(St. Louis, MO) – Michael McMillan, License Collector of the City of St. Louis, is an active supporter of public schools. “Often, business owners make their decisions about where to locate based on the quality of the schools in the city’s they select. When we contribute to the education of our children, we contribute to the economic vitality of our city. It creates better future employees, future St. Louis business owners and more informed consumers. Children are our future. I applaud the organizations that share that vision,” says McMillan. Through his own volunteer efforts, McMillan personally visits numerous schools several times a year to inspire and reward students for keeping good grades, positive attitudes and maintaining good attendance.

            Recently, he observed that numerous civic organizations rallied to support the first day back to school, in cooperation with The Demetrius Johnson Foundation, which targeted schools in low to moderate income neighborhoods. McMillan presented Community Service Awards to each participating organization. By this acknowledgement, he hopes to inspire further collaborations for other educational initiatives.

            St. Louis Public Schools’ Superintendent, Dr. Kelvin Adams, spoke briefly to express his appreciation for the groups’ support and encouraged them to remain involved for upcoming educational projects planned. He recognized them as role models for others to follow, and complimented their ability to provide resources needed to support the learning experiences of the students.

            Community Service Awards and Certificates of Appreciation were presented by the Office of the License Collector; and, another Community Service Award was presented by the St. Louis Community Empowerment Foundation, a non-profit organization Chaired by McMillan that inspires self-sufficiency for families through education, jobs and neighborhood stabilization.

Recipients were: