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Issue: 946 Date: 10/9/2008
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11TH ANNUAL RCGA LEADERSHIP TRIP
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| RCGA Chairman Bob Reynolds, Dick Fleming, and Chicago-based national site selection exec |
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Delegation of Regional Business, Civic and Elected Leaders Compare Notes with Chicago Counterparts, Pursue Potential Chicago/St. Louis Collaboration: In what has become an annual tradition in the St. Louis area, some 90 regional leaders joined forces for a "best practices" examination of Chicago this past Sunday, Monday and Tuesday for the 11th Annual RCGA Annual Leadership Trip. As members of the St. Louis delegation can attest --- led this year by Graybar Electric Chairman, President & CEO, and RCGA Chairman Bob Reynolds, the Leadership Exchange to Chicago provided a unique and in-depth opportunity for our diverse regional leadership to focus on a number of issues important to our metropolitan area, strengthen existing relationships, and forge several new ones.
In a jam-packed 3-day agenda, the St. Louis delegates met with more than 30 of their Chicago counterparts. It was particularly interesting to observe the long-standing and continuing role of Chicago's world-class transportation system, the economic development attractiveness of Chicago, its overall quality of life, its arts and cultural amenities, and the role of urban parks and green space --- just to name a few.
To open the 3-day session, the delegation heard from a panel of journalists, civic and business leaders on "What Makes Chicago Work?", how Chicago does its economic development, and an in-depth tour of Chicago's extraordinary architectural heritage. On Monday, the delegation had a progress report on Chicago's K-12 educational reform efforts; its Regional Mayors Caucus; the remarkable 24.5-acre, $500 million Millennium Park Project downtown (including a behind the scenes tour); Chicago's role in the Logistics and Transportation industry sector; and a panel on how St. Louis and Chicago could align in the global marketplace as a single mega region --- led by author and longtime Chicago Tribune foreign correspondent, Richard Longworth. Longworth is the author of the best-selling 2008 book, "Caught in the Middle: America's Heartland in the Age of Globalism.
Clearly, the highlight of Monday's sessions was a candid, free-wheeling luncheon presentation and extended Q & A with 5-term Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. Tuesday's agenda included sessions on national and regional best practices in talent recruitment, retention and development by CEOs for Cities leaders; an overview of Chicago's ambitious Metropolis 2020 effort; neighborhood development; and Chicago's far-reaching "green/sustainability" initiatives.
As with the Leadership Trips to Cleveland, Seattle, Baltimore, Denver, Toronto, Boston, San Diego, St. Louis, Atlanta, and Minneapolis/St. Paul over the past 10 years, the 2008 delegation included strong representation from the bi-state region's chief elected officials ---- Mayor Francis Slay; St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley; St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann; and St. Charles Mayor Patti York.
This year's Leadership Trip had the additional dimension of representation from the state legislative leadership in both Illinois and Missouri, with Illinois Senate Republican Leader Frank Watson, (R- 51st); Illinois Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-112th); Illinois Assistant Republican Leader Ron Stephens (R-102nd); Missouri Senate Majority Floor Leader Charlie Shields (R-34th); and Missouri House Speaker Pro Tem Bryan Pratt (R-55th).
RCGA Board members who joined us on the Leadership Trip were: Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, L.C. Managing Partner Tom Campbell; Anheuser-Busch Vice President & Chief Information Officer Joe Castellano; Partnership for Downtown St. Louis President & CEO Jim Cloar; Armstrong Teasdale LLP Partner Steve Cousins; St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley; St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann; University of Missouri-St. Louis Chancellor Tom George; Tarlton Corp. President Tracy Hart; Holland Construction Services President & CEO Bruce Holland; U.S. Bank Regional Chairman and St. Louis Market President Joe Imbs; Bryan Cave LLP Chairman Don Lents; BJC HealthCare President & CEO Steve Lipstein; Murphy Company Chairman & CEO Jim Murphy; Lodging Hospitality Management Chairman & CEO Bob O'Loughlin; Graybar Electric Chairman, President & CEO Bob Reynolds; Kelly Mitchell Group CEO Cassandra Sanford; East County Enterprises Inc. President Rich Sauget; St. Louis Business Journal Publisher Ellen Sherberg; St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay; St. Louis American Newspaper Publisher Don Suggs; Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift; Arcturis President & CEO Patricia Whitaker; and Advantage Capital Partners Senior Managing Director Scott Zajac.
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| Robert Ady confer on economic development session on Leadership Trip to Chicago. |
St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, and Paric Corporation Interiors president Cyril Narishkin confer with author Richard Longworth following panel discussing Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City working as a single mega region. |
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| Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay share a fond moment as Mayor Slay presents a photo of Francis' Dad and Mayor Daley's Dad, and the young Daley at the Democratic National Convention in 1968. |
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