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Compiled by Lauri Johnson
ST. LOUIS HOSTS ANNUAL AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXECUTIVES CONFERENCE
 Left to right: Bob Marcusse, president & CEO of the Kansas City Area Development Council; Mark Twain impersonator Richard Garey of Hannibal; Dick Fleming, president & CEO of the St. Louis RCGA; and Jim Anderson, president of the Springfield (M0) Area Chamber of Commerce. |
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Over 1,000 chamber of commerce executives from throughout North America met in St. Louis at the Renaissance Grand Hotel
in August for the annual American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) national conference.
RCGA served as local host for this sold-out, 3-day conference, that represented cities large and small throughout the U.S. and Canada.
ACCE, whose membership is comprised of some 1,300 chambers of commerce is the national association serving individuals involved in the management of chambers of commerce of all sizes in every state in the country. The organization’s mission is to enhance the professional effectiveness and personal well-being of chamber executives.
Generous St. Louis corporate sponsors of the ACCE Conference included Ameren, Edward Jones and Anheuser-Busch.
Keynote addresses included national industry and non-profit leaders, including Enterprise Rent-A-Car Chairman and CEO Andy Taylor, American Red Cross President and CEO Marsha Evans, and Sprint Chairman and CEO Gary Forsee.
Dick Fleming, president and CEO of the St. Louis RCGA, was elected as the ACCE Chairman for 2005-2006.
RADISSON HOTEL WINS AWARD FOR EXCEPTIONAL LABOR MANAGEMENT
PRACTICES
The Labor-Management Committee of the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois
presented the prestigious Weier Labor-Management Award to Radisson Hotel & Suites St. Louis Downtown, Local 74 Unite-Here, Local 1 IBEW and Local 1 Painters District as part of the 2nd Gateway Labor-Management Conference. The award honors examples of exceptional labor-management cooperation and outstanding leadership.
“Over the years the Radisson Hotel, and local unions working within, have demonstrated their ability to maintain open lines of communication, negotiate grievances and other situations, and develop give and take relationships that benefit all involved,” states Marv Finkelstein, executive director of the Labor-Management Committee. “Their tireless efforts make them highly deserving of this award.”
WOODARD CLEANING AND RESTORATION EARNS NATIONAL HONOR
Marty Coyne and Ronald McDonald of the Ronald McDonald House Charities recognized Woodard Cleaning
& Restoration Services, for their outstanding support of
the Ronald McDonald House in their community. Charles Woodard (center) accepted the special Ronald McDonald award for his company. |
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Woodard Cleaning and Restoration Services of St. Louis has received the Ronald McDonald House Charities Community Service Award for providing exceptional service to a Ronald McDonald House. For the past two years, Woodard has donated its services to clean and maintain the
St. Louis Ronald McDonald House.
“Maintaining a clean environment in the Ronald McDonald House is critical because of our connection to children who are ill,” says Tim Siffermann of Ronald McDonald House Charities. “By graciously donating their professional expertise, Woodward Cleaning and Restoration Services and its employees have made a tremendous difference to the families who stay in the St. Louis Ronald McDonald House when they are at a critical juncture in their lives.”
HOME BUILDERS
ASSOCIATION DONATES $20,000 TO YOUTH IN NEED
| HBA President John Eilermann of McBride & Son Homes presented a $20,000 donation to Jim Braun, president and CEO of Youth In Need, and Marissa Pulizzi, director of donor relations for Youth In Need. Also pictured is HBCF key contributor and YIN donor Ted Dettmer of Vantage Homes. |
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The Home Builders Association has donated $20,000 to Youth in Need to make capital improvements at two of its locations. Some of the funds will help replace flooring at the organization’s Cornerstone facility, which serves as a home to adolescent females with backgrounds of serious abuse and neglect. The remaining funds will be used to replace the heating and cooling system at the organization’s St. Charles West Head Start location, which is a comprehensive child and family development program.
ST. ANTHONY’S HONORED
FOR ORGAN DONATION
CONSENT RATE
St. Anthony’s Medical Center has been nationally recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for achieving an organ donation consent rate of 75 percent or greater. In 2004, St. Anthony’s had 70 tissue donations, which impacted approximately 2,500 lives, along with 45 eye donors and six organ donors, which saved 14 lives.
“The list of patients waiting for a life-saving organ has grown to more than 88,000,” states Steve Huckstep, director of donor programs for Mid-America Transplant Services. “Seventeen of those die each day for lack of a suitable organ. We congratulate St. Anthony’s for its continuing efforts to save lives.”
ENTERPRISE FLEET SERVICES EARNS LEED CERTIFICATION
Enterprise Fleet Services, a fleet-service management division of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, earned a Silver-level certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) from the United States Green Building Council for its new operations center in Maplewood, Mo. The construction work entailed retrofitting a 50-year-old warehouse into an environmentally friendly building that was completed last fall.
The LEED program evaluates an entire building’s environmental performance and provides a definitive standard for what constitutes a “green building.” The Enterprise building earned a minimum of 27 credits out of a total of 36 possible based on building components that include construction materials, construction waste management, occupant recycling, ozone depletion/CFCs, energy efficiency and site issues.
MARCH OF DIMES FUNDS PREMATURITY RESEARCH AT WASH U
| Dr. Louis Muglia |
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The March of Dimes has awarded a Prematurity Research Initiative Grant to Dr. Louis Muglia, a researcher at Washington University, in order to learn more about the cause of premature birth. The award is the first of the organization’s new national grant program, which will initially funnel nearly $2 million into
prematurity research.
Prematurity is the number one health risk for American newborns and the leading cause of infant mortality, according to the March of Dimes. Muglia’s research is centered on finding human genes that play key roles in the timing of labor and delivery in order to devise ways to prevent premature births.
ROLNICK URGES INVESTMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
| (Left to right): Ellen Sherberg, publisher, St. Louis Business Journal; Cynthia Brinkley, president, SBC Missouri; Arthur J. Rolnick, senior vice president, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis;
Susan Stepleton, president and CEO, Parents as Teachers National Center; Daniel Mehan, president and CEO, Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry; William Poole, president, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; and David Morley, board chairman, Parents as Teachers National Center and
chairman of Dazor Manufacturing Company (not pictured, Kathleen T. Osborn, executive director, The Regional Business Council) |
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At a recent breakfast hosted by the Parents as Teachers National Center, Arthur J. Rolnick, senior vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, challenged St. Louis business leaders and the public to realize the importance of investing in early childhood education.
“The argument to invest in early childhood education is beyond a moral argument, it’s an
economic argument,” said Rolnick. “Early childhood education doesn’t look like economic
development, but it is.”
He stressed that parent empowerment and high-quality preschool education leads to long-term success that rivals the traditional return on economic development. Through extensive research, Rolnick and his colleagues have calculated that early childhood education produces an inflation-adjusted annual return of 16 percent, according to a news release from Parents as Teachers. Twelve percent of that return is beneficial to the public because there is a decreased need for special education, fewer children are left behind in school, individuals are more likely to pay taxes and stay off of welfare, and the crime rate decreases by more than 50 percent.
Rolnick has proposed a system in his home state of Minnesota that would establish a $1.5 billion endowment to help empower families. Since public funds for such endeavors are limited, Rolnick is calling on the private sector to invest in early childhood education.
ST. LOUIS SPORTS COMMISSION WINS LEVEE STONE AWARD
(Left to right): Downtown Partnership Chair and Stifel Nicolaus CEO Ron Kruszewski;
St. Louis Sports Commission Chairman Scott Schnuck; St. Louis Sports Commission President Frank Viverito and Downtown St. Louis Partnership President Jim Cloar. |
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The Downtown St. Louis Partnership has honored the St. Louis Sports Commission with the John H. Poelker Levee Stone Award. The annual award recognizes courageous leadership, extraordinary vision and personal commitment in advancing the revitalization of downtown St. Louis. The award was presented at the Downtown St. Louis Partnership’s annual meeting in June, at which Gov. Matt Blunt delivered the keynote address.
“Certainly, hosting the Final Four has made 2005 a hallmark year for sports in our community,” stated Ron Kruszewski, chairman of the Downtown St. Louis Partnership. “But the St. Louis Sports Commission has been excelling at putting St. Louis, and particularly Downtown St. Louis, in the national spotlight for many years. And, with a busy slate of prestigious events coming up, we will continue to attract broader awareness, more visitors and expanded economic development thanks to their efforts.”
The commission co-hosted the 2005 NCAA Final Four and the 2005 NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championships, which combined to attract approximately 70,000 visitors to
St. Louis and generated an estimated $80 million in economic impact.
MENTOR ST. LOUIS CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY
| Lawrence Cohn shown here with Brenda Montgomery, one of the Schnucks gift card recipients, and two of her grandchildren. |
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Mentor St. Louis celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this year with a party at Powell Symphony Hall. During the celebration, venture capitalist Lawrence L. Cohn presented a $10,000 grocery prize to two Mentor St. Louis families. Cohn won the award at Mentor St. Louis’ “Touch a Heart, Fill a Cart” raffle in March and donated it to Brenda Montgomery and her seven grandchildren and Rosie Jones and her grandchildren, Jamaal and Joshua. The ceremony also honored the organization’s founders and long-time mentors.
U.S. CELLULAR BRINGS 400 NEW JOBS TO ST. LOUIS
Gov. Matt Blunt and County Executive Charlie A. Dooley joined U.S. Cellular executives to celebrate the company’s entry into St. Louis during a ceremony held July 28 at the Edward Jones Dome. U.S. Cellular hired more than 400 people and invested approximately $90 million
to build a new cellular network with nearly 300 state-of-the art
wireless towers to blanket the greater St. Louis area. With this launch, St. Louis becomes U.S. Cellular’s second largest market, after Chicago.
| (Left to right): U.S. Cellular COO, Jay Ellison; Mo. Gov., Matt Blunt;
U.S. Cellular Director of Sales for St. Louis, Denise Hutton; St. Louis County Executive, Charlie Dooley and U.S. Cellular CEO, John R. Rooney. |
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“As a contributor to the state economy since 1989, U.S. Cellular is continuing its commitment as a valued corporate citizen in Missouri,” said Gov. Blunt. “We are pleased with the company’s decision to expand into St. Louis, providing even more good jobs for the citizens of our state.”
U.S. Cellular began its partnership with the St. Louis community by signing sponsorship agreements totaling $1.3 million, making it the exclusive wireless provider for the St. Louis Rams and a major sponsor of the Great Forest Park Balloon Race and a host of events at St. Louis University.
U.S. Cellular has opened 20 retail stores and 30 agent locations throughout St. Louis and plans to open more before the end of the year.
U.S. Cellular will also be an active community partner in St. Louis.
In 2004, U.S. Cellular awarded nearly $2 million in charitable funds to non-profit organizations across its markets, and raised more than
$1 million through a company-wide United Way campaign.
As the nation’s seventh-largest wireless company, U.S. Cellular serves more than 5.2 million customers in 149 markets and 25 states. U.S. Cellular maintains one of the industry’s highest levels of customer satisfaction with customer support, quality network coverage and a wide range of competitively-priced products and services.
HELPING MILLIONS IN MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS |
Individuals who contribute $10,000 or more annually to the United Way Campaign—known as Alexis de Tocqueville Society givers—play a major role in sustaining the 200 local United Way charities that help millions of people in
16 Missouri and Illinois counties.
| (Left to right): Honored guest Tony La Russa, Alexis de Tocqueville Society Chair Kimmy Brauer and United Way Chairman David L. Steward. |
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The Alexis de Tocqueville Society cabinet that includes more than 75 local business and community leaders kicked off the Alexis de Tocqueville campaign with the theme “Going to Bat for the Community” on May 25. Honored guest Tony La Russa shared an inspiring message of the importance of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society in leading our community’s philanthropic efforts. 2005 marks the fifth time Kimmy (Mrs. Stephen F.) Brauer has chaired the Society. David L. Steward is leading the 2005 United Way campaign.
A diverse group of local leaders share why they support the Alexis de Tocqueville Society:
- “I believe now more than ever people in our community who have the means ought to make a special effort to support those who are less fortunate,” says Dr. Donald Suggs, publisher of the St. Louis American and Alexis de Toqueville Society member.
“United Way agencies provide resources to help more people improve their lives and make positive contributions to our region. My gift helps underwrite local United Way agencies that invest in our upcoming generation through certified childcare, ensures after school mentoring programs for youth, provides services to keep families healthy and programs that meet health and social service needs of the growing number of our elderly residents.”
- Cynthia Brinkley, president, SBC Missouri, is also an Alexis de Tocqueville Society
member. “I can depend on the United Way of Greater St. Louis to use my contribution to directly touch the people in our community with different, but important needs.”
- Dale Chapman, Chancellor of Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, Ill., sees a parallel between what our United Way makes possible and the mission of the educational institution he leads.
“Lewis and Clark Community College serves parts of seven counties within the United Way of Greater St. Louis service area. Community colleges are all about creating access to higher educational opportunities and social mobility that increase the quality of life for everyone throughout our region.”
- Dick Fleming, president and CEO of the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association, adds, “Wearing my RCGA hat, our strong and robust Alexis de Tocqueville Society reflects positively on St. Louis in the nation and world. St. Louis ranks 11th among all major cities nationally in Alexis de Tocqueville contributions, although by population size we rank 18th. We are ahead of Chicago, for example, and to quote Tony La Russa, ‘We always like to be ahead of Chicago!’”
St. Louis Alexis de Tocqueville Society members are also 7th in average annual gift of nearly $20,000 and 11th in number of individual gifts over $100,000—10 individuals or couples contributed at this level in 2004. The St. Louis Society is implementing a program to recognize the cumulative giving of its members based on this significant history of support.
Those who wish to join 418 other leading community philanthropists in advancing the total welfare of our community through an Alexis de Tocqueville Society gift should call Gary Dollar, CEO, United Way of Greater
St. Louis at (314) 539-4190. The campaign is
in progress now to continue support for
200 local charities.
Visit PledgeUnitedWay.org for information about which organizations United Way funds and other United Way initiatives that develop our community’s human capital. |
MORE HOMES PLANNED FOR NEW TOWN AT ST. CHARLES
The St. Charles City Council has approved plans for an additional 1,400 homes and 108 acres in Whittaker Homes’ The New Town at St. Charles development off of Highway 370 and New Town Boulevard in St. Charles, Mo. With new tract, the development will accommodate approximately 5,700 homes on nearly 750 acres.
| A single-family New Town display home. |
| A streetscape of South New Town Avenue. |
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The new tract, known as Phase 10, is located southwest of the current site and will feature a variety of housing types interspersed with commercial and civic uses, according to Greg Whittaker, president of Whittaker Homes. The development will be organized around a canal loop that opens into a large central lake and will also offer connected squares, plazas, informal parks and pedestrian paths. Once completed, The New Town at St. Charles will offer a large town center and four neighborhood centers interspersed with a mix of homes.
Whittaker Homes has sold more than
400 units in The New Town at St. Charles, and more than 5,000 interested people have signed up on a mailing list.
JILL MCGUIRE RECEIVES NATIONAL ARTS LEADERSHIP AWARD
| Jill McGuire |
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Jill McGuire, executive director of the
St. Louis Regional Arts Commission, was presented with the 2005 Selina Roberts Ottum Award by the Americans for the Arts, at its annual convention in Austin, Texas.
The award recognizes the achievements
of an individual who has made a significant contribution to their community through local arts leadership.
“With boundless energy and dedication, Jill McGuire has established herself as a real powerhouse in community arts leadership,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America.
McGuire has led the Regional Arts Commission since its inception in 1985, and presided over a period of consistent growth in tax revenues, resulting in a larger grant pool that has allowed more opportunities for cultural institutions in the region.
U.S. DELEGATION TO BRUSSELS FOCUSES ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
| (Left to right): Andrew Chapman, European Union; Odile Quintin, European Union; Emily Stover DeRocco,
assistant secretary, Employment and Training Department, U.S. Department of Labor; Phillip Bond, vice president for Government Relations, Monster.com; Richard Fleming, president and CEO, St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association |
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RCGA President and CEO Dick Fleming participated as a member of the U.S. delegation to Brussels, Belgium June 13 and 14 in the U.S./European Union Symposium on Local Economic Development. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco led the U.S. delegation, which was comprised of several U.S. leaders in business, education and government. The two-day session focused on successful policies and practices in local economic development in Europe and the U.S.
DeRocco is responsible for the Bush Administration’s overall workforce and related economic development initiatives, including managing some $15 billion of federal funding in this area. She shared the Department of Labor’s efforts to build a “demand driven” public workforce system that creates partnerships between the public and private sectors to meet employers’ needs, while preparing U.S. workers for careers in high growth industries.
Other U.S. delegation members included Maryland Secretary of Labor Dr. James Fielder, who presented on Maryland’s efforts to strengthen the state’s health care workforce. Dr. Gary Green, president of Forsyth Community College, presented on the North Carolina Research Triangle’s economic transition from textiles to biotechnology.
Also participating for the U.S. was Phillip Bond, who was until recently Undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce; he is now an executive at Monster.com; Ken Smith, chairman and CEO of Strategic Partnerships LLC; Martin Bean, CEO of New Horizons Computer Learning Centers in California; and Dick Fleming, president and CEO of St. Louis RCGA. The European Union delegation included representatives from England, Sweden, France, Belgium, Germany and Austria, as well as other members of the European Union.
Fleming focused his presentation on several successful St. Louis regional workforce development initiatives centered around the region’s five distinctive industry clusters: Plant and Medical Sciences; Advanced Manufacturing;
IT; Financial Services; and Transportation & Distribution. In addition, he discussed the success of the two-year-old St. Louis IT Career Academy. With support from the RCGA and an IT skills development curriculum developed in conjunction with the Battelle IT Strategy, the Metropolitan Vocational Technical Cooperative successfully established the St. Louis IT Career Academy in Spring 2003.
Nine St. Louis County high schools are members of the St. Louis IT Career Academy; some 1,000 area high school students are currently enrolled in the IT Career Academy.
Also, 14 St. Louis County high schools are members of the St. Louis Academy of Engineering Technology (associated with the University of Missouri at Rolla), with some 1,600 area high school students enrolled.
RIDEFINDERS HOSTS CLEAN AIR FAIRS TO PREP FOR OZONE SEASON
To combat unhealthy air quality during ozone season, RideFinders has organized Clean Air Fairs with the region’s employers to help their employees find alternatives to commuting in single-occupant vehicles. Emissions generated by individuals driving alone to work contribute significantly to poor air quality in our area.
During a Clean Air Fair, a RideFinder representative sets up an information table for a few hours at an employer’s work site. Employees learn how to use RideFinders’ free computerized ride-matching service to find other commuters with whom they can carpool. Employees first create a commute
profile based on their work hours, home and work locations, and commuting preferences. Then they can generate a list of commuters with matching profiles. The service is available online at www.ridefinders.org or toll-free at (800) VIP-RIDE.
As of June 30, RideFinders had scheduled approximately 60 Clean Air Fairs at employer sites. The organization currently works with more than 500 local employers to provide ride-sharing assistance to their employees. Employers can contact RideFinders year-round at (800) VIP-RIDE to schedule a fair for their employees.
Kevin Kuntz, executive vice president of McCarthy
Building Companies Inc., with a group of the first-ever
graduating class of the Construction Careers
Center
Charter High School. The school,
sponsored by St. Louis
Public Schools and the AGC, opened in 2001 as a way to
help bolster the quality and availability of skilled construction professionals and tradespeople for the St. Louis region. The
CCC currently has 280 students enrolled in grades
nine through twelve. |
ADVANTAGE CAPITAL RECEIVES $50 MILLION TAX CREDIT ALLOCATION
Advantage Capital Partners has received
a $50 million tax credit allocation from
the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund under the federal New Markets Tax Credit program. The program provides investment capital, financial counseling and other services to low-income neighborhoods in order to stimulate economic growth and create jobs.
“This is good news for our community,” states Mayor Francis Slay. “Advantage’s New Markets investments in the City of St. Louis, both in real estate redevelopments and businesses, have contributed to the success of our efforts to energize downtown.”
The New Markets Tax Credit program
provides tax credits for up to $15 billion of
private-sector investment in economically
distressed communities through certified Community Development Entities. Tax credits are awarded based on applications submitted for each tax year. An organization’s experience with raising and investing capital, the strength and depth of its management team, and the expected community impact are all evaluated.
In 2003, Advantage received a $110 million allocation and invested a portion of it in
three redevelopment projects in downtown St. Louis: Rudman on the Park, Grace Lofts and Louderman Lofts; Stereotaxis Inc., a medical device company located in the Center for Emerging Technologies; and Quick Study Radiology Inc., a medical services company now located downtown.
GIVE KIDS A SMILE DAY OFFERS FREE DENTAL CARE
TO UNDERSERVED CHILDREN
A Give Kids A Smile dental clinic will be held Oct. 21-22, at the St. Louis Center for Advanced Dental Education to provide much-needed dental care to children living in poverty.
Originated by the Greater St. Louis Dental Society, the two-day clinic brings together hundreds of dentists, dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental students and other volunteers to provide free comprehensive dental care to children living in poverty. The event also features face painting, clowns, Delta Dental’s Tooth Wizard and Panda characters, educational videos, dental care kits, free toys, sack lunches and other goodies to help put kids at ease.
| (Left to right): Delta Dental of Missouri’s Panda and Tooth Wizard characters pause for a moment with volunteering dentist Dr. Freud who provided free comprehensive dental care to an area child during a recent Give Kids A Smile event. |
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The local program, which takes place every February and October, has provided 584 children with $200,000 worth of dental care so far this year. Event co-founder Dr. Jeffrey Dalin was honored this past summer by the Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Education Fund as an outstanding transformational leader for creating the Give Kids A Smile program. The local event has been so successful that it inspired the American Dental Association to hold a national event each February.
Organizations that serve children in need and would like to register them for the October event can call (314) 993-4527 (GKAS) or visit www.givekidsasmile.org. |
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