This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, March 3, 2011 - Leadership St. Louis celebrated its 35th anniversary last week with a party and, true to form, a panel discussion about regional issues.
Through the years, Leadership has changed parent organizations, directors and other particulars of its yearlong program. But its goal has remained constant -- to drag people out of their silos and give them a regional perspective on the problems and opportunities facing St. Louisans.
Leadership shows St. Louis and St. Louis County participants what the world looks from St. Charles and Monroe counties. It encourages exurbanites to recognize how city problems, such as population loss, will affect everyone. And for all, the program fosters deeper understanding of key issues.
Many participants enter after years of immersion, professionally and geographically, in their own worlds. Connecting the dots of regional interdependence comes as a revelation.
The panel discussion Thursday touched on several regional problems that, sad to say, are as important today as they were 35 years ago. They include education, racial polarization, political fragmentation and economic sluggishness.
Extensive efforts have targeted these issues and with some success, said panelists June McAllister Fowler of BJC, Kathleen Osborn of the Regional Business Council, Gary Dollar of United Way and Steve Ehlmann, St. Charles county executive. But solving problems of this magnitude demands knowledge, will, resources and patience.
Mobilizing these is impossible without broad public debate and commitment. And these days, that challenge has been complicated by a paradox. The digital revolution has made personal communication and expression much easier. Yet it also has made sustained public attention much harder to come by.
Time was when a limited number of print and broadcast outlets essentially monopolized public discourse. Many voices never got heard, many problems never got attention. But the few in the spotlight drew a wide audience.
No institution -- media or otherwise -- commands that kind of focus now. Instead, our attention disperses through multiple channels, from Facebook to cable. Our fragmented region and others like it have lost an important unifying force.
Yet we have gained an opportunity to build regional understanding in different and potentially better ways. The Beacon aims to seize this opportunity using technology, events and partnerships to give our journalism impact.
We're tapping the experience and wisdom of St. Louisans to shine a light on significant issues, lay out facts and discuss possible solutions. In this way, we hope to help all of us understand what stake we might have in the issues that face each of us.