distinguished honorees
VALERIE E. PATTON
VINCENT C. FLEWELLEN
Valerie E. Patton serves as Senior Vice President, Inclusion and Talent Attraction and Executive Director of the Saint Louis Business Diversity Initiative at the St. Louis Regional Chamber. Ms. Patton leads the Chamber’s efforts for Inclusion and Talent Attraction which is inspiring a greater St. Louis. These efforts include multicultural leadership development, diverse business solutions, talent attraction and Global Leadership Forum (an effort to increase the diverse talent pipeline for STEAM and support diverse STEAM organizations). As Executive Director of the St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative, she develops strategies, solutions and programs for organizations in the St. Louis region in workforce diversity and inclusion (recruitment, retention and advancement of talented people of color) through training, convening and consulting and regional economic inclusion initiatives. She is the first Executive Director of the Initiative and founder of the Initiative Fellows Program (a yearlong leadership development experience) and Gateway Connections (a welcoming orientation for professionals of color.) She was featured in May 2008 Black Enterprise Magazine.
Vincent C. Flewellen joined Webster University in October, 2018. Reporting directly to the Chancellor, he provides key leadership for the University’s core value of advancing diversity and inclusion as part of the educational mission through the University’s network of domestic and international locations. With almost two decades of experience weaving diversity, inclusion and equity into the culture of education in the St. Louis area, Flewellen most recently served as Director of Equity & Inclusion at The College School in Webster Groves. Before taking his role at The College School, he taught in the Ladue School District and for Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School. He also served as Center Director of the University City Children’s Center. Additionally, Flewellen has served as an adjunct professor at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis for the past seven years, and he served as a consultant to Washington University in St. Louis in 2006 and 2007. For the past 17 years, he has served as a consultant on diversity and inclusion issues for a variety of schools and organizations, including: the Kirkwood School District; the John Burroughs School; the Forsyth School; the Cochran Community Center; and FOCUS St. Louis.
Senior Vice President-Inclusion and Talent Attraction and Executive Director-St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative St. Louis Regional Chamber
Prior to April 2002, Patton held numerous positions at Southwestern Bell and SBC (now AT&T) and Bank of America in the areas of information systems and technology, process, project and product management supplier diversity and accounting (budget analysis and administration). Valerie is community focused and engaged serving on the numerous boards and has received numerous awards such as United Way of Greater St. Louis, Board of Visitors for Howard University School of Business, and Trustee-Fontbonne University She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.St. Louis Alumnae Chapter She serves as adjunct professor at The Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. Patton holds degrees from Washington University in St. Louis George Warren Brown School of Social Work (MSW), Webster University (MA) and Howard University (BBA) and has done post graduate studies in Business Management.
Chief Diversity Officer Webster University
Flewellen has also served as the Director of Development for St. Louis non-profit Neighborhood Houses (now known as Unleashing Potential). Flewellen served as Managing Director of Program for Teach For America-St. Louis and he was the Speakers Bureau Coordinator for the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures. Flewellen holds a Master of Social Work from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis and his BA in education is from Maryville University.
