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Compiled by Lauri Johnson
ST. LOUIS LIBRARY SYSTEM EARNS TOP RANKING IN NATIONAL LITERACY STUDY
In the 2005 America’s Most Literate Cities study, St. Louis finished an impressive 15th place overall for literacy among the 69 largest cities with populations greater than 250,000. Even more impressive, St. Louis ranked No. 1 in the study’s library category.
The study ranked cities and determined their final scores based on six factors: newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, education and Internet resources. St. Louis ranked No. 8 for newspaper circulation, tied for No. 7 in number of bookstores, tied for No. 8 in periodical publishing resources, ranked No. 58 in education, and tied for No. 37 in Internet resources.
John W. Miller, president of Central Connecticut State University, authored the study in collaboration with the university’s Center for Public Policy and Social Research.
NESTLÉ AND HARDEE'S SPORTS PROMOTION AWARDS
Nestlé Purina Petcare and Hardee’s Food Systems took home top honors in the 2004 Bill Veeck Sports Sponsorship Awards competition presented by the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University.
Nestlé Purina Petcare won the professional/single event category for its Dog Days of Summer event with the San Francisco Giants. The event allowed fans to have fun at the ballpark with their pets. Hardee’s Food Systems won the cause-related promotion category for a promotion associated with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The awards competition, named after Hall of Fame baseball team owner Bill Veeck,
recognizes companies that continue a longstanding tradition of unique, innovative and
inventive sports promotion.
THF REALTY SPONSORS TEACH FOR AMERICA WEEK 2005
Students at Ethel Hedgeman Lyle Academy in St. Louis learned practical lessons from the business world thanks to THF Realty and Teach For America Week 2005. Last October, the national program brought corporate leaders into inner city schools to teach team-building and other lessons from the business world. Marian Nunn, THF Realty’s chief operating officer, served as one of six teachers from the corporate world who participated in the week-long program at Ethel Hedgeman Lyle Academy.
“By participating in Teach For America Week, community leaders have the opportunity to inspire a class of students growing up in our city’s most underserved communities to strive to attain their goals,” notes Eric Scroggins, executive director of Teach For America in St. Louis.
Joining Nunn as guest teachers were Vince Bommarito, owner of Tony’s Restaurant; Donald Suggs, president and publisher of the St. Louis American; Darnetta Clinkscale, president of the St. Louis Board of Education; Steve Lipstein, president and CEO of BJC HealthCare; and Larry Cohn, president of Danube Investments.
Teach for America is an annual nationwide event in which community leaders across all sectors teach for one hour in the nation’s most under-resourced public schools to raise awareness about educational inequity.
STANDING PARTNERSHIP’S BRANDING CAMPAIGN WINS 10 AWARDS
Standing Partnership has won a total of 10 awards for a new branding campaign that has revamped the firm’s image, position and messages. The campaign included a new logo, tagline, business papers, positioning and company Web site. To date, the campaign’s awards include the following:
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Two Bronze Quill awards from the International Association of Business Communicators St. Louis
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An Award for Publication Excellence from Writing That Works: The Business Communications Report
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Two Best in Class TAM Awards and a Gold TAM Award from the Business Marketing Association of St. Louis
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An Award of Excellence from American Corporate Identity 21
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Three 2005 American Graphic Design Excellence in Communication and Graphic Design awards
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SUCCESS DISCUSSED AT WEBSTER
Michael F. Neidorff (left), Chairman and CEO, Centene Corp. and Benjamin Ola. Akande, dean of Webster University's School of Business and Technology at the Dean's "Success to Significance" Speakers Series. Neidorff offered the standing-room-only crowd one of his favorite quotes as he
discussed the traits of great leadership and management.
"Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and do it."
– Andrew Jackson
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THE LAWRENCE GROUP SPONSORS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HOME
The Lawrence Group has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to sponsor and build a home in the village of Hillsdale for a St. Louis family. Habitat for Humanity built 14 homes in the Hillsdale area and planned to build another 20 homes. Other sponsors
joining the project include Balke Brown, Brinkmann Construction and First Bank. As part of the sponsorship, each
company contributes money and volunteers to build a home. The Lawrence Group’s employees began construction on the Hillsdale home in September 2005 and returned in the following months to help with painting, hanging drywall, installing millwork and closet shelves, landscaping and cleaning.
HUBER & ASSOCIATES
OPENS IBM BUSINESS
INNOVATION CENTER
Huber & Associates Inc., a Jefferson City-based information technology firm with personnel in St. Louis, has opened an IBM Business Partner Innovation Center. The center features the latest IBM eServer and storage technology and provides clients with the appropriate hardware, software and services to help them improve business processes, reduce operating costs and become more competitive. Pre- and post-sales support offered at the center includes product demonstrations and test drives, solution design consultation, proof-of-concept support, product installation and implementation assistance, and workshops.
FEDERAL LEGISLATION WOULD GRANT "CONFLUENCE" NATIONAL HERITAGE DESIGNATION
The Confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers would receive a special federal designation if legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO) becomes law. Talent, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee announced legislation, SB 2114, which would establish the 200-square-mile meeting point as the Confluence National Heritage Corridor.
 U.S. Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO) |
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At a news conference at the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Underground Railroad site on the downtown riverfront, Sen. Talent noted that this legislation recognizes the historic significance of the area; federal designations often open doors to new public and private resources, and this bill will not only help preserve the area for future generations, it will help increase tourism, as well.
UniGroup President and RCGA Board Chair for Economic Development Rich McClure was emcee for the program. Likewise, former RCGA Board Chairman and present Confluence Advisory Board Chair John Bachmann also spoke, noting that, “Heritage Status would provide important resources for ongoing development of facilities, and the creation of river-focused education programs and public events.”
Sen. Talent’s bill has been referred to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee; he noted he would be pushing for a hearing on the bill in the coming weeks. Designating the Confluence Greenway as a National Heritage Area is a major 2006 RCGA and Forward Metro St. Louis federal legislative priority.
UMSL WINS NATIONAL INNOVATION IN TECHNOLOGY AWARD
| The University of Missouri-St. Louis won the Annual Award for Innovation in Technology presented by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education presented in San Diego. “Needless to say, we are proud of winning this prestigious national award,” says Charles D. Schmitz, Ph.D.
Dean and Professor, College of Education. |
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WTS-METRO ST. LOUIS
CHAPTER’S SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
The WTS International-Metropolitan St. Louis Chapter Third Annual Scholarship Awards Dinner was held February 16, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel St. Louis Union Station. Mort Downey, Board Chairman of PB Consult, and former U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary and former Executive Director/CFO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York City was the guest speaker. Award winners included RCGA’s own Susan Stauder as WTS Woman of the Year; WTS Member of the Year: Alma Bright; WTS Organization of the Year: Metro; WTS Diversity Leadership Award: Missouri Department of Transportation and WTS Scholarship Award: Debra Jarvis.
TRAVELOCITY OFFERS
CORPORATE DISCOUNTS FROM HYATT HOTELS
Travelocity Business has added Hyatt Hotels to the growing list
of air, hotel and car rental companies that provide special business
travel discounts to its customers. Hyatt Hotels, which consists
of 211 hotels and resorts in 43 countries around the world, offers
Travelocity Business travelers negotiated corporate rates when they
stay at any Hyatt Hotels property on business trips.
“Through our relationship with Travelocity Business, we believe
we can help meet the lifestyle standards and practical needs of
the business traveler,” states Joan Lowell, vice president
of electronic distribution at Hyatt Corporation. “Whether
it’s a productivity tool like wireless Internet access or
a comfort benefit like Hyatt’s new Grand Bed, it’s our
intention to provide busy guests with the amenities they want, plus
little extras they wouldn’t expect from a hotel.”
FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF ST. LOUIS SPONSORS BOOKMOBILE
A $60,000 donation from First National Bank of St. Louis will help
the St. Louis County Library sponsor a bookmobile that will visit
schools in the western and southern parts of St. Louis County. The
new bookmobile will be the first in 30 years and is expected to
debut in the spring of 2006. Although most of the county’s
current bookmobiles were built 30 to 50 years ago and are being
retired due to old age, St. Louis County Library continues to boast
the largest bookmobile fleet in the United States.
| (Left to right): Rick Bagy, president of First National Bank of St. Louis; C. Daniel Wilson, director of St. Louis County Library. |
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“Bookmobiles have been an integral part of the history of the St. Louis County Library since 1947,” states Rick Bagy, president of First National Bank of
St. Louis. “At First National Bank of
St. Louis, we believe it is important to help continue this tradition and to help make books accessible throughout the
St. Louis community.”
OPUS NORTHWEST BREAKS GROUND ON NEW RETAIL CENTER
Opus Northwest LLC has started construction on Dardenne Town Square, a new retail complex located at the intersection of Highway 40/61 and Highway N in Dardenne Prairie, Mo. Key anchor tenants are Target, Shop ‘n Save and Wehrenberg Theatres. The complex is on a 40-acre site that includes an additional 150,000 square feet for future retail tenants. Dardenne Town Square is scheduled to be finished in late 2006.
MINORITY BUSINESS COUNCIL PRESENTS 2005 EXCELLENCE AWARDS
| Front row, seated left to right: Dr. Don Cook, Capital International Communications LLC; Debra Lebryk, Monsanto Company; Maria Ayres, Corporate Express; and Ivan James, Ivan James & Associates/UTS. Back row, left to right: Morris and Denise Hervey, Tech Services To Go Inc. d/b/a/TSI Engineering; John Klein, Washington University in St. Louis; Greg Griffin, Monsanto Company; and Jeff Sharpe, Monsanto Company. |
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The St. Louis Minority Business Council held its 2005 Excellence Awards program in December to recognize Minority Business Enterprises, corporations, government agencies and institutions that demonstrated a commitment to the advancement of successful minority businesses.
The following companies received awards for
outstanding performances in the St. Louis business community:
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American Pallet-Midwest—manufacturing
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Capital International Communications Inc.—distribution
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Legacy Building Group—construction
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Tech Services To Go Inc.—professional/other services
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Monsanto received the Corporation of the Year Award, and Jeff Sharpe of Monsanto received the MBE Buyer/Coordinator of the Year Award. Washington University won the Government/Institution of the Year Award.
The Chairman’s Award for outstanding service supporting the council’s mission was awarded to Deb Lebryk of Monsanto Company, Maria Ayres of Corporate Express, and Ivan James of Ivan James & Associates/UTS Inc. |
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