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NCI Award Recipients at Annual Breakfast Meeting (left to right-front row) Kim Bakker, SSM Health Care-St. Louis (past Chairperson of the Board of Directors for NCI), Mike Lonero, Ferguson Special Business Dist., Robert Lowery, Florissant, Jack Agnew, Dellwood, Marty Rudloff, Bellefontaine Neighbors, Bonnie Barczykowski, Curves, Vickie C. Wade, BJK People’s Health Center, (back row left to right), Chief William Karabas, Florissant Police Dept., Chris Krehmeyer, Beyond Housing, Bob Cerame, Paul Cerame Ford, Lincoln, Kia, Doug Brewer and Vickie Horst with SSM Rehabilitation Hospital, Carolyne Simpson, St. Johns Bank & Trust, Jeff Spiegel, Ferguson-Florissant School District, Diana Weidinger, Greater North County Chamber of Commerce, Gina Walsh accepting on behalf of Senator Timothy Green, Chief Carl Wolf, Hazelwood Police Dept. Kent Miller Photography

(Special to the Independent News)

As part of the organization’s 34th Annual Breakfast, North County Incorporated (NCI) recognized several area leaders for making a significant impact in North County.  More than 550 business, civic, and community leaders gathered to honor this year’s award recipients.

Kim Bakker, Network Director of Community Affairs for SSM Health Care, was recognized for her service as NCI’s 2010 Chairwoman of the Board.  NCI’s 2011 Chairwoman of the Board, Patty Gould, School/Business Partnership Director for Pattonville School District praised Bakker for her years of service and for helping strengthen the organization during such economically challenging times.  Gould commended Bakker on the example she set for others as a community leader and volunteer.

Diana Weidinger received the prestigious Elmer Belsha Leadership Award.  This award is presented annually to an individual who has made a long-term commitment to NCI and the North County region, and has had a positive impact on the community and/or public body that they serve.  After 25 years of service, Weidinger retired this past winter as President of the Greater North County Chamber of Commerce (GNCC).  Under her leadership, the Chamber fostered a positive business climate, provided members with networking opportunities, and a connection between business and the public

NCI’s Business Development Awards were presented to Mike Lonero, Paul Cerame Auto Group and SSM Rehabilitation Hospital.  Business Development Awards are given to those whose efforts positively affect the economic development and business climate of the North County region.

Mike Lonero is the president of the Ferguson Special Business District (FSBD) and he owns and operates CORK Wine Bar and Vincenzo’s Restaurant in Ferguson.  As an active member of the FSBD for the past nine years, he has assisted with fundraising for a new waterfall, been involved with the installation of 15 decorative art bike racks and community development events designed to promote the central business district. Lonero sponsors many other community events and he was involved with establishing the successful summer concert series at the Plaza at 501.

Paul Cerame Auto Group was established in 1976.  It is a long-standing family owned and operated business in North County with a reputation for excellent customer service.  The Cerame family was born and raised in North County.  They opened their first Lincoln-Mercury dealership in 1981 and in 1997 added a Ford dealership.  Late in 2010 they added a new Kia dealership.  Over the past couple of years they have invested nearly a million dollars in a new showroom and new additions to their facilities to ensure that they are running the most customer friendly and efficient business possible.  Cerame had been honored 13 times with the Ford President’s Award based on sales and customer satisfaction achievements.

The SSM Rehabilitation Hospital partnership between SSM Health Center-St. Louis and Select Medical Corporation was created to build the new SSM Rehabilitation Hospital located on the campus of SSM DePaul Health Center in Bridgeton.  When this new asset to our community opens later this year, it will provide comprehensive inpatient medical rehabilitation care to patients with stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation and neurological and orthopedic conditions.  This $23 million investment will bring an additional 250 employees to the DePaul campus and provide an optimal environment in which to support healing and recovery.

Community Development Awards were presented to Beyond Housing, Carolyne Simpson, Chief William Karabas and Chief Carl Wolf.  These awards are presented to those whose efforts go beyond their normal duties, benefiting youth, residents, and/or civic organizations in North County.

Beyond Housing provides support and services that assist low-income families as a means to strengthen neighborhoods.  The organization produced observable successes in Pagedale and over ten years ago began developing a strategic plan to expand its programs and services throughout the Normandy School District.  Beyond Housing has built or rehabbed over 115 homes in the City of Pagedale, opened a family support center that provides youth and senior programs.

Carolyne Simpson is the Business Development Officer with St. John’s Bank & Trust where she has been a loyal employee for the past 39 years. Simpson is the volunteer every organization dreams of having involved with them; she is genuinely dedicated to supporting and creating a better community.

Police Chief William Karabas of Florissant has worked tirelessly for more than a decade to secure the approval of a unified radio and data communications system so that all public and safety agencies could communicate with each other in an emergency.  He was appointed by Gov. Holden to serve on the Missouri Advisory for 911 Service in 2002 and was elected the Chairman of the St. Louis Community Emergency Communications Commission in 2003. He spent hundreds of hours explaining the need for a unified system and worked to secure the necessary support to implement this critical infrastructure improvement in the St. Louis region.

Police Chief Carl Wolf has been with the Hazelwood Police Department since 1985.  He was recently honored with the 2010 Corrigan-Wiesman Partnership Award from the St. Louis County Juvenile Justice Association for his role in developing the Hazelwood Youth Leadership Academy along with several community partners and the Hazelwood School District.  This academy is a 12-week program designed to help at risk youth.   Wolf was named the Missouri Police Chief of the Year in 1994 and received the Missouri Police Chiefs Association’s Distinguished Service Award for 2000.  He is on the Board for the Major Case Squad..

Public Service Awards were presented to Jack Agnew, former Mayor of the City of Dellwood; Senator Tim Green, State of Missouri; Robert G. Lowery, former Mayor of the City of Florissant; Marty Rudloff, former Mayor of the City of Bellefontaine Neighbors; Jeff Spiegel, Superintendent of the Ferguson-Florissant School District.  Public Service Awards are given to 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.

John “Jack” Agnew has served the City of Dellwood since 1969, first as City Collector, then as an Alderman from 1984-1995.  In 1995 he was elected Mayor and has served the residents of Dellwood until his retirement this year.  As Mayor he saw the implementation of an on-going, aggressive street improvement project and 12+ acres of commercial redevelopment at the intersection at Chambers and W. Florissant Rd., where there is now a new grocery store, pharmacy and gas station.

Senator Timothy Green has served the citizens of North County for the past 22 years as a state representative from 1989-2002, and has been the state senator for District 13 since 2004.  Green dedicated his service to protecting working families and the most vulnerable of our citizens.  His accomplishments include securing funding to keep the Bellefontaine Habilitation Center openGreen is a member of IBEW Local #1, the Greater North County Chamber of Commerce,

Robert G. Lowery, Sr. has a long career in public service, serving the people of Florissant for more than 50 years, first as a police officer, then as police chief and until his retirement in April as the city’s mayor for the past 10 years.  Under his leadership, Florissant has seen a spurt of economic development with the addition of hundreds of new businesses, and the major redevelopment of Cross Keys Shopping Center.  The city has benefitted  from a major streetscaping project along Lindbergh Boulevard, the addition of the Behlmann/ Zykan Nature Lodge  in Sunset Park, and other city-wide improvements.    Lowery has served on the NCI Board of Directors since 1997 and was on the Executive Board from 2001-2005.  He has been recognized by dozens of organizations for his service, receiving more than two hundred awards for excellence in the field of law enforcement, being named “Man of the Year” by the Old Jamestown

Marty Rudloff has given of his time and efforts to  Bellefontaine Neighbors for the past three decades.  He started his public service on the Youth Commission in 1980 and was elected Alderman in 1981.  In 1991, he was elected Mayor.  Under his leadership the city was the first to respond to the state program to help cities during the Flood of 1993, started the Family Festival, and hosted the Vietnam Veterans Moving Wall.  Several new businesses came to Bellefontaine Neighbors, including a White Castle and the busiest QuickTrip in the region.  He helped start a senior transportation service was started, recreation facilities updated and added, and a 5.5 million dollar bond issue was passed for street repairs.

Jeffrey R. Spiegel has served the children of this community for the past 35 years.    Spiegel is an educational leader who has dedicated his career to maximizing opportunities for children to reach their full potential.  Spiegel has spent his career in the Ferguson-Florissant School District (FFSD), beginning as a mathematics teacher and since 2004 has served as the district’s Superintendent.

Special Recognition Awards were presented to Bonnie Barczykowski, business owner of Curves, and Vickie C. Wade, Vice-President of Clinical Services for Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers.  Special Recognition Awards are 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.

Bonnie Barczykowski, owner of four Curves fitness facilities in the North County area and six total facilities region-wide, had a dream that went beyond the doors for her business.  She wanted to help fight the growing obesity problem, encourage people to take charge of their lives and become healthier.

Vickie C. Wade is the vice-president of Clinical Services of the Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers, St. Louis County’s largest federally qualified health center provider of pediatric services. Wade started working for People’s Health Center in 1984 as a part-time LPN and now plays an instrumental role in their leadership team, she is committed to providing quality care to North County residents.

NCI’s 34th Annual Breakfast presenting sponsors were:  HDR Engineering, Inc. and SSM DePaul Health Center.  The corporate plus sponsors for this event were: Lindenwood University; ManorCare Health Services and Walmart Stores, Inc.  Corporate sponsors for this event were: Bommarito of Hazelwood, Nissan Honda, Volkswagen and Ford; Commerce Bank; Favazza & Associates, LLC; IESI Solid Waste Services, Johnny Londoff Chevrolet, Inc.; North County Suburban Journals, Paul Cerame Ford-Lincoln-Kia; St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley, St. Louis County, St. Louis County Economic Council, U.S. Bank

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