It’s been a year—and we’re only halfway through. Fortunately, compared to 2020, there’s plenty to celebrate. The New York Times’ morning newsletter’s top story recently proclaimed, “The pandemic may now be in permanent retreat in the U.S. … Victory over COVID has not yet arrived, but it is growing close. After almost a year and a half of sickness, death, grieving, and isolation, the progress is cause for genuine joy.”
It’s hard to describe the sense of relief while reading those sentences. After months of COVID caseloads rising, cresting, and falling—only to build again—it’s too early to completely drop our guard. But with more than 60 percent of U.S. adults having received at least one vaccine shot as of mid-May, there’s certainly a radiant light at the end of a very long tunnel.
To recognize some of the advances that helped get us to this point, we added a new section to our perennial A-List Awards feature. It highlights breakthroughs in science, startups, and timely efforts: Pfizer’s St. Louis–based research team that contributed to developing a COVID-19 vaccine, a Cherokee Street company that’s helping NASA’s Perseverance rover navigate Mars, the St. Louis scientist who first discovered the mRNA vaccine. Not content to rest on their laurels, these visionaries—alongside leaders at Arch Grants and the new Center for National Pandemic Resiliency—are looking toward the future.
Local nonprofits and institutions are also finding ways to improve the quality of life for all St. Louisans. The Delmar Divine seeks to revitalize the West End by giving nonprofits an incubator of sorts while building affordable housing. Rung for Women is a nonprofit that provides vital resources to women, who were disproportionately impacted during the pandemic. And arts institutions are finding ways to address equity and inclusion, whether behind the scenes or on the stage.
Likewise, this year’s Visionary Award honoree, Dr. Alex Garza, who served as incident commander for the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force and was previously the chief medical officer for the Department of Homeland Security during the H1N1 crisis, has played a key role in the battle against COVID-19. He was also among the first St. Louisans to vocalize the pandemic’s impact on underserved communities and its larger societal implications. In April 2020, just a month into the pandemic, he was already anticipating the next crisis.
“We sometimes use this quote: ‘Never let a good disaster go to waste,’” he told deputy editor Amanda Woytus at the time. “One of my hopes of coming out of this is that we can make those societal changes that are going to be long-lasting instead of just dealing with the immediate problem.”
In ways big and small, the resilient St. Louisans in this year's A-List Awards have not only found a way to adapt and survive but are also helping pave a better path forward and making the metro region a better place to live—just one more reason to celebrate.
Take a look inside the digital edition of the A-List issue, or pick up a copy on newsstands (available at most retailers including CVS, Dierbergs, Fresh Thyme, Schnucks, Target, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Straubs, and Barnes & Noble).
