StreetScape Magazine - November | December 2014

1November | December 2014

November | December 2014

WillieNelson

America’s Favorite Outlaw

Beyond

Celebrating the 5th Annual

the

BestSTL’s First Virtual

Care Centeropens 2015

It’s a Virtual World

2 StreetScape Magazine

Connect. Promote. Share. Give. Become.Little Black Book: Women in Business

December 5th December 6th

909 West Main Plaza Drive, Wentzville, MO 63385Musicians: Acoustic Junkies & Crunch Monkey

1439 Bass Pro Dr, St Charles, MO 63301Music: DJ Jimmy Fish Will be spinning Tunes

Official print media sponsor: All BrrrBash artworkdonated by:StreetScape is also one of many sponsors that is a toy drop location.

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6. PUBLISHER’S NOTE

11. FOR THE LOVE OF WINE

16. WILLIE NELSON

20. MERCY VIRTUAL CARE CENTER

22. BUSINESSSCAPE

26. OVERLAND OPTICAL FAMILY EYE CARE

29. BEYOND THE BEST

34. BUSINESS BLOG

36. DYNAMIC DUO

46. PAULIE GIBSON

48. JUST SOCKZ

Department Pages

Table of Contents

16

26

48 Layout: Grace Pettit

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NEWS FROM THE PUBLISHER TOM HANNEGAN

Hello Family & Friends,

As we wrap up 2014, we are celebrating our 5th anniversary of honoring our Beyond the Best winners. At our event, Beyond the Best, we honor the 50 top leaders in business,

organizations & community from St. Louis & St. Charles. These honorees positively change people’s lives in countless ways. Look for them on pages 29-31. If you know them, be sure to extend your congratulations! They are truly inspirational!

We are also very proud to announce that for the 2nd year we are a proud drop site & media sponsor for the Brrr Bash, Toys for Tots toy drive campaign. Last year, the Brrr Bash, hosted by Little Black Book, Women in Business, gathered 3500 toys, raised $1300, and was ranked 5th of 700 in the St. Louis/St. Charles metropolitan area!!! Look for the ad, inside the cover for how you can be a part of this amazing event!

Make sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more exciting upcoming events and announcements.

Happy Holidays! Looking forward to seeing you in 2015!

Sincerely,

Thomas P. Hannegan

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BEHIND THE SCENES

1. Tom Hannegan Publisher & Founder [email protected]

2. Robin Seaton Jefferson Senior Correspondent [email protected]

3. Judy Peters Director of Sales (636) 448.2074 [email protected] 4. Mary Ellen Renaud PR Director | Marketing | Event Planner (314) 660.1975 [email protected]

5. Michael Schlueter Contributing Photographer (314) [email protected] SchlueterPhoto.com

6. Lance Tilford Contributing Photographer [email protected] LanceTilfordPhotography.com

7. Jeanne Strickland Advertising | Marketing |Special Events (314) 605.7193 [email protected]

8. Tiffany Smith Executive Assistant to Publisher(636) 696.6369 [email protected]

9. Jackie Vick Account Manager(636) 875.6833 [email protected]

10. Jamie Walsh Sales Account Manager(636) [email protected] 11. Grace PettitCreative [email protected]

12. Tim RoseGraphic Designer


We made a error in not properly spelling Joy Stinger’s

name in our last issue (September | October 2014)

Please accept our apologies Joy.

http://www.streetscapemag.com/item/joy-stinger

Volume 12, Issue 4 November | December 2014

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H A P P Y H O U RThe tastiest local food and drinks!

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With over 20 years producing award-winning wines, Little Hills now ranks among the largest wineries in Missouri. Stop by and relax in the main dining area or upstairs in the loft, and savor the moment by tasting award-winning Little Hills Wines, produced from French hybrid and native wine grapes, all grown in Missouri.

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“COME QUICKLY, I AM DRINKING THE STARS!” is romantically, though erroneously, attributed to 17th century French monk Dom Perignon after he tried some wine that had undergone a second fermentation and bubbled out of the bottle.

Drinking stars, however, can be a good descriptor of enjoying sparkling wines.

Like still wines, sparkling wines are made of fermented grapes. But sparkling wines undergo a second fermentation that builds up CO2 bubbles and bubble-pressure in the bottle. Not surprisingly, only after 17th century bottle-making technology could consis-tently make bottles with uniform thickness did sparkling wine production take off on a large scale. The bubble pressure is why the corks are held in place by little cages or Muselets --- so they don’t pop off! Sparklings are generally made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay or Pinot Meunier grapes or in Italy, the Glera grape. In the process of secondary fermentation, varying amounts of sugar (also referred to as dosage) are added. That sugar works with

yeast to create the secondary fermentation --- bubbles --- and also determines if, in the end, the wine will be very dry (Brut), somewhat sweet (Sec), or sweet (Demi-Sec).

Only a small percentage of sparkling wines can be rightly called champagne. It is only those from the northeast Champagne region of France who have that honor. The Spanish call their sparkling wines “cava”, and the Italians call their white sparkling wine “Prosecco”.

If you remember one thing from reading this article it should be that sparkling wines are not just for formal occasions like weddings and inaugurations. Their lightness and jazziness can make them great matches for many occasions and with any foods that match well with soda or beer --- really!

Fish and chips would be a great match with a reasonably priced Prosecco from the Veneto region of Italy. Try your favorite pizza with a bottle of inexpensive Freixenet cava. I love their black

Story by Susan Mangels, PhDPhotos by Michael Schlueter

Freixenet sparkling wine, a holiday favorite.

For theLove of

WineSparkling wines offer surprising flexibility


bottles. You can write gift messages on them with silver or gold markers!

With the holiday season approaching, I encourage you to try pairing a nice sparkling wine with your turkey or pork roast. Gloria Ferrer is Barcelona wine royalty and makes a whole line of sparklings. If you are lucky, your local grocer or wine store will have a good variety. For the holidays, try their Brut Rose or Blanc de Blanc.

Korbel Cellars in California also makes a fabulous bottle for the holidays that is from Merlot grapes and has a rich, red color and singular fruity (not too sweet) flavor.

For a nice dinner party, try a yeasty California Schramsberg with roast chicken or pork loin. It’s also great with a strata containing brie or mushrooms. In 1972, that sparkling wine was the first domestic to be served at the Nixon White House to toast peace with China’s premier. It has continued to be served at official state dinners ever since.

And don’t forget dessert is a great time to pair a sparkling wine with something sweet. Just try to make sure that the wine is sweeter than the dessert. So around the holidays, butter cookies, gingerbread, and great winter citrus fruits all pair well with sec or demi-sec sparklers.

How much do you need to pay to get a good bottle of sparkling wine? I know, I always say it just depends. What is the occasion, and what is being served with it? You can really get a decent bottle to have with your chicken potpie for $10-12. Washington state’s Trevari Vineyards offers some fun bottles for around $20, as does Oregon’s Argyle Vineyards. Vintage bottles cost more, but the depth of flavor in a Napa Mumm ($65) or Sonoma Domaine Carneros ($100) might be worth it for special occa-sions. Remember, each bottle contains five or six glasses.

Do sparkling wines give you a headache? It’s probably because of the CO2. The better the sparkling wine, the smaller the bubbles. Or maybe you are like some of us and drink champagne when having fun and are, perhaps, less aware of how many glasses you drink.

So keeping prudence in mind, during the upcoming holiday season, I challenge you to try some glasses of sparkling wines. Many restaurants will pour them by the glass. Enjoy your holidays!

Susan Mangels, PhD is the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Lindenwood University. ¤

MY FATHER’S FAVORITE CHEESE was Limburger. Yes, he loved this ultra stinky cheese that cartoon characters used to run away from while holding their noses. Dad enjoyed Limburger brought up to room temperature for spread-ing on rye toast. I also love this cheese and have been happy to find it now in my local grocery stores. Limburger’s intense aroma makes it a challenging cheese. I realized how challenging when I was a guest on a radio show with a bunch of big strong men. They were drinking beer and in general rocking out on the show. In I come bearing this very fragrant cheese and they almost ran out of the room. Really! They were afraid to taste the Limburger. Once I convinced them to take a bite, I couldn’t get them away from this nutty, creamy, pungent and sweet cow’s milk cheese. Limburger originated in the state of Limburg in Belgium. It’s a washed rind cheese that gets it’s famous stink from our microbe friends, the B. linens (Brevibacterium linens). Don’t get scared, but they produce the same odor as your feet after a long hike up a mountain. Limburger cheese has had a good run in popular culture. Just as Superman’s powers were smoked by Kryptonite, Mighty Mouse’s super powers were zapped by being near Limburger cheese.

Everybody from The Three Stooges to Monty Python have had their chuckles at Limburger’s expense. The B-25’s song, “Dance this Mess Around” has one of the great cheese lines… Why don’t you dance with me, I’m not no Limburger. Get past it. This is a delicious cheese experience. Go for it and enjoy!

An American Beauty:Chalet Cheese Cooperative –

Monroe, WisconsinWisconsin Master Cheesemaker –

Myron Olson

There used to be loads of Limburger creameries all over our country.

Now, one lone cheesemaker is holding down the fort by making Limburger the tradition-al way. Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, Myron Olson, from Chalet

Cheese Co-op, puts his passion out there every day to bring us

this stinky of stinky cheeses. Try these beer pairings with this luscious cheese.

The Craft BeerThe Bruery’s Saison Rue Patrick Rue is rocking the farmhouse ale style with his version. I’d recommend one small bite of the Limburger with two sips of this fruity, spicy and a bit earthy liquid. The meatiness of the cheese comes forward and then finishes with sweet and nutty notes. Shiner BockThe sweetness of the beer intensifies the buttery and meaty qualities in the cheese. It’s really a sweet/sa-vory experience in your mouth. Take three sips

of this beer to each small bite of the Limburger and see if you taste some hazelnuts or pecan pie. Enjoy the rind; it’s a super charge of the paste of the cheese inside.¤


Paired with Craft Beer, it’s heavenly for fall and winter entertaining.

Limburger is

Baackkk!

Story by Barrie Lynn | The Cheese Impresariowww.TheCheeseImpresario.com


WILLIE NELSON has made an enduring imprint on just about every category of America’s music and many of its social groups.

Born April 30, 1933, in Abbott, Texas, Nelson represented the “outlaw country” subgenre in the 1960s. And while he wrote some of the most popular country songs of all time, including the mega hit “Crazy,” that Patsy Cline definitively recorded for Decca Records in 1961, Nelson has been just as famous for his financial troubles, marijuana use and activism during his career. And fans have loved him through all of it.

“As a kid, my parents and grandparents listened to country music,” said Amy Mitts Runyon, 45, a married mom of seven from O’Fallon. “So a lot of the older country music was played frequently. My dad was a big Willie and Waylon fan. They were always on the radio or 8-track.”

Mitts said Nelson just knew how to relate to people with his music and his life.

“Willie’s stories in his music always made sense to us,” she said. “His way of life and how he lives it to the fullest puts a huge smile on my face. While my grandpa hated his twang, Willie reminded me of my grandpa; and of course, that puts a huge smile on my face, too.”

Bob Moss of St. Peters said he’s been a Nelson fan for over 30 years. The 72-year-old grandfather of six said he listened to him on the radio for years. Now Moss goes to the library

occasionally and checks out Willie’s compact disks and even a favorite DVD of a live show featuring Nelson and several other country greats.

Moss agreed that Nelson is likable because of his ability to relate to the common man.

“He crosses all types of music. People relate to him. He’s had some trouble with the IRS, and I can understand that. I’ve had a bout or two with them myself.”

And while Moss doesn’t agree with everything Nelson does, such as his smoking marijuana, it doesn’t stop him from admiring his talent.

“He has a good voice. I’m not a music critic; I just know what I like to hear. I don’t like ‘crying in your beer’ type of country music. I like music that’s about mountains and horses and rivers or trains, like ‘City of New Orleans,’ ” Moss said. “I don’t really condone that kind of thing with the marijuana; but I’ve known people who did that, and they were successful, not the dregs of society like people think.”

Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photos by David McClister

Local fans reminisce about legendary native son.

America,Good morning,

how are ya?


Runyon said she saw Nelson in concert eight years ago at the former Riverport Amphitheater.

“The concert was packed, and John Fogarty was there, also. It was a blast. Everyone was singing along, and there wasn’t a song we didn’t all know,” she said. “And, yes, there was skunk in the air.”

It’s hard to pick a favorite from 50 years of songwriting and performing, Runyon said.

“If I had to choose a favorite song, though, it would be the one he sang with Waylon Jennings, ‘Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys.’ People that do like him probably like him for the same reason I do. He’s down-to-earth, makes great music, and just lives his life to the fullest.”

By inserting himself into so many types of music, Nelson brilliantly garnered the admiration of several generations of music lovers. He has collaborated with Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow and Santana. But he’s also made music with Kid Rock, Julio Iglesias, Ray Charles and even Snoop Dogg.

He’s a singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist. According to Biography.com, Nelson has written more than 2,500 songs and has released close to 300 albums. He has won multiple awards, including countless Grammys, American Music Awards and Country Music Awards.

“He is recognized worldwide as an American troubadour and icon, transcended musical genres, and has remained relevant through five decades for his music, acting, and as the face of such social causes as Farm Aid, development of bio-diesel and the legalization of marijuana,” the Biography site states.

The son of Myrle and Ira Nelson, Willie and his older sister Bobbie were raised by their paternal grandparents during the Great Depression and were first exposed to music from thehymnals in the local Methodist church. He got his first guitar when he was six and sold his famous gospel song “Family Bible”

to his guitar teacher for $50.

His first gig was with Bud Fletcher (whom his sister would later marry) and the Texans. He had a short stint in the U.S. Air Force, but had to leave because of back trouble. He also tried college briefly, but flunked out. Some of his odd jobs included selling encyclopedias door-to-door and working as a disc jockey.

He wound up in Nashville in 1960 working as a songwriter for Pamper Music for about $50 a week. Biography.com states that the following year, two of Willie’s songs became hits for other artists – Faron Young’s version of “Hello Walls” and Patsy Cline’s legendary rendition of “Crazy.” His own first album was released the next year to hardly any notice.

After Ray Price made “Night Life” a huge hit in 1963, Willie wound up heading back to Texas, where he became part of the country music scene in Austin and started hosting his now- legendary Fourth of July picnics. The gatherings, inspired by Woodstock, became popular musical celebrations and included performances from other country music outlaws, such as Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings.

He kept playing his own style of music, and it wasn’t long before the braided, bandana-wearing guitarist developed a following.

By the 1970’s, Willie branched out into acting and made his first appearance in “The Elec-tric Horseman” (1979), starring Robert Redford. Then he starred in “Honeysuckle Rose” (1980). The film featured the song “On the Road Again,” which earned Willie an Academy Award nomi-nation for best original song and became a signature song for him. “On the Road Again” also won the Grammy Award for

best country song in 1980.

Willie’s popularity continued into the 1980s. Willie, Neil Young and John Mellencamp organized the first Farm Aid concert in 1985 to help keep farmers from losing their land due to mortgage debt. According to Biography.com, the Farm Aid organization has raised more than $30 million to date.


The early 1990s were a time of challenge and great tragedy for the singer/songwriter. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in 1990, came after Willie for $16 million in back taxes and seized most of his property to cover the bill. Then in 1991, his son committed suicide on Christmas Day. Willie was arrested for marijuana posses-sion in 1994, though the case was thrown out.

In 2006, another marijuana-related arrest would get him six-months probation.

Willie continues to support his hometown of Abbott, Texas, by helping the local church and grocery store financially. He’s also worked to promote the alternative, cleaner burning fuel known as biodiesel, marketing his own brand in 2007, known as BioWillie, which is a combination of diesel and biodiesel made from soybeans.

According to USA Today, shortly before turning 81 earlier this year, Willie earned his fifth-degree black belt in GongKwon Yusul.

His latest album, “Band of Brothers,” was released in June.

Willie has seven children, including four daughters and three sons, from his three wives. He has been married to his third

wife Ann Marie “Annie” D’Angelo since 1991.

Probably more than anyone else, country music singer/songwriter Toby Keith has brought Willie’s love of cannabis to the public’s attention. He tells his story at many of his concerts. Ernest A. Jasmin reported for The News Tribune that it hap-pened one night in Las Vegas, when Keith was laid over between shows and went out to hit the casinos. Nelson was play-ing the Hacienda, and Keith was invited to Charles Barkley’s birthday party at the Rum Jungle. Willie and Keith did a couple of songs together and later met up on the bus, where Nelson rolled up a joint.

Jasmin reported that Keith claimed, “You could put all the weed I smoked in my life in a coffee cup. It never was my high, you

know. But you know, he’s famous for that; and just to say you did it with Willie is kind of cool… It knocked me out. I missed Charles’ birthday party and everything.”

Then came the song, courtesy of Keith.

“I’ll never smoke weed with Willie again. My party’s all over before it begins. You can pour me some Old Whiskey River, my friend. But I’ll never smoke weed with Willie again.” ¤


S H O P ‘ T I L Y O U D R O PFresh picks from local boutiques.

Finishing Touches

MOss Boutique

Thro’s and Michelle’s Clothing Company

String Along With Me

636.724.0132www.ThrosandMichelles.com

229 N. Main Street | Saint Charles

Thro’s and Michelle’s is a family owned clothing store located on Historic Main Street. Thro’s specializes in men’s tailored clothing and fashionable casual work and weekend at-tire. Michelle’s features fashionable ladies apparel, dresses, formal attire and accessories.

After 116 years…the styles may change, but their commitment to service remains the same. You won’t find more customized service anywhere!

They also do tailoring on-site.

636. 947.6330www.FinishingTouchesbyCharlotte.com825 S. Main Street | Saint Charles

Finishing Touches at 825 S. Main St. is excited to carry the Fall line of Mermaid’s Cove accessories from Spartina 449, including handbags, clutch purses, wallets and scarves in lots of beautiful patterns and colors. Come see all of our Spartina 449 fashions, inspired by the natural beauty and rich history of South Carolina’s Daufuskie Island.

636.410.0625www.MossBoutique.com

424 S. Main Street | Saint Charles

If you are looking for that perfect outfit, or a last minute gift that is sure to be a hit, then MOss is the place for you. The former Fashion Designer/ Boutique owner is always on

the hunt to find something fresh and exciting for her customers. The knowledgeable and friendly staff is always there to help with styling an outfit, or choosing a gift. *MOss is an

authorized retailer for the popular Alex & Ani and Lenny & Eva jewelry brands. * Custom Embroidery also available. New arrivals updated at Facebook.com/mossboutique.

636.947.7740www.StringAlongWithMe.net625 S. Main Street | Saint Charles

Tucked away in the lower level of the Newbill-McElhiney House at 625 S. Main St. is an exciting boutique fill of accessories for Every woman¹s wardrobe. The friendly, helpful fash-ion advisors are ready to Assist you in choosing the perfect styles to suit your outfit, colors or personality. The store is enhanced with new designs daily, including a large selection of Brighton accessories. Wedding and formal jewelry is offered in a special Bridal section. Repairs and custom designed jewelry performed right in the store. Open 7 days a week.

SOME OF PATIENTS’ and health care’s biggest challenges are being met thanks to technology and Mercy’s foresight and willingness to harness it.

Mercy plans to open the nation’s first virtual care center – a four-story, 120,000-square-foot facility that will house all of Mercy’s telemedicine programs – in Chesterfield in 2015. It marks another milestone in the health system’s promise to transform health care, said Wendy Deibert, vice president of Telehealth Services for Mercy Virtual and the Mercy SafeWatch hub, currently located on the seventh floor of the Heart Hospital at 625 New Ballas Road.

“We’re leveraging technology as the shortage of physicians and nurses grows. We know it’s going to get worse, so we have to be forward-thinking on how we deliver care, so we deliver at least the same care if not better care overall,” Deibert said.

There are a decreasing number of physicians in both rural and urban areas; and attendance in the nation’s health services degree

programs is declining as the aging population continues to grow, she said. As this population requires more care, health care providers are being forced to envision new ways to utilize doctors and nurses to the fullest.

That’s where virtual health care comes in. About 70 telehealth programs are currently planned or in use at Mercy. The new center will house some 170 work stations on one floor. From these doctor-and-nurse-monitored stations, literally thousands of patients will be served, from in-patient to emergency department to pediatrics to in-home care situations. Remote monitoring will save health care workers precious moments in order to work with the critically ill, while affording those remotely monitored the best care available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For example, let’s say Mr. Smith’s oxygen monitor is buzzing, because his oxygen level has dropped. A nurse will no longer have to leave a more serious situation in one room to go, perhaps, five rooms away, only to find that Mr. Smith’s oxygen tube has just slipped away from his nostrils. A registered nurse, who is


Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photos by Michael Schlueter

Dr. James Bartelsmeyer, high-risk OB/GYN, consults with patient after an ultrasound.

Mercy Virtual Care CenterNation’s first virtual care center to open in Chesterfield

Mercy Virtual Care Center continues on page 25

monitoring Mr. Smith from another location, immediately sees that the alarm is going off in real time, uses the intercom system to tell Mr. Smith to put his oxygen back up to his nose, and the problem is solved.

In another scenario, perhaps a patient’s pneumonia is worsening. A nurse, who is monitoring the patient’s medical record in detail in real time, 24/7, can alert the physician immediately.

“Also, we’re not calling a physician out of bed in the middle of the night,” Deibert said. “The doctor is awake and alert with the chart, lab values, and everything right there.”

The nurses who work in virtual care are often the ones with the most seniority who may be physically unable to serve at the bedside any longer. They each have an average of 18 years experi-ence in bedside care. Laurie Haworth is an eRN at Mercy; in other words, a registered nurse with a specialty in critical care and electronic care. Haworth has been a nurse for three decades.

“It’s a way to really put your knowledge to the test,” Haworth said. “I am constantly using my critical care knowledge and thinking skills. I can take a step back and look at the big picture without the stress of hands-on nursing.”

Deibert said thousands of patients will be monitored in their own homes in the future, as well, with personal health devices, allowing them to remain at home where they get more rest and tend to heal quicker.

In yet another example of how this new virtual care will work, Mrs. Jones has gained 10 pounds inexplicably in the last month or is having consistently high blood pressure readings. Virtual care will allow doctors and nurses to monitor these things from their offices while the patient remains at home. They will also be able to remind

patients to take their medications. As time goes on, telemedicine will let Mercy, and many other health care systems, provide the best possible care to people where and when they need it. This can occur in instances where patients wouldn’t otherwise have access to special-ists, such as neurologists and pediatric cardiologists, Deibert said. The center will bring together the nation’s best telehealth professionals to reach more patients,

develop more telemedicine services, and improve how virtual care is delivered through education and innovation.

The new center in Chesterfield will accommodate nearly 300 physicians, nurses, specialists, researchers and support staff. Care will be delivered 24/7 via audio, video and data connections to locations across Mercy, as well as outside of Mercy through partnerships with other health care providers and large employ-ers. Mercy estimates that the center will manage more than three million telehealth visits in the next five years.

Deibert said the fourth floor of the center

will be dedicated to redesigning care, advancing telemedicine through research and training.

“The question is how we use technology to enable the best practices,” she said. “The fourth floor will be a think tank with tools to help build out temporary rooms. For example, maybe the exam table is on the right; but maybe it needs to be on the back wall. Should the room be square?

The walls in our temporary room will be movable so we can experiment and design new setups. There will be white boards and cubes to sit on. We will leverage doctors, nurses, vendors and engineers – whatever it takes to get us that out-of-the-box thinking.

“The sky is the limit right now,” Deibert said. “It really has no boundaries.”

Mercy has already used its telehealth technology to connect with health care professionals on a boat in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea when someone needed health care while on a cruise. Alternatively, chartering a helicopter and flying doctors and nurses to a boat in the middle of the sea or getting the patient back to the port would have cost the system millions of dollars.

Representing an investment of approximately $50 million in development, the new facility will serve as the command center for all of Mercy’s telemedicine programs – a growing list that includes the nation’s largest single-hub electronic ICU (eICU) and features more than 75 other services, including:

— SafeWatch eICU – Using in-room, two-way audio, video and computer connections, Mercy doctors and nurses provide around-the-clock monitoring of a hospital’s ICU patients. These critical-care specialists use high-tech tools to identify abnormalities, uncover



BusinessScapeBringing the best brightest business ventures to your street &

New FOCUS leader brings legacy of educationThere’s a new leader at the helm of the region’s premier leader-ship organization. FOCUS St. Louis® named Yemi S. Akande-Bartsch, Ph.D., as its new executive director in July.

The nonprofit organization trains individuals who influence policy and promote community connections to be better leaders. Its six leadership programs and citizen engagement initiatives connect leaders from public, private and civic sectors and empower them to work together for a better community.

Akande-Bartsch joined the FOCUS staff two years ago as vice president of leadership and alumni programs. She also directed the Coro Women in Leadership program, the Diversity Leader-ship Fellowship, and worked with FOCUS’ community partners to develop new leadership programs.

Akande-Bartsch replaced Christine Chadwick, who led FOCUS since its creation in 1996, when the Leadership Center of Greater St. Louis and Confluence St. Louis merged. Chadwick retired in June.

Born and raised in Nigeria, Akande-Bartsch is the daughter of a college professor turned minister and a medical record techni-cian. She said both of her parents had studied abroad. Her father holds a doctorate in New Testament History and taught at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

“From the experiences my parents had in America, they always valued education, community and civic involvement and their transformative roles at both the macro and micro levels in society. Both of my parents were engaged in the cities we lived in, and


Yemi S. Akande-Bartsch, Ph.D.


so were we,” Akande-Bartsch said. “So when it came time for their children to go to college, they wanted all of us to study in the United States.” Akande-Bartsch is one of five children.

It was during a visit to St. Louis for her mother’s 80th birthday that Akande-Bartsch met Chadwick and originally signed on with FOCUS.

Before FOCUS, Akande-Bartsch was managing partner at YsA Group, a leadership training and development company based in Cleveland, Ohio. She also served as senior director of civic education for the Cleveland Leader-ship Center and program director for the Cleveland Executive Fellowship. In addition, Akande-Bartsch was a lecturer at The Boler School of Business, assistant professor of communication and theatre arts at Ohio’s John Carroll University, and was the host of a weekly radio show called “Making the Case” on Cleveland’s WJCU 88.7 FM.

Akande-Bartsch holds a doctorate in communication (with specialties in intercultural, organizational, and political communication) from the University of Oklahoma. She has two master’s degrees from the University of Oklahoma, the first in human relations and organization-al development, and the second in public relations, journalism and mass communi-cation. She earned her bachelor’s degree in speech communication from South-west Baptist University in Bolivar, MO.

Akande-Bartsch serves on the board of directors of The Sheldon Arts Foundation and is a member of the Association of Leadership Professionals and the Interna-tional Leadership Association.

FOCUS St. Louis offers six leadership programs that engage individuals inclu-sive of high school students, as well as senior executives. These programs pro-vide established and aspiring leaders with comprehensive leadership training, along with access to key people and resources necessary for inspiring and producing positive regional change. Participants learn about the assets, as well as the chal-lenges, of the St. Louis region.

According to www.focus-stl.org, over 8,500 participants have graduated from

FOCUS’ leadership programs. These alumni have launched new nonprofit agencies, started businesses, and run for political offices. They serve on hundreds of boards and provide thousands of hours of volunteer service.

Akande-Bartsch said a lifetime goal of hers is to “educate leaders at various stages in their lives.”

“It’s essential that we are connecting with each other and engaging in what I call the greater good work of the community in a way that lifts the community up,” she said. “It’s in my DNA. My father traveled thousands of miles to educate his children.”

Akande-Bartsch related the story of her paternal grandmother who was never able to attend high school or college.

“She dreamed that her only son could rise above that with education,” she said. “She saved all of her money to ensure my dad got an education. She sent him away to Ghana to study. She never got to real-ize his successes. So we are really bask-ing in the legacy of my grandmother.”

Her grandmother’s name was Ola Yemi Akande. Ola means “honor” and Yemi means “suits me,” she said. Akande-Bartsch was named for her.

The new leader of FOCUS calls herself a “servant leader.”

“I believe the work I do is in greater service to the community. Of the ways I’ve been able to do that is that I’m very collaborative in every goal I seek to accomplish. I seek to guide dissimilar

constituencies to a common solution. We are a neutral convener. We seek to educate people of the intricacies of an issue to give a common understanding of those issues so people can make informed decisions about moving forward.”

Akande-Bartsch gave the example of FOCUS supporting the Gateway Arch Grounds Redevelopment and Jefferson National Expansion Memorial projects.

“When we came out in support of these projects, a lot of people took a step back and said, ‘Maybe they’re right,’” she said. “These are great times, but they’re also challenging times as an organiza-tion and also as a city. We need to be responsive.”

The unrest in Ferguson over a white police officer shooting an unarmed black teen who allegedly robbed a convenient store is also of concern for Akande-Bartsch and other leaders in the region, she said.

“Being a woman of color, I feel I have a responsibility to address issues of color for the greater good in the community I call home. FOCUS St. Louis has leader-ship programs that can address racial polarization in the St. Louis region.”

Akande-Bartsch is convinced FOCUS could make a difference even with the seemingly insurmountable problems involved with racial polarization.

“Never let the past be the determinant of what our future could be,” she said. “We can learn lessons from it, but we have to keep on pressing forward.” ¤

FOCUS Leadership St. Louis Retreat


Convert-Attract. Unfortunately, most companies seeking growth start – and stick – with trying to find new leads (the LAST step in the formula). This can be detrimental to profits, at best, and business suicide, at worst. Learning, and implementing, this formula is the key to maximizing long-term growth and profits.

To teach business leaders how to implement the growth formula and systematically take their company to the next level, we developed a propri-etary business growth system. If you would like a diagram of our Growth Formula please email [email protected] with “Growth Formula – SS1114” in the subject line. Or, scan the following QR code to fill out a request form online.

Trinity Strategic Growth SolutionsBusiness Growth & Development Specialistwww.trinitymarketing.com636.300.9005

BusinessScape

I f your company thinks marketing is a means to generate leads and it is your primary tactic for driving business growth then… stop. Stop marketing your business if you really want to grow.

Why is marketing so misunderstood? It is not just ‘lead generation’. It is every touch your company has with prospects, customers, and the entire community. It starts with your very first impression – when or wherever that may be – and it never stops; even after a customer stops doing busi-ness with you. Marketing, done right, focuses extensively on the experi-ences people have with your organization.

A disconnect will occur if the marketplace has any type of negative impres-sion – whether earned or not. Industry reputation, unclear purpose, and especially negative interactions can all create insurmountable barriers to growth; no amount of advertising, community sponsorships, promotional activities, or fire sales could ever effectively drive consistent, predictable, and profitable growth.

Companies must realize growth develops from the inside out; starting with a razor sharp focus on the experiences, and impressions, of your market-place and NOT on finding more customers. These two concepts are the hardest for business leaders to grasp and implement.

Businesses enjoying exponential growth intrinsically know that marketing must follow, and never deviate from, the Growth Formula: Fulfill-Develop-

Stop Marketing Your Business If You Really Want To GrowStory by Danette Kohrs

Mercy Virtual Care Center continued from page 21

potential problems, and assist with care when a patient’s attending physician is not in the ICU.

— Telestroke – Many community emergency rooms (ER) across the country don’t have a neurologist on hand. With Mercy’s telestroke program, patients who come to the ER with symptoms of a stroke can be seen immediately by not only an emergency room doctor, but by telestroke neurologists. They are on call and available day or night via telemedicine to help diagnose the patient and order lifesaving stroke medication, if necessary.

— Pediatric Telecardiology – In recent years, due to the lack of technology and distance of patients from a Mercy facility, it sometimes required a week or more to get results of an echocardiogram (images of the heart). A virtual pediatric cardiology team minimizes turnaround time for patients, produc-ing results in 24 hours or less.

— Telesepsis – Mercy’s electronic health records can automatically be searched for more than 800 warning signs to identify patients at risk for sepsis and alert doctors so they can move aggressively to prevent it.

— Teleradiology – A remote radiology medical team provides nonstop support to radiology groups to minimize turnaround times for patients and maximize productivity.

— Telepathology – Available at all hours, an online pathology medical team can quickly provide general and specific diagnostic services.

— Nurse-on-call – Experienced registered nurses provide 24/7 health advice with this nationwide telephone triage service.

— Home Monitoring – Mercy provides continuous monitoring for more than 1,000 patients diagnosed with congestive heart failure, reducing hospitalization and readmissions, as well as helping them live independently for longer.

“With a decade of telemedicine experience behind us, Mercy is now a recognized leader in this vital health care field,” said Lynn Britton, Mercy president and CEO. “We’ve pioneered a telehealth plan that no longer limits advanced care because of age, illness or geography. We can deliver a higher level of care to more people, and the virtual care center is at the heart of it – providing care for today while also developing the health care of tomorrow.”

For more information on Mercy, visit www.mercy.net. ¤

Clinical Caregivers remotely monitor patients at Mercy’s Safewatch EICU.




Overland Optical Family Eye CareSeeing their patients through for thirty years

BusinessScape

THE LANDSCAPE OF OPTICAL PRODUCTS and services has expanded dramatically over the last thirty years. Just ask anyone who has needed vision correc-tion during that time, and they will tell you the options available for correcting their vision today are vastly more inclusive than they were just a decade ago.

Eyeglasses were the only option for vision correction for centuries until con-tact lenses were popularized in the 1950s. Since then, however, tools, procedures and products, as well as surgical proce-dures for vision correction, have evolved rapidly.

Russ and Terri Dentsbier have seen a great deal of change in the industry since they purchased Overland Optical in 1984. The business was originally started by a St. Louis optician in 1975. Russ was a lab technician in St. Louis when he and

his wife Terri decided to buy the business. Today Overland Optical has two locations, one in Overland and one in St. Charles, and offers the latest in eyewear, along with the technology that creates it.

When they bought the business, it was simply an eyeglass retailer, Terri said. “In those days, you went to an optometrist for a prescription and an eye glass shop for glasses.”

The husband and wife team expanded the shop early on to include an exam room. They soon hired an optometrist and in 1990 purchased their own building at 2533 Woodson Road, just a block south from the original location. Times were chang-ing, and the new shop allowed room for Overland Optical to add full lab services.

“It allowed for faster delivery time and more quality eye glasses,” said Gary

Dentsbier, son of Russ and Terri. Gary began working for Overland Optical soon after graduating from college. He now serves as director of finance and manages the St. Charles office at 1592 Country Club Plaza, which opened in November 2000.

Terri said Overland Optical was one of the only independent eye care centers to survive the influx of the large one-stop-shop, retail eye care chains. “Russ bought all new surface equipment that no other independent had so we could do bifocals, trifocals and progressives while you wait.”

Gary said in the eye glass business customer service can make or break a company.

“Having our own lab allows us to make changes quicker and work individually with each customer. No matter how


good someone is, there are a lot of variables that go into mak-ing individual glasses. For example, you can have the perfect prescription and the perfect pair of glasses, and maybe a person is mildly diabetic and doesn’t know yet. The prescription can vary dramatically from the time the doctor does the exam until they get their glasses. The eyes can be affected by diet, stress, sleep and blood pressure. That’s why we have procedures in place for rechecks.”

According to Gary, the team at Overland Optical wants lifetime patients.

“We want you to be so pleased during your visit that you become a lifetime patient. Our goal is to build a personal relationship with you so that you feel confident recommending us to your family and friends for their eye health and vision care. Of course, it’s our business to sell glasses; but we want you to want to come back.”

Overland Optical offers the latest in digital lens technology, a new process that designs a custom lens to give the sharpest vision from one edge of the frame to the other.

“It’s a computer-generated, custom lens specifically for each individual,” Gary said.

Overland Optical also offers retinal cameras, HD eyeglasses, and all the top name brands in eye wear, including Ray-Ban, Prada, Oakley, Michael Kors, Lacoste, Izod, Calvin Klein and Guess.

The company accepts virtually all insurances.

For more information on Overland Optical Family Eye Care or to make an appointment with one of the four optometrists there, call the Overland office at 314-423-3874, the St. Charles office at 636-949-2900, or visit www.overlandoptical.com.¤


Beyond the Best Winner 2014ANGELA FOWLE

Foundry Art Centre520 North Main CenterSaint Charles, MO 63301636-255-0270

connecting people with the Arts through

EXHIBITIONS, STUDIO ARTISTS,

PERFORMANCES & EDUCATION

HOURSMon: ClosedTue - Thurs: 10am - 8pmFri - Sat: 10am - 5pmSun: 12pm - 4pm

Check us out atfoundryartcentre.orgFollow Us


Brett Ledbetter is the creator of FilmRoomTV.com, a website that features Championship Coaches, Professional Athletes, and Best-Selling Authors that he interviews to educate players, parents,

and coaches in the youth space. Brett also works with 200+ athletes on a weekly basis at Ledbetter Academy where they focus on skill development.

Also, many thanks to the Master of Ceremonies, Missouri State Representative Anne Zerr.

Recognizing Executives, Employees, and Board Members in St. Charles, St. Louis & surrounding areas.

Celebrating Our 5th Year!Special thanks to Brett Ledbetter, our keynote speaker.


Monica AdamsKTVI Fox 2 Morning Traffic Anchor

& Fitness Contributor

2014 Winners

Dr. Yemi Akande-Bartsch

Executive Director Focus St. Louis

Joseph Alsobrook Dean of Performing Arts Lindenwood University

Nora Amato Executive Director of the

Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce

Arlen Blaylock Director of Operations of

Nursing at SSM-West Hospital

Russ T. Clever Executive at

Morgan Stanley

Dr. J. Matthew Conoyer

ENT Medical Doctor

Russ Dentsbier CEO of Overland Optical Eye Care

Linda Didion

RLK & Associates, Inc.

April Feldewerth

CEO of April’s on Main

Barb Griffith President and CEO of

Community Living, Inc.

Mayor Nick Guccione Mayor of the City of Wentzville, Missouri

Andrew Haines St. Louis Ambush &

St. Louis Attack - Sports Teams

Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge Director of Lambert-St. Louis

International Airport

Annette Heller Heller & AssociatesAttorneys at Law

Mike Marlo Fire Chief of Wentzville

Kendra Martin Regional Manager

of UMB Bank

Charlotte McClure

Advocate for Crisis Nursery

Doug Mueller CEO of Mueller, Prost PC (CPAs)

Mark Ratterman President at

NBR Management Corp.

Linda Robinson

Team Lead at Wells Fargo

Kim Scheidegger-YorkPresident of Commercial

Leasing/Sales - Corporate Group

Vince C. Schoemehl, Jr. President and CEO, Grand Center, Inc.

Angel MagasanoCo-Founder and President of Little

Black Book Women in Business

Num Pisutha-ArnoldPresident and CEO

of Curas, Inc.


Dr. Jeffery Bonner

CEO of Saint Louis Zoo

Michael BorgnaChief Financial Officer of Data2 Corporation

Judy Burns President at

Patriot Machine Corp.

Brad Cassity Founder of MI7

Solutions Technology

John Clark General Manager

at Masterclock

Angela Fowle Director of

Foundry Art Centre

Sandy Furuya Sr. Accounting Manager at

Wamhoff Financial Planning

Todd Galbierz VP for Administrative Services, St. Charles Community College

Tina Garrison SSM DePaul Health Center’s Vice President of Operations

Robert Graves President of

Graves Insurance Group

Harold Hogarth Founder Gold Star

College for Kids Foundation

Paul Hott Co-Owner and President of

Benskin & Hott Talent Partners

Roy Joachimstaler Chief of the O’Fallon City

Fire Department

Amy KuntzDirector of Nursing

at SSM West

Jana Nulik Director of Training at Connections to Success

Jeremy NulikAccount Executive at

Kolbe Co.

Dr. Phil Orellana Chief Medical Officer for

Barnes Jewish-St. Peter’s Hospital

Mary Peacock Owner of Pilates and Yoga Center

of St. Louis/Lake St. Louis

Victoria Schmitt-Babb

Community Engagement DirectorUnlimited Play

Eric Stuhler Attorney, Lindenwood

University

Ron WatermonVice President of Communications

STL Cardinals

Kristin WilliamsExecutive Director of

the St. Charles City-County Library Foundation

Jennifer WohldmannCity of St. Charles

Department of Administration

Gail Knoll Owner of

Walter Knoll’s Florist

Missy Palipaltzsch VP of Business Developmet Midwest Mortgage Capital


Congratulations Founder and Publisher of StreetScape Magazine Tom Hannegan

for being selected to Focus St. Louis

INDIVIDUALS SELECTED FOR THE 2014 – 2015 LEADERSHIP ST. LOUIS CLASS:

Patrick ClarkinBroker Charles L. Crane Agency

Leslie CoreyCommunity Volunteer

Hal DaviesVP of Finance and Chief Financial OfficerDonald Danforth Plant Science Center

Sarah DavisAttorney - Husch Blackwell

Everett DietleDirector of Marketing and CommunicationsMissouri History Museum

Katherine DockeryExecutive DirectorOpen Space Council for the St. Louis Region

Jill DorriesDirector of Government and Industry Relations and OutreachFederal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Jeffery EisenbergDirector of Real Estate/OwnerJeff Eisenberg & Associates

Marie ElliottCommunity Relations ManagerMissouri Department of Transportation

Cara Ramsey ElsasSenior Vice President & Partner - FleishmanHillard

Robert EndicottPartner - Bryan Cave LLP

Robert FaulknerAttorney - Stinson Leonard Street LLP

Amy FieldsChief Human Resources Officer - Amerinet

Arik FrankelSenior Brand ManagerNestlé Purina Petcare Company

Paula GaertnerExecutive Director - Thomas Dunn Learning Center

Tina GarrisonVice President of OperationsSSM DePaul Health Center

Thomas HanneganPublisher/Founder Streetscape Magazine

Linda F. HarrisDivision Operating Officer - St. Clair County DivisionUrban League of Metropoli-tan St. Louis, Inc.

Michael HartVice President, Treasury and Risk ManagementIsle of Capri Casinos, Inc.

Brandon HaynesDirector of Community EngagementDeaconess Foundation

Melissa HopkinsAssistant Vice Chancellor and Assistant Dean, Facilities ManagementWashington University in St. Louis School of Medicine

Abigail IsraelDirector of EEO/Affirmative Action - Emerson Electric

Amanda ItokuCommunity Volunteer

Keith JacobPresident/CEOSt. Louis Staffing

Dwayne T. JamesSenior Inside Sales CoordinatorJacobs Engineering Group, Inc.

Raymond LaiDeputy Director of Economic & Community DevelopmentCity of University City

Jill LarsenBusiness Leader, Sr. Vice PresidentWells Fargo Advisors

Cynthia LerickPresident & Executive Director - Cultural Festivals

David LevensonPrincipal - Edward Jones

Wayne R. LusterActing Battalion ChiefSt. Louis Fire Department

Thomas MackowiakAssistant Vice President - Business ManagementEnterprise Holdings, Inc.

Linda MartinVice President, Tissue and Support ServicesMid-America Transplant Services

Annette C. MorrisDirector and Head of Diver-sity and InclusionNestlé Purina Petcare Company

Gina MoshiriGeneral CounselObject Computing, Inc.

Robert MuschanyVice President, Develop-ment and MarketingYouth In Need

Shula NeumanEditorSt. Louis Public Radio

Catina O'LearyPresident & CEOHealth Literacy Missouri

Brittany PacknettExecutive DirectorTeach For America - St. Louis

Tujuania ReeseCounsel, Legal ServicesAscension Health

Tracy RingAttorney, Greensfelder, Hemker &Gale, P.C.

Rick RudererFounderOrnaments for Officers

Kimberly SimmonsAssistant Vice President, St. Louis College of Pharmacy

Michael SorthExecutive DirectorGateway Greening

Mary Danforth StillmanFounder and PresidentHawthorn Leadership School for Girls

Michelle StuckeyBusiness Development OfficerSt. Louis Economic Development Partnership

Karen Taylor-LigginsOwner and Executive DirectorHigher Level Coaching and Mediation

Lynn Ann VogelPartner - Vogel Law Ofiice

Michael-John VossManaging Attorney, Director of Finance, Co-FounderArchCity Defenders, Inc.

Marc WarrSixth Grade TeacherCity Academy

Linda WendlingSenior Group Manager - Program ManagementCitiMortgage

Matthew WhiteVice President and Chief Development OfficerRanken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital

Marjorie WilliamsExecutive DirectorMindsEye

Napoleon Williams, IIIDirector of Advocacy and Outreach Connections toSuccess

Nancy WolfeChief of Staff to the President & COOMonsanto Company

Irene AgustinExecutive DirectorThe Bridge

Bart AndrewsVice President of Clinical OperationsBehavioral Health Response

Krista BauerSenior Director, Talent Management & Executive Compensation Ameren

Tricia BealChief of StaffNovus International, Inc.

Jeannine BeckExecutive DirectorMaplewood Chamber of Commerce

Gregory BedellManaging DirectorHuron Consulting Group

Benjamin BeinfeldBusiness Development ManagerWorld Wide Technology

Wesley BellProgram Coordinator/Professor Criminal Justice and Legal StudiesSt. Louis Community College - Florissant Valley

Cherie Stephens BockPartnerThompson Coburn LLP

Emily BraselDirector, Employee Comm. and Chief of Staff for Sr. VP Chief Human Resources OfficerBJC Healthcare

Jeff BurgessPresident - Commerce Brokerage Services Inc.

Jason BuschDeputy Director for Curatorial Affairs and Museum Programs St. Louis Art Museum

Dedric CarterProfessor, WashingtonUniversity in St. Louis

Business Blog: Business tips from the Lion’s den

HALLOWEEN HAS JUST PASSED, so your lives have probably been full of fright over the past couple of weeks. But before you settle back into scare-free comfort, you should be warned that some of the most horrific of all crea-tures can appear at any time of the year. One such creature is a sort of half zombie/half pirate who flies into a commu-nity periodically, ravaging brains and pillaging treasures.

These ghoulish figures are unlike most others because their ravaging and pillaging is done with smiles, glossy hand-outs, and PowerPoint slides. They use these weapons to cast spells that make intelligent people hand over taxpayer money to millionaires or billionaires in exchange for sports stadiums, arenas, convention centers, hotels, and all manner of associated structures. I’m talking, of course, of consultants wielding “economic impact” studies showing how millions of dollars in tax breaks and handouts can be magically transformed into hundreds of millions of dollars worth of benefit to the community.

The scare quotes are needed when referring to these “eco-nomic impact” studies, because they usually do not mea-sure actual economic impact, which is the net economic change resulting from a project. There are exceptions, of course, but a good rule of thumb is to think of these studies as nothing more than political documents meant to advance the economic causes of their sponsors. John Crompton, a professor at Texas A&M University, laments the misuse of economic-impact analysis for what he calls political she-nanigans. An article he published in the Journal of Travel Research serves as a handy guide to help the unsuspecting citizen to recognize the most common abuses of logic and math:

Counting spending by local residents as economic impact even though it is not new money to the area and is canceled out by reduced spending on other things.

Using sales multipliers that count a dollar every time it is transacted, even though net income is not increased each time a dollar changes hands.

Equating tax revenue as economic impact when it is nothing more than a diversion of money from the rest of the economy to local governments.

Abusing employment multipliers even though most of the employees in the construction and operational phases of the project would have been employed somewhere else.

Ignoring the opportunity cost of the resources, which could have been used for other projects.

It should be noted that economic impact studies can be done with integrity and be based on sound economics. Usually these are provided by independent analysts or aca-demics, but they typically arrive at effects that are relative-ly modest when compared with those found in “economic impact” studies. As a consequence, worthwhile projects are ignored because our attention is diverted to bad projects that are pursued because of wild claims about their benefits.

One never knows exactly when hired-gun consultants will swoop into town to cast their spells, but they do seem to appear around the time that a professional sports team is interested in getting a new stadium. So be warned. They’re coming to a town near you. And when they do, hang onto your wallets and keep hold of your common sense. ¤

Story by Dr. Howard J. Wall


BusinessScape


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that needs to be told?StreetScape wants to

spotlight you, your

employees or any special

awards/recognitions and

promotions achieved this year.

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may be published.


AUTHOR SCOTT ADAMS SAID, “Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems.”

Such, would seem, describes the lives of Kevin and Robin Shepard, two engineers who met and married some 30 years ago and just never seem to have enough to do.

She’s a chemical engineer, and he’s a civil engineer, “as opposed to a rude one,” he said. The two met at the University of Missouri-at-Rolla in the 1980s. A fraternity brother of his was trying to hook up with a sorority sister of hers, but the two of them hooked up instead.

Robin was the first of her family to go to college. She went on scholarships and money she made working at Denny’s. She was the youngest of four kids. He was the oldest of five. At 19, Kevin became the youngest, licensed, wastewater treatment plant operator in the state of Illinois when he took a job with the Lindenhurst Sanitary District Sewage Treatment Plant.

“And he took me on a tour of it,” Robin said. “That’s how geeky we are.”

After college, Kevin joined the U.S. Army Reserves and served his country for the next eight years, some of it during Desert Storm, when he was mobilized to Atlanta, Ga. to move units to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Later, while Kevin was away on six-month work trips for the civilian job he took when he got out of the service, Robin worked for McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) as a materials engineer and took care of the couple’s two-year-old son. Incidentally, the young engineer (and mom) started attending Washington University to work on her graduate degree in her spare time. When that became too much, Robin said she took a leave of absence and went to school full time to obtain her doctorate.

In the private sector, Kevin designed a method of turning a 1.5-mile train on a dock without a turntable in Los Angeles. He designed a launch facility for the next generation of space shuttles. He worked on St. Louis’ Metro Link during its construction in the early 1990s, and the Dart light rail system in Dallas, Texas. He also redesigned the lock and dam site in Clarksville, IL.

But the two still didn’t have enough to do.

“We decided we wanted more kids,” Robin said. “We didn’t want Alex to be an only child. But we just never got pregnant again. He was four when we started the process.”

That would be the adoption process. Robin said the two made up their minds that they wanted a child from the state foster care system. Their only criterion was that their son Alex would remain the oldest child.

“The lady told us upfront, ‘If you’re look-ing for a healthy child or an infant, don’t come here.’ We ended up with an infant.”

Jake Shepard was 4-1/2 months old when the Shepards got him. Sixteen months later came Josh Shepard. He was a newborn. Both were from the same mother. Both had health problems.

The ShepardsStory by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photos by Michael Schlueter

Dynamic Duo

Engineered for love

Kevin and Robin Shepard and their children.


“The social worker said we would never get another infant, so as Jake got older, I got rid of everything,” Robin said. “A few days before Christmas, the phone rings. Kevin is out of town. The social worker tells me the same mom had another child.”

As fate would have it, Kevin was inspecting a track of railroad “somewhere on a 250-mile stretch from Willard, Ohio to Gary, Ind.,” Kevin said.

“The guy he was with had a cell phone. His secretary found the number,” Robin said. It was 1997. Not everyone had cell phones, she recalled. It took a bit to find him. “He was in the car when they found him. His head hit the roof, and he started crying.”

Like the first baby they adopted, the second was plagued with medical problems. If he was awake, he was screaming. Robin took care of him all day. Kevin took over at night. But the two were patient, as always, and their new family endured.

Years passed. Then, just last year, the Shepards did it again. Except this time, it was one of their adopted sons who brought home another brother. And this one was almost 20 years old. Jake met Waaken “Dreads” Turner at his cheer class in Maryland Heights. Jake and Turner are competitive cheerleaders, tumblers and stunters. They also do parkour or free running.

Turner’s mother became homeless during this time, and Jake asked if he could stay with the Shepards temporarily. Six weeks later, they got him a bed.

“We went to him and said, ‘You’ve got a lot of friends. You could couch surf for a long time, or you could stay here. But if you do that, the rules are going to change. You become family. I want you to choose that, because when I get mad at you, I don’t want you to leave,’” Robin said.

Swearing this would be the last one, Kevin and Robin welcomed a fourth son into the fold of their family.

“For me, it comes down to love your neighbor as yourself. Who is your neighbor? Waaken is special. We both feel like there is something in him that is

special,” Robin said.

Defending her own “Good Samaritan” reputation, Robin said, “Jake is a rescuer. There have been a lot of friends that we haven’t taken in. But Waaken is different. They say they are brothers from a different mother.”

Turner wanted to go to college, Robin said, but he had no social security card, no birth certificate and no paperwork for filling out the government’s financial aid forms. The Shepards helped him through the process.

Today Jake and Turner attend a junior college together where they participate on the cheer team. Josh is in high school. He’s into ultimate Frisbee and cooking. He’s also a boy scout.

Alex followed in his parents’ footsteps to Rolla, though he became a computer scientist. He’s married to a mechanical engineer he met there.

Kevin is a lay speaker and servant in their church.

“We believe when you’re given gifts, you’re supposed to use them,” he said. “We have a big house. We feel we’re supposed to fill it with people.”

And there is plenty of room for people, because there isn’t a lot of stuff.

“When we got this house, we agreed we wanted to be the hangout,” Robin said. “The rules are there would be no drinking or drugs or smoking. Be home at 10 p.m. on week nights and 11 on weekends.”

The Shepards started “Bring a Friend

Night” last April when Robin was cooking the last turkey she had saved in the freezer from Thanksgiving.

“I told them they could bring a friend, and they brought twenty people. It was a 12-pound turkey. They had put Bring a Friend Night on Snap Chat. Talk about loaves and fishes.” But Robin said everyone got fed, and the dinners continued.

Robin works for “Engineers Without Borders” now, when she isn’t working or teaching at Washington University. She’s been on several mission trips to Haiti, helping the citizens there develop a process for drying peanut shells to make charcoal briquettes for a new industry. The Medika Mamba or “peanut butter medicine” they make from peanut butter, milk, vegetable oil and vitamins, can bring a child back from starvation.

She’s also been to Ethiopia four times, Mexico three times, and Ghana.

It was these trips to developing countries, along with the fact that nice things don’t last long in a house full of boys, that changed Robin’s attitude about acquiring things – not that she had ever been big on decorating. There isn’t much in the way of stuff on the walls and shelves of her St. Charles home.

“I remember going to Walmart when I came home from a trip to Haiti,” she said. “I realized people here have so much stuff. People there just don’t have a lot of stuff. I enjoy the simplicity. It’s easier to take care of.”

After all, she just has too much else to do. ¤

As cool days turn to brisk nights, go from comfy, earthy daywear to elegant, monotone patterns and

textures for the holiday soirees…

Photography & Direction: Lance Tilford

Wardrobe & Styling: James Harrison

Hair & Makeup: Tamara Tungate

Model: Emma Decker with West Model & Talent Management

Shot at Limelight Studio St. Charles

Graphic design: Grace Pettit

into

Winter

Buckled chunky knit poncho by Tribal from Michelle’s Cargo pants: H&M. Leather boots from Bronx DibaSolid wool Fedora from Target

Bronze bubble coat by Tribal from

Michelle’s Sweater from H&M. Jeans by L.A. Idol from

Moss Boutique.Loafers from Bronx Diba

Floppy hat from Target; oversized chunky cardigan by Ideas from the North.Top and Belt from Target

Faux fur vest and turtleneck from H&M.

belt, leather gloves, and maxi from Target

Faux Fur by Spannerfrom Michelle’s Skirt, blouse & bag from NY & CoCrocodile heels from Bronx Diba

Slim leg striped trouser from NY & Co

Scalloped edge blazer from Moss Boutique

Coat from H&MStatement necklace

from Joy’s Heels from Bronx Diba

Dress by Joseph Ribkoff from Michelle’s Gloves from TargetPatterned bag from NY & CoCoat from H&M


Lisa Mills

THE WORLD NEEDS MORE PAULIE BOYS. That’s the story from a young designer who grew up with a passion for clothing, color and glamour. Paulie Gibson, fashion designer and presi-dent of Paulie Gibson, said he was the little boy who loved to watch his mother “transform in the morning.”

Raised with two older brothers, Gibson said his mother enter-tained all of her sons’ interests.

“My mom didn’t know what to do with me. She was so good at indulging my questions. I was fascinated by watching her trans-

form in the morning into her makeup and her tweed and pumps.”His babysitter, a seamstress named Vera Westbrook, would take him with her to fabric stores.

“She made beautiful suits for the women of Ladue and dresses for the wives of the vice presidents. I grew up in Ladue. I learned early on the craft was fascinating to me. She’d say I had to touch everything.”

Gibson said he remembers watching an episode of “Saved by the Bell” when he was about nine years old. In it, Lisa Turtle, played by actress Lark Voorhies, had an interview with the Fashion Institute of Technology.

“I always liked clothes. I remember wishing they had a school for that. Then I saw that episode, and I had to ask my mom what it was all about. She said, ‘Paulie, that’s called fashion.’”

By the age of 16, Gibson was working at American Eagle and concerned about what he would do with his passion. “As an associate, clothes were my crack. I loved doing the win-dow displays. I was worried that I just loved clothes, outfitting people, merchandising.”

Then he signed up for Missouri State University’s (then South-west Missouri State) clothing textiles and merchandising degree program (CTM).

“I was the only boy with 500 girls in 1999,” he said. He went on to earn his bachelor of science in fashion design and product development. He later studied fashion in the real world in Paris and New York.

Gibson remembered his father saying, “There are a million ways to Mecca.” So he started figuring out early on how he could start his own clothing line without living in New York or Los Angeles.

“This was the world pre-Internet, pre-Google. I had to go to the library. New York was really expensive. I didn’t want to live there. I had to learn how the head designers ran their businesses.”

So he managed an Express store while he honed his design skills. He named his company Paulie Gibson, because everyone he loved always called him Paulie and “because if you Google Paul Gibson, Les Paul comes up; but if you Google Paulie, I come up.”

Today Paulie Gibson is a contemporary menswear brand sold in higher-end retailers around the world. Gibson calls it “sartorial stimulation for the modern man.”

“I am kind of a word nerd. Did you know that American’s only use a little over 60 percent of the words in our language?” he

“Be who you are and love every minute of it!”Paulie Gibson Fashion Designer


116

said. “So, since sartorial means the way a man dresses and finishes himself, with these clothes I’m exciting a man’s wardrobe,” Gibson said.

Gibson has worked as a clothing consultant and designer for several years now, showing his lines in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, New Orleans, Omaha and Knoxville. He’s had his designs on “America’s Next Top Model” and on celebrities at the Grammys twice. He’s also shown at Los Ange-les Fashion Week twice. He launched on Zappos.com last year. “In the fashion industry there is a groundswell of people getting together and collectively saying there is something here,” Gibson said of the St. Louis market. “Project Runway has shown us that talent can come from anywhere. Fashion is literally the fuel that drives me still. I see fabric and I get goose bumps. There is something that happens to me when I see all of the boys in a row with their hair and makeup done and the clothes pressed. It evokes some kind of emotion in me. I am an artist presenting to the world.”

Gibson’s apparel is available at men’s boutiques and major retailers as well as his website, www.pauliegibson.com. He said his “thoughtful designs, fabrications and silhouettes are new to the American menswear market, bridging the style gap internationally.”

“We are unique and proudly stand out in a crowd. Paulie Boys are active, creative, social and full of personality. Our mission is to simply outfit our customer through all parts of his life.” ¤




THESE AREN’T JUST SOCKS. Well, actually, they are. But they’re awesome socks!

“It’s all about stepping up your sock game,” said Joe Bourque, one of four owners of Just Sockz in St. Peters.

Just Sockz custom designs Nike Dry-FIT socks for fund-raisers, sports teams, individuals, and all sorts of special occasions.

“We offer custom-designed novelty socks, custom spirit socks, and custom socks for football, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, basketball and baseball,” Bourque said.

The company makes the socks for teams, clothing companies and organizations looking for promotional gifts, spirit wear or uniform socks… basically, any kind of socks that reflect a brand, school or even lifestyle.

The custom-designed, dye-sublimated socks are created on the most prominent brands of socks, including Nike, Adidas, Reebok and Under Armour.

Bourque said one of the partners at their former custom web and graphics design-only firm needed a pair of socks as a gift for his

nephew, so the company complied. As it turned out, it sent the company in a whole new direction.

“He wanted to know if we could print graphics on Nike socks,” Bourque said. “We tried, and we were able to produce them. We were tie-dying socks, but we figured out a way to take it to a whole different level.”

The process is called dye sublimation. “We actually dye the ink into the material,” Bourque said.

Dye-sublimation printers use heat to permanently transfer dye onto the print media—in this case, socks. The images are ini-tially printed on transfer paper, which is then transferred onto the socks with a heat press. The high temperature of the press causes the dye to turn into a gas and permeate the fabric. This process permanently dyes the fibers of the fabric so that washing does not damage the image. Images do not peel or fade.

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The process allows the colors to be extraordinarily brilliant due to the bonding of the dye to the fibers of the fabric. Continuous tones can be achieved that equal photographic images without using special techniques, such as half-screen printing. The image can be printed all over the socks – even to the edges.

“Screen printing allows for four colors,” Bourque said. “Thisprocess allows us to use unlimited colors.”

Just Sockz, founded in September 2013, has over 400 designs and is coming up with new ideas almost daily. The company is currently seeking out distribution outlets like Kohl’s, JC Penney and Foot Locker. Bourque said he and his partners are working on getting major brands on their socks like M&M’S® and NASCAR. But to do that, they must have distributors.

“They will license them, and we will pay royalties to the major brands. But to do that, they want to know where we will be selling them,” he said.

Bourque said, to that end, he has been attending conferences in Las Vegas and other cities. He’s sent his socks to famous people to endorse.

“It’s just about the right person seeing them, and then it just blows up.”

Socks are the hottest thing going right now, Bourque explained. “People don’t want t-shirts. Kids want socks. They’re selling 20 to 1.”

Just Sockz recently signed an agreement with Lindenwood University to produce socks for its gymnastics and men’s and women’s basketball teams. The company also does socks for MIZZOU’s women’s softball. The company has superhero socks and breast cancer awareness socks and “Bazinga” socks. It has bride and groom socks and Michael Jordan socks. Just Sockz can match socks to shoes and create socks for just about any fund-raiser or organization imaginable.

The mid-calf, customized crew socks are $20 a pair and can be purchased in bulk or individually on the company’s website at www.justsockz.com. Just Sockz has teamed up with AFU Wear to offer even more styles and designs. For more information, contact www.afuwear.com. ¤

Selection of custom designs

427 Historic South Main St. • St. Charles

636.940.1919

Cleaner and fragranced air

in the home.

Cleaner and fragranced air

in the home.

ow available at Fran’s On Main in Historic St. Charles: Lampe Berger’s Perle model in a Limited Edition gift set featuring a chic translucent black lampe with refreshing orange cinnamon home fragrance.

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StreetScape Magazine - November | December 2014

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Transcript of StreetScape Magazine - November | December 2014