Rodney Crim Participates in FOCUS St. Louis Panel Discussion

Area leaders discuss the power of presence in front of large audience

On Feb. 3, Rodney Crim, the CEO and president of St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (STL Partnership), participated in a panel discussion called “The Power of Presence: Leaders Inspiring What’s Next,” hosted by FOCUS St. Louis. The conversation took place at Farr Auditorium in the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center at Missouri Botanical Garden in front of a standing room only audience.

Joining Crim on stage were: Tommye Austin, Ph.D., MBA, RN, NEA-BC, senior vice president and system chief nurse executive at BJC HealthCare; Neosha Franklin, chief executive officer of the Community Impact Network; and Natissia Small, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri.

Fielding questions from Yinka Faleti, JD, who served as the moderator, Crim discussed the importance of being passionate about work and the importance of partnering with other organizations. He also explained the work of STL Partnership and its partners in distressed areas, such as Wellston and Kinloch, Mo.

FOCUS St. Louis, which many leaders of STL Partnership belong to, provides diverse leaders with the civic awareness and powerful connections needed to be collaborative changemakers who advance a thriving region for all.