FOCUS St. Louis

Looking for a way to commemorate Juneteenth? Check out these great roundups of events taking place across the St. Louis region.

St. Louis American: https://www.stlamerican.com/arts-and-entertainment/juneteenth-2026-events/
St. Louis Public Radio: https://www.stlpr.org/culture-history/2026-06-15/juneteenth-events-st-louis-st-louis-county-metro-east
The Connection: https://issuu.com/stlpartnership/docs/the_connection_juneteenth?fr=sYzQwYjkwMzg0NTg

As a reminder, the FOCUS St. Louis office will be closed on Friday in honor of Juneteenth.

Congratulations to FOCUS Women In Leadership alum Samantha Ferguson Knight on her recognition with the Heart of a Leader Award from the Senior Fund of St. Louis City!

No surprise to see several of our FOCUS alumnae on this year's list of the Most Influential Business Women from the St. Louis Business Journal!

Congratulations to Shu Schiller (LSL 2026), Caroline Battles (LSL 2012), Angela Drumm (LSL 2019) and Wendy Sullivan (LSL 2003)!

View the full list:

25 women honored as St. Louis' most influential business leaders - St. Louis Business Journal 25 women honored as St. Louis' most influential business leaders

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, our members and donors are essential in helping us carry out our mission and ensuring our programs remain accessible to all leaders across sectors and backgrounds.

FOCUS membership is open to all in our community who want to make our region stronger and more equitable.

Join us today: https://focus-stl.org/support/support-focus/

FOCUS membership offers more than event discounts and networking opportunities — it provides a pathway to growth, connection, and action. Most importantly, your membership helps open doors for future leaders by supporting scholarships and community initiatives such as FOCUS BoardBridge.

Life-changing. Transformative. Eye-opening. Sisterhood. These are just some of the words that our FOCUS Women In Leadership graduates use to describe their program experience.

The WIL program is open to women of all ages with a desire to strengthen their leadership skills, effectiveness, and impact. We encourage women from all backgrounds, industries, and sectors to apply.

Ready to take the leap? The June 27 application deadline for our fall 2026 cohort is quickly approaching.

Learn more and apply: https://focus-stl.org/programs/women-in-leadership/

Last call for our fall 2026 cohort of FOCUS Emerging Leaders! If you're putting the finishing touches on your application, today (Friday, June 5) is the final day to submit!

Designed for early-career professionals, this program is the perfect springboard to taking on greater leadership roles in your career and the community.

Apply now: https://focus-stl.org/programs/emerging-leaders/

Please join us in welcoming the newest class of Leadership St. Louis! These 57 participants join a prestigious group of more than 2,800 leaders who have completed the program since its inception in 1976.

Meet our 2026-27 cohort: https://focus-stl.org/introducing-the-2026-27-leadership-st-louis-cohort/

Thank you to all who took the time to nominate, apply and assist with the selection process, as well as our program supporters: Emerson, Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated Foundation, Kwame Charitable Foundation and LSL Class 45.

Does your nonprofit or civic organization have a challenge that could benefit from a fresh perspective? Do you have a project you've been wanting to tackle but need a little help getting started?

We're currently recruiting partners to serve as Civic Action Project hosts for our next cohort of Emerging Leaders.

Civic Action Projects are a key element of our Emerging Leaders curriculum, providing participants with the opportunity to work with community partners to address challenges facing our region and apply the leadership skills they’re developing in the program.

Proposals are due by Friday, July 24, 2026.

Learn more: https://focus-stl.org/programs/emerging-leaders/civic-action-projects/

A special thank you to our 2025-26 CAP hosts: Prosperity Connection, Madison County Mental Health Board, Criminal Justice Ministry, AWIS St. Louis, Building Energy Exchange St. Louis, Covenant House Missouri, Da Hood Connect, DGCKids, Hope for Tomorrow Community Development Center, The Ethics Project, Per Scholas St. Louis, Great Rivers Environmental Law Center, Ready Readers and St. Louis Building Trades Wellness Coalition!

Congratulations to FOCUS Leadership St. Louis alum Maurice Allen on his new role at Midland States Bank!

Midland States Bank names St. Louis development leaders Midland States Bank has appointed Cornell D. Lurry Sr. as community economic development director for St. Louis and Illinois and Maurice Allen as regional community development relationship manager for St. Louis and Southern Illinois. Lurry has more than 20 years of experience in banking, lending, f...

Congratulations to FOCUS alum Blake Hamilton (LSL 2019 / EL 2015) on being honored with the Michael and Barbara Newmark Institute for Human Relations Pluralism Award from the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis (JCRC)!