Diversion Initiative
Wellston Tenant Association

Thank you to all in the community who took the time to submit a nomination!

We’re pleased to announce Otis Williams, Executive Director of the St. Louis Development Corporation, as the recipient of the 2020 FOCUS Leadership Award. This prestigious award, chosen by the FOCUS Board of Directors, is given annually to individuals who demonstrate committed leadership, generate a meaningful impact in the community, and encourage strong community engagement in others.

Williams joined the St. Louis Development Corporation in 1998 and has served as Executive Director since 2013. His leadership at the helm of the city’s economic development arm has played a key role in many multimillion-dollar development projects in the St. Louis City’s downtown and neighborhoods, including the new Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village, Cortex Innovation Community, the North Riverfront Industrial Corridor, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s decision to remain in St. Louis. Learn more. 

At the 2020 What’s Right with the Region Awards, FOCUS St. Louis will recognize two alumnae of its civic leadership programs:

2020 FOCUS St. Louis Legacy Alumni Award
Deborah Patterson
Leadership St. Louis 1977-78

A graduate of FOCUS’ Leadership St. Louis program, Deborah Patterson retired from Monsanto in 2016, where she served as Vice President of Global Contributions and Employee Engagement. Prior to her 22 years at Monsanto, she was Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross of Eastern Missouri. She also worked in St. Louis City government, holding two cabinet positions concurrently: Executive Director of the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) and Director of the Community Development Agency. As director of development, Deborah was the mayor’s top advisor for housing and economic development. Today, she lends her expertise as a consultant to the Bayer Foundation, BioSTL and STEMpact.

An active and recognized community leader, Deborah is currently on the boards of directors for Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Delta Dental of Missouri, St. Louis Public Library Foundation, Pulitzer Arts Foundation and Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri. She has also served as president of the FOCUS St. Louis board and as a board member for United Way of Greater St. Louis. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Administration of Justice and Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and participated in the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program.

2020 FOCUS St. Louis Emerging Alumni Award
Antionette D. Carroll
Emerging Leaders 2013

An alumna of FOCUS’ Emerging Leaders program for young professionals, Antionette D. Carroll is the Founder, President and CEO of Creative Reaction Lab, a nonprofit educating, training, and challenging Black and Latinx youth to become leaders designing healthy and racially equitable communities. In this capacity, Antionette has pioneered a new, award-winning form of creative problem solving called Equity-Centered Community Design – named a Fast Company World Changing Idea Finalist in General Excellence and Urban Design. Throughout her career, Antionette has worked for nonprofits addressing social justice, human rights, diversity, equity, and inclusion as a communications specialist. She previously served as Head of Communications for Diversity Awareness Partnership.

In her almost 10 years of volunteer leadership, Antionette was named the Founding Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force of AIGA: The Professional Association of Design. She’s a former AIGA National Board Director and Chair Emerita of the Task Force. She’s founded and launched several initiatives, including the Design Census Program with Google, Racial Justice by Design Initiative, Diversity and Inclusion Residency, and national Design for Inclusivity Summit with Microsoft. Antionette is the co-founder and co-director of the Design + Diversity Conference and Fellowship. She also sits on several awards and programming committees for local and national nonprofits and is an international speaker and facilitator.

Thank you to our 2020 What’s Right with the Region co-chairs!

Shelley Seifert
First Bank

Tony Thompson
Kwame Building Group

2020 Selection Committee

Dr. Anthony Adamgbo
Nicole A. Amling
Michele Bildner
Stephanie Boyd
James M. Brasfield
Sandy Brooks
Evita Caldwell
Joseph A. Cavato
Paul Costigan
Ken Crabiel
Jami Dolby
Michelle Fassler
John J. Glenn
Karen M. Goering
Annette P. Heller
Christie Hill
Montrinaa Hill
Jillian Hind
Amanda Honigfort
Stephen Houldsworth
Lynn Huelsmann
Lisa V John
Rachel Kirchoff
Kevin Kleiman
Steve Knight
Steffani Lautenschlager
Lisa Liebschutz
Pamela Denise Long
Nalini S Mahadevan
Pamela C. Mandelker
Marjorie Moore
Brett Moorehouse
Nina Needleman
Pamela Hastings Perlmutter
Amanda Pope
Marianne Salciccia
Steve Savis
Mary Dee Schmidt
Ebonee F Shaw
Gerald E Smith
Kristen Sorth
Nancy Spargo
Julio Suarez
Sandra Sullivan
Jacob Surratt
Lattissua Tyler
Sarah Willey
Alan Zagier

For 22 years, FOCUS St. Louis has honored the individuals, initiatives and organizations helping to shape and improve our region.

View past honorees

You can also check out videos of recent award recipients on the FOCUS YouTube channel.