Our Impact Has Reach Across North County
North County Incorporated (NCI) has served the North St. Louis County community for more than 47 years as a not-for-profit economic and community development advocacy organization. Our work supports policies and initiatives that foster positive economic growth, connect people to opportunity, and ensure a more equitable region. The impact of our efforts is a stronger North St. Louis County where everyone can thrive.
NCI provides a platform where business, civic, and community leaders in North County connect, convene, and collaborate toward sustainable change and prosperous growth for all who live and work here.
Our collective efforts are focused on economic and community development, education, healthcare, marketing, and transportation and infrastructure. With advancement in these areas, North St. Louis County will equitably grow economically viable business and residential communities, attract top talent, increase educational attainment, and sustain a beneficial quality of life for all.
Looking at the results of our years of advocacy work and projects, we share pride with our community that our accomplishments have directly impacted the lives of those who live and work in North St. Louis County.
Dr. Elizabeth Gassel Perkins
Campus President & CCAO, St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley
NCI Executive Board Member
Highlights of Our Impact
Economic & Community Development
- Developed policy agenda around business, workforce, investment, education, healthcare, public safety, and services that, through collaborative advocacy, will advance the quality of life for all who live in North County, improve the business climate, and encourage investment.
- Connected more than 300 small businesses to needed resources by developing business retention, attraction, and sustainability measures. This included hosting training workshops, such as “Building Blocks for Growing Your Business” with the help of St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley, the Big Idea for North County businesses, and Small Business Accelerator classes with the University of Missouri-St. Louis and the Small Business Development Center, an outcome of our Collaborative Conversations Economic Development.
- Developed and hosted an educational initiative on the economic benefits of racial equity for cultural change in the workplace.
- Served on more than 22 community advisory groups for regional strategic planning, use of state and regional funding, and community engagement for public services with organizations like the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, Regional Response Team, local hospitals, education providers, municipalities, St. Louis County, Metro, and MoDOT.
- Launched the Small Business Navigator program to assist 25 small businesses, increasing sustainability and capacity. A Community Investment Grant from the St. Louis Co. Port Authority provided the Funding for this collaborative.
- Convened the State of Economic Investment in North County to highlight growth in business, housing, and the public sector.
- Developed a policy agenda around business, education, healthcare, investment, public safety, service provisions, and workforce to advance the quality of life for North County residents, improve the business climate, and encourage investment through collaborative advocacy.
- Participated in more than 175 community stakeholder meetings, events, and collaborative conversations, to highlight community assets, needs, and concerns.
- Continued advocacy and awareness collaboration with regional partners like Greater St. Louis, Inc.’s Supply STL, the Economic Development Network, Greater North County Chamber Legislative Committee, and the Missouri Economic Development Council.
Lorenzo Boyd
Managing Director-Public Finance, Stifel
NCI Executive Board Member
Education
- Advocated for equitable public education and increased funding for early childhood education.
- Supported legislation increasing funding for after-school programs, expanding the investment in higher education, and restoring the funding for the Parents as Teachers program.
- Increased awareness of public and private school accomplishments and fundraisers through monthly newsletters and social media.
- Encouraged appropriate full State funding of the foundation formula for public schools, higher education, and workforce development.
- Supported many local school bond issues that have led to increased capacity, safer schools, and advanced learning opportunities for our future workforce.
- Collaborated with St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley to develop and host a Career Exploration Camp for 34 high school students.
- Advocated for equitable public education, increased funding for early childhood education, after-school programs, and expanded investment in higher education.
Jim Usry
Fire Chief, Pattonville Fire District
Healthcare
- Hosted the State of Healthcare in North County luncheon to increase awareness around access to quality healthcare, what services North County has to offer, and what is impacting these service providers, along with what initiatives they have prioritized to ensure equitable healthcare experiences for employees and clients.
- Convened an initiative to advocate for increased mental and behavioral healthcare services. With the assistance of a University of Missouri-St. Louis Coro Fellow and FOCUS St. Louis’s Emerging Leaders interviews were conducted with over 50 individuals, including mental health providers, first responders, and other organizations working in this space. A report now details the findings and outlines additional collaborative actions that NCI members can begin to work together on in order to help address this crisis in the community.
- Advocated for increasing funding for Medicaid, continuing mandating certificates of need, and funding the safety net and mental health programs appropriately.
- Promoted healthcare assets through quality care close to home and the use of local healthcare providers through marketing and educational awareness initiatives.
- Joined regional stakeholders in conversation for area health provider’s joint Community Health Needs Assessment.
- Serving on the Missouri Institute for Mental Health Partners Advisory Board for two youth program grants.
- Connected with the UMSL Coro Fellows and FOCUS St. Louis’s Emerging Leaders to conduct a mental health ecosystem review with more than 50 health professionals, first responders, and other providers. Convened leadership to discuss findings and outline collaborative actions to help address this crisis.
- Convened an informational seminar for first responders to increase awareness of resources and funding now available to support behavioral health services in collaboration with Behavioral Health Network.
Rick Stevens
President, Christian Hospital
NCI Executive Board Member
Marketing
- Invested in and advanced True North, a long-term community-wide marketing campaign to rebrand North County by increasing awareness around positive assets, celebrating advancement, and improving the perception of the community.
- Celebrated exceptional accomplishments of community stakeholders improving North County at our Annual Leadership Breakfast.
- Hosted the State of North County Luncheon, designed to increase awareness and understanding of opportunities, concerns, and work around accessibility and equitability of healthcare, economic development, education, and other providers in the area.
- Provided marketing showcasing area assets.
- Increased positive awareness by promoting hundreds of member events and accomplishments via monthly digital messaging.
- Supported community events such as the Christian Hospital MLK Celebration, the St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley, the Florissant Rotary Charity Auction, the GNCC’s Women’s Empowerment Seminar, and more than 20 others via sponsorship, volunteering and /or marketing efforts.
- Provided one-on-one customized community tours to help regional and local leaders better understand our community assets, needs, and concerns.
Transportation & Infrastructure
- Celebrated the completion of the more than decade-long advocacy initiative to have safety, accessibility, and economic viability improved with the $278 million I-270 north reconstruction project.
- Served on MoDOT’s I-70 Community Advisory Group.
- Participated in St. Louis Economic Development Partnership’s roadway improvement study for Riverview Drive.
- Participated in Coldwater Creek Environmental Clean-Up Stakeholder Conversations.
- Served on the Regional Response Team’s Community Advisory Council working on equitable system change for housing and mental health.
Dr. Elizabeth Gassel Perkins
Campus President & CCAO, St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley
NCI Executive Board Member
Community Crisis Response
- In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we helped businesses increase resiliency by providing PPE and hosting webinars for businesses about PPP, grants, and other resources and assistance providers. Several of NCI’s executive leadership and members participated in the St. Louis County CARES Economic Recovery Advisory Group, the development of the Small Business Accelerator Training Program, and the St. Louis Small Business Eco-System Assessment.
Took a leadership role in the business recovery efforts after the civil unrest along West Florissant and Florissant Roads, offering outreach and connecting businesses to state and regional resources. In partnership with the Regional Business Council, we created the Reinvest North County Fund, distributing nearly $1 million to aid businesses during the crisis. Additionally, with a US Bank grant, we organized workshops to foster development and growth. We also acted as a liaison for regional leaders and media and partnered with St. Louis County and the United Way to connect businesses and employees with social services.
Jim Usry
Fire Chief, Pattonville Fire District
Our Commitment to Lasting Impact
Kim Bakker
Director, Civic Affairs SSM Health DePaul Hospital
NCI is a partner for North County people, businesses, ideas, and resources.
Through collaborative partnerships, NCI finds solutions for the region’s challenges, helping to create a strong North County region where everyone who works and lives can thrive. As a unified voice for the community, we make meaningful business connections and work hard for our entire community. Through our focused initiatives, we can improve North County, and our results impact North St. Louis County and the entire St. Louis region.
As an NCI member, you can help us make a difference. As a member, you gain access to exclusive marketing, community, and business resources, and you can network with other professionals and community leaders. Most importantly, you can be a part of the powerful voice supporting economic and community development initiatives to create a vibrant, stable North St. Louis County community with a lasting impact.