News
John Nations Receives Distinguished Alumni Award from UMSL
Dianne Williams
Director of Communications
314-982-1440
Metro President and CEO John Nations has received the 2011 Political Science Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of the Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). He was one of two alumni presented with the award this year. Nations was recognized as an UMSL Political Science alumnus who is among the best in his chosen profession and who is making a significant, far-reaching and positive difference in the St. Louis region.
Nations graduated from UMSL with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration in 1985. Earlier this year, he was added to the list of “Best Lawyers in America” in the area of municipal law and the St. Louis Business Journal named him one of the 100 most influential St. Louisans in 2011.
Prior to assuming the top leadership role at Metro, Nations was a partner with the Armstrong Teasdale LLP law firm in Clayton and was serving his third term as Mayor of Chesterfield in St. Louis County, Missouri when he accepted the challenge to restore a stable transit operation to the region in October 2010. He led the campaign to get voter approval for a half-cent sales tax increase to support transit in April 2010. He proved opponents wrong and despite the economic recession and an electorate weary of tax hikes, St. Louis County voters passed Proposition A with an overwhelming 63 percent of the vote.
As Metro President and CEO, Nations has broad responsibility to serve the region on both sides of the Mississippi River. As the Agency continues to rebound from financial hardships, Nations’ mission at Metro is to improve the region’s quality of life by providing excellent transportation and promoting economic development. In addition to providing transit services, Metro also runs the third busiest airport in the State of Illinois—St. Louis Downtown Airport, and operates the Gateway Arch attractions including the trams which take visitors to the top of the Arch, as well as the Gateway Arch Revenue Collections Center, the Gateway Arch Riverboats and the Gateway Arch parking facility.
Nations served as a Regional Citizen to the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, the region’s metropolitan planning organization, from 2005 to 2010. He also has played an important role in other transportation planning in the bi-state region. Nations was a member of Metro’s Long Range Plan Advisory Committee; the Transportation Committee of the St. Louis County Municipal League; the Chesterfield Valley Transportation Development District; and the Board of Citizens for Modern Transit.
Nations currently serves on the Board of Trustees for STAGES! St. Louis– a professional on-profit theatre company, the Salvation Army Advancement Board, and is a member of the Board of Directors for the St. Louis Regional Commerce and Growth Association. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Delmar Loop Trolley Transportation Development District.