St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley Rolls Out New Program to Promote Joint Economic Development
From St. Louis Front Page, Sunday, May 21,2006ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), May 19, 2006 - St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley has announced the formation of the St. Louis County Economic Development Collaborative.
At a press conference, following the 2006 Annual Meeting of the St. Louis County Economic Council (SLCEC) at the Ritz in Clayton, Dooley outlined how the St. Louis County Economic Development Collaborative will improve communication and cooperation among the county's 91 municipalities and unincorporated areas. Dooley said the new program will lead to enhanced job attraction, retention, creation and expansion.
"This collaborative will create a unified strategic vision that respects the individual communities, yet enhances the county as well," said Dooley. "It's a forward-thinking effort dedicated to improving the quality of life for everyone who works or lives in the county, and we need input and collaboration from all our municipalities and communities to achieve that goal."
Leezer, formerly with St. Charles County, plans to meet with municipal and chamber leadership in St. Louis County to introduce the Collaborative during the first 90 days of his tenure, which began May 15. He will work to market the major assets of St. Louis County, including those within and created by municipalities, and establish regular communications among the County and the municipalities on economic development opportunities and activities.
Leezer stated, "This collaborative's strategic plan will be based on each leader's input. My goal in meeting with each leader individually is to gain the perspective of each community and help mold that into a winning plan for the entire county."
Earlier at the breakfast meeting in the ballroom, Dooley told a packed house in the ballroom that he was pleased to report that the news is very, very good. "It is fair to say that in St. Louis County, business is booming," he said proudly. "It's a team effort to provide quality service in St. Louis County. We are all about customer satisfaction. There are innumerable facts and figures that support our contention that St. Louis County is as business-friendly as any county in the United States," stated Dooley.
Among the highlights presented in the meeting:
St. Louis County is fifth among American suburban counties in number of jobs;
The county is ninth among American suburban counties in annual payroll;
More than $2 billion was invested in St. Louis County in 2005;
Over 25,000 jobs were attracted or retained in the county;
St. Louis County accounts for nearly a quarter of the entire state of Missouri's sales tax revenue and one-third of the state's household income tax revenue; and
The number of new businesses started in St. Louis County totaled 2,600, more than 1,000 more than the next closest county.
At the meeting, several local businesses were presented with awards for their dedication to St. Louis County economic development including:
Outstanding Entrepreneur: Suzanne Magee Joyce, CEO of TechGuard Security;
Dr. William D. Phillips Technology Advancement Award: Robert J. Calcaterra, president and CEO of Nidus Center for Scientific Advancement;
Business Expansion Award: Express Scripts, with new corporate headquarters on the campus of University of Missouri-St. Louis;
Buzz Westfall Regional Cooperation Award: NorthPark Partners, consisting of Clayco, McEagle and TRiSTAR, set to create the largest reinvestment project in St. Louis County history; and
Community Partnership Award: Pinnacle Entertainment, building the $375 million River City casino, hotel and entertainment complex in Lemay.
"The St. Louis County Economic Council is successful because of the entrepreneurial spirit in St. Louis County," said SLCEC President and CEO Denny Coleman. "From the leadership of County Executive Charlie Dooley, through each staff person at the Economic Council, we work every day to enhance the quality of life for everyone who lives and works in St. Louis County, especially through strong leadership and economic development."
http://www.slfp.com/stl-news.htm
