Notable Projects
Building a coalition to pursue transformative public policy / infrastructure change through a proposed public-private partnership as a part of a diverse public policy and communications team with global response…
Grow Missouri, Inc. contracted with SBCC, LLC for over three years, including for public policy and communications supporting the exploration of the potential for a St. Louis Lambert Airport public-private partnership (long-term lease option) through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Investment Partnership Program (along with other issues). This was one of the largest, innovative public policy efforts not just in the St. Louis region, but also in the United States. Sheri had opportunity to re-engage with many of the team members she had as a lobbyist for Pelopidas, along with a broad array of new team members who were world renowned in their respective industries.
This effort by Grow Missouri, Inc. created the FLY314 Coalition, which was then selected by the City of St. Louis through an RFP-process to lead this effort for global response. The intensive process led by the FLY314 Coalition on behalf of the City of St. Louis, resulted in over a dozen formal and significant responses by global industry leaders. Though the City of St. Louis ultimately chose not to proceed further (similar to Chicago’s decision on Midway Airport’s prior efforts, for example), this process provided important world-class research and data to the City of St. Louis to guide the airport’s future. This included bringing focus to $1 billion in unmet local capital improvement needs, the availability of more than $50 billion in airport financing across the financial sector and changes needed to remain competitive with the airport’s airline partners and more. See FLY314.com.
Creating and launching a robust government affairs, public relations and stakeholder/ community engagement program from the ground up for a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure construction project…
As part of the senior management team, Sheri successfully built from the ground up the government affairs, public relations, stakeholder and community relations program of the $4+ billion Prairie State Generating Company / Prairie State Energy Campus (Prairie State). This included its state and federal legislative and regulatory efforts and its internal and external communications program with local, state and federal officials, the media, stakeholders and the community (and more!). While at Prairie State, Sheri guided the massive public relations effort with senior management to support this intense and delicate renegotiation and ultimately the successful launch of a new contract with Prairie State’s EPC contractor – to accolades by ownership and the senior management team for Sheri’s role in supporting the effort.
Prairie State is a ground-breaking public-private partnership between municipal, rural electric cooperatives and corporate interests, which constructed a power plant with advanced environmental technology and a coal mine, serving more than 2.5 million families and businesses across 180 communities in eight states. See PSEC/PSGC website.
Leading the successful public relations effort and supporting the board and management during the high stakes, sensitive re-negotiation of a multi-billion dollar EPC contract between Prairie State Generating Company and its EPC contractor…
In more detail, Sheri led the successful public relations effort in support of the renegotiation of PSGC’s EPC contract. On a multi-billion dollar project, this renegotiation was high-stakes for PSGC, its owners and consumers. Upon successful signing of the new EPC contract, the CEO wrote to Sheri: “Thank you very much for your support while we renegotiated the agreement with Bechtel [the EPC contractor]. Your contribution was significant and appreciated. I look forward to completing the construction phase and moving on to future successes for our owners.”
Pioneering and directing a brand-new advocacy / public policy, communications and engagement program for a non-profit organization…
Sheri also did the same when she created – from scratch - the entire advocacy / public policy program including state and federal legislative efforts, communications / public affairs and engagement program of VOYCE, a non-profit organization serving the needs of seniors where, for example, she also successfully sought changes to state legislation on the use of physical and chemical restraints while partnering with other stakeholders and wrote the winning second grant application to continue funding for VOYCE’s advocacy program, among other accomplishments.
Successfully building a coalition from naturally opposing interests on a sensitive issue to advance a public policy effort further along in the state legislative process year over year…
Sheri served as a co-team lead of the Health Care Decision Maker Coalition pursuing the legislation for four years – first as staff for VOYCE and then as part of SBCC, LLC. Every year during Sheri’s involvement, the coalition was successful in moving the legislation further along in the state legislative process each year and gathering more coalition partners along the way. This was an intense issue with diametrically opposed stakeholders who ultimately, through painstaking and persistent efforts, came together as a coalition to actively support, advocate and successfully move this legislation through the state legislative process for several years. For example, in our first year to introduce the bill, it was unanimously voted out of the House Health & Mental Health Committee with no one testifying in opposition. The following year it passed the House Civil & Criminal Proceedings Committee with an 8 to 2 vote, and it passed out of the House Select Committee on Judiciary with a vote of 9 to 1.
Successful lobbying, coalition building and perseverance in a sensitive lobbying environment with a multi-pronged state legislative, media and legal strategy on a decade-long state legislative effort…
Written in 2007 after successful completion of the title insurance issue… “The HBA started its efforts on title insurance in 1998. The HBA prevailed in a Missouri Supreme Court case to overturn the state legislative title insurance amendment, which contained what our members have referred to as “price fixing.” This was a huge victory for consumers and helped maintain the ability of our builder members to serve their market. Using First American Title’s title fee calculator found on its website, title insurance would cost $1,700 in Texas compared to $580 in Missouri for a $250,000 policy, which is a difference of $1,219. Of course, some new homes might be lower and some higher than that number. Assuming generally a $1,000 difference in title insurance prices and given 7,000 permits pulled by HBA members annually in our region, our HBA members and/or their customers have saved around $7 million per year. Since the HBA started working on this issue in 1998, cumulatively, this has saved our members and/or their customers around $63 million over the last nine years.
This is significant due to the impact of increased costs on home buyers’ ability to afford a home. According to data form the U.S. Census Bureau, with analysis by the National Association of Home Builders Economics Department, a $1,000 increase in housing prices means that an additional 2.737 families in the St. Louis area are unable to purchase a home. Nationally, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, for every $1,000 increase in housing prices, 250,000 families are unable to purchase a home.”
Multi-tiered / cross-functional strategies with advocacy, legislative, political, communications / public affairs and coalition building efforts, a few examples…
Just as this issue above took one decade in a hard-fought effort on many fronts, so too did the successful efforts on stair geometry, water service sizing, Lambert Airport runway expansion and the Page Avenue Extension, for example.
Other successful local and regional issues included: recording fees, residential fire sprinklers, escrows, stormwater issues, master plans / development ordinances and more. Here are a few additional examples; see CV for more.
Partnered with farmers/land owners in Lincoln, Warren and St. Charles Counties, such as a proposed mandatory preservation ordinance in St. Charles County where compromise was reached for a voluntary preservation ordinance, and successful sewer study/ effort to prevent proposed environment moratorium in Lincoln County
Developed coalition partners in a ground-breaking fashion on highly contested adoption of plumbing code in St. Louis County with labor implications; lobbying effort successful; maintained coalition on subsequent issues
Passed right to repair state legislation in three-year effort to prevent unnecessary costs for home builders and buyers
Successfully lobbied passage of fire protection district (FPD) legislation sought for over 20 years against fierce opposition; resulted in FPDs ending unnecessary duplication of services, saving hundreds of dollars per home. Further strategy included use of independent expenditure campaigns, special political action committees, candidate campaign efforts and ballot issues efforts to successfully change the onerous dynamic with FPDs throughout the region and state.
For more…
Please see Sheri’s CV for more examples of her public policy and communications innovations, including her winning legislative, regulatory, political, community engagement and communications efforts.