FOCUS St. Louis has selected 30 talented early-career professionals for the Fall 2023 cohort of Emerging Leaders. This civic leadership program provides participants with an increased sense of engagement in the region, as well as the tools to take an active role as the next generation of St. Louis regional leaders.
Since its launch in 2012, FOCUS Emerging Leaders has trained more than 600 young professionals from across the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
“Emerging Leaders is the perfect opportunity for any early-career professional who wants to take on a greater leadership role in our region,” says FOCUS President & CEO Dr. Yemi Akande-Bartsch. “Participants leave the program with a better understanding of themselves and our community and a clearer vision for their future.”
During the four-month program, participants meet with area leaders to gain a better understanding of the inner workings of St. Louis, explore their personal, professional and civic leadership styles and gain a diverse network of peers. Upon graduation, participants become part of the FOCUS network of more than 11,000 leadership program alumni.
The Emerging Leaders program is presented with support from Ameren Missouri, Big League Impact, Dierbergs Markets, Kwame Charitable Foundation, the Asian-American Chamber of Commerce – St. Louis, and RGA Foundation.
Learn more about Emerging Leaders and the other FOCUS civic leadership programs at www.focus-stl.org.
Fall 2023 Emerging Leaders Class
Jimmy Abbott
Commercial Banking – Relationship Manager, SVP
Regions Bank
Patrick Battaglia
Director of Health Policy and Interdisciplinary Care
Logan University
Josh Brettmann
Senior Scientist
MilliporeSigma
Juwanna Brown
Project Manager – Neighborhood Transformation
St. Louis Development Corporation
Myron Burr, Jr.
Coordinator of DEI Initiatives
University of Missouri – St. Louis
DeAna Carter
Senior Project Manager
Kwame Building Group
Lin Cheng
Associate Director Technology Strategy
MilliporeSigma
Justin Diller
Team Leader – Trading
Edward Jones
Paige Dunk
Communications Specialist II
Washington University in St. Louis
Ashley Edwards
Performance Improvement Manager
BJC HealthCare
Chelsea Filbert
Business Analyst
Mastercard
Kiara Fite
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
Flance Early Learning Center
Madeline Galdámez
Educator
Saint Louis Public Schools
Curtis Griggs
Multimedia Consultant
ConsulTech Media Management LLC
Ronita Herron
Director of Program & Performance
Almost Home
Meghan Jendusa
Data and Performance Analyst
St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund
Emily Johnson Pickel
Charitable Relations Specialist
Busey Bank
Abbey Jones
Performance Improvement Manager
BJC HealthCare
Yatina V. Katunga
Digital Banking Systems Specialist
First Community Credit Union
Rabia Khan
Release Train Engineer
Ameren
David Maia
Alumni Support Coordinator
City Academy
Stephanie Matt
Team Leader: Wealth Management Enablement
Edward Jones
Shelby McNeil
Sustainability Program Specialist
Ameren
Travis Newberry
Senior Planner
City of Wildwood Department of Planning and Parks
Jordyn Norde
Clinical Pharmacist
Affinia Healthcare
Sophia Ochs
Brand & Innovation Lead
Hoffmann Brothers
Jill Salinas
Events Manager
Special Education Foundation
Hannah Talley
City Clerk
City of Warson Woods, MO
Kristina Vidovic
Early Learning Initiative Manager
Nine PBS
Lewis Washington
Procurement Agent
The Boeing Company