St. Louis business and marketing executive Mary Elizabeth Grimes is the new state director of the Greater Missouri March of Dimes, Robert O’Loughlin, chair of the organization’s board, announced Friday.
Grimes currently is president of Forward Vision, Inc., a management consulting firm specializing in brand-building. Prior to starting her company, she was director of corporate marketing for BJC Healthcare and director of development for Fair Saint Louis.

“Mary Elizabeth will be a great leader for March of Dimes,” O’Loughlin said. “She has worked closely with many business leaders in Missouri and the Metro East, and she has a great track record building partnerships and alliances,” he added.

“Greater Missouri is one of the top performing March of Dimes chapters in the country,” Grimes said. “Working with our staff, volunteers, and community and business leaders across the state, we will do even more to help moms have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies.”

In addition to her business management, marketing, and fundraising experience, Grimes was a talk show host and television executive in St. Louis and Atlanta.  She earned an Executive MBA from Washington University in St. Louis and her Bachelor’s degree from Spelman College in Atlanta.

Grimes will lead a team of 19 employees in five offices throughout Missouri as well as thousands of volunteers and will oversee the raising of more than $3 million annually to support research, education, community programs and advocacy on behalf of babies. March of Dimes raises funds through March for Babies^®, Bikers for Babies^®, Signature Chefs Auction^® and other initiatives.

The premature birth rate in Missouri has declined slightly in the past four years to 12.1 percent.  That is below the national average, but it still means nearly one in eight babies is born too soon.

Grimes will begin her new post in early October.

 

 

 

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