SLATE Announces New Board Members

Seven new members representing local industries join the St. Louis Workforce Investment Board

December 6, 2012 | 2 min reading time

This article is 12 years old. It was published on December 6, 2012.

SLATE announces the newest members of the City of St. Louis Workforce Investment Board (WIB). All seven were appointed by Mayor Francis G. Slay for the term ending June 30, 2014.

Rhonda Garrett is currently Management System Specialist at Anheuser Busch InBev, where she develops the continuous improvement framework for all North American breweries. Ms. Garrett also serves as President and CEO of the Vaski Group, a consulting company with a reputation for improving efficiency, cycle times and product quality levels for a variety of clients. A native St. Louisan, Rhonda Garrett holds a B.A. from Saint Louis University and a Masters of Engineering Management from Washington University.
Roger Hill is General Manager at Ruth's Chris Steak House, a fine dining restaurant located in the Hyatt Regency at the Gateway Arch. Mr. Hill has more than three decades of experience in the restaurant industry. A native of Indianapolis, he relocated to St. Louis last year to handle his new responsibilities at Ruth's Chris.
Steven S. Johnson has led economic development initiatives throughout the central United States for over 25 years. Currently Executive Vice President for Economic Development at the St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association (RCGA), Steve Johnson leads a 15-person team and is now implementing a comprehensive five-year strategic plan. A native of Missouri, Mr. Johnson is a graduate of Harding University and the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma.
Frank Lamm, Jr. is Deputy Director of the Unisys Application Modernization Center of Excellence (AMCOE), which opened in St. Louis in 2010. Unisys is a worldwide information technology company, while AMCOE provides a team of highly skilled experts that build and maintain leading-edge software applications for both federal and commercial clients. Unisys and SLATE have worked together closely to develop a talented workforce and fill over 300 positions at AMCOE.
Sherry Lappe serves as Vice President, Human Resources for Lodging Hospitality Management. She oversees human resources functions of 17 hotels throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area. Her efforts to build a high quality and diverse workforce have led to partnerships with such organizations as MERS Goodwill, the International Institute, and Cultural Homestay International.
Timothy Murrell is Executive Director of the St. Louis Public Schools' Division of Career and Technical Education (CTE), which offers services to learners of all ages and seeks to enhance the St. Louis region's workforce and economic development potential. Mr. Murrell is responsible for CTE courses in the District's high schools, as well as Career Education and Adult Technical Education programs.
Jerome F. "Jerry" Sagona is currently the Human Resources Business Partner for ABB Inc.'s St. Louis Medium Power Transformer plant, TRES service business and Demand-Side marketing. ABB is a global leader in power and automation technologies with operations in 100 countries. Jerry, a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR), has spent the last 22 years in the field. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Louisiana Tech and a Master's degree from Louisiana State University.