Randomly selected Leadership givers meet at MasterCard to receive a special recognition gift. Click to here to see more winners' photos.  

A leader in the region when it comes to supporting worthy causes, MasterCard Worldwide has teamed with United Way of Greater St. Louis to recognize other community leaders.

During the most recent United Way fundraising campaign, more than 8,050 people in 16 Missouri and Illinois counties donated at the leadership level of $1,000 or more. The donations by these leadership givers total more than 32 percent of the record-breaking $68.8 million raised during United Way’s 2007 campaign. On Friday, April 4, 48 of these leaders selected in a random drawing were recognized in the following categories:

• Leading from the Heart: New Leadership Givers: Donors who did not contribute at the leadership level in 2006 but did in 2007. 
• Continued Generosity: Continuing Leadership Givers: 2006 leadership givers who also made a 2007 leadership gift. 
• Fueling the Future: Increased Givers: 2006 leadership givers who increased their 2007 investment by at least 10 percent.

To honor these donors for their United Way leadership and generosity, MasterCard hosted the 48 recipients at a luncheon at the MasterCard Global Technology and Operations headquarters in O'Fallon and awarded each of the 48 leaders a $1,000 MasterCard prepaid gfit card.

"The fact that more than 8,000 people in the Greater St. Louis area donated at the leadership level is an incredible testimony to the generosity of our neighbors," said Don Ascare, senior vice president of human resources of the MasterCard Worldwide GTO organization. "MasterCard supports the United Way Leadership Giving Initiative to help thank individual donors for their generosity. Leadership gifts enable United Way to do more to provide critically important services and support in our community for those who need it most."

"MasterCard has been a great community partner for many years,” said Orvin Kimbrough, senior vice president of United Way of Greater St. Louis. “The company and its generous employees recognize how important it is to support this community and that one of the best ways they can effectively do that is through United Way. MasterCard is truly an asset to this region, and we’re so pleased they’re helping us recognize so many other leaders in our community through this event.”

Thanks to the generosity of its donors, United Way is able to put back more than $1 million each week into the community to help at least 1 million people this year through the nearly 200 local agencies and programs it funds.

About MasterCard Worldwide  

MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes over 18 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial institution customers and merchants. Through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to mastercard.com.

Winners:

• Marc B. Abrams, D.D.S., BJC HealthCare 
• Brian D. Ashworth, Edward Jones 
• Mrs. William Barnes III 
• Terry L. Bethel, Peabody Energy 
• Jennifer S. Carns, Edward Jones 
• Jill Coates, KPMG LLP 
• Nick J. Colarelli, Hunter Engineering Company 
• Robert M. Cox, Jr., Emerson 
• Julie A. Decker, RGA Reinsurance Group of America Inc. 
• Dale R. Evans-Blackmon, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Missouri 
• Kelly R. Fleming, Monsanto Company 
• Jeffrey S. Fothergill, Citi 
• Michael Fuller, Maritz Inc. 
• Timothy L. Grosch, Energizer Holdings Inc. 
• David W. Haynes, Delta Dental of Missouri 
• Krista N. Holt-Shippey, Lutheran Senior Services 
• Rhonda Y. Hurd, Monsanto Company 
• Hattie R. Jackson, St. Louis Community College at Forest Park 
• Lee Kaplan, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company 
• Surendra Khanna 
• Mark R. Lawson, Enterprise Bank & Trust 
• Lisa McAleenan, Lockton Companies 
• Tom K. McCormick, UniGroup, Inc. 
• Kristen M. Miedler, Edward Jones 
• Glenn W. Mitchell, Sisters of Mercy Health System 
• Jeffery L. Moore, Sr., Ameren 
• Merrill Nelson, Staffing One 
• Thomas Ptacek, A.G. Edwards, Inc. 
• Carletha Y. Rogers, Edward Jones 
• Stephanie Rohlfs-Youngs, Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association, St. Louis Chapter 
• John A. Rusnak, Peabody Energy 
• William H. Schnyder, Emerson Motor Company 
• Karen K. Sher, Enterprise Bank & Trust 
• Angela R. Slayton, Citi 
• Michael Sloey, Jacobs 
• Anthony R. Softli, St. Louis Rams 
• Marcia L. Stoklosa, Solutia Inc. 
• William W. Stover, Accenture LLP 
• Karl Strauch, Nestle Purina PetCare Company 
• Mary T. Swyers, MetLife 
• Edward F. Tasch, National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse – St. Louis Area, Inc. 
• John A. Teipen, Graybar Electric Company, Inc. 
• Thomas N. Tener, Human Resource Management Corporation 
• Bryan S. Topal, QuikTrip 
• Robert C. Watt, Nestle Purina PetCare Company 
• Martha Uhlhorn, La Bonne Bouchee 
• Sue Weiss, A.G. Edwards, Inc. 
• Lee Zobrist, Communication Partners Inc.