ST. LOUIS — Two weeks after publicly accusing Board of Aldermen President Megan Green of conducting a "sham process with a foregone conclusion," the CEO of the largest corporate lobbying conglomerate in the region is stepping down from his role as the head of Greater St. Louis, Inc.
Jason Hall, an economic development advisor to former Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, merged five local business and civic organizations to form Greater St. Louis, Inc. in January of 2021. After 5 On Your Side reached out to inquire about Hall's exit, the lobbying group sent a press release detailing Hall's plans to accept a similar role leading a significantly smaller economic development related nonprofit, the Columbus Partnership, in Columbus, Ohio.
In Hall's second year at the helm of GSL, the group reported taking in more than $14.7 million, according to the most recently filed tax documents. In the same year, The Columbus Partnership reported taking in roughly $9.9 million, which is about two-thirds the size of GSL's budget.
Greater St. Louis, Inc. recently proposed splitting $232.5 million from the Rams settlement funds 56-44% between the poorest neighborhoods in the city and downtown. Alderwoman Pam Boyd sponsored the board bill and introduced it three weeks ago at a press conference from the floor of the board chambers.
The proposal included massive sums for vaguely outlined upgrades to infrastructure and buildings. While GSL's proposal left roughly $70 million untouched, it did not include any recommendation to support early childhood education, an ongoing municipal endowment fund, or additional pay raises for city workers.
The proposal drew swift rebuke from the chamber's legislative leader. Within a matter of days, President Green penned Hall a letter expressing concern that "GSL sees itself and its interests above the many residents and stakeholder groups who spent months working with us in good faith to develop their ideas."
In her closing paragraph, Green asked Hall to share her letter with his Board of Directors "in the hope that GSL will recommit itself to being a thoughtful and responsible partner."
Hall wrote back and essentially accused Green of staging public hearings in bad faith while scheming to steer the money to projects she had already picked in advance.
"A sham process with forgone (sic) conclusions is no process at all," he said.
As soon as the letters became public, Hall, who routinely appeared in media interviews as the face of the business community, was no longer available for comment.
"The approach was not something that we appreciated," Yusuf Daneshyar, a spokesman for Megan Green, said. "That was frustrating, but it was not something that will dissuade us from sitting down with them."
Green's office is scheduled to meet with Hall and other leaders from GSL this Wednesday.
Top executives at Greater St. Louis insist the timing of Hall's departure is a coincidence and entirely unrelated to the ongoing lobbying tug-of-war over how the city intends to invest the Rams money.
Hall had the support — and the ear — of Enterprise Holdings chairman Andy Taylor, who quickly became the most substantial financial backer and the chairman of the board for GSL.
According to financial disclosures, Enterprise Mobility's contributions of at least $5 million made it the single largest contributor to Greater St. Louis, Inc.
“I am deeply grateful to my friend and GSL’s founding chairman, Andy Taylor; GSL’s entire board and investors; and the amazing staff team,” Hall said. “The vision of the STL 2030 Jobs Plan and the unified leadership of the St. Louis metro’s business community is creating unstoppable momentum and leading my hometown in a bold new direction with growth and opportunity for all. It has been an honor beyond words to be a part of this exciting transformation underway. I will continue to champion St. Louis reaching its full potential from afar, and I look forward to this next phase in my career in metropolitan civic leadership.”
“Jason was a driving force in creating the GSL vision and enhancing our metro’s ability to compete with a unified voice to drive change and economic growth," Taylor said in a prepared statement. "Under his leadership, GSL has put major wins on the board and, in just four short years, is already recognized by our peers as a best-in-class organization.”
“This is an exceptional opportunity for Jason, and we wish him all the best as he embarks on this new chapter of his career," Taylor said. "We have a world-class leadership team that will continue the work to execute the STL 2030 Jobs Plan, foster inclusive growth, and continue the momentum our region has built.
Taylor and the rest of the GSL Board did not have a permanent replacement ready to take over when Hall's departure was announced. The group plans to conduct a national search to hire a new CEO, but Taylor promised, “GSL won’t miss a beat during this transition process."
Tax documents list Hall's 2022 annual income at Greater St. Louis at $400,000 plus $72,936 in bonuses and benefits.
Full disclosure: Greater St. Louis, Inc. records list KSDK as a member of the investor council.
