Of recent note at the National Blues Museum is the hiring of Jeffery Hardin as executive director. The Vashon and Harris-Stowe grad formerly served as vice president of the nonprofit Citizens for Community Improvement. He replaces founding director Dion Brown, who took a post as president of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati.
Students in the Ladue School District can hit the fast-forward button on their career paths thanks to an anonymous, $1 million gift to the Ladue Education Foundation and Alumni Association. The donation, made by a Ladue Horton Watkins High School alum, will fund a new coordinator for the district’s Center for Advanced Professional Studies to help students attain college credit, mentoring assistance, work experience and other help to land in-demand jobs.
Kudos to Little Bit Foundation executive director and co-founder Rosemary Hanley, recently named a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor (one of only 88 in the country!). It’s awarded each year to leaders who contribute to the nation’s rich ethnic diversity and empower others to succeed. Since its 2001 founding, Little Bit Foundation has served the physical, emotional and academic needs of more than 36,000 kids in the St. Louis area.
Parents of kids with special needs can take a page from local author Jillian Thomadsen’s new book, All the Hidden Pieces. The suspense novel tells the story of a mother, her dyslexic son and a police detective who investigates their disappearance. Thomadsen, herself a mom to a child with dyslexia, lives in Olivette with her family. She wrote the book after noticing there was little contemporary fiction about families dealing with the condition.
Available at amazon.com.
the main events
Pooches and pet lovers will converge on Forest Park May 19 for the Humane Society of Missouri’s annual Bark in the Park. The fun-filled event includes Purina Pro Plan Performance Team shows, pet adoptions, a biergarten, food truck fare, games, and even royal wedding-themed pet contests and photo ops.
Learn about the nature of joy May 23 at Happiness: A Priest, A Psychologist and A Philosopher Walk into a Concert Hall, an informative evening presentation at The Sheldon. It’s part of Saint Louis University’s Happiness and Well Being Project. Featured speakers are Fr. Ted Vitali, Ed Diener and Valerie Tiberius.
Light up your Memorial Day weekend at the Four Seasons Hotel’s Grill + Chill party, held on the Sky Terrace May 27. The family-friendly celebration features a raw seafood bar, grill stations, drinks, music and a great view of Lumiere Place fireworks!
