Danforth Plant Science Center Board Elects Benjamin Ola Akande and Marilyn Bush as Directors
ST. LOUIS, MO, January 21, 2025 –The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center announced the election of Benjamin Ola Akande and Marilyn Bush to the Board of Directors.
“We are excited to welcome Benjamin and Marilyn to the Danforth Center’s Board,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Carrington, PhD. “Both have been invaluable partners with the Center, and we look forward to their important contributions on the Board.”
Meet the New Directors
Benjamin Ola Akande, PhD, is Senior Vice President, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer (CCRO), Stifel Financial, a wealth management and investment- banking firm. The CCRO plays a role in driving Stifel’s transformation toward sustainability, integrating human capital and social considerations into business decision-making to ensure Stifel’s long term value maximization.
Dr. Akande is the former President of Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont, Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, Assistant Vice Chancellor of International Programs-Africa, Director of the African Initiative, Associate Director of the Global Health Center at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, and Professor of Economic and Dean of the George Herbert Walker School of Business and Technology, Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri.
Dr. Akande is a respected economist, scholar, and global consultant to Fortune 500 companies. A results-oriented leader, Dr. Akande is lauded for his ability to connect with diverse constituencies at all levels. Globally, Dr. Akande previously served on the board of two publicly traded companies: Ralcorp, Enterprise Bank, St. Louis, and Argent Capital, a privately held wealth management company.
Dr. Akande holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Oklahoma and completed post-doctoral studies at JFK School of Government at Harvard University and Oxford University. He is a member of the USC Marshall School of Business Corporate Advisory Board and currently serves on the non-profit boards of The MUNY, Forest Park Forever, Saint Louis Art Museum, and Girls Inc. He is a Director of Emprise (formerly Vi-Jon), a St. Louis-based manufacturer of personal care and hygiene products.
At the Danforth Center, he serves as the current Chair of the Danforth Leadership Council and has been a member of the group since 2018. Dr. Akande has attended numerous events at the Center, participated as a speaker and panelist in public events and has been a Danforth Society member since 2018.
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Benjamin Ola Akande, PhD, Senior Vice President, Chief Corporate Responsibility at Stifel Financial
Marilyn Bush is President of Bank of America St. Louis and Market Executive for Business Banking, Bank of America. She believes that success originates from serving others. Whether advising early-stage entrepreneurs or multi-generational family-owned businesses, her team’s mission is to help clients grow and prosper, ensuring their families and employees achieve their life priorities.
Bush began her career as a credit trainee. She was excited to work for a company that was investing in her future. This launched her commercial banking pathway, leading to her current positions and passion to “pay it forward.” She is a champion of women and diversity and actively supports the power of mentorship. She founded Bank of America’s St. Louis LEAD for Women Chapter, chaired the YWCA Women in the Workplace Leader Lunch and the United Way Women’s Leadership Society. At United Way, Bush has held the roles of Market Champion, Financial Services Market Chair, de Tocqueville Society Chair, Women's Leadership Society Chair, Leadership 2020, Strategic Planning, Board and Executive Committee Member. She currently serves as a board member for the St. Louis Community College Foundation, Missouri Bankers Association, Hawthorn Foundation, and is a member of Downtown STL, Inc.’s Design Downtown Advisory Committee. Bush has her private pilot license and flies a Cirrus SR20. She proudly serves as a pilot for Young Eagles, a program which introduces youth to their first flight and the world of aviation.
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Marilyn Bush, President at Bank of America St. Louis and Market Executive for Business Banking, Bank of America
Teddy Bekele, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Land O'Lakes Inc., Beau Brauer, president, Hunter Engineering Company, Lee Broughton, founder Broughton Brand Company and Steve Fox, chairman, SV Capital Management, departed the Danforth Center Board at the conclusion of their terms. “We have been honored to work with Teddy, Beau, Lee and Steve, each of whom brought unique skills and insights to the Board and the Center,” said Carrington.
About The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research, education, and outreach aim to have impact at the nexus of food security and the environment and position the St. Louis region as a world center for plant science. The Center’s work is funded through competitive grants from many sources, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and through the generosity of individual, corporate, and foundation donors.
For more information contact: Karla Roeber, VP Public and Government Affairs, kroeber@danforthcenter.org.