Join the Leadership Circle

The Richard Baron Leadership Circle (RBLC) is a remarkable group of COCA’s most generous supporters. Named for COCA’s founder Richard Baron, whose foresight and perseverance created a unique cultural resource in St. Louis, the RBLC helps COCA accomplish its most ambitious goals and ensures that COCA stands as a house of the people where everyone can participate.

Membership in the RBLC starts at $1,500 per year and helps to provide nearly $450,000 in individual scholarships and arts education programs. Throughout the year, RBLC members receive invitations to engage in COCA programs and connect with COCA artists and leadership. RLBC Members gather every year to celebrate at FLAME°, COCA’s annual RBLC appreciation event.

Join or Renew Richard Baron Leadership Circle Membership

Current Richard Baron Leadership Circle Members


Levels of Support

$1,500 Annually

  • Two complimentary tickets to FLAME°, COCA’s annual appreciation event for the Richard Baron Leadership Circle 
  • Recognition on signage and in COCA playbills and the annual Impact Report  
  • Invitations to special member events, including gallery openings and behind-the-scenes tours  
  • Early access to registration for COCA classes and Summer Arts Camps 
  • Early access to purchase COCApresents performance tickets 
  • Opportunities to take special behind-the-scenes tours 

Provides scholarship support for three children to experience two weeks of COCA Summer Arts Camp

$2,500 Annually – Visionary Partner

  • All benefits listed above
  • Opportunity to rent COCA spaces at 10% discount, based on availability

Provides a year-long scholarship and support services for an elementary age student in COCA’s Pre-Professional Division

$5,000 Annually – Sponsor a Student Partner

  • All benefits listed above
  • An invitation to an exclusive champagne preview of the COCApresents season 
  • The opportunity to sponsor a student and shadow their development at COCA
  • The opportunity to attend a private dance class led by a COCA teaching artist with your friends—and complete with cocktails 

Provides ACT tutoring for students in COCA’s Pre-Professional Division

$10,000 Annually

  • All benefits listed above
  • The opportunity to rent COCA spaces at 25% discount, based on availability

Provides a semester-long COCA arts residency in two elementary school classrooms

$25,000 Annually

  • All benefits listed above
  • Complimentary use of the Millstone Gallery or Dierbergs Kitchen at COCA for a private event

Provides a year of van transportation for students who otherwise couldn’t participate in classes at COCA

Engage at COCA

Contact Virginia Howell, Director of Individual & Corporate Engagement, with any questions about joining the Richard Baron Leadership Circle.

Richard Baron Leadership Circle Members

COCA gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the following Richard Baron Leadership Circle members.

List as of 2/1/2022

Hope & Kirill Abramov

Rhonda & Carlton Adams

Keith Alper

Tina Anderson

Barbara & Steve Archer

Carolyn Auffenberg

Nancy Barnes-Ault & Ken Ault

Mary Ann & Michael Beatty

Margaret Beckerle

Renee & Andrew Bell

Christina & Vince Bennett

Elizabeth Mannen Berges & James Berges

Marion Black

Lee Bohm

Ramsey & Mark Botterman

Joanne & Scot Boulton

Lisa & Greg Boyce

Tiffany & Bill Bradley

Claudia Brodie & Kevin Twellman

Chrissy & Lee Broughton

Betsey & Hunter Brown

Barbara Bryant

Julie & Bob Burmeister

Barb & Steve Burrows

David Butler & Lance Licht

Jennifer & Jonathan Campbell

Lisa Caplan & Shane Hieronymus

Lisa & Tom Carnahan

Amy Drummond & Bill Carson

Christy & Gian Cavallini

Juliet Chayat & Peter Czajkowski

Mary & Bob Ciapciak

Molly & Chris Danforth

John Davis

Hazel & Arnold Donald

Kay Drey

Kim & Tim Eberlein

Hillary Anger Elfenbein & Dan Elfenbein

David C. Farrell

Alison & John Ferring

Linda & Steve Finerty

Shereen & Michael Fischer

Beth Fisher & Amit Shah

Debbie & Art Fitzgerald

Gretta Forrester

Lotta & Jeff Fox

Marilyn & Ambassador Sam Fox

Merle Fox

Nancy & Steven Fox

Angela & Brendan Freeman

Wendy & Mark Gellman

Nancy & Michael Georgen

Sue & Norm Gilbert

Erica & Edward Glanz

Gregory Glore

Carolyn Gold

Stacey Goldman & Tim Greenwald

Abby & Michael Goldstein

Susan & Robert Goldstein

Barbara B. Goodman

Diedre & Michael Gray

Nancy & Randy Green

Jennifer & Cap Grossman

Sharon & Marc Gunter, MD

Patricia & Kit Heffern

Signa & Bob Hermann, Jr.

Lauren Herring & Ted Disabato

Jennifer & Tom Hillman

Cheri Hoffman

Pam & Ben Holman

Cheryl Holman

Patti & Bart Holtzman

Suzanne & Thomas Hough

Linda & Jesse Hunter

Bettie S. Johnson

Suzanne & Jim Johnson

Kristin & P.K. Johnson

Sally Johnston

David Joyner & Bill Lawton

Karen & Raymond Kalinowski

Karen Kalish

Peggy & Lee Kaplan

Lauren Weissman Kerner & Kyle Kerner

Ms. Pauline Kim & Mr. Philip Lee

Pauline Kim & Philip Lee

Janet Knight

Beverly & Steve N. Knight

Karen & Larry Kotner

Beth Kovaly Willis

Sarah Kramer

Nancy & Ken Kranzberg

Kim Kuehner

Kate & Mike Kupstas

Gail & Carl Lang

Amy Lefton

Sally & Ned Lemkemeier

Mont & Karen Levy

Sheila Little-Forrest & Jeff Forrest

Laurie & Sean Lock

Pam & John Mandelker

Kathy Manganaro

Sharon Buchanan-McClure & Richard McClure

Anne & Kevin McCormack

Margot McMahon Monser & Ed Monser

Melissa & Rob Merlin

Terese Messman

Colleen & Robert Millstone

Becky & Tom Minogue

Gwen & Steven Mizell

Sandra & Eric Moore

Anne & David Morgan

Laura & Cameron Murray

Noémi & Michael Neidorff

Elizabeth & Richard Nix, Jr.

Heidi & Kenneth Olliff

Lynne & Brooks Parriott

Jane & Dave Peacock

Penny Pennington & Mike Fidler

Carrie & Bill Polk

Kelly & Mitch Pollock

Stephanie & Anthony Randall

Kanika Pandey & Shrikant Ramachandran

Sue & Joe Rechter

Jeana & Buddy Reisinger

Lisa & Andy Remack

Stephanie Riven & Roger Goldman

Jamie & Jeff Ryan

Susie & Jonathan Sachs

Dana & Barry Sandweiss

Stephanie & Mark Schnuck

Mary Schoolman

Susan & Michael Scully

Glenda & Jim Seldin

Rachel & Jermal Seward

Terry Moore Shepley

Jane & Ted Simmons

Wendi & Shannon Sock

Amy Soper

Carol & Michael Staenberg

Marilyn & Ken Steinback

Jarona & Bill Stevens

Mary & Thomas Stillman

Mary Strauss

Donald M. Suggs

Susan & Greg Sullivan

Caryl & Alan* Sunshine

Eliot & Richard Tao

Debbie Tarlow

Jaime & Brian Thomas

Patti & Holden Thorp

Sherri & James Tichenor

Sarah H. Trulaske

Steve Tschudy

Kathleen & Kent Turner

Lisa & Andrew Tuteur

Susan & Peter Tuteur

Christy Beckmann & Jim Vykopal

Ellen & John Wallace

Stacey Wehe & Paul Jorjorian

Josephine & Richard Weil

Laurie Garland & Michael Weisman

Linda & Peter Werner

Susan & Joe Werner II

W. Jack Wichmann*

Orrin Sage Wightman IV

Michelle & Grant Williams III

Linda & James Yust

Susie & Stuart Zimmerman

Risa Zwerling & Mark Wrighton

*deceased

COCA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and does not receive United Way support. Contributions to COCA are eligible for tax deduction to the limit allowable by law.