Power List 2012: 100 People Who Are Shaping St. Louis Today

Power can be difficult to define. It doesn’t always win personality contests, and it’s not necessarily synonymous with money—though a sizable bank account never hurts. It can be wielded in a multitude of ways: to influence, connect, create, exemplify. In some ways, an artistic director or publicist is able to touch as many lives as a CEO or mayor. With this in mind, SLM set out to find 100 people who are shaping the region. These St. Louisans’ power isn’t born solely of wealth, nor does it flow from a particular position. Rather, it flows from how they use it—and the myriad ways might surprise you.

RAINMAKERS, PG. 2

RULE MAKERS, PG. 3

POWER FAMILIES, PG. 4

REINVENTORS, PG. 5

SHAPERS, PG. 6

DO-GOODERS, PG. 7

INFLUENCERS, PG. 8

CONNECTORS, PG. 9  

RAINMAKERS

Pam Nicholson

President and COO, Enterprise Holdings

When people think of Enterprise, they rightfully think of the Taylors (see Power Families). But it would be unwise to overlook Nicholson. Consistently ranked among the most powerful women in American business by Fortune and Forbes, she is one of only two women (along with Diane Sullivan) leading multibillion-dollar companies in St. Louis. Nicholson is credited with key acquisitions, including a rental company in Paris and a car-sharing service in New York. Her rise from management trainee to president of the world’s largest car-rental company should serve as inspiration for aspiring executives, regardless of gender.  

Greg Boyce

Chairman and CEO, Peabody Energy

No, running the world’s largest publicly held coal company won’t make you popular with environmentalists. In fact, Rolling Stone wrote last year, “There’s no better example of how capitalism profits from overheating the planet than Boyce.” But you can’t question his business acumen. Since Boyce took over in 2003, Peabody’s revenues have nearly tripled. Plus, he’s heading up this year’s fundraising campaign for the United Way, which has to soften that globe-wrecker image a bit.  

David Farr

Chairman and CEO, Emerson

Named St. Louis’ Citizen of the Year in 2011, Farr is a giving guy. He pledged $5 million to the zoo, the largest gift in its history, and last year, Emerson contributed $27.8 million to 2,082 organizations, including Forest Park Forever, the St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, and the St. Louis Public Library. Perpetually upbeat, Farr has overseen a restructuring at Emerson, which reported revenues of $24.2 billion in 2011, after selling its signature motor-manufacturing business in 2010. He also doesn’t mind telling employees which political candidates to support (one such candidate was Rep. Todd Akin).  

Tom Voss

Chairman, President, and CEO, Ameren

Voss spent 40 years working his way up Ameren’s corporate ladder before becoming CEO in 2009. With 2.4 million electric and 900,000 natural-gas customers, Voss can make enemies when rates rise. But he also chairs events like the St. Louis Arts Awards, and more than 6 percent of Ameren’s workers are veterans. As for the company’s environmental impact? Ameren’s wind-farm investments are a plus; its failure to meet emission standards, not so much.  

George Paz

Chairman and CEO, Express Scripts

After being named Most Valuable CEO by Chief Executive magazine in 2011, Paz had another big year in 2012. In April, he completed a $29.1 billion acquisition of competitor Medco Health Solutions, making Express Scripts the nation’s largest pharmacy-benefit manager, with more than 30,000 employees and a projected $100 billion in annual revenue. In July, he negotiated a deal with Walgreens to end a messy public feud. And this fall, he led a rebranding effort to expand service to the federal government. That makes him a player in the national healthcare discussion.  

Joseph Imbs III

Regional Chairman and St. Louis Market President, US Bank

A fixture of the local gala scene, Imbs has helped US Bank conquer St. Louis. While the financial crisis crippled the competition, Imbs has added 700 employees here since early 2008 and increased area business lending by 23 percent over the same period. He’s also flooded the area with 300 ATMs; Saint Louis University students can even use their IDs as US Bank debit cards.  

Anthony Tersigni

President and CEO, Ascension Health Alliance

Tersigni has Ascension Health growing so fast, it’s hard to keep up. Earlier this year, he formed a parent holding company, Ascension Health Alliance. Items on his to-do list include completing the acquisition of Marian Health System, a group of 36 hospitals and 150 clinics in the Midwest, and building a $2 billion “health city” in the Cayman Islands. Closer to home, as head of the nation’s largest Catholic healthcare system, Tersigni influences the national conversation about contraceptives and the Affordable Care Act.  

Stan Kroenke

Owner and Chairman, St. Louis Rams

If the Rams and the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission can’t work out a deal to upgrade the Edward Jones Dome, then Kroenke just might take his football team (not to mention his impressive mustache) elsewhere in 2015. It would be a shame for St. Louis to lose a second NFL franchise in less than 30 years, so allow us to make a modest proposal: Enos Stanley Kroenke, named for Cardinals legends Slaughter and Musial, should reach into the deep pockets of his pinstripe suit (according to Forbes, he has $4 billion stuffed in there) to pay for his own damn retractable roof.  

Ron Kruszewski

Chairman, President, and CEO, Stifel Financial; chairman and CEO, Stifel Nicolaus

Here’s something you don’t hear every day: When a technological glitch in August cost one of Stifel’s investment-banking competitors, Knight Capital, $440 million, Kruszewski decided to help bail out the troubled firm. It wasn’t altruism: Stifel and its partners gained a major interest in Knight, which is responsible for roughly 10 percent of all trading in American stocks. Savvy decisions like that have helped the company recover from a costly legal dispute with five Wisconsin school districts to post vastly increased profits in 2012. In even better news, Stifel plans to add as many as 200 jobs in St. Louis.  

David Steward

Chairman and Founder, World Wide Technology

It’s been more than 20 years since Steward and his partners founded World Wide Technology, one of the nation’s largest, most respected black-owned businesses, with more than $4 billion in annual revenue and 1,800 employees. Yet between the awards that continue to rain down on him and his boundless community involvement, Steward remains in the headlines. He’s co-chair of the search committee for a new United Way of Greater St. Louis CEO. He gave the U.S. Army $1 million for its museum. He’s a member of the Blues ownership group. As a member of the University of Missouri’s board of curators, he even helped Mizzou join the Southeastern Conference. All along, he’s stuck to the values he developed while overcoming discrimination as a kid in Clinton, Mo., in the 1960s, the same values he championed in his treatise, Doing Business by the Good Book. If you’re a power broker in need of a role model, look no further.  

Robert Fraley

Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Monsanto

Depending on whom you ask, genetically modified crops are either our greatest hope for feeding the world or a major health risk that hasn’t been adequately studied. Either way, Fraley and Monsanto have been on the cutting edge of agricultural biotechnology for more than 30 years. As the leader of the company’s robust research and development efforts, Fraley is continually announcing biological breakthroughs and patenting new products. That means the future of farming and food—not to mention the St. Louis economy—is very much in his hands.  

Jim Weddle

Managing Partner, Edward Jones

After starting as a part-time intern in 1976, Weddle held just about every title possible at Edward Jones before becoming managing partner in 2006. The economy’s tenuous recovery is helping the firm, which has posted steadily increasing profits over the past couple of years. And Weddle is hoping the city can profit, too. Together with Danny Ludeman of Wells Fargo, he’s leading a group that hopes to market St. Louis as a financial-industry hub. Add in his position as chairman of the United Way board, and Weddle ranks among the city’s most vocal cheerleaders.  

Steven Lipstein

President and CEO, BJC HealthCare

With nearly 25,000 local employees, BJC is the region’s largest employer—and under the direction of Lipstein, one of its best. BJC’s lifelong-learning initiative allows employees to take classes and earn college degrees at little to no cost. The organization’s signature hospitals, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital, are ranked among the best in the nation—and are about to get even better, with a $1 billion campus renovation. And the new BJC Collaborative represents an alliance of 31 hospitals with nearly $7 billion in combined revenue.  

Michael Neidorff

Chairman, President, and CEO, Centene Corporation

There is a reason Neidorff is among the highest-paid executives in St. Louis, with annual compensation in excess of $10 million. He’s made a career of turning small companies into corporate juggernauts, and Centene is no exception. What was a modest $40 million business when Neidorff took over now brings in $5 billion in annual revenue and is among the nation’s largest providers of Medicaid managed care. In fact, analysts expect Centene’s revenue to double over the next few years as a result of the federal legislation affectionately known as Obamacare. That should keep Neidorff plenty busy in the company’s beautiful new office tower.  

Bill DeWitt Jr.

Chairman and CEO, St. Louis Cardinals

To break down DeWitt’s power, you could start with his connection to President George W. Bush or his Harvard University MBA, and then mention the construction of the new Busch Stadium or his pet Ballpark Village project. You could even consider his kids: Bill DeWitt III is team president, and Andrew DeWitt founded Dewey’s Pizza. But in this town, all that really matters is what happens on the field, and DeWitt has put the Cardinals back on top. In the past 13 years, the team has been to the playoffs nine times, won two championships, and given the city’s morale a major boost.  

Diane Sullivan

President and CEO, Brown Shoe Company

Diane Sullivan’s first two years as CEO of Brown Shoe—which does nearly $2.7 billion in annual revenue and runs more than 1,300 stores—have been a trial by fire. She’s led a cost-cutting reorganization, closing underperforming Famous Footwear locations and selling off struggling brands. That ability to make difficult decisions has served Sullivan well as a member of the board of directors at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where she’s known as a passionate patient advocate. She was also one of the first women in the Bogey Club, where the powerful play.  

Thad Simons

President and CEO, Novus International

Sure, he works in St. Charles County, but Thad Simons would be right at home in Silicon Valley. For one thing, he looks the part, with frizzy hair and bold glasses. Plus, his company’s LEED Platinum–certified headquarters screams sustainability: The floors are bamboo, the parking lot has ports for charging electric cars, and employees get free low-fat lunches. Even Novus’ mission is cool: “meeting the growing global need for nutrition and health” by inventing food supplements for farm animals. Plus, Simons is leading a fundraising campaign to build a “peanut-butter medicine” factory to help feed malnourished children in Haiti. How cool is that?  

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Powerball

When people talk about “playing the game,” they’re talking about power: how to grab it, how to hold onto it, how to tell, fast, who’s got it… Here are a few of the rules.

Power Moves

• Avoid licking or biting your lips; any twitch of the mouth; blinking or excessive eye movement. • Look people in the eye. • Sit still; don’t fidget. • Don’t sweat—literally. • Show energy. • Take up space. Gesture expansively. • Act on your environment: Turn a chair and sit backwards; move a small table closer to yourself.

Power Offices

• Are large. • Are in the corner. • Have the desk positioned so a guest must navigate an expanse to reach it. • Tend to be lamplit, not brightly lit with fluorescent overheads. • Have minimal paper and a high-gloss desk. • Have original art, not posters. No framed diplomas. Nothing cute, saccharine, or stuffed. • Place the desk forward in a narrow space, so there’s more space behind it than there is space for a guest. • Seat a guest across the desk from you, not in a chair at the side of your desk. • Are located strategically: It’s better to be close to the power office than to have a large office with a window that’s in the middle of the row—that’s the power dead space.

Sources: Power! How to Get It, How to Use It, by Michael Korda; Amy Cuddy’s presentation at TEDGlobal 2012; Reading People: How to Understand People and Predict Their Behavior—Anytime, Anyplace, by Jo-Ellan Dimitrius and Mark Mazzarella  

RULE MAKERS

Steve Ehlmann

County Executive, St. Charles County

As the leader of one of the region’s fastest-growing counties, Ehlmann wields seemingly unstoppable power. He’s remained a strong proponent of the China Hub, helped keep the unemployment rate in St. Charles County among the lowest in the region, and been instrumental in the expansion of the Wentzville GM plant and the Page Avenue Extension. Ehlmann knows the ins and outs of Missouri government well, having served as a state senator, state representative, and circuit judge. Beyond politics, though, he’s deeply invested in the county’s history, having written a book on the subject, Crossroads: A History of St. Charles County, Missouri, and serving on the board of trustees for The State Historical Society of Missouri.  

Lewis Reed

President, St. Louis Board of Aldermen

As president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen for the past five years, Reed’s power is unmistakable. The first African-American to be elected to that position in St. Louis history, he has fought against Mayor Francis Slay’s pension-reduction plan for firefighters, helped found Bike St. Louis, and passed legislation to help prevent crime among youth. He recently announced his plans to run against Slay for mayor—and some are expecting it to be one of the closest mayoral elections in years.  

Antonio French

Alderman, St. Louis

After covering politics in his newspaper-turned-blog, PubDef (pubdef.org), for years, French launched his own political career in 2008 as a committeeman in the 21st Ward—the same committee his grandmother, Myrtle French, served on. The next year, he became the ward’s alderman, among the youngest on the board. He’s since forged alliances with young leaders across the city and championed the arts. And he wrangled with the mayor’s office to ensure affordable access for low-income visitors to the new O’Fallon Park Recreation Complex.  

Charlie Dooley

County Executive, St. Louis County

After nearly a decade on the job, Dooley’s accrued power from both his position and presence. His friendly countenance has won over many constituents, but some of his actions have been polarizing. He’s recently taken flak for providing incorrect budget numbers, proposing to pull funds from county parks, and supporting a city/county merger. In April, he announced he’d seek reelection in 2014.  

John Nations

President and CEO, Metro; Former Mayor, Chesterfield

Nations’ influence has traveled from politics to transit. After leading the charge in 2010 to pass a transit tax in St. Louis County when he was the mayor of Chesterfield, he landed the job as president and CEO of Metro. During the past two years, he’s worked with leaders in the city of St. Louis, University City, and St. Louis County to bring back the Loop Trolley and pushed for a transit-tax hike in the city. Nations also spreads his influence in other areas, serving on the board of trustees of Stages St. Louis.  

Kelvin Adams

Superintendent, St. Louis Public Schools

Adams is no stranger to crisis. Since moving here in 2008 from New Orleans, where he’d worked to rebuild the district’s schools in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Adams has faced diminishing state funds, an influx of students from defunct charter schools, and a legal battle over whether students in the unaccredited district could transfer to accredited schools in the county. As the eighth SLPS superintendent since 2003, he’s taken on the challenge with patience and optimism. His work’s paying off, with a balanced budget, slowly rising test scores, and a recent grant of provisional accreditation.  

Francis Slay

Mayor, St. Louis

As mayor, Slay is likely to be seen at nearly any major fundraising event. Since his reelection in 2009, his policies have often tilted toward a younger demographic, from encouraging green construction to creating a Vanguard Cabinet of more than 100 young professionals. He’s also stayed in tune with social media, maintaining his own website and @MayorSlay Twitter account (all tweets Slay writes personally are tagged #fgs). Next year, he’ll take on Lewis Reed while running for reelection.  

Jake Zimmerman

Assessor, St. Louis County

At 38, Jake Zimmerman already has quite an impressive résumé. A Harvard Law School grad who grew up in Clayton, Zimmerman served as deputy chief counsel to former Gov. Bob Holden, assistant attorney general for Gov. Jay Nixon, and a member of the Missouri House of Representatives before being elected St. Louis County assessor. His power currently lies in determining local property values, something that can be a political lightning rod; in his campaign, he argued that his lack of real-estate experience—and corresponding lack of ties to special interests—actually make him a better fit for the position. Expect Zimmerman’s influence to expand as his political career continues.  

Tim Fitch

Chief of Police, St. Louis County

Fighting crime is only part of Fitch’s job description—though he’s done a good job of it. Crime in St. Louis County in the first half of the year dropped 12.5 percent from the first half of 2011, with a 7.2 percent drop in violent crime and a shift in scheduling for police officers that’s helped improve response times. He’s also helped organize information sessions to teach parents about the heroin epidemic. Recently, he’s encouraged a ballot initiative to give the public the power to restrict the use of speed cameras.  

Jim Holloran

Partner, Holloran, White, Schwartz & Gaertner; Owner, McGurk’s Irish Pub

All lawyers need to let off some steam from time to time, and this attorney has that covered. In 1978, the lifelong St. Louisan opened a small Irish bar in Soulard. Since then, both Holloran and McGurk’s have risen in stature. He’s handled hundreds of medical-negligence cases, as well as vehicular and product liability cases. And he’s involved beyond the bar and courtroom, serving on the Dean’s Council of Saint Louis University School of Law and on the boards of Loyola Academy of St. Louis and the St. Louis Society for the Physically Disabled (of which he’s a past president and chairman)  

Catherine Perry

Chief U.S. District Judge, Eastern Missouri District

Perry’s power extends far beyond city limits. Nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1994 and serving as a chief judge since 2009, she has presided over dozens of high-profile cases, from federal felony charges against US Fidelis co-owner Cory Atkinson to a local tattoo artist’s suit against Warner Bros. for use of his facial-tattoo design (created for Mike Tyson) in The Hangover Part II. Prior to becoming a judge, Perry worked in private practice and served as an adjunct professor at Washington University School of Law. She was also instrumental in developing the nonprofit Judicial Learning Center. At the moment, she’s arguably the most powerful judge in town.  

POWER FAMILIES

The Clays

When one political dynasty, like the Clays, ousts another, like the Carnahans, tongues wag. That’s exactly what happened when Rep. Lacy Clay Jr. trounced Rep. Russ Carnahan in the Democratic primary this summer. Lacy is the son of former Rep. Bill Clay Sr., who’s now a lobbyist. And Lacy’s family members—from his sister Michelle to his niece Angela Clay Thomas—have found work through the family’s political connections.  

The Costellos

The son of a county sheriff, Democratic Rep. Jerry Costello was chairman of the St. Clair Country Board of Supervisors before he ran for Congress in August 1988. He represented Illinois’ 21st Congressional District until redistricting moved him to the 12th Congressional District in 1993. He never won with less than 60 percent of the vote. His son, Jerry II, took office as a representative in the Illinois General Assembly last July.  

The Danforths

For more than a century, the Danforths have remained among St. Louis’ first families. Patriarch William Danforth founded Nestlé Purina and the American Youth Foundation; former U.S. senator and ambassador John has retired from a 26-year career in public service and resumed his post in the pulpit; doctor Bill retired from the chancellorship at Washington University and became chairman of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center; Don III is co-founder and president of City Academy; and the Danforth Foundation has funded just about everything worthwhile from the riverfront west.  

The Koplars

Through multiple generations, the Koplars have kept a fierce grip on local real estate, especially in the Central West End, with sideline businesses of broadcasting and innovation. Start with Sam Koplar, who built The Park Plaza Hotel in 1929, then expanded it to form The Chase Park Plaza in the 1940s. His son, Harold, launched KPLR-TV and developed The Lodge of Four Seasons at the Lake of the Ozarks. Harold’s son, Ted, ran Koplar Communications, brought Voltron to America, and with his son Sam redeveloped Maryland Plaza. Most recently, Sam and business partner Ted Gast completed a $12 million rehab of the old Chase Apartments, now known as York House.  

The Saugets

The village of Sauget, Ill., is a small pond, but the family for which it was named remains big fish. Richard Sauget is founder and president of real-estate management firm East County Enterprises, and he helped build MidAmerica Airport and Center Ethanol Company. A former ballplayer, he owns the Gateway Grizzlies and is president of the Frontier League. His wife, Judee, started and runs Zin-Graff Motion Pictures and volunteers in East St. Louis. Their son Richard Jr. is Sauget’s mayor.  

The Schnucks

The Schnucks are involved in boards and business ventures across the region and beyond. Craig, the eldest, turned over the reins of the grocery chain to the next oldest brother, Scott, who’s running it with the youngest sib, Todd. Terry resigned as the company’s general counsel to produce plays on Broadway. Mark is president and CEO of The DESCO Group, the family’s real-estate company. The Schnucks’ charitable and board activities range from Civic Progress to Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Wash. U. to the Missouri Botanical Garden and its Doris I.

Schnuck Children’s Garden.  

The Taylors

Jack Taylor dropped out of Wash. U. to serve as a World War II fighter pilot on the USS Enterprise. Today, at age 90, his estimated net worth of $11 billion puts him at No. 28 on the Forbes 400 list of the richest people in America. He did it all with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, eventually turning over the keys to his son, Andy. His daughter, Jo Ann Taylor Kindle, is president of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation—and the donations they’ve made are jaw-droppers. A sampling: $40 million to the St. Louis Symphony and $30 million to the Missouri Botanical Garden. (The philanthropic gene is strong: Jack’s granddaughter, Ali Kindle, opened Rung, a resale shop that raises funds for the Women’s Foundation of Greater St. Louis.) Nationally, the corporate foundation made a $50 million pledge to plant 1 million trees a year for the next 50 years. Now that’s a lot of green.  

REINVENTORS

Rick Dildine

Executive Director, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

In 2010, Dildine’s first season here, 56,000 people came for Hamlet, breaking attendance records. The next year, 63,000 attended Taming of the Shrew. The festival beat that by 3,000 this summer for Othello. But Dildine’s a Shakespeare guy; describing him in numbers is like writing a poem in a spreadsheet. Yes, he keeps attendance growing, capital campaigns on track, and production values pristine. But he’s also collaborating with people on their own turf. He initiated Shake38, a five-day Shakespeare fest; Shakespeare in the Streets, which cast Cherokee residents in The Tempest; and MetroYouth Shakespeare, a high-school program looking at bullying through Romeo and Juliet. And we expect another attendance bump for next summer’s Twelfth Night—Dildine’s St. Louis debut as director.  

Jim McKelvey

Owner, Third Degree Glass Factory; Co-Founder, Square

When SLM profiled McKelvey last March, Third Degree was well-known and well-loved, and Square was newish. Yeah, more than one person will tell you McKelvey’s a genius. (So is his collaborator…Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.) But even brilliant ideas can fail to lift off. Fast-forward to this past February, the Super Bowl, commercial break: There’s a Best Buy ad hailing a slew of tech gods, including McKelvey talking about Square. Fait accompli. Now, he’s advising Arch Grants, which just gave $750,000 in startup money to 15 tech companies. The catch? They’ve gotta move here. McKelvey is determined to transform St. Louis into a global tech hub—just like he turned your phone into a bank.  

Chris Sommers

Owner, Pi

Five years ago, Sommers’ Pi rolled out a thick, cornmeal-based crust that has an entire generation questioning just what “St. Louis–style” pizza is—or should be. Meanwhile, the rest of us marvel that Sommers also fired up the city’s first food truck, designed a truly green restaurant, and was the first restaurateur to commit to the Mercantile Exchange. And to monitor his progress, he recently created Sqwid, a social network–based rewards app that lets businesses interact with and reward customers as transactions occur.  

Emily Rauh Pulitzer

Founder and Chairman, The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts

This February, President Barack Obama gave Pulitzer a National Medal of Arts at the White House for establishing the foundation, as well as dedicating herself “to connecting art and viewers through her generosity in caring for well-established institutions” like the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis and The Museum of Modern Art. As the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted, the award did come during St. Louisan Rocco Landesman’s tenure as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts—but Pulitzer doesn’t need friends in high places. She’s got some serious altitude herself. Though she stays quietly behind the scenes, insiders say nothing gets done in Grand Center without her influence.  

Dr. Gurpreet Padda

Restaurateur; Medical Director, The Padda Institute

The founder of The Padda Institute is also one of the city’s savviest restaurateurs. He and partner Ami Grimes use a winning formula for each of their restaurants: Research the concept (they visited 150 barbecue joints before opening Hendricks BBQ), self-finance the project, buy the property, source materials inexpensively, and add a unique twist—in Hendricks’ case, the basement Moonshine Blues Bar, complete with the eponymous liquor, soon to be distilled on-site.  

Gerard Craft

Owner, Niche, Brasserie by Niche, Taste, Pastaria

No one believes in—or promotes—the St. Louis restaurant scene more than Craft. To reach a wider audience, he relocated his nationally acclaimed flagship restaurant Niche to Clayton’s Centene Plaza, while opening a family-oriented place, Pastaria, next door. At a time when most restaurant innovators are playing wait-and-see, Craft has opened two ventures within months of one another, and in a high-rent district, no less, further ratcheting this city’s culinary bar.  

Brent Benjamin

Director, Saint Louis Art Museum

Even before Benjamin arrived in 1999, SLAM had talked about expanding. To do so, Benjamin led a $147 million capital campaign, what the  Post-Dispatch called “the most successful in the history of St. Louis’ cultural institutions,” and hooked English starchitect Sir David Chipperfield to design the addition. During construction, he not only kept the museum open and attendance up, but also fended off the Egyptian government and U.S. attorney’s office in a dispute over the 3,300-year-old cartonnage mask of Ka-Nefer-Nefer.  

Fred Bronstein

President and CEO, St. Louis Symphony

Classical-music purists have played their own tiny violins about the music of Bugs Bunny and The Beatles playing in Powell Hall. It’s no accident that this began after Bronstein’s arrival in 2008, but both ticket revenues and donations have risen. And being solvent has allowed SLSO to do things like, say, undertake its first European tour in 14 years. He’s a fiscal hard-liner who loves the music—which is why you’ll find a mix of pop culture and classical bringing in audiences.  

Walter Metcalfe Jr.

Senior Counsel, Bryan Cave

Tinkering with St. Louis’ most iconic symbol—and raising $587.5 million to do it—requires considerable power. As chairman of the CityArchRiver 2015 Foundation, Metcalfe’s worked his formidable network. In 2008, Rep. Lacy Clay introduced a bill that would shift control of the Arch from the National Park Service to a trust managed by Metcalfe, Missouri Botanical Garden president emeritus Peter Raven, and Missouri History Museum president Robert Archibald. And while not everyone agrees with the foundation’s vision, Metcalfe has managed to help keep the Arch grounds’ overhaul moving forward.  

The Genome Institute

In 2003, when the Human Genome Project deciphered the Rosetta stone of our own genetic makeup, the scientists at Wash. U’s Genome Institute contributed 25 percent of the final sequence. Under the guidance of director Richard Wilson and co-director Elaine Mardis (pictured), they went on to sequence the house-cat genome, as well as those of the Atlantic killifish, the American bald eagle, the orangutan, the platypus, the zebra finch, and C. elegans (a tiny, transparent roundworm that is a favorite laboratory organism). The institute now is doing astonishing work in cancer genomics, working to map the disease’s various and distinct signatures to deliver laser-precise treatments. It’s work that will save lives—and in fact, already has.  

SHAPERS

Jeffrey Bonner

President, Saint Louis Zoo

Bonner took the reins at the zoo a decade ago. He’s since created the WildCare Institute to preserve endangered species, and under Bonner, the zoo’s won international acclaim for its conservation work. It’s also added exhibits like the popular Penguin & Puffin Coast. And thanks to the $120 million Living Promise capital campaign, which funded the new Sea Lion Sound, visitors to the zoo are already getting a feel for the quality of the zoo’s coming attractions, including Polar Bear Point, Grizzly Ridge, Andean Bear Range, and Painted Dog Preserve.  

David Jump

Owner, American Milling Co.

When Bob Cassilly died in a bulldozer accident last September, the tragedy threw into question the future of City Museum and Cementland. The sites’ fates now rest in part with Jump, a one-time downtown real-estate speculator and the owner of Cahokia, Ill.–based American Milling Co. The media-shy Jump’s way of wielding power tends to be quiet, more strategist than shmoozer. But now that Cassilly’s gone, Jump is asserting himself as City Museum’s rightful manager (he bought a stake in the building and museum years ago). The legal wrangle’s fierce, and the future of one of St. Louis’ most creative claims to fame hangs in the balance—just like that yellow school bus that’s perched so precariously on the museum’s roof.  

Jim Mann

Executive Director, Taylor Family Office

After Forest Park fell into disrepair years ago, it was Mann who helped lead the charge to revive it. The former president and executive director of Forest Park Forever worked closely alongside Jack Taylor when the Enterprise Rent-A-Car founder made a sizable donation. Shortly thereafter, in 2006, Mann left his post to become executive director of the private Taylor Family Office, serving as an advisor for the family’s financial, business, and philanthropic efforts. Considering that Forbes recently estimated the family’s net worth to be $11 billion, it’s a sizable role any way you measure it—and one that keeps Mann active, behind the scenes, in a number of projects that are crucial to the city’s future.  

Tom & Betsy Bradley

Superintendent, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial

Director, Cultural Resources Office

At the heart of the Arch grounds’ much-publicized makeover is Tom Bradley, a 40-year veteran of the U.S. National Park Service. He’s working alongside a host of experts—architects, engineers, contractors—to enhance the grounds and tie the city’s most iconic landmark into downtown St. Louis. His wife, Betsy, is an internationally recognized preservationist. As director of the Cultural Resources Office, she reviews changes to historic landmarks and neighborhoods for the city of St. Louis. We can only imagine their dinner conversations.  

Ed Hassinger

District Engineer, Missouri Department of Transportation

As MoDOT’s St. Louis district engineer, Hassinger’s affected the lives of thousands—though you might not even recognize his name. His decision to close a ramp or plow a highway can significantly affect the number of hours you end up sitting in traffic or the amount of traffic that streams past a particular business. Two of Hassinger’s largest projects to date are currently under way: the new $670 million Mississippi River Bridge and the Page Avenue Extension—both slated for completion in 2014.  

Mark Wrighton

Chancellor, Washington University

When Wrighton took the helm at Washington University in 1995, he brought some impressive academic chops, having graduated with a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology at age 22 and served as provost of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (Harvard University also seemed impressed: When it was looking for a new president in 2007, his name was on its selection committee’s list.) Despite the recession, Wash. U. has continued to expand—and recently announced that it’s already halfway to its capital-campaign goal of $2.2 billion.  

Bob O’Loughlin

Chairman and CEO, Lodging Hospitality Management

O’Loughlin isn’t your typical hotel developer—it’s the type of projects that he tackles that are so significant. Last summer, LHM helped add the übersleek Three Sixty to the top of the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, providing one of the best views in town and ideal skybox seats for peering into Busch Stadium. Then, last August, LHM reopened the historic Cheshire Inn after an extensive renovation, keeping intact its old-world charm and the popular Fox & Hounds Tavern. Yet O’Loughlin’s biggest project still lies ahead: Union Station, where he’s hoping to add excursion trains and a railroad museum, as well as expand its hotel and office space. As chairman of the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, O’Loughlin has shown that he’s willing to do more than just talk about tourism.  

Amos Harris

President, Brady Capital; principal, spinnaker st. louis

Even before making news this year for his work along Washington Avenue downtown, Harris had a reputation for breathing new life into otherwise outdated areas. Five years ago, with his help, EcoUrban began building prefabricated green housing in neighborhoods like Tower Grove and Benton Park. Then, after knocking down the four-level pedestrian bridge over Washington Avenue in 2010, Harris set out to transform the shuttered St. Louis Centre into the Mercantile Exchange. Already, the development has an impressive array of restaurants, shops, and lofts—and a three-screen theater and the National Blues Museum are on the horizon.  

Joe Edwards

Developer

The Duke of Delmar continues to make his mark in University City, still crazy after all these years. Since planting roots at Blueberry Hill 40 years ago, he’s gradually expanded eastward, adding the Tivoli Theatre, the St. Louis Walk of Fame, Pin-Up Bowl, The Pageant, the Moonrise Hotel… And others have followed suit. Now, with the Federal Transit Administration recently approving a $25 million grant for construction of the Loop Trolley, Edwards’ longtime dream of returning the neighborhood to its former glory is in sight.  

Peter Wyse Jackson

President, Missouri Botanical Garden

It could have been daunting, stepping into a high-profile role at a beloved institution when his predecessor had been there 40 years and garnered international acclaim. Yet Wyse Jackson made the transition relatively seamless, moving here from Ireland and leaving his former post as director of the Irish National Botanic Gardens. He’s continued the Missouri Botanical Garden’s conservation efforts around the globe—and even managed to bring a glimpse of its international scope back home with this past summer’s popular Lantern Festival.  

Amy & Amrit Gill

CEO and Chairman, Restoration St. Louis

The Gills have a knack for redefining spaces throughout St. Louis. The couple filled a one-time Masonic temple with a theater, a bowling alley, and lofts years ago to create the Moolah Theatre in midtown. They transformed a former hotel near Saint Louis University’s campus (the Coronado) into lofts and apartments. And they’ve gradually rebranded Forest Park Southeast as The Grove, a hip neighborhood complete with its own neon sign. Their latest project: turning around the Viking Conference Center in Sunset Hills.  

DO-GOODERS

Alison & John Ferring

Chairman, Plaze and PLZ Aeroscience

The Ferrings have played a role in almost every major cultural institution in St. Louis. The most recent example: the dramatic makeover of the city’s Central Library, a $20 million fundraising effort that Alison co-chaired with fellow board member Tom Schlafly. In Broadway terminology, the Ferrings are angels, blessing community organizations like City Museum, COCA, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Dance St. Louis, Forest Park Forever, Saint Louis Art Museum, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Teach for America…and the recent competition to design the new Arch grounds. It would be easier to list what they aren’t involved in than what they are.  

Marilyn & Sam Fox

Philanthropist; Chairman and Founder, Harbour Group

In this town, the name Fox is synonymous with “golden goose.” Together, the Foxes have contributed $10 million to create Washington University’s Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts (as well as co-chaired the $1.5 billion Campaign for Washington University). They’ve also created scholarships and made sizable donations to nearly every major institution in the region. Sam’s a political animal, too: He served as U.S. ambassador to Belgium, and this year, he donned the cap of Mitt Romney’s Missouri finance co-chair.  

Peter Fischer

Chairman, Gateway Foundation

The Gateway Mall never delivered on its original promise. But with the addition of the $30 million Citygarden, it has come considerably closer. And the man behind the creation is pushing hard to get that initial dream realized. The plan outlines a series of what he dubs “rooms” or gathering places, of which Citygarden is just one. But the keys to Fischer’s genius are his attention to detail and his determination that developers be locked out and a conservancy be set up to oversee the mall’s design and development—just as he and his staff oversaw every aspect of Citygarden, right down to the art selection.  

Randy Grim

Founder, Stray Rescue

Grim won his fame as St. Louis’ dog whisperer. He’s been trying to save every injured, neglected, or homeless dog in the area for more than two decades. What started as his obsession has morphed into an activist movement that culminated in the recent opening of Stray Rescue’s 17,000-square-foot no-kill Companion Animal Center on Pine Street. Today, you can give to the nonprofit at every checkout lane in Dierbergs. And though Grim—who’s authored two books and been the subject of a third—readily admits he’s a bundle of insecurities and phobias, none of them stop him from saving dogs in distress.  

Ron Shaich

Chairman and Co-CEO, Panera Bread; President, Panera Bread Foundation

It was Shaich’s idea to switch the Saint Louis Bread Co. in Clayton from a regular pay-full-price restaurant to a pay-what-you-can location. After helping turn Panera from a smattering of cafés into a company that brought in $1.8 billion in revenue last year, with 60,000 employees and more than 1,500 locations, Shaich became co-CEO of the company and took leadership of its charitable arm. His main residence is in Brookline, Mass., but he’s in St. Louis all the time, and his idea has become a model for other restaurant chains.  

Jimmie Edwards

Judge, 22nd Circuit Court of Missouri

How many men and women in black robes have shaken their heads in dismay over misguided youth? Certainly Edwards has, and he’s one of the few to do something dramatic about it. Edwards took over the old Blewett Middle School and opened Innovative Concept Academy, which now educates 375 at-risk students between the ages of 10 and 18. Last year, People magazine picked him as one of its Heroes of the Year.  

Anabeth & John Weil

President, Clayton Management Company

In the world of art and Forest Park, the name Weil carries weight. John is grandson of Etta and Mark Steinberg (as in Steinberg Rink, Wash. U.’s Steinberg Hall, etc.). Famous for their art collections, the Weils recently announced a lead gift of $12.5 million to Wash. U. for a new facility at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. John is an honorary trustee of the Saint Louis Art Museum, was president of the museum’s Board of Commissioners from 2008 to 2011, and chaired the Campaign Steering Committee for SLAM’s expansion. Its goal was $145 million—and they’ve raised $147 million. Anabeth was previously Forest Park’s manager, and in 1999, she founded the Flora Conservancy (a volunteer organization to help maintain the park); she’s now a program specialist in St. Louis’ Parks Division.  

Susan Block

Owner, The Designing Block

A co-founder of the Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund and the chair of last year’s Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation gala, Block has played key roles in fundraising for organizations large and small, including Washington University, Epworth Children & Family Services, the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Saint Louis Zoo, and St. Louis Children’s  Hospital—she’s one who can’t say no to a cause.  

William Koman Jr.

President, The Koman Group

After two bouts with lymphoma, Koman founded Pedal the Cause. This year, bikers rode through the city to raise more than $1.5 million for research at Siteman Cancer Center and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Although the Komans split their time between St. Louis and San Diego, this city considers Koman; his wife, Amy; and their three young entrepreneurial daughters (who help run frozen-yogurt chain Chill) among the next generations of our region’s philanthropic bigwigs.  

Becky James-Hatter

President and CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri

James-Hatter has led the local Big Brothers Big Sisters for nearly two decades—and in that time, she’s transformed a small organization with a budget of $300,000 into a monolith with a budget of more than

$4 million. The local chapter is the nonprofit’s fifth-largest affiliate in the nation and the largest youth-mentoring organization statewide. Its most recent coups have been taking a role as leading partner (and tenant) in the $14 million rehab of the old Woolworth Building and partnering with public schools and police for Bigs in Blue, a program in which police officers get paid time off to mentor in local schools.  

Marylen Mann

Founder and chairman emeritus, OASIS

For Mann, watching a good mind go to waste is a personal affront. When she saw seniors putting together jigsaw puzzles instead of learning and contributing, she got to work—and in 1982, she created Arts for Older Adults, now The OASIS Institute. From humble beginnings—classes in empty rooms in Famous-Barr department stores—OASIS has grown into an organization with chapters in 40 cities in 26 states, serving more than 56,000 individuals age 50 and older. Soft-spoken and never pushy, Mann cajoles and convinces donors and community leaders. In 2007, the Administration on Aging sent Mann to a U.N. conference on economics and aging in Spain as the sole representative from the U.S. Last November, she turned over operation of OASIS, but she still stays closely involved.  

Nancy & Ken Kranzberg

Philanthropist; founder, Tricorbraun

She’s sung in the band Nancy Kranzberg and the Second Half; he heads up a successful container company; and both collect art and contribute to nonprofits—500-plus civic, social, and arts groups. At Wash. U., they’ve created the Kranzberg Book Studio and the Kranzberg Art & Architecture Library, as well as supported the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum and a professorship in Israel studies.  

INFLUENCERS

Tim Eby

General Manager, St. Louis Public Radio

Since Eby’s 2009 arrival, KWMU-FM has rebranded itself as St. Louis Public Radio, added a third digital stream (available online and on HD Radio), rescued classical-music broadcasting, acquired WQUB-FM in Quincy, Ill., and moved to Grand Center. Eby steers the station’s news coverage between the shoals of wonky and the shallows of cute, and he keeps the conversation about public issues calm and smart. That’s good, because it’s reaching St. Louis power brokers every morning and evening, filtering what they hear and which facts take priority. He sets the tone.  

Greg Burke

Senior Communications Adviser, The Vatican

We realize Burke lives in Rome. But he’s from here (his faith took form at St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church and Opus Dei’s Wespine Study Center), and after all, St. Louis is called the Rome of the West because it’s a nexus for so many religious orders. Now, Burke is helping to shape the Pope’s message, and its nuances will have profound implications for St. Louis’ priests and women religious and the thousands of

St. Louisans they serve.  

Rev. Jeff Perry

Pastor, St. Louis Family Church

“Honor God. Help People.” Perry keeps it simple. And his manner is so warm, direct, and open that he’s drawn 5,000 people into his fold, and even the most reluctant visitors to the St. Louis Family Church leave with a lighter step. Smirk all you want at the TV ads; he’s built a huge church brimming with goodwill and good works, and he’s done it without shaming, mystifying, or invoking God’s wrath. That makes him hard to ignore.  

Rev. Lawrence Biondi

President, Saint Louis University

The man might have as many enemies as a Medici, but he understands renaissance. When Biondi first said he wanted SLU to be the finest Catholic university in the country, people chortled. But in his quarter century as president, he’s transformed not only the campus, but also the surrounding blocks; improved academic stats and student life; and doubled the real estate. Both research revenue and the university endowment are more than eight times what they were when he arrived, although growth has now slowed, and he needs to woo back his faculty’s trust.  

Charlie Brennan

Host, The Charlie Brennan Show, KMOX-AM

Brennan’s a veteran host on KMOX-AM, but he still looks 12, and he’s got a Boy Scout’s eagerness. He’ll talk about anything, with topics ranging from sports to politics, the death penalty, thriller novels, Afghanistan, donuts, the minimum wage… When the London Daily Mail posted photos of St. Louis decline, he defended us hotly. When Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo won an accolade ours missed, he tweeted, “This is an outrage!” He cares, unapologetically. It’s refreshing.  

Bill McClellan

Columnist, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Every city needs a reporter famous for defending the underdog. McClellan will dig into a story that looks murky and impossible to report, and he won’t shy away from charged issues of race or class in the process. Always human, he slips in wise remarks (“Still, it’s chancy to forbid a young woman to see a guy”), and if there’s a scandal, he’ll offer a tongue-in-cheek solution that exposes what’s really at issue. Honest and unpretentious, he’s one columnist who’s read by pretty much everybody in St. Louis.  

Arnold Donald

Philanthropist and Community Leader

He’s still in his fifties, yet he’s started and run Merisant Company, headed nonprofits, mentored future black executives, and served on the board of almost every major cultural institution in town (plus scores of companies and colleges, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and the United Way). He was on the President’s Export Council for international trade under Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush. He understands science, business, philanthropy, and culture, and he’s picked regularly to lead leadership councils, mentor mentors, advise advisors.  

Asif Umar

Imam, Daar-ul-Islam Masjid

Daar-ul-Islam is the largest mosque in St. Louis, and its new imam is so at ease with media, politics, and cultural complexity that he’s called on regularly to clarify the teachings of Islam. Granted, he’s 28, too young to be wise about every life crisis. But Daar-ul-Islam has elders who can help with pastoral counseling; what it needed, after decades of importing its imams, was a mufti (a trained scholar and interpreter of Islamic law) who understood American culture. Umar went to the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles for grade school; he writes “LOL” on Facebook posts and loves Blues hockey almost painfully. But he also speaks Arabic, knows the Quran by heart, and has a master’s degree in Islamic jurisprudence. Moderate and engaging, he’s setting precedent for St. Louis’ smaller mosques and forging strong connections with Christian and Jewish leaders.  

Nancy Cross

Vice President, SEIU Local No. 1

You won’t find much about Cross in local media—or even on the Service Employees International Union’s own website. But if you’re running a political campaign in Missouri, you’d better figure out where she stands. The SEIU is growing faster than any other union in the U.S.; with Cross in charge, Local No. 1 wields the kind of power unions used to have.  

Jeff Rainford

Chief of Staff, Mayor Francis Slay

Rainford shows up whenever it’s impossible or impolitic for Mayor Slay to appear. But when Rainford speaks, it’s in his own voice. He’s tackled the Rams, chastised Occupy St. Louis, pointed fingers for Superfund cleanup, told the American Civil Liberties Union that city jails “are not going to be Shangri-La,” and warned the governor he could lose St. Louisans’ votes by opposing local control of police. Slay can stay cool, because Rainford’s at flash point.  

Rex & Jeanne Sinquefield

Co-Founder and President, Show-Me Institute; Philanthropist

Rex used his brain to make millions; now he uses those millions to back candidates who will advance his political theories. He’s Missouri’s biggest—and most opinionated—political donor. And most of us are so hypnotized by this chess game, we forget to note his wife’s strategies with the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation, which gave away more than $13 million between 2006 and 2011.  

Dr. Donald Suggs

President and Publisher, St. Louis American

He’s an oral surgeon, a philanthropist, a major art collector, and the head of the St. Louis American Foundation. He’s served as an advisory commissioner for the Saint Louis Art Museum and on the RCGA’s executive committee. But his greatest influence is as president, publisher, and executive editor of Missouri’s largest independent newspaper, which wields political power and covers significant issues otherwise ignored in the mainstream press. The American’s won more than 200 awards in the past three years alone.  

Bernie Miklasz

Sportswriter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Host, The Bernie Miklasz Show, 101 ESPN

Sports is more than sports. It’s common ground and proving ground; a cause for civic pride; a business opportunity; a way to make small talk with a stranger or tease a colleague or bond with a friend. None of that’s possible if we’re clueless, though, and that’s where this guy comes in. After 23 years at the Post-Dispatch and untold hours on the radio, Miklasz knows his stuff. He’s the coach for the audience.  

CONNECTORS

Virvus Jones & Tishuara O. Jones

Former Comptroller, St. Louis

State Representative and Assistant Minority Floor Leader, St. Louis

“She’s going to be mayor someday,” says one political insider of Tishuara. She was the clear underdog in a primary battle for the Democratic city treasurer nomination against three other candidates this summer. Underfunded, she still won by a comfortable margin, likely in part because her father, the former city comptroller, was her campaign manager. Despite pleading guilty to tax fraud in 1995, Virvus is still widely respected and connected—the Joneses know President Barack Obama and the Rev. Jesse Jackson. As the first African-American assistant minority floor leader in the Missouri House of Representatives, Tishaura knows how to cross the aisle. But like her father, she’s also known as a blunt critic—which could make for a refreshing change in the city treasurer’s office, which has been plagued by scandal and controversy in recent years.  

Kathy Osborn

Executive Director, Regional Business Council

Just bringing together 100 local mid-cap company CEOs is a feat, but Osborn does one better by connecting them with civic leaders. The Regional Business Council helped improve Lambert–St. Louis International Airport after last year’s Good Friday tornado; championed the new Mississippi River Bridge; and created a Mentor Network Program connecting CEOs with young talent—inspiring similar programs as far away as Slovakia.  

Rabbi Susan Talve

Founder, Central Reform Congregation

Since founding Central Reform Congregation, the only synagogue in the city of St. Louis, in 1984, Talve has focused on welcoming African-American and LGBT Jews to the fold. She’s also built (sometimes controversial) interfaith ties. Recently, she turned her attention to healthcare, co-founding Missouri Health Care for All, a nonpartisan advocacy group supporting universal coverage.  

Susan Sherman

CEO, Susan Sherman, Inc.

The publicist is known for her designer duds, but she’s also a major supporter of the arts. She’s a former chair of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis and has served on COCA’s board. Previously, she worked with the Atlanta Ballet and the New York Philharmonic; now she wants to raise our profile as a great arts city. She’s taken the first step: In 2011, she helped create Craft Alliance’s Fashion Lab, exploring the art and craft of fashion.  

Rick Sullivan

President and CEO, St. Louis Public Schools Special Administrative Board

His job is to keep the peace between teachers, administrators, parents, and students—all while balancing a budget for a district that’s historically been millions in the red. Seem impossible? Sullivan, with fellow board members, has been doing it—and fighting off Missouri General Assembly members’ attempts to further strip the district’s funding—without the histrionics that make national news elsewhere.  

Richard Callow

President, Public Eye, Inc.

Callow “has everyone who matters in the city programmed on speed dial,” wrote one reporter. As a campaign strategist, he’s worked with four city mayors and is running Mayor Francis Slay’s reelection campaign. He also organized the Citizens for a Stronger St. Louis campaign, which helped convince city residents to keep paying the 1 percent city earnings tax. Callow has also been accused of feeding gossip and scandal to the media when it serves his ends. As an observer once said, “He’s rather Machiavellian.”  

Amit Dhawan

Managing Partner, Synergy Productions; Medical Director, Kantar Health

Dhawan organizes everything from Downtown Restaurant Week to Nelly’s Black and White Ball. In the last year alone, he threw parties for former Rams running back Marshall Faulk, Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, and rapper Pharrell Williams. And that’s in his spare time. For his 9-to-5, he’s medical director of clinical and scientific assessment at Kantar Health.  

Jill McGuire

Executive Director, Regional Arts Commission

McGuire cut her teeth as former Mayor Vince Schoemehl’s executive assistant. Now, as head of St. Louis’ largest arts agency, she does more than dole out grants to worthy area arts organizations. She also founded the nation’s first arts-oriented PAC; she spearheads studies of our local arts scene; and RAC hosted a conference this spring to discuss how artists could work with area leaders to revitalize industrial cities—McGuire’s forte.  

Sam Fiorello

Chief Operating Officer, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

Fiorello is perhaps our city’s last Renaissance man. Fluent in Italian, he helped found Upstream Theater and cycles well enough to keep up with 1984 Olympic cycling gold-medalist Mark Gorski (now a business development officer at BRDG Park, where Fiorello’s president). Sure, Fiorello helps oversee the world’s largest independent plant-science research center. But his dream job? Writing for The Onion.  

Tim Nowak

Executive Director, World Trade Center St. Louis

Nowak can’t take all the credit for Missouri’s increased foreign exports during the past three years, but he does help businesses go global. He’s helped organize trade delegations and has contacts in Japan, Germany, China, Australia…  

Kim & Sharon Tucci

Co-Owner, The Pasta House Co.

President, Talent Plus Entertainment

The Tuccis know everyone. Sharon started her talent agency in 1977 with a $1,500 loan from her parents, it has since expanded into Talent Plus Entertainment, representing area models, actors, and musicians like Denise Thimes and Erin Bode. Kim regularly rubs shoulders with St. Louis wheeler-dealers. He is a member of the Missouri Athletic Club Preservation Foundation’s board, as well as chair of the founding board of the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission’s nonprofit Civic Pride Foundation; played a role in bringing back the Loop Trolley; and brings people together over dinner at his ubiquitous Pasta House Co. restaurants.  

Andrew Rehfeld

President and CEO, Jewish Federation of St. Louis

As a former Wash. U. law and political-science prof, Rehfeld taught how institutions encourage us and reflect values like justice and democracy. Now, as the federation’s new CEO, he’ll be putting that theory into practice.  

Ed Hillhouse

Executive Director, East-West Gateway

East-West Gateway divvies out billions in federal aid to regional transportation and economic-development projects, and both Illinois and Missouri get equal say in the council, leading to fights over…a lot. The mild-mannered Hillhouse has been fighting our government’s tendency toward provincialism since 2010. His most recent effort: the Poplar Street Bridge’s ramp solution.  

Amelia Bond

President and CEO, Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation

When Bond took charge of the Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation this January, she said her goal was to increase the foundation’s asset base from nearly $200 million to $1 billion over a decade. That’s pretty lofty for a foundation that Bond admits is under the radar. It pools money from family and corporate donations and invests funds in area nonprofits. So to raise the foundation’s profile, Bond is connecting with even more area donors and nonprofits—all in an effort to better the region.  

By Jeannette Cooperman, Rosalind Early, George Mahe, Christy Marshall, Nancy McMullen, Jarrett Medlin, William Powell, and Stefene Russell | Photography by Kevin A. Roberts and Matt Marcinkowski