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September 1, 2010 “Green Savings”: Investing In Clean Energy And Efficiency Seminar To Be Held Wednesday, September 1st At RCGA: The RCGA and Renew Missouri are presenting “Green Savings: Investing In Clean Energy And Efficiency – What Missouri’s PACE Laws Means for Business and Municipalities” on Wednesday, September 1st, from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., in the Regional Collaboration Center at the RCGA, One Metropolitan Square, Ste. 1300, downtown.
The new Missouri Property Assessment Clean Energy (PACE) law enables businesses and residential property owners to finance, from their property assessments, energy efficiency upgrades and renewable energy equipment. Participants in the seminar will discover how a PACE program can be implemented in their respective communities and what the advantages are to their individual businesses. Presentations will include:
This is a free seminar, but to reserve your seat please RSVP today to Sherri Bailey at sbailey@stlrcga.org, or call her at 314.444.1134. August 31, 2010 “Final Call”: Greater St. Louis Top 50 Award Nominations Due This Friday, September 3rd: Nominations are due this Friday, September 3rd for the 2010 Greater St. Louis Top 50 Awards. Nominees will be judged on their economic impact, which will be measured in several ways, based on such factors as: growth in the number of employees; revenue growth; acquisitions and expansion of facilities; and their overall contributions to the St. Louis regional economy and civic community. All St. Louis area companies, from small entrepreneurial firms to large publicly-held companies, may enter this awards program. RubinBrown and the RCGA are once again partnering in presenting this 15th annual awards program, which salutes outstanding business entrepreneurs and organizations in all sectors. In addition to RubinBrown, corporate and media sponsors of the Top 50 Awards program are: Ameren; Edward Jones; M&I Bank; Thompson Coburn LLP; KMOX NewsRadio 1120; the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; STLtoday.com; and St. Louis Commerce Magazine.
The Greater St. Louis Top 50 Award winners will be announced and featured in the November/December issue of St. Louis Commerce Magazine and will be honored at the Thursday, November 11th, 2010 Gala Awards dinner at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch. Self-nominations and 3rd party nominations are both welcomed and encouraged; and may be completed on-line, at http://www.stlrcga.org/documents/top50.asp, or by visiting the RCGA website at www.stlrcga.org under "Events." For further information on the Greater St. Louis Top 50, please contact RCGA Vice President for Membership Services Colin Stahlhut at (314) 444-1145, or e-mail at cstahlhut@stlrcga.org. August 30, 2010 BEIJING -- Senators Bond & McCaskill Return To China Leading Delegation To Pursue Next Steps In The “Big Idea”: U.S. Senators Kit Bond and Claire McCaskill are leading a delegation of business, labor, civic and governmental leaders here in China this week in the latest chapter of the 3-year effort to establish a Midwest China Cargo and Commercial Hub for China in the bi-state region. The delegation includes members of the Midwest-China Hub Commission and the High Level Business Group. Beyond the cargo hub, an underlying mission of our trip to China --- which began with arrivals yesterday and today --- is to strengthen B2B economic ties with Chinese business leaders and government officials to create a commercial hub as well, providing new markets for Midwestern goods in China and vice versa. The 5-day mission to China kicked off this afternoon with a 90-minute meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, and the China People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in the Chinese Capital in Beijing. Joining the Senators in their meeting with the Vice Premier at the Capital Compound this afternoon were: Stephen Perry, Chairman of the 48 Group Club; Mike Jones, Chairman of the Midwest-China Hub Commission; Commission members Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, Director of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport; Rich McClure, President, Unigroup; Dan Mehan, President, Missouri Chamber; myself, representing the RCGA, along with representatives from the project’s High Level Business Group Ron Fromm, Chairman and CEO, Brown Shoe; Paul McKee, Chairman, McEagle; Agnes Rey-Giraud, President of International, Express Scripts; Dr. Peter Raven, President, Missouri Botanical Garden; Dr. Beth Stroble, President, Webster University; Michael Flannigan, Vice President for International, Peabody Energy; Kevin Eblen, Vice President for Greater China Region, Monsanto; Matt Bross, Global Technology Officer and Vice Chairman USA, Huawei; and Pat Kellett, Business Manager, Plumbers & Pipefitters.
Our delegation has a full slate of meetings scheduled this week here in Beijing and later in Shanghai, including sessions with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (China’s counterpart to the Federal Aviation Administration), the China Air Transport Association, individual Chinese airlines, the All China Federation of Industry and Commerce, as well as government entities such as the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture; National Development & Reform Commission, Shanghai Municipal Government, China Council For The Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Shanghai Municipal Commission of Agriculture, and U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, among others. Also, our meetings will focus on promoting connections with additional freight forwarders and following up on economic development agreements signed between Missouri and Chinese business interests.
"This bipartisan trip is another critical step on the road to make the Midwest-China Hub a reality and the St. Louis region an even better place to do business,” Sen. Bond noted. “With the economy in the slump, now is exactly the right time to be expanding markets for Midwest products and opening up new opportunities for Missourians. On our return I look forward to sharing the progress we are making on a project that will fuel the jobs of the future in the Heartland." "Opening up Chinese markets for Midwestern products will mean more jobs for people in the St. Louis area and economic growth for the entire region," Sen. McCaskill added. "We're getting closer to making increased exports from the Midwest to China a reality, and this trip will help move the process forward." Historically, the majority of Asian investment and attention has been on the East and West coasts, with the Midwest viewed as a "fly-over" region. A Midwest-China hub will balance trade and increase the visibility of Midwestern products in China and other global regions. Atlas Air Worldwide predicts that future trade between Asia and North America will grow faster than average with flights heading west expected to comprise two-thirds of the growth. The Bureau of Economics reports that exports in the St. Louis metropolitan area are steadily climbing—from $10 billion in 2007 to $12 billion in 2008. Those numbers combined with the Midwest’s central location and its niche as the BioBelt center in food, plant and bio-sciences are added incentives for China to establish a Midwest air cargo and commercial hub. August 25, 2010 Register Today For RCGA Breakfast With The Gazelles On Thursday, September 9th:
Please plan to join us for the next RCGA Breakfast with the Gazelles featuring RCGA Board member Dr. James Kimmey, President & CEO of the Missouri Foundation For Health, and his colleagues at the Foundation, M. Ryan Barker, Director of Public Policy and Thomas McAuliffe, Policy Analyst, on Thursday, September 9th, beginning at 7:15 a.m., in the Regional Collaboration Center at the RCGA. Their topic is “The Intersection of Federal Health Reform and Business.” Breakfast with the Gazelles is held each month in the Regional Collaboration Center at the RCGA offices on the 13th floor; registration and continental breakfast open at 7:15 a.m., with the program itself running from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Parking is available in the Met Square garage. For more information about this and other upcoming RCGA Breakfast with the Gazelles programs, please contact RCGA Vice President for Membership Services Colin Stahlhut today at (314) 444-1145, or e-mail him at cstahlhut@stlrcga.org. August 24, 2010 Today Is Final Day To Post Your Comments On Arch Design Concepts To Competition Jury: Public comments are welcomed by close of business today regarding the design concepts of the 5 competing teams for the Arch Grounds International Design Competition. Please Click here to post your comments online. The design concepts are now on display in the Gateway Arch Visitor’s Center through September 30th, 2010. A traveling exhibit will visit sites throughout the bi-state region through September 26th, 2010.
Below, in alphabetical order, are highlights from each team's concept designs and renderings offered by the groups. Please click on these links:
* Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
Team leaders will present their design concepts to the competition jury on August 26th in the Ferrara Theater at America’s Center from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The design concepts will be on display and the public is invited to attend. The location was changed from the Tucker Theater to accommodate the expected audience. Walter Metcalfe, Jr. of Bryan Cave and his civic colleagues are providing great leadership to The City + The Arch + The River 2015 Foundation. Walter has presented to the RCGA Board of Directors twice this year on the international design competition. He has often noted that completing the project is critically important to the St. Louis region's future "in terms of connecting the region together, in terms of stimulating additional investment, in terms of bringing visitors and people to St. Louis, in terms of making the region a more informed and fun place to be." Below are the dates, times and locations to view the design concepts: Arch Lobby: 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Aug. 17 - Sept. 24 Missouri Botanical Garden, Orthwein Hall, Southwestern Illinois College, Main Complex, 2nd Floor Hallway National Great Rivers Museum, 2 Lock and Dam Way, Alton Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Morris Center Maryville University, University Library, Monsanto Room University of Missouri - St. Louis, J.C. Penney Conference Center Washington University in St. Louis, Givens Hall, Main Floor St. Charles Community College, College Center Rotunda Missouri History Museum, Forest Park For more information please click here: www.cityarchrivercompetition.org August 19, 2010 "Greater St. Louis Top 50" Sponsors Seek Nominations For 2010 Top 50 Awardees: Nominations are now being accepted for the 2010 Greater St. Louis Top 50. The Gala Awards Dinner will be held on Thursday evening, November 11th at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch. Nominees will be judged on their economic impact, which will be measured in several ways, based on such factors as: growth in the number of employees; revenue growth; acquisitions and expansion of facilities; and their overall contributions to the St. Louis regional economy and civic community. All St. Louis area companies, from small entrepreneurial firms to large publicly-held companies, may enter the awards program. RubinBrown and the RCGA are once again partnering in presenting this 15th annual awards program, which salutes outstanding business entrepreneurs and organizations in a full spectrum of sectors. In addition to RubinBrown, corporate and media sponsors of the Top 50 Awards program are: Ameren; Edward Jones; M&I Bank; Thompson Coburn LLP; KMOX NewsRadio 1120; the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; STLtoday.com; and St. Louis Commerce Magazine.
The 2010 Ameren Corporate Citizenship Award and the 2010 Spirit of St. Louis Technology Award will also be presented once again this year. The 2009 Ameren Corporate Citizenship Award was presented to Edward Jones and was accepted by Managing Partner Jim Weddle. Savvis, Inc. was honored with the 2009 Spirit of St. Louis Technology Award.
The Greater St. Louis Top 50 Award winners will be announced and featured in the November/December issue of St. Louis Commerce Magazine and will be honored at the November 11, 2010 Gala Awards dinner at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch. Self-nominations and 3rd party nominations are both welcomed and encouraged; and may be completed on-line, at http://www.stlrcga.org/documents/top50.asp, or by visiting the RCGA website at www.stlrcga.org under "Events." Nomination forms also have been mailed to all RCGA member companies. The deadline for receipt of completed nomination forms is Friday, September 3rd, 2010. For further information on the Greater St. Louis Top 50, please contact RCGA Vice President for Membership Services Colin Stahlhut at (314) 444-1145, or e-mail at cstahlhut@stlrcga.org. August 18, 2010 Ground Broken For The Illinois Approach To The New Mississippi River Bridge: The Illinois levee was the site this past Friday afternoon for a celebration of the start of construction for the Illinois approach to the New Mississippi River Bridge. Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Secretary Gary Hannig welcomed U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello and other State and local officials to the groundbreaking event. Everyone commented on the long, collaborative process that eventually led to the bridge project now under construction and the importance of the bridge in creating jobs and long-term economic benefit for the region. Congressman Costello was rightly praised for his longstanding, staunch support of the project and his help to secure federal funding for the $670 million bridge project.
The $46.3 million Illinois approach project that was kicked-off on Friday includes construction of a new dual 10-span structure on relocated I-70 from IL Route 3 to the new bridge. It is the largest Illinois administered project to date on the overall Mississippi River Bridge project. The new bridge is on schedule to be completed in 2014. August 17, 2010 Chesterfield Mayor John Nations Leads Workshop At Annual Chamber Convention: John Nations, Mayor of Chesterfield, joined Roy Williams, President and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, in an informative and well-attended session entitled “Passing the Bond” at the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) national annual meeting, held in Milwaukee. John provided a “case study” on how St. Louisans were encouraged to invest in our community with the passage of Proposition A to support a strong and viable transit system in the form of MetroLink, MetroBus, and Call-A-Ride. Roy outlined how Oklahoma City recently passed MAPS 3 which is a $777 million seven year penny sales tax which will pay for a new 70 acre central park, a new convention center, a downtown streetcar system, more sidewalks, hiking trails, five new aquatic centers for seniors and connecting downtown to the Oklahoma River. MAPS – short for Metropolitan Area Projects – follows MAPS and MAPS for Kids, which focused on building new schools, and were found to spur billions in private development. Both the St. Louis and Oklahoma City efforts were successful in spite of a national recession and voter sentiment opposing most new initiatives.
August 16, 2010 "KMOX Business Owners Speaker Series" Featuring Anheuser-Busch President Dave Peacock Being Held Tomorrow At Maryville University: The RCGA is pleased to again co-sponsor the KMOX Business Owners Speaker Series (BOSS) breakfast program featuring Anheuser-Busch, Inc. President Dave Peacock tomorrow, August 17th, beginning at 7 a.m. at the Maryville University auditorium. BOSS is presented by Charter Business and Maryville University.
As president of Anheuser-Busch, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, Peacock is head of the U.S. business unit – the largest business unit and leading volume and profit provider for Anheuser-Busch InBev. He is responsible for the commercial success of Anheuser-Busch and managing all U.S. operations for the company, including marketing, sales, wholesaler relations and other aspects of the U.S. market. This is a free event but registration is required. Please click here to RSVP. August 11, 2010 St. Louis Region Awarded 2012 USA Gymnastics Visa Championships: Speaking of sports, the nation’s top gymnasts will compete in St. Louis on the road to the London 2012 Olympic Games. USA Gymnastics this past Friday awarded the 2012 Visa Championships to St. Louis. The national governing body’s premier annual championships will take place at Chaifetz Arena on the campus of Saint Louis University June 6th-9th, 2012. The St. Louis Sports Commission will serve as the host organization for the 4-day competition; it partnered with Global Spectrum, managers of Chaifetz Arena to produce the region’s bid for this event.
USA Gymnastics’ national champions and national teams are determined annually at the Visa Championships. The competition is televised nationally on NBC Sports and Universal Sports. St. Louis and the Sports Commission previously hosted the event in 2000 when it preceded the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The championships played a role in determining the U.S. Olympic team that year. In 2012, St. Louisans will again have a chance to see America’s best gymnasts compete on the road to the Summer Games. The 2012 Visa Championships will lead into the U.S. Olympic Trials and the London Olympics. “As an organization dedicated to celebrating St. Louis’ Olympic legacy, we’re honored to have the opportunity to host the nation’s top gymnasts prior to the 2012 Games in London,” noted Sports Commission President Frank Viverito. “We have great memories of the 2000 national championships held in St. Louis, and we’re thrilled to partner with USA Gymnastics once again. We look forward to working with our colleagues at Chaifetz Arena to deliver an exceptional event to help America’s team in 2012.” “USA Gymnastics is excited to bring the Visa Championships back to St. Louis,” added Steve Penny, President of USA Gymnastics. “The St. Louis Sports Commission and the city were excellent hosts and partners in 2000, and we look forward to working with them again. We are confident that St. Louis will be the perfect stage to showcase our top athletes on the road to London in 2012.” Congratulations to Frank Viverito and his outstanding team at the St. Louis Sports Commission on landing another outstanding sporting event for the bi-state region. August 10, 2010 Joe Buck, Dan Dierdorf And Ozzie Smith Headline “Fall Sports Kickoff” Next Month Benefitting St. Louis Police Foundation: Please mark your calendar for Tuesday, September 7th at America’s Center for the Fall Sports Kickoff Luncheon, presented by Boeing, featuring hosts Joe Buck, Dan Dierdorf and Ozzie Smith.
The St. Louis Police Foundation, formed as a non-profit organization 3 years ago, supports the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department through the donation of monetary aid, services and goods. The goal of the Foundation - in partnership with citizens, businesses and other charitable organizations - is to ensure the highest level of police service to the St. Louis community. The Foundation supports programs, initiatives and projects that are strategically focused to compliment the Department’s policing strategies. The Foundation is modeled after other successful Police Foundations in New York, Atlanta and Chicago. Through the Foundation, every individual, business and organization in the St. Louis area can become a valued member of the police community. Since the St. Louis Police Foundation’s inception in 2007, more than $900,000 has been raised to support projects that enhance law enforcement proficiency and efficiency; increase officer safety; encourage community support and understanding; and foster personnel development and well-being. Recent programs provided by the Foundation include the purchase of a horse for the mounted patrol; ATV’s for policing in Forest Park; a new mobile ticketing system for all patrol vehicles; 6 new sniper rifles for the SWAT unit; 4 new helicopter monitors for Metro Air Support; improvements to the Canine Center and Police Academy Training Facility; an in-car camera video system for 50 vehicles; underwriting for 250 officers to attend an intense crisis street survival training program; and underwriting of the annual Memorial Breakfast to honor fallen police officers. The St. Louis Police Foundation was formed by Doug Albrecht, CEO of The Bodley Group, and Chris Goodson, President of the Goodson Co. Additional Board members are George Roman, Vice President, Government Relations and Regional Executive, Integrated Defense Systems, Boeing Co.; Bob Brinkmann, President of Brinkmann Constructors; Paul Shaughnessy, President, BSI Constructors; Richard Mark, Senior Vice President, Missouri Energy Delivery, Ameren UE; Steve Roberts, President and COO, The Roberts Companies; Kathy Osborn, Executive Director, RBC; Steve Jones, Partner, Armstrong Teasdale; Steve Lohr, President, Lohr Distributing; Sandra Van Trease, Group President, BJC Healthcare; Matt Scherrer, Vice President, Thompson Street Capital Partners; Michael Kelley, President, Kelley Group; Todd Epsten, President, Major Brands Premium Beverage Distributors; and Pat McGinnis, President & CEO, Nestle' Purina Petcare Co. RCGA and St. Louis Commerce magazine are pleased to join this year’s event as marketing sponsors of this luncheon, presented by The Boeing Co., to benefit the St. Louis Police Foundation. The Foundation conducts this one fundraising event each year. The 2009 luncheon raised more than $250,000. We hope you can join the event on Tuesday, September 7th at America’s Center. For reservations and more information, please contact St. Louis Police Foundation Executive Director Michelle Bagwell at 314.825.3455, or e-mail her at mbagwell@stlouispolicefoundation.org. August 9, 2010 Reminder: St. Louis Rams Workout This Wednesday, August 11th For RCGA Board, Leadership Circle Members: We look forward to Wednesday evening’s Rams workout at Rams Park in Earth City, a reception and special briefing for RCGA Board and Leadership Circle members. While viewing the practice is outside, the program and reception will be in air-conditioned comfort in the owner’s suite. For any last-minute reservations, please call Lori Meier at the RCGA, at 314.444.1147. August 5, 2010 RCGA Board, Leadership Circle Members Invited To Special Briefing And Rams Practice Wednesday, August 11th: A first hand viewing of the Ram’s workout at Rams’ Park in Earth City, a reception and special briefing on the upcoming season for RCGA Board and Leadership Circle members, will be held on Wednesday evening, August 11th, beginning at 5:30 p.m., at the Russell Training Center in Earth City, One Rams Way.
Our members will get a close-up view of the Rams 2010 talent and will enjoy a VIP reception in the owner’s suite --- with views of Coach Steve Spagnuolo, with Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson hard at work preparing for an exciting new season of Rams football. Rams Executive Vice President of Football Operations Kevin Demoff will welcome our group and will present “State of the Rams” remarks prior to the practice. If you have not already RSVP’d, please do so by this Friday, August 6th, by contacting Lori Meier at the RCGA, at 314.444.1147, or e-mail her at lmeier@stlrcga.org. August 4, 2010 AT&T Names John Sondag President For Missouri: Congratulations to RCGA Public Policy Council Chair John Sondag, who was promoted to AT&T Inc. president for Missouri this past week. John succeeds Dave Nichols, who was promoted in May to serve as president of AT&T Texas. John, who has served as chair of the RCGA Public Policy Council since 2007, previously served as Missouri's vice president for external affairs in the company's St. Louis office.
He joined AT&T 32 years ago and has worked in finance and has held a variety of public affairs positions. In his new role, John will manage industry and government relations and community affairs. Dallas-based AT&T Inc. employs some 8,800 people in the St. Louis area and about 14,000 in Missouri.
Easing Traffic Congestion In St. Charles County And Region Take Major Step Forward: Congratulations to St. Charles County and to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) for another milestone on the Route 364 (Page Avenue Extension) project. Local leaders this past Tuesday joined with MoDOT to cut the ribbon opening of the first portion of Phase 2 of this important project -- the Harvester Road interchange and overpass. This $19.7 million project is designed to speed up traffic flow with an additional mile of four new lanes on Route 364, easier access from Route 94, and a new bridge so drivers can take Harvester Road over the new roadway. An additional $76 million in work remains to complete Phase 2 extending Route 364 another four miles to Mid Rivers Mall Drive by Fall 2012. The construction of the final piece of Route 364 – Phase 3 from Mid Rivers Mall Drive to Route 40/61 – will cost $140 million and is not yet funded or programmed.
The completion of this project was recognized early on as critically important to the region’s transportation and economic future. Dating back to 1969, RCGA has been a staunch supporter of the merits of the Page Avenue Extension through the many studies, hearings, meetings, and even a special election for which RCGA coordinated the campaign at the request of the then-county executives of St. Louis and St. Charles County. Working with St. Charles and St. Louis counties in 1998, the RCGA helped raise $1 million in civic contributions to undertake a campaign in which the voters strongly endorsed the project by a 2-1 margin. It’s been more than 40 years since the planning for the Page Avenue Extension was begun, and today it is even more important than ever to see this work completed. RCGA looks forward to working with St. Charles County, other regional leaders, and MoDOT over the next several years to get to the final ribbon cutting and the joining of Route 364 to Route 40/61. In the meantime, it’s great to see continuing progress on this important component of regional infrastructure. August 2, 2010 St. Louis Puts On A Show – Literally – For DNC Site Selection Committee: What better way to ‘wow’ scouts for the Democratic National Committee than to showcase the 83-year-old godfather of rock ‘n roll -- St. Louis native Chuck Berry, joined by famed hip hop artist Nelly? St. Louisans Berry and Nelly headlined the “pitch party” at Kiener Plaza this past Thursday evening for prospective 2012 volunteers, as part of St. Louis’ bid to host the Democratic National Convention in 2012. Berry and Nelly – and St. Louis – put on a great show. Congratulations to St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission (CVC) President Kitty Ratcliffe and her team at the CVC on a spectacular job of showcasing St. Louis and all that it has to offer to the DNC visiting site selection committee. Thanks to Kitty, CVC Chairman Bob O’Loughlin, Chairman and CEO of Lodging Hospitality Management and the entire Host Committee for a job exceedingly well done.
The significance and opportunity to host an event of this magnitude extends well beyond its direct financial impact. My former business and civic colleagues in Denver today speak in terms of “before the convention” and “after the convention” with regard to the extraordinary national and international image boost that hosting a national political convention had for Denver in 2008, with national and international press coverage spotlighting that region. The CVC has scored a number of home runs recently, such as the some 6,000 coming to St. Louis for the Reliv International annual meeting August 12-14 and 5,000 coming here for the Your Travel Biz national convention August 17-21. As always, this past week was great evidence of the community joining together to position St. Louis in its best possible light. Here’s hoping St. Louis has an opportunity to showcase itself in 2012, as Denver did in 2008. The last time St. Louis hosted a national political convention was in 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson was nominated for a second term. Let’s hope St. Louis gets to do it again in two years!
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