St. Louis Cara Mayor Spencer Considers Otis Williams to Serve as Interim SLDC Chief
Date Posted: April 24, 2025
Posted In: News, People, Workforce,
From St. Louis Business Journal: St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer is considering installing ex-St. Louis Development Corp. chief Otis Williams to lead the agency on an interim basis, which would fulfill a campaign promise to move on from CEO Neal Richardson, according to people familiar with the matter.
No decision has been finalized, and Williams hasn’t yet decided if he’d accept such an assignment, the people said.
Spencer’s office and SLDC issued a joint statement Thursday: “Based on conversations between the Mayor’s office and SLDC, it is business as usual. There have not been any decisions made that would change that.”
Williams declined to comment. Richardson declined to comment.
Spencer, in her first days in office after an April 15 inauguration, installed her chief of staff, Nancy Hawes, as chair of SLDC’s board, the first step in an anticipated shake-up. Spencer defeated former Mayor Tishaura Jones in an April 8 landslide electoral victory.
The SLDC board controls who leads the nonprofit. Richardson has served as CEO since June 2021, appointed early in Jones’ term.