As part of the organization's
33rd Annual Breakfast, North County
Incorporated (NCI) recognized several
area leaders for making a significant
positive impact in North County. On
Friday, May 21, 2010 more than 550 business,
civic, and community leaders gathered
to honor this year's award recipients.
Lillie Dumas,
Vice-President and Branch Manager for
Commerce Bank, was recognized for her
service as NCI's 2009 Chairwoman of
the Board. NCI's 2010 Chairwoman of
the Board, Kim Bakker, Network Director
of Community Affairs for SSM Health
Care thanked Dumas for her years of
service and for helping strengthen the
organization during such economically
challenging times. Bakker commended
Dumas on the example she set for others
as a community leader and volunteer.
Rebecca Zoll presents Dr. Mark
Tranel with the Elmer Belsha
Leadership Award
|
Mark Tranel, Ph.D.
received the prestigious Elmer
Belsha Leadership Award, which is
presented annually to an individual
whose long-term commitment to the North
County region and NCI has had a positive
impact on the community and/or public
body that they serve. Tranel, Director
of the Public Policy Research Center
on the campus of the University of Missouri-St.
Louis has served on the NCI Board since
2000. From 2001-2006 he provided economic
development leadership as Chairman of
the Economic Development Committee,
he was NCI's Chairman of the Board for
2007 and 2008 and continues to serve
on the Executive Board and chairs a
transportation taskforce for the organization.
"Mark's exceptional dedication, along
with his strong and consistent leadership
over the past 10 years has helped shape
NCI into the successful advocacy organization
that we are today," said Rebecca Zoll,
NCI President/CEO. Tranel is a resident
of the City of Bellefontaine Neighbors
and has been their City Collector since
1999. State Representative Gina Walsh
presented Dr. Tranel with a resolution
from the State of Missouri. (Photo attached
with NCI's Rebecca Zoll and Dr. Mark
Tranel)
NCI's Business Development
Awards were presented to Bommarito
of Hazelwood- Nissan, Honda & Volkswagen,
Express Scripts Pharmacy Technology
& Innovation Center Project Partnership
and the NARA Project Partnership.
Business Development Awards are given
to those whose efforts positively affect
the economic development and business
climate of the North County region.
Bommarito of Hazelwood was honored
for both their recent business and community
investments in North County. They recently
redeveloped the blighted property off
of I-270 near Lindbergh, investing $20
million dollars in building three of
the largest automotive dealerships in
North County and hiring 150 employees.
Their investment and expansion in the
market generated $171 million dollars
in combined sales in 2009. They have
also made considerable contributions
to NCI, the Northwest Chamber of Commerce,
Valley Industries, and Pattonville School
District's Athletic Association. Last
year, they generously donated two new
cars to the Hazelwood Police Department's
DARE and Citizen Volunteer Patrol program.
The Express Scripts
Pharmacy Technology and Innovation Center
Project Partnership included: Express
Scripts, St. Louis County Economic Council
and NorthPark Partners-Clayco and McEagle.
St. Louis County Economic Council worked
hard this past year coordinating the
efforts needed to make the new $74 million
investment a reality for North St. Louis
County. Express Script's newest addition
to our community features state-of-the-art
pharmacy automation dispensing, packaging
and shipment for up to 110,000 prescriptions
per day. The facility will create approximately
300 new high-paying jobs and will generate
millions of dollars over the next ten
years, adding substantial investment
to the County's tax base. St. Louis
County Economic Council played a critical
role by working closely with Express
Scripts to keep this project on track
and in St. Louis, bringing the necessary
stakeholders together to make this project
a reality for our community. NorthPark
Partners, knowing the importance of
timing for this facility to be up and
running, speculatively started construction
on the facility long-before the location
decision was a sure thing.
The NARA Project Partnership
included: U.S. Senator Christopher
"Kit" Bond, Congressman William Lacy
Clay, (the late) John Londoff, Sr.,
Missouri Development Finance Board,
National Archives and Records Administration,
St. Louis County, St. Louis County Economic
Council, The Molasky Group of Companies,
and the U.S. General Service Administration.
Had it not been for the tenacity and
leadership role that St. Louis County
and the St. Louis County Economic Council
took in bringing this investment deal
together, along with the commitment
from Senator Bond and Congressman Clay
to retain 800 jobs and keep this asset
in the North County community, this
$100 million new high-performance National
Personnel Records Center (NPRC) could
have easily gone to another state. The
NPRC is now being built directly off
I-270, along Dunn Rd. in the Spanish
Lake area, on land previously owned
by the late John Londoff, Sr., who generously
donated a portion of the site, in order
to help make the project a reality.
The NPRC's new facility, being developed
by The Molasky Group of Companies, will
house 14 other U.S. Agencies and is
expected to become a tourist destination,
drawing 10,000 visitors annually. It
is also projected to have an additional
$430 million economic benefit to the
local economy.
Community Development
Awards were presented to Lottie
Holland Wade and the Overland
Business Association. These awards
are presented to those whose efforts
go beyond their normal duties, benefiting
youth, residents, and/or civic organizations
in North County.
Since 2006, Lottie
Holland Wade has been volunteering
her time to actively champion the needs
of families and children in the Spanish
Lake community in North County. She
currently chairs the Spanish Lake Youth
and Family Council, an initiative of
the Spanish Lake Community Association.
Under her leadership there has been
an increase in agencies that provide
services to the area, more after-school
and summer activities for youth and
the Council sponsors a youth resource
fair each year. The community is a better
place because of the commitment, knowledge,
hard work and dedication that Lottie
has so generously given to her community.
The second Community
Development award recipient was the
Overland Business Association (OBA),
founded in 2004 for the purpose of providing
the business sector with a cohesive
voice in the community while assisting
to promote and develop economic vitality
and community spirit for the city. The
OBA has worked with the city to develop
a new business packet, supported hiring
a city administrator and its membership
is currently working on developing the
Overland Market Center and helping raise
funds for a new city park in their downtown
area. They also help with the Spring
Festival, a BBQ in March, a Halloween
Party and the city's Autumn in the Park
festival that celebrates the heritage
of Overland.
Public Service Awards
were presented to Ed Carlstrom
and Councilman Keith English.
Public Service Awards are given to individuals
elected, appointed, or employed by a
public body whose long-time service
has had a positive impact on the community
and/or public body they serve.
Ed Carlstrom has
been the City Manager for Hazelwood
since 1979 and proven himself to be
a successful leader in management, economic
development and planning. As the longest
tenured city manager in Missouri, he
has seen the city's population more
than double; its size grow from under
five to sixteen square miles; and its
assessed valuation increase from $60
million to $600 million. Under Carlstrom's
leadership, the city has used critical
economic development tools to bring
key investment and growth to Hazelwood,
growth such as the development of a
$300 million super regional mall, redevelopment
of 220 acres for advanced technology
businesses, and a $70 million IBM computer
server farm.
Keith English,
Councilman for the City of Florissant
since 2007, also received an NCI 2010
Community Development Award. His service
to the community includes serving on
the Florissant's city council, this
year being named council president.
He started a Ward 4 Reach Out Program
that helps seniors with much needed
exterior home repairs and makeovers
for free with the help of local students
volunteering their time for community
service hours and local businesses donating
supplies. English has helped with neighborhood
beautification projects and with building
handicap ramps for those in wheel chairs.
He worked on the first Habitat for Humanity
home in Florissant and raised thousands
of dollars to help fund free PSA screenings
for early detection of cancer and for
the Children of Fallen Soldiers.
A special Memorial
Award was dedicated to the life
of Lowell E. Girardier and was presented
to his wife, Beverly Girardier. Girardier,
an influential resident of and advocate
for North County was recognized for
his commitment, generosity and life-time
dedication to community organizations,
such as North County Inc., the Rotary
Club of Florissant, Valley Industries,
Child Center-Marygrove, area Chambers
of Commerce, the Emerson YMCA, several
local schools, and more. As a successful
custom home, commercial and church builder
and businessman he led by example taking
his responsibility to give back to the
community seriously and doing so on
a daily basis. Kim Bakker, NCI Chairperson
of the Board said, "Lowell was the type
of person we should all strive to be
like. He was the very definition of
a gentleman and when he spoke it was
with wisdom and compassion."
During the event, NCI
was presented with two financial gifts.
The organization received a $6,000 donation
from the US Bank Foundation and a $5,000
donation from Walmart Stores, Inc.
NCI's 33rd Annual Breakfast
presenting sponsors were: HDR Engineering,
Inc. and SSM DePaul Health Center. The
corporate sponsors for this event were:
Bommarito of Hazelwood, Nissan, Honda
& Volkswagen, Commerce Bank, Favazza
& Associates, LLC, Lindenwood University,
North County Suburban Journals, Plumbers
& Pipefitters Local 562, St. Louis County,
St. Louis County Economic Council, T
& L Tree Services, Inc. and Valley Industries.
North County Incorporated
is a regional development organization,
which acts as a catalyst to define and
advocate economic and community development
for North St. Louis County. NCI was
established in 1977. The Board is composed
of community leaders and business owners.
Kim Bakker is the current Chairwoman
of the Board of Directors.
