United Way names cabinet members
Lawrence (Larry) E. Thomas, partner at Edward Jones and chair of the Charmaine Chapman Society (which recognizes African Americans who pledge an annual gift of $1,000 or more to the United Way of Greater St. Louis), has named members of the Society’s 2006 Cabinet. He also announced that the annual Charmaine Chapman Society kickoff event will be held Wednesday, Sept. 20 at the St. Louis Zoo.
The Charmaine Chapman Society has a fund raising goal of $1.6 million this year, a total that is vital to helping the United Way reach its overall campaign goal of $66 million.
Thomas leads a 35-member cabinet of community members who are dedicated to improving local health and human services through the United Way’s Charmaine Chapman Society. These leaders and their affiliations are:
Edward F. Adams, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company; Duane L. Bailey, Madison County Employees; Dr. Lynn Beckwith, Jr., University of Missouri – St. Louis;
Susan E. Buford, AT&T Missouri; Debra F. Denham, BJC HealthCare; Arnold Wayne Donald, previous Society chair and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; International; Ida H. Early, Washington University in St. Louis; Melody E. Eskridge, Saint Louis ConnectCare; Minga and Johnny Furr, Jr., previous co-chairs and Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.; Rodney C. Gee, Edward Jones; Tracie Gregory Goffe, community volunteer; Darlene Green, St. Louis Comptroller’s Office; Kerri Gwinn Harris, KG Harris & Associates; Francella D. Jackson, City of East St. Louis; Barbara and John E. Jacob, previous co-chairs, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.; Dwight Kelly, United Parcel Service; Richard L. King, Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center; Paula D. Knight, St. Louis Public Schools; Ruth and Floyd Lewis, Ruth’s Hallmark; Dr. Theresa Mayberry-Dunn, Grace Hill Settlement House; Michael P. McMillan, St. Louis Board of Aldermen; Lauren Ming, Monsanto Company; Reverend Douglas Parham, Community Church of God; Deborah Patterson, Monsanto Fund; David B. Price, Jr., previous chair; Harry K. Ratliff, Merrill Lynch; Larry D. Richardson, A.G. Edwards, Inc.; Wayman F. Smith III, previous chair and The Smith Partnership; Thelma and David L. Steward, previous co-chairs and World Wide Technology, Inc.; Donald M. Suggs, D.D.S., founder and St. Louis American; Kelvin Taylor, Maritz Loyalty Marketing; Keith A. Willis, Sr., Who’s Who in Black St. Louis.
“This is truly a cabinet of energized and connected community leaders,” Thomas said.
“Our greatest opportunity this year is to help the Charmaine Chapman Society reach new members and more people than ever before, and this cabinet is helping do exactly that. These committed individuals, and 600 other Charmaine Chapman Society members, understand just how large of an impact we can make on our community through United Way.”
The society includes more than 600 African Americans who give $1,000 or more to the annual United Way campaign. In 2006, more than $19.8 million, or more than 40 percent of United Way’s dollars, will be invested into United Way agencies that primarily serve African Americans.
Thomas notes that “the money raised here stays in our community, serving people who receive help from 200 local agencies in 16 Missouri and Illinois counties.”
The Charmaine Chapman Society is the premier philanthropic program for African Americans who work and reside in the St. Louis region. The first woman and first African American to head the United Way of Greater St. Louis, Charmaine Chapman led United Way to achieve some of its greatest fundraising successes. President and chief executive officer of the United Way of Greater St. Louis from 1994 until her death in 2001, Chapman led the organization toward a new focus that identified critical regional issues and organized public and private collaborations to tackle them.
In 1994, Dr. Donald Suggs, president and publisher of The St. Louis American, founded the African American Leadership Giving Initiative to enable “a growing segment of the community to be visible and gain recognition for their support of health and human services through the United Way.” To honor Charmaine Chapman’s legacy of compassion and care, in 2002 the initiative was renamed the Charmaine Chapman Society.
To become a member of the 2006 Charmaine Chapman Society, contact Angela Marino with United Way at (314) 539-4116.