Godfrey, Ill. – Richard Fleming, President and CEO of the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA), will send this year’s Lewis and Clark graduates off with a message of hope for the economy’s future this commencement.
A civic entrepreneur for more than 30 years, Fleming has been engaged in private sector and civic initiatives to revitalize center cities and metropolitan communities in places like Atlanta, Denver and since 1994, St. Louis.
Currently, he is involved with the Climate Prosperity Project, Inc., committed to the creation of a low-carbon and prosperous American economy and launched with startup money from Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The group has chosen four Pilot Communities, including St. Louis, to demonstrate the viability of this new regional economic development strategy based on increasing “Green Savings, Green Opportunity, and Green Talent.”
In his speech, he plans to touch on four regional initiatives the RCGA will work toward over the next 10 years in order to enhance the economic competitiveness of the region, as they pertain to the graduating class.
“Knowing our region’s strengths, we must capitalize on them – healthcare, plant and medical services, information technology, green economy,” Fleming said. “I think what we’re in the process of doing is repositioning St. Louis as a region to be competitive in the new economy. As a result there will be a number of new opportunities for graduates to go into the workforce or continue their studies in these areas.”
In addition to overseeing the RCGA’s staff of 50 and an annual operating budget of more than $11 million, Fleming also serves as chairman of Partners for Livable Communities, president of the BOT of Climate Prosperity, Inc., is a founding member and current chairman of Alliance for Regional Stewardship and serves on the boards and committees of the Arts & Education Council, World Agricultural Congress, Chancellor’s Council at the University of Missouri St. Louis Center for Emerging Technologies, CORTEX, Coalition for Plant Life Sciences, Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois, St. Louis Sports Commission, United Way of Greater St. Louis, The Urban League, Downtown Now! (founding co-chair) and the Partnership for Downtown St. Louis. He’s had past experience with a number of other boards and councils as well.
The 39th Annual Commencement ceremony will be held at 8 p.m., Wedensday, May 19 in the Hatheway Cultural Center on Lewis and Clark Community College’s Godfrey campus.
Commencement is held annually to recognize the achievements of the College’s graduates. The total number of students graduating this year is 1,221.
Doors of the Ann Whitney Olin Theatre will open at 7 p.m. Additional seating will be provided in The Commons, where the ceremony will be broadcast live on two large screens. A reception for the graduates and their families will immediately follow the ceremony, also in The Commons.
For more information about commencement exercises, contact the Public Relations Office at (618) 468-3200.