Chris Geden has spent the last 14 years working with youth in the St. Louis area. Chris began his career at a group residential facility; there, he honed his skills with at-risk youth, many of whom suffered from abuse, trauma or mental illness. After working in this residential-care setting, Chris moved on to providing direct services for middle-schoolers. When Chris began his work as the Middle School Coordinator for the South City YMCA, the program served only one school in the area. During Chris’ tenure, the program expanded to include four schools across the city.

To Chris, the key to a quality program lies with committed teachers and staff. At the St. Louis Dream Center, Chris helped to develop a successful middle-school sports program that grew to include more than 500 inner-city youth. The program also spawned partnerships with the St. Louis Rams and the St. Louis Public Schools, leading to improved academic outcomes as well as character development.

Chris’s core belief is that “it takes a village to raise a child.” With this in mind, Chris began effecting change within the community by sitting on the board of directors for City Garden Montessori, the St. Louis Senior Center and Tower Grove Farmers Market. Chris can be found each Saturday morning at the Tower Grove market, where he talks with farmers and families about the importance of local, sustainable food choices. Recently, Chris became the first person in St. Louis to win the YMCA’s mission advancement award, which honors an individual’s commitment to values, community, volunteerism and philanthropy.