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As part of the organization’s 37th Annual Breakfast celebration, North County Incorporated (NCI) recognized several area leaders for making a significant positive impact in North County.  At a sold out event on Friday, May 16 more than 600 business, civic, and community leaders gathered to honor this year’s award recipients.

Patty Gould received the Elmer Belsha Leadership Award. This award is presented annually to an individual who has made a long-term commitment to NCI and North County, and has had a positive impact on the community and/or public body that they serve.

Employed by Pattonville School District, Gould is currently the director of School-Business Partnerships. Her responsibilities include forming relationships in the community and keeping businesses informed and involved in the school.   She has been NCI’s School Business Partnership Liaison and has served on our board  since 2001,and  served as secretary, vice-Chair and in 2011 as Board Chair.

Her leadership and problem-solving skills have been beneficial to NCI and many other community organizations throughout the past two decades helping these groups grow and serve the North County region.

NCI’s Business Development Award was  presented to those whose efforts have positively affected the economic development and business climate of North County.

Charter Communication’s new Customer Care Center in the North St. Louis County community of Bridgeton showcases the company’s commitment by bringing more jobs in-house, reinforcing efforts to lessen its reliance on service partners. Charter has renovated a 78,000-plus square foot vacant building to create a $12 million state-of-the-art facility. This facility, formerly the old Western Union building, had sat delinquent for the past five years. It is located in Earth City near the intersection of I-270 and I-70. They plan to employ a total of 400 people at this location.

NCI’s Community Development Awards are presented to those whose efforts positively benefit youth, residents, civic organizations, or others through selfless acts. Hazelwood School District and Scott Negwer, CEO of Negwer Materials were chosen for this award.

Hazelwood School District (HSD) displayed leadership in the face of trying times when a tornado struck the North County region in 2013 and the devastation left behind by the storm included extensive damage to many homes and  businesses in the School District, as well as, the district itself. In the aftermath, came  evidence of the strength of North County’s  residents, civic and community leaders, as well as, HSD’s leadership, who quickly formed teams to assist those in need.

Superintendent Grayling Tobias, and the staff of HSD served this community as they formed outreach events, organized donation drives and went door to door in area neighborhoods to check on the welfare of others, providing much needed resources

Scott Negwer, Negwer Materials has been generous with his time and talents over the years. He has created an environment of strength and leadership through volunteerism and support for this community. He has sat on the boards of Atonement Lutheran Church in Florissant, Atonement Lutheran School, and Lutheran High School (where he and his 4 children graduated), and NCI, where he served from 2001-2004. When NCI moved into its new offices in Village Square it was Negwer Materials that  donated nearly all of the office furnishings for the new space.

Public Service Awards are presented to outstanding individuals, elected, appointed, or employed by a public body whose long-time service has had a positive impact on the community and/or public body they serve. Honored were:

Jerry Dunn, Ph.D. oversees the clinical, forensic, research and training activities for the agency.  Under her leadership, the agency annually conducts more than 500 forensic interviews for child abuse investigations and more than 5,000 counseling sessions for survivors of childhood trauma and maltreatment. She has been with the Center since 2005 and an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis since 2009. She has also served as the Director of the Missouri Academy for Child Trauma Studies since 09’.

Dunn’s passion for serving children and families of abuse is also evident in her volunteerism with many local and national organizations.  She serves on the Advisory Council for the St. Louis Family and Community Partnership and works with the Leadership Team for the St. Louis Family Justice Center.

Lieutenant Jeffrey Fuesting started his career in 1994 as a patrol officer with the St. Louis Police Department and joined the St. Louis County Police Department in 1997.  In 2010, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and later that year assigned to the City of Jennings as the Commander overseeing the daily operations.

Under Fuesting’s supervision the officers assigned to Jennings have made great strides in improving the quality of life for local residents. Hotspot policing has reduced crime 37.8% since 2011. Burglaries are at the lowest level since 2005. There has been a significant improvement in citizen participation in neighborhood watch meetings and community programs.

Mayor Norman C. McCourt has served the citizens of  Black Jack and North County for more than 30 years. He has been  Black Jack’s Mayor for the last 15 years and before that was a City Councilman for 16 years. McCourt has also served as director of Emergency Management and sat on Black Jack’s Planning and Zoning Board, along with several other city commissions and committees.

McCourt is a past president of the Missouri Municipal League and has served on the Executive Board for the past seven years. He also sits on the board for the        St. Louis County Municipal League and has been a member of NCI’s Board of Directors since 2007, serving on our Executive Board from 2007’ to 2012’.  City of Black Jack is a member of NCI.

Marcia Pfeiffer, Ph.D. was named president of St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley in 2002. She joined the College in 1980 and throughout her career with the College has been an instructor of Dietetic Technology, chair of the Home Economics Department, the district’s Tech Prep coordinator, and was named associate dean of their business and human development division before her appointment as campus executive dean and then President.

Under Pfeiffer’s leadership, the Emerson Center for Engineering and Manufacturing was constructed and opened, a former big box retail store was renovated and put to reuse as the campuses Workforce Innovation Center, and the Florissant Valley campus was selected for the Gateway to College replication project. She has been active on the North County Inc.’s Board of Directors since 2010 and our Executive Board since 2012.

NCI Presents 2 Special Recognitions

Special Recognition Awards were presented to outstanding individuals who through their business and volunteer services exemplify leadership and service to the North County community, are dedicated to helping others, and improving the business environment and/or lives of those they serve. Brian Goldman, president of the Northwest Chamber of Commerce and Veronica Morrow-Reel, Community Development Asst. with Citizen’s National Bank are this year’s recipients.

Brian Goldman has been the president of the Northwest Chamber since 2012,   before that he was an area business owner, he had joined the chamber in 1999, was on their Board of Directors for 9 years, and served as Board Chair.

He has been an active part of the North St. Louis County community for more than 15 years. His community and civic involvement includes leadership roles with several local organizations and charities. He served on the Board of the Maryland Heights Chamber of Commerce for six years and currently serves on the Board of Directors for North County Inc., Edward Jones YMCA, Kalros Foundation and 1904 World’s Fair Charitable Foundation.

Goldman has been honored by both the Maryland Heights Chamber of Commerce and the Northwest Chamber of Commerce as their Businessperson of the Year and was an NCI 30 Leader in their Thirties honoree in 2007.  Northwest Chamber of Commerce is a member of NCI.

Veronica Morrow-Reel is currently vice-chair of the Riverview Gardens School District Special Administrative Board and sits on the Special School District’s Governing Council and Equity Taskforce. She is also a member of both the District’s and SSD’s Parent Advisory Councils.

Veronica served on the Board of Aldermen for the City of Dellwood has been their City Collector. She was a member of the Community Development committee, Planning and Zoning board and their TIF commission

North County Incorporated is a regional development organization, which acts as a catalyst to define and advocate economic and community development for North St. Louis County. NCI was established in 1977. The Board is composed of community leaders and business owners.  Chief Michael Gantner with The Black Jack Fire Protection District is the current Chairman of the Board of Directors.

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