What’s Happening In The Region

What’s Happening In The Region

May 22, 2012

CareerBliss.com: St. Louis Best City For College Grads: CareerBliss.com has released its list of the Top 10 cities where graduates are likely to land high salaries --- and St. Louis is #1.

CareerBliss used a measurement it calls a BlissScore and added the average adjusted salary based on a cost of living index into the mix. The data evaluates several key factors that affect work happiness including: employees’ relationships with their bosses and co-workers, their work environments, job resources, compensation, growth opportunities, company culture, company reputation, their daily tasks and the level of control employees have over the work that they do on a daily basis.

Salt Lake City was number #2 on Careerbliss.com's list, followed by Jacksonville, Memphis and Indianapolis.

May 21, 2012

RCGA Executive Committee Supporting Proposition Y Ballot Initiative To Improve Wastewater Overflows: Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) Executive Director Jeff Thierman, Clean Water STL Chairman Bob Baer, and Kelley Group founder Mike Kelley were our special guests at the May RCGA Executive Committee meeting this past Thursday morning, where they urged St. Louis area companies to take an active role in helping to pass the Proposition Y ballot proposal in St. Louis City and St. Louis County on June 5th.

Voters in the city and county will be asked to authorize the issuance of $945 million in bonds by MSD to help finance capital improvement projects to address wastewater overflows. Noting that this is both a critical public policy and economic development issue for the entire bi-state region, the RCGA Executive Committee of the Board unanimously approved a resolution supporting Prop Y.

The U.S. EPA has mandated that MSD begin to address over 350 sewage overflows throughout St. Louis City and County. Without the bonds, residents and companies within these two jurisdictions could see a 123.3% rate increase within a year.

A $945 million bond initiative will:

Keep water bills low: “Yes” on Prop Y will raise rates only 9.1% vs. 123.3% this year while saving residents and companies 74.8% in rate increases over the next 4½ years.
Begin updating a city and county sewer infrastructure which is nearly a half-century old.
Prevent sewage from backing up in basements.
Stop the overflow of waste into rivers and streams, especially near schools.
Create over 17,000 jobs, an overall $2.2 billion economic impact on the region.

For more information about Prop Y, please click on www.CleanWaterStl.org

RCGA And St. Louis University’s Emerson Ethics Center And The Center For Sustainability To Hold Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Conference Tomorrow And Wednesday: This conference, entitled "Making Sustainability Count: Tracking Progress, Driving Opportunity," will teach the GRI "triple-bottom" line reporting framework increasingly used by businesses around the world. Advancing the GRI conference was an action step in the RCGA's St. Louis Greenprint 2012 to support the spreading of sustainable business practices in our region.

The Global Reporting Initiative is a non-profit organization that works towards a sustainable global economy by providing sustainability reporting guidance. GRI has developed a comprehensive Sustainability Reporting Framework that enables organizations to measure and report their economic, environmental, social and governance performance. Locally, The Doe Run Company, Enterprise Holdings, Monsanto and Novus International are some examples of regional companies using the GRI Framework for their sustainability reporting.

This conference will explain the value of the GRI reporting framework with a Master Class tomorrow. Wednesday will feature expert panels describing how the GRI reporting framework adds value and improves business performance, how financial markets value sustainability, and trends in international and domestic sustainability reporting.

To view the conference agenda and to register, please go to the GRI conference page: https://www.globalreporting.org/information/events/GRI-St-Louis-Conference-2012/Pages/GRI-St-Louis-Conference-2012.aspx.

May 16, 2012

Regional Arts Commission Undertaking First Census Of Artists Working In St. Louis Region: As part of its mission to promote creative place-making in St. Louis – where the arts are an integral part of shaping the vitality, economy and character of our region – the Regional Arts Commission (RAC) is undertaking “Artists Count,” the first census of artists working in the St. Louis area.

The census, which runs through early July, will survey thousands of area artists and creatives, including writers, dancers, poets, filmmakers, musicians, photographers, graphic designers, actors, singers, composers, architects, performance artists, crafters, educators, etc.

Artists will be asked a variety of questions to get a full understanding about their workspace, living space, their financial viability as artists and what they need to thrive in St. Louis.

This census will provide a wider understanding of the creative ecosystem in St. Louis, and the information gathered will help guide RAC in its support of artists, especially helping them find affordable living and working space.

The survey is also available in printed form by contacting RAC at 314.863.5811 or artistscount@stlrac.org.

May 15, 2012

RCGA Co-Sponsoring Boeing Distinguished Guest Lecture In International Business Program On June 11th Featuring Newly-Appointed Korean Ambassador To The U.S.: On Monday, June 11th, the RCGA, the World Trade Center Saint Louis, the Missouri District Export Council (MODEC), the State of Missouri International Trade & Investment Office, and the U.S. Department of Commerce are partnering with the Saint Louis University John Cook School of Business, Boeing institute of International Business, to welcome the newly-appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the U.S., H.E. Choi, Young-jin.

H.E. Choi, Young-jin

The program will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Anheuser-Busch Auditorium in the Cook School of Business, 3674 Lindell Blvd.

Choi, Young-jin became Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the U.S this past March. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Younsei University in Seoul and his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in International Political Science from the University of Paris.

Please Click here for an event flyer.

Registration is complimentary, but reservations are required in advance. Please go to slumarketplace.slu.edu to make your reservation. Select the Boeing Institute of International Business store and the Global Events product.

May 14, 2012

RCGA Public Policy Speaker Series To Feature Dave Spence On Friday June 8th: Dave Spence, Republican candidate for Missouri Governor, will present at the RCGA Public Policy Speaker Series luncheon on Friday, June 8th, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., in the Regional Collaboration Center at the RCGA.

Dave Spence

This is the latest in a series of Public Policy events featuring prominent politicians and candidates. Republican candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep. Todd Akin; John Brunner, former CEO of Vi-Jon, Inc.; and former Missouri State Treasurer Sarah Steelman, spoke on March 30th at the RCGA.

Click here to register for this event on June 8th. For more information, please contact Sherri Bailey at 314.444.1134, or email her at sbailey@stlrcga.org.

May 9, 2012

RCGA, St. Louis University’s Emerson Ethics Center And The Center For Sustainability To Hold Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Conference May 22-23rd: This conference, entitled "Making Sustainability Count: Tracking Progress, Driving Opportunity," will teach the GRI "triple-bottom" line reporting framework increasingly used by businesses around the world. Advancing the GRI conference was an action step in the RCGA's St. Louis Greenprint 2012 to support the spreading of sustainable business practices in our region.

This conference will explain the value of the GRI reporting framework with a Master Class on Tuesday, May 22nd. The following day will feature expert panels describing how the GRI reporting framework adds value and improves business performance, how financial markets value sustainability, and trends in international and domestic sustainability reporting.

May 8, 2012

24th Annual RCGA "Try St. Louis … Buy St. Louis" Golf Tournament On Monday, June 18th: The 24th Annual RCGA "Try St. Louis … Buy St. Louis" Golf Tournament will held on Monday, June 18th, at the 36-hole Whitmoor Country Club.

This year's major RCGA tournament sponsors are Enterprise Bank & Trust and Coventry Health Care of Missouri. KMOX NewsRadio 1120 is media sponsor. RCGA Board Chair for Membership Bob Witterschein, executive vice president, Corporate Banking at Enterprise Bank & Trust, is serving as chair of the tournament.

The RCGA's "Try St. Louis … Buy St. Louis" Golf Tournament has a tradition of being more than a great outing of golf; it is one of the region's top business networking events of the year, as well. The tournament will offer hole-in-one, longest drive, closest-to-the-pin, and putting contests, as well as many more competition prizes. All players will receive a tournament gift.

A closest-to-the-pin “shootout” for $750, $500 and $250 gift certificates will highlight the day; the 8 closest-to-the-pin winners throughout the day on the par 3s will hold a shootout at 150 yards from the 18th green.

Major sponsors and contributors to date are American Airlines; Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.; AT&T Missouri; BKD, LLP; Bommarito Automotive Group; Centene; Commerce Bank; Delta Dental of Missouri; The Doe Run Company; Edward Jones; Holland Construction Services; Humana-Concentra; Lucas Park Grille; Luxco; Kelly Mitchell Group; M&I, A part of BMO Financial Group; McCarthy Building Companies; Mercy; Mike Shannon’s Steak & Seafood; Millennium Hotel St. Louis; Monsanto; Pepsi Beverages Co.; Plumbers & Pipefitters Local #562; Regions Bank; Schnuck Markets; Scottrade; Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid; Southern Illinois Construction Advancement Program; Southwest Airlines; St. Louis Blues Hockey Club; St. Louis Cardinals; St. Louis College of Pharmacy; St. Louis Rams; St. Louis Union Station Marriott; and United Healthcare.

A barbecue lunch and closing dinner with several outstanding auction items and attendance prizes will round out the event at the Whitmoor Country Club. KMOX's Tom Ackerman will serve as dinner/program emcee.

Tom Ackerman

To become a hole sponsor, or to register for the golf tournament, please contact RCGA Vice President for Membership Services Colin Stahlhut today at 314.444.1145, or e-mail him at cstahlhut@stlrcga.org.

May 7, 2012

Boeing Co. Executive To Present At RCGA Breakfast With The Gazelles Tomorrow: Please plan to join us tomorrow morning, May 8th, for RCGA Breakfast with the Gazelles featuring William Schnettgoecke, Jr., Vice President, Supply & Operations Chain, Boeing Defense, Space and Security, in the Regional Collaboration Center at the RCGA, beginning with registration at 7:15 a.m.

William Schnettgoecke, Jr.

He will speak on "Enduring Mission through Innovation and Excellence."

For more information about this program tomorrow morning and other upcoming RCGA Breakfast with the Gazelles programs, sponsored by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, please contact Lori Meier at the RCGA today at 314.444.1147, or register at gazelles@stlrcga.org.

What’s Hot In The Start-Up Scene? RCGA Sponsors Start-Up Connection Tomorrow: Start-Up Connection, the premier showcase for the St. Louis region’s top new ventures, will be presented tomorrow, May 8th, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at T-REx, 12th floor of the Railway Exchange Building, 615 Olive St., downtown. This event is presented in conjunction with the SBA Small Business Week, which kicks off this morning.

Start-Up Connection will feature individuals and start-up companies with innovative ideas and will provide the opportunity to meet talented people and engage in dialog about technology and commercialization strategy.

New start-up companies will have representatives who will share their stories of how they got their start-up going (and funded!)

For more information and to register, please go to startupconnection.org or contact Innovate St. Louis at info@innovatestl.org.

May 3, 2012

St. Louis Public Library Ranks #2 In “Most Literate Cities” Study: The St. Louis Public Library has once again earned a #2 ranking in the Library Category of the 2011 America’s Most Literate Cities study conducted by Central Connecticut State University. This marks the 3rd consecutive year (and the 5th time in 6 years) that the city library has earned the runner-up spot.

Library

“Libraries are a cornerstone of great civilizations and great communities. I firmly believe that they will continue that role for a long time to come,” noted St. Louis Public Library Executive Director Waller McGuire.

Overall, the City of St. Louis finished #8 in the study, an improvement over #9 last year. The study attempts to capture the literacy of major U.S. cities by focusing on 6 key indicators: newspaper circulation; number of bookstores; library resources; periodical publishing resources; educational attainment; and Internet resources.

May 2, 2012

Spence
Dave Spence

Click here to register for this event on June 8th. For more information, please contact Sherri Bailey at 314.444.1134, or email her at sbailey@stlrcga.org.

May 1, 2012

RCGA Sponsoring Small Business Week Of Eastern Missouri, May 7-12: A week-long series of seminars, panel discussions, networking sessions, speakers, workshops and an awards presentation highlighting some of the best businesses in the eastern half of Missouri kicks off next Monday, May 7th. RCGA is once again pleased to sponsor Small Business Week of Eastern Missouri.

The Federal Reserve Bank’s Julie Stackhouse will present on current and new lending, regulations, and economic forecasting next Monday at the Small Business Lenders Awards Luncheon at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Clayton, beginning at 11 a.m. The Annual Small Business Administration Exhibit Gala will be held on Thursday, May 10, at the Doubletree Hotel in Chesterfield, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The SBA Awards Dinner presenting the Small Business Week awards will be held at the Doubletree, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

For reservations and more information, please visit www.smallbusinessweekstl.org, or contact Patti Guttmann of the U.S. Small Business Administration, at 314.539.6600, ext. 255, or patricia.guttmann@sba.gov.