FOCUS St. Louis has selected 58 outstanding individuals from the private, public and nonprofit sectors for the 51^st Leadership St. Louis (LSL) class. These participants join a prestigious group of more than 2,800 leaders who have graduated from the LSL program since its inception in 1976.

Leadership St. Louis is a highly respected program for experienced leaders who have demonstrated a deep commitment to improving the St. Louis region. The immersive curriculum explores issues such as economic and workforce development, education, health care, local government, arts and culture and more. Leadership St. Louis is designed to challenge participants’ thinking, expose them to new ideas and perspectives, and promote discussion, reflection and action. Many graduates describe the experience as “transformational,” arming them with the tools, resources and connections to lead more effectively in their personal, professional and civic roles.

“Every generation of leaders has the opportunity and responsibility to help shape the future of our region,” says Dr. Yemi Akande-Bartsch, President & CEO of FOCUS St. Louis and Director of the Leadership St. Louis program. “Over the course of the nine-month program, these leaders will deepen their understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing St. Louis, build meaningful relationships across sectors, and strengthen their capacity to drive meaningful change in our region.”

Leadership St. Louis is part of the continuum of civic leadership programs offered by FOCUS St. Louis.

2026-27 Leadership St. Louis Class

Christopher Bailey
Senior Commercial Proposal Manager
MilliporeSigma

Latasha Barnes
Executive Director
St. Louis Housing Authority

Andrew R. Bramman
Attorney (Shareholder)
Lashly & Baer, P.C.

Anitra Cole
Chief Human Resources Officer
YWCA Metro St. Louis

Jonel Coleman
Acting Director
St. Louis County Dept. of Justice Services

Carrie Collins
Chief Transformation Officer
Beyond Housing

Sarah Cramer
Community Development Manager
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Aubrey DeZego
Chief of Philanthropy and External Relations
Saint Louis Art Museum

Katie Doherty
Senior Associate
Armstrong Teasdale LLP

Stephanie Donnelly
Vice President of Client Experience
Professional Office Environments

Ellen Eardley
Managing Partner &
Civil Rights Practice Co-Chair
Mehri & Skalet

Garrett Fischer
Partner
Thompson Coburn LLP

Theresa Fleck
Chief Development Officer
Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas

Kate Fletcher Robinson
Senior Director, Strategic Donor Communications
Centerstone

Zack Folk
Business Development Officer
St. Louis Economic Development Partnership

Tyrone D. Ford
Deputy Director
St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund

Ryan Gibbons
Founder
STL 1st

Jay Hartman
Director of Youth Initiatives
St. Louis Community Foundation

Dr. Tracey Hermanstyne-Jordan
Asst. Dean, Academic Pathway Programs and Asst. Professor, Developmental Biology
WashU Medicine

Alisha Hill
Senior Program Manager
Tabernacle CDC

Jason Jackson
Director of Operations
Amazon Corporation

Tali Katz
Deputy Executive Director
St. Louis Survivors Legal Support (SLSLS)

Laura Keller
Chief Communications Officer
Humane Society of Missouri

Colin Kinkade
Assistant Director
Municipal League of Metro St. Louis

Tamara Lackland
Vice President
Commerce Bank

John Land
General Manager
CIC St. Louis

Mitch Lansford
VP and Treasurer
Ameren

Mike Ledyard
Senior Operations Manager
Amazon

Christopher Luckett
Credit Analyst
First Bank

Annie Mbale
Program Manager
St. Louis Mosaic Project

Meridith McAvoy Perkins
Executive Director
Forest ReLeaf of Missouri

Amy Miller
Program & Project Manager
The Opportunity Trust

Kelly M. Moore
Director of Community Engagement
International Institute of Saint Louis

Kenan D. Morrison
Founder & CEO
The Village

Melissa Mueller
Sr. HRBP
Amazon

Christopher Nolan
Director, Community Benefit and Anchor Initiatives
BJC HealthCare

Channon Peoples
Executive Director
UMSL Office of Precollegiate Student Services

Saffiyah Poole
Assistant Vice President of Planning and Operations
St. Louis Integrated Health Network

Amanda Pope
Associate Chief of Staff and Executive Director, Office of the Chancellor
Washington University in St. Louis

Calvin Robinson
Director Of Lab, Radiology, & Oncology
BJC Memorial Hospital

Judith Rowland
Senior Vice President & Global Sustainability Lead, Food & Agriculture
FleishmanHillard

Rebecca Savage
Sr. Associate | Sr. Project Manager
HOK

Alexandra Scaife
Family Partnership Director
SouthSide Early Childhood Center

Enbal Shacham
Professor, Associate Dean for Research
Saint Louis University

Kneka Smith
Dean
A.T. Still University-Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health

Danielle Stewart
Senior Director, Marketing and Audience Development
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Luke Streitz
Finance Manager
Independence Center

Laura Taylor Zanowski
Government Relations Advisor
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Becky Thompson
Vice President of Science and Education
Saint Louis Science Center

Amanda Truemper, AIA
Associate Principal | Sr. Project Manager
Trivers

Jen Wade
Area Engineer
MoDOT

Michelle Wells
Principal, Architectural Design Lead
Bond Architects

Will Werner
Director, Bureau of Administration
Washington University Police Department

Aja Williams
Vice President & Chief Content Officer
Nine PBS

Danny Williams
Managing Director
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Laura Yarbrough
Director, Brand Marketing
Nestle Purina Petcare

Ajla Zigic
VP, Business Development
Bank of Washington