I haven't always been an editor. My first job, after the compulsory snow-shoveling and grass-mowing in my parents’ suburban circle, was as a caddy—at Algonquin, and later at Old Warson. I was small, the bags were big, the gig was great. Sure, I had to bike there at dawn, but once chosen—and fully “looped”—I was back home by early afternoon, with cash in my pocket and a between-the-nines Twix bar in my stomach.
Eventually, I attended to other people’s stomachs—busing their tables (at The Pasta House) and taking their orders (at The Brown Bottle, in Milwaukee, during college). In between, I did everything from manning the video department at the Kirkwood Schnucks (foisting Quiz Show on anyone with a membership card), to teaching tennis to kids in upstate New York (lose a single game to a camper, and you’ll hear about it all summer), to interning at one of St. Louis’ larger corporations (so adults do drink at lunch—ah, the mid-’90s).
In time, of course, I found a career in the world of publications. And it’s because I spend so much time here, within these walls, that I’ve found it so fascinating to learn what it’s like out there, within yours. In this issue’s cover story, “Great Places to Work” (p. 41), SLM shines its light on 58 St. Louis employers that have found creative ways to fulfill and inspire their employees—all while getting the job done. From fun and games (Weber Shandwick’s in-office scooters) to meaningful practices (Sense Corp.’s program partnering new employees with a nonprofit, pro bono), there are terrific examples all of us can learn from to make our workplaces that much better.
On a more serious note, there is a group of fellow St. Louisans whose lives deserve to get that much better: our homeless. In “Halfway Home?” (p. 118), staff writer Jeannette Cooperman explores the history and current state of homelessness in St. Louis. There are many voices in this piece—including agency leaders and policymakers—but the one that moved me most was that of Jeffrey Carl Williams. “Some people say you got to have a spot that’s your own, a cubby, but I never had one,” he told Cooperman.
Now, after 18 years on the street, Jeffrey finally does. Those who helped him get there—St. Louisans whose careers mean saving lives—are perhaps the true champions of this workplace issue.
Stephen Schenkenberg, Editor
