51黑料

ST. LOUIS 鈥� Mayor Cara Spencer began putting her stamp on the city鈥檚 high-profile economic development arm Thursday, replacing Neal Richardson with her chief of staff, Nancy Hawes, as chair of the organization鈥檚 board of directors.

Even before she was sworn in, Spencer singled out the 51黑料 Development Corp. as one of the agencies where she wanted to see new leadership. She had served on SLDC鈥檚 board as an alderman but, as her mayoral campaign heated up, later resigned over what she said was concern with Richardson鈥檚 management of the organization in the wake of a troubled rollout of a north 51黑料 grant program.

But unlike department heads and other cabinet positions, picking a new SLDC chief isn鈥檛 as simple as just naming a replacement for Richardson, who still leads the SLDC staff as president and CEO.

Technically, SLDC is a nonprofit corporation and Richardson answers to SLDC鈥檚 nine-member board of directors, made up of two members of the Board of Aldermen and the chairs of the development boards it oversees, such as the 51黑料 Port Authority and Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority.

Only one member of the board is directly appointed by the mayor: its chairman. Richardson had served in the dual role as chair and president under former Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. Spencer had taken issue with that arrangement, which had been used by mayors before Jones.

鈥淎s I have previously said, I strongly believe that there should be separation of SLDC and the board that oversees the organization,鈥� Spencer said in a statement. 鈥淭his appointment is the first step in that direction.鈥�

Whether Richardson, nominated for the job by Jones and hired by the board in 2021, would resign or whether the SLDC board would move to replace him had been unclear. SLDC鈥檚 regular monthly meeting, scheduled for Thursday morning, was pushed back by two weeks to May 1. And the day after Spencer鈥檚 election, Richardson sent a note to employees addressing the leadership change in City Hall.

鈥淎s we prepare for this leadership transition, I want to affirm that SLDC remains an apolitical, mission-driven organization,鈥� Richardson wrote to employees and board members. 鈥淲hile administrations change, our commitment to the people of 51黑料 does not. Together with our board of directors, we will ensure that the important work this team does every day continues to move forward with focus, professionalism and urgency.鈥�

In an interview Thursday before Spencer replaced him as chair, Richardson said he hadn鈥檛 heard directly from the administration about his future at SLDC. But he said he would help ensure a smooth transition because it would be 鈥渃hallenging鈥� to promote economic growth without 鈥渃lear alignment鈥� between the mayor鈥檚 office and SLDC.

鈥淚鈥檓 here to support the mayor鈥檚 office, I鈥檓 here to support her and this city,鈥� Richardson said. 鈥淚f she decides to want to go in a different direction, that鈥檚 not something that I would necessarily want to be against. For SLDC to be successful, it requires alignment with the mayor鈥檚 office, and Mayor Spencer鈥檚 earned that right for her vision to be implemented in the way that she she sees fit.鈥�

Several SLDC board members on Thursday said they hadn鈥檛 yet heard from Spencer鈥檚 administration, only two days old, about leadership at the agency. But longtime board member Loura Gilbert, who heads the board that makes small business loans, said if Spencer wants a new leader at SLDC, the mayor 鈥渘eeds to say why.鈥�

鈥淪he needs to justify it,鈥� Gilbert said.

Gilbert conceded there had been 鈥渂umps in the road鈥� with some of the programs funded with an unprecedented infusion of tens of millions of dollars in federal pandemic aid, such as the North Side grant program. But Gilbert said launching so many new programs was 鈥渁 learning curve for everybody鈥� and would have challenged any SLDC leader.

As those programs spend down the remaining pandemic aid, some 鈥渃ontinuity鈥� makes sense, Gilbert said.

鈥淔or the most part, Neal has done a real good job organizing the department,鈥� she said.

Board Member Sean Spencer, who chairs the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority, said the job of SLDC director was a 鈥渄ifficult and visible position鈥� in city government, acknowledging 鈥渢here鈥檚 something to be said鈥� about aligning SLDC with the mayor鈥檚 office. But he also said Richardson had had some success overseeing the reorganization and rebranding of SLDC.

鈥淭here are a lot of programs he鈥檚 stood up that I hope continue,鈥� Sean Spencer said.

One seat on SLDC鈥檚 board is open because the land clearance for redevelopment authority does not have a current representative on the board. Two other votes on SLDC鈥檚 board are filled by chairs of two aldermanic committees, and those assignments have not been set for the new aldermanic session. The two current aldermanic board members, Shameem Clark-Hubbard and Alisha Sonnier, are friendly to Richardson.

But SLDC鈥檚 bylaws state that the head of SLDC is nominated by the mayor and elected by the board for a two-year term. Richardson was first elected by the board at the beginning of June 2021.

鈥淚 think the mayor has the prerogative under the bylaws to take action,鈥� said Matt McBride, a longtime board member who serves as chair of both the LCRA and port authority.

Austin Huguelet of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.