2025 What's Right with the Region Awards

Get your tickets for one of the most inspiring events of the year!

Thursday, May 15, 2025
5:00-6:30 p.m. - Networking Reception
6:30-8:00 p.m. - Awards Celebration
Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri-St. Louis

During this event, we will recognize our 2025 What's Right with the Region honorees, including our FOCUS Leadership Award and Alumni Award recipients.

As a nonprofit, this event represents FOCUS' most important fundraising event of the year. Your ticket purchase supports our mission to provide diverse leaders with the civic awareness and powerful connections needed to be collaborative changemakers who advance a thriving region for all.

Pricing (through March 31)

FOCUS members – $65
Nonmembers – $75

Members must log-in to receive discounted pricing. Join/renew now to save!

Stay tuned for the announcement of this year's honorees!

Susan Trautman, CEO of Great Rivers Greenway, will be honored with the 2025 FOCUS Leadership Award at this year's What's Right with the Region Awards Celebration.

This prestigious award, chosen by the FOCUS Board of Directors, is given annually to individuals who demonstrate committed leadership, generate a meaningful impact in the community, and encourage strong community engagement in others.

During her tenure, working with more than 200 partners, Great Rivers Greenway has doubled their number of miles of greenway trail (from 68 to 135) as well as added several destination park projects. Trautman was a key champion in the six-agency public-private partnership to plan and implement the CityArchRiver project, reimagining of the Gateway Arch National Park and surrounding areas. She led the organization through tremendous growth, including securing $110 million to date from federal or state grants and developing a 501(c)3 nonprofit Foundation to solicit and steward private donations to the same cause, collecting more than $50 million to date, ensuring that residents’ tax contributions are used to their maximum potential. Trautman will be retiring from her role, which she has held since 2010, in May 2025.

Learn more.

Nominations for the 2025 What's Right with the Region Awards are now closed. Thank you to all who took the time to nominate!  Look for the honoree announcement in late February!

What’s Right with the Region has a tremendous impact on FOCUS St. Louis and on the organizations and people we honor each year, and meaningful partnerships make all the difference.

A What's Right with the Region sponsorship is a unique opportunity to build stronger community ties, promote your business, and be intimately associated with one of the most well-known civic leadership organizations in the country.

For more information on sponsorships and benefits, please contact Michelle Stevens, Director of Development, at michelles@focus-stl.org or (314) 657-4029.

Over the past 27 years, FOCUS has had the privilege of celebrating the accomplishments of more than 550 honorees.

View past honorees.