Marian Middle School wireless access
The Innovative Technology Education Fund (ITEF) awarded a grant of $26,500 to Marian Middle School,
one of six grants totaling $173,205 to area schools through 2019
Catapult Grants ranging from $12,375 to $29,923. The grant recipients
received their awards Dec. 2. Marian Middle School received a grant for
wireless access for the gym. Connectivity will allow schoolwide
assemblies and performances. ITEF is a St. Louis-based, charitable,
nonprofit foundation that supports innovation in education by funding
basic technology that leads to advanced uses of technology in the
classrooms of public, private, parochial and charter schools in the
greater St. Louis area. ITEF also provides grants for professional
development.
Walentik awardee
The Missouri Foundation for Health has named Dr. Nick Holekamp, vice president and chief medical officer at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital, as the 2019 Dr. Corinne Walentik Leadership in Health Award
honoree. Throughout his career, Holekamp has acted as a tireless
advocate for medically complex children who often also struggle with
financial and social issues. The Walentik award was created to honor the
late Dr. Walentik’s
commitment to serving vulnerable groups, especially children. Walentik
was a neonatologist at City Hospital, St. Louis Regional Medical Center
and Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital as well as a professor of
pediatrics at Saint Louis University. Each year the
award is presented to a health leader in Missouri who exemplifies the
passion, dedication, and energy that she brought to her work. Holekamp
will receive a $2,500 individual award and, per his direction, $25,000
will go to Ranken Jordan. Holekamp began his career at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. He worked for nine years at the Mercy Hospital JFK Clinic,
which treats those who are uninsured or underinsured and fall within
federal poverty guidelines. In 2000, Holekamp joined Ranken Jordan,
which was then a pediatric nursing home with only a few beds. The
specialized pediatric hospital now serves children from birth to age 21
that have complex medical conditions that could include either injury or
illness, bridging the gap between traditional hospital treatment and
home.
Agency’s leader to retire
St. Vincent Home for Children has announced the planned retirement of its executive director, Carla Monroe-Posey.
She will continue in her role through early 2020. Monroe-Posey helped
improve financial stability and confidence in the agency among community
partners and enhanced the suite of services offered to at-risk youth.
Outside of St. Vincent, Monroe-Posey serves as the chair of the Children’s Services Coalition.
St. Vincent’s board has started the search for a new leader. Founded in
1850, St. Vincent provides professional treatment and residential
services for hundreds of struggling children and families, at no charge,
each year. Youth receive positive life-changing opportunities that
build character, self-respect, and life skills to reach their highest
potential.
New St. Patrick Center CEO
The board of St. Patrick Center has announced that Anthony D’Agostino
will be the new chief executive officer. He will begin his duties Jan.
21. D’Agostino has served as executive director of the Criminal Justice
Ministry the past three and a half years. He earlier was chief program
officer of Springboard to Learning. D’Agostino wrote that “over the past
four years at Criminal Justice Ministry, I’ve been honored to work with
a similar team of passionate stewards who commit their time and
resources to a related mission. Thanks to the continued support from our
generous stakeholders, both organizations are stronger than ever and I
look forward to playing my part at St. Patrick Center.” St. Patrick
Center provides opportunities for self-sufficiency and dignity to people
who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Christine Syberg, the director of operations for the Criminal Justice Ministry, was named interim director there until D’Agostino’s replacement is hired.