St. Louis County Executive Sam Page has appointed five new members to the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership board.
It’s a move the Democratic official hopes will restore confidence to the beleaguered agency, which handles key economic development matters for St. Louis and St. Louis County.
Page named Dave Spence, Will Ross, Pat White, Tracy Hart and Jeanne Dee to the partnership board.
The appointments come after the partnership became entwined in former St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger’s downfall on public corruption charges. The organization’s former leader, Sheila Sweeney, pleaded guilty for her role in Stenger’s scheme.
Page said he discussed the appointments with Partnership CEO Rodney Crim.
“And he is excited about forging new relationships that will restore faith in this important agency and help us refocus our mission to grow and retain businesses,” Page said during the county council meeting.
Three of the appointees — Spence, Hart and Dee — come from the business world.
Spence is the chairman of Legacy Pharmaceutical Packaging. He was the Missouri Republican Party’s gubernatorial nominee in 2012.
Hart is the president and chief executive officer of Tarlton Corp., and Dee is a partner in the audit and advisory services group of Anders Minkler Huber & Helm.
White is the president of the St. Louis Labor Council.
Ross is associate dean for diversity programs and a professor at Washington University School of Medicine. Ross was on the task force that came up with the Better Together proposal to merge St. Louis and St. Louis County. An attempt to put that plan up for a statewide vote was shelved earlier this year.
The appointments do not need St. Louis County Council approval.
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