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St. Louis
RCGA leaders celebrated the region’s accomplishments in economic
development, public policy and other areas, at the organization’s
171st Annual Dinner and Meeting on January 24th, at the Chase
Park Plaza. For the first time, the event was a sell-out, with
over 1,000 people attending, and 70 corporate sponsors.
The Schnuck
family, siblings Scott, Todd, Craig, Terry, Mark and Nancy Schnuck-Diemer,
were also honored with the Right Arm of St. Louis Award, the RCGA’s
most prestigious honor, presented annually since 1975 to a person
or persons who have made outstanding contributions to the St.
Louis region. They are the 3rd generation of Schnucks to lead
the family grocery business, which was founded in 1939 and has
now grown into a $2.4 billion company that includes more than
15,000 associates in 103 stores in seven states.
Scott accepted
the award on behalf of his siblings. “We understand that we are
the first family to receive the award and that is an honor—in
and of itself. It will be a thrill to have our names added to
the elite list of St. Louisans who have earned this award—and
I am proud to say that list includes our late Uncle Edward who
received the award in 1983.”
Scott concluded,
“Finally, we want you to know that by bestowing upon us this wonderful
award and by your presence here tonight, you honor not only the
members of the Schnuck family you see here—but also the two previous
generations who started us on this path, the fourth generation
now waiting in the wings and all of the 15,000 associates that
work for our company.”
The evening
event also saluted RCGA volunteers, the RCGA Board of Directors
and inauguration of 2008 officers, including recognition of Graybar
Electric Chairman, President and CEO Bob Reynolds as the new chairman
of the RCGA and a salute to outgoing RCGA Chairman Gary Rainwater,
Chairman, President and CEO of Ameren Corporation.
Rainwater
noted, “A major achievement—and a top priority of the RCGA and
our colleagues this past year—was the passage of comprehensive
economic development legislation that raised the annual tax credit
cap on the Missouri Quality Jobs program to $40 million from $12
million. This significant increase in the original cap on the
Quality Jobs program makes Missouri much more competitive in attracting
new companies—and expanding existing companies—in the region and
state. Long-term, however, we believe the caps and sunsets on
Quality Jobs and other proven incentive programs must be removed.
Clearly, these programs are investments—not expenses.”
Among several
other issues, Reynolds focused on the regional branding effort—St.
Louis—Perfectly Centered. Remarkably Connected.—which has now
garnered over 200 million positive national media impressions.
“Our branding and marketing efforts have brought economic development
deal flow to an all-time high. In fact, deal flow has tripled
since the brand was rolled out in early 2006. We now have some
90 deals today in which St. Louis is on the “short list,” and
those deals collectively have a potential of generating over 14,000
jobs, and over three billion dollars in new capital investment
in the region. A substantial number of these deals are very high-paying,
technology-oriented jobs.”
Reynolds also
explained, “We are about to undertake a strategy planning process
that is very similar to what RCGA undertook nearly 10 years ago.
Just like before 1999, we never discussed the life sciences as
part of our economic development strategy; we are now going to
examine a growing issue that is important to virtually every company
in this room. That is the fierce competition for talent, and the
St. Louis region’s competitive position in developing talent,
retaining talent and recruiting talent.”
“On another
rapidly emerging issue, climate change. In addition to climate
change being an environmental challenge, it could well be one
of the biggest economic development opportunities in a generation,
with the formation of a whole new field of enterprises. We began
our strategy planning effort in the last quarter, and will focus
in a Board retreat in 2008 on strategic issues and metrics that
constitute an increasingly competitive and vital region,” said
Reynolds.
The
Right Arm of St. Louis Award has been presented annually since
1975 to recognize outstanding leadership on behalf of the
St. Louis region.
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| Right
Arm Previous Winners |
|
Harold Thayer, 1975
Chairman and CEO, Mallinckrodt Group Inc.
Sen.
Stuart Symington, 1976
U.S. Senator-Missouri
Leonor
K. Sullivan and Clarence Barksdale, 1977
- U.S. Congresswoman
- Chairman of the Board and CEO, First National Bank in
St. Louis
William
Maritz, 1978
Chairman of the Board and CEO, Maritz Inc.
R.
Hal Dean, 1979
Chairman and CEO, Ralston Purina
G.
Duncan Bauman, 1980
Publisher, St. Louis Globe-Democrat (1967 to 1984)
Armand
Stalnaker, 1981
Chairman, General American Life Insurance Co.
Leon
Strauss, 1982
Founder and President, Pantheon Corporation
Edward
Schnuck, 1983
Co-founder, Schnuck Markets Inc.
Donald
Lasater, 1984
Chairman, Mercantile Bancorp.
James
Meredith, John Regan and Roy Harper, 1985
Missouri Judges
Robert
Hyland, 1986
CBS Regional Vice President and General Manager, KMOX Radio
Rev.
Paul Reinert, 1987
President, Saint Louis University
James
O’Flynn, 1988
President, RCGA (1978 to 1986)
Dr.
Leigh Gerdine, 1989
President, Webster University
Ted
Wetterau, 1990
Chairman, Wetterau Inc.
Lee
Liberman, 1991
Chairman Emeritus, Laclede Gas Co.
H.
Edwin Trusheim, 1992
Chairman, General American
William
Cornelius, 1993
Chairman and CEO, Union Electric Company
Sen.
John Danforth and Dr. William Danforth, 1994
- U.S. Senator-Missouri
- Chancellor, Washington University in St. Louis
Earle
H. Harbison Jr., 1995
Resident and Chief Operating Officer, Monsanto Co.
E.
Desmond Lee, 1996
St. Louis Philanthropist, Business and Civic Leader
David
C. Farrell, 1997
Chairman, President and CEO (Emeritus), The May Department
Stores Company
Mark
McGwire, 1998
St. Louis Cardinals First Baseman
Dr.
Peter Raven, 1999
Executive Director, Missouri Botanical Garden
Jack
Buck, 2000
Hall of Fame Broadcaster
Jack
Taylor and Andy Taylor, 2001
- Founder, Enterprise Rent-A-car
- Chairman & CEO, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Dr.
Blanche Touhill, 2002
Chancellor Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of History and
Education, University of Missouri at St. Louis
Buzz
Westfall, 2003
St. Louis County Executive (honored posthumously)
Charles
Mueller, 2004
Chairman, President and CEO, Ameren Corporation (retired)
Kit
Bond, 2005
U.S. Senator-Missouri
Bill
DeWitt Jr., Walt Jocketty, Tony LaRussa, 2006
- Chairman and General Partner, St. Louis Cardinals
- Senior Vice President and General Manager. St. Louis Cardinals
- Field Manager, St. Louis Cardinals
The
Schnuck Family, 2007
- Craig, Scott, Terry, Mark, Todd and Nancy Schnuck-Diemer
- Third Generation of Schnucks to lead the family grocery
business
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| RCGA
Board Chairman |
| 2008 |
Robert
A. Reynolds, Chairman, President & CEO, Graybar Electric
Co. Inc. |
| 2007
- 2007 |
Gary
L. Rainwater, Chairman, President & CEO, Ameren Corporation
|
| 2005
- 2006 |
Scott
C. Schnuck, Chairman & CEO, Schnuck Markets Inc. |
| 2003
- 2004 |
Douglas
H. Yaeger, Chairman, President & CEO, Laclede Group Inc.
|
| 2000
- 2002 |
John
Bachmann, Managing Partner, Edward Jones |
| 1998
- 1999 |
Richard
Beumer, President, Sverdrup |
| 1996
- 1997 |
Charles
Mueller, President, Union Electric |
| 1994
- 1995 |
Sam
Hayes, Chairman, Boatmen’s Bank |
| 1992
- 1993 |
Earle
Harbison, President, Monsanto |
| 1990
- 1991 |
Andrew
Baur, President, Southwest Bank |
| 1987
- 1989 |
Lee
Liberman, Chairman, Laclede Gas |
| 1985
- 1986 |
Robert
West, President, Sverdrup |
| 1983
- 1984 |
Ted
Wetterau, Chairman, Wetterau Inc.
|
| 1981
- 1982 |
Robert
Hyland, General Manager, KMOX Radio |
| 1979
- 1980 |
Edward
Schnuck, Chairman, Schnuck Markets Inc. |
| 1977
- 1978 |
Armand
Stalnaker, Chairman, General American Life Insurance Company
|
| 1975
- 1976 |
Donald
Lasater, Chairman, Mercantile Bank |
| 1973
- 1974 |
Harold
Thayer, Chairman, Mallinckrodt |
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