RCGA staff work with our members to build regional strength and stay competitive. We are accomplishing this by developing our region’s essential products—such as economic growth and vitality; community capitalism; an educated, competitive work force; sound region-wide infrastructure; a vital central city of the region; a forward-looking public policy agenda; and developing distinctive industry clusters.
Richard Fleming, President & CEO
Phone: (314) 444-1100
Email: rfleming@stlrcga.org
Karen Butchko, Executive Assistant to the President
Phone: (314) 444-1109
Email: kbutchko@stlrcga.org
Ellen Hicks, Administrative Assistant
Phone: (314) 444-1178
Email: ehicks@stlrcga.org
Beverly Estes, Executive Vice President & COO
Phone: (314) 444-1110
Email: bestes@stlrcga.org
Mary Barbeau, Administrative Manager
Phone: (314) 444-1103
Email: mbarbeau@stlrcga.org
Laura Taylor, Comptroller
Phone: (314) 444-1174
Email: ltaylor@stlrcga.org
Donald Grotjan, Staff Accountant
Phone: (314) 444-1129
Email: dgrotjan@stlrcga.org
Randy Baehr, Information Systems Manager
Phone: (314) 444-1168
Email: rbaehr@stlrcga.org
Mary Perez, Membership Database Specialist
Phone: (314) 444-1181
Email: mperez@stlrcga.org
Toni Woodard Thomas, Receptionist
Phone: (314) 444-1120
Email: tthomas@stlrcga.org
David Minor, General Services Coordinator
Phone: (314) 444-1186
Email: dminor@stlrcga.org
Gary Broome, Vice President–Communications
Phone: (314) 444-1171
Email: gbroome@stlrcga.org
Yu-Yuan Lei, Webmaster
Phone: (314) 444-1173
Email: dlei@stlrcga.org
Jodi Barnes, Graphic Designer
Phone: (314) 444-1172
Email: jbarnes@stlrcga.org
John Bilhorn, Account Executive,
St. Louis Commerce Magazine
Phone: (314) 444-1161
Email: jbilhorn@stlrcga.org
Christine Malinee, Account Executive,
St. Louis Commerce Magazine
Phone: (314) 444-1162
Email: cmalinee@stlrcga.org
Colin Stahlhut, Vice President–Membership Services
Phone:
(314) 444-1145
Email:
cstahlhut@stlrcga.org
Lori Meier, Administrative Assistant–Membership
Phone:
(314) 444-1147
Email:
lmeier@stlrcga.org
Mary Britt, Account Executive
Phone:
(314) 206-3282
Email:
mbrit@stlrcga.org
Stuart Schelp, Account Executive
Phone:
(314) 206-3280
Email:
schelp@stlrcga.org
C. K. (Chip) Casteel, Senior Vice President–Public Policy
Phone: (314) 444-1107
Email: ccasteel@stlrcga.org
Susan Stauder, Vice President–Infrastructure & Public Policy
Phone: (314) 444-1155
Email: sstauder@stlrcga.org
Eric Schneider, Senior Director–Public Policy
Phone: (314) 444-1148
Email: eschneider@stlrcga.org
Kevin Riggs, Director–Illinois Government Affairs
Phone: (314) 444-1108
Email: kriggs@stlrcga.org
Christine Snively, Project Manager–Public Policy
Phone: (314) 444-1144
Email: csnively@stlrcga.org
Steve Johnson, Senior Vice President–Economic
Development
Phone: (314) 444-1140
Email: sjohnson@stlrcga.org
Felicia Holyfield, Executive Assistant–Economic Development
Phone: (314) 444-1118
Email: fholyfield@stlrcga.org
Linda Leonard, CED, Vice President–Economic Development
Phone: (314) 444-1138
Email: lleonard@stlrcga.org
Nancy Krelle, Project Manager–Economic Development
Phone: (314) 444-1113
Email: nkrelle@stlrcga.org
Jim Alexander, Vice President–Business Recruitment
Phone: (314) 444-1135
Email: jalexander@stlrcga.org
Judy Schrum, Administrative Assistant–Business Recruitment
Phone: (314) 444-1190
Email: jschrum@stlrcga.org
Lindsay Ochoa, Project Coordinator–Business Recruitment
Phone: (314) 444-1136
Email: lochoa@stlrcga.org.
Lori Becklenberg, Director–Business Recruitment
Phone: (314) 444-1193
Email: lbecklenberg@stlrcga.org
Louis Copilevitz, Director–Business Recruitment
Phone: (314) 444-1139
Email: lcopilevitz@stlrcga.org
Ruth Sergenian, Director–Economic Policy, Analysis & Chief Economist
Phone: (314) 444-1125
Email: rsergenian@stlrcga.org
Tim Alexander, Director–Business Research and Analysis
Phone: (314) 444-1146
Email: talexander@stlrcga.org
Jay DeLong, Vice President–New Ventures & Capital
Formation
Phone: (314) 444-1130
Email: jdelong@stlrcga.org
Meredith Turk, Project Coordinator–New Ventures & Capital
Formation
Phone: (314) 444-1112
Email: mturk@stlrcga.org
Blair Forlaw, Director–Greater St. Louis Works
Phone: (314) 444-1149
Email: blair.forlaw@greaterstlouisworks.org
Donn Rubin, Executive Director
Phone: (314) 206-3242
Email: drubin@stlrcga.org
Melissa Harrison, Executive Assistant
Phone: (314) 206-3234
Email: mharrison@stlrcga.org
Ben Johnson, Program Specialist
Phone: (314) 206-3235
Email: bjohnson@stlrcga.org
Christine Walsh, Executive Director
Phone: (314) 444-1151
Email: cwalsh@stlrcga.org
Valerie Patton, Executive Director
Phone: (314) 444-1170
Email: vpatton@stlrcga.org
Rosalind Reese, Project Coordinator
Phone: (314) 206-3224
Email:
rreese@stlrcga.org
Frank Stokes, Chief Executive Officer
Phone: (314) 444-1159
Email: frankstokes@innovatestl.org
Susan Sampson, Administrative Assistant
Phone: (314) 444-1154
Email:
susan@innovatestl.org
Jim Alexander
Vice President-Business Recruitment
Job Description:
Jim Alexander manages business recruitment and expansion initiatives within the 16-county, bi-state St. Louis region. Jim and his team work closely with state, county and local economic development professionals to increase jobs and wealth throughout the St. Louis region.
Career Highlights:
- Returned to St. Louis in 2003 from Texas-based Praxair Electronics. As global business development manager for this Fortune 500 company, he managed sales and marketing strategies for the company’s gas delivery systems for the semiconductor industry.
- Economic Incentives and Site Selection Consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers in St. Louis.
- Manager of economic development for Centerior Energy Corporation, a $2.5 billion investor-owned electric utility company where he was active in leading a variety of civic and economic development initiatives on behalf of the Cleveland community.
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Communications at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Master’s degree
in Business Administration from Lake Erie College in Ohio. Economic Development Institute, University of Oklahoma.
Gary Broome
Vice President-Communications
Job Description:
Gary Broome plays a key role in all aspects of public relations, communications, and marketing, implementing an ongoing media relations initiative to position the RCGA as the primary source on St. Louis regional economic development and overall job creation.
Career Highlights:
Gary has been a communications professional for over 20 years.
- Joined the RCGA in 1989 as assistant to the director of public relations and communications. Later named manager of public
relations and publications, and then director of communications. Named Vice President of Communications in October 2005.
- Prior to the RCGA, was an editor of employee publications at St. Louis-based Edison Brothers Stores Inc., from 1981 to 1989.
Education:
Bachelor of Journalism (BJ) degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia.
C. K. “Chip” Casteel
Senior Vice President-Public Policy
Job Description:
Chip Casteel was recruited to the RCGA in February 2007 to manage and guide legislative relations in both Missouri and Illinois, as well as in Washington, D.C., on behalf of the
St. Louis region’s business community. Chip’s team manages the RCGA’s Public Policy Council and staffs the business community’s Forward Metro St. Louis and Private Sector Infrastructure Council efforts.
Career Highlights:
- Served as legal and legislative counsel to then-Missouri Gov. Kit Bond, helping to achieve adoption of a major statewide
economic development program, and establish the nation’s most comprehensive and successful early childhood education
program (Parents as Teachers, for which he serves on the national board).
- Subsequently, had a 17-year-career in senior legislative, regulatory and governmental affairs positions for MCI Communications Corp., both in
St. Louis and in Washington, D.C., including heading state public policy and government affairs nationally for MCI.
- Led a group of 100 professionals as senior vice president for Supply Chain Management at Express Scripts Inc. in St. Louis.
Education:
Received his undergraduate degree in Public Administration and his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Jay DeLong
Vice President-New Ventures & Capital Formation
Job Description:
Jay DeLong was recruited in September of 2006 from Irvine, Calif. As part of the RCGA Economic Development Team, he works in collaboration with area venture capital firms, in identifying and recruiting promising start-up technology companies, as well as working to recruit additional venture capital funding to the St. Louis area.
Career Highlights:
His nearly 20 years of economic development experience includes:
- President of Active Capital in Irvine, Calif., an Internet-based private securities offering and listing company.
- Founder and Executive Director, Venture Point, the nation’s only Small Business Development Center specializing in technology companies and entrepreneurs facing issues of capital formation, critical time-to-market, and management of fast growth.
- Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Orange County Business Council, running technical assistance programs supporting technology transfer, defense conversion, equity investing and high growth enterprises.
- Directed the American Consortium of Information Systems Technology in Moscow, Russia for three years.
- Past Chair, California Venture Forum; Past Chair, Corporate Investment & Strategic Alliance Conference (national).
- Member, board of directors Technology Entre-preneurship Center.
- Officer board of directors, Shalom House (formerly Metro Homeless Center).
Education:
Awarded International Business Certificate from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird) in Glendale, Ariz. and bachelors of Science degrees in Political Science and Philosophy from Westminster College in Fulton, Mo.
Beverly Estes
Chief Operating Officer
Job Description:
Beverly Estes was recruited to the RCGA staff in 1997. She oversees internal and financial operations for all RCGA departments. She is responsible for the execution of RCGA initiatives and programs. She staffs both the Finance/Budget Committee in developing and monitoring the annual budget as well as the Audit Committee, in providing oversight of the accounting, auditing, internal control, corporate compliance and financial reporting practices.
Career Highlights:
Beverly has been involved in chamber of commerce activities for over 30 years.
- Before joining the St. Louis RCGA, she worked at the Kansas City Chamber for over 20 years, holding a variety of positions, among them executive vice president and also acting president of the Chamber for nine months.
- She oversaw all internal operations for the Chamber and its affiliates including financial management, information systems, marketing, membership and major special events.
Education:
B.A. in Management from Webster University in Kansas City. Graduate of the Institute for Organization Management, University of Colorado at Boulder, a six-year professional development program for association and chamber executives sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, as well as the
institute for Advanced Management, Stanford University, a three-year executive training program.
Dick Fleming
President and CEO
Job Description:
Dick Fleming was recruited from Denver in 1994 as president and CEO of the RCGA. He oversees the Chamber and Economic Development staff of more than 50 and is responsible for an annual operating budget of over
$12 million.
Career Highlights:
For over 30 years, Dick has been an active civic entrepreneur, engaged in private sector initiatives to revitalize center cities and metropolitan areas in Atlanta, Denver and now St. Louis.
- Served as founding president/CEO of Downtown Denver Partnership and then as president/CEO of the Greater Denver Chamber of Commerce.
- Served at the national level as a sub-cabinet officer at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Washington, D.C.
- In Atlanta, planned the 15,000-acre Peachtree City New Town and then served as vice president of Central Atlanta’s CEO organization.
- Was the developer with The Rouse Company in Baltimore in the planning and development of the 15,000-acre Columbia New Town in suburban Baltimore and Boston’s Fanueil Hall Marketplace.
- Nationally, serves as Immediate Past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE); current chairman of Partners for Livable Communities; a Neal Peirce Citistates Associate; a long time active executive council member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI); is past Chairman of the International Downtown Association; is a Panel Member for the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation’s National Climate Prosperity Project; and is a Partner in the Brookings Institute’s “Blueprint for American Prosperity.”
- Locally, he serves on the board or committees of World Agricultural Congress (founding Board member); Chancellor’s Council at the University of Missouri at St. Louis (UMSL); Center for Emerging Technologies; CORTEX; Arts & Education Council (vice chairman); Coalition for Plant and Life Sciences (founding member); Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois; St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association;
St. Louis Sports Commission; United Way of Greater St. Louis; and Downtown Now! (founding co-chair).
Education:
Holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce and a concurrent master’s degree in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Fine Arts, graduating magna cum laude. Holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science and Philosophy from Loyola College in Baltimore.
Steve Johnson
Senior Vice President-Economic Development
Job Description:
Steve Johnson joined the RCGA in September 2004 and leads the organization’s regional marketing, branding and business recruitment/expansion efforts.
Career Highlights:
Steve has over 25 years in economic development, including:
- Senior Vice President for Business Development and Executive Vice President for the New Economy Council with the Kansas City Area Development Council.
- Held economic development positions with chambers of commerce in Mobile, Ala. and Jefferson City, Mo.
- Served as senior vice president for economic development strategies with the Indianapolis-based firm of Thomas P. Miller & Associates.
- Led his own economic development strategic consulting firm, Forté LLC, working with clients throughout the Midwest and Southeast.
- Serves in an advisory capacity for The Missouri Partnership, Southern Technology Council, and the Boeing Institute of International Business for Saint Louis University.
Education:
Graduated from Harding University with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Also carries the highest professional designation from the International Economic Development Council.
Linda Leonard
Vice President-Economic Development
Job Description:
Recruited in 1995 as vice president of economic development, Linda Leonard has the responsibility for helping raise the funds to support the regional economic development initiative, Greater St. Louis Inc. In this role, she also develops networks of relationships with stakeholders to engage economic development investors in the program and to ensure continued funding. She also develops and maintains an existing business strategic intelligence program.
Career Highlights:
Linda has 20-plus years in economic development including:
- Joined the RCGA in 1995 as director of economic development. Led numerous activities within the economic development division including national marketing and media relations, economic research and analysis, regional collaboration and new business recruitment.
- Held similar positions with the Kansas City Area Development Council, an organization responsible for attracting new employers and investment to the Kansas City metropolitan area, for 12 years.
Education:
Graduated from Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio with a major in Economics and a minor in American Studies. Earned the International Economic Development Council’s highest professional designation (CEcD) in 1989.
Don Meyer
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Vice President of Marketing & Communications
Job Description:
Don Meyer serves as the lead in-house resource for the regional marketing and branding strategy and execution of the region’s economic development marketing efforts. Don is responsible for the branding and marketing of the RCGA overall, and leads the RCGA marketing and communications team.
Career Highlights:
Don brings 30 plus years of marketing and branding experience to his CMO role at the RCGA. Most recently, he worked for Anheuser-Busch Inc. in a variety of roles, including:
- Director of International Marketing, where he introduced AB brands to the world market by ensuring a consistent global image and effective marketing plan. He produced creative, media, packaging and sales plans that recognized cultural differences while building strong brands to drive shareholder value. He successfully executed comprehensive business plans in Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
- Director of New Products, where he led innovation teams that brainstormed, created, and researched new products that reached previously untapped consumer segments.
- Director of Geographic Marketing, leading the annual planning process in the top 50 U.S. markets and Puerto Rico.
- Senior Brand Manager of Budweiser, he directed the marketing mix—advertising, sales promotion, merchandising, packaging, pricing and public relations for this leading consumer product.
- He also was Senior Brand Manager for the Michelob Family.
Earlier in his career, Don worked for Ozark Air Lines Inc. where he developed and executed creative and media plans for TV, radio, and outdoor advertising in 67 cities.
Education:
Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Colin Stahlhut
Vice President-Membership Services
Job Description:
Colin Stahlhut has been with the RCGA since 1978 serving in a variety of capacities. He is responsible for several of the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association’s membership activities and ongoing events/activities. For several years, he has been responsible for providing services, programs and information to the RCGA’s general membership.
Career Highlights:
- Colin has several years of successful responsibility for the Annual RCGA Golf Tournament, Leadership Exchange Trip, RCGA Annual Meeting, RCGA Business After Hours, RCGA Breakfast with the Gazelles, and most recently, the Greater St. Louis Top 50 Awards.
- For the past 10 years, he has worked to ensure that annual RCGA member dues renewals are attained. For a number of years, RCGA has been recognized as among the top tier of chambers of commerce in membership revenue.
- Was in charge of Work Force and Small Business Programs for the RCGA, was planning coordinator for St. Louis County’s Department of Human Resources and was director of public information for the American Cancer Society in the eastern region of Missouri.
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Westminster College in Fulton, Mo. and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Saint Louis University.
Susan Stauder
Vice President-Infrastructure & Public Policy
Job Description:
Susan Stauder works to help bring to fruition the region’s major infrastructure projects, such as the new Mississippi River Bridge, expansion of MetroLink, and needed major area road projects, as well as providing guidance on a variety of public policy and regional governance issues. She is currently serving as Chair of the
St. Louis City Planning Commission, Vice Chair of the Downtown Economic Stimulus Authority and Co-Chair of the Missouri Transportation Alliance–St. Louis District with Bill McKenna.
Career Highlights:
- Was recruited to the RCGA as Vice President of Infrastructure and Public Policy in 2002, bringing with her more than 25 years of diverse infrastructure and public policy experience and a strong working relationship with transportation and public policy leaders throughout the region and the states of Missouri and Illinois.
- Has served in several executive positions at the Bi-State Development Agency since 1990. Helped shape Bi-State’s overall operating and strategic development policies and its longer-range plans for financing and bus and rail service improvements and expansion.
Education:
Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Studies and Geography from the University of Washington in Seattle.
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