Membership Luncheon & Education and Health Care Awards
June Membership Luncheon & Education and Health Care Professional of the Year Awards
On Thursday, June 18, 2026, we held our Membership Luncheon, during which we recognized our Education and Health Care Professionals of the Year. Bayer and Grand Canyon University sponsored this year's awards. We began our meeting by saying the Pledge of Allegiance and welcoming our members and guests. Next, we thanked our sponsors and invited Lezli Jones with Bayer, followed by Shari Cobb and Caroline Miller with Grand Canyon University, to say a few words.
Next, we presented membership plaques to the following new members:
- Marc Gordon with the Chamber Music Society of St. Louis
- Eric Weber and Bill Evans with Pass Fire & Security
- Justin Lindsey with Foundation Recovery Systems
Chamber Music Society of St. Louis
Marc Gordon
PASS Fire and Security
Eric Weber and Bill Evans
Foundation Recovery Systems
Justin Lindsey
After lunch and networking at our tables, Frederic Steinbach shared briefly about a bipartisan initiative for the ballot with Protect the Initiative Petition in Missouri. Then Tom Lancia started the presentation for the 2026 Education and Health Care Professional of the Year Awards. The recipients of the awards were nominated by the community and voted on by our Board of Directors.
We recognized Marc Gordon as our 2026 Education Professional of the Year. The criteria for this award are the following:
- Distinguished career and outstanding contributions to public or private education at the local level.
- Displays self-sacrifice, selflessness, and dedication to the education of area students
- Establishes meaningful connections with students and families within our communities
Before we awarded Marc, we invited Kathleen Murphy to share a summary of the nominations submitted. Click Here to read a summary of the nominations. Mark Gordon, Executive and Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Society of St. Louis, congratulations and thank you for your dedication to your students and our community!
Next, we recognized Jenny Gabriel as our 2026 Health Care Professional of the Year. The criteria for this award are the following:
- Outstanding health care worker who goes above and beyond best practices to deliver extraordinary care
- Displays self-sacrifice and selflessness in caring for others
- Establishes meaningful connections with patients and families within our communities
Then we invited Debbie Loftus and Tammy Halveland to share a summary of the nominations submitted.
Click here to read the summary of nominations. Jenny Gabriel, Owner and Holistic Nutritional Therapy Practitioner of
JG Optimal Wellness, congratulations and thank you for your dedication to your patients and our community!
Education Professional of the Year
Marc Gordon
Chamber Music Society of STL
Health Care Professional of the Year
Jenny Gabriel
JG Optimal Wellness
During the Awards Presentation, we also took a moment to recognize some of the people who were nominated and who have made an outstanding impact in our community. Even though they didn't win, we are still extremely grateful to them. Some of those who were nominated are:
Education Professional
- Liz Murphy - Advanced Clinical Nurse Educator @ Mercy Hospital St. Louis
- Leslie Locket - Special Educator at Miriam School and Learning Center
Health Care Professional
- Dr. Delene Musielak - Alea Health and Wellness
- Dr. Kirubahara Vaheesan - STL Interventional Oncology and Interventional Radiology Clinics
- Elisa Nolan - Registered Nurse at Three Oaks Hospice
Click the button below to see all the pictures from our luncheon and awards.
