We asked a few of our top 50 to give us their Top 5. Picks we agreed with—and their ranking on our list—are boldfaced.
Peter Raven’s Top 5
Larry Biondi (9)
David Kemper (3)
Bill Danforth (8)
Don Lents (31)
Sam Fox (10)
Maxine Clark’s Top 5
Larry Biondi (9)
Mark Wrighton (6)
Bill Danforth (8)
Andy Taylor (2)
Sam Fox (10)
Kathy Osborn’s Top 5
Doug Albrecht [head of the Regional Business Council]
Andy Taylor (2)
Stephen Lipstein (16)
Cindy Brinkley [president, AT&T Missouri]
David Steward (36)
Steve Patterson’s Top 5
Amy and Amrit Gill (38)
Steve Smith [president, The Lawrence Group]
Les Sterman [director, East-West Gateway Council of Government]
Steven and Michael Roberts (21)
Thomas R. Shrout Jr. [Executive Director, Citizens for Modern Transit]
Don Lents’ Top 5
Peter Raven (20)
Larry Biondi (9)
Joe Adorjan [CEO, Bates Sales Co.]
Vince Schoemehl Jr. [CEO, Grand Center]
Ellen Sherberg [publisher, St. Louis Business Journal]
Amy & Amrit Gill’s Top 5
Mike McMillan, St. Louis alderman
Dave Drebes, publisher, Arch City Chronicle
Richard Callow (14)
Barbara Geisman (13)
Alexa Talinger, Rams Foundation
Richard Callow’s Top 5
Kathy Bader (25)
Kathleen Brady [vice president for facilities management and civic affairs, Saint Louis University]
Cindy Brinkley, president, AT&T Missouri
Barbara Geisman (13)
Kathy Osborn (32)
Mary Strauss’ Top 5
The Taylors (2)
Ken and Nancy Kranzberg (24)
Michael Niedorff [chairman and CEO, Centene Corp.]
Allison and John Ferring [philanthropists]
Emily Pulitzer (17)
Joe Edwards’ Top 5
Bill and John Danforth (1 and 8)
Andy Taylor (2)
Mark Wrighton (6)
Larry Biondi (9)
David Farr [CEO, Emerson Electric]
David Steward’s Top 5
Sam Fox (10)
David Farr, CEO, Emerson Electric
Jack and Bill Danforth (1 and 8)
The Taylor Family (2)
Des Lee [philanthropist]
Bob Archibald’s Top 5
Mayor Francis Slay (12)
Jack Danforth (1)
Darnetta Clinkscale, former president, St. Louis Public Schools board
W. Wayne Withers, executive vp, Emerson Electric and chairman of the board emeritus, Missouri Historical Society
Ron Jackson, member, St. Louis Public Schools board
Jeff Smith’s Top 5
Michael Sorth [vice president of public finance at Piper Jaffray]
Dave Drebes [publisher of Arch City Chronicle]
Kay Gabbert [vice president at the Roberts Cos.]
Bob Herleth [director of operations, Missouri Botanical Garden]
John Bardgett Jr. [uber-lobbyist, Bardgett & Associates]
Sr. Mary Jean Ryan’s Top 5
“My choices for the five most powerful can be condensed into one. That is because I believe that power means making a difference. Therefore I nominate all of the people of SSM Health Care who make a profound difference in people’s lives, every day and in every way. These are the people, who at first glance, may not fit the traditional definition of powerful, but they are, and they use their power to serve all those who come to us with care and compassion. That’s making a difference, and that’s real power.”
