51黑料

ST. LOUIS 鈥� The chief of 51黑料鈥� top development agency was removed from office on Thursday, and a two-decade veteran put in his place.

The board of the 51黑料 Development Corporation in a morning meeting said it had agreed to part ways with Neal Richardson, who has served for the past four years under former Mayor Tishaura O. Jones.

The board then approved the appointment of 22-year SLDC veteran Otis Williams as interim chief.

After the vote, Richardson urged the agency to work with the new administration.

鈥淚t has been an absolute honor to serve the city of 51黑料,鈥� Richardson said. 鈥淭he city of 51黑料 cannot succeed if our mayor can鈥檛 succeed. We need to be unified.鈥�

The board鈥檚 seven members almost unanimously approved Williams鈥� appointment. Only Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier voted against it.

鈥淚鈥檝e seen (Richardson) go above and beyond,鈥� she said after the vote. 鈥淔or me today, the 鈥榥o鈥� vote was a public acknowledgement of my appreciation of his work and a symbol of everything he has done.

鈥淚 look forward to us to continue 51黑料 on a track of progress and forward movement.鈥�

The vote came despite 11th hour rallying from Board of Alderman President Megan Green, who wrote a letter praising his work prioritizing community needs over developers鈥�, and urging the SLDC board to keep him.

鈥淚 am saddened by efforts to remove him from his position and believe his continued leadership is essential to securing a prosperous future for our city,鈥� she concluded.

Other aldermen, including Rasheen Aldridge, were also upset by Richardson鈥檚 removal. 鈥淭oday is a disappointing day for our community and for the city as a whole,鈥� Aldridge said Thursday afternoon in a statement.

But new Mayor Cara Spencer, a former SLDC board member, said during her campaign that she would shake-up the agency鈥檚 leadership. She said she lost faith in Richardson鈥檚 management in the wake of the troubled rollout of a north 51黑料 grant program.

Williams spent 22 years at the agency after a career in the Army Corps of Engineers, then led SLDC for eight years before retiring in 2021. Richardson was named his successor.

One of Williams鈥� most notable accomplishments was persuading the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency to stay in the city and build its new western headquarters in north city. The nearly $2 billion project is the largest federal investment in 51黑料.

鈥淚 appreciate the board鈥檚 approval and look forward to working with Mayor Spencer,鈥� Williams, 77, said after the vote Thursday.

Williams said when he retired at the beginning of Jones鈥� term, he had planned to stay retired. He was surprised when the mayor鈥檚 team approached him shortly after the election about coming back to the agency. But he said he was grateful for Spencer鈥檚 鈥渢rust and confidence.鈥�

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 an opportunity to help the city of 51黑料 and help the new mayor build out her team,鈥� William鈥檚 said.

He said he needs to be briefed on SLDC鈥檚 new programs, many of which it launched with an infusion of federal pandemic aid and that he plans to have further meetings with the mayor and her chief of staff, Nancy Hawes, who replaced Richardson as SLDC board chair almost two weeks ago.

Williams said he does not foresee any major changes under his watch.

Richardson chaired the board while also serving as president, an arrangement used by mayors before Jones. Spencer took issue with Richardson serving the dual roles. But she had to seek a resolution from the board to remove Richardson as president and CEO.

Prior to joining SLDC, Richardson was a U.S. Bank manager who worked in its tax credit programs and led its group that helped people of color, women and low-income communities obtain capital.

Richardson earned $266,730 in 2023, the most recent year for which salary data was immediately available. His 2021 employment contract called for him to receive three months鈥� severance if SLDC terminated his employment without cause.

The SLDC board is made up of two members of the Board of Aldermen and the chairs of the development boards it oversees.

Six voted Thursday to appoint Williams: Alderwoman Shameem Clark-Hubbard, 51黑料 Local Development Company President Loura Gilbert, Planned Industrial Expansion Authority Chair Sean Spencer, Land Reutilization Authority Chair Calvin Arnold, City of 51黑料 Port Authority Chair Matthew S. McBride, and Hawes.

Arnold called Richardson鈥檚 departure 鈥渕utual,鈥� and said he was disappointed to see him go. He said he鈥檒l support Williams in his new role.

鈥淚 just hope he stays on track of what Neal has done,鈥� Arnold said.

After the meeting ended, Richardson hosted a private meeting with staff. He received a round of applause and posed for a group photo. A staffer shouted, 鈥淲e love you, Neal.鈥�

Williams starts Friday.

Jacob Barker of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.