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Compiled by
Lauri Johnson
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN RAISES $75 MILLION
IN CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
Many
campaign projects have already come to fruition, including
the new two-acre Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden:
A Missouri Adventure that opened daily in May.
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The Missouri Botanical Garden’s capital campaign raised more than
$75 million, surpassing its original goal by $4 million. Launched
in May 2003, the “Stewards of the Earth” campaign was the largest,
most ambitious fund-raising drive in the garden’s history. The campaign
sought financial support to improve the garden’s infrastructure
and facilities and to preserve the historic legacy of founder Henry
Shaw. On a global level, the funds will help strengthen the garden’s
role in establishing St. Louis as a world leader in plant science
and enhance biodiversity and conservation around the world.
A lead gift of $30 million by the Jack Taylor family to support
global plant research was the largest single donation ever made
to a botanical garden in the United States.
Many campaign projects have already come to fruition, including
the new two-acre Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden: A Missouri
Adventure that opened daily in May. Other projects include construction
of the George Washington Carver Garden and extensive interior renovations
made to Tower Grove House, which reopened last fall.
NEW TOWN AT ST. CHARLES OUTSELLS COMPETITION
NATIONALLY
The New Town at St. Charles, the “new urbanism” development off
of Highway 370 and New Town Boulevard, has outsold developments
in 17,280 communities across 16 states, according to a recent study.
The independent study, conducted by housing research organization
MarketGraphics, included data from a 12-month period for markets
in 16 states.
“This is one of the only new-home developments in the entire Midwest
that adheres to the new urbanism (otherwise known as a traditional
neighborhood development) architectural design principles and guidelines,”
states developer Greg Whittaker, president of Whittaker Homes. “If
you want to live in a new home in a true traditional neighborhood
development, New Town is the place to buy.”
Ultimately, the $1.5 billion project will be a thriving town with
approximately 5,700 residences constructed in 10 phases with a large
town center and four neighborhood centers.
RODGERS TOWNSEND WINS TOP PRIZE FOR DIRECT
MARKETING
Advertising agency Rodgers Townsend swept 27 awards at the Chicago
Association of Direct Marketing’s 2006 Tempo Awards ceremony, including
the competition’s top honor, the CADM Past President’s Award.
For the second consecutive year, Rodgers Townsend won the Past Presidents’
Award for its SBC Memory Stick campaign, a direct mail piece intended
to initiate and build relationships between SBC data salespeople
and information technology decision makers.
Rodgers Townsend also collected Tempo Awards for its campaigns with
SBC Communications, Energizer, Maritz, Ameren, the St. Louis Convention
and Visitors Center, and the Humane Society of Missouri. The Chicago
Association of Direct Marketing provides support, education and
networking opportunities to direct marketers in Chicago and throughout
the Midwest.
SAINT LOUIS ART MUSEUM ADOPTS BOLD EXPANSION
PLAN
The Saint Louis Art Museum’s board of commissioners has adopted
an architectural master plan for the museum’s planned expansion
in Forest Park. The board also voted to proceed with the design
phase, which is expected to be completed late this year.
The master plan, developed by London-based David Chipperfield Architects,
is designed to meet the museum’s current and future needs for space
with a campus of buildings connected to the original Cass Gilbert
building. The first phase, extending to the southeast of the museum,
includes a 95,000-square-foot program area, an underground parking
area with 365 spaces, and a new south entrance. The building will
house galleries for permanent collections and temporary exhibits,
as well as public amenities that include visitor orientation, a
restaurant, a retail shop and a library.
The second phase will entail a series of facility enhancements that
include improvements to the south wing and to the current complex
of buildings.
“The Museum campus idea creates a strong relationship between the
landscape and architecture, taking advantage of our Museum’s extraordinary
setting in Forest Park,” says Pat Mulcahy, president of the museum’s
board of commissioners. “We are excited by this opportunity to expand
our world-class Museum to make more of our fine collection available
and provide enhanced service to our public audience.”
CHESTERFIELD COMMONS APPROACHES TWO MILLION
SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL SPACE
Chesterfield Commons, a $275 million shopping center developed by
THF Realty, now has 1.9 million square feet of retail space under
roof and is 100 percent leased. The center is the nation’s largest
open-air retail center, and plans call for an additional 200,000
square feet to be constructed.
Chesterfield Commons currently houses more than 80 retailers and
35 restaurants. Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, Target, Lowe’s and Home Depot
serve as anchor stores. Businesses at Chesterfield Commons currently
employ more than 3,000 people, and once completed, the project will
create an estimated 6,000 jobs. In addition to retail space, Chesterfield
Commons will also host 275,000 square feet of office space and 205,000
square feet of industrial space.
EIGHT METRO WOMEN HONORED FOR EXEMPLARY
LEADERSHIP
In celebration of Women’s History Month, eight women were honored
for exemplary leadership and dedication to the St. Louis business
community at the Professional Organization of Women Inc.’s African
American Women of Distinction Awards ceremony in March.
The eight honorees have excelled in their respective fields and
set shining examples for women in the community through both their
professional and civic endeavors.
The honorees are as follows:
• Anne-Marie Clark, family court judicial commissioner of
the 22nd Judicial Circuit of Missouri
• Carol A. Daniel, anchor at radio station KMOX
• Dr. Jacquelyn B. Garrett, a private physician
• Darlene Green, comptroller for the city of St. Louis
• Pamela Meanes, partner at Thompson Coburn LLP
• Cheryl D. Polk, executive vice president and chief operating
officer at United Way of Greater St. Louis
• Dr. Consuelo Hopkins Wilkins, assistant professor of internal
medicine at Washington University
• Joylynn L. Wilson, assistant superintendent of curriculum
and instruction at University City School District
Selection criteria include community involvement, professional development
and personal growth.
PARENTS AS TEACHERS HONORS NATIONAL LEAGUE
OF CITIES
The National League of Cities has been honored with the 2006 Parents
as Teachers Child and Family Advocacy Award at the 15th annual Parents
as Teachers Conference. The organization won the award for a program
called City Challenge for Early Childhood Success. The initiative
is designed to assist mayors, city council members and other municipal
officials in creating local systems of support for parents of young
children.
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(Left
to right): Susan S. Stepleton, president and CEO
of Parents as Teachers National Center; Mayor Francis
Slay; Jim Hunt, president of the National League of
Cities; Clifford Johnson, executive director of the
Institute for Youth, Education and Families for the
National League of Cities. |
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“This is the most prestigious award our organization presents,”
states Susan S. Stepleton, president and CEO of Parents as Teachers
National Center. “It recognizes not just accomplishments, but also
an ongoing, often lifetime commitment to advocating on behalf of
all children and all families.”
The award honors an individual or organization that has demonstrated
exceptional service and dedication in advocating for children and
families. The National League of Cities serves as a resource and
advocate for 18,000 cities, towns and villages.
AMERICANS ARE DOING A “FAIR” JOB AT BUILDING
WEALTH
Americans are doing a “fair” job of building their nest eggs, according
to a new gauge of the nation’s wealth-building performance developed
by A.G. Edwards. The A.G. Edwards Nest Egg Score is a quarterly
numerical rating derived from a dozen statistical factors and is
designed to provide a comprehensive picture of how well American
households build personal wealth.
The score for the fourth quarter of 2005 was 648, giving it a strong
“fair” rating based on the following scale: 450-549 = poor; 550-649
= fair; 650-749 = good; and 750-850 = excellent. The “fair” score
reflects a number of economic factors during the survey period,
such as the benefits of a rise in home values and the stock market,
a favorable tax environment, a low unemployment rate and a high
level of home ownership. These factors help to offset a negative
personal savings rate, rising inflation and a poor outlook on future
saving prospects.
“The inaugural Nest Egg Score of 648 shows that Americans’ nest
eggs are getting a boost from real estate appreciation and stock
and bond gains, but are being dragged down by poor savings behavior,”
states Sophie Beckmann, a financial planning specialist at A.G.
Edwards. “By taking just a few simple steps such as starting to
save early in life, reducing debt and participating in employer-sponsored
retirement plans, Americans can help ensure a more secure financial
future.”
The A.G. Edwards Nest Egg Score includes traditional government
savings measures, but also factors in changes in housing and investment
values, participation in retirement plans, cost of living and consumers’
outlooks on their saving and investing prospects. Collectively,
these elements contribute to and affect Americans’ ability to build
wealth, according to the survey. For a detailed description of the
A.G. Edwards Nest Egg Score, visit www.nesteggscore.com.
TALX CHARITABLE FOUNDATION DONATES $25,000
TO READY READERS
Ready Readers, a Missouri-based literacy program, has received a
$25,000 gift from TALX Charitable Foundation to support its operation.
The $25,000 gift represents the single largest contribution to date
on behalf of Ready Readers. The program is designed to get at-risk
preschool children in the St. Louis area excited about learning
how to read in school. The program provides the same reader to the
same children each week and gives the children high-quality books
throughout the school year.
“This contribution from the TALX Charitable Foundation is significant
for many wonderful reasons. We hope it encourages other corporate
citizens to join TALX in providing at-risk youngsters a fresh perspective
through the gift of reading,” states Pat Simons, executive director
of Ready Readers. “This gift also allows us the flexibility to hand-select
quality titles that are most appropriate for these youth.”
STAGES ST. LOUIS WINS FOUR KEVIN KLINE AWARDS
STAGES ST. LOUIS received four awards during the first annual Kevin
Kline Awards ceremony at the historic Roberts Orpheum Theatre. The
musical theater company earned awards in four out of five of the
major musical theater categories. For the musical “Footloose,” Michael
Hamilton won Outstanding Director of a Musical, Ben Nordstrom won
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, and Dana Lewis won Outstanding
Choreography. Zoe Vonder Haar won Outstanding Lead Actress in a
Musical for her performance as Dolly Levi in “Hello, Dolly!”
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(Left
to right): Kevin Kline Award Winner Michael Hamilton
(Outstanding Director of a Musical) and Kevin Kline
Award Winner Ben Nordstrom (Outstanding Lead Actor
in a Musical) at the STAGES pre-award show party.
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STAGES ST. LOUIS’ 25 award nominations were the most received by
a musical theater and the second-highest of total nominations. The
Kevin Kline Awards recognize outstanding achievement in professional
theater in the greater St. Louis area in more than 20 categories.
ST. ANTHONY’S ANNOUNCES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
St. Anthony’s Medical Center has established a dual scholarship
program to help both the children of employees and students living
in St. Anthony’s service area afford a college education. Working
in partnership with the Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation,
the scholarship program offers two types of scholarships.
Health Professions Scholarships are offered to individuals living
in St. Anthony’s service area who will become tomorrow’s front-line
caregivers. Up to 15 renewable scholarships, each from $2,000 to
$10,000 per scholar, will be awarded annually to students pursing
degrees in designated health care fields.
Sons and Daughters of Employees Scholarships are offered to children
of St. Anthony’s employees who are academically qualified and demonstrate
financial need. Up to 30 renewable scholarships, each from $2,000
to $10,000 per scholar, will be awarded annually. Students can pursue
an undergraduate degree in any field of study at a Missouri college
or university or at Southern Illinois University.
Application forms for both scholarships are available from St. Anthony’s
Education Department or from www.stanthonysmedcenter.com.
JUNE ROESSLEIN INTERIORS WINS MERCHANDISING
AWARDS
The display home division of June Roesslein Interiors has won four
awards for new home merchandising from the Sales and Marketing Council
of the Home Builders Association of Greater St. Louis. The firm
created award-winning presentations for Bower & Bailey’s Saratoga
community in St. Charles County, Hayden Homes’ The Manors at Heritage
Trails in St. Charles County and August Hill in Chesterfield, and
C.F. Vatterott’s Richardson Glen community in Jefferson County.
ST. LOUIS BRANDED A WINNER
The St. Louis Regional Brand mark (St. Louis. Perfectly Centered.
Remarkable Connected.) was named a winner in the 2006 American Institute
of Graphic Artists (AIGA) awards competition. It won in the Branding
Applications & Packaging category.
AIGA is a highly competitive regional competition juried by such
legends in the design field as Kit Hinrichs, a principal at Pentagram
design in New York, and Los Angeles designer Kim Baer, who has worked
with Nike, Nissan, and other power brands.
MOMENTUM-ST. LOUIS LEASES NEW OFFICE SPACE
IN RICHMOND HEIGHTS
Momentum-St. Louis has signed a long-term lease with Cherokee Investment
Partners to lease office space in Richmond Heights, Mo., and plans
to move in late this year. The building, located near the intersection
of Interstate 170 and Clayton Road, will house all of the agency’s
275 employees and will consolidate offices currently located in
Clayton and University City, Mo.
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Momentum’s
new office space in Richmond Heights. |
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“Momentum-St. Louis has been experiencing an annual growth trend
of over 30 percent in the past three years, thanks to the addition
of new, global clients,” states Bill Schmidt, managing director
of Momentum-St. Louis. “We have been eyeing the perfect location
to give staff a little more creative interaction.”
The agency plans to take advantage of two stories of open floor
space and an open staircase to create a more collaborative, interactive
work environment. The agency will lease two-thirds of the building,
which offers 58,000 square feet of space for up to 500 employees.
DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP AND DOWNTOWN CID LAUNCH
NEW WEB SITE
The Downtown St. Louis Partnership and Downtown CID have launched
a new Web site filled with information on the downtown area. The
site, www.downtownstl.org,
is designed to be a one-stop source for everything related to downtown
St. Louis. The site includes an interactive map and searchable directories
for housing, retail services, restaurants, shops, arts, entertainment
and hotels. The site also offers news, membership information and
a development section with current projects, market research and
economic development incentives.
PARENTS AS TEACHERS RECEIVES $50,000 GRANT
FROM EXPRESS SCRIPTS
Express Scripts has awarded Parents as Teachers National Center
a one-time grant of $50,000. The funds will sponsor new health,
hearing and vision screening guides with the latest information
from the Missouri Foundation for Health for parent educators. The
grant also provides for additional training for parent educators
on screening techniques.
The new screening guides include updated information from the American
Academy of Pediatrics and the Center for Disease Control. The screening
guides and training are important factors in increasing the accuracy
of health and developmental screening techniques, which ultimately
lead to a decrease in hearing, vision or developmental problems
due to early detection and treatment.
“Parents as Teachers has always provided parents with helpful information
for raising their young children. The grant from Express Scripts
will go a long way to help us continue to offer the latest information
to Missouri families,” states Susan Stepleton, president and CEO
of Parents as Teachers National Center. “Express Scripts’ generosity
is directly contributing to the health and success of Missouri children
and our future.” |
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