Ida H. Early
Retired Administrator, Washington University in St. Louis and local volunteer
Ida H. Early is a Retired Administrator, previous Secretary to the Board of Trustees, and prior director of commencement at Washington University in St. Louis and a local volunteer. Strongly committed to voluntarism, she is or has been a trustee or director of Care & Counseling, Dance St. Louis, Eden Seminary, Epworth Children’s Home, Fair St. Louis, the Magic House, the Miriam Foundation, Provident Behavioral Health, the St. Louis County Library Foundation, and Women of Achievement among other organizations. She was the first African American to be elected President of the Junior League of St. Louis, serving in that role 1996–98. In 1996, as the sole local member of the 4-person Peirce Report interview team, she spoke with hundreds of citizens to evaluate the St. Louis Region’s problems and needs. She served on the follow-up Peirce Report Work Group and participated in St. Louis 2004’s infrastructure action team, voluntarism task force, and Gateway Parks and Trails task force. Governor Mel Carnahan appointed her to a three-year term on the Missouri Community Service Commission in 1998.
In recent years she co-chaired two important community fundraisers: the Forest Park Forever Leffingwell “Hat” Luncheon, and the St. Louis Public Library’s “Text in the City” event. She chaired the 2021 Women of Achievement Recognition Event which was broadcast on Nine-PBS. Awards include the 2001 Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis “Difference Makers Award” and the 1998 National Council of Negro Women, Bertha Black Rhoda Section, “Distinguished Service Award.”
Ida is a graduate of Cornell University and a Lifetime member of the Women’s Society of Washington University.
Dr. Kerri Morgan
Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Neurology, Washington university in st. louis
Kerri Morgan, PhD, OTR/L, ATP, Assistant Professor for the Program in Occupational Therapy and Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine received a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Washington University and awarded a PhD in Movement Science from Washington University. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. She is actively involved in conducting research and mentoring health professional students. The focus of her clinical and research career has been to generate empirical knowledge helpful for guiding rehabilitation to improve the participation of persons with a mobility disability once they have been discharged from rehabilitation and are living in the community. Her work has ranged from community-based studies to basic mechanistic studies focused on increasing physical activity, preventing secondary conditions, and improving overall health. In addition, she is deeply involved in the community through boards and service working with disability organizations to promote health and wellness for people with disabilities.
Dr. Morgan is also an avid wheelchair athlete and distinguished Paralympian. In 2009, she was the first woman to be selected to represent the US National Wheelchair Rugby team. She has competed in three Paralympic Games on the US Track and Field team that included Beijing in 2008, London in 2012, and Rio in 2016. She has won 4 Paralympic medals and 10 World Championship medals in distances ranging from 100m to 800m.
Stephanie Regagnon
Executive Director of Innovation Partnerships, Danforth Plant Science Center
Stephanie Regagnon is the Executive Director of Innovation Partnerships at the Danforth Plant Science Center. In this role she is leading collaborative efforts to develop and maintain partnerships that help deliver on the Danforth Center’s mission, particularly in relation to the Center’s role in building regional agtech and bioscience strength. Prior to joining the Danforth Center, Stephanie was the CEO of FieldWatch, Inc., a non-profit company promoting stewardship and collaboration in agriculture. She has dedicated her 20+ year career to the agriculture and renewable energy industries in Washington, DC, and St. Louis.
In addition to her career in agriculture, Stephanie is committed to issues of justice reform and mass incarceration. In 2010, she founded a non-profit organization that provides college scholarships and mentors to children of incarcerated parents. Since 2010, Ava’s Grace Scholarship has raised committed more than $1.2 million for scholarships for young people who are breaking the cycles of poverty and incarceration by pursuing higher education.