CLAYTON • Denny Coleman, who shepherded the region through an era of unprecedented change in the business community, announced Wednesday he will step down as head of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership on Aug. 1.
Coleman has served the economic interests of the region for 25 years — 23 of those as CEO of the St. Louis County Economic Council.
He has headed the joint city-county economic effort for the past 18 months.Â
Coleman informed the Partnership board of his decision Wednesday afternoon.Â
"I thought about it and I prayed about it. I talked to family about it. And it just felt right,†said Coleman, who will turn 66 in July.Â
The August departure date presents Coleman with the opportunity to assist the Partnership in finding a successor. Â
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St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay praised Coleman's work on behalf of both the city and the region.Â
"Denny has helped create an economic atmosphere to foster the start-up boom, new technology jobs and the growth of bioscience companies," the mayor said in a prepared statement.
Filling Coleman's shoes will be "truly difficult," said St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger.
"I don't think you'll find a smarter person in economic development. His standing around the nation as one of the best has helped our region grow in countless ways through the years," the county executive said.
Coleman said he circled January 2015 as a possible retirement date on his calendar four years ago.
This month marks the 25th anniversary of his start date with the county economic council.
After reflecting on the decision during his annual new year visit to a Jesuit retreat, Coleman concluded that 2015 was an opportune moment to step down.
"The economy is getting better and everything is moving in the right direction," he said. "On balance, it was right for me and right for the organization to move on now."
Coleman will depart with a lengthy list of accomplishments on his watch.
He played a key role in the Bioscience Research and Development Park (BRDG) that has established the region as a leader in biotech research.
Coleman among other achievements also helped the transformation of the former National Lead site into the property now occupied by the River City Casino, developed the Metropolitan Education and Training (MET) Center as a major provider of employment skills and helped create the St. Louis Mosaic Project to promote economic growth through immigration.Â
In addition to his local efforts, Coleman is a past chairman of the International Economic Development Association.Â
