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North County Incorporated (NCI) has announced the annual Community Development, Business Development, Elmer Belsha Leadership, Legacy and Special Recognition Award recipients for 2007.

This year’s recipients will be honored at NCI’s 30th Annual Breakfast. This year’s presenting sponsor is SSM DePaul Health Center. The event will be on Friday, May 4, 2007, at 7:30 a.m. at the St. Louis Airport Marriott. The public is encouraged to attend; tickets are $35 per person. Reservations are required; please call NCI at 895-6241.

This year, in celebration of NCI’s 30th Anniversary several Legacy Awards will be presented to a community, civic or business leader or organization, located in the North County area for 30 years or more. This year’s recipients are profiled in story in next column on this page.

The others who will be honored at the NCI breakfast:
Ann Brand has been chosen to receive the Elmer Belsha Leadership Award, which is presented annually to individuals whose long-term commitment to the North County region and NCI has had a positive impact.

Brand is the Community and Government Relations Manager for St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley and has over 30 years of experience at the Florissant Valley campus. She is responsible for the campus community relations and marketing department and has district-level responsibility for outreach and government relations.

NCI’s Business Development Awards are presented to individuals or organizations whose efforts go beyond their normal duties and positively affect the economic development and business climate for the North County.

The City of Hazelwood, under the leadership of Mayor T.R. Carr, will receive one of this year’s Business Development Awards. Since becoming mayor of Hazelwood in 2000, Carr has been one of North County’s strongest proponents for economic development, actively working to improve the area’s business climate, retain and attract employers that create family-supporting jobs and make critical capital investment in our region. Hazelwood has experienced growth of more than an incredible 3 million square feet of new commercial business space since 2000 and 450 new homes.

A Business Development Award will be given to, NorthPark Partners-McEagle and Clayco, this partnership presented the winning plan for development of the 600 acre parcel located at the northeast corner of Interstate 70 and 170. St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley has dubbed this, “the greatest reinvestment project in the history of St. Louis County.”

This $400 million development, located in the cities of Kinloch, Berkeley and Ferguson is expected to be complete in 2020 and estimated to have a $7 billion impact on the community, creating approximately 12,000 new jobs. It will include a number of public infrastructure improvements including a new MetroLink station.

NCI’s Community Development Awards are presented to those whose efforts go beyond their normal duties and positively benefit youth, residents, civic organizations, or others through selfless acts. The following will be honored:

Kim Bakker is the Community and Business Relations Manager for SSM DePaul, a position that was created five years ago to strengthen and build collaborative relationships between the health center and community leadership. Bakker is a member of North County Inc.’s Executive Board, Board of Directors, Healthcare Taskforce, Marketing Committee, and works with NCI on legislative, membership and fundraising initiatives.

Carolyn Marty is the managing editor of the North County Suburban Journals. She has been with the Journal for 23 years. She is active in supporting regional quality of life issues and business growth in North County through her involvement with NCI’s marketing committee Marty has been honored with the St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley’s Alumni Award and the Rosary High School Ambassador’s Award.

Rance Thomas will be another recipient of a Community Development Award. He is the cofounder and president of North County Churches Uniting for Racial Harmony and Justice (NCCU). This organization, formed in 1998, consists of 20 churches of various denominations that promote racial understanding and harmony within North County.

The Village of Velda Village Hills, under the leadership of Chairwoman Mollie Bradford, and Charles Henson of Design Alternatives will receive NCI’s 2007 Special Recognition Awards for their commitment through their business or service, as well as their long-standing involvement with civic and/or charitable organizations in North County.

Charles Henson of Design Alternatives will be honored with a Special Recognition Award. He was raised in North County and graduated from the Ferguson-Florissant School District. After getting a degree in architecture, he opened a business in Ferguson called Design Alternatives, Inc.

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. Dr. Mark Tranel is the current president.

Profile of Legacy Award Winners: 30 Years Service

Lowell Girardier has been a resident of North County since 1954, after serving in the Air Force. He is president and owner of Girardier Building and Realty Company, which he founded in 1955. The firm constructs custom homes throughout the St. Louis area, and employees 8 people. He has built more than 150 homes, 15 businesses, 25 churches and collage buildings in the North County area. Some of these include the homes in Trampe Heights in Spanish Lake, and Girardier Old Town Estates, Paul Cerame Ford/Lincoln Mercury auto dealerships, St. Louis Christian College, and Parker Road Baptist Church.

Girardier epitomizes community leadership and charitable giving through his long-standing involvement with dozens of North County organizations, including the Florissant Rotary Club, where he has been a member since 1973 and has served as a board member, club secretary, and president. He chaired the fund drive for City of Florissant’s 200th Anniversary Celebration.

The Florissant Valley Chamber of Commerce, under the leadership of President Diana Weidinger, will receive a NCI Legacy Award.

The Florissant Valley Chamber of Commerce has fostered a positive business climate in its service area of Black Jack, Florissant, Hazelwood, Spanish Lake and unincorporated North St. Louis County for more than 50 years. President Diana Weidinger has been a guiding force for this chamber for the past 21 years. The Chamber provides members with networking opportunities, a connection between business and the general public and services as an area visitor’s bureau.

The Chamber has been an active participant with North County Inc. for more than 20 years, as several past and present board members serve on NCI’s Board of Directors. Weidinger currently serves on the Executive Board, Board of Directors and as secretary. She is involved in the economic development and the marketing committee. She played an instrumental role in the development of a joint Legislative Reception with NCI and other local chambers.

The Rotary Club of Florissant will also be a Legacy Award recipient. The Florissant Rotary Club, chartered in 1960 has 72 members that are business and professional leaders who volunteer in their communities to promote world understanding and peace. Rotary is comprised of 31,000 clubs in more than 165 countries. The 2006-2007 president is Jerry Davis.

The Florissant Rotary Club runs the Florissant License Office and donates proceeds back to local charities. These proceeds, along with annual fundraisers, have made it possible over the past 47 years for the club to contribute more than $3.5 million to mostly North County non-profit groups such as Marygrove, Father Dunn’s, Valley Industries, St. Vincent’s, Pallotine, Emerson YMCA, the SSM DePaul Health Center Foundation and TEAM.

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