2026 Salute to Business

2026 Salute

to Excellence in Business

St. Louis American Foundation has three 2026 co-presenters

By Sylvester Brown Jr. and Ashley Winters St. Louis American

The St. Louis American Foundation is preparing for its Salute to Excellence in Business Awards and Networking Luncheon, which recognizes high achievement in business, including entrepreneurship, corporate leadership and nonprofit service, while raising funds for education and workforce initiatives.

The 24th annual event, to be held Thursday, Feb. 19, at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis, is designed to bring leaders together for networking, dialogue and cross-sector collaboration. Proceeds support the foundation’s education, workforce development and community-impact initiatives aimed at expanding access to opportunity across the region.

Holmes St. Louis American Foundation Board Chair

Ron Kitchens Managing Partner, Greater St. Louis Inc.

Karen Branding President and CEO, Regional Business Council

Michael

McMillan President, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis

is a great example of why we want to salute business, but also do it in a way that recognizes what we can all do together.”

Organizers said the luncheon has grown in significance as the region continues grappling with long-standing economic disparities while also pursuing new opportunities for innovation and inclusive economic growth. In addition to recognizing honorees, the event is designed to help strengthen cross-sector connections and collaboration.

This year’s honorees include Keith Williamson, president of the Centene Charitable Foundation (Lifetime Achiever in Business); Eric Rhone, entrepreneur and entertainment executive (Entrepreneur of the Year); Akberet Boykin-Farr, vice president of diversity and social responsibility at Emerson (Corporate Executive of the Year); and Leslie Gill, president and CEO of Rung for Women (Nonprofit Executive of the Year).

“We are honored to recognize outstanding leaders whose dedication and

service have made a meaningful impact on our community,” said St. Louis American Foundation Board Chair

Michael Holmes. “Through their efforts, St. Louis is a better place to live and work and we invite everyone to join us as we celebrate and honor their contributions.”

The luncheon has three co-presenters: the Regional Business Council, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and Greater St. Louis Inc.

Michael P. McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, said he and his agency are proud to once again serve as a co-presenter.

“Highlighting the success of African

American-owned businesses and executives at this luncheon shows how important both are to our economy,” McMillan said. “We are grateful for our many collaborations and look forward to doing even more in the future.”

Ron Kitchens, managing partner with Greater St. Louis Inc., said the event “not only recognizes those leaders who are moving our region forward, it also highlights the impact of working together toward a shared vision of more and better jobs that create opportunity for everyone in our community.”

“We really believe in the whole idea of working together as a region,” said Karen Branding, who leads the Regional Business Council. “Sponsoring this event

Rodney Boyd, founder and partner with the Nexus Group, who was recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year at last year’s Salute, emphasized the long-term value of investing in community and business infrastructure.

“It isn’t important that people remember Rodney Boyd — it really isn’t,” Boyd said. “It is important for me to build the kind of infrastructure around planting some trees and building some bridges so that 50 or 60 years from now — when my name is forgotten and just on a headstone — people will be sitting under those trees, enjoying the shade, eating the fruit and traveling across those bridges to get wherever they need to go.”

Tickets and tables for the event are on sale now at stlamerican.com.

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

Regional partners unite to celebrate excellence in business leadership

By Nia Hightower

For The St. Louis American

Black entrepreneurs and executives play a vital role in driving economic growth, job creation and civic leadership across the St. Louis metropolitan area, and the three co-presenters for the 24th annual Salute to Excellence in Business Networking and Awards Luncheon understand the importance of recognizing the region’s brightest leaders.

The Regional Business Council (RBC), Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and Greater St. Louis Inc. return as co-presenters for the event, partnering with The St. Louis American Foundation to spotlight outstanding leaders across corporate, nonprofit and entrepreneurial sectors whose work strengthens communities and expands opportunity.

“The Salute to Excellence in Business is about more than recognition — it’s about reinforcing the ecosystem that allows St. Louis to thrive,” said Michael Holmes, board chair of The St. Louis American Foundation. “When organizations like RBC, the Urban League and Greater St. Louis Inc. come together, it sends a powerful message that collaboration is essential to building a stronger regional economy.”

The honorees this year will be announced next week. Awards will be presented in four categories: Lifetime Achiever in Business, Corporate Executive of the Year, Nonprofit Executive of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year. The event will be held Thursday, Feb. 19, at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

“The Salute to Excellence in Business event gives people an opportunity to be in a room with the region’s top business leaders — presidents, CEOs and other executives,” said Raven Whitener, the Foundation’s director. “Being able to be in that space and to network and connect is an invaluable experience.”

At a time when equitable economic growth remains both a challenge and a priority, the Salute to Excellence in Business Awards aims to highlight leaders who are helping push the region forward.

That regional outlook underscores why events like this are significant.

The St. Louis region ranks No. 6 in the nation for the share of Black-owned businesses relative to its Black population, according to a Brookings Institution

study released last year. Even so, minority-owned businesses accounted for only 12.7% of all businesses in 2022, while minorities made up 26.6% of the population.

By elevating leaders who are shaping industries, mentoring the next generation and reinvesting in their communities, Whitener said the Foundation helps ensure the region’s legacy of Black entrepreneurship and leadership is recognized, strengthened and carried forward.

“We have a really great lineup of awardees this year, and I think it’s going to be a very inspirational afternoon,” Whitener said. “The recognition of these business leaders is important because of the impactful work they are doing that not only is changing their own lives but the lives of others in their communities.”

The St. Louis American Foundation

Three decades of leadership, scholarships and impact

By Raven Whitener St. Louis American Foundation

For more than three decades, the St. Louis American Foundation has been committed to strengthening the community through investment in education and opportunity. Its mission focuses on developing major gifts to support the financial needs of high-potential students.

Founded in 1994, the foundation serves as the 501(c)(3) nonprofit and philanthropic arm of The St. Louis American newspaper, a trusted institution that has served the region since 1928. While the news organization provides news and information for Black residents in the St. Louis region, the foundation extends that mission through community-centered programs, including scholarships and professional development opportunities supporting marginalized students, particularly African Americans.

In partnership with The St. Louis American, the foundation also supports efforts that amplify community voices and help sustain independent, community-focused journalism. This mission expands opportunity while ensuring stories shaping the region’s Black communities continue to be told.

The foundation invests in promising individuals, helping open doors to higher education and career pathways.

Recognition remains central to the foundation’s philosophy. Leaders describe recognition not as symbolic but strategic, noting that visibility can create access, access can expand opportunity, and opportunity can drive lasting change.

Through Salute to Excellence in Education, Salute to Excellence in Business and Salute to Young Leaders, the foundation convenes corporate, nonprofit, civic and community leaders to celebrate individual achievement while supporting scholarships and foundation programming.

Educational access continues to anchor

The St. Louis American Foundation Board Members

Michael Holmes, Board Chairman

• Edward Jones executive – retired

• Express Scripts executive – retired

Dr. Kelvin Adams, Vice Chairman

• CEO, The St. Louis Community Foundation

• Superintendent, St. Louis Public Schools – retired

Dr. Denise Glyn Borders

• Columbia University, Teachers College –Board of Trustees

• Co-lead, Academic Affairs Executive Committee

• COGNIA – Board of Directors, Finance Committee

• McREL International –Board of Directors, Chair-elect, Executive Committee

the organization’s work. In partnership with more than 15 colleges and universities, the foundation has helped generate more than $19 million in scholarships across Missouri and Illinois.

The foundation also plays an important role in preserving The St. Louis American as a vital media institution. Preserving the newspaper, leaders emphasize, is about

Gary Dollar

• Partner and consultant, EMD Consulting Group

• United Way of Greater St. Louis CEO – retired

Dawn Suggs

• Digital Director, St. Louis American newspaper

• Missouri Press Association, board member

Dina M. Suggs

• Chief Diversity Officer, Ulster County, New York

• Art Commissioner, Kingston, New York

Donald M. Suggs

• Publisher and owner, St. Louis American newspaper

• Founder and board member, St. Louis American Foundation

more than sustaining a news organization. It is about protecting a historic voice that has chronicled Black life, advocacy and progress for nearly a century.

At a time when local newsrooms are shrinking nationwide, sustaining a strong Black-owned media presence remains central to the foundation’s mission.

The foundation’s impact is strength-

ened by the leadership of its distinguished Board of Directors, whose collective experience spans business, education, philanthropy and public service.

As the foundation looks ahead, its purpose remains clear: honor excellence, invest in leadership, expand educational access and help sustain a trusted media institution.

Leslie Gill: Moving women forward

Non-Profit Executive of the

Year Special Awardee

By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American

The 1996 film “Jerry Maguire,” about a high-powered sports agent navigating the business of professional athletics, motivated a young Leslie Gill to believe she would one day have a career in sports management.

“I always sort of had this vision that I would be a sports agent,” Gill said. “I was really interested in sports growing up, so, from a little girl, I watched the Jerry Maguires of the world and was like, ‘I can be the first female Jerry Maguire.’”

Instead, Gill’s career shifted into public service through both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, along with deep involvement in social welfare work, including serving as CEO of Annie Malone Children’s & Family Services, a longtime St. Louis nonprofit that supports children and families affected by abuse and neglect.

Today, Gill serves as president and CEO of Rung for Women, a St. Louis nonprofit she helped transform into a career accelerator that partners with employers, community colleges and workforce trainers to prepare women for higher-paying careers while providing financial coaching and long-term economic mobility support.

Since launching programs in 2021, Rung has assisted more than 600 women, focusing on high-demand fields such as manufacturing, technology and geospatial

careers.

It is that work — along with years of community leadership — that led the St. Louis American Foundation to honor Gill as its Nonprofit Executive of the Year. Gill and other awardees will be recognized during the 24th annual Salute to Excellence in Business Luncheon on Thursday, Feb. 19, at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis.

Terry Harris, CEO of the Legacy Center STL in Normandy, said Gill’s impact was immediately clear.

“The most succinct thing I can say is that Leslie is right for St. Louis,” Harris said. “She’s extremely talented, she’s worked all over the country in nonprofits. She’s also intentional and very unapologetic about the mission in front of her.

Leslie Gill is president and CEO of Rung for Women, a St. Louis nonprofit she helped transform into a career accelerator that partners with employers, community colleges and workforce trainers to prepare women for higher-paying careers while providing financial coaching and longterm economic mobility support.

“I’ve been in rooms with her with the governor, mayor and other (prominent) individuals, and she’s very unapologetic about the fact that she wants to see women in the St. Louis region make more money than they’re currently making. That’s Rung’s mission.”

Gill’s path into public service began

continued from page 9

right after her senior year of college, when she accepted a job with Tiffany & Co.’s management training program and planned to move to New York.

Before starting that position, she spent the summer in Washington, D.C., where she became involved in the mayoral campaign of Anthony Williams.

“I thought I would just go, hang out with friends, and have a good time,” Gill recalled.

After Williams won the election, he offered her a position in city government, launching what became a decade-long career in public service.

“It’s the capital city of the world and it was an amazing experience,” Gill said. “I got to meet tons of world leaders, and it really helped me look at the world from a different perspective.”

That experience eventually led Gill back to St. Louis and into nonprofit leadership roles with the Girl Scouts and College Summit, now known as PeerForward, before she became CEO of Annie Malone in 2016.

There, she said, she began seeing generational cycles of trauma and poverty.

“We were starting to see three generations of kids coming — from their mothers and their grandmothers — who had come to Annie Malone because of abuse and neglect,” Gill said. “I can remember thinking, ‘This is criminal … there has to be a better way.’”

That realization shaped her vision for building broader systems of opportunity — a goal that took form when she met Ali Hogan, founder of the nonprofit resale shop Rung.

“She was like, ‘Women need more than clothes … and you’re going to figure out what that means,’” Gill said.

Under Gill’s leadership, Rung for Women evolved into a career accelerator

designed to move women toward financial stability and higher wages.

“There are so many women who are one missed car payment, one car breakdown or one medical bill away from being homeless,” Gill said. “That’s the reality, unfortunately and we are trying to change those trends and we’re seeing it happen.”

Community partners have taken notice.

“Leslie has created something for these women where they can excel, where they can find purpose, and where they know they’re valued as a woman,” said Angie Stewart-Brown of Southwestern Illinois College, which partners with Rung on workforce training. “I think that’s important.”

Briston Ashe, one of Rung’s earliest participants, said the program transformed her life.

“Just being in a community of positive people who were cheering me on; that meant so much to me,” Ashe said. “It helped me level-up in my professional

Leslie Gill’s career shifted into public service through both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, along with deep involvement in social welfare work, including serving as CEO of Annie Malone Children’s & Family Services.

life, which also went into my personal life…it was just an all-around positive experience.”

“When I think of Leslie, the term ‘a woman’s woman’ comes to mind,” Ashe added. “She’s a motivator who loves being of service to her community, and in particular, helping women excel in their lives and reach higher levels.”

Gill said being honored by the St. Louis American Foundation was especially meaningful.

“This is such an honor for me, having grown up in St. Louis, stopping to get the newspaper every Thursday. … Way back when I was in high school, I would read the American cover-to-cover.

“The American is deeply embedded in my DNA, but I never imagined being honored in this way. I’m excited, I’m a little nervous, but I’m extremely happy to be recognized.”

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

Special Awardee

Akberet Boykin Farr: Bridging boardrooms and neighborhoods

Corporate Executive of the Year

By Ashley Winters St. Louis American

When Akberet Boykin Farr walks into work on a hard day, she doesn’t reach first for a spreadsheet or a strategic plan. She thinks about children — students she has met in St. Louis classrooms, about literacy programs and after-school spaces that can change the arc of a young person’s life. She asks herself the same question again and again: What gives them the opportunity to live up to their highest potential?

For Boykin Farr, that question guides her work as vice president of diversity and social responsibility at Emerson, where she oversees corporate responsibility efforts focused largely on education and community investment across the St. Louis region.

“A lot of what Emerson does surrounds literacy programs, math programs and after-school activities,” she said. “Those are at the top of what reminds me why this work is important.”

That focus — along with a career spanning more than two decades in human resources and organizational leadership — has earned Boykin Farr recognition as the St. Louis Foundation’s 2026 Salute to Excellence in Business Corporate Executive of the Year.

He and other honorees, will be recognized during the 24th annual Salute to Excellence in Business Awards and Networking Luncheon on Thursday, Feb. 19, at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis.

In her current role, she said one of her

most meaningful accomplishments has been strengthening Emerson’s community partnerships and deepening its impact on education. Along the way, she has learned that creating lasting change requires balancing community needs with available resources, careful prioritization and collaboration.

Earlier in her career at Emerson, Boykin Farr played a key role in advancing the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, work she said helped shape a more inclusive culture while teaching her the importance of listening to and elevating diverse voices across an organization.

Before moving into corporate responsibility, she served as Emerson’s director of human resources, building expertise in organizational development, recruitment and retention, benefits administration and compliance.

In St. Louis, where corporate, nonprofit and education sectors often overlap, Boykin Farr has become known for pairing strategy with presence.

That presence stands out to those who serve alongside her.

Michael P. McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, said Boykin Farr was a natural choice to lead the organization’s board, citing her preparation and thoughtful leadership.

“Her commitment to excellence is widely known,” McMillan said. “She spends a considerable amount of time researching each and every subject that comes before the board.”

At City Academy, a St. Louis charter school where she also serves on the board, founder Don Danforth said her leadership extends beyond meetings and into daily engagement with students and families.

Shortly after joining the board, Boykin Farr began opening meetings with quotes from books students were reading — a practice Danforth said helped connect governance decisions to the children they serve.

Her approach to leadership was tested after the May 16 tornado devastated parts of St. Louis.

Unsure what the right response should be, Boykin Farr drove through the hardest-hit neighborhoods, grappling with how best to help.

“What can I do?” she kept asking herself. “How am I going to show up?”

As a private-sector leader, she said she felt the weight of responsibility without the comfort of precedent.

At the Urban League, that uncertainty quickly turned into action, where she

See Farr, page 15

Farr

Continued from page 13

attended every major community distribution for 15 consecutive weekends.

“She showed up when people needed it the most,” McMillan said.

He described her as a vital bridge between business, philanthropy and community institutions — a role that strengthens long-standing missions rooted in equity and opportunity.

“That kind of voice is critical,” McMillan said, “because it reflects the very principles the Urban League was founded on 108 years ago.”

Those values were shaped long before boardrooms and executive titles.

Boykin Farr was adopted and raised by a woman in St. Louis, along with her adopted mother’s sister, who together created a close-knit household. Her mother taught for the U.S. Air Force, and her aunt worked as a nurse — professional paths that were far from guaranteed for women at that time.

“They were the best parts of both worlds,” Boykin Farr said. Her mother was soft-spoken and visionary. Her aunt was practical and resourceful. Together, they modeled resilience and integrity. Being adopted, she said, gave her an early sense that opportunity carried responsibility.

In the final decade of her mother’s life, Boykin Farr became her caretaker. Her mother died in 2018.

“In a sense, it was a blessing — my mother would say I was her blessing,” she said. “I really hope I lived up to that.”

Education further expanded her sense of possibility. Boykin Farr earned her undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees from Saint Louis University while working on campus, gradually growing into leadership roles rather than pursuing them outright.

Because her mother taught education for the U.S. military, she spent much of her childhood living abroad — visiting the pyramids at age 10 and living in Taiwan at 8 — experiences that helped

her grow comfortable navigating difference and complexity.

Even now, confidence is something she practices daily.

“Every day,” she said, when asked whether she ever questions if she belongs in the room.

She tends to listen before speaking, weighing perspectives carefully before offering her own.

When asked about legacy, Boykin Farr returns to the children who have shaped her work.

“If the kids my work impacts are on a better path,” she said, “I don’t even have to know who they are or what happens. That’s enough.”

Eric Rhone: ‘Comfortable with uncertainty’ Entrepreneur of the Year Special Awardee

By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American

“I’m comfortable with a little uncertainty.”

That’s a frank statement from Eric Rhone, a man with nearly 40 years in the highly competitive entertainment business and a longtime close friend and business manager of Cedric the Entertainer. Rhone is president and CEO of A Bird and A Bear Entertainment LLC — the production company he co-founded with Cedric — and founder of Visions Management Group Inc., his talent management firm.

On any given day, Rhone is meeting with his team to assess current projects across television, film and new media — from CBS’ “The Neighborhood” to feature films, acquisitions of available intellectual property and emerging content opportunities. His role, he said, is less about micromanaging and more about stewardship.

“My personal role is to listen to my team and make the best decision for the team and the business,” Rhone said.

That approach — steady leadership in a constantly shifting industry — is one reason the St. Louis American Foundation selected Rhone as its 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year. Rhone, along with other honorees, will be recognized during the 24th annual Salute to Excellence in Business Awards and Networking Luncheon on Thursday, Feb. 19, at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis.

With that honor, Rhone is being recognized not only for his influence in

entertainment, but also for the way he has quietly shaped deals, managed careers and helped build businesses behind the scenes.

Rhone said uncertainty is simply part of the job.

“The business is changing with new technology that we read about every day,” Rhone explained. “The way content is produced, how data is analyzed and how all that is consumed … all of our

businesses are changing so, being a little uncertain in this business is a great characteristic.”

Humble

Growing up in Normandy and Pine Lawn, Rhone was the son of a Bi-State bus driver and a city school district

Eric Rhone has nearly 40 years in the highly competitive entertainment business. Rhone is president and CEO of A Bird and A Bear Entertainment LLC — the production company he co-founded with Cedric the Entertainer — and founder of Visions Management Group Inc., his talent management firm.

employee. In a 2022 interview with Ladue News, he spoke to the unlikelihood of his success.

“That’s what makes this country great, because only in America could a guy from Normandy High with humble beginnings — like most folks — make it,” Rhone said. “But if you work hard and See Rhone, page 19

Rhone

Continued from page 17

get an education, the world can open up for you.”

Entrepreneurial friend James E. (Jimmy) Williams Jr., the St. Louis American Foundation’s 2024 Person of the Year and owner of 26 McDonald’s franchises in the Metro East and St. Louis areas, said Rhone’s work ethic has always stood out.

“Eric works like someone who knows where he came from. There’s no entitlement in him. Just preparation, consistency and accountability — every single day,” Williams said. “He grew up with parents who modeled dignity, reliability and the quiet power of showing up every day. No Hollywood shortcuts. No inherited advantages. Just faith, work ethic and an unshakable belief that preparation creates opportunity.”

Partnership with Cedric the Entertainer

Rhone’s biggest opportunity came through friendship.

In 1983, he met Cedric Kyles during their freshman year at Southeast Missouri State University. Their bond held after graduation, when both returned to St. Louis. They also shared an interest in entertainment. Kyles, now widely known as Cedric the Entertainer, was a budding comic. Rhone was business-savvy enough to help him land bookings at local clubs.

“We started doing little shows at places like Hunters, Sanford’s and other various clubs around at that time,” Rhone recalled. “Back then, we wore many hats, doing whatever it took to put those shows on — selling tickets, working the doors, seating people — everything.”

Both kept their day jobs. Rhone worked in administration at Monsanto. Kyles worked at State Farm as a claims adjuster.

Then came the breakthrough in the early 1990s. Cedric landed a spot on Russell Simmons’ HBO “Def Comedy Jam,” a show credited with launching the careers of numerous Black comedians, including Dave Chappelle, Bernie Mac, D.L. Hughley, Steve Harvey and Chris Tucker. Appearances on “It’s Showtime at the Apollo” in 1992 and BET’s “ComicView” in 1994 pushed the duo to a turning point.

“We knew it was time to decide if we would leave our corporate jobs and really

commit to entertainment,” Rhone told Town & Country magazine in 2023. “We quit our jobs on the same day, we put our clothes in UPS boxes, shipped them to Los Angeles, and the rest you might say was history.”

Building a career across platforms

That nearly 40-year history includes Rhone navigating Cedric’s career across multiple platforms and formats — television commercials, sporting events, comedy specials and films such as “Barbershop,” “The Soul Man” and “The Honeymooners.” Cedric has also starred in projects that included “Cedric the Entertainer Presents,” game shows such as “It’s Worth What?” and “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” and sitcoms including “The Steve Harvey Show” and CBS’ “The Neighborhood.”

Despite the accolades, Rhone said his career has not been without difficulties. The entertainment industry, he noted, mirrors the broader realities of American society — including racism, sexism and other systemic barriers.

“And like most of us,” Rhone said, “I lean on my faith, family, team members, experiences, friends and community to weather any challenges that may present themselves.”

A lot of blood, sweat, tears and uncertainty have gone into Rhone’s climb, but he said “fun” remains a prerequisite.

“Yes, it’s been fun,” Rhone admits, “because our permanent business is comedy — so you have to have fun with it.”

Civic involvement and narrative control

That sense of responsibility extends beyond entertainment. Rhone has served on the boards of several nonprofits and civic organizations, including the now-defunct St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association, the Missouri Tourism Commission and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis.

In a 2023 interview with Mike Claiborne in Town&Style magazine, Rhone said bringing opportunities to people is the most rewarding part of his work.

“There are so many people who want to be a part of this business, whether it’s in front of or behind the camera,” he said. “It’s very rewarding to help people pursue their dreams.”

One of Rhone’s most significant business milestones came behind the scenes with “The Original Kings of Comedy.” Rhone personally negotiated the deal, ensuring the comedians received millions of dollars more than originally structured. The film went on to become one of the highest-grossing comedy films of all time — a defining moment that cemented his reputation as a trusted advocate and strategist for talent.

On the 10th anniversary of Michael Brown’s death, Rhone produced “13 Days in Ferguson,” a CBS primetime special examining the protests and unrest, featuring Cedric and Capt. Ron Johnson.

Along the way, Rhone’s work has placed him in rooms with celebrities ranging from George Clooney, Bryan Cranston and Lucy Liu to Martin Lawrence, Mike Tyson and the late James Earl Jones.

Rhone said serving on boards and remaining active in the community is essential for anyone who has achieved success or influence.

“It’s not only important that our community benefits from our tax dollars,” Rhone said. “It’s also important that we control our own narratives. Controlling our own narrative for this generation and future generations is critical. Whomever controls the narrative controls reality.”

Williams said Rhone’s rise was no accident.

“While his friend Cedric was refining his comedic voice, Rhone was studying contracts, negotiating opportunities and building a long-term vision,” Williams said. “In an industry known for spectacle, Eric remains something far more powerful: steady, principled and deeply rooted.

“His story is not just about making it — but about making it matter.”

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

Keith Williamson: His quiet leadership has helped St. Louis Special Awardee

Lifetime Achiever In Business

By Ashley Winters St. Louis American

Keith Williamson lets out a soft chuckle when he refers to himself as a senior citizen. At 73, he knows his age shows up on paper, but he insists that has not dulled his sense of purpose — or his appetite for pushing change.

“I still have a lot to give,” he says, with the calm confidence of someone who means it.

Born and raised in St. Louis, Williamson spent three decades on the East Coast building his career before returning home nearly 20 years ago. He does not describe the move as nostalgia so much as responsibility — a deliberate choice to bring experience, values and influence back to the city that shaped him.

Williamson, now president of the Centene Foundation, has been selected by the St. Louis American Foundation as the 2026 Salute to Excellence in Business Lifetime Achiever Award recipient. He will be honored at the 24th Annual Salute to Excellence in Business luncheon on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 at the RitzCarlton, St. Louis.

Williamson is being recognized not only for his impressive professional success, but his highly consequential leadership with some of St. Louis’ most influential institutions. He is candid about the lessons that influenced how he leads,

including one he learned very early, and the hard way. In his first job, Williamson said, a powerful mentor took him under his

of relying too heavily on that one relationship.

“I didn’t pay much attention to building relationships with my peers or more junior staff,” he said. When that mentor died suddenly, Williamson found himself exposed. “That experience taught me the importance of building relationships on a 360-degree basis.”

It is a lesson, he said, that has stayed with him — and one colleagues see in the way he listens first and values input from every level.

Michelle Tucker, president and CEO of United Way of Greater St. Louis, said Williamson’s influence is rooted in consistency rather than theatrics.

“I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Keith for nearly 15 years — first from a distance, and later as a colleague and friend,” Tucker said. What stood out early on, she said, was his decision to return home. “That decision alone is a clear testament to his commitment to this community.”

Williamson later took on leadership roles within United Way, including co-chairing the Charmaine Chapman Giving Society in 2017 and serving as board chair in 2022. Tucker said he has a habit of asking tough questions designed to improve the work, not to control it.

“He has a way of identifying vulnerable areas in our processes,” she said. “The goal is always to rigorously test ideas so the work is stronger.”

Tucker also credits Williamson with shifting the tone in rooms where major decisions are made.

“There’s a genuine, authentic connection with Keith,” she said. “He makes people feel seen and valued.”

That same style has shaped Williamson’s impact at the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, where leaders say his influence can be seen in significant outcomes. wing, ensuring he worked on matters for important clients and opening doors that might otherwise have remained closed. But Williamson said he made the mistake

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Williamson

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For Michael McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League, Williamson stood out not because he sought attention, but because he was steady.

“From the outset, Keith exemplified values-driven leadership,” McMillan said. “He was calm, focused, and deeply aligned with the mission.”

McMillan points to the partnership that transferred ownership of the Ferguson Center to the Urban League as a defining example. Williamson helped broker the transaction, which gave the Urban League a permanent base for services, workforce development and community engagement in North County.

“That single act changed our direction,” McMillan said. “It gave us an anchor — not just a building, but a place of trust and opportunity.”

The donation remains the largest single property gift to any Urban League in the organization’s 116-year history.

Williamson said the deal was complicated, requiring coordination across multiple Centene departments — including facilities, finance, legal and community relations — as well as negotiation among outside stakeholders.

“It was a complicated deal,” Williamson said. “It helped that I had strong relationships with all of the parties involved and their external advisors.”

McMillan said Williamson’s presence extends interest beyond the boardroom. “He has a tremendous love for his daughter,” he said. “You can hear it every time he talks about her — he absolutely beams.” McMillan said that pride reflects how Williamson treats people. “That sense of love shows up in how he treats people.”

Williamson spent much of his early professional life outside St. Louis. During his three decades on the East Coast, he worked in tax law and later in financial services, gaining experience he would eventually bring back home.

“There’s a saying: ‘Man plans, God laughs,’” Williamson said. “We spend a lot of time planning our career strategies, but there are so many variables beyond our control — wars, recessions, mergers, regulatory changes.”

Those lessons became practical when he joined Centene in 2006. At the time the company revenue size was $1.82 billion–Williamson served as the company’s general counsel, a role that placed him

at the intersection of corporate strategy, legal oversight and civic responsibility. Which led the revenue to grow to $111.1 billion by 2020.

He became president of the Centene Foundation in 2020. Founded in 2004, the foundation focuses on addressing health care disparities, access to care, education and economic challenges facing low-income individuals and families.

Williamson said preparation matters, even when careers take turns one can’t predict. “It’s important to plan, work hard, and perform,” he said, “so you’re ready when opportunities appear.”

Under Williamson’s leadership, the Centene Foundation has emphasized longer-term partnerships and measurable

Brown School of Social Work.

“Growing up, it was always clear to be a part of the community,” Williamson said. “Working at Centene gives me the opportunity to do that in a meaningful way.”

Williamson grew up in north St. Louis in the Fairground neighborhood during a time of deep racial division. He remembers his father purchasing a home in a predominantly white neighborhood by enlisting the help of a white ACLU attorney married to a Black woman.

“Racism was more overt back in the day,” Williamson said.

He still describes parts of his childhood as happy, including time spent in Fairground Park, tennis on public courts and attending St. Louis Public Schools through fifth grade. But driving through his old neighborhood now can be painful.

“It breaks my heart,” he said.

Even those memories, he said, carry humor. Laughing, Williamson recalled, “My bedroom was in the closet. I grew up in the closet.”

Education became his pathway forward. He attended Thomas Jefferson School, a private day and boarding school in Sunset Hills, following his older brother. He later attended Brown University, where he studied economics and sociology, then earned graduate degrees at Harvard University in law and business.

Williamson’s influence has also extended into the arts. Min Jung Kim, the Barbara B. Taylor Director of the Saint Louis Art Museum, said she met Williamson during her interview, when he chaired the search committee that led to her appointment.

“His kind and focused demeanor assured me this city and this institution were a good fit for me,” she said.

impact while also expanding grantmaking nationally to reflect Centene’s growing footprint.

“That shift makes sense given Centene’s business model,” Williamson said. At the same time, he said he has worked to keep Centene connected to St. Louis. “During that transition, I’ve tried to make sure Centene stays engaged with important efforts in the community.”

That sense of local obligation, he said, was shaped early. His father was a newspaper editor who worked at publications including The St. Louis Argus, The St. Louis Sentinel and The St. Louis Mirror. His mother was a social worker who later served as director of admissions and financial aid at Washington University’s

Williamson has served on the museum’s board since 2009 and has been part of efforts aimed at expanding the institution’s inclusion work. “Keith is measured in his approach,” Kim said. “His is a quiet leadership — and when he speaks, the room listens.”

Looking ahead, Williamson said he is focused on the next generation and wary of how easily progress can slip backward.

“When I think about what I’m trying to change in St. Louis,” he said, “it’s much broader than health care.”

As he reflects on his career, the titles fade. What remains, he said, is a throughline of service — shaped by family, sharpened by experience and sustained by a belief that leadership is ultimately about lifting others.

St. LouiS AmericAn FoundAtion’S

Salute to Excellence In Business Awards & Networking Luncheon

Previous honorees

Lifetime Achiever In Business

2025 – Larry Thomas (Retired - Edward Jones)

2024 – Michael Kennedy Sr. (Founder & Chairman, KAI Enterprises)

2023 – Arnold Donald (Retired CEO Carnival Corporation)

Corporate Executive of the Year

2025 - Jeremy Williams (Bayer)

2024 - Steven Harris (RubinBrown)

2023 - Orvin Kimbrough (Midwest BankCentre)

2019 - Bill Bradley (Anheuser Busch)

2018 - Vanessa Cooksey (Wells Fargo)

2017 - Melva Peete (SAK Construction)

2016 - Willie Epps (Edward Jones)

2015 - Craig Fowler (Bank of America)

2014 - Vince Bennett (McCormack Baron)

2013 - Rodney Gee (Edward Jones)

2012 - Pamela Wall Dover (Boeing)

2011 - Larry Thomas (Edward Jones)

2010 - June Fowler (BJC Health Care)

2009 - Ann Marr (World Wide Technology)

2008 - Keith Williamson (Centene Corp.)

Emerging Business of the Year

2009 – Sweetie Pie’s Restaurant – Robbie Montgomery

2004 – Turn Group – A. Keith Turner

2023 - University of Missouri-St. Louis

2019 - The Muny

2018 - Maryville University

2017 - Lewis Rice

2016 - Dot Foods

2015 - Emerson

2014 - BJC Health Care

2007 - Patricia Smith-Thurman (MasterCard)

2006 - Mark Darrell (Laclede Gas)

2005 - Norma Clayton (Boeing)

2004 - Ed Adams (Enterprise Rent-A-Car)

2003 - Deborah Patterson (Monsanto)

2002 - Marquita Wiley (Bank of America)

2001 - John Moten (Laclede Gas)

2000 - Michael Holmes (Edward Jones)

Excellence In Community Impact

2025 – Chris Krehmeyer – CEO, Beyond Housing

Corporate Diversity Award

2013 - Centene Corporation

2012 - Nestle Purina

2011 - Wells Fargo Advisors

2010 - United Way of Greater St. Louis

2009 - St. Louis Community College

2008 - Express Scripts

2007 - Macy’s

2006 - Brown Shoe Company

2005 - Ameren

2004 - The Centric Group

2003 - SSM Health Care

2002 - Monsanto

2001 - Edward Jones

Entrepreneur of the Year

2025 Rodney Boyd (Nexus Group)

2024 David Steward II (Polarity)

2023 Laurna Godwin (Vector Communications)

2019 Michael B. Kennedy, Jr. (The UP Companies)

2018 Jeanetta Hawkins (Personal Touches) & Debra Owens (Premiere Production Choice)

2017 Gloria Hicks (Hicks-Carter-Hicks)

2016 Larry Lee (Andy’s Seasoning)

2015 Karl Grice (Grice Group Architects)

2014 Abe & Nicole Adewale (ABNA Engineering)

2013 Jimmy Williams (McDonald’s/Estel Foods)

2012 Tim Slater (Information Solutions Design)

2011 David Price (Berdet Price)

2010 Michael Kennedy, Sr. (KAI Design & Build)

2009 Todd Weaver (Legacy Building Group)

2008 Sheila Little Forest and Russ Little (AfroWorld)

2007 Cliff, Sharilyn & Michael Franklin (FUSE)

2006 Katherine Anderson (Andy’s Seasoning)

2005 Kelvin Westbrook (Millennium Digital Media)

2004 Brenda Newberry (The Newberry Group)

2003 Mike & Steve Roberts (The Roberts Group)

2002 Anthony Thompson (Kwame Building Group)

2001 Arnold Donald (Merisant Company)

2000 David Steward (World Wide Technology)

Non-Profit Executive of the Year

2025 - Michelle D. Tucker

(United Way of Greater St. Louis)

2024 - Cheryl Jones (Girls Inc. of St. Louis)

2023 - Yemi Akande-Bartsch (Focus St. Louis)

2019 - Cassandra Brown-Ray (St. Louis Zoo)

2018 - James Clark (Better Family Life)

2017 - Halbert Sullivan (Father’s Support Ctr)

2016 - Sandra Moore (Urban Strategies)

2015 - Tamara Sheffield (Forest Park Forever)

2014 - Gene Dobbs Bradford (Jazz St. Louis)

2013 - Adrian Bracy (YWCA of Greater St. Louis)

2012 - Barbara Washington (Mathews Dickey)

2011 - Valerie Patton (Business Diversity Initiative)

2010 - Roderick Jones (Grace Hill)

2009 - Flint Fowler (Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls)

2008 - Richard King (Annie Malone)

2007 - Malik Ahmed (Better Family Life0

2006 - Theresa Mayberry (Grace Hil)

2005 - Earl Wilson (Gateway Classic)

Excellence In Business Performance Award

2018 – Kevin Buie, Sr. (Edward Jones)

Pam Kelly (Dot Foods, Inc.)

Patrick Smith (Ameren Missouri)

2017 - Monica M. Campbell (Enterprise Bank & Trust)

Patricia Strong Hodges (Wells Fargo Advisors)

Christopher A. Pickett (Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C.)

2016 - Annette C. Morris (Nestle Purina PetCare Company)

JoAnn Schooler (Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals)

Marvin Mitchell (Compass Retirement Solutions)

2015 - J. Danielle Carr (Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C.)

Arvetta Powell (Build-A-Bear Workshop)

Adella Jones – Home State Health

2014 - Juanita Logan (World Wide Technology)

Shirley A. Stennis (Ameren Illinois)

Dierdra J. Yates (BJC HealthCare)

2013 – Dexter Evans (Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals)

Rhonda D. Jones (Emerson)

David K. Rodgers (Brown Shoe)

Michelle D. Tucker (Bank Of America)

2012 - Patricia R. Coleman (Behavioral Health Response, Inc.)

Darron L. Lowe (Wells Fargo Advisors)

Wendy Richardson (MasterCard Worldwide)

Charis Tabourne (Enterprise Holding)

2011 – Ramona Dickens (Metropolitan Sewer District)

LaVicki F. Hart (Citibank Retail Operations)

Mark L. Smith (Centene Corporation)

Keith L. Spears (Enterprise Holdings)

2010 – Karen A. Davies (Regions Bank)

Roger Macon (Edward Jones)

Gail Holmes-Taylor (Energizer)

David Walker (Brown Shoe Co.)