Emeritus Members

Lynn R. Broeder, a noted community volunteer, is the former Executive Director of Foster Care Coalition of Greater St Louis. She is a founding member and previous Executive Director for the Ecumenical Housing Production Corporation in St. Louis County and was involved with several other organizations including the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy, Reform Organization of Welfare (ROWEL), and Good Neighbors,St. Louis. She has served on the boards of the United Way of Greater St. Louis, the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, and the Small Business Advisory Council of the 12th District Federal Reserve Bank. She holds a BS in Non-Profit Administration from Lindenwood College and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by the University of Missouri St. Louis.

James Buford has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis since 1985. Mr. Buford chairs the St. Louis Connectcare Board and serves on the Executive Board of the St. Louis Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Board of Downtown St. Louis Partnership, Fair St. Louis, and the St. Louis Science Center. He is Past Chairman and member of the Grand Center Arts District Board. On the state level, Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan appointed Mr. Buford as secretary of the St. Louis County Board of Elections in 1993. In 2005, Mayor Francis Slay appointed Buford to the St. Louis Public School Board. His numerous awards and honors include the 2005 Mentor St. Louis Award, 1999 Whitney M. Young Award from the Boy Scouts, the 1995 St. Louis Community College Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Brotherhood-Sisterhood Award presented by the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Mr. Buford holds a B.A. in Human Services Administration from Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA. He holds honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degrees from Harris-Stowe State College, in 1993; and from the University of Missouri of St. Louis, in 1995; and Webster University, in 2000.

Will Carpenter, PhD, retired from Monsanto in 1992 after 34 years with the company during which he served as head of research and product development and as principal spokesman on environmental issues.Dr. Carpenter is widely regarded for his scientific efforts that have helped feed an ever-growing world population and his long-held sensitivity on the environmental impact of agriculture and chemical use. Dr Carpenter was Chairman of the Board of Agridyne Technologies, INC, and Executive-in-Residence at Mississippi State University after his retirement from Monsanto. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the St. Louis Science Center and the World Agricultural Forum.

Christine Chadwick is is the founding Executive Director of FOCUS St. Louis, the region's premiere leadership organization. It is a nonprofit organization that develops and connects leaders from diverse backgrounds, and empowers them to work together to build a thriving St. Louis community. FOCUS programs and initiatives develop and engage leaders from high school students to senior level executives.Chris was named the first Executive Director of the organization following the merger between The Leadership Center of Greater St. Louis and Confluence St. Louis in November of 1996. Prior to joining FOCUS, Chris operated her own company, CALAB Consulting, specializing in Nonprofit Management, Long Range/Strategic Planning, and Workforce Diversity.Chris has received numerous honors and awards. These include being named a "Woman of Achievement" in 1991 for her impressive volunteer service. She was included in Alive Magazine's first "Buzz List" in 2006 comprised of people, places, and ideas that are putting St. Louis on the map. Chris was also named as one of St. Louis' "Most Influential" by the St. Louis Business Journal in 2012.

Kathryn Cramer, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist, the author of popular business and personal development books, and founder and CEO of The Cramer Institute in Clayton. She specializes in organizational change consulting, leadership development and executive coaching. A noted keynote speaker and Emmy Award winning filmmaker,Dr. Cramer earned her bachelor's degree from Webster, a master's degree in psychology from De Pauw University and a doctorate in psychology from St. Louis University. She founded the Stress Center at St. Louis University Medical Center and served as its director for nine years.

Robert W. Cranston is the President/CEO of Crancorp Ltd., a St. Louis based investment banking firm involved in mergers and acquisitions on a national level. The firm also secures debt and equity capital for selected clients. Bob serves on the Board of Directors of the James S. McDonnell USO, the Alumni Board of John Burroughs School, the Board of the St. Louis Alumni Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta, and is President of the St. Louis Chapter of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association. He also been active as Chair of the McDonnell Douglas Airshows, Board member of University Club of St. Louis, Board member of the Kidney Foundation, President of the Colgate University Alumni chapter of St. Louis, and Vice President of the Ladue Baseball League.

Michael DeHaven is the Senior Vice President-General Counsel at BJC HealthCare, the largest health care delivery system in the St. Louis area, the 26th largest in the nation and the largest employer in the St. Louis area. A native of Richmond, Indiana, Mr. Dehaven earned his BA (cum laude) from Purdue University in 1972 and his Juris Doctorate from Washington University in 1975. Mr. DeHaven is an experienced attorney through his past employment as a partner at both Bryan Cave and Thompson & Mitchell law firms. He continues to serve the legal community as a member of the American Bar Association, Missouri Bar Association and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, is a member of the Board of Trustees of Webster University and a former member of the Repertory Theater of St.Louis Board of Directors.

Laura Herring is a psychologist and a pioneer in the area of career/life transition support. Herring is founder and president of The IMPACT Group, a career/life transition assistance firm that provides such services as employee, spouse and family relocation transition assistance; outplacement assistance; dependent care information and resources; recruitment support; and career-management consulting. An alumna of Webster, Laura also serves the University as a Trustee and has been very active in St. Louis leadership circles. She is a founding member of the St. Louis Economic Development Council, and the St. Louis Regional Talent Project and volunteers with women's groups such as the National Association of Women Business Owners, Women Presidents' Organization and St. Louis Forum.

John W. Kepler III is an attorney in the Intellectual Practice Group of Gallop, Johnson, and Neuman LC. His practice incorporates all areas of Intellectual Property and Technology Protection Law and he is directly involved with patent and trademark prosecution, transactions, and litigation for his clientele. In addition to his professional legal career, Kepler serves the educational community as an Adjunct Professor at the Washington University School of Law and a frequent guest lecturer at Lindenwood University. He is actively involved in the American Bar Association, the Missouri Bar, The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, the American Intellectual Property Law Association Licensing Executives Society, the Computer Law Association, the Missouri Venture Forum, and the Federal Circuit Bar Association. Kepler Earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and his Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University.

Melba R. Moore is currently the Commissioner of Health for the City of St. Louis Department of Health. She has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Psychology from Webster University and a Master of Science (MS) degree in Health Management from Lindenwood University.  She has a certificate of completion in Management from the John F. Kennedy School of Government for State and Local Executives and has been approved by the Public Health Practitioner Certification Board as a Certified Public Health Administrator.In addition, Commissioner Moore was the recipient of 2009 Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Services.She has taught a course entitled, "Investment in Success" to undergraduate students at Sanford Brown Business College. She serves on the Board's of Director's: FAIR Foundation-Liver Disease; St. Louis Connect Care; Community Wellness Project; and The Ethic Project. She served on the Regional Health Commission Board from 2000-2003. In 2007, Ms. Moore visited New Dehli, India where she was one of twenty delegates representing the American Public Health Association/the People to People International Program on an educational tour of the Medical Care and Public Health system.

Robert Porter JD, MBA is the President, Programs and Services and Chief Strategy Officer for SSM Health Care St. Louis, an integrated health care network with seven hospitals and a revenue base of $1.7 billion. In addition to overseeing strategy development, planning and communications, Mr. Porter is responsible for the network's 285 person medical group, ambulatory operations, and managed care initiatives. Over the last four years he also served as project director for the development of a replacement hospital for one of SSM's older facilities, with the goal to design the "hospital of the future.Robert Porter has spent over 25 years in senior health care leadership positions serving at various times as chief strategy officer, chief operating officer, and chief executive officer.His career in Catholic health care has reflected his personal, passionate commitment to Catholic social teaching as it is expressed in the health care ministry. He has written and spoken extensively about spirituality, leadership, and innovation.

Geetha Rao Sant retired in 2011 from The Stolar Partnership LLP, where she was a partner and co-chair of corporate development. Her practice areas included corporate law, executive compensation, intellectual property, and securities.Geetha is currently serving her second term as board chair of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri; she also serves as vice chair of the MICDS board of trustees.

Deborah Schneider is the co-founder and Vice President of Gelfman-Schneider Literary Agents, Inc. in New York. In this capacity she is known as a hardworking champion for the more than 100 writers she represents-a client list that includes such prominent authors as Jeffrey Deaver, Carolyn Hart, Barbara D'Amato, and Marilyn Wallace. A native of Chicago, Deborah earned her undergraduate degree from Webster's Philosophy Department, and has been recognized as a notable alumna of Webster. The mother of two, Schneider also finds time to serve on the Board of Directors of the Association of Authors Representatives and care for her rescued greyhounds.

Julian Seeherman is the former Chairman of the Board of Venture Stores. Prior to becoming Chairman of the Board, Mr. Seeherman held various top executive positions with Venture. He has served on the boards of many local organizations, including the Boy Scouts, Junior Achievement, Civic Progress, Jewish Community Center Association, Jewish Hospital, and Greenfield Industries, Inc. and is involved in many other charitable and business organizations in the St. Louis area.

Al Wiman recently retired from the St. Louis Science Center, where he was Vice President, Public Understanding of Science. The former Vice President for University Communications at Webster University, he also has worked as a reporter at KSDK-TV and KMOV-TV in St. Louis as well as radio and television stations in Los Angeles and Tallahassee, Florida. Wiman's career honors and awards include three Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and two Golden Globe awards from the Southern California Radio/TV News Association.