Rebecca Zoll
A Message from NCI President/CEO, Rebecca Zoll
NCI’s Board of Directors has endorsed Pattonville School District’s Tax Levy Proposition P. Please be sure to get out and vote on November 5th and support your local school district. Pattonville is seeking the increase in order to maintain and protect the quality of programs and staffing in the Pattonville School District by overcoming a potential operating budget deficit of $10 million.
Over the past year NCI has served on the Community Advisory Group for St. Louis County’s Northwest Parkway Corridor Study. This past week there was an extremely well attended public meeting on this Corridor Study. Be sure you are informed about the Northwest Parkway Study, a transportation project that is looking at creating an improved, more reliable connection between the residential areas of North St. Louis County and employment centers in the Earth City and Riverport areas. The existing link, consisting largely of two-lane roads in the Missouri River floodplain, is subject to unpredictable flood-related road closures. The closures cause unreliable travel conditions and traffic disruptions.
The current project will identify a transportation alternative that will:
- Eliminate flood-related detours between Charbonier Road and Earth City Expressway
- Address capacity needs in northwestern St. Louis County
- Enhance safety along St. Louis County roadways in the study area
- Provide access to the economic opportunities within St. Louis County
St. Louis County has released their most recent “high-level, data driven” strategic plan Imagining Tomorrow. NCI’s board was given a presentation on the plan late in September by St. Louis County Planning Department’s Glen Powers and Lori Fiegel. At the board meeting St. Louis County representatives made the commitment to communicate and work closely with NCI as they begin implementation and work in the North County area. NCI’s leadership group is excited to move forward on strategies for North County to improve and increase our community’s quality of life. Recently, NCI Board Chair Ron McMullen, Vice-Chair Chief Mike Gantner, Secretary Dan Boyle, Executive Board members Dr. Mark Tranel, Carolyn Marty and I visited with St. Louis County Executive, Charlie Dooley, to discuss the plan and request his commitment that focus and funding be given to advancing North County and to increasing communication between St. Louis County and North County leaders. Please take a moment to look at the plan and provide your comments to St. Louis County.
After NCI linked St. Louis Economic Development Partnership staff with Christian Hospital’s president, Ron McMullen, late last year, we are happy to announce that plans are now underway by St. Louis County and the Partnership to establish a Spanish Lake Community Development Corporation to work on housing initiatives around the Spanish Lake Community. Some funding for this has been identified by the County and Christian Hospital. Be watching for more on this great news soon.
NCI has begun conversations to collaborate with other community stakeholders, including the Greater North County Chamber to explore the possibility of developing a long-term, sustainable marketing campaign to work on advancing the awareness around the positive benefits of our community. We are planning to hold a North County Marketing Strategy-Leadership Engagement planning meeting in December. Please watch for more information about this endeavor over the next month, as we will want our membership’s opinions on this matter.
Additionally, NCI recently partnered with Executive Board Member, Dr. Marcia Pfeiffer, president, St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley, to host the “Growing the Workforce in North County” meeting. This collaborative effort was to bring the business community and higher education leaders at the Community College together to discuss ideas and strategies around developing our future workforce and the programs already in place at the Florissant Valley campus to help ensure that our future workforce is relevant.
SAVE THE DATE: NCI’s Education work group, chaired by Patty Gould, School Business Director for Pattonville School District and Dr. Art McCoy, Superintendent of the Ferguson-Florissant School District is busy working with our local public school superintendents and private school principals to provide a State of Primary Education in North County forum at lunchtime on January 31st at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley. NCI is pleased to be able to collaborate with North County’s local Chambers of Commerce on this initiative. The goal of this initiative to provide information on the issues surrounding schools today as well as to inform our community more about the impressive programs they have in place that are designed specifically to get students prepared to enter our workforce. Reservations will be required for this member only event. Be watching for more information on this in December’s eNewsletter.
Another date you will want to mark in your calendar is NCI’s Annual Breakfast meeting. Get this on your calendar fast. It will be held on Friday, May 16 in 2014. Hope you all will be sure to plan on attending.
Dr. Rance Thomas
Congratulations to Dr. Rance Thomas, NCI Board member, cofounder and President of the North County Churches Uniting for Racial Harmony and Justice (NCCU), on being honored with the Christian Hospital Foundation’s Paul F. Detrick Legacy Leadership Award. The memorial Paul F. Detrick award is presented annually to a person with the vision to help the north St. Louis County area be all it can be. Dr. Thomas definitely deserves this honor.
Mayor Matt Robinson
Congratulations to Executive Board member, Mayor Matt Robinson,City of Hazelwood, on being elected recently to the Missouri Municipal League’s Board of Directors.
Mayor James Knowles III
Congratulations to Board member, Mayor James Knowles III, City of Ferguson, on earning the prestigious designation of Certified Municipal Official from the Missouri Municipal League’s Municipal Governance Institute.
Mayor Thomas Schneider
Congratulations to Board member, Mayor Thomas Schneider, City of Florissant, on receiving the designation of Certified Municipal Official by the Missouri Municipal League.
WELCOME NEW NCI MEMBER!
Danita Smith
My Blooming Health Mobile
11630 Helenoak Drive
Florissant, MO 63033
(314) 681-7645
info@mybloominghealth.com
www.mybloominghealth.com
Remember, if you have an item you would like posted in our eNewsletter, please be sure to submit it to us. CLICK HERE
Hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
President/CEO
