Forest Park Forever Board of Directors Elects Sue McCollum as New Board Chair, Elects Four New Members
Sue McCollum
During Forest Park Forever’s January 25, 2021, Board of Directors meeting, members of the Board made several significant elections.
Sue McCollum, a longtime Forest Park Forever Board member and corporate and civic leader, was elected Board Chair for a three-year term. McCollum succeeds Lawrence E. Thomas, recently retired from Edward Jones, who served as Chair during the prior three years. Thomas remains on the Forest Park Forever Board as Vice Chair.
McCollum is the owner and Chief Executive Officer of two Anheuser-Busch distributors in South Florida, Eagle Brands Sales and Double Eagle Distributing, as well as the CEO of Major Brands, a top Missouri distributor of premium spirits, wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages. Her many accolades include being named a “Most Influential Business Woman” by the St. Louis Business Journal in 2014.
McCollum is a lifelong community advocate. She currently serves on the executive committee of several boards, including the Washington University of St. Louis Board of Trustees, the St. Louis Regional Business Council and the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America Association. She also serves on the boards of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis and the Gateway Arch Park Foundation. She has been nationally recognized for her creative approach to philanthropy. In 2018, McCollum launched the “Women Who Whisky” initiative, which raised $300,000 for four local nonprofit organizations, including Forest Park Forever. In 2020, McCollum founded the Clever Little Girl Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization focused on addressing some of the most pressing equity issues in the St. Louis region.
“Forest Park is a vital part of St. Louis’s past, present and future,” said Sue McCollum. “I am honored to serve as Board Chair for Forest Park Forever. The conservancy’s work caring for the Park has proven to be more important than ever, with these 1,300 acres providing millions of community members with a place for wellness, connection and beauty during turbulent times. A thriving, welcoming Forest Park will continue to help St. Louis be a great place to live, work and raise a family.”
“I am thrilled and inspired that Sue McCollum has been elected Forest Park Forever’s new Board Chair,” said Lesley S. Hoffarth, Forest Park Forever President and Executive Director. “Sue is an admired and accomplished corporate and civic leader who cares deeply about St. Louis and Forest Park’s role in bringing the community together.”
The Forest Park Forever Board also elected four regional leaders to join them as members:
SiSi Beltrán is Director of Marketing for Build-A-Bear Workshop, where she has worked for 16 years after graduating from Washington University in St. Louis. A native of Puerto Rico, Beltrán is a graduate of the Focus St. Louis Leadership St. Louis Program, is on the Board of Directors for Casa de Salud and the St. Louis Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and has been recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal as a “Diverse Business Leader” and “Top 30 Under 30.” Beltrán previously served on the Forest Park Forever Board for a nine-year term and also served as President of the Young Friends of Forest Park Forever.
Rodney Boyd is a Partner at Nexus Group. Having earned his J.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, Boyd has a distinguished history of legal and governmental relations experience. He currently represents numerous private, public and nonprofit sector clients while also providing pro bono governmental relations consultation for various nonprofits in the St. Louis region. Boyd has been recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal as a “Most Influential Minority Business Leader” and a member of the “40 Under 40,” and by Ingram’s Magazine as one of “50 Missourians You Should Know.”
Jim Holbrook is the former CEO of the global retail services company Daymon Worldwide and past President and CEO of Post Consumer Brands. He currently serves on the Board of start-up pharmaceutical biologics company ZeaBio and is an Advisor to Advantage Sales & Marketing. Holbrook’s volunteer service has included serving on the Board of Directors of Gateway Homeless Shelter and Washington University’s Institute for Innovation & Growth.
Jessica Willingham is the Senior Vice President and Chief Communications and Marketing Officer for Spire Energy. She serves on the executive leadership team and oversees strategy and execution for national employee and public communications, advanced public affairs, branding, creative services, marketing, research and corporate social responsibility. A graduate of Leadership St. Louis, Willingham serves on the Washington University National Public Relations Council, the American Red Cross Rapid Response Public Affairs Team and on the American Gas Association’s Marketing and Communications Committee. She is currently a Board member of the United Way of Greater St. Louis, The Magic House Children's Museum and Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri.