Metro Transit is going digital and secure
Since April 26, Charles Stewart has served as executive director of Metro Transit, having previously held this position in an interim capacity since January 26.
~ Page 5 ~
WashU’s vice chancellor of innovation
Dedric Carter has served as Washington University in St. Louis’ first vice chancellor for innovation and chief commercialization officer since August 2021. ~ Page 51 ~
Special to The American
SIUE launches new program to close equity gaps
By SIU Edwardsville
Higher education is a powerful engine of social and economic mobility for entire families. Universities also play a critical role in shaping the composition of tomorrow’s workforce and driving economic development. With a new initiative, the Black Scholar Experience, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) will offer a comprehensive academic program that promotes belonging, academic success and degree completion.
“The data have been clear for more than a decade,” said SIUE Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD. “We know that individuals who obtain a bachelor’s degree will earn on average $1M more over their lifetime compared to individuals with only a high school diploma. The economic and democratic fabric of communities is stronger when a great number of citizens, from all backgrounds, have access to postsecondary credentials.”
Dineo Khabele, MD
‘Paving the way for that next generation’ ~ Page 56 ~
Established in 2015 in response to the aftermath in Ferguson, Missouri, the Construction Career Development Initiative (CCDI) is a 501(c)(3) non-for-profit created to help young adults in North County overcome barriers to success. Founded by Clayco, the program pairs individuals with mentors; offers financial support; and creates opportunities for job placement in the design and construction industry. CCDI helps bring diversity to the design
Dineo Khabele, MD is the first Black department chair, ever, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, which was founded in 1891. She serves as the Mitchell and Elaine Yanow Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics Gynecology at the medical school.
“At the End of the Day…Equity is the outcome.”
By Sylvester Brown Jr.
The St. Louis American
Shannon T. Lassen said she wanted to work for World Wide Technology (WWT) long before she even interviewed for the job. Although she grew up in Houston, Texas, Lassen’s parents are originally from this region. She’s traveled here often throughout her life and was very familiar with all things St. Louis. Lassen said she found the fact that the co-founders of the tech company-David Steward and Jim Kavanaugh-are Black and White men, tremendously appealing.
n Founded by Clayco, the program pairs individuals with mentors; offers financial support; and creates opportunities for job placement in the design and construction industry.
and construction industry by mentoring and exposing minority, under-represented and under-employed young people to career
development in construction. The organization’s four guiding principles include:
1. Real world experience. CCDI goes beyond the classroom and places students into real-world work environments for the most valuable career training.
2. Building Awareness. Jobs in construction span a diverse range of disciplines and applications. CCDI works to raise awareness of trade apprentice programs.
3. Job Placement. With CCDI,
See CCDI, page 21
The profound, transformative impact of postsecondary degree attainment is clear, yet equity gaps continue to persist. First-generation, low-income, and students of color, especially African Americans, graduate from college at much lower rates compared to their peers. According to data from the Postsecondary National Policy Institute, in 2019, 29% of African Americans age 25 to 29 held bachelor’s degrees or higher, compared to 45% of whites in the same age range. As the top producer of college
By Tarlton Corporation
Tarlton employee Laura Lusson, a member of the St. Louis-based general contractor/construction manager’s diversity committee, wrote this article after a conversation with two fellow committee members.
“Love what we do” is one of Tarlton’s core values. Workforce managers James Tillman and Jarid Purcell embody that attitude and share a passion for people and for building. They come by it naturally. Tillman, a laborer, is the son of a retired North St. Louis carpenter and superintendent and the grandson of a welder. Purcell is a third-generation ironworker who grew up in rural Missouri surrounded by relatives working in the trades. Tillman has worked 22 years in construction, 12 of them with Tarlton. Purcell has been building for 27 years, the last two with Tarlton. They both serve on the company’s diversity committee and have become friends.
Today, they spend some time on jobsites (Tillman still works as a superintendent) but dedicate more time to Tarlton’s workforce recruitment. Tillman oversees laborers, while Purcell manages ironworkers, carpenters and operators. With a generation of workers entering or nearing retirement, it is more important than ever to bring more people in. As a general contractor/ construction manager, Tarlton,
a certified women-owned business, employs about 125 workers in the trades. And things are different than they used to be, the two men report.
“When I first got into this industry,” said Tillman, “ambition by someone with my complexion – a person of color – was frowned upon.
That’s not the way the industry was designed. I remember walking past meeting rooms where the only people in there were white males, and the female in the trailer was a secretary. A lot of guys didn’t think it would become what it is today.
“Today, I see more people
who look like me. I see the change, and there’s a big push to grow. People with different backgrounds and perspectives are having conversations. I’ve actually spent much of my career working with women engineers, and I think we will see more women in charge in the field.”
When people see Tillman at a career fair, he said, they approach him “because people of color see somebody they can relate to. We are not the typical crowd from five or even two years ago. And it’s not only more minority representation. We are also closing gender and age gaps that have been out
there for a long time.”
“James hit it right on the head,” Purcell agreed. “When we go to a job fair, we take people who can talk with people I may not be able to reach because I’m white. I’m just a guy from southern Missouri who was always involved in some kind of construction. Kids in the city don’t automatically have that experience. It helps that we bring different points of view.”
Purcell explained that some people who go into the trades get “spit out” before they can get good training and mentorship. Along those lines, he and Tillman are excited about a new Tarlton program to expose inexperienced but interested individuals to the various crafts over a period of several months to see what sticks.
As a young adult, Tillman thought he wanted to be chef. It wasn’t for him, he said, so he decided to try construction: “I went from, ‘I’ll see if I like it’ to, “Hey, I absolutely love this. This is my niche.’ And from there I continued to blossom.” Purcell chimed in, “I really like the idea of empowering people. I like to see people succeed. I personally believe college isn’t for everybody, and I know a lot of people who have degrees they can’t figure out how to use.
“And then not everyone had the opportunity for hands-on construction training from age 7,” Purcell continued. “So let’s create opportunities where we can put people on a jobsite, train them, and give them a
Continued from page 3
realistic chance to push themselves forward in our company and industry.”
Two important considerations Tillman shares with young people interested in construction are that they can start earning money right away – while they learn – and that drug use, even if legal (referencing marijuana), will never be allowed. “Safety is just too important.”
Bringing new people into construction is all about educating and welcoming them, both men agreed.
“We need to show them the opportunities, how to navigate, and how to figure out their niche,” said Tillman. “As long as you believe in yourself and work hard, you will always find a way to work in this industry. And as we work with more people who are different from us, we thrive. Together we create things we never thought possible.”
When Kendell Edwards took his first college class on solar and wind energy, he knew that was what he wanted to do. “The opportunities in renewable energy really sparked my interest,” he said. “This is the future of electricity.”
Today, Kendell is Ameren Missouri’s first full-time dedicated solar engineer at the forefront of the company’s transition to more renewable energy. Ameren currently has nine solar energy centers that it has announced or put into service. Once all are built, they’ll be able to power tens of thousands of homes with renewable energy. The solar facilities are one of the ways Ameren plans to reach net-zero emissions by 2045.
“The expansion into solar is a big step toward providing more clean energy for Missouri customers, and I like that I get to have a direct impact on building a more sustainable energy future for my community,” said Kendell. Kendell started at Ameren Missouri as an electrical engineer three years ago, and he had the opportunity to move into solar in 2021. “Ameren has been very supportive of my growth and development,” he said. “They allow you to follow your interests and passions and provide training and other opportunities to grow in your career. I told them when I started that I was interested in renewable energy, so when our solar needs grew, they gave me the chance to dive in and create
this dedicated solar role from scratch.”
Because Kendell’s role is so new, he’s helping to usher in the company’s new era of energy generation. “Solar is a rapidly growing and evolving area, and I enjoy learning how to best optimize our technology to make sure we’re prepared to provide clean, reliable and affordable energy to our customers,” he said.
parking lot, on rooftops, along-
Kendell spends a lot of his time working on Ameren Missouri’s solar arrays, which are located atop a Central West End parking garage, in a south St. Louis
side Lambert International Airport and an open field by Interstate 70. “Right now, I’m responsible for monitoring the equipment to make sure each facility is working optimally and generating as much energy as possible,” he said. “When I’m not at one of our solar facilities, I like that Ameren gives me the freedom and flexibility to work remotely.”
“I know my co-workers and supervisors care about me, are invested in my continued success and celebrate our shared diversity. That speaks directly to Ameren’s
Congratulations to T. Christopher Peoples on his promotion to Equity + Economic Impact Director! Chris will focus on the Brickline Greenway project, working toward shared prosperity for everyone by building partnerships, recommending policy and implementing equitable economic development solutions with the help of advisors and community members.
As a former resident of the areas that will be adjacent to the proposed path, I can’t wait to use my experience with entrepreneurship, government and economic & community development along the Brickline Greenway to help people thrive.
This new role, housed at
positive culture and makes it a great place to work,” he said.
Millions of people and thousands of businesses count on Ameren for dependable energy. The company is a powerhouse energy innovator where employees can build a rewarding, secure career with Fortune 500 benefits in a company that takes great care of its people, its customers and the communities it serves.
Kendell is excited about the role solar energy will play in the very near future, and he’s hoping more people decide to pursue a career in solar.
“I definitely encourage young people to get into this industry – it’s picking up speed quickly,” said Kendell. “All types of industries are looking toward a future with reduced
carbon emissions, and at Ameren, we are directly responsible for creating cleaner energy for them. We really are powering the quality of life for our region.” Ameren’s “We Care” attitude is part of its culture, from their comprehensive total rewards package to their unwavering focus on safety and diversity, equity and inclusion, to the many employee resource groups and volunteer opportunities. Ameren currently has positions available in numerous areas, including those in the skilled trades that do not require a four-year degree. To learn more about opportunities with Ameren, visit ameren.com/company/ careers.
By Chris King For The St. Louis American
Since April 26, Charles Stewart has served as executive director of Metro Transit, having previously held this position in an interim capacity since January 26.
In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day transit operations of the 46-mile MetroLink light rail system; a 400-vehicle MetroBus fleet, including battery-electric and lowemission diesel buses; and the Metro Call-A-Ride paratransit system.
“Since taking on this critical position, Charles has assumed the leadership of Metro Transit with enthusiasm, bringing a futurefocused momentum to our transit system,” said Bi-State Development President and Chief Executive Officer
Taulby Roach
“He is the steadfast leader we need to help guide Metro Transit as we move past the pandemic to improve operations, grow our ridership and deliver world-class services to our communities.” Stewart said the top priority of his staff and himself is “to provide safe, reliable and convenient transit services for everyone in the bi-state region.”
Stewart also retained his duties as Bi-State executive vice president of Organizational Effectiveness, the position he held when he was appointed interim executive director. In this capacity, he is responsible for the recruitment, hiring, development and retention of a diverse workforce of more than 2,000 team members.
In his 10 years with Bi-State, Stewart also has served as vice president of Pension and Insurance, where he led the restructure of the organization’s retirement system and benefits plans, moving pension plans toward 100% fully funded status and creating a strong system for fiscal reporting and oversight.
Prior to joining Bi-State, Stewart served the City of St. Louis in a variety of positions, including director of Internal Audit and chief of staff for the License Collector, as well as audit positions with General Dynamics Corporation and Arthur Young & Company. Stewart serves on the Board of Directors for United Way of Greater St. Louis and Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and is an active member of the Sigma Pi Phi fraternity.
In between rescuing Metro Transit stations and equipment from flash floods that temporarily crippled the system and caused it $18-20 million in damage, Stewart answered our questions about the future of transit in St. Louis, how to recruit and retain staff during a labor shortage, and the music and food that make his heart and stomach sing.
St. Louis American: What is new and upcoming with Metro Transit?
Charles Stewart: We have many exciting projects in the pipeline at Metro Transit. We are looking to regain ridership on the Metro Transit system by focusing on delivering reliable service and significantly improving the infrastructure.
About half of our MetroLink light rail vehicle fleet will be replaced over the next four
years. The new MetroLink vehicles will include factory video systems and next generation Wi-Fi capabilities, which our customers want.
A portion of our MetroBus fleet is replaced every year when the vehicles outlive their useful lives. We are looking to add to our battery electric MetroBus fleet vehicles in the coming years. Currently, the battery electric fleet consists of 24 buses – 14 of them are 60-foot buses and 10 are 40-foot buses.
We are also planning to renovate our oldest MetroLink stations on the system over the next three years, and those improvements will include new and upgraded finishes, lighting and customer amenities to include Wi-Fi.
private companies commit to helping finance it. We are currently in the process of securing a design firm, and once those designs are completed, a construction company will be hired to begin making the improvements. We are looking at 24 to 30 months for the new fare gates, fencing and cameras to be installed.
St. Louis American: As the person responsible for the recruitment, hiring, development and retention of a large workforce in an essential industry, the current labor shortage in the U.S. must present an historical challenge for you and your agency. How are responding to the challenge?
A very exciting program we are launching is called the Secure Platform Plan. It will provide for controlled customer access to the platforms at all 38 MetroLink stations. Those improvements will include fare gates, fencing and new camera systems.
As part of this $52 million project, we will incorporate new digital fare media. This technology will allow you to buy your MetroLink ticket on your Smart phone and, by swiping over the new fare gates, the gate will open and allow you access to the station platform.
Nearly $11 million of the $52 million needed to pay for the Secure Platform Plan is being provided by the private sector, and that shows how important this project is when
Charles Stewart: Like many companies in St. Louis and around the nation, we are working hard to recruit new team members who are looking for a great career path or are switching careers. We are using many avenues to respond to this challenge.
On the second Saturday of every month at our Central Metro Transit facility on Spruce Street in St. Louis, we host our own hiring event, and that has had a positive impact on expanding our candidate pool.
Additionally, we are using new and different sourcing options such as Zip Recruiting, marketing campaigns for CDL holders, billboards, digital ads, TV spots, and social media and by participating in events at various community
organizations to build relationships within those communities.
We are also asking our team members to help us find the next great hire, and they get to share in a recruiting bonus.
We have a wonderful benefits package and an award-winning wellness program, which help us attract and retain talent. We have implemented various other incentives for candidates and current team members, development opportunities, and we focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Beyond the things we have in place now, we are always looking for and exploring new and different ways to attract, develop, and keep our workforce. We need to continue to focus on the needs for talent today, while creating a vision of the workforce of the future in order to build the capacity to be an employer of choice.
St. Louis American: What is some comfort music for you?
Charles Stewart: I am a lover of music, all music. Live music is a plus. Jazz, R&B and a little-down home Blues can brighten any day. My playlists take me on a journey from the smooth sounds of Stanley Turrentine to Motown classics, and around to an up-tempo band like Chicago.
St. Louis American: Comfort food?
Charles Stewart: I’m a breakfast kind of guy. If it is accompanied by syrup, it’s
my kind of meal. Although I frequent certain spots for breakfast and brunch, I absolutely agree with the notion that variety is the spice of life. Trying new restaurants is one of my weekend adventures. We are fortunate as St. Louisans to have a robust culinary scene. I believe it is our duty to support local businesses, especially Black and minority-owned businesses. If not us, then who? I also generate my own comfort food -- my “worldfamous” chili. I season it with a special ingredient from Jamaica. It is a crowd pleaser, if I do say so myself.
St. Louis American: Hobbies?
Charles Stewart: I enjoy adventure, experiences and friendship. I find joy connecting in conversation and laughter over a good meal or dancing the night away. Dance lessons pending. I equally enjoy quiet time to relax and reflect.
Golf! If anyone is looking for me, they should try the golf course first. I play as often as my schedule permits. Travel is one of the things that I enjoy immensely. I’ve traveled to several countries, however there is so much more to experience. Much of my travel lately has been to visit and golf with friends. Concerts and live music are also high on my list of things to do. I am really looking forward to great concerts coming to St. Louis this fall.
For more information on Metro Transit, visit http:// metrostlouis.org
Cigna believes that a diverse workforce is essential to growth. Different perspectives, experiences and cultures, when brought together, help us innovate better, faster – and help businesses grow and create positive health outcomes in the communities we serve.
Learn more about Cigna’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion at Cigna.com/DEI.
Special program for students of color to gain real-world experience
Special to The American Edward Jones and Webster University are creating a unique educational program that will bring more diversity to the workforce. The Edward Jones College Career Pathways Partnership will offer Webster undergraduate students from under-resourced communities new opportunities to build the skills cultural competencies, teamwork and problem-solving skills to help them succeed in financial services careers.
The five-year program includes mentoring by Edward Jones professionals and paid internship opportunities for students of color to gain realworld experience at Edward Jones. Edward Jones has started recruiting Webster students for the program this month.
“Edward Jones is proud to partner with Webster University on the pathways program as we work to advance inclusive growth and promote healthier futures within our communities,” said Kristin Johnson, Edward Jones Chief Transformation and Human Resources Officer. “Mentoring is a treasured tradition at Edward Jones and helps us create an exceptional associate experience by prioritizing leadership, transforming to create greater impact for those we serve and taking a human-centered approach to serving clients in a comprehensive way. This is a great example of how we fulfill our purpose to partner for positive impact –to improve the lives of our clients and colleagues, and together, better our communities and
society.”
The first phase of the program will start at the end of the month, when the 2022-2023 academic year is launched at Webster University.
Representatives from Edward Jones will host meetings with interested students and start taking applications for the program.
“This pathways program is a natural next step for the long-standing partnership between Webster University and Edward Jones, as both
n The five-year program includes mentoring by Edward Jones professionals and paid internship opportunities for students of color to gain real-world experience at Edward Jones.
institutions have an authentic shared interest in inclusive growth, healthier futures for the region, and helping diverse students advance their own careers while mentoring others,” said Webster University Chancellor Elizabeth (Beth) J. Stroble. “Together we will improve the pipeline for diverse talent to enter careers in business and finance in the St. Louis region, consistent with the STL 2030 Jobs Plan.”
The STL 2030 Jobs Plan was released in May 2021 by Greater St. Louis Inc. The 10-year plan boosts economic growth, increasing the number of living-wage jobs, and
reducing racial disparities in employment and wealth-generation to boost opportunities for all, according to its mission statement.
Components of the Edward Jones Career Pathways Partnership include scholarships and paid internships, opportunities for students to attend special seminars, weekend lab-based investigations and workshops and pop-up challenges. The program will be overseen by a director and supporting staff to direct recruitment and placement efforts. The paid internships are a key component to the program, opening doors to students in meaningful ways, Stroble said. “This model of a college pathways partnership program offers the opportunity for students to gain real-world experiences while also financially supporting their educational aspirations,” she said.
“This visionary initiative from our partners at Edward Jones will enhance opportunities and outcomes for traditionally underserved students, leading to quality jobs, which will ultimately reduce racial disparities and increase household income, health outcomes, and wealth building for many in our community,” said Webster University President Julian Z. Schuster.
“Working together, this partnership and focused approach will create a positive impact that facilitates the creation of a diverse, highly competent workforce of the future and elevates the St. Louis region as the major hub for next generation industries.”
AARP
Burton Jr.
“I
balanced focus of my academics, social and leadership development, without the stress and concerns of the financial burden of tuition. This Scholarship gives me the chance to thrive as a scholar and leader at Webster.”
By The Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden is embarking upon an exciting time of transformation with the opening of the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center. This is a time of celebration for the entire community as we open the doors for everyone to feel welcomed.
The Taylor Visitor Center is named in honor of one of our longtime supporters, Enterprise Holdings founder and community leader Jack C. Taylor. Gifts from the Crawford Taylor Foundation were instrumental in creating the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center, a tribute to the noted philanthropist’s desire for St. Louis to remain a first-class city with first-class cultural institutions.
Visitors will have their first opportunity to participate in the Garden’s new era with a grand opening celebration on August 27 and 28. A ribbon-cutting ceremony takes place at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 27. Admission is free to everyone throughout the weekend, thanks to the generous support of Pohlmann Legacy.
In bringing the Taylor Visitor Center to life, the Garden is continuing its commitment to the local and regional community. In addition to lead architects Ayers Saint Gross and Michael Vergason Landscape Associates, the Garden partnered with St. Louis-based Alberici Corporation to construct the 94,000-square-foot facility. As many materials as possible were sourced from local businesses. Local design
MBW/WBE spending by the Missouri Botanical Garden exceeds St. Louis guidelines.
firm PGAV created an immersive video wall and a welcome film to orient visitors to the historic and international scope of the Garden’s work. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is represented through our MBE and WBE firms, who have contributed from the beginning of this project. It was important for our minority spend to meet or exceed guidelines set forth by the City of St. Louis, even though the project is 100% donor sponsored. Next spring, 30,500 new
plants representing 332 species (30% of which are of conservation concern) will be added to the Garden’s entry landscape, offering visitors a firsthand look at many of the rare and endangered species the Garden is working to preserve. Visitors can access entry, ticketing services, shopping, dining, restrooms, and other amenities on a single level, accompanied by breathtaking views of the Garden. Learn more about the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center at mobot.org/taylorcenter.
By Bi State Development
When Bi-State Development (BSD) began working on a strategic plan several years ago to reinvent its philosophy as an organization, the need to engrain one principle quickly came to the forefront — Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. These values inform everything Bi-State Development does, from the executive suite to the roads and rails of our region. It began as a Racial Equity Pledge: Our vision is to commit ourselves to valuing each other for our unique experiences, insights and talents. To realize our vision, we will review and recommend policies and practices that align with BSD’s racial equity goals and strategic plan.
Yet it’s the action being taken on a daily basis that’s allowing Bi-State Development to live into that pledge; to “walk the walk” in every possible way.
Among the current initiatives in motion:
Racial Equity Task Force takes action.
In 2020, BSD formed the Racial Equity Task Force. Its creation came at a critical time to turn empathy into action, following the murder of George Floyd and its representation of social injustice and systemic racism. The Racial Equity Task Force goals include dismantling structural inequities and embedding equity in all we do to create a more inclusive workplace.
To start, the Racial Equity Task Force launched the Let’s Talk: Racial Equity Initiative, working to build cultural awareness and develop a better understanding of team members. Over a year and a half, more than 100 people attended multiple sessions, sharing their experiences and fostering cultural understanding. The recommendations include provid-
ing training, especially on cultural competency — the ability to communicate with people of different cultures. Another is studying data and creating plans to further equity, as well as providing resources to team members so they can further their professional development. The sessions also suggested BSD re-examine partnerships with underserved communities
to focus on building ongoing and more strategic relationships into
Diversity and Inclusion Council helps drive cultural competency.
Formed earlier this year, the Diversity and Inclusion Council intends to promote and build the leadership within BSD needed to propel DEI
efforts. Ultimately, the council’s goal is to connect diversity and inclusion efforts to BSD’s strategic plan by helping create an inclusive, welcoming environment.
The council organizes several cultural observances, including Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Juneteenth, National Disability Employment Awareness
A community is built to support each other. To be a solid foundation from which to grow. And to provide the means for people to take care of each other. The best part of community: It always comes through when you need it. At Commerce Bank, we’ve been helping our St. Louis community, tackling challenges, growing businesses, serving from the heart, and doing work that matters. And we are proud to donate our former Natural Bridge location to the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. The building, across the street from our new branch, will house the Urban League’s Women’s Business Center to help business owners in our community gain access to funding, technical assistance, and more.
Month, and Veterans Day. These celebrations make BSD a more inclusive organization for many and helps to develop all team members’ cultural competency.
The Diversity and Inclusion Council is also the home of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) — voluntary, team member-led groups whose members share a common interest or identity and work to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace. A Military Veteran and Reservists ERG, led by veteran or reservist team members, is active and led a volunteer event at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. A Women’s ERG recently launched, and additional ERG’s will soon follow.
New ERG for veterans, reservists forms at BSD.
Bi-State Development is now home to its first Employee Resource Group — the Military Veterans and Reservists ERG. With a count of 13 official members, the group gives team members who served or are in the reserves a way to connect while helping with veteran-related causes in the community.
What’s next For Bi-State Development and DEI? At BSD, they view focusing on DEI as more than just a moral obligation; it’s an imperative that affects their ability to serve the St. Louis region. You can feel the impact of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion throughout the Bi-State Development culture. It’s truly a culture of inclusion and belonging.
80,000
NEW WESTERN ENTRANCE
ENCLOSED LOADING
By Earl Austin Jr
The St. Louis American
The year 1972 was groundbreaking for women’s sports with the passing of Title IX, a gender equity law that increased the participation of girls’ and women in athletics.
During the 50-year anniversary of this game-changing legislation, everyone has been celebrating the talents and achievements of women in sports from all generations around the country.
St. Louisan Khalia Collier has always been a game-changer throughout her athletic career. Collier has been a tour de force in the St. Louis Sports Community as a high school and collegiate athlete, team owner, entrepreneur, pioneer, civic leader and talented public speaker. You name it. She checks all of the boxes.
Collier is the owner of the St. Louis Surge of the Global Women’s Basketball Association. In bringing women’s professional basketball to St. Louis in 2011, she became the first African-American woman to own a professional sports franchise in the area. And she did this while she was still in her early 20s.
Collier’s dynamic leadership with the Surge is just the beginning of her story. In 2020, she was also tabbed as vice president of community relations for the St. Louis CITY SC, the city’s brand new professional soccer franchise that will begin play in the Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2023. She recently told St. Louis Public Radio“I’m born and raised here in St. Louis. My first sport was soccer. My
first introduction to soccer was YMCA bitty-ball.”
Collier’s role with the team includes bringing to life CITY SC’s vision of being a driving force for access and inclusion. The team recently launched the CITY Futures program, which provides no-cost, multi-level, high-quality soccer training and holistic player-person development at five satellite locations throughout the St. Louis region. The CITY Futures program makes the sport of soccer accessible to all children in the St. Louis region through the power of play.
“It’s been awesome,”
Collier said. “I’ve had the chance to be a part of two dreams teams. Not many people can say that, let alone, help build up two teams from scratch. Everything I’ve done with the St. Louis Surge has prepared me for my role for what I’m doing with St. Louis CITY SC. It’s given me the ability to take my passion for all of the work I’ve done in the community and do it at a large scale, and have St. Louis on an international stage in a different capacity.”
During the past decade of Collier’s leadership, the Surge became a winning franchise
and a brand name in the St. Louis area. In its ten seasons, the Surge has won two national championships in 2014 and 2016 while advancing to the national championship game on five other occasions. In addition to putting a high quality product on the floor, she has managed to bring legions of fans to the games, which is no small feat for a women’s basketball franchise that plays its games in the summer. The Surge has always had a loyal fan base and the attendance at their home games has always outdistanced its league competitors.
Khalia Collier has a bounce in her strop as owner of the St. Louis Surge women’s basketball team, and she also is getting her kicks as vice president of communications for the expansion St. Louis CITY SC MLS franchise which begins play in 2023.
The players on the Surge also became more than just basketball stars. They became role models to younger girls as they participated in several community activities. That was a big part of the culture that Collier created as she built her burgeoning profile as a young community leader. Through Collier’s vision and steady guidance, the Surge was able to celebrate its 10th anniversary as a permanent niche in the St. Louis sports scene. Through all the championships and winning basketball, Collier’s has remained steadfast in her initial vision as a franchise that serves the community.
“The St. Louis Surge has always existed to drive community impact,” she said. “We exist for community input. A by-product of what we do is we’re a professional basketball team.”
About the time that the Surge was reaching an apex, it was announced that the St. Louis area was going to receive an expansion team in the MLS. As the new franchise began to build roots in the community, it was to nobody’s surprise that it tabbed Collier as the new vice president of community relations in 2020.
In her new role with the St. Louis CITY SC, Collier is applying the same principles that she used to make the Surge such a force in the community.
“One of the things that was so exciting for me in this new role as VP of Community Relations is that it fits in with my passion,” she said. “I’ve done operations, I’ve done sponsorships and marketing, but my passion is community. Now, seeing what we’re driving on the sports side with our corporate partners, this is what I’ve been doing my entire career.”
“What I’ve always done with the Surge is create a melting pot and making sure that when we talk about the St. Louis region is incredibly diverse, but inclusion is what you create,” she said. “It’s how you make people feel welcome and how you make people show up in a space and feel positive energy. What I love about what we’re trying to accomplish is that we’re building to be one of the most inclusive clubs in Major League Soccer.”
BJC HealthCare is working alongside community partners to improve physical, mental, and financial well-being across our region, beginning with the City of St. Louis and North St. Louis County. BJC’s efforts include local investments, supporting Black-owned businesses, and hiring locally. BJC is also working to improve infant and maternal health, increase access to healthy food and physical activity opportunities, and support schools as sources of learning and wellness.
BJC is committed to advancing health equity across our region. The disparities are clear, and BJC is making a concerted effort to use its power to address the core issues that create these differences, focusing on the social and economic factors that influence health. There are many ways to be part of this effort!
Volunteer
One of the best ways to promote the health of your community is to get involved. Supporting local community organizations is invaluable, and your time is one of the most important assets you have. Please consider volunteering through our partner, United Way of Greater St. Louis, which coordinates STL Volunteer. Your place of employment may also coordinate community volunteer opportunities. Reach out to your HR team for more details.
Support local, Black-owned businesses
When we support local business, especially in neighborhoods that have long faced underinvestment, we can make a tremendous impact on the economic health of the community.
Where you bank matters
Did you know that where you bank has a tremendous impact on community lending and influences where branches are located? Think about where you put and store your money and decide what is best for you and your family.
Advocate and vote
Your voice matters. There are numerous policies that support community health improvement, ensuring that efforts are sustained for the long term. It is important to get involved at the local, regional, state, and national levels to ensure your voice is heard.
Get active in your neighborhood
This is where you live and spend a considerable amount of your time. Local neighborhood associations are a great place to meet people, discover shared interests, and mobilize change in your own backyard.
Promote your work
Are you leading or participating in work within BJC’s priority areas: financial investment in the community, diabetes and healthy food access, infant and maternal health, or school health and wellness?
If so, we would love to hear from you. Whether you’re in the planning stage, just beginning, or have established work, please tell us about it. This is a first step in ensuring our efforts remain aligned and coordinated, and it helps minimize duplication of effort. There also may be opportunities for us to connect your work to other activities in the community.
Help set examples of healthy behaviors
One way to do this is by sharing clear and accurate information in your personal and professional networks about COVID-19, including the importance of vaccination and boosters. This is especially necessary in communities where vaccination rates are low. With your help, we can increase vaccination rates across the region to help prevent COVID-19 from spreading and keep our community safe.
Set inclusive tables
As you form groups to develop solutions that address health issues, think about who is at the table. Are you including individuals who are most impacted by the issue you hope to address? Are you developing materials in multiple languages for diverse audiences? When speaking about populations most impacted, are you using empowering language to describe individuals and neighborhoods? Be sure to pause and think about the groups you lead or participate in to ensure that the voices of individuals most impacted are actively involved in agenda-setting and decision making.
BJC HealthCare is working alongside community partners to improve physical, mental, and financial well-being across our region, beginning with the City of St. Louis and North St. Louis County. BJC’s efforts include local investments, supporting Black-owned businesses, and hiring locally. BJC is also working to improve infant and maternal health, increase access to healthy food and physical activity opportunities, and support schools as sources of learning and wellness.
BJC is committed to advancing health equity across our region. The disparities are clear, and BJC is making a concerted effort to use its power to address the core issues that create these differences, focusing on the social and economic factors that influence health. There are many ways to be part of this effort!
Volunteer
One of the best ways to promote the health of your community is to get involved. Supporting local community organizations is invaluable, and your time is one of the most important assets you have. Please consider volunteering through our partner, United Way of Greater St. Louis, which coordinates STL Volunteer. Your place of employment may also coordinate community volunteer opportunities. Reach out to your HR team for more details.
Support local, Black-owned businesses
When we support local business, especially in neighborhoods that have long faced underinvestment, we can make a tremendous impact on the economic health of the community.
Where you bank matters
Did you know that where you bank has a tremendous impact on community lending and influences where branches are located? Think about where you put and store your money and decide what is best for you and your family.
Advocate and vote
Your voice matters. There are numerous policies that support community health improvement, ensuring that efforts are sustained for the long term. It is important to get involved at the local, regional, state, and national levels to ensure your voice is heard.
Get active in your neighborhood
This is where you live and spend a considerable amount of your time. Local neighborhood associations are a great place to meet people, discover shared interests, and mobilize change in your own backyard.
Promote your work
Are you leading or participating in work within BJC’s priority areas: financial investment in the community, diabetes and healthy food access, infant and maternal health, or school health and wellness?
If so, we would love to hear from you. Whether you’re in the planning stage, just beginning, or have established work, please tell us about it. This is a first step in ensuring our efforts remain aligned and coordinated, and it helps minimize duplication of effort. There also may be opportunities for us to connect your work to other activities in the community.
Help set examples of healthy behaviors
One way to do this is by sharing clear and accurate information in your personal and professional networks about COVID-19, including the importance of vaccination and boosters. This is especially necessary in communities where vaccination rates are low. With your help, we can increase vaccination rates across the region to help prevent COVID-19 from spreading and keep our community safe.
Set inclusive tables
As you form groups to develop solutions that address health issues, think about who is at the table. Are you including individuals who are most impacted by the issue you hope to address? Are you developing materials in multiple languages for diverse audiences? When speaking about populations most impacted, are you using empowering language to describe individuals and neighborhoods? Be sure to pause and think about the groups you lead or participate in to ensure that the voices of individuals most impacted are actively involved in agenda-setting and decision making.
By K. Michael Jones
The St. Louis American
Announced earlier this year, the APGA (Advocate Professional Golf Association) Ascension Classic, presented by Daugherty Business Solutions will debut in St. Louis Sept. 8-9. The new, 36-hole tournament will take place at historic Glen Echo Country Club during the week of the Ascension Charity Classic, a PGA TOUR Champions tournament.
Established in 2010, the APGA Tour is a non-profit organization with the mission to prepare African American and other underrepresented golfers to compete and win at the highest level of professional golf, both on tour and in the golf industry. Helping make golf more inclusive and remove the financial burden associated with golf is a top priority for the APGA, Ascension, and Daugherty Business Solutions.
“This is another big step for the APGA Tour and our members,” said co-founder and APGA CEO Ken Bentley. “Successfully aligning with a PGA TOUR-affiliated event in a major market like St. Louis is critical to our continued growth. It’s by partnering with committed organizations like Ascension that the APGA truly becomes a developmental tour for underrepresented golfers.” Creating a new APGA event to help make golf more diverse was only one reason Nick Ragone, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Ascension, wanted to bring another professional golf tournament to the area.
“Our goal has always been to make a real impact in an area that’s been underserved for a long time,” he said.
“That’s what the Ascension Charity Classic is all about. And that’s what this new APGA event will hopefully do –help make golf more inclusive and deliver real economic growth and opportunities to North St. Louis County and beyond. It’s one thing to say golf should be more diverse, but it’s another thing to invest in it. This is a long-term commitment.”
Daugherty, as the presenting sponsor of the Ascension Classic, is already making a difference in St. Louis with its Access Point program, specifically focused on providing under-represented, under-resourced youth with a path to high paying Information
Technology jobs within months of graduating from high school. This is a groundbreaking collaboration of school districts, higher education institutions and Chief Information Officers providing access to education, mentorship, and financial support leading to careers in tech-
nology.
Daugherty’s commitment starts at the top with President and CEO Ron Daugherty. “We are proud to be the Presenting Sponsor of this inaugural APGA event in St. Louis,” he said. “It complements many things Daugherty is doing to
St. Louis native and Ascension ambassador Christian Heavens pictured with St. Louis Cardinals and MLB Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith.
support Job, Education and Health Equity across our region and particularly in North St. Louis
Shortly after announcing the creation of the APGA Ascension Classic this winter, the Ascension Charity Classic created a partnership with the Nicklaus Normandie project to assist in the redesign of Normandie Golf Club so that it will remain open and affordable to the community. The new relationship includes a significant investment in Normandie Golf Club, one of the oldest public golf courses west of the Mississippi River and located in North St. Louis County in the city of Bel-Nor.
An option to purchase the property on which Normandie is built from the University of Missouri-St. Louis has been exercised and the project is expected to break ground in fall 2022. In April 2021, it was announced that Nicklaus Design would lead the renovation effort and Normandie would become a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.
Moreover, Normandie Golf Club will be included as a potential qualifying site for both the Ascension Charity Classic and the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour’s new Ascension Classic, with potential for eventually hosting the Ascension Classic in the future as well as hosting additional Ascension Charity Classic Pro-Am outings.
“In a short period of time, the Ascension Charity Classic has made an immense and positive impact on North St. Louis County, as well as for the game of golf in that region and throughout our community,” said Tom O’Toole Jr., past USGA President and founder of the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association. The Ascension Classic will feature APGA Tour professional golfers, among them St. Louis native and Ascension ambassador Christian Heavens (pictured below with St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith).
Practice rounds will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 6, and Wednesday, Sept. 7, at Glen Echo, as well as a pro-am on Wednesday at the East Course at nearby Norwood Hills. General admission for the 36-hole stroke-play competition (Sept. 8-9) is free to the public. To learn more visit ascensioncharityclassic.com/apga
By Alvin A. Reid
St. Louis American
The
Richard Mark’s journey through corporate St. Louis and his years of dedicated service to Ameren Corp., ended when his retirement became official on August 1, 2022.
The former Ameren Illinois president and CEO leaves behind a career dedicated to diversity and inclusion, and he says he will continue that work through the seats on boards and committees he still holds.
His message is clear: diversity is a must for the region’s business community to reach its highest goals.
“I think it is important for companies to be represented by people of all backgrounds. This helps it better understand who all its customers are,” he said.
“You have to customize your service, otherwise you just go down the same path.” Mark said company leaders, “must be willing to have open discussions.”
“This makes them way more successful than they otherwise would be,” he said. Once on the job, it is imperative for executives of color and women to speak up and speak often when it comes to inclusion and opportunity.
“They have to say some things over and over until they are listened to,” he said.
“In some places this will be welcome. In other places, too many times, the response is ‘we heard you out. Let’s go to the next thing.’ It takes work from everyone involved.”
Mark said company and business leader reactions to calls for increased diversity, equity, and inclusion “depends on where they are at [in understanding.]”
“You have to know what their outlook is, where are they coming from. They only know what they know,” Mark said. Mark said in the St. Louis area, and nationwide, major firms are doing a better job of embracing diversity than smaller firms.
“It is not level across the board,” he said.
“Major corporations are required to see the bigger picture. Some smaller, mid-level, and family-owned businesses feel that [DEI] is not as important. The more people that are involved in seeking diversity, the more pressure there is to become more diverse.”
“If you are given a forum to express how you feel and help guide advancement, you have the ability to make a
Our formally chartered African American Business Resource Group brings African American associates together at Enterprise Bank & Trust to create community and opportunities for improvement and engagement. Read our Community Impact Report to learn how the group got started and the goals they are working toward at enterprisebank.com/impact
Mark’s dedication to diversity and his knowledge on its importance comes from two decades with Ameren Corp., and 45 years of business and civic leadership. He was an Ameren Missouri executive for 10 years before his promotion to Ameren Illinois president in 2012. Mark was instrumental in increasing the value of goods and services purchased from minority- and women-owned suppliers by Ameren 34% over 10 years.
His work helped Ameren Corp., land the No. 1 position in 2021 among American utilities in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, according to DiversityInc. The organization
ranks companies based on the hiring, retention and promotion of women, minorities, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ employees.
Ameren Corp.:
• Pledged $10 million over five years to nonprofits working for racial equity and opportunity.
• Held a DE&I summit with community leaders and Ameren co-workers and encouraging employees to volunteer with organizations working toward equity.
• Invested in its supplier diversity program, which resulted in a record $810 million on projects delivered by women-owned, minori-
Richard Mark, former president of Ameren Illinois (R) is congratulated by Marty Lyons, Ameren Corp., president/CEO during a retirement ceremony for Mark, at the Jackie Joyner Kersee Center in East St. Louis, Illinois on July 28, 2022.
ty-owned, and veteran-owned companies in 2020.
• Continued to facilitate diversity training and mentorship programs, including the Discussions Across Differences and Be Courageous conversation series, which are available on Ameren.com.
Mark told Peoria magazine that a key to his company’s diversity success was putting a diversity coordinator in its six regional operating divisions.
“These folks work with our operating center leaders to build awareness and advocacy for diversity and inclusion in hiring, supplier development and training. They have a
touchpoint with every one of our coworkers in that region, to instill the values of diversity across the business,” he said.
“When we’re hiring, we make a conscious effort to attract diverse candidates. We select the most qualified person for every role, of course, but we do so from a pool that gives careful consideration to diversity. Our hiring teams are also diverse. That’s something we instill with all our supervisors and our hiring managers, and it’s a practice we do very well.”
During his last year with Ameren Illinois, Mark helped craft and push legislation in Springfield, Illinois which led to the opening of a solar energy site in East St. Louis, just north of East St. Louis High School.
“This is a historic event. We are building a more modern energy grid, and East St. Louis is at the heart of it,” he said at the site’s groundbreaking in June.
“Students can gain practical learning experience in clean energy. They will look out of [the high school] windows and not see a vacant lot as it is, but as an opportunity.”
Before joining Ameren, Mark worked six years as president and chief executive officer of St. Mary’s Hospital in East St. Louis, and five years as chief operating officer. He also led the East St. Louis District 189 Financial Oversight Panel. He has served as Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois chair and was founding director of the Illinois Utilities Business Diversity Council. Mark also serves on the board of directors of the American Gas Association.
Continued from 1 graduates in the St. Louis region, SIUE is committed to proactively closing this equity gap with the Black Scholar Experience.
“The Black Scholar Experience is one way of creating an affirming and supportive community that empowers students to realize their full potential,” said SIUE Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Jessica Harris, PhD. “The program offers an immediate, integrated support system to facilitate students’ academic success, preparing them to thrive, graduate and pursue their dreams.”
Upon enrollment, all incoming first-year Black students are assigned to a Scholar Village or learning community. Students will complete several general education courses
together as a cohort and engage in robust co-curricular programming as they select courses of study and establish a collegiate foundation.
The Black Scholar Experience builds upon the successes of SIUE’s Student Opportunities for Academic Results (SOAR) program that for decades has been a leader in providing an array of services and programming to support the engagement, retention, and graduation of historically underrepresented students.
With the Black Scholar Experience, Earleen Patterson, PhD, associate vice chancellor for Student Opportunities, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and Howard Rambsy, PhD, distinguished research professor and associate director of the Black Scholar Experience, and their teams, are expanding opportunities to an even larger number of students.
“As educators, we have a strong responsibility to contin-
ue to open doors for the next generation,” said Patterson.
“SIUE is weaving the power of equity, diversity and inclusion into its organizational fabric to more effectively serve an increasingly diverse community of students. We are emphasizing strong outcomes for historically minoritized students by creating a socially just environment where our students compete, excel and experience a sense of belonging.”
“SIUE will be first and best-in-class at providing students from all backgrounds an opportunity to earn a college degree,” said Minor. “Providing a stronger start to college increases the likelihood that students cross a commencement stage, allowing them to reach their highest potential. SIUE will go boldly forward to more powerfully advance its mission, keeping the promise of higher education alive for so many deserving students.”
By FCB Banks
FCB Banks has been serving the St. Louis area for three generations, under local family ownership and management. After originally opening banks in New Baden and Albers as early as 1901, customers quickly associated FCB with quality service, competitive rates, and personal customer care. FCB is a full service bank with 16 convenient locations in St. Louis and the Metro East. We are located in the heart of the Florissant’s shopping center point, across from The Shoppes of Cross Keys and are pleased and excited to continue serving Florissant and the surrounding communities.
Our staff at FCB Banks - Florissant has expertise in financial services dating back to the 1980’s, including
decades of leadership in management, lending and community service. Our team has serviced communities all across the St .Louis area from South County to St. Louis City to our current home in North County, resulting in broad experience with every type of customer regardless of their social-economic condition, education or class. With a multi-generational and multi-cultural staff, we are able to connect with and assist our customers at every stage of their financial journey. Since opening our location in Florissant, the team has made it a priority to be involved with community engagement efforts, centered on financial empowerment by partnering with many community and social services organizations.
FCB is proud to offer knowledge and expertise in a
wide range of loan products by being able to assist a variety of homebuyers. Whether a first time homebuyer or the repeat homeowner looking to finance their dream home, we specialize in providing lending options including down payment assistance, real estate investment lending, and smaller loans than traditionally available. Our FCB Florissant Loan Officer, Jeannine Murphy is happy to help you every step of the way, by fostering a long-term relationship focusing on your goals. We are here to guide you through the entire process and assist you in determining what solution best fits your need. FCB’s lending solutions are com-
prised of numerous financing options with competitive rates and low fees. As a bank, we believe community development and stabilization is paramount. Therefore, we have unique programs specifically designed for low and moderate income residents, in communities where there is a need. We have solutions for the homebuyer no matter who you are. Our knowledgeable and friendly staff is here to build strong relationships with each of our customers, welcoming them to our FCB Banks family.
FCB offers more than the standard checking or savings account. Our suite of products has been developed to meet the
needs of every type of accountholder from second chance banking to the financially savvy depositor. In addition to main stream accounts, we also offer onsite bill payment service and postage stamps to help save time waiting in lines. For our customer still desiring savings clubs, we offer Vacation and Christmas club accounts.
FCB offers Investment Services and for those interested in alternatives for accounting; we have a Tax and Bookkeeping department to provide tax services for individuals and/or bookkeeping and payroll services for business owners. FCB understands that the way customers choose to bank has evolved over the years. The modern technological conveniences allow for electronic means to transact business and move money so that customers do not have much need to visit
By Danielle Brown
The St. Louis American
The Saint Louis Art Museum named Renée Brummell Franklin its first chief diversity officer on Jan. 1, 2021, and one of her responsibilities is implementing different methods to help the institution become more diverse.
The title is new, but the practice isn’t for Franklin, who’s been with SLAM for 24 years. She said her position was created with the idea racial diversity can be used as a framework in terms of all levels of diversity. Adding, “the scope and representation of diversity can be changed from the inside out and in the community through programming including the museum’s staffing, exhibitions, and more.”
“Diverse staffing is a priority because we want people working in the museum who can make decisions based [on being] around the table,” Brummell Franklin said.
“There’s going to be missteps. People will say things that they don’t intend to say, or they’re going to do something. It’s a learning process for everyone.”
Lining the museum walls with artwork that people can identify with is important to Brummell Franklin. She said everyone deserves to have their story told.
“Yes, you may love Japanese art, and you’re African American. I think at some point you want your story told and want to see yourself reflected on the walls,” Brummell Franklin said.
Renee
“In my position, I’m looking across the institution and analyzing how people are hired, promoted, how artists are involved with special exhibitions and how we sustain it.”
Introducing young people to various avenues the arts have to offer is another component of Brummell Franklin’s job, and she’s passionate about it because many youths aren’t aware of the different careers they can explore in the industry.
“Our Romare Bearden Fellowship is training developed for a new generation of museum professionals and spans across our institution,” Brummell Franklin said.
“It’s about building awareness because most of the time if you didn’t know about a degree in middle school or high school, you’re probably not going to see it as an option.”
Brummell Franklin is not a professional artist. Her background is in marketing and education. She worked in corporate America for 10 years before beginning a family.
On a return flight from a trip to Dakar, Senegal, she learned about an opening with Worldways Children’s Museum. She was told they were seeking a public relations person to engage with schools, and bring their students to the museum. The company was also searching for someone with experience who could curate an exhibition in St. Louis’ sister city, Saint-Louis, Senegal.
She got the job, and her journey with Worldways opened the door for her entry into the museum industry.
She joined SLAM in 1998, becoming its first coordinator of community outreach programs. During her tenure with SLAM, she has served in several roles, most recently as director of audience development. Her work was instrumental in SLAM’s development of its
Friends of African American Art Collectors Circle, the Art with Us youth residency program, and the Teen Assistant Program, a mentoring program that includes paid summer employment.
She also supervises the Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellowship, a nation-
ally renowned program aimed at recruiting diversity among museum staff and personnel.
Franklin recognizes SLAM isn’t perfect, and says there is room for improvement in its ongoing effort to engage with the community.
“One thing I can say about the museum is they’ve support-
ed the efforts they’ve made,” Brummell Franklin said.
“Could they have been greater? Do we have room for improvement? Absolutely. I think there has been support to engage the community and that’s one of the things I want to ensure; that the museum is the center of the community.” Brummell Franklin said visitors can expect SLAM’s four 2023 exhibitions to be “phenomenal in the breadth of exhibitions, we are traveling the world.”
“I think the communities of St. Louis will be very happy with the experiences they will be able to have by coming into the museum,” Brummell Franklin said.
Brummell Franklin is from a small town an hour away from Baltimore, Maryland. She has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business administration from Towson University. She received a master’s degree in education and master’s degree in business administration from Webster University. She volunteers on several boards and committees including the World Trade Center St. Louis, St. Louis Mosaic Project and Gateway Korea Foundation. She is a founding member of the National Alliance of African American Art Support Groups, she was named the Missouri State Coordinator for Sister Cities International and she is co-chair of the local program pairing St. Louis with St. Louis, Senegal. Franklin has received numerous awards and commendations, including the Grand Center Visionary Award for Outstanding Arts Professional.
At
We
The Power of People makes all the difference.
At Mercy, we see our patients, co-workers and visitors as people created in the image of God. We celebrate their uniqueness, honor their dignity and serve them with open minds and hearts. By recognizing the value in others, we honor the God who created us all.
The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Cabinet at Mercy guides our efforts by:
• Improving the health of all communities
• Extending employment opportunities and training to people with disabilities
• Ensuring diversity in Mercy’s talent and leadership
• Advancing the professional development of women leaders
• Supporting the needs and careers of people in low-wage positions
Learn how you can make the most of your talents at Mercy Scan here to view career opportunities or visit mercy.net/belonging
Your life is our life’s work.
With Black Girls Do STEM, chemist Cynthia Chapple and her team are carving out space for young Black girls
By Ginger O’Donnell STLMade
Since she was a young girl, chemist Cynthia Chapple has always enjoyed and excelled at math and science. But despite her talent, her early educational experiences in these subjects were tainted by feelings of isolation and a vague sense that she didn’t belong.
At age 11, the Chicago native first ventured outside her community to attend a math program at the University of Illinois Chicago. “Not only was I one of very few Black girls, I was one of very few Black students,” Chapple recalls. She didn’t yet have words for the racial and socioeconomic divide she encountered there, but she knew it felt different. Fast forward to Chapple’s high school years: Her family had moved to Indiana, and the 15-year-old was accepted into a biology program at Purdue University, where her older sister was studying to be a nurse. This time, Chapple was the only Black student. Feeling out of place, she never went back—instead, she wandered Purdue’s campus each morning when her sister dropped her off.
Today, in her role as managing director of the St. Louis-based nonprofit, Black Girls Do STEM, Chapple seeks to prevent this scenario for future generations. “We come to Black girls’ communities,” she says. “We bring STEM programs to them, because we’re asking kids to be brave in a really big way when we ask them to go somewhere that feels
foreign, with no one else they can identify with in a real, substantive way. It’s hard for a young person to be that brave.”
Chapple’s decision to leave her successful career in industry for this educational endeavor—she was a senior research and development chemist for ELANTAS PDG, Inc., a global supplier of specialty materials for the electrical and electronic industries—was also born out of her desire to give back to the Black community after the killing of Michael Brown. At the time of his death, she was living in Florissant, Mo. while attending graduate school at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and showing up for these two disparate communities often felt like existing in separate realities, she says. Now, with a professional focus that is also highly personal, she seeks to achieve worklife integration as opposed to work-life balance. Her work at BGDS takes significant time and energy, but it feels more like a vocation than a job.
The program centers around Saturday STEM workshops where participants receive three hours of hands-on instruction geared toward a specific career pathway, such as cybersecurity, forensic science or cosmetic science. This is followed by an hour of group mentoring with Black women STEM professionals. They share their educational and work-related experiences and also lead activities unrelated to STEM, including crafts, braiding, meditation and yoga. The day concludes with an hour of social-emotional learning, with curriculum designed specifically for BGDS by a
clinical social worker. Mentors come from a variety of prestigious organizations and companies, including NASA, Tesla, Boeing and Mastercard. In addition to this group of 24 volunteers, Chapple’s team includes five staff facilitators and one newly hired program manager. Her goal is to retain girls throughout their middle and early high school years and then transition them to more individualized types of support as they complete 10th through 12th grade.
“Our theory of impact is that we have to have long-term, continuous engagement,” she explains. “We cannot have
one high-engagement touch point to keep a girl interested in STEM. They have to feel personally connected to the things they’re learning and the people they’re meeting over an extended period of time.”
Successfully engaging girls in STEM is a matter of relating STEM topics to their lived experience, Chapple says. It’s a skill that comes naturally to her. For example, she has used perfume to teach the science behind evaporation rates, guiding girls through experiments that demonstrate the different ways in which acetone, perfumer’s alcohol and rubbing alcohol interact with their skin.
is currently seeking
Cynthia Chapple, Managing Director of Black Girls Do STEM
“You hear ‘ohs’ all the time,” she says of this handson approach. “The girls are like, “‘That’s so cool. Let me do it again.’”
Chapple also fosters engagement by tailoring the BGDS curriculum to her students’ interests. She poses a series of questions: What comes to mind when you think of STEM? What problems in your community or in the world do you want to solve? How can math and science be used to solve these problems?
Often, the girls point to issues related to environmental justice and sustainability, she says, which inspired her to partner with St. Louis
Community College and the Center for Plant Life Science at the Bio-Research, Development and Growth Park on a special project in which the girls will map pollution data for different neighborhoods across the St. Louis region and then compare their maps to those created by other young people across the country.
Chapple is well-versed in the ways that STEM intersects with pursuits like beauty and fashion. In addition to running BGDS, she runs her own online beauty company, Black Lab, and has created her own line of massage and body oils, called Black Velvet Spa. The collection, available on Etsy, is geared toward women with dry skin conditions, but Chapple says she is looking to expand the brand to include more general skin and hair care products. This side hustle of sorts enables Chapple to stay connected to her love of chemistry and research, now that she spends so much time in the education space. It’s also a way of claiming her own identity as the ultimate Black Girl Doing STEM, even as she focuses on the girls of the future. “What my brand represents for me is my strong love and desire to say, ‘I am a chemist. I am a Black woman who does chemistry and who does research, and I’m great at that. I also run this organization, and I am great at that.’ But it also represents for me this real sense of self care, this real advertisement of wellness and well-being, not sacrificing myself for any work,” she says.
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For more information about our current openings and our excellent benefits and nurse aide training program, please visit our website at www.DelmarGardens.com, call us at 636-733-7000, or email our Human Resources Director at DSlover@delmargardens.com
What is Build My Future?
Build My Future is a national workforce development initiative started in Springfield, Missouri to highlight careers in the construction industry through hands-on learning opportunities provided by local employers, unions, educators and skilled trades associations. Targeting high school students specifically, each student will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning experiences in a wide range of activities including: surveying, concrete testing, asphalt paving, heavy equipment operation, welding and much more. The high school students also will receive t-shirts, safety gear and a quick overview of safety protocols.
Through these experiences, students not only learn about the craft behind a wide range of trades; they also engage in conversations with construction experts about what kind of training is needed, wages, working conditions, what a typical day looks like, and current opportunities within the industry.
In 2018 the Missouri Economic Research and Development Center projected employment in Missouri’s construction industry to grow from 122,687 in 2018 to 131,154 by
2028. June 2022 employment of 139,800 has already smashed through those projections and growth in some segments of the sector, i.e. utility system construction, is projected as high as 21.6 percent. However, these positive headwinds could be significantly slowed by a lack of qualified workers currently confronting contractors. In its Annual Workforce survey, Associated General Contractors of America (AGCA) reports that 95% of Missouri contractors have unfilled open craft posi-
tions and 71% have unfilled salary positions, mirroring statistics nationwide.
“One often overlooked benefit to a construction career is the variety it offers,” notes Len Toenjes, AGCMO president who actually began his career as a carpenter and today serves as chief executive for the statewide construction industry association. “Every day and every job is different. And there’s nothing as rewarding as overlooking a building or infrastructure site you’ve worked on and knowing that you were
part of building it. It’s very satisfying.”
The construction industry also provides highly competitive wages and benefits. In Missouri, five out of the five most numerous construction occupations had higher median pay than the median for all employees in the state in 2019. Missouri offers a variety of craft/trade training programs including exceptional union apprenticeship programs, technical schools, junior college, industry-sponsored trade courses and some of the top
post-secondary engineering programs in the nation.
AGCMO also offers a robust scholarship program, supporting students interested in construction with more than $282,000 in student financial support since 2018.
This Build My Future event will be immediately followed by the opportunity for adults to learn more about careers in the construction industry and a hiring fair. This is your opportunity to learn why construction is a great career choice, why your high school aged child should
pursue a construction career and about specific opportunities currently available for you. The Build My Future portion of the day will run 9am-2pm. High school students must sign up through their school in order to attend. Students that are homeschooled can contact Charlyce Ruth (cruth@agcmo.org) to get registered to attend.
Build My Future will open to the general public at 2:30pm and run until 6pm. Registration is not necessary to attend this portion of the event.
Continued from page 1 training and mentorship are just the beginning. CCDI provides the support and direction students need to successfully find work and supports their continued success and retention in the industry.
4. Academic Scholarship.
CCDI offers students opportunities to continue secondary education at universities and tech schools for degreed career pathways in construction.
One of CCDI’s many organizational goals is to cultivate renewed interest in career technical education (CTE) and trade apprenticeship programs. Nationwide the construction industry is thriving, but as Baby Boomers continue to retire, the gap in finding qualified and diverse skilled workers to hire continues to increase. There has never been a more important time for the construction industry to make diversity and inclusion a priority. When people from different backgrounds work together, their unique experiences cultivate innovation and creativity. CCDI is building that pipeline by exposing and educating youth to careers in construction while addressing and breaking down the barriers that exist in creating a more diverse, robust and sustainable skilled workforce.
CCDI has a strong network of partnerships with school districts and workforce development programs to enhance the classroom experience through field trip facilitation, coordinating job shadowing and internships, attending career fairs, arranging guest speakers and hosting annual hiring fairs for program graduates. CCDI annually exposes roughly 350 high school students to careers in construction. The program has 75 student participants from 15 area high schools enrolled for the 2021-2022
school year who participate in monthly Saturday Academy sessions. Since 2015, CCDI has assisted 130 students with full-time employment; awarded 40 Build Our Future Scholarships to students pursuing secondary or technical education; placed 43 students into paid summer and college internships; helped nine students with vehicle assistance scholarships; and 36 active graduates participate in CCDI’s alumni network to improve
n CCDI awards an annual Build Our Future scholarship to top-qualifying high school seniors who exhibit a desire to pursue employment in the construction engineering, architecture and design, project management, informational technology and trades related pathways.
industry retention and mentor high school students in the program pipeline. CCDI awards an annual
Build Our Future scholarship to top-qualifying high school seniors who exhibit a desire to pursue employment in the
construction engineering, architecture and design, project management, informational technology and trades related pathways. CCDI has awarded this scholarship since its inception in 2015 and has assisted over 40 students with scholarships to pursue higher education. Six CCDI students were awarded Build Our Future scholarships on May 10. The Build Our Future scholarship is funded in large part to the gracious donations from local
The Build Our Future scholarship is funded in large part to the gracious donations from local contractors and subcontractors in the St. Louis region.
contractors and subcontractors in the St. Louis region. CCDI also hosts an annual golf tournament fundraiser to help raise funds towards the program and to continue to fund scholarships for students. The 2022 CCDI Golf Tournament will be held on Tuesday, October 4 at Glen Echo Country Club. If you are interesting in sponsoring or participating, please contact Julie Haas at HaasJ@claycorp. com or Tom Sieckhaus at SieckhausT@claycorp.com
Diverse perspectives drive better outcomes –for our community, clients, industry partners and employees. McCarthy is a hometown builder committed to a stronger and more vibrant St. Louis. Let’s make progress happen, together. mccarthy.com/careers
“Jim and Dave are two very different people. They came together with different backgrounds, different lifestyles experiences and created this masterpiece,” Lassen stated, adding, “And they celebrate that diversity; they made use of it, and I think it says something about World Wide’s success.”
In early 2020, Lassen, who has an educational and work background in business and human resources, had lost her luster for corporate life. Bureaucracy, politics, red tape, and mere lip service to change didn’t coincide with her idea of healthy and productive “diversity” work.
“I’m drawn to the idea of trying to make the workforce more reflective of underrepresented people, like me.” Lassen explained.
The police killing of George Floyd in May of that year made her desire to delve into diversity and inclusion issues even stronger.
“No one was talking about it at my previous job,” Lassen said. “Even though they were up in arms, people were so afraid to talk about it. I’ve never been one to shy away from my feelings but, for some reason, corporations were like ‘what do we do, what do we say?’”
Lassen posted an essay on her previous company’s in-house social page encouraging her coworkers to not just sit in silence as their colleagues of color showed up for work
“having to pretend” everything was normal.
“It’s OK not to know what to say but say something,” Lassen wrote. “Just reach out and ask how they’re doing. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, but silence isn’t the answer.”
Lassen, who had gotten married in late 2019 and was working from home due to the pandemic, longed for meaningful change. She was
“We’re working to make sure we have that space where people can come to work and see themselves here.”
can be their best version of themselves.”
It was a lesson Lassen said she learned when the “mean kids” in middle school caused her to question her own identity. She said cruel questions about her light skin or the proper way she spoke, briefly had her wondering if she was “black enough.”
“I think I was exposed to fighting for my identity really early and that sort of fueled my passion for what I do now. Colorism exists in many cultures. So, when I was growing up, I was called an Oreo-black on the outside but white on the inside. Then there was the ‘talking white’ thing. What does that even mean?”
“Our teams don’t work in silos. We know our workplace communities take in information differently and we want to make sure those cultural celebrations, holidays, and things like that are shared and lifted so we can learn and celebrate with them. We have to make sure the content we’re creating resonates with our different workforces. To do that, people in those regions need to help create that content.”
n “At the end of the day, we realize that equity is the outcome. That means we want to make sure everybody can be their best version of themselves.”
contemplating starting her own business or working for a nonprofit when she applied at WWT, which provides information technology, supply chain solutions, products, and services.
The vetting process was long and intense. When she received the long-awaited news that she’d be hired as one of two “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” program managers she was ecstatic. Executives at her new job,” she said, weren’t just paying “lip service.” WWT was serious about all aspects of diversity and inclusion. When she was officially hired, Lassen said executives made it clear that they were seeking to expand their diversity and inclusion programs.
“They want to make it part of the company’s DNA,” she bragged. Along with her partner,
Emily Robinson, Lassen said their strategic plan is designed to promote three specific outcomes in “Workforce Diversity, Business impact and Community Engagement.”
Workforce goals include recruiting a robust and diverse workforce, providing continuous cultural education, and embracing and celebrating differences. The business impact component works to support cultures of inclusion that utilize experiences and unique capabilities to create innovative and creative business outcomes. Community Outreach centers around driving change and educating through community partnerships.
Reflecting on her 2020 experience after George Floyd’s death, Lassen excitedly discussed her company’s programs designed to facil-
itate healthy dialogue about possibly sensitive racial issues. WWT’s “Listening Tour” and “WWT Storytellers” are forums developed so employees can share real-life thoughts and feelings through dialogue and stories. The hope is to help them feel safe and valued and foster a sense of empathy and camaraderie across real and sometimes artificial boundaries.
“Equity,” Lassen emphasized, is the desired result of WWT’s 3-tiered approach.
“We focus so much on our workforce being reflective of our global company. We need to look like the people we serve. We need to have that diversity of thought, that innovation as a tech company and we want people to feel safe coming to work. At the end of the day, we realize that equity is the outcome. That means we want to make sure everybody
Fortunately, Lassen has a father who is well grounded in his roots and birthplace, Louisville Mississippi. Anthony Thomas took his only daughter on annual trips to Louisville where she was regaled with stories from her grandparents and great grandparents about their heritage, legacy, and life in the segregated south.
Lassen has found her “happy place” where she can put her talents and passions to practice. She said the popular perception of the information technology (IT) industry is “so forward thinking, so innovative and so diverse.”
– Shannon T. Lassen, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Program Manager at World Wide Technology
Lassen’s dad also invested his love of music, culture and history in his daughter and helped her build the confidence she needed to embrace her identity and rich history.
She said that learning to accept and be comfortable with herself, has given her empathy with other people of color. As a global company, World Wide has employees and contracts across the globe. “Diversity” is expanded beyond the narrow parameters of black and white. To operate as a successful global business, Lassen stressed, the company must be aware, engaged, and respectful of a vast array of cultures, religions, and other ethnic idiosyncrasies.
It’s a misconception, she emphasized.
“I would say that underrepresented communities in IT spaces are still just that… underrepresented. It’s still predominantly white and predominantly male.”
But those challenges are exactly why Lassen enjoys her job.
“It feels great to know World Wide has all these programs in place to reach those who may not see themselves here. We’re intentionally reaching out to these underrepresented communities. It’s not just about recruiting either; it’s also about retaining the talent, making sure people aren’t leaving because of how they feel or how they’ve been treated or whatever the case.”
Lassen said she has happily and wholeheartedly adopted World Wide’s diversity, equity mission of inclusion.
“We’re working to make sure we have that space where people can come to work and see themselves here.”
AUGUST 18 – 24, 2022
By Ginger O’Donnell STLMade
Paralympic powerlifting is one of the fastest growing Paralympic sports in the world. Currently practiced in about 100 countries across the globe, it is a supreme test of upper body strength. Given three attempts to lower a heavy bar, hold it motionless above their chests and then lift it straight up, athletes without lower limbs or core muscle strength have been known to bench press up to three times their body weight. This July, more than 300 of these exceptionally talented individuals gathered in St. Louis for the World Para Powerlifting Parapan American Open Championships, a qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Formerly known as Logan College of Chiropractic, Logan is home
– Kelley Humphries-Mascoll Humphries-Mascoll is advancing
to nine health sciences degree programs in addition to its flagship doctor of chiropractic degree.
n “I saw that athletes with disabilities perform at a very, very high level, which makes it that much more worth trying to provide resources and ensure they are treated at the caliber they deserve.”
The person behind the event, and behind much of Paralympic powerlifting within the United States, is Kelley HumphriesMascoll, Logan’s executive director of Paralympic operations. An athlete herself, she played college basketball at Texas Woman’s University, where she studied biology on the pre-med track, aspiring to become an orthopedic surgeon. However, her early experiences in the sports medicine realm, including working with the USA Track and Field team and a wheelchair basketball team in the Dallas area, led her to change course.
“I was able to do some really interesting and eye-opening internships
See PARALYMPIC, page 32 Kelley
to the Design and Construction
By Danielle Brown
The St. Louis American
Kristin Mosley may not have experience in the sports world, but she’s eager to learn more about soccer and implement initiatives to bring all of St. Louis together in her new role as St. Louis CITY SC’s director of diversity, and equity, inclusion, and belonging.
“I worked on the project team to build the stadium,” she said. “Through that, and networking and building some relationships, the role came about and I eagerly and graciously accepted it.” Through her position, Mosley will draft and execute the club’s mission on how soccer can bring people together despite differences in every facet of life.
“My job is about building from the ground up and ensuring that throughout the organization, no stone is left unturned, feeling diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout,” Mosley said. “I want every employee to feel valued and feel belonged, knowing they can show up as their true authentic selves.” Mosley also said her role involves the club strategizing how to be visible and accessible to the community.
“How we want to show up for St. Louis plays an important role. It’s not just about the club playing soccer,” Mosley said. “It’s about how we plan to show up for the city where we live. How fitting is it that the club is called St. Louis City SC?”
Part of SC’s action in giving back to the community through DEI is through their CITY Futures program, making the sport of soccer
free and accessible to children curious about the game and wanting to improve their skills on and off the pitch.”
“We don’t want to be a team or club positioned in the city that isn’t reaching out externally to impact the region we reside in,” Mosley said.
Mosley brings 10 years of HR experience to her new position coupled with five years of DEI experience. Her most recent position was in the construction industry,
where she worked in the W/ MBE space ensuring minority-owned subcontractors had a seat at the table to partake in construction projects around the city. She also led initiatives with other organizations serious about launching DEI efforts.
“There was no decision for why I pivoted from HR to DEI. Sometimes things happen in life and it just flows,” she said. She said she gained interest
in DEI after doing volunteer work with a former employee helping assist with a Black business resource group. It’s one of the best shifts she says that’s happened to her.
“DEI and HR go hand-inhand with recruiting, hiring, talent attraction, and talent retention in the workforce,” Mosley said. “It wasn’t that I walked away from HR. That and DEI just melted together.”
Mosley is also the author of “Queen Olivia and the Lava
Monster,” a children’s book that follows the story of a young girl who runs off an evil creature by laughing him out of town.
Mosley modeled the fictional story after her friend’s daughter whose name is Olivia. She wrote the book to show Olivia and other Black girls that they can be “the main character” and that they can mirror themselves in the book.
Her passion for early
childhood literacy combined with her daily occupation is the reason behind why it’s important for her to work in DEI in both areas of her life.
“I will tell my truth and the truth of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Mosley said. “I won’t shy away from or back down from that. I will continue to do that to be a representation for the next to say if she can do it I can do it too.”
Community School is an independent preschool and elementary school for children age 3 through 6th grade.
As an independent school, Community is governed by an independent Board of Trustees and can craft policies and curriculum that fit the specific needs of Community families. In 2006, the Board of Trustees formed a School Culture Committee to help define and evaluate the school’s policies and practices relating to diversity and inclusion. The committee created a diversity statement in 2007, revised the statement and its policy review process in 2017, and currently is in the process of developing a Diversity Strategic Plan. In 2009, Community established a Faculty Equity & Justice Committee whose mission is to facilitate the development of teachers who are committed to creating and sustaining a humane and just community and to prepare them to explore, share, and affirm multiple perspectives and cultures. Community’s faculty and administrators can also participate in SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity).
SEED’s purpose is to create conversational communities that drive change. Jonelle Harris, Community’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion, established the school’s group and facilitates discussions around a variety of DEI topics. Harris has served in her director role since 2017. Community created a dedicated diversity position in 2000, and it has grown considerably
in scope. “Jonelle has taken the initiative to put ongoing diversity and inclusion practices in place,” Cooke said, “and even the portions of her job that were already established have been expanded
with her guidance.” In addition to supporting the School Culture Committee, Faculty Equity & Justice Committee, and SEED group, Harris provides regular DEI training and resources for faculty and
staff. When asked how she determines training content, she said, “It depends on what’s going on in the world and the topics our students might ask us about. After the death of George Floyd, for example, we focused on race and our commitment to social justice.” Community offers additional professional development opportunities outside of school through DEI-related conferences, workshops,
Greater St. Louis, Inc.’s Diverse Business Accelerator is a 12-week, hands-on program for racially, ethnically, and gender-diverse entrepreneurs who want to take their business to the next level. Learn about expanding your business, marketing, identifying resources, and networking.
Participants receive $5,000 in unrestricted capital, plus the chance to pitch and win up to $25,000 more. Applications due 8.31.22. Visit www.GreaterSTLinc.com/DBA
“The DBA provided me with tools and resources I need to continually grow my business.”
Tanisha Luckett (Cohort 7) Founder, HenRose Cares, Inc.
“The DBA taught me how to present my own brand and understand my value as a consultant and company.”
Andrew Turnage (Cohort 3) Founder, The Liv Group
By Danielle Brown
The St. Louis American
Belicia Beck serves as executive director of the Modern American Dance Company, the same company she started her professional dance career with as an intern almost a decade ago.
The stages of her career include apprentice, rehearsal director, interim director, and artistic director. She works alongside Artistic Director Arianna Russ, operating the company and making decisions on how MADCO continues its mission of entertaining, educating, and collaborating through innovative dance experiences.’’
Amy A. Hunter, global diversity & inclusion leader at BOEING, paid a visit to MADCO and sparked Brilliant Conversations [discussions about controversial subjects]. Beck said it motivated the dance company to continue those discussions. Beck said the purpose of the talks is to “break that fourth wall of feeling so distant and so disconnected from the audience.”
When Stacy West was MADCO’s executive and artistic director, Beck said the organization had a concert called “Freedom” based on the injustices, social unrest, and the Ferguson protests. Another concert was called “Unity Movement,” and it showcased how people have differences yet still can come together. Other performances included themes of women’s rights. Beck said with the recent overturning of Roe v Wade, the company plans to revisit that conversation.
In her 10th season with the company, Belicia Beck, left, takes on a more direct impact alongside current artistic director Arianna Russ, running and operating the company and making decisions on how MADCO continues its mission of entertaining, educating, and collaborating through innovative dance experiences.
“It’s really important for us to be diverse and talk about diversity and not just dance for dance’s sake but dance for a purpose and talk about hot topics and bring that to audiences that otherwise wouldn’t see dance,” Beck said. Many of the discussions the company hosted were similar to ones in Beck’s household during her childhood and adolescent years. “How can we start these conversations and how can
I give resources to do further research so that you know what to do after this conversation,” Beck said. “It’s not just a conversation and it stops there, but what can you do after that?”
Beck said she and the MADCO family not only care about being diverse and inclusive to all races and ethnicities but to other populations including the disabled community.
“We’ve had sensory-friendly shows for people with special needs,” Beck said.
“The lights aren’t as low, sound not as loud. It’s important to have an inclusive and diverse representation so that everyone has access to dance. It’s not just for able bodies or people who know dance. It’s inclusive for everyone to access.”
“I look at us like a salad. Every individual has something that makes us better,” Beck said. “We need carrots, lettuce, cheeses, and dressing, to tie it all together.”
Beck said she enjoys educating people on what modern dance is, especially youth.
MADCO makes modern dance accessible through different educational programs, includ-
ing “Books in Motion,” a literacy program encouraging students to read a book, and then the company in turn performs a show based on that same book. Programs like “Insight” and “Freedom” teach children how amplifying their voices affects them, not just in dance but in their everyday lives.
Dance has been a part of Beck’s life for as long as she can remember as she says. She was introduced to dance in her younger years having been born in Germany and then living in England because her dad was in the military.
She recalls being shy and not liking to talk much, but dance was an outlet for her self-expression. She started gymnastics around age three and had her first dance audition at four. After that, she said she always knew dance would be at the core of her life.
She enjoys her current position with MADCO because outside of teaching at two studios, she’s more active out in the community
“I love everything that MADCO does, from when I first started I loved everything about what the company does,” Beck said. I love how diverse it is and how they talk about things that are considered taboo.”
The upcoming season includes two fall concerts in November, two spring concerts in April.
“I’m excited to be a part of this organization,” Beck said. “I want people to come out and give us a chance if they haven’t. Start with MADCO first if you want to explore the world of Modern American Dance.”
Learn more about MADCO here:https://www.madcodance. com/
At the Saint Louis Zoo, we know the world is interconnected and our actions impact not only animals and our planet, but also each other. We strive to create and celebrate a Zoo community that works toward positive change … a community that is diverse and inclusive. Every team member, volunteer, guest and partner plays an important role in our mission to conserve and care for animals and their habitats. We encourage everyone to join us, and help us grow, in our e orts to maintain the Zoo as a welcoming place for all.
“I chose Goldfarb not only for the great opportunity to attend and learn at a top nursing school, but also it would provide me the opportunity to give back through the many charitable foundations Goldfarb is associated with.”
Where Olivia is attending nursing school matters. She desires a school where superior nurse educators helped harness her talent, dedication, and drive to become a sought-after nursing leader.
A degree from Goldfarb matters because it is a nursing school that exposes you to an alliance of exceptional education and the national leading partners at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. This combination allows Goldfarb to provide hands-on access to academic excellence. Make the choice that matters by visiting BarnesJewishCollege.edu for information about all of our nursing programs.
Learn. Achieve. Advance.
By Ginger O’Donnell STLMade
When asked to paint a picture of what is currently growing on his farm, Tyrean
“Heru” Lewis comes alive:
“I’ve got blackberries, raspberries, plum trees, apple trees, elderberries, beehives, a chicken coop, some collards, some Japanese mustards, some curly kale, sage, oregano, basil, mint, all different varieties of tomatoes and peppers, cucumbers, okra, carrots, watermelon …”
The list goes on. A former physical education teacher turned urban farmer, Lewis says his passion for growing fresh, healthy food is something he inherited from his ancestors. He attributes his success as a fifth-generation grower to the legacy they started. “I lean on my ancestors,” he says. “Even when I started, everything I touched did well. People would be asking, ‘How do you do that?’ I’d say, ‘I pray to my ancestors.’”
That said, Lewis didn’t connect to this part of his heritage until his farming career was already underway. Initially, it was a highly discouraging grocery shopping experience that prompted the beginnings of his farming enterprise. In 2017, he was searching for ingredients to prepare a vegan meal. After visiting the grocery store closest to his home in North St. Louis, where the display of food was wilted and unappetizing, he found himself traveling further and further west into St. Louis County in order to find fresh ingredients.
“You compare a grocery store on Union to one on
Lindell, it’s totally different. Then you go a step further to Clayton, man, that’s awesome. Then you go to West County, that’s the best,” Lewis says. “About 850,000 people in the St. Louis metro area don’t have sustainable, healthy produce within a half mile of their community. You’ve got all these gas stations and Family Dollars and Dollar Generals–a lot of processed food. You might get lucky and find a banana or an orange by the cash register. Man, we want to eat dragon fruit too!”
His farming journey began humbly.
“I just started off just growing food in buckets,” says Lewis. “And, man, when I first tasted a lettuce that I grew, and a tomato, I was like, wow, it tastes like this?! I didn’t know it could taste that good.”
He then expanded his crops from buckets to a nearby vacant lot, and in 2019, he received a grant from The BALSA Foundation, a local nonprofit that supports firsttime entrepreneurs as part of a broader mission to improve social equity throughout the St. Louis region. “[They] taught me simple startup stuff, like how to pitch my product,” Lewis says. Then, in 2020, Lewis participated in a 10-week development program for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs offered by WEPOWER, another St. Louis civic organization that seeks to better the city by advancing opportunities for historically underrepresented groups. Through its Elevate/ Elevar Accelerator program, Lewis received additional access to capital as well as one-on-one business coaching
A former physical education teacher turned urban farmer, Tyrean ‘Heru’ Lewis says his passion for growing fresh, healthy food is something he inherited from his ancestors. He attributes his success as a fifth-generation grower to the legacy they started.
and personal wellness support, among other services. “It was cool because I learned a lot of behind-the-scenes types of information, like profit margin, most valued customer and keys to marketing,” he says.
Most recently, in 2021, he went through the University of Missouri-St. Louis Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Accelerator program, which afforded him $50,000 in capital and a host of other resources, including mentorship, customized training and access to UMSL student and faculty networks and expertise. Upon graduating, Lewis was able to hire two full-time employees and purchase farming insurance and specialty equipment that extended his growing season. Empowered by these
experiences, Lewis has built connections with an entire network of urban farmers and food justice activists throughout the city of St. Louis, many of whom are also advancing representation in the field. One of them is Tosha Phonix, who has been growing sustainable produce in the city for more than seven years, teaching children coping with chronic homelessness how to farm.
Having alerted Lewis to his first accelerator program at BALSA, she now dedicates herself full-time to building connections between local Black growers and linking them to vital community resources in her role as co-founder and director of EVOLVE.
As Lewis increased his knowledge and skills, he needed more land to farm,
and thanks to an invite from Gibron Jones, founder of the North Sarah Food Hub was able to take advantage of the opportunity to grow his crops at Confluence Farms in Florissant. Confluence is a farming collective of sorts, where several farmers and entrepreneurs grow crops, all with the goal of sustainably growing produce for communities with limited access to fresh foods.
At Confluence, Lewis’ plots neighbor those of Leah Michelle Lee, a Black woman farmer and founder of another St. Louis-based food justice group, Growing Food, Growing People. In addition to feeding her community and supplying chefs with locally grown produce, Lee and her team teach gardening skills to young people through the organization’s Junior Farming Program. They also lead gardening and wellness workshops at social service agencies.
Being part of such a thriving network of likeminded farmers and advocates has been key for Lewis.
“I got overwhelming support,” he says. “I couldn’t even complain. I hate to say that sometimes St. Louis gets a bad rap, but we got great people. It’s just overwhelming, people are always helping me out.”
Most recently, Lewis has joined forces with Molly Rockamann, the founder and CEO of EarthDance Organic Farm School, a 14-acre teaching farm located on a historic property in Ferguson, Mo., and Mina Aria, leader of another local food justice organization called New Roots Urban Farm. As members of the National Young
Farmers Coalition, the trio is advocating for a slew of changes to the 2023 Farm Bill, a piece of national legislation that renews every five years. Their participation in regional and national meetings will culminate in a March 2023 trip to Washington, D.C., where they will ask Congress to make a 10-year, $2.5 billion investment in the next generation of American farmers, providing them with equitable access to one million acres of land — an initiative known as the One Million Acres for the Future Campaign.
As Lewis’ farm has grown and evolved, he has also forged meaningful, reciprocal relationships with a variety of community stakeholders who benefit from eating the food, working the land and just being exposed to a city farmer outside the traditional demographic. His network includes an extensive and diverse group of volunteers who come from organizations such as St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment, STL Youth Jobs the Missouri Botanical Garden Outdoor Youth Corps and The Village, all of which provide occupational training to local youth. These connections with local youth are one of the most important aspects of what Lewis does, a way for him to continue the work he started as a teacher and while working at Covenant House, which helps unhoused children.
“It’s about food, but it’s really deeper than food,” Lewis says of his work. “It’s the human connection that I like the most.”
Continued from page 25 with various chiropractors and professional sports teams, including with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committees,” she says. “I saw that athletes with disabilities perform at a very, very high level, which makes it that much more worth trying to provide resources and ensure they are treated at the caliber they deserve.” Humphries-Mascoll holds a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and master’s degree in kinesiology as well as human performance and exercise. In addition, she has a master’s degree in adapted physical education and activity. A licensed paramedic in the state of Texas, her specialty certifications include Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Prehospital Trauma Life Support. She is recognized as an Internationally Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner.
She made the move to St. Louis after being appointed Logan University’s inaugural sports medicine fellow. In this role, she held a variety of clinical and administrative responsibilities, gaining valuable training in middle and upper management. From there, she was promoted to assistant director of Logan’s Human Performance Center, where she oversaw the university’s involvement in adaptive sports, managing all community partnerships in this area. This included oversight of Logan’s chiropractic clinic at St. Louis’ Paraquad Center, an organization that offers a wide range of programs and services in the name of advancing equitable opportunities and independence for people with disabilities. The clinic is currently housed inside Paraquad’s Stephen A. Orthwein Center
Her rise up the administrative ranks at Logan coincided with a shift in Paralympic powerlifting,
whereby the sport’s leaders were calling for a new governing body that could handle its many nuances and complexities. Logan answered the charge, and in doing so, this relatively small St. Louis educational institution came to
In 2005, Garrison Redd was shot and paralyzed. He started his para-powerlifting career in 2018 and competed in his first World Cup in the United Kingdom in 2021.
extension, Humphries-Mascoll became the sport’s most visible advocate. She considers Logan’s relationship with Paralympic powerlifting to be mutually beneficial, and she hopes this win-win arrangement can serve as a model to other health sciences institutions. “Adaptive athletes are some of the most underserved populations out there,” she says. “There are a plethora of ways that your involvement with an adaptive sports program can serve your internal and external communities.”
To this point, she emphasizes the educational value for students. “Our students have access to worldclass athletes who just happen to have disabilities,” she says. “It’s a way for them to enhance their education and understand adaptive sports. It sets them apart.” Highlighting Logan’s example, she encourages leaders of other institutions to have confidence in their ability to gain access to the broader world of adaptive sports, including building relationships with athletes of international caliber.
be the home of an international sport on the rise as well as a catalyst for the overall Paralympic movement. By
One distinct aspect of her job is growing and developing Logan’s regional hub initiative. Launched in 2017, the program equips gyms and other athletic organizations across the country with the necessary education and equipment to train Paralympic powerlifting athletes. These “hubs” can then serve as hosts for smaller, regional competitions, expanding awareness and recruiting new athletes. Logan currently partners with 20 different hubs across the United States, and HumphriesMascoll hopes to expand this number to 24 by the end of the calendar year. The goal, as HumphriesMascoll defines it, is to “create a world where individuals are able to participate in sports in a safe and healthy manner, regardless of whatever their physical capabilities might be, or might be perceived to be.”
By Samantha E. Williams
For Missouri American Water
Local heroes may not wear capes, but at Missouri American Water they wear safety yellow.
Thanks to Tony Richards, director of health and safety, more than 700 employees across the state work safely every day to keep water flowing for one in four Missourians.
He leverages his position at the largest investor-owned water utility in the state to put safety at the center of everything the company does, from operating treatment plants and fixing main breaks to investing $400 million this year to upgrade aging water and wastewater systems across
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started by Janae Harris ’19 (no relation to Jonelle Harris), an alumna who wanted to provide a space for 5th- and 6th-grade students to have deeper conversations about DEI and social justice issues. Janae established the group when she was a 6th grader. “Students are able to talk about topics that they are interested in with facilitation,” Jonelle Harris shared. “It has been such an enriching addition to our programming.”
Reinforcing Community’s Mission & Values Community School’s focus on DEI initiatives reinforces its mission to nurture the gifts of mind, body, and spirit. “DEI
Missouri. “Our leaders understand that being a world-class company means focusing on the safety of our employees so they return home each night in the same condition that they came to work in that morning,” Richards said.
Richards joined the company at a critical point. As the company’s first Director of Health and Safety, he implemented “taproot,” a process that brings employees, union representatives, and supervisors together to prevent future accidents and injuries. Richards is a self-proclaimed “safety guy,” with a B.S. in Occupational Safety and Health and 10 years of experience in manufacturing safety.
Missouri American Water’s employees sometimes work in very challenging conditions,
education is an integral part of teaching the whole child,” Harris said. “One of the things Community is known for,” Cooke added, “is our focus on the individual student and helping students reach their fullest potential in every way – academically, socially, and emotionally. DEI directly speaks to that for all our students.”
Leadership and character building are key to helping students reach their fullest potential, and Students for Change provides a safe space for students to develop leadership skills while exploring topics through a DEI lens. “I’m learning to be a leader by helping others understand these topics and to not be afraid to ask questions,” shared Rylan, a rising 6th-grade student. This learning has informed how students interact with peers and
from heat waves to the bitter cold, to fix emergency water main breaks, install new pipes, and keep reliable water flowing.
Richards has helped the company provide world-class programs and training for its employees to keep them safe as they work under these conditions. “Our safety program has come a long way—now we’re not just looking at physical safety, but mental and emotional safety as well,” said Crystal Grant, Senior Manager of Operations.
under her purview. In an industry without many women or people of color, Grant and Richards are paving the way for future leaders of the water sector.
Samantha E. Williams
In St. Louis County, Grant helps oversee the largest operations in Missouri American Water with 318 employees
their approach to leadership more broadly. “You understand people and the world around you better,” he observed, “and that’s really good for later in life.”
Community’s leadership training starts in its earliest grades, and beginning in senior kindergarten, students can help lead service learning projects by joining Community’s Service Learning Student Council (SLSC). In addition to discussing grade-specific projects, the SLSC is an integral part of the Parent Diversity Group’s (PDG) AllFamily MLK Day of Service. The PDG launched in 2009 and hosts the annual MLK Day of Service along with educational workshops and a Family Bowling Night to build relationships and promote an inclusive environment for families. Cooke highlighted the success of the MLK Day of Service, stating, “When
“There’s something to be said when you see someone that looks like you,” says Grant. “It gives you a bit more motivation that it is possible.” At Missouri American Water, 15% of employees are ethnically and racially diverse and 17% of employees are female.
Grant has also seen the company focus on inclusivity in its succession planning. She began as an intern and moved through the company as a customer
we started the event, we wondered how many people would come out on a holiday weekend. It felt like a big ask. But every year we have dozens of families with children as young as 3. The event reflects the commitment of our students and parents.”
During the 2020-2021 school year, Community School participated in the National Association of Independent Schools’ Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM). The assessment includes an Online Climate Survey, and the school invited all Board of Trustees, employees, parents, 4th through 6th grade students, and young alumni to complete the survey to better
service representative, a trainer for new software, a front-line supervisor, a Human Resource Business Partner, and finally, one of the highest-ranking women of color. She commits the company to an ethos of operating in excellence. Grant recalls how the company started offering a Roth 401k plan after two Field Service Representatives within St. Louis County asked for more retirement plan options. “We are a very responsive company. We’ve not only listened, we’ve taken action,” Grant said.
Grant and Richards are no longer exceptions in the water industry, they now represent a new wave of diverse leaders. Richards, who comes from a family of firefighters, remains committed to keeping people
understand Community’s current climate of inclusivity and set goals for DEI efforts moving forward.
In fall 2021, the Faculty Equity & Justice Committee reviewed feedback from student survey responses and used that to help guide the committee on what topics to cover with faculty.
The School’s Curriculum Council also spent this past year establishing diversity benchmarks and will begin to review lessons being taught at each grade level to ensure they meet these benchmarks. Community will also continue to focus on recruitment and retention.
“We want the student body to reflect the community we live in and our faculty to reflect the student body,” Cooke said. For instance, Community currently has 36% students of color, and
safe and inspiring young people like his boys Tony and Ace. He states that being a father and having a front-row seat to watching them grow “was a life-changing experience.” For young people looking for a career path, Richards encourages them to enter the water industry.
Grant believes the water industry needs to especially focus on connecting better with young girls and people of color to get them interested in the field. “We need to give examples of who we are,” Grant said.
Both Crystal Grant and Tony Richards are setting an example for all future water leaders. They encourage young people to explore what a career in water could mean for them.
students live in 45 different zip codes across the metro area. The percentage of employees and Board of Trustees of color have also increased in recent years, but Cooke remarked that, “We are always looking for candidates with a wide variety of backgrounds and training.” Alumnus Alexander Doty ’19 participated in the AIM process and echoed Cooke’s and Harris’s continued commitment to DEI: “From my first year at Community School,” he summed, “it fostered an inclusive, open-minded community that helped me nurture relationships with everyone…We have not yet achieved perfection, but continual progress is vital for improvement, and that’s what we should aim for.”
By K. Michael Jones
St. Louis American
The
St. Louis-based law firm
Lewis Rice has named Harry Bell III, a first-year law student at University of Missouri School of Law, and Diamond Harris, a first-year law student at Saint Louis University School of Law, as the first recipients of the Larry L. Deskins Scholarship.
The scholarship, which honors Lewis Rice’s late partner Larry L. Deskins, awards $7,500 scholarships to two first-year law students at Washington University, Saint Louis University or University of Missouri law schools who are members of economically disadvantaged or underrepresented groups in the legal profession. Scholarship funds will be awarded to Bell and Harris this fall and can be used for tuition and expenses during their second year of law school.
Savoy Magazine’s
2022 Most Influential
Bell has a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in local government from Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Illinois. He is involved in the Black Law Student Association and Health Law Association at University of Missouri School of Law.
“The Larry L. Deskins Scholarship will assist me in obtaining a legal education, which in turn will provide me with the skills necessary to connect important theoretical concepts to real world scenarios that I will face in my day-to-day work as a practicing attorney,” Bell said. Harris obtained her master’s
degree in criminal justice from Saint Leo University in St. Leo, Florida, and an associate degree in paralegal studies from Roger Williams University in Providence, Rhode Island. At Saint Louis University School of Law, she is a board member of the Honor Council and a member of the Black Student Association and the Women Law Student Association. “Black female lawyers are one of the highly underrepresented minority groups in the legal field,” Harris said. “I believe that with my experience and determination I will be able to forge a way for economically challenged black women and any other underrepresented community that is interested in the legal field.”
ny recently at Lewis Rice’s downtown St. Louis office and will be featured on the firm’s website, social media and other publications. The Larry L. Deskins Scholarship is part of Lewis Rice’s “Next Level” Diversity and Inclusion Programs created to proactively promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal industry. As part of its ongoing commitment, Lewis Rice has launched several “Next Level” programs that include:
Bell and Harris were honored during an award ceremo-
• Lewis Rice Scholarship in Honor of Larry L. Deskins: To honor its late partner Larry L. Deskins, Lewis Rice will award two $7,500 scholarships to first-year law students at Washington University, Saint Louis University or University
of Missouri law schools who are members of economically disadvantaged or underrepresented groups in the legal profession.
• Lewis Rice HarrisStowe State University Internship: Beginning in the summer of 2022, Lewis Rice will offer a paid internship to a qualified Harris-Stowe State University student from an economically or academically disadvantaged group who is interested in a career in law.
• Billable credit for diversity and inclusion hours: To further recognize, incentivize, and reward work that
helps advance Lewis Rice’s proactive commitment to diversity and inclusion, the firm has adopted a policy awarding billable-hours credit to lawyers who engage in activities such as serving on the Diversity and Inclusion (DAI) Committee, a bar association or affinity group dedicated to diversity and inclusion, and participating in activities designed to recruit, mentor, and retain underrepresented attorneys and staff.
“Lewis Rice has always been, and will continue to be, a law firm that values diversity,” said Ronald A. Norwood, Lewis Rice member and Chairman of the firm’s DAI Committee. “Proactively promoting legal diversity remains our mantra and reality, and these important ‘Next Level’ programs further demonstrate that commitment.”
Black Executives in Corporate America was recently released. This listing showcases an elite representation of African-American men and women who have been recognized for their executive and business leadership in national and global-leading corporations.
Gwen Mizell is the chief sustainability and diversity officer for Ameren Corporation, further aligning her leadership, expertise and engagement to oversee and advance the company’s impacts across these interconnected areas. The role is an expansion
of Mizell’s previous duties as the company’s chief sustainability officer, a position she has held since 2021. Mizell was previously vice president of sustainability and innovation.
Mizell joined Ameren in 2015 as
director of diversity and inclusion. Her work aligns with her passion for closing gaps for high school and first-generation college students, providing resources and mentoring to ensure their success. Mizell serves on the board of directors for Gibraltar Industries, the national board of directors of the American Association of Blacks in Energy and the St. Louis County Workforce Investment Board. Mizell holds a master’s degree in management and public policy analysis from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In addition, she completed certificate programs at the Harvard JFK School of Government as well as Georgetown University.
Special to The American (Flashback, December 2021.) Seventeen North St. Louis County high schoolers are seated in a horseshoe in the student center at Florissant Valley Community College, engrossed in a lively financial literacy version of “Jeopardy”. Competition is high among the three teams vying for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place in a test of attention paid and retention earned. They are all members of Cohort Two of Project PAVE, a Millstone Weber STEM education initiative created in 2020 with the partnership of the Missouri Department of Transportation. It is a remarkable group of young people ( 14 – 18 years old) destined for good things ahead. The financial literacy session is one of twelve learning experiences ranging from money management to bridge and highway
construction and the careers available along the way.
By K. Michael Jones
St. Louis American
A U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) initiative to strengthen apprenticeship opportunities in underserved communities has tapped local labor-management leadership as one of its ambassadors. Sylvester Taylor, director of diversity, equity and inclusion for the IBEW/ NECA Electrical Connection partnership, was selected as an Apprenticeship Ambassador by the DOL. Taylor is tasked with sharing his experiences and collaborating with the depart-
(From the Start, September 2020) A MoDOT contract mandate, turned Millstone Weber corporate mindset, Project PAVE has evolved from a quarterly overview to a monthly exploration into the world of civil design, engineering and construction. The first Cohort kicked off in September 2020 with three recruiting sessions targeting North St. Louis County high schools affected by the 4-year $250 million re-build of the I-270 corridor between Lindbergh Boulevard and Rte.
367. Seven North St. Louis County schools were recruited, and more than 30 students signed on to investigate the pathways available to them in highway construction. Twenty-five completed Cohort One. Of our five seniors, three received paid summer internships, three accepted fulltime employment in construction-related industries, two went on to college. One PAVER was offered four scholarships and accepted the John B. Irving four-year scholarship to Washington University –School of Engineering.
(Just a few days ago, July 2022) Our 2021 effort was a mirror-image of recruiting success with just under 30 students signing on for Cohort Two.
Twenty students participated at varying levels and ten celebrated completions of the full program on Saturday, July 23, 2022. Of our five seniors, four garnered paid internships, two accepted full-time employment in the industry and three are going on to college in engineering, construction and sports/injury medicine (on scholarships, no less). The others are underclassmen and destined for equivalent or greater success when they graduate.
The talent pool among our young people is deep, wide and greatly under-appreciated. Many young folks aspire to occupations requiring advanced degrees or settle for those that require little skilled training, unaware of the non-traditional career options available.
Project PAVE provides insight and awareness to bridge these career gaps with four years of focused exposure to heavy highway, transportation and related STEM-driven careers. Our PAVERs learn from the best: STEM partners include our Millstone Weber professionals and our stakeholders and educators at Missouri Department of Transportation, Florissant Valley Community College, Electro Savings Credit Union, the St. Louis Joint Apprenticeship Training Centers, the Associated General Contractors of Missouri, Better Family Life, the North County
CTE high school programs and prominent industry entities dedicated to Project PAVE success.
(In August 2022) Cohort Three recruitment kicks off in August 2022 with rallies featuring radio personality, Meghan O and Company. This time around, with more than enough to go around, we extend our innovative program success into St. Louis City. Our corporate Project PAVE Initiative, partnering with Tony Maltbia and the St. Louis City Public Schools as well as our North County school districts, will ensure the talent pool will continue to expand and grow for years to come. We have the best, reaching, teaching and supporting the best …”Paving the Way and Building for the Future” because it is the right thing to do.
ment to champion registered apprenticeship opportunities in high-demand industries to develop and expand opportunities for people historically underserved.
Established in November 2021, the DOL’s Apprenticeship Ambassador Initiative is a national network of employers, labor organizations, industry associations, program sponsors, educators, workforce intermediaries, minority serving organizations, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders to serve as champions for expand-
ing and diversifying registered apprenticeship.
Taylor is recording secretary for IBEW and for the past 18 years has been the voice of minority workers as the co-founder and current president of IBEW’s Electrical Workers Minority Caucus. He has used that voice to help shape the Electrical Connection’s diversity goals, leveraging the modernization of infrastructure as a recruitment tool in
underserved communities. The Electrical Connection is a partnership of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1 and St. Louis Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). For the last six years, Taylor has served as a mentor for the Missouri Division of Youth Services, providing guidance for those the agency serves and encouraging young
people to consider a career in the trades. Last year, the St. Louis Business Journal named Taylor one of its “Champions for Diversity and Inclusion.”
The business publication noted that Taylor “works to chart a path for more minorities in the electrical industry. When Taylor entered the IBEW/ NECA Electrical Industry Training Program in 1990 as an apprentice, only two women and two African Americans were selected yearly for apprentices. Today, approximately a third of apprentices at the training center are minorities and it
has sustained that number for the past 10 years.”
Along with other ambassadors, Taylor will be fortifying registered apprenticeship programs in high-demand industries such as electrical and communications. This will include strengthening existing apprenticeship programs and hosting outreach and recruitment activities, training session and promotional meetings. Members of the Electrical Connection provide safe and reliable electrical construction, maintenance, repair and replacement services.
Just as Dr. Donald M. Suggs built a bold legacy of championing racial and social justice, a new generation of Maryville University students is establishing their own bold voice and learning what their legacy can be.
The Donald M. Suggs Scholarship at Maryville serves accomplished and involved Black students, covering full tuition and room and board. They take part in Maryville’s Multicultural Scholars Program to examine their own beliefs and learn skills to engage and participate in difficult conversations. These students use their training to become peer educators and develop workshops around social justice, diversity and inclusion for the Maryville Community.
Maryville is honored to stand with Dr. Suggs, the promising Suggs scholars, who are the future of the workforce, and the entire St. Louis African American community.
Learn more about Maryville’s
and
By Dara Taylor
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) has been discussed in one form or another within museums and museum associations for over a decade, but it has only been in recent years that policies and practices have begun to extend beyond just words.
This is what the Missouri Historical Society (MHS) is aiming to do as we commit to a process of listening attentively to one another and leveraging best practices and resources across our organization to help promote a culture of inclusion where individuals from all backgrounds and abilities can be engaged, feel valued, and thrive.
Applying the principles of DEIA to all aspects of museum culture is vital for museums to remain relevant to an increasingly diverse population. Remaining relevant to a diverse population also means not whitewashing history. MHS has long been committed to re-examining history to tell a more complete version of the past.
we know that a significant percentage of the population is eager to hear all aspects of history. We recently explored telling the diversity of history when we provided interpretation of the Thomas Jefferson memorial statue located within the Missouri History Museum, which included Jefferson’s history of slavery.
n Dr. Jody Sowell, new president, and CEO of MHS said that “how the Missouri History Museum handles complex topics is an ongoing discussion… and that is true of all history and wrestling with it and all its contradictions. Its complexity is what makes history so interesting and so important.”
Dr. Jody Sowell, new president, and CEO of MHS said that “how the Missouri History Museum handles complex topics is an ongoing discussion…and that is true of all history and wrestling with it and all its contradictions. Its complexity is what makes history so interesting and so important.”
Although there have been recent heated debates about how history is taught,
What also makes history interesting is hearing the voices and learning the perspectives of all involved. While we are highlighting the voices of various communities through our exhibits and programs more can always be done to center the voices of the most marginalized communities. This can and will be done through more community involvement. We utilize community advisory boards to help us identify community needs for our exhibits and programming. We have an
external accessibility advisory committee which offers advice on how to make our exhibits and programming accessible to all. We welcome people of all abilities to the Missouri Historical Society and strive to have accommodations available to meet guests needs.
Some of the accessibility accommodations we offer are a sensory room, ASL interpretation at programs, Braille label binders, ASL embedded within videos, audio description kiosks, touchable tactile objects and audio description walking tours for those individuals
who are visually impaired. I have served as MHS’s first managing director of DEIA for over a year and a half and have been focused on re-examining our internal culture to ensure that we are living up to our values of community engagement, education, inclusivity and collaboration, stewardship,
and excellence. Through an organization wide engagement survey, we sought to listen to staff. In response to what we received from the survey we are now focused on increased communication and transparency, changing company policies, such as a recent increase in our parental leave policy, pay equity, diversifying our staff and the Board of Directors and retention.
We are also renewing MHS’s emphasis on issues that both staff and external audiences are requesting. In 2023 there will be a renewed emphasis on African American history. The public will see a lot more from MHS’s African American History Initiative (AAHI) through social media series, new exhibits, articles and stories shared by the AAHI public historian in the St. Louis American and on KDHX, as well as AAHI specific programming created by the AAHI community programming coordinator, and an annual African American history fellowship that will be used to diversify the history field as a whole. The AAHI curator is in search of more African American items to add to our collections to have for display in future exhibits.
Our goal is for everyone to be able to find themselves here at the Missouri Historical Society. We want to hear from you on the best way to achieve that. We currently have our vision lab open, an interactive exhibit space where visitors can vote on exhibition topics and content. A leading topic is segregation. Come and share with us your desires for the future of MHS. To learn about our upcoming exhibits, activities and events visit mohistory.org.
For
By Art Holliday News Director of 5 On Your Side
I’ve got good news and bad news. Whether it’s your doctor, mechanic, or tax man, that statement gets your attention. For journalists, it is a daily truth that we bring you the news every day, good and bad. Judging by our critics, there’s way too much of the latter, and not nearly enough of the former.
In the words of comedian Tracy Morgan, “Bad news travels at the speed of light; good news travels like molasses.” As the calendar changes from July to August, the rear-view mirror reflects historic rain and floods, freakishly hot temperatures, divisive politics, rising costs for most of the things we buy, gun violence, and a pandemic that refuses to surrender to medical science. Raise your hand if you could use a double molasses on the rocks.
The news media is frequently the bearer of bad news and we hear you; it can be exhausting, especially after the last two-plus years of Covid. We know we won’t always get credit for the good news stories we present in our newscasts, but it is a daily conversation in our daily editorial meetings to provide balance to the parade of negative news stories.
n 5 On Your Side has made it a priority to improve our customer service, so we want to make it easy for the community to contact us.
Several of our news franchises intentionally present good news stories from all over the region.
Mike Bush’s “Making A Difference” every Sunday night at 10 p.m., Rene Knott’s “My Lou” on Today in St. Louis, and Justina Coronel’s “A Way Forward” all shine a spotlight on the good people doing good work in our region; the good news that balances the bad.
One of the ways 5 On Your Side gathers news is the same way police solve crimes: people provide quality tips. We gather news in a variety of ways, but one of the most important is the old school tip from someone who knows something or someone 5 On Your Side doesn’t know yet.
That’s why I’m sharing this email address: tips@ksdk.com
5 On Your Side has made it a priority to improve our customer service, so we want to make it easy for the community to contact us. Our newsroom can’t know everything. Hearing from the audience is one of the ways we find out what’s affecting people in the community where you live or learn about an individual or organization making a positive difference.
5 On Your Side’s commitment is to ask the tough questions. Viewers have spoken. They want answers, solutions, and reporting that provides context. Our news customers want us to go beyond the obvious and dig deeper. With viewers communicating their big problems, we can begin to get solutions. Specifically, KSDK reporter Holden Kurwicki has been designated to respond to viewer-generated news tips and story pitches and his reporting continues to get real results. Some of your story tips will go straight to Holden to investigate.
Hold us accountable. Tell us about stories you think deserve 5 On Your Side’s attention. Send us a tip. In KSDK’s 75th year, good news doesn’t have to travel like molasses.
By BioSTL
BioSTL, now entering its third decade, has served as the innovation hub and bioscience-sector backbone to leverage our region’s immense concentration of world-class scientists, healthcare institutions, and corporate and academic research and development activity across plant and life sciences to grow the region’s economy. BioSTL envisions a St. Louis region where economic opportunity from bioscience and innovation helps close health and economic outcome gaps in the region and the world.
The opportunity to thrive for every student, employee, and entrepreneur should not be determined by their race, gender, place of birth, or any other demographic characteristic.
To accomplish this vision will take systems-level changes –both within our own house and beyond to our partner organizations dedicated to seeing more people, especially of color, succeed in bioscience and innovation. This vision cannot be achieved with programs alone.
“We at BioSTL will continue to increase our own learning and more deeply engage communities in shaping and delivering our work,” said Donn Rubin, President and CEO of BioSTL. “We strive to be intentional about building equity into our work and that of St. Louis’ innovation ecosystem. We are increasing our programs that support and invest in minority entrepreneurs, leveraging new relationships and partnerships. We are focused on measurable outcomes and impact, not just activities, in building toward a wholly inclusive innovation economy in St. Louis.”
With guidance from Forward Through Ferguson, the Starkloff Disability Institute, and other diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility partners, BioSTL alongside innovation and private sector leaders are charting a path toward an inclusive and equita-
ble innovation ecosystem. This journey requires building the capacity of our organization, partners, and region to deliver equitable impact. Our work will continue to focus on supporting diverse entrepreneurial and STEM talent to drive innovation. Our commitment is to leverage innovation to address disparities.
Building a wholly-inclusive innovation ecosystem requires internal, capacity-building.
Internally, BioSTL has advanced our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitment and capacity over the past year, activating a strategy to apply a DEI lens to all of our work, and providing awareness-building, training, and engagement with staff and external partners. BioSTL has monthly, company-wide trainings around diversity, equity, and inclusion and has expanded our targeted recruitment of diverse pools of talent to fill open positions. BioSTL also tapped Forward Through Ferguson to provide a systems-level change primer workshop and follow-up trainings for the BioSTL Coalition, which is comprised of more than 50 top academic, civic, philanthropic, and scientific leaders, to improve learning and guide regional leaders through candid discussion on the strategies needed for systemic advocacy of Racial Equity.
Supporting diverse entrepreneurial and STEM talent drives innovation.
Inclusive and diverse companies are more innovative. We have continued to work with our partners in ways that center the needs of diverse entrepreneurial and STEM talent. This has included strengthening our STEM education community by leveraging STEMSTL’s Racial Equity Impact Assessment to assess the impact of our region’s STEM education work in ways that reduce racial disparities. We also launched the region’s
Bioscience Industry-Workforce Collaborative to facilitate partnerships between academic institutions, community organizations, the public workforce system, and employers across the industry to ensure equitable and inclusive workforce development for the bioscience sector. Further, we partnered with Harris-Stowe State University to grow its STEM education and workforce programs and launch the MECCA Center for entrepreneurship education and training.
To build community and support for minorities in the startup and small business community, BioSTL partnered with the Center for Emerging Technologies (CET) and Cortex to lead VOICES, the St. Louis region’s Inclusive Entrepreneurship Affinity Group. This is in addition to the work of our startup arm, BioGenerator, in providing one-to-one counseling and coaching entrepreneurs of diverse backgrounds and funding to help companies overcome their technical and business hurdles from expert mentorship to critical lab space to further research and development.
“Rebundle participated in a pilot of BioGenerator’s Inclusive Entrepreneurship Development Program and received strategic input on ways to strengthen our business – from expanding the expertise of the team to developing intellectual property strategies,” said Ciara Imana May, founder of Rebundle.
To date, BioSTL and BioGenerator have reached nearly 2,000 individuals with $53 million raised by Inclusion participants and more than 400 diverse future founders trained.
BioSTL began this work in 2008, with a goal to increase diversity in bioscience, and continues to be a leader in this work. We all must be open and willing to embrace racial equity change – creating an ecosystem where all have the opportunity to learn, innovate, and generate wealth.
Our diverse workforce inspires, builds and delivers business results from idea to outcome.
• A special publication of the St. Louis American newspaper •
18 – 24, 2022
Exclusively for
The St. Louis American
Carpenter-turned-
entrepreneur Cordell Sawyer is growing his 12-year-old general contracting company, Sledroc Construction Company, by taking advantage of an offer from McCarthy Building Companies to train and mentor
Michael Parks, Sledroc’s first full-time project engineer.
In addition, McCarthy selected Sledroc to serve as general contractor for the construction of new tennis courts as part of BJC’s Campus Renewal Project, a longterm vision to transform the Washington University Medical Campus (WUMC) through new construction and renovations at BarnesJewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Both companies also are working side-by-side building the new 16-story inpatient hos-
n Sawyer says the support and commitment from McCarthy is making a huge difference in helping him develop and implement a plan to create systems and processes that can be used and replicated to grow and expand services to meet the needs of his company and clients.
pital tower at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, which will complete the medical campus’ skyline along Kingshighway. Sawyer says the support and commitment from McCarthy is making a huge difference in helping him develop and implement a plan to create systems and processes that can be used and replicated to grow and expand services to meet the needs of his company and clients. A uniontrained journeyman carpenter, Sawyer earned his associate degree in Applied Science and Skilled Trades Industrial Apprentice Training in Carpentry from St. Louis Community College, the first person to graduate with that degree from the college. He started Sledroc in August 2010 as a commercial construction company working on a variety of prominent construction
See McCARTHY, page 51
By Cigna
At Cigna, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is embedded in everything we do. Below, we take a look at some of our key focus areas for fostering a more diverse, equitable and inclusive business culture and building healthier communities for those we serve.
In 2020, Cigna launched the Building Equity and Equality Program, a fiveyear initiative to expand and accelerate our efforts to support historically underrepresented communities.
As a core part of this initiative, our talent acquisition team partners with and participates in a number of organizations and initiatives – including targeted colleges and universities, professional conferences, minority-based groups, and job fairs. The goal: To find and help nurture the best and brightest talent – regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, veteran status, sexuality, or gender identity.
Cigna’s 11 Enterprise Resource Groups (ERGs) also help foster an inclusive environment for a wide range of employees. They help to encourage and empower employees to bring their whole self to work and help educate the business on the unique skills that our diverse communities have to offer.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, we believe creating
a meaningful career experience where our employees can be their authentic selves in order to grow, thrive and contribute is more important now than ever. That’s why we’re focusing on equitable practices across our company to increase diversity at all levels and foster an inclusive culture for everyone.”
-Susan Stith, VP, DEI, Charitable Giving, and President of Cigna Foundation
Supplier Diversity
Cigna has also committed to spending $1 billion annually with diverse suppliers by 2025. And with approximately $764 million spent with diverse suppliers in 2021, we’re on track to reach this commitment. This spending goes beyond the companies and partners we work with, providing a direct economic benefit to local communities. Based on external benchmarks, we estimate that our diverse spending will have a 2.6 multiplier impact in the communities where diverse suppliers live and work.
Leadership Accountability
In 2021, Cigna launched an Enterprise DEI Council, which is made up of two core committees, leadership accountability and health equity. The leadership accountability committee is tasked with driving strategic accountability for results and ensuring shared leadership accountability for behaviors and actions that facilitate belonging, innovation, and equity.
Here are some of the leadership accountability committee’s key successes in 2021:
• Achieved 96% diverse slates for external requisitions of senior-level individual contributor and above roles, which yielded 70% diverse hires (women, ethnic minorities, or both).
• Increased representation of women and ethnic minorities, including interns and full-time employees, in early career leadership development programs.
• Increased DEI representation of women and ethnic minorities as we progress toward 2024 goals.
Community Impact
Cigna’s charitable giving team actively works with leaders in local markets, our ERGs, and interested employees to identify and pursue opportunities where our company can make a difference in the communities we serve.
Some 2021 highlights include:
• Awarded more than $12.5 million across 142 grants to nonprofits in support of health and well-being; education and workforce development; community and social issues; military, veterans, and first responders; and global or trending causes.
• Awarded nearly $5 million to address food insecurity and mental health programming for children as part of the Healthier Kids for Our Future program.
• Launched Cigna
Foundation Fellows to incorporate graduate student resources into the Foundation and into Washington University in St. Louis’ Evaluation Center teams.
Human Capital Diversity Metrics
Cigna aspires to reach gender parity in our leadership pipeline by increasing the representation of women at our director and senior director levels to 50% by 2024. In 2021, we continued to further this commitment as part of our DEI strategy, which included being the first U.S.-based company in our industry to join the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles, designed to empower women in the workplace, the marketplace, and the community.
We realize that women may face different challenges than their male counterparts. To ensure that women feel supported throughout their career, Cigna has a number of programs and strategic initiatives that focus on developing, mentoring, coaching, and advancing women.
Cigna also offers womenfriendly well-being and benefits programs. For example, our Cigna Moms program provides new moms with a wide range of benefits – from breastfeeding support, resources, and supplies to flexible work-schedule arrangements.
To learn more about Cigna’s DEI efforts at Cigna. com/DEI.
“Drawn In,” an exciting new multi-media initiative for kids, is a series of epic adventure stories following the exploits of four Midwest kids who unabashedly love comic books. Sometimes characters escape from the comics and wreak havoc on their hometown of Midland City, which looks a lot like St. Louis. In each story, the “Drawn In” kids use literacy skills to problem-solve and make things right again.
Featuring a fully BIPOC leading cast, “Drawn In” aims to close the literacy gap and positively represent Black and brown children in our community. Produced by the award-winning teams at Nine PBS and Lion Forge Animation, the ongoing series will feature animated shorts, comic books, a website with educational games, and literacy workshops for families. The lead characters reflect the lived experiences of many children in our St. Louis region.
“Comics were my gateway to becoming an avid reader as a kid. After falling in love with comics, I began to love any book that interested me. Another issue I noticed was that there weren’t many characters who looked like me, or many people of color who were presented as comic or animation fans. In “Drawn In”, both are addressed. In addition to fulfilling items on my childhood wish list, “Drawn In” has the potential to encourage more children, especially those who are most vulnerable, to become voracious readers. I couldn’t be more proud of it.”, shared Carl Reed, Executive Producer of “Drawn In” and Co-founder of Lion Forge Animation. Starting in St. Louis, with aspirations for national dis-
tribution, Nine PBS and Lion Forge want to put the spotlight on the Midwest with this initiative. The fictitious “Midland City” should feel like home to our local readers and viewers. Most of the actors and creative team call St. Louis home, bringing a Midwest authenticity to the project.
Sheril Gordon is the parent of Ricco Martin who voices the character of Tyler for “Drawn In”. She shared, “Watching my son Ricco in the studio for the very first time ever in his life, brought me to tears (happy tears of course). It was like he belonged there, and the oppor-
tunity had been waiting for him with open arms... Having Ricco be part of this project gives hope for every kid like him to look forward to something positive and entertaining. To go out in the world and simply be the best version of yourself no matter the odds. The “Drawn In” show demonstrates the strength of friendship, not to be afraid to dream and explore, and lastly to never give up on yourself.”
The initiative is special in that it was created with deep input from the local community. Teachers, parents, kids, and educational consultants
The Saint Louis Science Center welcomes curious minds from all backgrounds to explore new ideas and make discoveries together.
were among the advisors who helped shape every aspect of “Drawn In.” The creative team deeply listen to the community advisors before any content is written, drawn, or produced. The community input is reflected from the rich midwestern city landscapes to the personalities, talents, style, and even the voices of each character. Black and brown early learners will see themselves represented in every story from “Drawn In” - through the diverse ethnicities of the characters, their socio-economic circumstances, and life experiences. Like all things created for
PBS stations, “Drawn In” promises to entertain while educating by rooting the series in a literacy curriculum developed to improve reading and vocabulary among 6- to 8-year olds. The initiative takes a multi-generational approach by offering family learning events and resources that encourage co-viewing and ways to integrate fun early learning literacy activities into everyday life.
“Drawn In” is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis with additional support for the associat-
ed community engagement from the Steward Family Foundation and from Joseph and Sandra Lehrer in memory of Ted Koplar.
The first issue of the “Drawn In” comic books will soon be available in print and digital form. The St. Louis American will distribute a new issue each month through November. Look for it on newsstands next week. The animated shorts will be available online at drawnin.org and on Nine PBS later this fall. Learn more and join the adventures at drawnin.org.
Courtesy of Nine PBS
By Steve Walentik UMSL Daily
Stefani Weeden-Smith has had to practice patience since taking over as the inaugural director of the St. Louis Anchor Action Network
The alliance of higher education institutions, hospital systems, corporations and nonprofits, being led by the University of Missouri–St. Louis and Edward Jones, has a shared commitment to advancing racial equity and removing barriers to economic opportunity so that everyone in the region has a chance to thrive.
It’s working to use the collective power of its members to increase hiring and procurement opportunities for people and businesses in 22 ZIP codes of St. Louis city and St. Louis County that have faced decades of disinvestment.
But change rarely happens overnight, particularly when it involves moving large organizations with thousands of employees and almost as many commitments and initiatives.
“On any given day, what’s the hardest is that change is slow,” Weeden-Smith said, “because even though I’d like to move things faster, we can’t because we are still building the foundation.”
One example would be the requirement of a four-year degree in job listings. There’s greater understanding that the duties performed in many of these positions do not actually require a four-year degree, and requiring one could prevent an organization from assembling a more diverse applicant pool.
But Weeden-Smith, who works as part of UMSL’s Office of Research and Economic and Community Development, might be even more optimistic about what is possible. She notes that a go-italone attitude has prevailed for too long in the St. Louis region, and attempts at change have tended to be one-off measures with limited impact. She was recently in a meeting with representatives of the members discussing their individual approaches to business procurement.
“One of the members remarked, ‘This is kind of amazing,’” Weeden-Smith said. “He’s like, ‘In my 30 years of doing supplier diversity, I’ve never really seen these types of organizations try and come together in the way that we are. Can you imagine if we really could scale that impact? If we collectively move in the same direction? Imagine the impact we could make in this city.’
”It was really interesting to hear. We’re in a place that, yes, it’s messy, but people are seeing the potential, and it’s not just words. It really will happen when we all come together.”
Almost 10 months into her new role, Weeden believes she has a clearer understanding of what needs to happen to make progress toward creating a more equitable region. “I see the whole picture now,” she said. “I can see where some of the places of tension are and how we ease that tension. I also see the connections that we need to make more clearly, including what the barriers are and what the ways we will need to change. Some of the systems that we’ve created in the past no longer serve us, so we’re trying to ask, how do you break out of some of those systems and try new things?”
Weeden-Smith, who was selected to take part in this year’s Leadership St. Louis class, is key to helping all of the members align their work. “We are so pleased to have Stefani leading the St. Louis Anchor Action Network,” Chancellor Kristin Sobolik said. “She understands the region and its challenges and opportunities, and she’s worked collaboratively to bring people and large institutions together to understand and see the bigger picture of human and societal impact. She also is focused on details like aligning data collection and metrics. Stefani is pragmatic yet optimistic and hopeful, and she brings that attitude and those skills to her work every day.”
“Our region benefits from strong coalitions like the St. Louis Anchor Action Network,” said Penny Pennington, managing partner at Edward Jones. “In her short tenure as director, Stefani has proven her ability to lift up voices and foster strong collaboration within our network and our community to build a better future together. We are fortunate to have her in this leadership role and are confident that Stefani will continue to advance the mission of the Network to create a more equitable region where everyone in St. Louis can thrive.” WeedenSmith believes strongly in that goal.
A lifelong St. Louisan raised in Ferguson, she’s seen the inequities that
Stefani WeedenSmith was hired in September to serve as the inaugural director of the St. Louis Anchor Action Network. The Network, led by the University of Missouri–St. Louis and Edward Jones, brings together higher education institutions, hospital systems, corporations and nonprofits with a shared commitment to advancing racial equity and removing barriers to economic opportunity.
me,” said Weeden-Smith, who today makes her home in the Tower Grove East neighborhood. “A lot of these communities have been forgotten or people have walked away, and I still believe there are a lot of possibilities that we’ve left behind. I am really excited about putting more energy and investment in communities and people and seeing what can come out of it.”
A big part of the past 10 months has been facilitating discussions between representatives of the community so they can learn from each other’s experiences. Last month, she also organized an executive learning experience in the historic Ville neighborhood so that members could better understand the needs of the people living in the community. The event featured a walking tour of some of the historic buildings located near Sumner High School and a panel discussion with some community leaders.
exist throughout the region. Her own father worked as a machinist at McDonnell Douglas Corporation but eventually landed a whitecollar position in sales and was able to build a middle-class life for his family. She also knows the wealth he built did not grow at the same rate as it might have in other parts of the region. The Ferguson-Florissant School District that helped educate her and prepare her for college at Rockhurst University, where she earned BSBA in marketing, has seen its academic reputation erode over the past 20 years, partly a result of white flight and the declining tax base it left behind.
“This is very personal to
To elicit buy-in, WeedenSmith has learned to focus on the pragmatic. “I used to think, ‘Oh, people should care about everyone that lives in St. Louis,’” she said. “That was my background in social services. But the fact is, it’s just better business. Do we really want the story of St. Louis to be that we are the highest in crime and one of the most segregated cities in the country? I know that we can be more than that. What is fueling me is that the more I see and talk with our community members and local businesses, I don’t buy it. We are more than this. We continue to leave real economic drivers on the table, and if we can figure that out, there’s a lot of potential for us.”
By Rodney Thomas Senior Veterinary Consultant Purina
For so many children, particularly Black and brown kids, our own future in education and professional life is shaped by what, and who, we see around us. Our career choices are influenced by the idea that ‘if you can see it, you can be it,’ which makes representation so critical in professional and leadership positions.
Like so many professions, representation of the Black community in veterinary medicine is painfully low. In fact, less than 2% of veterinarians in the U.S. are Black. As part of a company that employs and works with veterinarians every day, this unfortunate reality has led to an incredible opportunity to drive change and pave a path for more diversity in vet medicine, starting in Purina’s (and my) hometown of St. Louis.
As part of a group dedicated to making a positive impact both internally and in the pet care industry when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we saw an opportunity to dig deeper into the disparity between Black veterinarians vs other ethnicities. The more we researched, the more obvious it became that the lack of diversity in vet medicine is due to lack of opportunity, not necessarily lack of interest.
It is estimated that only 17 of 100+ HBCUs have pre-vet or a related undergraduate major offered to students. Simply put, there aren’t enough programs available to help create a viable pipeline for students of color who may be interested in vet med, so
they may pursue other areas instead.
We quickly realized that building a diverse veterinarian pipeline will require interventions earlier than vet school to introduce and encourage students of color to pursue careers in the pet care field. We also realized that Purina is uniquely positioned to change that Through resources and relationships with HBCUs and vet schools across the U.S.,
starting in our own backyard, Purina can be a beacon for diversity in veterinary medicine.
I’m proud to share that the Purina Scholars Program will kick off its inaugural year this Fall through a partnership with Harris Stowe State University in St. Louis and University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. Purina is sponsoring and covering all costs for three Harris Stowe students to take
advantage of Mizzou’s online pre-vet certification program while still enrolled at HSSU.
Upon completion, our hope is that these students will then apply to veterinary school and help change the face of veterinary medicine while showing the value of partnerships between educational institutions.
“We have a lot to learn and a long way to go to reach our goal of creating a
veterinary student population that accurately reflects the population of the state of Missouri,” said Laurie LM Wallace, DVM, MVSc, DACVIM, director University of Missouri Veterinary Online and Undergraduate Programs.
“Faculty, staff and students at the College of Veterinary Medicine look forward to learning from the students and faculty at Harris Stowe.” Purina has a multi-year
commitment to the Purina Scholars Program, which invites Harris-Stowe students majoring in biology or similar program with interest and/ or desire to go to vet school to apply to become Purina Scholars. Each year, during sophomore and junior year, three (3) students will be chosen to complete a 16 hour Mizzou online Pre-Vet certification while still enrolled at HSSU with Purina covering all costs. Students will become part of Purina Scholars Cohort that will foster support and networking in the veterinary field.
“As neighbors and stewards of the community, we are excited to see Purina’s commitment to racial equity in veterinary medicine.” Benjale Bailey, Ed.D., executive director, TRIO Programs at Harris-Stowe State University.
“The Purina Scholars program has exponential potential to increase representation of Black students pursuing veterinary medicine.” We will announce the names of the first cohort of Purina Scholars Program soon and look forward to learning from and expanding this program in the years to come to ensure that more Black students can have the opportunity to see and be veterinarians in the future.
“Our partnerships enable us to further amplify Purina’s DE&I efforts in the community at large and we are excited to see how this relationship will continue to unfold. Together we move forward, we make change possible,” said Dawn Higgins, director diversity, equity and inclusion.
By Menra Mapfumo
The Atlanta Voice
On July 26 in New York, after years of anticipation and fundraising, the founder of the Jackie Robinson Foundation and the wife of the late Jackie Robinson, Rachel Robinson, opened the Jackie Robinson Museum.
The museum will educate visitors by showcasing the life, legacy, and accomplishments of Jackie and Rachel Robinson, and not just their role in transforming America’s pastime, but their social justice activism.
The museum is one of a kind as it is the only Civil Rights museum in New York City. At 100 years old, Rachel Robinson was able to attend and cut the ribbon in front of a crowd of several hundred which included her two remaining children, Sharon and David Robinson, and many of her grandchildren.
Jackie Robinson Foundation CEO Della Britton described what she wants young people to get out of the museum. “We want them to become knowledgeable about Jackie Robinson and Rachel Robinson and their legacy. We want them to be inspired by that. We want them to learn from the challenges Jackie had, from strategies he had for how to create change.”
She continued, “He spent his entire life working to close the achievement gap to get a level playing field. So, we want them to learn the story and then we want them to be
inspired to continue the work, and to create a society that is more just.”
Former United States Attorney General Eric Holder shared how Jackie Robinson inspired him while growing up in New York City. “Jackie Robinson was a hero of mine. Jackie Robinson was the key to my interest in the Brooklyn Dodgers. The first team to integrate. You could not be a young Black man in New York without rooting for the Dodgers. To see this museum, it is the culmination of recognition that I think he deserved. I think this is not only a testament to the past, it is also a call to people to be engaged in the future in the way that Jackie and Rachel want.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed how he felt about the impact Jackie Robinson had on his life. “Just the belief that because something seems impossible, it is possible. We cannot always find the safest pathway. He just inspired me.”
Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark and Vice President of the MLB Players Alliance C.C. Sabathia, gave their opinions on what needs to be done to get more African Americans back on the playing field, and as managers and owners.
Clark said, “There is a long answer and a lot of moving pieces. As it relates to ownership, as it relates to management, those are decisions that ownership and management are going to have to make. We are hopeful that at some point
in time the light will indeed come on and the folks that are making decisions on that side of the equation will appreciate the value of a more diverse ownership group and a more diverse management group.”
Sabathia added, “That is a
big issue. That is [The Players Alliance’s] big mission, to get kids back playing. When I was playing I thought the kids were not playing baseball, but that is not true. Kids are playing baseball at a high clip, especially in our community. We just got to
give them more opportunities.”
Sabathia shined a light on Major League Baseball’s development programs like the Hank Aaron Invitational and Elite Development Invitational.
Sabathia mentioned some of the players drafted this year that came up through those programs. He said, “It is just about making [the programs] bigger and expanding and doing a better job of identifying those kids that want to play baseball.”
New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman, an admitted Brooklyn Dodgers fan while growing up in Rockville Center, also spoke about what the opening of the museum meant to him. “The Yankees were there for the beginning and we have stepped up. [Former Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner] had a great relationship with Rachel Robinson. It means everything.”
On Robinson, Cashman said, “He was a game changer. We celebrate his life, his impact, and obviously a lot more work to be done. He is a pillar of hope and strength for so many. To remind us of where we were, but also where we need to keep going. It is a pleasure to be here for the opening. It is my trade deadline, but when it is Jackie Robinson you stop everything and come.”
Director Spike Lee and author Howard Bryant talked about what most impressed them about the museum and what the opening meant to them.
“This is something that the queen Rachel Robinson wanted for her husband and herself,” Lee said. “This is a place where this should be one of the top museums, not just in New York City, not just in Washington D.C., but the United States of America. You cannot underestimate the significance, the importance, of Jackie Robinson. April 14, 1947, is a delineation, the day Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, and it is one of the greatest days in the history of this country.”
“That is what it means,” Lee added.
“It means more than I can say,” Bryant said. “The thing that means most to me is that Rachel is here to see it. To be able to see a vision come through. She’s wanted this for more than 20 years and to be able to see it with your own two eyes, it brings you to tears. It is really special.” Howard commended the collective effort it took to bring the museum project to life. “The number of people who were committed to making this happen, it tells you how important this is and it tells you how when you are really committed to something worthwhile see it through, “ Bryant said. “You fight for it. You make sure that everybody else around you builds you up. This is a testament to Jackie’s commitment, Rachel’s commitment, to the commitment of everybody who wanted to see this happen, and now it is here.”
and University
—
Dr. Fred P. Pestello, President of Saint
PepsiCo is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its Supplier Diversity Program, where it currently spends more than $1 billion annually with certified, diverse suppliers, including Women, Black, Hispanic, Asian, LGBTQ+, Native American, Individuals with Disabilities, and U.S. Veterans. The anniversary commemorates a tremendous milestone for the company, from an initial total of $5 million in 1982 to nearly $30 billion spent over the past 40 years across PepsiCo›s entire value chain. The company is also committing to expanding its base and increasing overall spend through new forums, mentorship, partnerships and resources, including increased support around the supplier certification process to help businesses grow and sustain their economic impact for years to come.
“As one of the leading convenient food and beverage companies in the U.S., we have a responsibility to leverage our size and reach to help address the systemic barriers that too often limit or exclude diverse suppliers from developing and expanding their businesses,” said Melani Wilson Smith, PepsiCo’s Global Chief Procurement Officer.
“We’ve been on this journey for decades and we are committed to growing with our diverse suppliers and procuring new ones. Working with diverse-owned businesses is one of the more important ways we can help build a more inclusive supply chain which, in turn, strengthens the communities where we operate and
yields greater value for our consumers and customers.”
Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) are staples in the American economy, generating more than $400 billion in economic output annually and resulting in the creation and/or preservation of 2.2 million jobs, according to the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council
Increasing spend with Black and Hispanic Suppliers
Building on the overall growth of its Supplier Diversity Program, in 2020, PepsiCo doubled-down
on its support for Black and Hispanic suppliers as part of its Racial Equality Journey , a more than $570 million investment in a set of commitments over five years to increase representation within its workforce, leverage its scale and influence across suppliers and strategic partners, and help drive longterm change by addressing systemic barriers to economic opportunity and advancing economic empowerment for Black and Hispanic Americans.
As part of this journey, in 2021, PepsiCo spent nearly $500 million with Black and Hispanic suppliers, including adding more
SLDC is the independent economic development agency serving the City of St. Louis.
than 10 Black-owned and Hispanic-owned marketing agencies to its roster, which has resulted in leveraging an award-winning Black woman-owned agency for the rebrand strategy of the Pearl Milling Company and the development of the P.E.A.R.L. (Prosperity, Empowerment, Access, Representation, Leadership) Pledge which provides grants to non-profit organizations working to empower Black women and girls across the country; and an awardwinning Hispanic womenowned agency to launch ‹ Juntos Crecemos ’, a multifaceted platform to support small Hispanic-owned
PepsiCo is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its Supplier Diversity Program, where it currently spends more than $1 billion annually with certified, diverse suppliers, including Women, Black, Hispanic, Asian, LGBTQ+, Native American, Individuals with Disabilities, and U.S. Veterans.
businesses. Additionally, through its diverse-owned media days, it has increased its spend with Black and Hispanic media companies by more than 50% of its 2020 spend.
Removing barriers to economic advancement
PepsiCo has also hired Pink Patch Group , a Black-woman-owned certification consultancy, to help with the diverse supplier certification process and remove barriers to economic advancement. A recent MIT study revealed that the onerous certification process taxes the very
companies that supplier diversity programs seek to help. In fact, only about 1% of diverse companies achieve certification despite meeting the required criteria. PepsiCo has since assisted several companies with the process, including Webber Marketing & Consultancy, LLC and Extrategic Culture , a culture-first social experience agency. Through existing partnerships with organizations such as the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and the National Black Growers Council (NBGC), PepsiCo has also advanced its efforts to create opportunities for these diverse businesses, deepen their relationships and identify potential new partners. The company has nearly doubled its spend among Black growers within the agriculture segment and continues to mentor growers on expanding their acreage and capacity available to purchase.
“As farmers in underserved communities, we typically find ourselves isolated and concentrated,” said P.J. Haynie, a fifth-generation farmer from Virginia and board chairman of the NBGC. «Having relationships and mentors, and knowing you can call another grower to share information that will help your operation – whether they›re 100 or 1,000 miles away – is a priceless tool in our toolbox. Companies like PepsiCo understand that.
action from everyone.”
By Bayer
The team at Bayer is working every day to achieve our vision of Health for All, Hunger for None, and inclusion, diversity, equity and access (IDEA) are core parts of the culture that drive us toward bringing that vision to life. We’re making incredible leaps in advancing health and agriculture to support access and create equity so that everyone can lead longer, healthier lives. While we’re making progress, there are industry-specific challenges to overcome.
The National Science Board reports that the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce is 89 percent white and 72 percent male. Simply put, these numbers do not reflect the diversity of our country.
We know there is vast power in creating diverse environments that ensure many identities are represented with seats at each and every table. This process is complex but also necessary, as it fuels business success and better innovation, as well as a more equitable society.
Our very future depends on fostering inclusion and equity within STEM fields.
Tomorrow starts with investing in youth today and highlighting the breadth of opportunities available.
“We have to go out to groups and talk about diverse functions needed within our industries,” adds Stokley. “You don’t have to be a scientist.
One area where we see this gap is in the agriculture industry. According to AgAmerica, the average age of American farm operators is 59 years, and as more of these farmers reach retirement age, there are fewer people waiting to fill their shoes. Farmers under the age of 35 account for only 9 percent of the total farmer population, and there are many misconceptions and challenges about the industry that create barriers to entry for young people, especially for women, LGBT+ individuals and people of color. “We have a diversity problem in agriculture,” acknowledges Cynthia Stokley, VP of Quality North America at Bayer. “We’re making strides, but it’s going to take
You don’t have to be a researcher. But you can help us by joining the industry in your area of expertise, because you’re needed there as well.”
And there is a plethora of such opportunities at Bayer. Here we take a multi-faceted approach to our IDEA strategy by looking within and reflecting on the changes we want to see in the broader world by advancing a culture of inclusion and diversity internally. We embrace and encourage our employees’ unique identities and believe that our people are our most valuable assets. Further, we’ve explicitly built inclusion into our values, accountabilities and metrics for success.
At the global level, we have committed to addressing any gender representation for all management levels below the
n Bayer works to foster inclusion, diversity, equity and access through its internal practices as well as the Bayer Fund and its many community partnerships.
Board of Management by the end of 2030, and we’re proud of the progress we’re making toward that goal.
be more responsive, innovative and in tune with the needs of our customers. We are also expanding our Consumer Health distributor network beyond chain stores to include different access points like low-price stores, bodegas and convenience stores.
We’re also a proud partner of the CDC Foundation’s Million Hearts campaign to help Black Americans reduce heart health risks.
We’ve built local and global networks to support employees and foster inclusion through our Business Resource Groups, including BayAfro (for African descendants), BLEND (for LGBT+ individuals and allies), Enable (for people with diverse abilities), GROW (advocating for women’s advancement) and more.
Our Supplier Inclusion and Diversity Program showcases its commitment to the economic growth and advancement of underrepresented communities while allowing us to tap into small and diverse businesses that have the potential to strengthen our supply chain,
We’re leveraging the power of science to advance societal progress with the Bayer Foundation. The Foundation includes a series of programs that recognize scientific achievements with awards, supports research with fellowships and funds, provides support programs for advancing STEM education, supports entrepreneurship, and works with global partners to curate meaningful collaborations. Recognizing the importance of showing young people that they have a place in STEM, we partner with several organizations including FFA and 4-H to connect directly with youth and showcase traditional and unexpected career paths to create opportunities, sustain the industry and shape the future, while intentionally embedding inclusion and diversity every step of the way.
Our philanthropic arm –Bayer Fund – reaches underserved communities, addressing food insecurity, creating access to STEM education, and contributing to overall health, wellness and development. In 2021 alone, the Bayer Fund awarded $3.5 million in grants to 175 charities and non-profit organizations throughout the United States. Bayer has been recognized for this collective work with several awards including the BeyondGenderAgenda Award (awarded to Werner Baumann, CEO of Bayer Ag); the Employer PRIDE Champion Gold Seal in 2021; Named a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion by Disability Equality Index 2019 – 2022; Earned a 100 on Human Rights Campaign Equality Index (2017 –2022) and inclusion in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index in 2022 for the 3rd consecutive year.
We’ve accomplished a lot, but there’s still so
From right to left: Marcia Sullivan, Business Solutions Executive; Laraine Davis, Vice President Community and Government Relations, Donor and Alumni Relations; Scott Chadwick, Chief of Corporate Partnership Acquisitions; Tammy Gocial, Dean, John E Simon School of Business; and Neal Richardson, Chairman & Executive Director at St. Louis Development Corporation
Special to The American
The SLDC Board of Directors are officially moving forward with Maryville University of St. Louis to develop and provide educational modules to support local small businesses and Minorityor Women-Owned Business Enterprises.
Maryville has launched its MaryvilleWORKS platform, which will equip SLDC with about 20+ educational modules developed by Maryville’s faculty, staff, and outside resources. Topics will resonate with both St. Louis and minority/women owned businesses, offering certificates in areas like business strategy, accounting, finance, technology, legal, contracts and more. Most modules take about two to three hours to complete and are stacked into mini-courses of about 5-15 minutes each. SLDC will promote and allow access to the modules for local businesses through the Northside Economic Empowerment Center, and
asynchronously through any web-based platform.
“Workforce development and promoting [minority and women owned] businesses in the City of St. Louis is a critically important aspect of SLDC’s mission,” said SLDC’s director of strategic workforce & business inclusion, Stacey Fowler. “We are really excited about this partnership with Maryville University. It complements the entire ecosystem SLDC has built for our small business community.
The Maryville modules will be accessible online, anytime, which is important for busy business owners, and further enhances our efforts to offer equity in education.”
“It is crucial to provide educational access and opportunity to small businesses as they seek to strengthen and grow to be an essential cornerstone of our local communities. We are proud to partner with SLDC in this effort, especially with a combined passion to support DEI initiatives,” says Scott Chadwick, chief of corporate
Round-Up
partnership acquisitions at Maryville University.
“Maryville University has been an active community partner for 150 years and we are grateful such a trusted leader in the region has chosen to partner with us on this important work,” said Laraine Davis, vice president for community and government relations. “The work the St. Louis Development Corporation is doing is critical to building economic growth and prosperity now and for decades to come.”
Maryville University will update the content in the modules annually and will gather on-going feedback by hosting at least three listening session each year with the users to discuss the effectiveness of the content. The idea is to allow the business owners to consume, digest and provide Maryville perspective on any knowledge or skills gaps which may need to be addressed. SLDC will invest $50,000 per year with access to all 20 modules for the next three years.
By Chris King For The St. Louis American
Dedric Carter has served as Washington University in St. Louis’ first vice chancellor for innovation and chief commercialization officer since August 2021. Previously he was the university’s vice chancellor for operations and technology transfer.
In this newly created role, Carter provides visions and strategy to advance the culture of innovation across the university, strengthens intellectual property assets for licensing, and identifies new ventures and opportunities in the entrepreneurial network. He engages with internal and external partners to build and grow innovation activities in all departments and schools.
“Our goal is to elevate the entrepreneurial impact of the university on the economy of the region and beyond,” Chancellor Andrew D. Martin said of Carter’s appointment to
Continued from page 49 projects at Enterprise Holdings, the Doubletree Hotel, Union Station and Cortex Innovation District, among others. And in 2018, he was part of a Small Business Administration (SBA) Emerging Leaders Program when he began developing a strategic business plan to grow Sledroc.
Although the pandemic delayed his plans, it did not affect his determination. About 18 months ago, he began making his plan a reality by
the newly created position. Carter also is a professor of practice in the McKelvey School of Engineering and at Olin Business School. He has undergraduate and graduate degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management; and a PhD in information systems from Nova Southeastern University.
Carter has considerable experience and a national reputation in academic innovation. Prior to joining Washington University, he served as assistant dean of engineering at MIT with responsibilities for the school’s development portfolio, STEM-outreach programs, and strategic entrepreneurial initiatives, including the establishment of the MITIberian Nanotechnology Laboratory partnership in Braga, Portugal. From 2011-2013, he served
beginning his search for a project engineer. Around the same time, Michael Parks, a recent graduate of Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., was talking with Sam Adams, a representative of the St. Louis-Kansas City Carpenter’s Regional Council. It was Adams who introduced Sawyer and Parks.
“I had been searching for a project engineer for about five months before Sam introduced me to Michael who had just graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Technology and a minor in Marketing. I quickly realized I had found the right person for
as senior adviser for strategic initiatives in the Office of the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and as executive secretary to the U.S. National Science Board. In this capacity, he helped to launch the NSF Innovation Corps to facilitate the translation of basic research to the establishment of new ventures. Prior to his time in academia, Carter helped to launch a venturebacked company with offices in the U.S. and U.K.
commercialization at Washington University?
We spoke to Carter about bringing a more entrepreneurial edge to academia, his clergy father who worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and making St. Louis your own as a highly successful transplant.
St. Louis American: What is new and upcoming with innovation and
the job,” said Sawyer. “At the same time, however, I recognized how challenging it was going to be to train Michael while continuing to meet existing demands from current clients on major projects.”
Having worked on several projects with Sledroc over the years, McCarthy knew Sawyer well and had tremendous respect for him and his company. After meeting Michael, they offered to train and mentor him as a project engineer, teaching him everything from estimating to what it means to be a general contractor.
“This is a very special opportunity for Michael to
Dedric A. Carter: Chris, in August 2021 I was appointed the inaugural vice chancellor for Innovation and Chief Commercialization Officer at Washington University in St. Louis. In that capacity in the last year, we’ve worked to build a stronger foundation for starting new ventures at the university. Part of my charge was to take strategic responsibility for advancing our entrepreneurial culture and practice on the campus. That is specifically true with respect to intellectual property and unlocking the potential from our significant research efforts on campus.
In that time, we have significantly increased our capabilities in the Office of
learn from one of the most experienced companies in the industry. The lessons and insights he will learn will be a tremendous benefit to Sledroc as we continue to grow,” said Sawyer. McCarthy believes the relationship between their companies is a win-win-win that is good for McCarthy, for Sledroc and for BJC HealthCare’s Campus Renewal project. “McCarthy relies on the expertise of small construction businesses and believes that the success of companies like Sledroc is vital to building a strong local construction community,” said
Technology Management, a group of talented technology transfer professionals that has reported to me since 2014. Additionally, we have set about developing a plan for our efforts in the next five years. Much of that work has come from careful engagement, through a listening tour that I undertook in the fall of 2021 and early months of 2022.
St. Louis American: What is new and upcoming with your own research and teaching?
Dedric A. Carter: In the fall, I teach an introduction to entrepreneurship course at Washington University. This fall, I am focusing on opportunities where we are –how can STL (and Missouri) enhance your entrepreneurship. My guest lectures this semester will feature women entrepreneurs who are contributing to the narrative that STL is a great place for female entrepreneurship.
In the spring, I’ll teach
Joe Lewandowski, project director for McCarthy Building Companies. “Having a diverse community of qualified industry partners supports creativity on the job that leads to better solutions, and we are committed to doing everything we can to help small businesses succeed.”
Sledroc not only has the respect of companies such as McCarthy, but the company also was named the St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers 2020 Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) of the year. In addition, Sawyer has continued to advance his knowledge in the industry as a
an Innovating for Healthcare Course that we launched this year. The effort will be to grow opportunities to translate intellectual property from WashU and the faculty founders into prosperous new ventures. Exposing students to this work in a space where we have strength is exciting. These will be MBA and medical students.
St. Louis American: You were trained in Boston and Fort Lauderdale and worked in the D.C. metro area, so St. Louis must be a very different place for you to live and work. What have been some welcome surprises about St. Louis? What advice would you offer a transplant working at an elite level who is considering moving here for an opportunity?
Dedric A. Carter: I grew up in a small town in South Carolina. My father was
graduate of Ameren’s Diverse Supplier Business Development Program, SBA Emerging Leaders Program, BJC 101 (5 year) Education Program: Capacity Building Warehouse, MODOT Fast Track Grow Venture Class, and Minority Contractor Initiatives 5 Part Briefing Series. As a general contractor that specializes in alteration, remodels, rehabs, building new and maintenance work in commercial, industrial and residential buildings, Sledroc prides itself on delivering a quality service on time and on budget by being dependable, reliable and accountable.
By Andrea Y. Henderson St. Louis Public Radio
At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Ronda Walker worked as the nursing director at a nursing home in the St. Louis region. Walker soon began planning her exit strategy, because she could not face seeing clients die and nursing staff fall seriously ill. The final straw was the day she suffered a stroke in early summer 2020.
During recovery, the north St. Louis County native spent time wondering what she would do next. In November 2020, Walker purchased a building in the Grove neighborhood that she now calls Creole with a Splash of Soul restaurant.
But opening a CreoleSouthern eatery during a public health crisis and an economic downturn was not easy. Walker could not obtain bank financing.
“I was told that the restaurant industry was pretty much ravaged … especially with the COVID pandemic and all the closings, so it just was not much out there to get,” Walker said.
Walker used about $30,000 of her personal savings and about $10,000 in family loans to start her business.
For many Black entrepreneurs, acquiring capital from lenders or private investors is their biggest hurdle in running a successful business. That has made it harder for Black business owners to keep their doors open.
According to researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, the number of Black-owned businesses
has increased by about 30% nationwide since before the pandemic — and Black women are behind that growth.
Some days Creole with a Splash of Soul welcomes a heavy flow of traffic, and other days business is light. To make sure the doors stay open and her employees are paid, Walker sometimes picks up nursing shifts.
“Every single dollar that I earned as a nurse, I put back into my business,” Walker said.
Walker has been serving Creole shrimp and creamy
grits, seasoned fried catfish and Cajun chicken pasta since May 2021. The business brought in about $270,000 in seven months.
Black women often are heads of households, and they are shifting from working in industries where they make less than their counterparts into running their own businesses, said Gisele Marcus, diversity, equity and inclusion professor at Washington University in St. Louis.
“COVID has kind of shined a light on the fact that there’s other options out there, of
which entrepreneurship is one,” Marcus said.
In St. Louis, some Black women entrepreneurs started out making goods as a hobby before the pandemic and once many businesses closed, they started their own companies.
Rachel Burns took her hobby to the next level in May 2020 by opening Bold Spoons Creamery.
In 2017, the St. Louisan started making ice cream for her friends at gatherings. Since her guests enjoyed the sweet dessert, she began perfecting her recipes. In early March
Creole with a Splash of Soul owner Ronda R. Walker, right, talks to her assistant Walter Wiley in the kitchen while making Cajun shrimp pasta, one of her signature dishes. She decided to open the restaurant after working as a nurse during the pandemic and deciding she wanted to follow her true passion — cooking.
mint, goat cheese and fig and lavender ice cream in bulk out of a commercial kitchen in downtown St. Louis to sell online and at Tower Grove Farmers Market. And in July 2020, her ice creams were picked up by Schnucks Markets as a way to support Black-owned companies in the region. Her products are now sold in over 20 local markets and shops. The financial investment consultant credits the pandemic for her success. Last year the company brought in about four times the sales as it made in the first seven months of its opening.
“We’ve never had a business when COVID hasn’t been part of our normal operation, so it would have been neat to see what it could have been without it,” Burns said. “But maybe the fact that everyone was at home at that time, that probably is what made it [the business] possible.”
2020, people could not go out to purchase ice cream, so Burns saw it as an opportunity to go directly to customers. Burns began passing out ice cream to neighbors to make them aware of her new company.
“I would just say ‘Hi, my name is Rachel, I live down the street around the corner and I just started this business and I wanted to give you a little treat, I hope you like it’,” Burns said. “And later that day, I started getting online orders.”
Early on, she produced
A Florissant resident and entrepreneur, Tiffany Wesley also found success during the pandemic. She created facial soaps to treat her breakouts from a hormonal imbalance and body creams to help soothe her daughter’s skin while dealing with eczema.
“It was a hobby for me, something I enjoyed, a passion,” Wesley said. “My daughter really sparked me and threw me into it, so I was like, ‘if this is helping her it is surely going to help others’.”
A few years later, she began making body butters, oils and cleaners in her basement and then opened Pure Vibes online, but she didn’t see much growth
By Commerce Bank
Throughout its 156-year history, Commerce has worked to build relationships based on trust by acting with integrity, holding team members accountable, taking action and striving to be a good example.
And it’s these values that form the basis of the bank’s continued commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), a topic that has been brought to the forefront in recent years.
But DEI isn’t a new concept to the bank. It’s been a key part of the Commerce culture for a long time.
“I’ve had a front-row seat to Commerce’s DEI journey, which started a long time ago,” said Felecia Hogan, senior vice president and director of diversity, equity and inclusion and a 29-year employee at Commerce Bank. “It’s been an evolution from introducing our first company-wide
diversity statement in 2004, to establishing a variety of training and education programs over the years, to 2020 when our CEO John Kemper signed the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion pledge, which committed Commerce to a set of actions to make an impact in DEI within its communities and society at large.”
Commerce DEI programs include courses and training for team members such as Unconscious Bias, Being an Ally, an Executive Management Committee Mentorship Program to support the professional development of the organization’s diverse leaders and a Women’s Leadership Development Program, to name a few. The company also embraces differences and raises awareness through its employee resource groups, or ERGs
There are currently four ERGs at Commerce: RISE,
for women; EMERGE, for young professionals; VIBE, for multicultural employees; and PRIDE, for LGBTQIA+ employees.
“ERGs are open to all team members and can provide a safe space to have a voice and promote change by bringing team members together based on their social identities or allyship,” adds Hogan. “They help build an environment where everyone is accepted, valued and respected. And that’s important, because when people can be their authentic selves, they can better contribute to the organization’s success.”
status, indicating it’s one of the company’s top priorities.
In 2020, Commerce made a formal commitment to build on its DEI foundation and elevated diversity, equity and inclusion to “Corporate Blue Chip”
Continued from page 52
until March 2020.
“It was just like perfect timing,” Wesley said. “We were in a pandemic, soap was scarce, sanitizer was scarce, you couldn’t find anything in regards to just basic sanitation and health and hygiene products,” Wesley said.
In 2019, her company brought in about $35,000 in sales and in 2020, nearly $85,000. In 2021, she opened a storefront and spa in University City and is considering opening a second location.
As an entrepreneur, Wesley is flourishing. However, she
“Four key pillars were established to support the DEI Blue Chip: Internal, Supplier, Community and Customer,” Hogan said. “The Internal Pillar is designed to increase the diversity of team members, specifically women and people of color, in mid-level, senior and executive management roles. We know people want to see policies and practices in place to make things more equitable, where environments are inclusive, and where diversity is celebrated, not just tolerated.”
“We also have to look at what we’re doing outside our company,” she continued. “The Supplier Pillar is working to increase the number of and spend with diverse suppliers
did face a few obstacles at first. Wesley said even with good credit, she could not get a bank loan with a decent interest rate. She ended up applying for grants and loans from community investors, and she received about $100,000.
Despite the challenges, Wesley said she sees her business as a way to inspire a generation of Black women entrepreneurs in St. Louis.
“Being able to see people who look like you, who come from similar backgrounds from you and just being able to transform communities, especially when you grow up in areas that don’t have a lot of resources, it shows other people that you can really do it,” Wesley said.
year over year, which can produce a positive economic impact to our communities. This leads to our Community Pillar. It’s focused on increasing community partnership engagements that support DEI causes and communities. And last, but certainly not least,” said Hogan, “our Customer Pillar will help improve access and grow the company’s diverse customer base in areas of consumer and business banking as well as wealth management.”
Since its launch of the DEI
Blue Chip in 2020, Commerce has a lot to be proud of.
In 2021, Commerce developed a company-wide database of suppliers to help team members conduct a thorough search of available vendors. They also launched a DEI Resource Guide to provide tools and actionable resources to help leaders not only enhance, but sustain a diverse and inclusive culture. Commerce recently worked with local St. Louis organizations, including Jennings School District and International Institute of St. Louis, and is currently partnering with St. Vincent de Paul to teach financial education classes. The bank also launched Velocity Pay® – a prepaid consumer debit card that can be activated online or over the phone without having access to a checking account. It’s a safe and affordable banking solution to help all customers gain
“There’s
Webster University alumna
Valerie Nicholson-Watson was honored July 20 as a Woman of the Year by the Greater Missouri Leadership Foundation (GMLF).
The Alumna Leader Award, which NicholsonWatson was presented with at the event, honors former participants of GMLF’s Greater Missouri Leadership Challenge – a highly competitive program for prominent Missouri women
Continued from page 5
a minister and civil rights leader who worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He led movements towards equity, inclusion, and belonging before those terms were deeply rooted in the lexicon as they are now. In fact, we’re arriving at a milestone anniversary of the Supreme Court case in which he was involved which spoke to peaceful protest and the right to assemble. My father taught me about being deeply engaged in the work that I care about and willing to make change.
My mother, a teacher and administrator in S.C., was an innovator. She worked in Governor Riley’s premier remediation initiative in the 1980s which was a major factor in his ultimately becoming Secretary of Education. I come from a family that believes in being involved.
So, St. Louis, while different from my roots in S.C., my education in Cambridge/ Boston, my start-up work in London, United Kingdom, and my entrepreneurial advancement work in Washington, D.C., is a place of tremendous opportunity. I see tremendous potential. My daughters are all native-born
who seek to advance their knowledge of policy initiatives and further hone their leadership skills throughout the state. The foundation, which has presented the award annually since 2006, seeks to foster, empower and recognize prominent women throughout the state who exemplify what they call, “The Greater Missouri Woman,” or someone who is especially accomplished in their field and regularly
St. Louisans, and this city is the place where I have spent the longest time of my adult life. I love that my small-town upbringing and “folksiness” makes me right at home in St. Louis. If you like art and entertainment, an affordable urban environment, good food, and friendly people, then St. Louis should be very high on your list.
My advice to a transplant moving to the city is to dive into the city, engaging in all that you can – the fountain is rich and full. Focus on what is present and the opportunities available to continue to attract the missing pieces and fill the gaps. I often tell those considering St. Louis that something special is happening here. While we still have some distance to travel, the momentum, the collegiality, the opportunity, the awareness, and the willingness are accessible. If you want to move the needle on the dial, there are lots of places to go. If you want the potential to change out the dial completely, then St. Louis is a great home for that. The raw material is there – we just need to nurture, attract, and retain the sparks to catalyze action. I usually end by asking the candidate if they are that spark.
St. Louis American: You
demonstrates leadership, civic contributions and the ability to inspire and support others. NicholsonWatson was chosen as a recipient, in part, because of her distinguished work with Harvesters - The Community Food Network, where she has served as CEO since 2013. Credited
have served as the vice-chair of Venture Café St. Louis and a board member of the Academy of Sciences St. Louis. I suspect many of our readers will not have heard of either institution. What are they, and why did they merit your service?
Dedric A. Carter: I spent several years as the inaugural vice chair of the board for Venture Café St. Louis and then a time as chair before stepping down. Venture Café-STL has been a wonderful component for engagement in the ecosystem. It’s a regular gathering (weekly) of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurially minded individuals in the STL region. Though it slowed during the pandemic for obvious reasons, it is reigniting as a place to learn, share, and grow your venture ideas.
The Academy of Sciences is a group of STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics] individuals focused on expanded scientific outreach, education, resource sharing, and the recognition of scientific accomplishment. The group was formed in 1856 and has a rich history in the space of integrating science research recognition, education, and advocacy. Housed in the Museum of Science, this group is a catalyst for the St. Louis
with the growth of distribution, finances and innovation at Harvesters, her leadership has been especially impactful throughout the pandemic as food insecurity has continued to be a pressing concern. Devoted to various efforts that combine business and leadership
city-wide science fair. In all the areas where I choose to serve, I work to find some resonance with my own beliefs, background, and expertise. I am passionate about science and technology, education, and innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization.
I served as vice chair and now chair of the Missouri Technology Corporation, a public-private partnership created by the Missouri General Assembly to promote entrepreneurship and foster the growth of new and emerging high tech/high potential ventures. Our efforts in this area have generated a new strategic plan for the State of Missouri on how to grow startups and economic impact for all. With additional resources allocated by the state and a history of strong performance, I am very pleased to lead this area into the next decade of excellence.
St. Louis American: What was the venture-backed company you started? How did that experience inform you as an educator?
Dedric A. Carter: I helped to start a wireless systems company with emphasis in field and transportation logistics that was venture-
with service for more than two decades, NicholsonWatson serves on the boards of multiple organizations, including but not limited to, Feeding America, Feeding Missouri and the U.S. Bank Community Advisory Board. She also regularly serves as a mentor for peers in both business and nonprofit spheres in Missouri and beyond.
Nicholson-Watson holds a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University
backed by Softbank UK. Innovative ideas and entrepreneurial activities have been with me for years.
From creating new ways to transport garbage as a kid, to outfitting schools in Cambridge with Internet capabilities, helping to from a wireless services company, and moving into systems consulting for financial services both in the U.S. and abroad, each of the experiences that I have had with entrepreneurship have allowed me to grow.
With Ripcord, the wireless system company, I learned about the difference in a company where you know and have hired everyone to one in which you have to share that responsibility. I also learned, through the engineering of the first product, about the importance of understanding and designing for the worst condition as a basis.
At the probing of a CEO that hired us for our first product, I realized that the ideal state that I had envisioned (field services in London) was far different than the state for the client (remote Scotland).
My adjustments made the product better. I use those lessons regularly with my students and in my own work even today.
Experience at a national and international level
of Missouri-Columbia and an MBA from Webster University. Past honorees of GMLF’s Woman of the Year award include former Sen. Claire McCaskill, former Vice President of Monsanto Global Communications and Employee Engagement Deborah Patterson, and founder and former CEO of the Build-A-Bear Workshop, Maxine Clark.
building, supporting, advising new ventures and initiatives has helped to shape me as a professional and as a professor.
St. Louis American: What is some comfort music? Comfort food? Social medium of choice? Hobbies?
Dedric A. Carter: I love any kind of music. On a Sunday, there’s usually some gospel flowing through our house – but jazz (Thelonious Monk), R&B, classical –depending on the mood, it is all comfort music.
My comfort food is soul food. A plate of greens, some meat of choice (ham/steak/pork chop/BBQ), cornbread, mashed potatoes/rice, sweet tea is of choice.
My social media platforms are largely Facebook (for a small group and family sharing), LinkedIn for professional, and Twitter for an occasional shout out. For hobbies: I like music, mixology, jogging, swimming, and writing. I do try to throw down on the grill every now and then. I have too little time for all of them now. My pure joy is spending time with my family.
Follow Dedric Carter on Twitter @dedriccarter.
(StatePoint) Black Americans have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since the Revolutionary War, paving the way for Black service members today.
“It is also important we foster an inclusive environment across the USO (United Service Organizations). One consistent finding of our service member surveys is the diverse population we serve feels welcome, supported, and included when visiting the USO,” said J.D. Crouch II, USO CEO and president.
“We should feel very proud of this but always stay attuned to improving the experience for them.”
The USO is sharing five stories of modern-day service members who are shaping contemporary military history.
1. Retired Lt. General Nadja West is no stranger to being a “first.” In 2013, West became the first Black female major general of the Army’s active component, as well as the Army Medicine’s first Black female two-star general. In 2015, she became the first Black surgeon general of the Army. Finally, in 2016, she became the first Black female lieutenant general and highest-ranking woman to graduate from West Point. With more than 20 years of experience, she’s proved herself a decisive leader, helping lead the Department of Defense (DOD) through crafting the response to the Ebola crisis, and managing an $11 billion budget and 130,000 healthcare workers when she was commanding general of Medical Command.
2. Retired Lt. Col. Shawna Rochelle Kimbrell made head-
lines when she became the first Black female fighter pilot for the Air Force. Throughout her school years, she set her sights on the sky. As a kindergartner, she wanted to be an astronaut, but soon shifted her focus from spaceships to jets. Determined, she joined the Civil Air Patrol, worked at air shows, earned a private pilot’s license and earned a spot in the Air Force Academy. Although naysayers told her to have a back-up plan because they believed her goals were unrealistic, to Kimbrell, that wasn’t an option. In 1988, Kimbrell graduated from the Air Force Academy and earned her pilot wings the following
year. She’s now a decorated Air Force veteran, having earned an Air Medal, an Aerial Achievement Medal and an Army Commendation Medal, just to name a few. With a full, successful military career behind her, Kimbrell shows no signs of slowing down. Today, she dedicates her days to help future officers at the Air Force Academy, where she teaches physical education and is the academy’s Director of Culture, Climate and Diversity.
3. The first-ever Black female plebe to attend and graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy, Janie L. Mines first
stepped onto campus in 1976. “The academy wasn’t ready for [women],” Mines said in an interview with the DOD. “It just happened quickly, and it needed to be done. The academy considered itself to be a combat school, and [women] were not allowed to serve in combat. So, we were seen as taking up spots for good combat officers that were needed, because we ‘couldn’t do the job.’ Additionally, there was a general belief that as Black women … I would not be able to lead in what was at that time a white-male Navy.” Despite being accepted to other prestigious universities, Mines
was determined to attend the Academy and answer the call to serve. “When the Academy contacted me and said I was going to be the only Black woman who would be admitted, I felt like it was something I had to do.” After graduation, Mines went on to become a lieutenant in the Navy Supply Corps and one of the first women to ever serve on a Navy ship. Today, she mentors young midshipmen, is the author of “No Coincidences: Reflections of the First Black Female Graduate of the United States Naval Academy” and is a member of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Service.
4. On January 21, 2021, retired Gen. Lloyd Austin was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in a near-unanimous vote to become the first Black defense secretary of the United States. A retired Army four-star general, he previously attended West Point and was soon commissioned as a second lieutenant. Austin served more than 40 years in the Army. He was the 33rd vice chief of staff of the branch and was the last commanding general of the U.S. Forces – Iraq Operation New Dawn. In 2013, President Barack Obama appointed him commander of United States Central Command, making Austin the first Black person to ever hold the position. In 2016, he retired from the military as a decorated and distinguished Army veteran with many honors, including a Silver Star and Humanitarian Service Medal. In the private sector, he served on several boards until President Joe Biden nominated him to be secretary of defense in 2021 -- where he serves today.
5. Retired Col. Merryl Tengesdal is the first, and currently the only, Black woman to fly a U-2 spy plane, which is utilized for the Air Force’s high-altitude missions. After graduating from the University of New Haven, Tengesdal first served in the Navy flying helicopters. She went on to become an instructor pilot, training Navy and Air Force students at Joint Student Undergraduate Pilot Training. She transferred to the Air Force when her Naval obligation was complete. Though she describes being the first Black woman to fly a U-2 plane as “surreal,” she also says it’s a “blind spot.” “I try not to get caught up in being the only Black female. I just want to keep being inspirational and motivational for other people,” Tengesdal said. During training, Tengesdal’s instructors told her there would always be people who would say she was there because of her race and gender, and others who would say she shouldn’t be there because of those things. One instructor reminded her that she was incredibly talented and would keep proving to others that she belongs at the top – and soon enough, the critics wouldn’t have those excuses anymore. Today, she reflects on that conversation in instances of self-doubt. Tengesdal retired in 2017 and has had many adventures since, including being a contestant on “Tough as Nails,” a CBS reality show.
Diversity and inclusion are central to the USO’s values and mission. To learn more about the USO’s commitment to diversity and inclusion visit https://www.uso.org/diversity.
By Chris King For The St. Louis American
Dineo Khabele, MD is the first Black department chair, ever, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, which was founded in 1891. She serves as the Mitchell and Elaine Yanow Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics Gynecology at the medical school. She joined Washington University in June 2020 from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, where she was a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and of cancer biology, director of the Division of Gynecological Oncology, and vice chair for research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology.
Dr. Khabele’s ovarian cancer research is funded by the National Institutes of Health/ National Cancer Institute. Her ovarian cancer research interests include chemotherapy resistance, DNA repair, epigenetic targets for therapy, and targeting the tumor microenvironment. She also is an outspoken researcher and critics of racism in the medical field and the profession’s failures to in training, recruiting and retrain retaining diverse medical professionals, particularly in elite subspecialties such as her own.
Dr. Khabele obtained undergraduate and medical degrees from Columbia
‘Paving
First Black department chair at WUSTL Medicine wants to make sure she’s not the last
College and Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University in New York. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at The New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill-Cornell University Medical Center, followed by a clinical fellowship in gynecologic oncology and post-doctoral research training in cancer biology at Albert
Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center. She was a scholar of the Reproductive Scientist Development Program and the Amos Medical Faculty Development Program Scholar/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The St. Louis American spoke to her about her work as an administrator, researcher and clinician and how she is
trying to get the hang of St. Louis, having moved here during the COVID pandemic and its socially isolating protocols.
The St. Louis American: What is new and upcoming with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine?
Dineo Khabele, MD, the first Black department chair at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, serves as the Mitchell and Elaine Yanow Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics Gynecology. She says her profession must improve its efforts to train, recruit, and retrain diverse medical professionals.
recruit to support our mission to deliver exceptional clinical care, cutting-edge research, and innovative educational programs. I am honored to lead our teams who have done incredible work while meeting the challenges of persistent COVID surges, financial setbacks, and staff shortages.
The St. Louis American: In recruiting, what are your methods and how is diversity integrated in your recruiting efforts?
Dineo Khabele, MD: We are really excited that our obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) programs specialty at BJH Barnes-Jewish Hospital is ranked #3 in the country by US New and World Report. This speaks to the incredible talent, dedication, and expertise of our teams at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. We are continuing to
Dineo Khabele, MD: For our senior leadership, we do conduct a national search, with assistance from; we have an internal search firm that helps. We take a holistic approach, with using a search committee, and we try to identify talent in a systematic way. For faculty positions, we have a holistic process approach to make sure we’re not biasing the process. In terms of diverse candidates, we show them all the wonderful things we’re doing here in targeted ways. We show how we make a difference in providing exceptional clinical care to patients (including those from underserved areas in the region), conducting exciting new research, and of finding training the next generation and taking care to patients from underserved areas in the region. If you have those values in mind, this is a great place to work. I am proud to
area to complement the Zoo –a facility that has both public and non-public components,” said Jo-Elle Mogerman, Ph.D., Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park Director.
The Zoo recently announced updates on guest experiences, animals and conservation areas at WildCare Park, along with detailed artist renderings.
safaris across this land to meet exotic species, enjoying up-close animal encounters, participating in outdoor educational programs and more, all with the world class imprint of the Saint Louis Zoo. Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park, located at 12385 Larimore Road in Spanish Lake in north St. Louis County, is currently under development with a target public opening slated for as early as 2027. Animals will begin to arrive at WildCare Park in 2023 for a pilot pasture.
WildCare Park will consist of two different but highly synergistic components: the public experience, filled with an abundance of outdoor and wilderness adventures, and the Kent Family Conservation and Animal Science Center, where conservationists will work to sustain populations of endangered species, conduct research and engage in applied conservation programs.
“There really isn’t anything exactly like what we’ve got planned – a sister facility within 30 minutes of the Zoo – a second world-class zoological park in the St. Louis metro
“At WildCare Park, guests will be immersed in nature and animal pastures, providing unique experiences with every visit,” said Dr. Mogerman. “Every visit will be a new adventure.”
Guest Experiences
• Driving and Walking Safaris: Two 30-minute safaris from vehicles similar to the size of a school bus that seat 30-40 passengers.
Woodland Safari – Guests can enjoy viewing animals within this 63-acre natural wooded habitat that is interspersed with grassy areas. The star of the Woodland Safari is the white rhino. A group of up to 10 white rhinos will have free range throughout Woodland Safari, living with approximately 30 other larger ungulates – for example, eland and sable antelope – and ostriches.
Savanna Safari – This 101-acre pasture looks more like a traditional savanna with large grassy areas dotted with trees and includes several lakes and ponds. From a safari vehicle, guests can enjoy viewing approximately 100 animals, including a herd of up to 20
giraffes as well as ungulates like Grevy’s zebra, banteng, greater kudu, scimitar-horned oryx, and waterbucks.
Walking safari experience – This multiple-acre habitat will allow guests to have an immersive experience as they wander through the habitat on a path with animals all around them.
• A “zooseum” – This 5,000-8,000 square foot interactive indoor zoo-museum-science center that will use augmented reality and virtual reality as well as other technologies to help guests feel how animals experience the world.
• Nature adventure area – 60 acres of land geared toward families and children who can (re)discover nature surrounded by native Missouri wildlife flora and fauna.
• Safari observation tower
– For a fee, guests can enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience by going 11 stories up in the air to take in 360-degree views of WildCare Park, the cityscape and the Missouri-Mississippi River Confluence.
Other guest amenities and attractions include premium safaris, glamping, giraffe feeding, a restaurant, and event center.
Jo-Elle Mogerman, Director of Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park
At the helm of this development is Jo-Elle Mogerman, Ph.D., director of Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park. Dr. Mogerman is responsible for the vision and operations of the Conservation & Animal Science Center and public attractions that will connect people with nature and animals. She oversees the creation and the development of this
new and exciting attraction for the St. Louis community and tourists alike. Before joining the Saint Louis Zoo, Dr. Mogerman served as the vice president of learning and community for Shedd Aquarium. In that role, she oversaw the vision and strategic direction for all learning and community programs.
Prior to Shedd Aquarium, Dr. Mogerman spent nearly 14 years at Brookfield Zoo working in progressive roles within the organization. She serves as an Illinois Nature Preserves Commissioner and serves on several conservation or community focused boards including North County Inc. She was the Chair of the Diversity Committee and is the current chair for the Wildlife Conservation Committee for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). She obtained a bachelor’s degree in biology from Macalester College, a master’s degree in conservation biology from the University of Minnesota as well as a doctorate in biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Dr. Mogerman serves on the Saint Louis Zoo internal Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion committee. Her passions lie at the intersection of animals, conservation, community and inclusion.
“As part of our preparedness and planning for WildCare Park, the Zoo worked on an 18-month Community Engagement and Participatory Research Initiative effort,” said Mogerman. “Part of that study was to better understand how the new WildCare Park programs and offerings add value to existing community assets, both through educational programs as well as economic development. We will continue to engage diverse audiences across the St. Louis region to ensure WildCare Park becomes a regional asset as a destination and for wildlife conservation that enhances the lives of communities inside and outside of its walls.”
Dr. Mogerman lives in the city of St. Louis with her son and husband. Her family has been visiting family in St. Louis for decades. “We love exploring all of the region’s communities, particularly the food scene, now that we are residents,” says Mogerman.
“At the Saint Louis Zoo, we are dedicated to providing a welcoming experience for everyone. We value human diversity and inclusion, in addition to the biodiversity in the animal kingdom,” said Mogerman. “In fact, we have an internal committee at the Zoo— the Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion Committee—that is responsible for helping to ensure our Zoo remains as inclusive as possible.”
Continued from page 56 say we have recruited 11 faculty from around the country, and since I started in 2020, 13% faculty in our department, are Black. This includes senior leadership: the senior leadership for our department is 13% Black. I am the first Black chair this medical school has had.
The St. Louis American: What is new and upcoming with your own research?
Dineo Khabele, MD: My research is focused on discovering new approaches to treat chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer. We use preclinical models of ovarian cancer to test new drug combinations that will hopefully be developed into clinical trials. I also support efforts to reduce disparities in cancer care for Black patients diagnosed with ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancers.
The St. Louis American: How do we reduce disparities in cancer care for Black patients?
Dineo Khabele, MD: I’ve created an office in our department, it’s called IDEA2 (squared), IDEA squared, which stands for Inclusion and Innovation, Diversity and Discovery, Equity and Excellence, and Advancement and Advocacy. This IDEA2 is part of our cultural cultural pillar for how we provide clinical service, research, and education. We are working on recruiting a more diverse workforce, we are tracking our metrics; and we are addressing our curriculum in collaboration with the rest of the medical school to make sure we are teaching people about ways to overcome health disparities. From a clinical standpoint, we are trying to finding find innovative ways to create more
patient-focused care. How can we better advocate for patients who are most vulnerable and entering into a complex healthcare system for treatment? We think that partnering with patient advocates will help. who can advocate on behalf of people who are most vulnerable and entering a complex area of medicine like cancer care. We are also conducting a lot of research on into looking at: how do you address a patient’s unmet needs.? If a person patient is late for their appointment, well, it turns out that they didn’t have transportation. How do we show empathy and understanding? And how do we connect them with transportation services?
This is not something that happens with the waving of a magic wand, right? This is hard, slow work, and we have to make sure that all our clinicians and health care workers understand its importance. It is now an integrated part of our mission as a department. It’s a cultural pillar and one of our values. If it’s not one of your values, then it’s not important; you’re not going to pay attention to it and that.
The St. Louis American: Your ovarian cancer research is funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute – how do you build and maintain such enviable relationships?
Dineo Khabele, MD: It’s really rough; it’s been tough; it’s been a long, steady career. Only 0.1% of investigators who received RO1-level – the gold standard of NIH research funding – was Black – 0.1%! So, it has not been easy. I’ve had to find mentors and had to persisted in finding ways to show them that I can do research. And then I’ve had some mentors who believed in me more than I believed in myself; I’ve been told you can do it. I’ve had these targeted programs that provided funding to protect my time so that I could develop skills and apply for these big-
ger grants. Those are the things that help to support an early career, and having support from your institution to bridge funding and protect your time has been important for me as well.
The St. Louis American: You’re the lead author on a paper that offers perspective on James Marion Sims. Tell people who was James Marion Sims and why this was an important perspective.
Dineo Khabele, MD: J. Marion Sims is considered in many circles to be the father of gynecology, which is the specialty I practice, and, unfortunately, he performed experiments on enslaved Black women to perfect his procedure on how to fix a fistula, which is a hole that occurs from birth injury, from prolonged labor. (You can devel-
op a hole between the vagina and the bladder, and you can develop a hole between the vagina and the rectum.)
In particular, one enslaved woman, he operated on over 30 times. The only names we know of for them are Lucy, Anarcha and Betsy. It is really hard to be in a field where someone is lauded as the father of your field when he performed experiments on people who look like me and who could have been my ancestors, and he continued to do this work even after anesthesia was available.
So, what we’ve done in our department, in honor of Lucy, Anarcha and Betsy, is we have created a lab award. In order to get funding, people must understand the history of J. Marion Sims, and we have a community advisory board that reviews these grants to make sure we are doing due
diligence. Of course, research on human subjects now is very well regulated, and it’s important that everyone gets a chance to participate in it willingly because that’s how you advance medicine. So, as I scientist, I thought it was really important that we reframe this story and what J. Marion Sims actually did to honor the women themselves.
The St. Louis American: You also have published on the role of race and gender in the career experience of Black surgeons, as well as intersectionality and the pipeline for Black academic surgeons. What is important about that research?
Dineo Khabele, MD: There are not enough Black surgeons. What’s really interesting and relevant to St. Louis is that Homer G. Phillips Hospital was one of three places in the country where Black surgeons could train after medical school.
It was Howard University, Hubbard Hospital at Meharry College (where I used to work), and Homer G. Phillips. Howard is still around, and Hubbard is still around, but we don’t have Homer G. Phillips. A lot of that history is lost, and it’s still so difficult to train as a Black person in any surgical subspecialty. There are so few of us.
And, unfortunately, we are seeing that where Black students are entering these subspecialty programs, they have a higher rate of not finishing compared to their white counterparts. I am a member of the Society of Black Academic Surgeons, where some of this work is being published, and we are trying to do something nationally to change these dismal statistics: the opportunities for us to rise in the ranks, the recruitment, the training, paying attention to micro-aggressions, pipeline programs, all these things are very important. I benefitted from targeted programs, from great mentors, and I’ve had the qualifications to do research and get grant funding and be subspecialty-trained,
and I don’t want to be unique person in that regard. I want to make sure that whatever I do in this role is paving the way for that next generation.
The St. Louis American: You do so many things as an administrator, researcher, and clinician. How do you find your balance?
Dineo Khabele, MD: I really love what I do. I just got out of the operating room just now. I love the patients. It’s a privilege to do what I do. To honor it, I want to make sure I’ve dedicated my time and my life to it. I have a very supportive spouse; we’ve been together since I was pre-med in college. We have one son in New York who has graduated from college. And then I have a very committed extended family. So, I do work really, really hard, long hours, but it’s very important work and I find it deeply satisfying. If we overcome challenges, if we’re able to pave the way for somebody else, I’m really driven to do that. It’s really hard to be a first and an only, and that’s been a lot of my career. I think you’ll see that, with a lot of people who are the first to do something, that drives you them to want to make sure that you’re they’re not the last.
The St. Louis American: I never had heard of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. Why is that where you ended up going for your training?
Dineo Khabele, MD: That’s one of the examples – the person who ran that program at Einstein believed in me. It was really hard to get a spot in this the field of gynecological oncology; at the time that I applied, there were only 30 spots positions across the country. The person who ran the program at Einstein at that time thought I would be great fit for their program and that launched my career.
By CCE
The St. Louis Council of Construction Employers (CCE) is a group of union-affiliated
tioncooperative.org/construc-
Diversity Efforts and Inclusion
The Council acts as the management arm of the nationally-recognized St. Louis Construction Cooperative labor/management organization whose goal is to Build Better Together. One of SLCC’s most recognized accomplishments is the Careers in Construction manual which lists each construction craft, along with its entry requirements and contact information. See it here: https://stlouisconstruc-
Part of CCE’s mission is to collectively address issues that concern the St. Louis commercial construction industry. Working together with our union trades partners we provide first-class, accessible training opportunities through our various apprenticeship and training programs. We’re also engaged in efforts to promote the development of minority and women craft workers through the Building Union Diversity (B.U.D.) program. CCE also supports the
efforts of the Regional Union Contractors Center, a business incubator designed to assist minority and women-owned businesses build and maintain successful construction companies. Several member organizations have built their own participation models to increase inclusion; like the CHAMPIONS Program, a partnership between Plumbers and Pipefitters Local #562, the Plumbing Industry Council and the Mechanical Contractors Association. CHAMPIONS is an intensive, six-week program that introduces participants to the technical aspects of the pipe trades. Graduates are guaranteed a minimum of one year employment as a pre-appren-
tice by one of the participating CHAMPION contractors.
Additionally, AGC of Missouri is nationally recognized for its diversity and inclusion efforts under the leadership of Mr. Steve Lewis. The St. Louis Electrical Connection, a partnership between Electrical Workers Local #1 and the St. Louis Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), supports the efforts of Director of Diversity, Mr. Sylvester Taylor, to strengthen existing bonds with underserved communities in St. Louis. And the Painting and Decorating Foundation boasts on long standing partnership with the Demertrious Johnson
Part of CCE’s mission is to collectively address issues that concern the St. Louis commercial construction industry. Working together with our union trades partners we provide first-class, accessible training opportunities through our various apprenticeship and training programs.
Foundation.
CCE is striving to provide more transparency and help lift the veil of mystery regarding careers in construction. Part of that effort is the St. Louis Construction Career Center, located at 6301 Knox Industrial Dr. 63139, inside AGC of Missouri’s Construction Training School. The Career Center operates as a single point of contact for information about careers in the various construction trades, as well as architecture, engineering and construction management. The Career Center also helps bring into focus the career paths available, the admission requirements for those programs and individu-
alized support to help in the process. Sometimes a job-seeker doesn’t meet the requirements of a particular trade but the Career Center may be able to steer that candidate to a program that’s right for him or her.
Career and Job Opportunity Fairs that were cancelled during the pandemic, are being held again, helping to expand our outreach efforts. We continue to build partnerships with other St. Louis area career organizations and we’re developing virtual opportunities to ensure that future construction industry professionals can be placed in meaningful careers.
Learn while you earn Union construction training programs do not charge for their services. There are no fees. No tuition. Program participants do not incur student loan debt. In fact, pre-apprentices and apprentices actually work to earn wages and benefits and receive on-the-job training when not in the classroom or training facility. We believe that a more diverse and inclusive workforce, along with higher wages and fringe benefits, provides better, safer working conditions and helps elevate the standard of living for the entire St. Louis community. Come investigate the high paying careers in the construction industry.
Contact us: Contact Sergio Munoz at (314) 644-1525 or smunoz@ stl-cts.org to discuss a construction career and determine your strategy for advancement.
By Brian Consiglio MU News
Having grown up poor with five siblings in a rural Zimbabwe village, Wilson Majee was the only member of his family to pursue college.
“Growing up in a family of severe deprivation, early struggles in my life built the motivation in me to seek educational opportunities and work hard to get out of poverty,” Majee said.
“My family didn’t have the means to support my college education, but my ingenious brother and others assisted me to eventually attend university. Experiencing poverty and hating it as a teenager, poverty ignited and fanned my desire to work in resource-limited communities, particularly with youth. My heart bleeds for the millions of youth living in even worse conditions that I experienced the first 20 years of my life.”
Now an associate professor in the University of Missouri School of Health Professions, Majee has earned a federal grant from the United States Fulbright Program, which he will use to travel to South Africa for 10 months to conduct community engagement research aimed at boosting commu-
nity development initiatives to assist disengaged, vulnerable youth in rural areas.
Majee also will teach community development and occupational therapy courses to students at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa. Since 1986, the UM System has partnered with the University of the Western Cape, one of the main intellectual centers of the anti-apartheid movement, to advance mutual understanding between the faculty at both institutions and foster cooperative teaching, research and service projects.
Majee studies compounding factors that contribute to the growing number of global youth who are ‘Not in Education, Employment or Training’ — a status known as NEET. According the International Labour Organization, one-fifth, or 20%, of young people ages 15-24 globally have NEET status, and the number continues to rise. Between 1999 and 2019, the global youth population increased from 1 billion to 1.3 billion, yet the total number of young people engaged in the labor force decreased from 568 million to just 497 million.
“Throughout Africa, there has been a huge growth in the population of young people coming out of high school,
but that has not corresponded with the same generation of employment opportunities for these young people. So, many end up on the streets, doing nothing productive with no jobs,” Majee said. “When you combine this with high levels of poverty that already exist in rural Africa, these underprivileged populations continue to fall behind, so there are compounding factors at play.”
Majee said his passion is empowering young people to become more productive, contributing members of their communities.
he said. “We need to create opportunities for youth to stay positively engaged because everyone has something to contribute to their community.”
Majee also identified compounding challenges that limit advancement opportunities for disengaged youth in rural areas, including a lack of higher education and employment opportunities, and poverty in a 2021 study.
In a 2019 study, Majee found that community engagement efforts in rural areas and the establishment of strong mentorship programs can help connect vulnerable youth with opportunities and resources to improve their livelihood and contribute to society.
“Identifying opportunities for rural youth to have their ideas heard and be included in community decision-making process and programs help not only at-risk youth, but also the community as a whole,”
“If a nation does not invest in its young people, the future of that nation will be dark,” Majee said. “We often say young people are our leaders of tomorrow, but if they lack educational opportunities and are unemployed, we are creating an environment that encourages criminal activity such as drug use, fraud and corruption, or other crimes. So, we need to better understand these issues so we can better support these struggling young people.”
Majee earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees in economics from the University of Zimbabwe before coming to the United
States in 2003 to earn a doctoral degree at the University of Wisconsin. He worked in rural northwest Missouri for four years with MU Extension before joining the MU School of Health Professions as a faculty member.
“With my rural background, I was not shy while working for MU Extension in very resource-limited communities. Whether it is rural Missouri, rural Zimbabwe or rural South Africa, poverty is poverty, and I have seen the struggles many rural communities face firsthand,” he said. “I was the only Black person in the northwest Missouri town I worked in, and it was hard, but my upbringing gave me the support I needed to work in those environments.”
Now, Majee teaches a ‘health and community development’ course to MU undergraduate students and an ‘interdisciplinary perspectives in global health’ course to MU graduate students.
“With my personal experiences and research background, I try to provide students with not only the theoretical understanding of concepts, but also with real opportunities for them to go out into their local communities and volunteer with organizations that help peo-
ple in need,” Majee said. “In any rural setting where young people want a more meaningful and impactful life, I want to provide resources, mentorship and education to help struggling youth contribute to their communities. We also need financial commitments from governments to increase access to higher education, jobs and health care so youth feel more included in their communities.”
In South Africa, Majee plans to collaborate with Lisa Wegner, a professor at the University of the Western Cape, as well as with youth in the Kouga Municipality in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. He will continue his community engagement and development initiatives, including engaging Kouga Wind Farms to develop a 5-year plan focusing on youth engagement programs.
“Our previous research involved listening to rural youth in South Africa about their desires for various job aspirations, which has helped us come up with additional ideas for interventions that could be very beneficial,” Majee said. “Whether it is developing agricultural training programs, building internet cafes or promoting brick-laying skills, we want to create opportunities and do what we can to support youth and help them escape poverty.”
By Anthem For The
St. Louis American
When Dr. Adrian Ware was a student at Jennings Senior High School, he found his calling while serving as a teen counselor for the North Central Community Health Center in St. Louis. In this role, he encouraged his teenaged peers to make healthy lifestyle decisions. Today he is an Epidemiologist and Clinical Quality Program Development Manager for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Missouri (Anthem). This means Dr. Ware and his team collaborate with physicians across the country to develop ways to intervene on potentially unhealthy choices by their patients that can lead to chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes.
Dr. Ware also serves as president of the Missouri chapter of Anthem’s African American Professional Exchange (APEX). APEX
is one of nine Business Resources Groups (BRG) at Anthem that represent many aspects of diversity and help strengthen a culture of inclusion in which associates of all backgrounds can thrive. The groups are fully aligned with the company’s business goals and are led by Anthem associates who want to make a positive impact on associates’ careers, on Anthem’s culture and on the health of the communities they serve. In this article, Dr. Ware provides some insight into APEX and how it has enriched his professional experience.
Q. What motivated you to join APEX?
I joined APEX because I wanted to find a group of like-minded individuals I could connect with and learn from. We’re a large company and there was no one else from my team based in the St. Louis office when I joined. That meant my onboarding
was mainly virtual. APEX members were the first to ask me to go to lunch and show me where the ping pong tables were when I wanted a break. They really had a positive impact on my first few months with the company.
Q. Was there a particular moment when you felt that APEX members were truly empowered to create culture of inclusion? The biggest impact for me was the company’s response to the murder of George Floyd. APEX led a national virtual meeting for all associates to come together in a safe space to share our thoughts and feelings. It was so beneficial to hear about the pain and frustration my fellow colleagues were experiencing and to talk about solutions. We discussed
the importance of accessing mental health resources provided by Anthem and how we should get more involved in our communities as a healthy way to respond to the trauma. I appreciate Anthem for providing that opportunity. I had no doubt APEX would meet my needs after that call.
Ware, Ph.D
Q. How has APEX enhanced your professional development at Anthem? APEX has really helped increase my visibility among Anthem’s executive leadership at the national level. APEX has various committees for members to get more involved in the work Anthem is doing for our members and I serve on the APEX Enterprise Health Equity Committee. I am also part of Anthem’s Physician
and Clinician Health Equity and Racial Disparities Work Group which I found in-part through my APEX connections. Belonging to the committee and work group has afforded me opportunities to speak on topics such as mental health in the black community and collaborate with my colleagues who share the same goal of eliminating racial disparities in health.
Q. An associate does not have to be of African American descent to be part APEX. How does that enrich the group?
Diversity is our greatest strength! Persons of all ethnicities at Anthem are welcome to join APEX. Our membership is significantly enriched by the unique experiences and perspectives of persons of different races. When immersed in a diverse group, we learn to become more empathic and compassionate. Anthem also
encourages allyship which I think is crucial. Individuals of all ethnicities can benefit from having the support of an ally particularly when it comes to sharing professional development opportunities.
Q. If someone wants to start a similar professional group at their place of work, how would you recommend they get started?
I would recommend they first conduct research to see what DEI efforts may already exist within their organization. Try to leverage what has been created and find ways to continuously improve. If there is nothing in place, reach out to your manager and express your interest in starting a professional group. Buy-in from leadership is crucial for success so be sure to share ways a professional group will provide value to the employees and the company.
St. Louis American Staff
Keith Ware, Ed.D., knew he would return to St. Louis Community College. He just didn’t know when or in what capacity. But now he has his answer to those questions.
In July, he returned to STLCC as vice president for student engagement and chief affairs officer at Meramec. Ware comes to the college from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, where he served as the deputy director
for the East St. Louis Center. But prior to his time at SIUE, he served as the director of the African American Male Initiative, as well as an adjunct history professor at STLCC.
“This is actually where I got my collegiate start as a student, too,” Ware said.
“And after I was here the first time as a director and professor, I knew eventually I would come back.”
One of his goals is to make sure students receive
a top-tier experience during their time at STLCC. He recounts when he signed up to take a summer class shortly after graduating high school to get a math credit out of the way before heading to Southeast Missouri State. What happened next set the groundwork for who he was to become and what he wants current and future students to experience at STLCC.
Dr. Keith Ware
His instructor at the time recognized that math was not Ware’s strong suit. But despite that, he took an interest in Ware and pushed him when he needed it and provided extra time to assist him. Despite the many years that have passed, the instructor’s impact was long-lasting. “He was the first African American male teacher I ever
had, and he made every class memorable,” Ware said. “I want students to feel the same way I did when that teacher took me under his wing. I want them to feel there is no better place to be and create a community-based relationship, so they tell their friends that the culture, faculty and staff here have their best interests in mind.”
Ware says another reason he took the position is the vast array of students who enroll at STLCC—from high school
students to those who have been in the workforce for many years, and everyone in between.
“The duality of life experiences—not just learning experiences of students in the classroom, but also people that have vast life experience outside of it,” he said.
Ware said he’s most eager to have a campus full of students again. “That and providing great student engagement and activities for those students,” he said.
St. Louis American Staff
When Michael Kennedy got the call that his company, KAI Engineering, was selected to work on the $210 million expansion and facelift for the America’s Center Convention Complex -- also referred to as AC Next Gen -- the first person he called to celebrate with was his dad.
Why? Because his father, founder and CEO of the company, worked on the original construction of the Dome at America’s Center and Convention Complex in the 1990s. The company today is providing mechanical, electrical and plumbing design for the project.
“It’s just an incredible full-circle success story for our firm,” said Kennedy, who took over the helm as CEO in 2017 after serving as president for the nine years prior.
“Not that there weren’t bumps along the way, but being a minority-owned business, being able to survive the company’s transition from father to son, working through everything from the housing crisis, the recession and, most recently, the pandemic and related supply chain issues, certainly presented its challenges. But to end up on such a significant project like this and to sit at the dinner table with my father knowing I am renovating a former project of his from nearly 30 years ago -- it’s a great feeling.”
The Convention Center renovation includes a 72,000-square-foot exhibit space with natural lighting and
a new entrance at Dr. Martin Luther King Drive and 9th Street, more than twice the number of loading docks for access to the exhibit space, a food farm, outdoor plaza, as well as other improvements to meet the needs of today’s events and trade shows. The diverse group of professionals assembled to create AC Next Gen are a who’s who of St. Louis’ heavy hitters in terms of design, engineering and construction management. As the lead project management team, Kwame Building Group, is the day-to-day eyes
and ears for the City, the Board of Public Service and Explore St. Louis, providing oversight, helping the City manage the selection process for the many specialized consultants, as well as coordinating with the contractors, outside agencies, utilities, and the local residents and building owners surrounding the project site. The architectural and engineering for the project is being led by Fentress Architects. In addition to KAI, the specialized project consultants include St. Louis-based firms David Mason Associates, (DMA),
Patterhn Ives LLC, Kiku Obata & Company, and Arbolope Studio. Program management minority subcontractors include EDSI, Etegra, Lion CSG, and Webb Engineering Services. Main construction services are led by Ben Hur Construction with minority subcontractors Blakely, Mechanical Solutions and Penn.
any project,” said Craig Lucas, vice president of Kwame. “The ‘soft costs’ of a project include program management, design services, real estate acquisition and more. With AC Next Gen, 90 percent of this side of the equation is comprised of women and minority-owned businesses, which is significant.
“Being African American and part of a minority firm on a project, we are always striving for that excellence; not so much focused on our status, but of the mindset that we’re all here to get a job done,” Lucas said. “But when we get the occasional chance to step back on this project and look at the diversity that surrounds us, it’s a wonderful thing to see such a diverse group doing an excellent job.”
A native St. Louisan who went through the St. Louis Public School system, Lucas is extremely proud of the integral part he is playing in the project.
“When people think about participation in a project, they typically think about the contracting side of things – the ‘hard costs’ -- such as the plumbers, electricians, and carpenters, which obviously are a significant portion of
“It’s a wonderful feeling having this role. One of the things you are always coming up against as an African American in this industry is that maybe you are not as good as everyone else. I’ve always believed otherwise, and as part of this company, I know we are as qualified as anyone in this line of work,” Lucas said. “To be in a position of leadership on this project is a testament to that.” Kennedy agrees.
It takes all of us
We all have a history. A story. We bring with us life experiences that shape who we are and make us better.
At Spire, we know our individual stories only make us stronger as a whole. That’s why we’re committed to an inclusive work environment where we embrace and celebrate our differences to better understand each other and the world around us.
Because it truly takes all of us—our backgrounds, our perspectives and our experiences—to move forward.
Taylor Mason, principal at DMA, is in a similar position as Kennedy in that he is working at a firm founded by his father, David Mason. DMA is providing both civil and structuring engineering plans for the project.
“We cannot forget that all the projects we work on now are a product of what our fathers built for all of us as employees,” Mason said. “On this project in particular, it’s been incredible to see the diversity of the companies at multiple levels -- the majority of them St. Louis-based -- coming together to deliver such a forward-thinking and successful facility as we have with the Convention Center.”
Stanley Webb, founder and president of Webb Engineering Services, is excited for the City and what the Convention Center means for the region at large. His company reviewed the project’s design, helped relocate the utilities along 9th Street and when ready, will evaluate the installation of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment.
“It’s been a really great experience working with the variety of diverse companies, knowing that when completed, it will provide us with an opportunity to compete for events we might otherwise not be able to host and will support our local businesses,” he said.
For these professionals, AC Next Gen is a dream team of doers.
“On a personal level, there is a lot of pride knowing we’re part of something big. St. Louis oftentimes gets recognized for some negative things in terms of racial issues. But there are a lot of positive stories like this occurring and we need to keep celebrating these wins and showing that we have a city that is trying to engage everyone.”
St. Louis American Staff
Travis Threats, Ph.D., an accomplished speech-language pathologist at Saint Louis University, was recently named a recipient of the Honors of Association from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). It is the national organization’s highest honor.
The award recognizes recipients’ exceptional contributions that have enhanced or altered the course in the field of speech, language and hearing sciences throughout their careers. In an association of more than 218,000 professionals, only a select number of individuals each year receive this prestigious award.
Nominees for the award are nationally and internationally known in their field
for innovative clinical practice, insightful and rigorous research, creative administration, effective legislative activity, outstanding teaching, or other distinguished professional contributions.
ASHA Fellow Bernard Rousseau, Ph.D., dean of SLU’s Doisy College of Health Sciences, who recently served as a Chair and Member of the Committee on Honors of ASHA, says Threats’ contributions have had a significant impact on the professions of speech, language and hearing sciences.
“His scholarship and leadership in the development of ASHA’s evidence-based practice framework and the development of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) system to
include speech, language, swallowing, and hearing have altered the course of the professions of speech, language and hearing sciences,” Rousseau said.
Threats, professor and chair in SLU’s Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, has served as ASHA’s representative liaison to WHO since 1999 and as a leader of the international field trials for communication disorders. Rousseau says Threats’ research and scholarship in these areas have been extensively referenced and have informed the ICF.
Threats, an ASHA Fellow, was also recognized for his publications and presentations. He was the primary contributor concerning communication disorders for
Dr. Travis Threats
the 2011 WHO’s publication World Report on Disability Threats was an invited keynote speaker in the following countries: Portugal, Philippines, Slovenia, Hong Kong, Chile, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Greece. He was also an invited reviewer by the government of United Arab Emirates to evaluate the first speech-language pathology program developed in that country.
In addition to evidence-based practice, his scholarly interests include spirituality/religiosity in rehabilitation and rehabilitation ethics.
“I first started attending ASHA conventions when I was a doctoral candidate,” Threats said, reflecting on
his career. “At the time, I did not think that I would ever be one of the people being honored.”
“When I looked at a list of past awardees, I realized that they were the authors of many of my textbooks, had held ASHA office, and had titles of dean or chair,” Threats said. “Not only did I not think I would be in their company one day, but I doubted I would have any of those accomplishments.”
Threats said having the opportunity to work with and learn from many great collaborators helped him get to where he is now.
“Early in my career, I was fortunate to have past awardees as mentors or collaborators. At that point, I was honored to have those people willing to work with me,” Threats said. “When they started quoting my work in their presentations, I
was ecstatic! However, I did not think I would be ‘one of them someday.’ To sum up how I feel: I feel blessed.”
Other notable awards for Threats include ASHA’s Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Contribution in International Achievement in 2012. Then, it was only the second award bestowed by ASHA and the first given to an African American speech-language pathologist. Threats also received the St. Louis American Foundation’s Excellence in Health Care award in 2010. At the time, he told the newspaper that he dedicates his awards to his brother Kenny who has autism. Threats will be formally recognized at an awards ceremony on Friday, Nov. 18, at the ASHA Convention in New Orleans.
By Ron Himes Founder and Producer
The
Black Rep
Racial integration, includes desegregation (the process of ending systematic racial segregation)...and…includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely bringing a racial minority into the majority culture. Desegregation is largely
a legal matter, integration largely a social one. (Source: Wikipedia)
I began my life’s work in the arts over four decades ago, when as students we started a theatre group to address the lack of opportunities in the university’s predominantly white theatre department. I created The Black Rep because there was a similar lack of opportunity in St. Louis’ theatres. That lack stemmed directly from long-held racist, elitist and exclusionary attitudes towards Black people,
generally and particularly in the arts. I have witnessed the conversation move from integration (never fully accomplished) to multiculturalism to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). Most major cultural institutions are not diverse, practice very little equity with funding and other capital resources, and are not very inclusive. Immediately following the murder of George
Floyd in 2020 amazing statements were written and funding has followed, targeting predominantly white institutions to change the appearances and perceptions that those institutions are elitist and unwelcoming. How does DE&I serve African American institutions? How does it level the playing field? One time initiatives targeted to Black led organizations does not make us
separate and equal. What it has done is demonstrate how institutions have existed for years with funding that is committed not merely for surviving but actually thriving. But for an African American institution like The Black Rep and our 45 year legacy this community would not have experienced the rich and diverse voices of August Wilson, Pearl Cleage, Dominique Morriseau, and Lynn Nottage. Our partnerships in the schools have brought Black history and culture to
thousands of young people - all while funding for arts in our schools has been decimated. What does integrating boards, staff and audiences accomplish when it is driven by funders demands or requirements? Staff positions have been created and organizations look to People of Color to fill them. Yet, for the most part, there are no quantifiable goals or measures of accountability. Without those, what, if anything, changes?
People today can spend nearly half their lives over the age of 50. That’s a lot of living. So, it helps to have a wise friend and fierce defender like AARP in your corner and in your community so your money, health and happiness live as long as you do.
AARP offers information and resources to help you achieve your goals and stay connected.
Find us at aarp.org/stlouis.
By Danielle Brown
The St. Louis American
Amber Overton has the responsibility and honor of being the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri’s first chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion [DEI] officer.
She works with all GSEM departments for “the embedding and funneling of DEI practices and policies,” and adds that a large focus is racial equity - including a strategic plan highlighting three primary stakeholder groups — staff, girl scouts, and volunteers.
Overton also supervises a new five-employee resource group devoted to empowering employees and volunteers from historically marginalized populations, including people of color, LGBTQ+, young professionals, caregivers, and disability inclusion.
“This requires understanding our baseline and understanding our staff in terms of DEI competencies, essential training, and meeting our volunteers’ needs,” Overton said.
Inclusion is not an easy field to work in because I feel like for a long time there was that adage of ‘when you go to work, you leave your personal life at home. You can’t do that in DEI. Your personal life is a big part of your work.”
Overton, 31, said relationship building and knowing when to be vulnerable, even when you don’t want to be, are important for others working in DEI.
“I think back to a couple of months ago when the Buffalo tragedy happened. Those moments can be extremely hard for people who work in DEI,” said Overton.
“I’ve been doing community building with others who do DEI work at the other Girl Scouts councils. I think that helps balance out those hard days and provides you with people to lean on and support in hard times.”
“can be done overnight.” She calls it a process in which n ‘We can start taking steps one day at a time to build a more inclusive culture’ – Amber Overton
Overton, who was hired in January 2022, said people often think the mission of inclusion
See OVERTON, page 75
“Diversity, Equity, and
By Wendy Todd UMSL Daily
If you hear anyone whistling in the hallway at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, it’s likely to be Myron Burr, the university’s new coordinator of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
He’s a cheerful guy who found himself on the unexpected path to educating and engaging people about diversity, equity and inclusion.
The Indianapolis native has been working in higher education for nearly a decade. A college athlete who played football for DePauw University, he started his career at his alma mater as the assistant athletic director for athletics events and marketing. After three years there, he moved to St. Louis for a job at Lindenwood University doing enrollment management. He eventually transitioned into academic affairs and became an instructional designer. While in this role, Burr decided to get his master’s degree in higher education, where part of his coursework included learning about issues of diversity and equity and how to apply the principles in daily life. He began thinking about how he could apply what he was learning about DEI to the university and became the co-chair of its DEI task force.
In that role, he got to know one of his professors, Shane Williams, better and discovered she was the chief diversity officer at the school. Impressed with his coursework and direction on the task force, she eventually gave him more responsibilities.
He was unaware Williams had been prepping him for more.
Several months after the two connected on the task force, Williams left the university and had shifted a lot of her responsibilities onto Burr. It was 2020, and there was a lot to navigate.
“I think she knew she was getting ready to leave and was like, ‘Hey, I think you would
be great at taking over some of these responsibilities,’” Burr said. “I didn’t know that we were getting ready to have the summer of George Floyd and Brianna Taylor and a lot of different dynamics that went into the summer of 2020.”
With so much to discuss and process, Burr initially felt
overwhelmed but ultimately found his footing and also helped others find their voice.
He began planning a virtual “Day of Dialogue” for the university with Assistant Professor Amanda Harrod that provided a platform to examine and talk about issues of race and racial conflict featuring speakers and breakout sessions.
“We brought in faculty, students and staff,” Burr said of the inaugural event.
“Everybody had a chance to participate in the dialogue. It was really impactful for the campus at that time. I don’t know, something just kind of clicked like, ‘This is where you
belong, this is where you’re needed.’”
With the experience on the Lindenwood University DEI task force, Burr was well-positioned to transition to his current post as UMSL’s DEI coordinator. Tanisha Stevens, Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, recognized his capacity to perform in the role.
“Myron is a collaborative partner with a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,” Stevens said. “His experience and ability to build meaningful relationships is a welcome addition to the office and the university.
“In this new role, Myron will support DEI efforts across campus, work collaboratively with campus departments and committees that support engagement, retention efforts for students, strategic initiatives, programming and events, as well as marketing and communication efforts of the office.”
Burr was excited about the possibility of joining UMSL because of its demonstrated commitment to creating more equity in the community, and he is ready to jump in and help continue the work.
“I know we’re getting ready to celebrate 60 years, and we’re transforming,” he said. “We’re in a unique position to figure out what the next 60 years look like. And I was intrigued by some of the work that was already happening like the Action Network, they’ve got the workforce development programs and they’re doing a lot with a bridge program. So, I’m excited. I’m like, ‘Hey, they’re putting their money where their mouth is.’”
“SIUE is one of the few places in the nation where students can go from preschool to PhD, preschool to dental school or pharmacy school. The time is now to ensure that a greater number of students who may be the first in their family to ever set foot on a college campus have the same opportunity to not only attend college, but also earn a degree that will transform their lives.” - Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is closing equity gaps through high-quality academic programming and customized student-centered experiences. With equity, diversity and inclusion woven into its organizational fabric, SIUE is a place of belonging for all individuals who seek something greater. siue.edu/vcedi
By Chad Davis St. Louis Public Radio
The percentage of nursing positions that are vacant at St. Louis-area hospitals has risen sharply since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and presents significant concerns for staff and patient care, according to the Missouri Hospital Association.
The association gathered data from 33 hospitals in the St. Louis area and the Metro East in 2021, and from 35 hospitals the year before. It found vacancies for registered nurses in the metro area increased from 11.2% in 2020 to 20.3% in 2021, when hospitals ended the year with 3,681 registered nurse vacancies. Hospitals also saw increased turnover.
In Missouri, staff registered nurse vacancies increased to 19.8% in 2021, the highest rate since the hospital association began its report 21 years ago. Missouri has 33,692 nurses working in hospitals but 8,334 vacant nursing positions.
The report notes that nurses were leaving their jobs before the pandemic. But the virus, competitive salaries at agencies and the desire for a different workplace led many to leave their jobs over the past two years. Those departures have posed challenges for nurses who stayed on their jobs
“The turnover affects the culture and the rhythm of an organization, but those vacancies are putting a lot of pressure on the workforce that is currently employed,” said Dave Dillon, the hospital association’s vice president of public and media relations.
“It’s also dealing with all of the various things that have happened over the last two years,” Dillon said. “So they’re under a lot of stress and they’re picking up shifts and or work for those people who we really need but can’t find.”
Jobs for certified respiratory therapists, medical laboratory technicians, licensed practical nurses and surgical technicians have been the most difficult positions for hospitals to fill in
the St. Louis area. The report found that having fewer nursing teachers at universities is contributing to the nursing shortage as some schools don’t have enough faculty to accept qualified students. It notes that more than 10,400 nursing students were enrolled at nursing schools across the state in 2020, but nursing schools turned away
nearly 1,300 qualified applicants that year.
University of MissouriSt. Louis School of Nursing Dean Roxanne Vandermause said the pandemic has shined a light on staffing woes that have existed across the country for years.
“Retention in nursing has been a problem over time,” Vandermause said. “The pandemic has certainly affected nurses, and it’s affected hospitals in ways that may have exacerbated problems that were coming.”
Vandermause said the pandemic, retirements and departures from the field have all contributed to the shortage. She said it’s critical for nursing schools to focus on training nurses and to encourage them to continue their education throughout their careers and teach future nurses. “We want to start from the ground up, to educate young nurses to look further and to recognize that there’s a trajectory, an educational trajectory that is available to them if they choose to take it,” Vandermause said.
By K. Michael Jones
The St. Louis American Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine and BarnesJewish Hospital recently announced the appointment of Vetta Sanders Thompson, PhD, as its inaugural associate director of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Dr. Thompson is a nationally recognized researcher, educator, and advocate for the health and well-being of diverse communities. Her research focuses on the areas of health services access, determinants of health and mental health disparities, racial identity, and psychosocial implications of race and ethnicity in health communications. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and earned her doctorate degree in psychology and clinical training from Duke University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and social relations from Harvard University.
Concurrent with her new role, Dr. Thompson is the E. Desmond Lee Professor of Racial and Ethnic Diversity and associate dean of diversity, inclusion and equity at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. She also is the co-director of the University’s Center for Community Health Partnership and Research.
“Dr. Thompson is eminently qualified to lead our efforts to enhance and expand diversity within our leadership team, research workforce, and advisory boards,” said Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, director of the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor and
Bixby Professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine. “She
already serves in multiple leadership roles at Siteman, including as co-leader of the Community Research
Community School’s research-based curriculum promotes awareness, inclusion, and an appreciation of various cultures, religions, beliefs, traditions, opinions, and ethnicities.
Community School has a 7:1 student-teacher ratio with at least two full-time teachers in every room. Faculty regularly attend conferences and participate in professional development opportunities related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Community School students live in 45 different zip codes across the metro area. 44% of school administrators, 40% of Board of Trustees, and 36% of students are people of color. Community also has an active Parent Diversity Group that builds relationships and promotes an inclusive environment for families.
To learn more about Community School and our DEI initiatives, contact Jonelle Harris, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, at jharris@communityschool.com. We look forward to working with you!
Program. In addition, she has been an active member of the institution’s Community Outreach and Engagement leadership team. Her new, larger leadership role reflects the commitment of Siteman Cancer Center to advocate, support and mentor diversity and inclusion at all levels.”
Dr. Thompson’s focus on health disparities began with efforts to better understand and improve access to mental health services within African American communities. As she investigated a wide range of social variables and disparities, her research broadened to include expanded access for cancer preventive strategies and treatment in underserved communities.
Her long-standing published research, funded by the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Missouri Foundation for Health’s Center for Health Literacy, Siteman Cancer Center’s Program for the Elimination of Cancer Disparities (PECaD) − among others − all has focused on the development of multidisciplinary, collaborative and community-based programs to better understand and eliminate disparities of cancer education, prevention, and treatment.
Fellow Training Program and as assistant director for the Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination
The recipient of numerous awards and honors, Dr. Thompson received the Missouri Psychological Association’s Dr. Richard R. Wilkerson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. She also is the recipient of a Distinguished Faculty Award from Washington University and is a two-time recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Mental Health Association of Greater St. Louis. In 2018, she was named the Terry Leet Researcher of the Year by Generate Health St. Louis. Just recently, she received the St. Louis American Foundation’s 2022 Lifetime Achiever in Health Care Award.
“This is not a solo endeavor,” Dr. Thompson said. “At every level, from education to research and clinical care, we are working to create a best practice model that ensures all individuals — and all communities —have access to, feel welcomed, and can present their whole and authentic being as they are made aware of and then seek cancer prevention strategies and care.” She added, “Truly, it’s a process of looking at outcomes data and clinical care services to assure we are attentive to the needs of the entire community, including those experiencing the greatest needs for cancer care.”
Toward the goal, she has developed numerous community research survey tools selected for inclusion by the American Psychological Association (psycTESTS) to gauge attitudes of culture, racial discrimination, identity, and psychosocial health in African American communities. Her work within PECaD also led to a collaborative effort to develop a new community Research Engagement Survey Tool (REST) that now is being used to assess community engagement not only in cancer prevention but also in other areas of health research. Among her outreach efforts, she helped to expand community awareness and utilization of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among African Americans.
By Lindenwood
Nestled in the heart of St. Charles sits Lindenwood University. Founded in the mid-1800s by pioneering educators, Lindenwood provides a values-centered education focused on experiential learning both inside and outside of the classroom.
Over the past year, Lindenwood implemented the first phase of a five-year strategic plan that will enhance the student experiences and establish Lindenwood as a leader in the higher education ecosphere. A key initiative of the strategic plan focuses on increasing the campus community’s diversity among both students and employees, while also incorporating equity practices in the classroom and fostering an inclusive environment for social and academic engagement.
In addition to academic excellence, Lindenwood also shines in athletics. In February, the University announced its plans to transition from NCAA Division II to Division I. Following the announcement, Lindenwood University Chief Diversity Officer and Director Center for Diversity and Inclusion Emily Pitts expressed curiosity about how the athletics transition would impact the DEI efforts at the University.
The transition to NCAA Division I Athletics not only opens doors to increase student enrollment, the move also positively impacts the development of inclusive leaders and will help diversify the campus population.
Leading the effort for Lindenwood Athletics is Jason Coomer, named Lindenwood’s Vice President
for Intercollegiate Athletics in June. With a thorough knowledge of the greater St. Louis area and experience at all levels of intercollegiate athletics, from student-athlete to coach, to administrator, Coomer’s background has afforded a first-hand opportunity to contribute to DEI programming and recruitment.
“Lindenwood University and Lindenwood Athletics are committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for all of our
student-athletes, coaches, and staff. Without question, the opportunity to create a sense of belonging for everyone who calls Lindenwood University their home away from home is one that we will not take lightly,” Coomer said.
“This philosophy very much aligns with Lindenwood University’s vision to be the next great learner-centric university. In order to accomplish our mission, we will continue to partner with like-minded organizations such as the NCAA, be open to
diverse and global perspectives, and integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into the DNA of our university,” Pitts reflected. What sets Lindenwood apart is its dedication to building a more diverse and inclusive culture – a key component of the five-year strategic plan. In an ever-competitive market, Lindenwood’s concentrated effort to embrace and celebrate the diversity of the campus community takes both creativity and teamwork. Creating more inclusive classrooms through the RISE
Project and recruiting diverse candidates for employment through the Diversify the Pride initiative are two ways the University is enhancing the campus community. Enrichment of the educational experiences and better preparation for the workforce are two of the proven benefits that come from increasing the diversity of a campus community. Research from the University of Florida identified that when college students have the chance to engage with others who come
Lindenwood University begins athletic competition at the NCAA Division I level this fall. The football team will face its first Division I opponent on Saturday, October 1 as they take on the Redhawks of Southeast Missouri State University. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Tickets are available at LUBoxOffice.com.
from different backgrounds, the results are greater acceptance and understanding. “Bringing people together to learn from each other helps to remove barriers and create equity where everyone has an opportunity to achieve their personal goals,” said Pitts.
“As we move down the path to NCAA Division I status, we must not lose sight of celebrating the differences that make up each one of us. These differences will only make us stronger,” Coomer said.
Based in St. Louis since 1994, NISA is a hidden gem located in Clayton -- and we are hiring! We offer the opportunity to develop personally and professionally in a stimulating and rewarding environment.
We seek diversity of thought on our teams for a wide array of skills, from finance to administrative roles, to help us serve our clients best. We invest on behalf of institutional clients that include defined benefit plans seeking to provide their employees with reliable retirement funds, not-for-profits seeking to maximize their impact and other large corporations.
NISA’s environment is fast-paced and demanding, yet collaborative and informal. We are 100% employee-owned and view this as an important differentiator from our peers. We seek excellence in all that we do
By Enterprise Bank & Trust
At Enterprise Bank & Trust, we have recognized diversity, equity and inclusion as a business - and community - imperative since our founding in 1988. In fact, diversity is one of eight principles that guides everything we do. And investing in the communities we serve has been a cornerstone philosophy that has helped us become the largest publicly-held bank headquartered in St. Louis through community education, personal financial empowerment, and supporting local businesses and nonprofits that help our community thrive. We have three foundational beliefs that drive our decision-making around DE&I.
Education is Power
Education is essential to helping our communities grow and thrive, and we have invested heavily in providing programs and opportunities for learning.
Our largest investment in education in our region is our almost 20-year-old program, Enterprise University (enterprisebank.com/eu). Enterprise University provides business
St. Louis Community College has named D’Andre Braddix, Ed.D. as executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Braddix has more than 15 years of experience in higher education. In this role, he
education and training courses - available to anyone - during a spring and fall semester each year. Topics cover marketing, HR, business leadership, and trending business topics. The 90-minute virtual courses are taught by professional experts, and participants can choose to take one course, or many. And the best part? The courses are offered at no charge to participants. There is no sales pitchjust education and training. Another great example of no-cost business education is our Enterprise.ing (pronounced “Enterprising”) podcast, which we launched last year. Enterprise.ing is a podcast for business leaders who want to build powerful connections, learn how to cultivate relationships and keep business relationships growing, healthy and strong. There are more than 20 podcasts available. More information can be found at enterprisebank.com/podcast. In addition to business-focused education and training, Enterprise has invested substantially in personal financial empowerment programs throughout the St. Louis area. One current example of this investment is the work our Assistant VP of Community Development, Dart Ford, is
Jada Reese, SVP of Human Resources
Monica Campbell, VP, Community Development
doing with local nonprofit Loaves and Fishes - one of only three shelters in St. Louis County that works with families.
Dart has taught financial literacy and life skills classes at Loaves and Fishes for more than two years. His training covers financial topics such as budgeting, savings, credit, and the banking system; as well as a life skills class that covers communication, problem solving and conflict resolution. You can read more about Dart’s work with Loaves and Fishes in our Community Impact Report (enterprisebank.com/impact).
At Enterprise, community partnerships come in many
Dart Ford, Assistant VP of Community Development
forms. One of the programs we are most proud of is “Welcome Home St. Louis.”
This mortgage down payment assistance program is available to St. Louis residents in majority-minority census tracts. It is designed to increase home ownership in majority-minority neighborhoods, and there are specific rules to qualify, including income, home location, and the use of funds.
“It is innovative programs like these that help us build communities, together,” says Monica Campbell, VP, Community Development.
“Home ownership provides so many benefits to both the homeowner and the communi-
ty, and we are very proud of this program.” Enterprise is proud to partner with another leading organization, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. Among other things, we provide financial support for the Urban League’s “Save Our Sons” program, which helps unemployed and underemployed African American men find gainful employment and earn livable wages. We also run a financial services support center at an Urban League location in St. Louis County.
Prioritize Inclusion & Belonging
Thanks to outstanding support at the executive level, Enterprise continues to expand its internal focus on increasing diversity and building an inclusive culture.
A few ways we have done that include the expansion of our Business Resource Groups, including the chartering of our Black Heritage Connection group. This group partners with leadership in creating and executing diversity initiatives and ensuring inclusion in relation to African American/Black
is responsible for districtwide diversity and inclusion initiatives and serving as a liaison to community partners and constituents on an array of diversity issues.
Braddix joined STLCC in July 2022 after serving
as dean of students and senior equity officer at University of Missouri-St. Louis. He earned a doctorate in higher education leadership from Capella University. An
UMSL alum, he earned a master’s degree in adult and higher education and a bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice. Braddix’s community involvement includes
serving as vice-chair on the board of directors of Citizens for Modern Transit.
“I am excited and honored for the opportunity to enhance and expand the current diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at STLCC.
associates. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership Council consists of Enterprise associates throughout our regions of different nationalities and orientations. Its purpose is to provide direction, information, ideas and insights from diverse perspectives to catalyze our efforts and ensure the company is accountable for real and sustained progress toward our DE&I goals. We are intentional around our commitment to hiring diverse candidates. Through initiatives like hiring intern candidates from nonprofit partner INROADS, and our “Gateway to a Banking Career” program, we mentor and provide training to diverse candidates who are interested in pursuing a career in the financial services industry.
“We believe that inclusion and diversity of experiences, thoughts and perspectives result in better outcomes and empower Enterprise associates to make more meaningful contributions to both our company and our communities,” explains Jada Reese, SVP of Human Resources. “Representation at all levels matters, and starts from within.”
As this work is not done in isolation, I look forward to working collaboratively with all members of our community to promote inclusive excellence across the College,” said Braddix.
By Kate Preston University of MissouriColumbia
The George Washington Carver Fellowship for Graduate Studies helps support under-represented scholars in MS and PhD degree programs in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) at the University of Missouri (MU).
The assistantship honors George Washington Carver, a native Missourian, who gained international recognition in the early 20th century for his teaching and research in agriculture.
From a young age, Chantelle Wimms has had a love for animals. Studying fisheries and wildlife at the University of Missouri (MU) was the next step for her.
After receiving her undergraduate degree in biology from Truman State University, Wimms decided graduate school was the next step. A big reason Wimms decided to come to MU for her master’s degree was because of Samniqueka Halsey, assistant professor in the School of Natural Resources.
“Before I met Dr. Halsey, I was leaning towards going to vet school. I previously did research with her and talked to her a lot about graduate school and about what she does. After talking with Dr. Halsey, I realized that I wanted to conduct my own research.
“I realized that I wanted to be in control of my own lab.
She has given me the space to ask my own questions, to be curious and to ask her questions. Everything I have learned so far is because of her.”
Wimms’ research is focused on the survivalship of small mammals in restored and remnant prairies. This is a continuation of research that she had worked with Halsey on previously.
“Last summer I worked on species richness and abundance for small mammals in restorative and remnant prairies. I was here at MU for two months and used data that Halsey had previously to expand on my research,” she said.
going to graduate school.”
The other students in Halsey’s lab also pushed her too.
“Everyone’s research was so fascinating to me; I knew I wanted to be here with this group of people. Being around these creative people I knew would help me in my own research,” she said.
Wimms was accepted into a program called Missouri Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (MoLSAMP) which allows participants to live on campus at MU and conduct research for nine weeks.
Wimms’ summer consisted of conducting field research with Halsey. She went to Prairie Fork and Tucker Prairie (MU’s prairie) to collect data. Conducting research was something new for her.
“When I started with Dr. Halsey, it lit a fire under me. We understood each other so well and her also being a black woman in ecology — she understood some of the issues I was having and the fear of
Wimms’ graduate work is an extension of what she had researched before. Wimms looked at the number of specific species in both remnant prairie and restored prairies and how many mammals there are in each space. After two summers of data, she found there wasn’t a big difference. This got her thinking about what is allowing them to survive in both type of prairies.
“Black people have been so excluded from STEM and even myself being in STEM I always ask myself: Do I really fit in or belong?
“We have to start familiarizing young kids with science and opportunities in science. I remember as a kid we would have a nutritionist come in and talk to us about healthy foods and diets. But what about bringing in people, especially minority people, into schools to talk about wildlife, environmental science, etc.,” she said.
Wimms said two experiences as a child really shaped her interests in wildlife and
biology. One being a local reptile sanctuary that would send employees into her elementary school to talk about what they do and about reptiles in general.
“I feel like these programs are fading fast, and they’re so important — especially in underrepresented communities. I would also love to see parents discover these topics and explore science on their own with their kids,” Wimms said.
Another experience that she vividly remembers is the miniature zoo in a local park near her house.
in her education led her to pursue an internship at the St. Louis Zoo in their reproduction department.
“After my internship, I came to the understanding that I wanted a real-world experience,” said Esparza-Harris. “I loved reproduction however, I wanted to understand communities’ human-wildlife interactions which conflict reintroduction of wildlife species.”
“The zoo had its own bison, elk, deer, etc., right in the middle of a suburban area. There was a trail that you could walk that would go by a river. This was as much experience with nature I got growing up in the suburbs and I really fell in love.
Kendra Esparza-Harris, originally from Richmond, Virginia, found her passion for agroforestry and agriculture-wildlife interactions by pursuing different opportunities. Esparza-Harris received a bachelor’s in large animal science and certificate in global studies from North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University. She then continued her education obtaining a master’s in applied reproductive physiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Applying what she learned
After her internship, Esparza-Harris, specifically searched for opportunities that would provide experience in understanding the relationship agricultural practices have with wildlife conservation. This led her to enter the Peace Corps, where she went to Senegal and served as an agroforestry Extension specialist.
“This opportunity gave me real-world experience, and insight into agriculture and wildlife conflicts through intensive language learning, project development, and hands-on groundwork with agroforestry extension such as helping communities’ to plant and incorporate different trees in their agricultural practices.”
During her time in Senegal, she worked on disseminating techniques to combat agroforestry desertification, the process in which fertile land becomes desert, as well as sustainable burning practices.
“Among farmers who plants
peanuts, especially communities that live near national parks; there is a constant conflict in trying to combat agriculture and wildlife interactions, with climate change and desertification,” she said.
After her experience in Senegal, Esparza-Harris was awarded an internship at the Cincinnati Zoo. She said this was a great steppingstone to get back into research.
“When I was at my internship, I found MU and the Center for Agroforestry,” Esparza-Harris said. “I was interested in interdisciplinary research in agriculture-wildlife interactions and the Center for Agroforestry’s program and focus on silvopasture, felt like it would provide me with the integration of both agroforestry and agricultural practices.”
Along with her studies, Esparza-Harris is active in several organizations including the Interdisciplinary Natural Resources Group (INRG), Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Science (MANRRS), Wildlife and Fisheries Graduation Student Organization (WAFGSO), Agroforestry and Forestry Graduate Student Association (AFFGSA) and is a 2021-2022 Deaton Scholar.
“I wanted to enter an agroforestry-specific program and the Center for Agroforestry at MU,” Esparza-Harris said. “After looking through the program I identified professors that were doing research in agriculture-wildlife conflict. I felt like it was the right fit.”
By Goldfarb
BJC HealthCare is thrilled to offer scholarship opportunities to Goldfarb School of Nursing’s undergraduate students. Recipients are able to apply their education after graduating and passing the NCLEX with a three-year opportunity to work in a direct patient care role at a BJC hospital. Philanthropic support is key to maintaining this legacy and the ambitious mission of the Path to Distinction, which is Goldfarb’s strategic direction encompassing quality of academic preparation, community engagement & impact and research & scholarship. Scholarships ensure the best, brightest and most diverse group of students can pursue careers as future nurses.
Reach for excellence
Learn at a highly regarded nursing school and work in a top health system.
What is included in the scholarship?
Students who qualify to receive the full scholarship are offered a threeyear employment opportunity to work as a direct patient care nurse in one of BJC’s 14 hospitals.
Who can participate?
The scholarship opportunity is for undergraduates in the Upper Division or Accelerated BSN program. Students will be considered based on one or more qualifying factors (merit, enrollment demographics, and/or financial need).
Who is offering the scholarship?
This scholarship is offered by BJC HealthCare. BJC is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health care
organizations, delivering services to residents in the greater St. Louis, southern Illinois, southeast Missouri regions and beyond through 14 hospitals and multiple community health locations.
BJC holds Goldfarb graduates in high esteem. Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College is part of BJC HealthCare. The College is located on the Washington University Medical Campus in St. Louis, home to Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. The College has a second campus at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis County. Goldfarb nurses are a valued part of the BJC family.
Learn at a highly redarded nursing school and work in a top health system!
The National Student Nurses’ Association reports that more than 70% of students use nursing student loans to help pay for their education. With this scholarship benefit, graduates have no nursing school tuition debt and can launch their nursing career in a health system with a world-class reputation. BJC HealthCare has five Magnetdesignated hospitals (a designation indicating quality patient care, nursing excellence, and innovation in professional nursing practice). It has hospitals ranked nationally for excellence and #1 in Missouri (Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Children’s for adult and pediatric hospitals, respectively) and numerous other awards.
Contact
If you have questions, please contact Stacy Bogier, Director of Enrollment Management, at 314.323.4637 or by email at stacy. bogier@BarnesJewishCollege.edu
BJC holds Goldfarb graduates in high esteem. Goldfarb School of Nursing at BarnesJewish College is part of BJC HealthCare. The College is located on the Washington University Medical Campus in St. Louis, home to BarnesJewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
By Jasmine Leonard The Afro
At three years old, I wanted to be a lawyer when I grew up to help my father, who experienced malpractice in healthcare. At four years old, I wanted to become a doctor because I wanted to heal my parents’ disabilities. For most of my adolescence, I ran with the sole ambition of being a physician because being a caregiver for my parents was the only view I had of the healthcare system. My path has always leaned towards health equity and social justice, but it took me over 20 years to find my home in public health.
The most frustrating part of my story is that it is not unique among Black public health professionals. Many of us find our way to public health by chance, which should not be the norm. To meet the needs of our racially diverse population and to address health disparities, we need an equally diverse public health workforce across all levels of training, education, and experience.
Over the past few years, disparities in the number of Black physicians have received considerable attention. The same cannot be said for public health professionals. A diverse public health workforce is essential to move to a preventative, community-focused approach that proactively addresses the political and social determinants of health.
A diverse public health workforce is essential to move to a preventative, community-focused approach that proactively addresses the political and social determinants of health.
While the percentage of public health degrees conferred to Black students has increased in recent years, degrees alone are not the answer. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, state and local health agencies experienced substantial budget cuts, a reduction in the workforce, and a lack of national prioritization. When the pandemic began, the existing shortfalls of the public
health workforce collided with undeniable discrepancies in access, resources, and outcomes. Now, we are in dire need of a structurally competent and sensitive public health infrastructure that represents and understands the
historically and systemically excluded communities.
To create and sustain an active Black public health workforce, we need to:
• Introduce Black children to the field of public health
starting in elementary school, especially in areas of high social risk.
• Develop community and school-based programs that pair Black students and public health professionals for
mentorship, shadowing and volunteer opportunities.
• Construct and fund longstanding scholarship and grant opportunities for Black students seeking public health training and degrees across all levels.
• Prioritize and fund community-based participatory research led by Black public health professionals.
• Require Black voices at all discussions pertaining to public health and health equity.
As we live through multiple pandemics and epidemics of COVID-19, gun violence, suicide, and racism, we cannot wait for future Black public health professionals to find the field and hope for the current workforce to battle through. We must actively cultivate and create safe and equitable spaces across all public health disciplines. I hope if we get this right, we will be able to create a positive experience for Black public health professionals and start to see a more representative workforce.
Jasmine Leonard MPH, is a public health professional focused on promoting health equity as a Senior Practice Consultant Health Equity Enterprise Manager for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. She brings thought-provoking educational seminars to thousands of healthcare industry professionals to build knowledge on the historical impacts of slavery, institutional discrimination, and medical mistreatment based on race.
Special to The American BJC HealthCare and nonprofit lender Justine PETERSEN have teamed up to help local automobile owners save money by refinancing high-interest auto loans for those with challenging credit or who may have been victims of predatory lending. Predatory lending occurs when an applicant does not have what is deemed an appropriate credit score and consequently is given an interest rate of upwards of 30%.
Earlier this year, Justine PETERSEN launched a pilot auto loan refinancing program called DRIVE with the support of an investment from the NISA Charitable Fund. BJC is helping to expand this program through its commitment to impact investing.
The DRIVE program, through Justine PETERSEN, a national credit-building organization and community development financial institution, enables qualifying participants to refinance their auto loan at an annual interest rate of 6%, representing significant monthly savings. The program also includes financial credit counseling.
“This investment is part of the BJC Community Health Improvement work to address the root causes of health disparities, including improving financial health and well-being,” says Jason Purnell, BJC vice president of Community Health Improvement.
The DRIVE program, through Justine PETERSEN, a national credit-building organization and community development financial institution, enables qualifying participants to refinance their auto loan at an annual interest rate of 6%, representing significant monthly savings.
“BJC Community Health Improvement aims to eliminate health disparities and promote economic well-being in under-resourced communities to give all people the opportunity for a healthy, productive life — and that includes having access to an automobile.”
“Those with challenging credit in the St. Louis community are paying an annual interest rate of about 20% for their auto loan, which consumes a big share of their
monthly income,” says Galen Gondolfi, chief strategy officer with Justine PETERSEN. “The DRIVE program can offer auto loans with a lower interest rate, which can save our clients over $100 a month. Think of the money that is currently leaving neighborhoods that could be
At First Mid, inclusion is always a priority.
The American dream should be available to all Americans. That’s why we’ve committed our efforts to ensure everyone has equal access to pursue their financial aspirations. As part of that, we’re proud to have welcomed Gisele A. Marcus to the First Mid family.
Now serving on our Board of Directors, Gisele brings a wealth of experience and insight into the critical aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion. So regardless of background, you’ve got a trustworthy financial partner in your own backyard.
Gisele A. Marcus
Professor
redirected toward other personal or family needs and cycled back into the local community for housing, education and more with this program.”
As an organization, incorporated in November 1996, Justine PETERSEN furthers the legacy of the late Justine M.
Petersen, a pioneer in advancing financial asset development among low- and moderate-income individuals and families. Petersen melded the disciplines of social work and banking to yield partnerships that would allow individuals access to mainstream financial products and services.
“We know how important a car can be to families,” Gondolfi adds, “from picking up their kids from school or daycare, to being able to drive to work. We listen to people’s stories and what led them to their situation.
“BJC’s investment supporting the DRIVE program gives us the opportunity to refinance up to 65 auto loans and offer credit consultation to close to 200 people,” Gondolfi says.
“We take a counseling model approach with each of our clients, and each client’s well-being is first and foremost as we focus on personal and comprehensive attention.”
Along with refinancing auto loans, Justine PETERSEN also provides financial credit counseling and offers other support, such as assisting with opening a secure credit card and achieving an active line of credit.
“Households are realizing true savings month by month and this program helps those in our community increase their credit score, too,” Gondolfi says. Interested borrowers can call Justine PETERSEN at 314-533-2411 and ask for the DRIVE team.
“Our work with Justine PETERSEN is about making a meaningful impact within our community,” Purnell adds, “and remaining true to BJC’s mission to improve the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve.”
To learn more about BJC’s commitment to community health improvement, visit https://www.bjc.org/ community-health-improvement.
everyone learns together.
“A lot of these systems and different things we’re trying to do from decades and centuries ago can’t be dismantled completely overnight,” said Overton.
“We can start taking steps one day at a time to build a more inclusive culture, especially for our girls.”
Overton, born and raised in inner-city Omaha, Nebraska, attended Marian High School, an all-girls Catholic high school. She was one of maybe five Black students out of a graduating class of 150.
She realized the advantages she had by attending a high school with more resources compared to some of her peers in her neighborhood. That made her want to work with young people to prepare them for college and careers, especially those who come from underrepresented communities.
“My career started in direct practice, working with students and their parents one-on-one similar to a counselor setting. I worked with The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis,” said Overton.
“I worked with them as a college advisor at different high schools. I then went on to receive my Masters of Social Work, which really solidified the importance of direct practice.”
She felt her impact in the career and college readiness field was limited because of different policies and systems that were already established. That led her to explore the work of DEI with a holistic approach.
She worked with Purina for two years and managed to transfer her youth development and college access skills over to her work and helped create scholarship programs during her tenure.
When she discovered the opening for the chief DEI offi-
Amber Overton said when she discovered the opening for the DEI job at Girl Scouts of Eastern
because it combined the DEI component with a holistic youth development method.
cer job at GSEM, she said it was a marriage of all her passions because it combined the DEI component with a holistic youth development method.
“I wasn’t a Girl Scout, but a lot of what I’ve been learning reminds me of my high school experience,” Overton said.
n “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is not an easy field to work in because I feel like for a long time there was that adage of ‘when you go to work, you leave your personal life at home.’”
– Amber Overton
“I wonder what it would have meant to have a Black woman leader in my school or someone who looked like me that helped an organization or institution make decisions on my behalf.”
Overton said she’s pushing to recruit more girls of color and ensure they receive the
same experience as their nonBlack peers.
“Regardless of if you are in a community troop program
or any other type of program, we want to make sure you have access to our STEM programming, robotics, equestrian camps, and more,” said Overton.
“I think all aspects of DEI are important, but that equity piece is essential, especially in any type of youth development DEI work.”
“I am so pleased to welcome Amber to our GSEM team,” said Bonnie Barczykowski, CEO of Girl Scouts of Eastern
Missouri.
“Her leadership in DEI work and community outreach will be a tremendous asset to our organization. Girl Scouts is a place of belonging for all girls everywhere. The DEI work we are doing will contribute greatly to the enrichment, empowerment, and care for our staff, girls, families, and communities that make up Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri”.
By Chris King For The St. Louis American
With his wife and partner
Tiffany Notch, Ronnie Notch innovated and runs Breach, formerly known as Notes For Life A&T, which has now used technology to teach music and life principles to millions of youths. From their home base in North County, they are among the region’s leastknown, most-successful entrepreneurs. The American spoke with Ronnie about technology, music, education, and the aftermath of the Ferguson unrest, where he was a steady presence behind the scenes helping to keep the peace and the young protestors nourished. St. Louis American: What is new and upcoming with your ongoing entrepreneurial efforts in education and music? What is new and upcoming with you personally? What music are you making?
Ronnie Notch: At Breach, we’re looking forward to Summer 2023 and bringing our Lift Off residential experience back. Because of COVID, we haven’t been able to safely welcome students from all over the country to an area university since 2019 at Saint Louis University. To see where some of our past Lift Off students are now in confirmation that when you get the chance to do something crazy that no one else has done because of fear, do it. The university we’re negotiating with is an exciting and technologically advanced choice. We’re confident the students who are accepted will agree.
We’re also in year two of our Virtual Reality (VR) and spatial audio music creation
called “Make
For Music.” We believe it’s a large step in the direction that music creation and consumption is headed. By leveraging technologies such as VR and spatial and binaural audio, students learn about the future of sound design while creating in ways many of us have only dreamed of in the past. That excitement has led Tiffany and me to create outside of Breach as well. We’re currently developing a VR
experience that enhances the audience’s ability to absorb songs and albums. We’ve been working on this off and on since 2016 but have been making consistent progress since late 2019. Saying we’re excited to share this new work would be a profound understatement.
St. Louis American: Why music education? In the traditional school it’s often considered an extra-curricular and one of the first programs cut in
a budget crunch.
Ronnie Notch: Tiffany and I have always looked at music as the universal language. Music transcends race, age, ability, etc. The community disconnect we often see can be mended via music – be it a concert, festival, or performance.
When it comes to preparing the future generation of leaders, thinkers, creators and more, we must be able to speak effec-
With his wife and partner Tiffany Notch, Ronnie Notch innovated and runs Breach, formerly known as Notes For Life A&T, which has now used technology to teach music and life principles to millions of youths.
cation in many districts across the country. It’s no longer looked at as a luxury course or expendable. Our work isn’t finished, but we’re certainly well equipped for the global challenge.
St. Louis American: As parents of three, where are you sending your children? Do you trust the public schools enough to send them there? What can we do to make our public schools institutions we trust with our children?
tively to them and in a way that meets them where they are when possible.
Since 2014, our company’s foundation has been music education. This allows us to introduce areas of tech and learning in a way that is captivating and easy to retain. Many times, our students don’t realize the skills they’re developing until student exit assessments are completed. I can say without a doubt that our curriculum has helped to shape the view of music edu-
Ronnie Notch: Before we had children, Tiffany and I made the decision to home school. We knew that was our journey before we were married almost 10 years ago. We both attended area private schools but also recognized the shift in American education. Since then, we’ve developed an approach that most would consider “unschooling.” When we have meetings (or now, virtual meetings), our two oldest children attend with us. They learn through experiences and we, as parents, learn what motivates and interests our children at various stages. Yes, they can retain information and read, solve math problems, and the like, but they’re also able to think collaboratively and individually, effectively communicate, utilize situational awareness, and display so many other skills that many 8- and 5-yearold children aren’t encouraged to do in a traditional school setting. Again, it will sound cliché but, our public school systems have to first look at themselves as more than a K-12 childcare service. It is a thankless industry, and we can never properly
See NOTCH, page 78
By K. Michael Jones The St. Louis American
The Regional Arts Commission (RAC) has been pivotal in nurturing the vibrant arts sector throughout the region, awarding more than 7,000 grants totaling over $100 million since its inception in 1985. As the leading public funder of the arts in the region, RAC seeks to commit to pursue racial equity and internally and externally, to ensure a full creative life for every St. Louisan.
Its relatively new, yet very experienced team of full time staff and consultants walks the walk when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion. “All of our team members contribute to the vibrant and positive culture of our organization,” said Vanessa Cooksey, president and CEO. “Each of us impacts and influences the grants and programs we offer that benefit artists and arts organizations across the region. We are able to make meaningful progress toward our DEI goals because the partnership between our board (which is also very diverse) and staff is grounded in listening, learning, taking risks and growing.”
Vanessa Cooksey
As RAC’s third leader and first president and CEO, Vanessa Cooksey leads the largest public funder of the arts in St. Louis. Cooksey has more than 25 years of business and civic leadership experience. She’s held marketing, communications and philanthropy leadership positions with a variety of companies including Mary Kay Cosmetics, The City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office, Cartoon Network, Anheuser Busch, Wells Fargo and Washington University in St. Louis. She has served and continues to serve on multiple local and national non-profit
including her roles as a founding Teaching Artist Institute facilitator, and as Project Manager of the Canvass Project pilot program.
Nichole Belford Nichole Belford is the external relations senior manager. She develops and executes stakeholder outreach initiatives and leads civic and local commu-
LAMBERT-ST. LOUIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPDRP
boards including the SIFMA Foundation for Investor Education, Vote Run Lead and Mercy Hospitals. Cooksey has received more than 50 awards for her industry and community work including the 2016 Eisenhower Fellowship and
AM I ELIGIBLE?
To be eligible for M/WBE, your for profit business must be at least 51 % owned and controlled by Minority Group Member(s) or Women. Also, your principal place of business must be located in the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area.
To be eligible for DBE, your small, for profit business must be at least 51 % owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. ACDBE includes businesses that are seeking airport concession opportunities.
WHY APPLY ONLINE?
Applying online offers the benefit of streamlining and automating the application requirements for certification resulting in a shortened timeframe to complete the certification review process.
HOW DO I LEARN MORE?
Click on the Certification link from the homepage on our website.
CONTACT US!
the 2018 St. Louis American Corporate Executive of the Year.
Pacia Anderson Pacia Anderson is the community arts training institute (CAT) program lead. A grad-
Continued from page 63
arts and culture advocate pursuing a vision of justice, equity, and love. Dr. Harvey is president of FoodCorps,, serving more than 120,000 students across 13 states and the District of Columbia with
Continued from page 63
show our gratitude for educators and teachers and district administrators, but what we can do is reshape the foundation that American education is built on. In fact, I’d go as far as to say we need to dismantle it and rebuild it.
We’re still learning in a way that was tailored for the industrial revolution. We keep children in schools for five days a week for roughly 40 hours a week which allows parents and guardians time to go to work. When parents come home, they’re too tired to have a genuine interest in what children are learning. It’s not that parents trust the school systems – many times, they’re just too tired to examine what’s really going on.
Now, imagine this same scenario for the life of a teacher who is also a parent. They’re often underpaid. They spend more time with other children than their own, which can lead to guilt, and, when something goes wrong, they’re blamed. In any other environment, we’d consider this an unhealthy workplace, but since education is vital to the American economy, it hasn’t been changed.
Schools train students to be responsive and reactive, not creative, and proactive. In most
a 300+ person team (national staff, regional teams, and AmeriCorps members).
Shervare’ Perry
Shevare’ is an artist, storyteller, poet and fashion educator. She explores creative expression through the overlap of visual and theatrical art, fashion and beauty. She is also
schools, listening to authority is valued more than communicating, so it’s no surprise the level of crime we see amongst juveniles and young adults. They have no idea how to process what they’re feeling, let alone how to tell someone else how they feel and what they need. If you want to change something, that change starts on the inside. If we were ever in a position of leadership in the public school system, our ideas would be shunned at first with great resistance because they’d appear to be radical. But we say: how can we afford to not be radical and brave when we’re talking about the literal future of our species? I could go on forever about this, but this is why Breach exists. We exist because we believe we can continue to chip away at the outdated, unproductive approaches and rebuild the foundation of American education until it is strong enough to withstand a pivot that benefits every student, everywhere.
St. Louis American: Does the current labor shortage in the U.S. pose challenges for your projects? How are you responding to the challenge?
Ronnie Notch: In regard to Breach, the current labor shortage has caused us to continue to think outside of the
a Community Arts Training Institute and Teaching Artists Institute fellow, two of RAC’s signature programs.
Angela Rhone Angela Rhone serves as the new external relations special initiatives lead. In her position, she provides a wide range of specialized operational support to
box while doing so with a student-first approach. When we speak of labor in our industry, we’re speaking of our backbone, which is educators and teachers.
In 2017-2018, we began imagining a world where attending school in the traditional sense was optional. Not because we saw a pandemic on the horizon, but because of violence and shootings taking place inside of educational institutions. There were also illnesses and viruses spreading, and our parent population became concerned with sending their children to school at the risk of becoming sick. At that time, we were told that “students at desks in classrooms is something that’s never going to change in American and global education.” Fast forward to 2020, and our company actually grew exponentially because many schools and districts were not prepared for what we at Breach call “expanding the classroom.” Between 2014-2019, we impacted roughly 1.5 million students globally through our Cre8ivate Curriculum. Since 2020, that number is now roughly 2.6 million and growing. Right now, we’re focusing on training quality educators, increasing virtual class sizes without compromising the effectiveness of the lessons, and introducing new
the external relations senior manager in planning and implementation of deliverables required to complete City of St. Louis Downtown Engagement and Public Safety Initiative (DEPSI) special projects and events in 2022.
MK Stallings MK Stallings joined the Regional Arts Commission as the Arts & Economic Prosperity Study 6 Lead. He is an artist, sociologist, educator and leader of an arts organization. His work stems from
career pathways to students while maintaining a nurturing and exciting learning environment.
St. Louis American: You were there at Ferguson making sure the front-line risk takers had water and food; you were one of my solid sources as a journalist. What is your take on some of the many outcomes of Ferguson, both big picture and particular people we saw evolve?
Ronnie Notch: When we drive down West Florissant or South Florissant Avenue, it’s hard to do so without thinking about August 9, 2014, and what happened over the days, weeks, and months that followed. Personally, I’ve had to grow from the anger I developed regarding some who capitalized from that tragic moment in time and molded it into celebrity. While being out there for a month straight, with Tiff and our son, we knew firsthand the danger and chaos that was alive and well there. So, to see accounts from the absent was a tough, and yet necessary, pill to swallow.
I’m now 38 and a parent of three, whereas then, Tiffany and I only had our son. Since then, I’ve lost my father, brother-in-law, and grandmother. I’ve lost friends and other family as well. Time has allowed me to grow and understand
an unexpected career in the arts and his mission of uplifting artists of color. He believes audiences and artists are connected through the exhibition of art, forging community through this phenomenological experience.
Lea Sutherlin Lea Sutherlin serves as executive assistant and com-
that everyone copes and even grieves differently. I’ve had to learn how to respect the grief and love the grief-stricken. I’ve also learned how to focus on the consistent: people like Tef Poe, Jami Dolby, Keith Griffin, the late Orlando Watson. Focusing on the ones who have consistently pushed the city forward selflessly is good for the soul and inspiring. I’m also happy and inspired to see one of my first role models, Flint Fowler, and his team’s work to make Ferguson better than ever. There are opportunities in Ferguson now that didn’t exist before, and I think everyone can appreciate that.
St. Louis American: What is some comfort music for you? Comfort food? Social medium of choice? Hobbies? Favorite video games? Sport rooting interests? Historic hip-hop grudges you’re still weighing in your heart?
Ronnie Notch: This is going to sound like an afterschool program commercial but, to me, anything I choose to listen to is comfort music. That’s definitely not the same as saying all music is comforting, but at this point in life I work hard to only listen to content that works with my brain and not against it. That’s everything from the Sing 2 soundtrack to The
mission administrator at RAC. She has over 30 years of administrative experience which began with her military service in the United States Army. She worked at Harris-Stowe State University for over 20 years in the Office of the President as executive assistant, director of internal operations and Board liaison.
Black Album to Pusha T. That’s not me knocking anything or anybody, I’m just very intentional with what I listen to these days and when I listen to it.
Comfort food is easy. Tiff has started baking from-scratch chocolate chip cookies, and I’d put them up against anyone’s, ha, ha, ha.
My social medium of choice is still Instagram, but Twitter is still right there after 14 years of loyalty. Over the last year or so, our family has really gotten into streaming video games. We have a Facebook gaming channel called NotchHouse. It’s our off season right now, but we’ll be back up and running in September or so. Favorite video games right now are Fortnite and NBA2K22. I’m always going to be a Lakers faithful, even when we miss the mark badly like the 2021-2022 season. And it goes without saying, I’m a Cardinals diehard. Hip-hop grudges that still land me in debates to this day are 2Pac v. Biggie and No Limit v. Cash Money. There are others but those two historic conflicts are never ending from many perspectives.
For more information, visit https://www.thisisbreach. com or email inquiry@thisisbreach.com
NNPA Newswire
Lt. Gen. Michael E. Langley has become the first Black four-star general in the Marines’ 246-year history, after the Senate confirmed his promotion and he was installed on Saturday, August 6, 2022. He is now the head of U.S. Africa Command at its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. There, he will oversee about 6,000 troops. President Joe Biden nominated him in June.
In his confirmation hearing last month, Langley thanked his father - who had served in the Air Force for 25 years - as well as his stepmother and two sisters. “As many nominees have said in testimony before me, military families form the bedrock upon which our Joint Force readiness stands,” he said. “Without their support, I would not be here today.”
Lt. Gen. Michael E. Langley has become the first Black four-star general in the Marines’ 246-year history, after the Senate confirmed his promotion and he was installed on Saturday, August 6, 2022.
II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) and Commanding General, 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade; Commander, Marine Forces Europe, and Africa; and Deputy Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, and Deputy Commander, Marine Forces Command and Marine Forces Northern Command.
The Marine Corps has had a handful of Black three-star generals, including Langley, who was promoted to that rank last year. Other African Americans have also earned four-star ranks in other branches, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a retired Army general. A native of Shreveport, La., Langley has served for 37 years, with tours of duty in Japan, Afghanistan and Somalia. He was commissioned as a Marine artillery officer in 1985 and has commanded at every level - from platoons, which can have a few dozen members, to regiments, which can have several thousand troops. His intellectual and physical prowess, combined with his mediation skills, has impressed his superiors over the years.
“He gets stuff done, and people tend to like working for him.”
Retired Gen. Robert Neller, the former Marine commandant from 2015 to 2019, summed up Langley’s reputation in the Marines in an interview with The Washington Post before his confirmation:
At his new duty station, Langley will come up against conventional and unconventional military challenges. Officials have stated that the Shreveport, Louisiana native has earned his stripes at each level. A graduate of the University
of Texas at Arlington and commissioned in 1985, Lt. Gen. Langley commanded at every level from platoon to the regiment – including Battery K, 5thBattalion, and 11th Marines in support of Operations WILDFIRE in the Western United States. He also helmed battalion and regimental commands
in 12th Marines forward deployed in Okinawa, Japan; and the 201st Regional Corps Advisory CommandCentral and Regional Support Command – Southwest in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan. As a General Officer, his command assignments included Deputy Commanding General,
Lt. Gen. Langley has served more than 35 years in the U.S. Marines and assumed command of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa a year ago. In Africa, the U.S. military is in a supporting role, helping African countries build up their forces and monitoring Russian and Chinese activities. Direct combat is uncommon. But resurgent terrorist groups such as al-Shabab are national security threats to the United States, while American troops have also suffered deadly attacks in recent years in Niger and Kenya. Langley will also be tasked with helping African partners combat climate change, population growth and political instability. Langley acknowledged the hybrid nature of his mission in his confirmation hearing, telling senators that “military power alone” would not be enough. “They require an integration of diplomatic efforts from Department of State, development endeavors from USAID, and comprehensive strategies from other allies and partners operating in Africa,” he said.
