Top St. Louis Leaders Coming to SLU To Discuss Major Problems Facing Region
ST. LOUIS -- Don’t miss your chance this week to hear firsthand from the key movers and shakers what’s being done to deal with the region’s critical concerns, from poor population growth to racial disparities.
Many of the area's major leaders are coming to Saint Louis University for a special conference designed to enhance collaboration in the St. Louis area. Top experts from around the country also will attend "Regional Collaboration: Lessons for Economic Development," a day-and-a-half conference hosted by SLU’s College of Public Service.
Wednesday, March 24: Find out how well a group of local leaders is doing in its combined efforts to tackle the region’s problems when the Metropolitan Forum presents its first progress report at 7:40 p.m. Wednesday, March 24, in multipurpose room in the lower level of SLU’s Busch Student Center, 20 N. Grand.
The Forum began last year as a partnership between RCGA, East-West Gateway Council and FOCUS St. Louis. The group will discuss its major effort: creating unity in a region rife with governmental fragmentation.
Learn about the group’s comprehensive fiscal census it is conducting of nearly 800 local governments -- the revenues they bring in and how they’re spent. Dick Fleming, RCGA president and CEO; Les Sterman, East-West Gateway executive director; and June Fowler, who is representing FOCUS St. Louis; will be on hand.
Thursday, March 25: From 10:45 to 11:30 a.m. in the student center, leaders representing the City of St. Louis as well as St. Louis, St. Charles and St. Clair counties will discuss their common concerns and the need for regional collaboration.
John Baricevic, St. Clair County Board chairman, Tom Curran, of the St. Louis County planning department, Joe Ortwerth, St. Charles County executive, and Barb Geisman, executive director of development for the City of St. Louis, will discuss ways to make regional collaboration more effective. A question-and-answer period will follow.
Then starting at noon, a noted author and nationally recognized expert on sprawl and regional divisions will give the keynote address. Amy Liu is deputy director and co-founder of The Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy.
Among those expected to attend are: municipal, county and state government officials; planners and planning consultants; land use and real estate developers; financial officers; researchers, scholars and students.
Co-sponsors of the conference include the Saint Louis County Economic Council, the Saint Louis Municipal League and the Urban Land Institute.
PARKING FOR MEDIA: For both days, marked media vehicles will be allowed to park along Laclede Avenue behind Busch Student Center, which is located at the corner of Laclede and Grand Blvd. For those driving unmarked vehicles, please call Clayton Berry at
(314) 977-7117 to make arrangements for parking in this area.
