FOCUS St. Louis® has selected 32 talented young professionals for the Spring 2022 cohort of Emerging Leaders. This competitive 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, the FOCUS Emerging Leaders program has trained more than 575 early-career 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 10,000 leadership program alumni.
The Emerging Leaders program is presented with support from Big League Impact, Dierbergs, The Kwame Foundation, PepsiCo Foundation, and Regions Bank.
Spring 2022 Emerging Leaders Class
Dallas Adams
Communications Manager
Starkloff Disability Institute
Rachel Anders
Corporate and Foundation Relations Officer
St. Louis Area Foodbank
Melissa Baldwin
Training & Development Manager
Mills Properties, Inc.
Kristin Bengtson
Associate Director of Community Strategy
PreventEd
Kelsey Bodie
Instructional Coach – Educational Leader
Hazelwood School District
Tiffany Brewer
Managing Director
EarthDance Organic Farm School
Andrea Cox
Wellness Coordinator and Program Director
The Collective STL @ Rung for Women
Taylor Decker
School Social Worker
Rockwood School District
Mitchell Fitzpatrick
Outreach and Training Coordinator
VetBiz
Brittae Gray-Ross
Application Developer
Washington University
Tracy Gutzke
Sr. Financial Analyst
St. Louis Children’s Hospital/BJC HealthCare
Ben Hasse
Cost Allocation Manual Manager
Ameren Missouri
Laurel Hawkins
HR Manager
Emerson Electric Co.
Brittany Hensley
Growth & Development Administrative Assistant
Husch Blackwell LLP
Jazminique Holley
Lead Instructor, Lead Learner, Founding Coach
Showstoppers Cheer STL
Heather Jaconis
Operations Manager
Philanthropy Missouri
Lauren Kistner
Marketing & Communications Manager
Forsyth School
Natalie Kniepman
Vice President – Sr. Supplier Solutions Manager
Citibank, N.A.
Nicholas Krehmeyer
Sales Enablement Coordinator
Midwest BankCentre
Natasha Leonard
Director of External Relations
Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition
Endia Lumpkins
Sales District Leader
Pepsi Corporation (Frito-Lay)
Brian Manchisi
Senior Project Analyst – Office of Innovation & Commercialization
Washington University in St. Louis
Karen Mohan
Human Resources Business Partner
Barnes-Jewish Hospital
Jake Mondschein
Customer Advocate
Noonlight
Alex Monroe
Project Manager
Gorilla 76
Jay Nelson
Boards and Commission Liaison/Custodian of Records/Fiscal Note Coordinator
St. Louis County Executive
Alisha Sonnier
Board of Education Member for City of St. Louis/Mental Health Advocate
Cigna/Board of Education
Laura Stock
Senior Associate – Project Architect
The Lamar Johnson Collaborative
Aaron Weekes
Strategist
Gorilla 76
Rebecca Winkler
Public Policy Administration Graduate Student
University of Missouri-St. Louis
Kurt Wunderlich
Client Development Advisor
Buckingham Strategic Wealth
Beverly Ziegler
Director – Women’s Business Center
Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis