Chairman’s Ambassador Awards
The Chairman’s Ambassador Awards recognizes community leaders who are working alongside the Explore St. Louis sales team to help secure meetings and conventions for our region, lending their expertise, relationships and voices to help make the case for St. Louis. This recognition offers a glimpse of something larger happening across Explore St. Louis. We are finding new ways to work more strategically with the community we represent. We are connecting people, opening doors and bringing more of the region into the work of attracting visitors, conventions and events.
That makes St. Louis more competitive and ultimately allows the visitor economy to create greater benefit for businesses, organizations and communities throughout the region.
2026 Winners
Dwight Scott of the Saint Louis Zoo played an important role in helping secure the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Annual Conference for 2029.
Paul Larson of Larson Financial Holdings helped us secure CROSS CON for both 2027 and 2028, bringing more than 15,000 attendees to St. Louis over the course of those two events.
Amanda Goldsmith of Gateway Arch Park Foundation and Ann Grossman of Forest Park Forever helped demonstrate the strength of our parks community as we pursued the National Recreation and Park Association, which will return to St. Louis in 2032.
Shawn Dace with the City of St. Louis brought key members of our public safety community into the conversation as we pursued the National Emergency Number Association. That collaboration helped strengthen our case, and NENA has now selected St. Louis for its 2030 Annual Conference & Expo, bringing approximately 2,000 visitors to the region.
Dr. Tansu Daylan and Dr. Jim Buckley of Washington University, along with Dr. Ray Vandiver of the Saint Louis Science Center, brought our scientific community together in support of the American Astronomical Society’s 2028 Annual Meeting. They represent a broader group of researchers, educators and science advocates who helped show just how much depth and enthusiasm St. Louis can bring to a meeting like this.
We also want to recognize several people who have strengthened important opportunities that are still being pursued.
Patrick Stanley brought together members of St. Louis’ cigar community in support of the Premium Cigar Association.
Dr. Sherman Silber has personally advocated for St. Louis with leadership of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
Kristen Sorth of the St. Louis County Library traveled with our team to Chicago to personally invite the American Library Association to St. Louis.
Major Pierre Benoist helped make the Police Fleet Expo site visit especially memorable by providing vehicles, expertise and a warm St. Louis welcome.
Margaret Onken of Onken Associates LLC has worked alongside our team to create connections across the community that have helped make many of these efforts possible. She has helped us identify the right people, build relationships and bring new voices into the process at exactly the right time.
