Mayor Cara Spencer Appoints Stephen Davis as Chief Economic Development Officer

Mayor Cara Spencer announced today the appointment of Stephen Davis as the City’s new chief economic development officer, effective Monday, June 1. Davis, a seasoned leader in economic development, joins the Mayor’s Office from the St. Louis Development (SLDC), where he has served as vice president of strategic partnerships and initiatives since 2022.

In this high-impact role, Davis will serve as the mayor’s strategic advisor on business conditions and a primary liaison to major private and institutional stakeholders, including employers, developers and regional leaders. He will be responsible for defining and accelerating the City’s economic agenda, expanding the tax base and addressing equity and racial disparities through targeted economic initiatives. Davis will also serve as the chair of the SLDC board and lead the City’s top priority economic development projects.

"Stephen brings a proven track record of facilitating catalytic investments and building the collaborative partnerships necessary to drive St. Louis’s economic future," said Mayor Cara Spencer. "His deep roots in our innovation ecosystem and his success in business retention and expansion make him the ideal leader to advance our vision for an inclusive and resilient economy."

During his tenure as vice president of strategic partnerships and initiatives at SLDC, Davis secured catalytic investments across advanced manufacturing, bioscience, geospatial innovation and entrepreneurship sectors. He served as the primary business retention and expansion lead for major employers, including Boeing, MilliporeSigma, Anheuser-Busch, ICL, Procter & Gamble and Anders Certified Public Accountants. He also strengthened regional innovation ecosystems through work with GeoFutures, AMICSTL, BioSTL and Harris-Stowe.

“We at SLDC appreciate Stephen’s years of service here and wish him well with driving forward economic development in the city,” said SLDC President and CEO Stephen Westbrooks. “We’re excited Stephen will continue working with SLDC and other city departments in his new role.”

Davis’ leadership has garnered significant recognition, including the 2023 Excellence in Economic Development Award from the International Economic Development Council for Business Retention & Expansion leadership and the 2025 Business Retention & Expansion Award from the Missouri Economic Development Council for his leadership on the $1.9 billion Boeing expansion. Furthermore, he received the 2025 Special Achievement in GIS Award from ESRI for developing a Digital Twin to support community development in The Ville.

"St. Louis succeeds when public, private and community partners work together toward a shared vision," said Davis. "I am honored to support Mayor Spencer’s administration in strengthening our competitive position and ensuring that our economic growth benefits every neighborhood in our city."

Prior to his role as vice president, Davis served as a major projects manager at SLDC, managing strategic development projects, workforce initiatives and business incentive negotiations. Before joining SLDC, he was a regional engagement senior project manager for the Missouri Department of Economic Development, serving the St. Louis region. In that capacity, he supported employer expansions and administered federal and state grant funding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and successfully funded key infrastructure projects through the Governor’s Transportation Cost-Share program.

Davis holds an MBA from Webster University and a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University. He is an active leader in the community, serving on the boards of T-REX, the Cortex Entrepreneurship Advisory Board and the First Tee of Greater St. Louis.