ST. LOUIS — The Regional Business Council, one of the region's leading business groups, announced Wednesday the successor to Founder, President and CEO Kathy Osborne.
Mr. Osborne has led the organization since its founding 25 years ago. Today, its membership includes many of St. Louis' largest companies.
Mr. Osborn will be succeeded by Karen Blanding, who has spent the past 13 years at the St. Louis Fed, most recently serving in one of the bank's top communications positions. Branding will officially begin work on May 1st.
Osborne said in an interview Wednesday that he had been considering resigning for some time. She wanted the organization to be in a strong position for a new leader to take over. The council had just completed a new strategic plan, and the organization had time to find the ideal successor.
“We think Karen Blanding has that. She's really great,” Osborne said.
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Mr. Blanding currently serves as Senior Vice President of External Engagement and Corporate Communications at the St. Louis Fed. She is also a member of the bank's management committee and corporate secretary.
Prior to joining the Fed in 2011, Mr. Blanding served as associate dean of the School of Marketing and Communications at the University of Washington School of Business. Prior to that, he held a communications role at Anheuser-Busch for 15 years. Prior to joining AB, he served as a public policy analyst at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and the Treasury Department in Washington, DC.
Jason Hall, who heads Greater St. Louis, another major business group in the region, said in a statement that his organization has worked with Blanding for years during his time at the Fed. He said Branding is “someone who wakes up every day and thinks about how to make St. Louis a better place.”
RBC began as part of a regional chamber but soon spun off into an independent nonprofit organization. The group has established workforce development networks for youth, supported recruitment in area schools, and funded public safety initiatives.
Mr Osborne said security remained a top concern among business leaders in the area. But she added, “There's a more hopeful feeling about that.” Her excitement is growing around St. Louis' new police chief, she said. RBC funds prevention and intervention efforts. And strengthening local education systems must also be part of the job, she said.
“It's been an amazing 25 years,” Osborne said. “I think we’ve succeeded in bringing together a more committed group of businesspeople who work closely with the nonprofit sector and the political sector to make big things happen in St. Louis.”
Mr. Osborne announced his plans to step down from RBC's board about eight months ago. She will continue to serve as its founder and chairman emeritus. She will continue to assist with the transition and work on special projects, the details of which are still being worked out, she said.
“I think we have great leadership. We're financially sound. And we're really clear about what we want to do for the community,” Osborn said. “Honestly, I'm very excited about S. Lewis. And I'm excited about my future.”
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In this video, part of Winning STL, Post-Dispatch publisher Ian Caso speaks with St. Louis business and civic leaders who have invested their time, energy and resources to bet big on the region.
