The Royal Vagabonds Foundation Inc. has announced the creation of the Kathleen T. Osborn Corporate Executive Leadership Award to recognize exceptional leaders in the corporate world.
(l to r) Gene Reece, President, Royal Vagabonds Foundation, Inc.; Kathleen T. Osborn; Honoree Adrian Bracy;
Tony Neal, Past President, Royal Vagabonds Foundation, Inc.; Herbert Buie, Grand Pharaoh, Royal Vagabonds, Inc.
The Royal Vagabonds Foundation, Inc. recently announced that its annual Corporate Executive Leadership Award has been named in honor of KATHLEEN (Kathy) T. OSBORN, founder and past President/ CEO of the St. Louis Regional Business Council (RBC). Kathy assisted Gene Reece, Foundation President, and several members of the Royal Vagabonds, Inc. in the presentation of the inaugural award to honoree Adrian E. Bracy, MBA, CPA. during the RVF Annual Leadership Awards Luncheon held at the Renaissance Hotel. The award will be presented annually to a Business Executive for excellence in corporate leadership.
Kathy Osborn spearheaded the establishment of the Regional Business Council (RBC) in 1999. The Regional Business Council is a consortium of Presidents and Chief Executive Officers representing 100 of the region’s largest companies. The RBC’s mission is to unite and engage members to act on high-impact business, civic, and philanthropic affairs for the betterment of the St. Louis region.
Prior to serving in this position, Kathy was Vice Chancellor of University Relations at the University of Missouri-St. Louis where she oversaw several major mergers, collaborations and partnerships. Kathy is very active within the St. Louis community and serves on a variety of business and civic boards, including the following: BJC Healthcare Community Benefit Committee, the St. Louis Sports Commission, the St. Louis Police Foundation, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the United Way of Greater St. Louis, Concordance Academy, and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. In addition, she is a member of the St. Louis Lambert International Airport Commission. She is Board Member Emeritus of Forever Park Forever.
Kathy has received a host of distinguished awards, including the following: 2018 Citizen of the Year, the United Way of Greater St. Louis Freeman-Kortkamp Award in 2018, the KIPP: St. Louis Champion of Education Award in 2018, the he 2016 Urban League’s Chairman’s Award, the Gateway Center for Giving 2016 Excellence in Partnership Award, the NAACP’s Frankie Muse Freeman Commitment to Regionalism Award in 2016, an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Lindenwood University, the 2012 Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year, the St. Louis Business Journal’s Most Influential Business Women and the Most Influential St. Louisan designation in 2004 and 2011 respectively.
Kathy is also recipient of the SLU Civic Award in 2013, the UM-St. Louis Distinguished Alumni Award in 2000, the 1999 University of Missouri Presidential Citation for Alumni Service, YWCA’s Women of Achievement Award in 1998, The Links Excellence in Service Award for Outstanding Women Leaders in 2009, Hellenic Spirit Athena Award in 2009, UM-St. Louis Woman Trailblazer Award in 1997, the 1997 John Berry Meachum Award, the 1998 UM-St. Louis School of Education Distinguished Alumna Award, and several others. She is a native St. Louisan. graduate of St. Joseph’s Academy and received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. In addition, Kathy earned a postgraduate certificate from the Institute for Education Management at Harvard University.
ADRIAN E. BRACY, MBA, CPA, is an author, business and personal coach, business consultant, and motivational speaker. Currently, she is the Executive Director for the Steward Trust.
After spending 18 years in senior financial management with the National Football League (The Miami Dolphins, St. Louis Rams, and most recently CFO for the Arizona Cardinals), Bracy transitioned to the non-profit sector to follow her passion—that is, “to inspire and make a difference in the lives of women and girls.” She is the retired Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA Metro St. Louis where she served for nearly 12 years.
Bracy has received numerous awards throughout her career including Black Enterprise 50 Most Powerful Blacks in Sports; Black Enterprise 50 Most Powerful Women in Business; St. Louis Business Journal’s Most Influential Business Women and St. Louis America Newspaper’s Non-Profit Executive of the Year Awards.
Bracy graduated from Morgan State University in Baltimore with a degree in accounting and Nova Southeastern University with a master’s in business administration. She is a certified John Maxwell Coach, Trainer and Speaker, and is certified through the CaPP Institute (Coaching and Positive Psychology). She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and The Gateway Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. Bracy is a lifetime member of the National Association of Black Accountants and the National Black MBA Association. Bracy and her husband Vernon have one son, Donovan, and are members of Shalom Church (City of Peace).
Nominate a Doer: To keep readers informed on who’s who in the community, Shirley A. Brown’s column highlights a community “Doer” each issue of the St. Louis Argus Newspaper. A “Doer” is an individual, business or organization committed to making St. Louis a better place to live and work. Readers are invited to send “Doer” recommendations to Ms. Brown at 314-367-8739 or sbrown601@aol.com.
#DistinguishedDoer #CorporateLeadership #Philanthropy
