The executive officers of two St. Louis-area companies have been awarded business-development scholarships from Ameren Corporation to attend the Minority Business Executive Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.
The recipients were selected based on their strategic relationship with Ameren and the supplier’s success in providing service to a range of companies in Ameren’s 64,000-square-mile service territory.
The 2018 scholarship recipients are William Mason Jr., president of Mason’s Landscaping & Construction Services, and Dana Howard, CEO and president of Zoie, LLC. Both companies are Minority-Owned Business Enterprises (MBEs).
Mason’s Landscaping & Construction Services is a commercial landscaping and restoration company headquartered in St. Louis. The company restores yards after Ameren crews finish repair work.
“Ameren has given us the opportunity to work and to provide work to others in search of a better life,” said Mason. “Through the Tuck scholarship opportunity, I’ll be able to continue to grow and shape my business for the future. This is a tremendous opportunity for me, personally, and for all those who rely on our business for employment.”
Zoie, LLC, is a site preparation company based in East St. Louis, Illinois. Zoie, LLC, performs excavation and grading services for Ameren.
“Ameren’s supplier diversity program has helped Zoie compete for and win construction contracts across our region,” said Howard. “Being awarded a scholarship to improve my business acumen is just one more way Ameren supports minority-owned companies and helps them succeed.”
Ameren began offering scholarships to local suppliers in 2009.
“Zoie and Mason’s Landscaping & Construction Services are valued Ameren partners, as are all of our diverse suppliers,” said Dennis Weisenborn, vice president corporate safety, supply services and chief procurement officer at Ameren.
“By recognizing and investing in the development of diverse businesses, Ameren is able to develop powerful long-term partnerships that are necessary for our success and the economic success of our region.”
