Delegation of Regional Business, Civic and
Elected Leaders Compare Notes with
Chicago Counterparts, Pursue Potential
Chicago/St. Louis Collaboration
In what has become an annual tradition in the St. Louis area, some 90 regional leaders joined forces for a “best practices” examination of Chicago, September 21st through 23rd for the
11th Annual RCGA Annual Leadership Trip. Led this year by Graybar Electric Chairman, President & CEO, and RCGA Chairman Bob Reynolds, the Leadership Exchange to Chicago provided a unique and in-depth opportunity for our diverse regional leadership to focus on a number of issues important to our metropolitan area, strengthen existing relationships, and forge several new ones.
In a jam-packed three-day agenda, the St. Louis delegates met with their Chicago counterparts. It was particularly interesting to observe the long-standing and continuing role of Chicago’s world-class transportation system, the economic development attractiveness of Chicago, its overall quality of life, its arts and cultural amenities, and the role of urban parks and green space—just to name a few.
The session opened with a panel of journalists, civic and business leaders on “What Makes Chicago Work?” how Chicago does its economic development, and an in-depth tour of Chicago’s architectural heritage. The delegation had a progress report on Chicago’s K-12 educational reform efforts; its Regional Mayors Caucus; the 24.5-acre, $500 million Millennium Park Project downtown; Chicago’s role in the Logistics and Transportation industry sector; and a panel on how St. Louis and Chicago could align in the global marketplace as a single mega region—led by author and longtime Chicago Tribune foreign correspondent,
Richard Longworth.
Five-term Chicago Mayor Richard Daley offered a candid presentation and Q&A. Other sessions included national and regional best practices in talent recruitment, retention and development by CEOs for Cities leaders; an overview of Chicago’s ambitious Metropolis 2020 effort; neighborhood development; and Chicago’s far-reaching “green/sustainability” initiatives.
As with the Leadership Trips to Cleveland, Seattle, Baltimore, Denver, Toronto, Boston, San Diego, St. Louis, Atlanta, and Minneapolis/St. Paul over the past 10 years, the 2008 delegation included strong representation from the bi-state region’s chief elected officials—Mayor Francis Slay; St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley; St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann; and
St. Charles Mayor Patti York.
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| Chicago Urban League exec and former Time Magazine reporter David Thigpen, former KMOX GM, now GM of WGN Radio Tom Langmyer, Alysia Tate of the Community Renewal Society, and Chicago Tribune columnist John McCarron at opening Sunday panel, “What Makes Chicago Work.” |
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| St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, and Paric Corporation Interiors president Cyril Narishkin confer with author Richard Longworth following panel discussing Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City working as a single mega region. |
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| Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay share a fond moment as Mayor Slay presents a photo of Francis’ Dad and Mayor Daley’s Dad, and the young Daley at the Democratic National Convention in 1968. |
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| David Vitale, senior advisor to CEO of Chicago Public Schools, Tim Knowles, director, Urban Education Initiative at University of Chicago, and Washington University Executive Vice Chancellor Hank Webber discuss Chicago’s ambitious k-12 public education reform effort in Monday panel. |
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| Bob Wislow, chairman & CEO of U.S. Equities Realty chats with SLDC executive director Rodney Crim, following Wislow’s dinner keynote address. |
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| Senator Charlie Shields responds to author Richard Longworth, joined by Rep. Bryan Pratt in panel on “Midwest Mega Region.” |
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| After dinner comments by Illinois legislative leaders Rep. Ron Stephens, Rep. Jay Hoffman and Senator Frank Watson. |
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Chicago Transit Authority Chairman Carole Brown and
national site selection exec Robert Hess, managing principal,
NFK Consulting, discuss Chicago transit, transportation, and logistics efforts. |
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