St. Louis Community Foundation Launches Economic Mobility Advisory Committee
The St. Louis Community Foundation has selected 10 highly qualified and engaged community members to serve on the inaugural advisory committee for its Economic Mobility Fund, a key component of the Community Foundation’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan. As part of our ongoing commitment to reemphasizing the “community” in Community Foundation, we recently released an open call for community members to join us in advancing economic opportunities for our region to thrive! After reviewing dozens of applications from passionate and knowledgeable individuals, we have assembled a dynamic committee of experts, leaders, advocates, and community representatives to help guide our work.
The Committee meets quarterly and provides strategic direction on upcoming grantmaking opportunities, while also championing the work outlined in our strategic plan. We look forward to the valuable guidance and insights its members will bring as we launch exciting projects and impact-focused programs.
Advisory Committee Members
Bethany Johnson-Javois
Rev. Bethany Johnson-Javois, MSW (she/her) is a health and racial justice advocate dedicated to the improved health and well-being of the people of the Greater St. Louis region and Southern Illinois. She is President & CEO of Deaconess Foundation, Pastor of Monument of Faith Church, Inc., former CEO of the St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN), and former Managing Director for the Ferguson Commission. Bethany formerly served as the CEO of the St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN), a position she held for 12 years. She led the health intermediary nonprofit in serving the region’s safety net health care providers and the local community to promote the mission of providing quality, affordable, accessible care to all residents of Metropolitan St. Louis, with an emphasis on the medically underserved. Her leadership in the healthcare sector has garnered notable recognition including being selected by Mental Health America of Eastern Missouri as a Silver Bell Award recipient for her outstanding community service, leadership, vision, and values, and being selected as St. Louis Children’s Hospital Community Advocate of the Year.
She possesses over 20 years of experience rolling-up-her-sleeves working and volunteering in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors focused on equalizing the quality of life for under-resourced, yet vibrant people.
Stefani Weeden-Smith
Stefani brings 20 years of professional experience as a community engagement strategist serving at many different levels in non-profits from direct service to senior leadership. She currently serves as the director for the St. Louis Anchor Action Network. Before this assignment, she directed the strategy for the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University in St. Louis as the assistant director of community engagement. These efforts included creating programs, coalitions, and partnerships for the students, staff, and faculty with St. Louis community partners. She also served as Program Director at NCCJ St. Louis (currently Gateway Equity Institute-GEI) and Interim Executive Director at Teen Pregnancy Prevention Partnerships directing programs that created spaces for dialogues across differences.
Michelle Withaus
As a 30-year resident of the City of St. Louis, Michelle is passionate about racial justice and believes that St. Louis can be a place that benefits everyone, if only we harness the power of our people. She launched St. Louis’s first participatory budgeting process in 2013, supported the build up the STL Youth Jobs program, managed the implementation of the recommendations in the report “For the Sake of All: A report on the health and well-being of African Americans in St. Louis and why it matters for everyone” and has advocated for affordable housing, child development accounts, and Black maternal and infant health.
Most recently Michelle launched “Rooted: Cultivating Black Wealth in Place,” a place-based initiative that focuses on wealth-building as a way to prevent displacement of long-term Black residents in a gentrifying neighborhood by providing $20,000 to community members along with support from certified financial planners who helps community members plan for their financial future.
Kristin Schell
Kristin brings over a decade of expertise in credit building as a tool for financial empowerment, working with individuals, families, and organizations to foster economic stability. Prior to her role at Working Credit, Kristin led a national secured credit card and small-dollar loan program at Justine PETERSEN, a CDFI and microlender in St. Louis. She was also the lead credit-building trainer for the “Asset Building through Credit” Pilot Program, an Aspen Institute FIELD initiative, as well as for the Chicago Credit Building Coalition and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation’s Financial Opportunity Centers—training over 100 nonprofit organizations in the process.
A recognized leader in the field, Kristin was part of the inaugural class of Emerging Leaders in Microenterprise (ELM2), an Aspen Institute FIELD program. Kristin holds a Master of Social Work from Saint Louis University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas.
William Russell Krueger
Will Krueger is a housing justice attorney and organizer who works at ArchCity Defenders, defending evicted tenants and helping build tenant power. He graduated from Washington University in 2017 and Yale Law School in 2024. He has organized on statewide ballot initiatives and local, state, and federal candidate campaigns and worked for several public officials. He is passionate about building people power and advancing racial equity. Above all, he is thrilled to be back in St. Louis.
Sharon Winfield
Sharon Winfield, serving as the Chief Human Resources Officer at Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition, boasts an extensive 25-year tenure in human resources across both for-profit and non-profit sectors. Graduating from Lindenwood University with a degree focusing on Human Resources Management, she stands as a distinguished recipient of the esteemed 2022 St. Louis Business Journal HR Professional Award. Sharon’s affiliation extends to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and she’s frequently sought after by regional and national entities like STL Rethinks Talent, Society of Multicultural Professionals in Human Resources, NonProfit Marketers Network, and HR Executive Network of Greater St. Louis for her insights in panel discussions on various HR topics.
Sharon serves on the Board for PreventEd. Beyond her professional achievements, Sharon is deeply committed to giving back, devoting her time to various non-profit organizations, embodying her ethos of “paying it forward.”
Toni Stovall
Toni is a passionate community advocate and social worker dedicated to uplifting and empowering the residents of North St. Louis. A proud graduate of St. Louis Community College–Florissant Valley with a certificate in Addiction Studies and an associate’s degree in Human Services, Toni went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL). Throughout her career, Toni has devoted herself to strengthening neighborhoods through grassroots initiatives. She has organized community events like the Back-to-School Block Party and the Neighbor Fall Festival, promoting unity, education, and youth engagement. She is also actively involved with the O’Fallon Community Development Organization, where she works alongside fellow leaders to advocate for equitable development, neighborhood revitalization, and resident empowerment.
Toni is committed to helping individuals and families gain the knowledge, tools, and confidence they need to achieve lasting success, while fostering pride and progress across her hometown.
Maurice Allen
Maurice Allen is the Regional Community Development Relationship Manager for Midland States Bank. In his role at Midland States Bank he oversees the execution of the bank’s Community Economic Development plan for the St. Louis, MO, and Southern, IL, markets. He is an experienced banking professional with over eleven years in the industry, which include retail banking, credit analysis, small business lending, and mortgage lending. Maurice currently serves on a variety of boards which include Rise Community Development, the Rise Young Professionals Board, the Metropolitan St. Louis CRA Association, Community Builders Network, and the St. Louis Regional Financial Empowerment Coalition. Other organizations he has helped serve include Vet Biz, Cornerstone Corporation, University City Chamber of Commerce, and The Freedom School.
Maurice spends his spare time practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and helping people achieve their fitness goals through offering personal training services. His passion is to empower and equip individuals with the necessary tools and resources to effectively build and advance their local communities socioeconomically.
Brittany Whitley
Brittany is the Director of Regional Workforce Strategy at BioSTL, where she leads data-driven, community-centered efforts to expand access to quality careers in St. Louis’s bioscience sector. With a background spanning science, education, workforce development, and public policy, she works across sectors to align training programs with employer needs, support equitable job access, and address structural barriers to economic opportunity for St. Louisans. Brittany is committed to continuous learning, cross-sector collaboration, and leveraging her networks to build inclusive, sustainable pathways to economic growth.
Jennifer Cunnane
Jennifer Cunnane is a seasoned professional in marketing and investor relations, with a strong track record in international telecommunications, network engineering, and venture capital. Jennifer enjoys bringing a collaborative mindset and results-driven approach to every role. Jennifer’s community leadership includes serving as 2025 Gala Chair and Board Member for Fathers & Families Support Center, and co-founding Pointe to Succeed—a program providing arts access to underserved youth through Saint Louis Ballet. She has also supported St. Patrick Center through various volunteer roles. Jennifer holds a B.S. in Marketing with minors in Finance and Economics from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.
A mother of triplets and accomplished endurance athlete, she is passionate about creating pathways to opportunity and economic advancement.