2019 What’s Right with the Region Awards

Thank you to all who submitted nominations for our 2019 What’s Right with the Region Awards, as well as our panel of community judges!

2019 What’s Right with the Region Award Recipients

Demonstrating Innovative Solutions

Honorees have demonstrated innovation and vision in making the St. Louis region a better place to live, work or visit.
Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition
It’s Your Birthday, Inc.
Kranzberg Arts Foundation
Midwest Cyber Center

Fostering Creativity for Social Change

Honorees have harnessed the power of the arts and imagination to bring about change in the region.
COCA – Center of Creative Arts
New Line Theatre
Perennial
Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Improving Equity and Inclusion

Honorees have shown a commitment to promoting diversity, access, inclusion and opportunity for all.
Challenge Unlimited, Inc.
Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience
Inda Schaenen, Project Lab St. Louis
Salam Clinics

Promoting Stronger Communities

Honorees have worked to address problems, develop initiatives, or make lasting improvements that result in stronger, more stable communities.
Gateway to Innovation
HealthWorks! Kids Museum
NCADA
Rebuilding Together

Emerging Initiatives

Honorees are new organizations that are developing practical solutions, responding to identified needs and serving as catalysts for change.
A Red Circle
Saint Louis ReCAST
Sustainable Housing Initiative, a program of Criminal Justice Ministry
Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital

Bob Fox, entrepreneur, philanthropist and chair/co-founder of the Clark-Fox Family Foundation, was the recipient of the 2019 FOCUS Leadership Award.

This prestigious award, chosen by the FOCUS Board of Directors, is presented annually to individuals who demonstrate innovative leadership, generate a meaningful impact in the community, and encourage strong community leadership in others.

A successful entrepreneur and founder of NewSpace, Inc., Fox is best known for his ongoing philanthropic and community leadership, particularly on issues of immigration, education, public health and social justice. Learn more.

Christine Chadwick was the founding Executive Director of FOCUS St. Louis, a role she served in for 18 years until her retirement in 2014. Under her leadership, FOCUS trained more than 4,000 community members, from high school students to senior-level executives. She also personally directed the Leadership St. Louis and Experience St. Louis programs for 17 years.

Chris remains one of the St. Louis community’s most active volunteers, having served on more than 30 boards. She currently serves as Chair of the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District and International Women’s Forum-Missouri, as well as on the boards for the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Harris-Stowe University Board of Regents, and the Peace and Justice Commission. She has received numerous honors and awards for her community service and continues to serve in an advisory capacity for several boards.

A native of the St. Louis region, Blake Strode completed FOCUS’ Youth Leadership St. Louis program while attending Pattonville High School. He then attended the University of Arkansas, where he majored in international economics and Spanish. After his graduation from Harvard Law School, Blake returned to St. Louis and joined ArchCity Defenders, a nonprofit civil rights law firm, as a Skadden Fellow and Staff Attorney in 2015. In this role, he helped to establish the Civil Rights Litigation unit at ArchCity, which has challenged a variety of unlawful and predatory practices, including debtors’ prisons, police misconduct and inhumane jail conditions.

In 2018, he was named as the new Executive Director for ArchCity Defenders. He has spoken at conferences and panels throughout the country and authored articles and columns on civil rights and criminal justice for local and national media. A member of the current Leadership St. Louis cohort, Blake has also returned to educate and inspire recent classes of Youth Leadership St. Louis.

Considered by many to be THE St. Louis networking event of the year, What’s Right with the Region brings together more than 550 leaders and community members for an inspiring evening of celebration.

Be sure to save the date for the 2020 What’s Right with the Region Awards on May 7, 2020!

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

View past honorees.

Each year, the FOCUS Board of Directors has also presented the Leadership Award, designed to recognize individuals who demonstrate remarkable and courageous community leadership, have meaningful impact on the community, and encourage strong community leadership in others.

View past Leadership Award recipients.

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

2019 WRWR Chairs

Mike Hart
St. Louis Market Executive / Midwest Commercial Banking Director
Regions Bank

Lauren Herring
Chief Executive Officer
IMPACT Group

Debbie Rush
Partner
Thompson Coburn LLP

Host Committee

Caroline Battles
Tom Hake
Sauntura Jones
Darci Madden
Valerie Nelson
Viji Samikannu
Yvonne Sparks
Dara Webb
Kathy Wehrfritz

Judging Committee

Isabel Acevedo
Anthony Adamgbo
Joani Alsop
Nicole Amling
Nicolle Barton
SiSi Beltrán Martí
Jenny Birgé
Gina Bremehr
Evita Caldwell
Dorothy Carlin
Joe Cavato
Molly N. Cline
Paul Costigan
Fay Fetick
Sharon Harvey Davis
Christie Hill
Larry Hofstetter
Sauntura Jones
Steve Knight
Mary Kullman
Lisa Liebschutz
Nalini Mahadevan
Pam Mandelker
Amal Mansuri
Scott Meyer
Brett Moorehouse
Eric Moraczewski
Traci O’Bryan
John Peluso
Pamela Perlmutter
Aaron M. Randolph
Phillip Sangokoya
Mary Dee Schmidt
Kristen Sorth
Julia Spoerry
Julio Suárez
Jacob Surratt
Johnny Wang
Kathy Wehrfritz
Tony Zagora