Sandy is a retired business owner and private investor.  He is the longest-serving board member and currently serves as the board Treasurer.  He places a high value on philanthropy in the community and is passionate about helping others.

Sandy’s vision for the organization is for it to provide educational assistance to all the individuals in the St. Louis community who are in recovery and seeking to better themselves through education.

Mark joined the board in 2018, and serves on the golf, dinner, and marketing committees.  He is a commercial litigator and a partner at the law firm of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, where he is also co-leader of the Commercial Disputes Practice Group.  His 35 year legal career includes four years on active duty as a US Army Judge Advocate General officer, as well as an additional 18 years in the US Army Reserve.  Mark has a history of community involvement, including having been chair of the board of Neighborhood Houses (now known as Unleashing Potential) and as a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Patrick Center.  Mark also was previously a member of the board of directors of The Friends of the St. Louis University Liver Center and of Kids In The Middle, Inc.  Mark was also very active in his church, serving as a member of the Administration Commission of Our Lady of the Pillar Catholic Church.

Mark understands and is compassionate about the struggles that a person in recovery may face.  Mark also is a sincere believer in the value of education in improving a person’s life.

Allison Bamberger joined the board of the Next Step in 2024. She serves on the Gala and Applicant Recruitment committees. Allison has a background in communications, government and journalism and currently works as the Program Director of the nonprofit Masonry Institute of St. Louis. She has also served as an adjunct instructor of communications at St. Louis Community College. Allison lives in Ballwin with her husband Joe and two children. She enjoys cooking and spending time outside.

Bob is the former Chairman of Elan-Polo, an international footwear company based in St. Louis. After retirement, he wanted to give back to the community and joined The Next Step. He serves on the golf, finance, and sponsorship committees, and is a great asset to the organization. Bob enjoys golfing, traveling, and spending time with his family, particularly his 6 grandchildren.

It is an honor for Bob to be part of the mission of The Next Step and hopes to continue to help those in recovery achieve success and satisfaction through their education.

David is a retired neuroradiologist who spent his career caring for patients and staff at Missouri Baptist and Mercy, St. John’s.

Inquiring St. Louisans may only need to know: David attended high school at St. Louis Priory,  graduating 1979. He is a big fan of Imo’s, toasted ravioli, Ted Drewes, Cardinal, baseball, and gooey butter cake!

As the “next step” in his journey, David feels incredibly graced to be given the opportunity to serve with the Next Step. Much of his life revolves around recovery. He is eternally grateful to be given a new reason to get out of bed before noon!

Kevin is a Substance Use Disorder Counselor and a Case Manager. He has worked in the recovery field for over a decade and is currently employed at Concordance Academy of Leadership and Community Services of Missouri as a SATOP Professional. Kevin was a Next Step Scholarship recipient for multiple years and graduated from Lindenwood in 2019 with a Master’s degree in Business Administration. He’s a proud member of the board and eager to help others achieve their goals.

Kevin is an active member of a 12-Step fellowship and is dedicated to repaying what has been so freely given. 

Christy is a multi-year scholarship recipient and recent MSW graduate of UMSL. Christy is a seasoned behavioral health professional with more than a decade of experience serving various non-profit organizations. Christy currently serves as EPICC CORE Program Manager at Behavioral Health Network of Greater St. Louis. Christy is passionate about recovery and increasing access to behavioral health for
vulnerable populations in the St. Louis area. Christy serves as a role model by using her personal recovery to instill hope and provide encouragement to those seeking recovery.

Richard Knott is the owner-operator of Autowholesaler and a seasoned professional in the automotive industry. With over three decades of experience since starting his career in 1990 as a purchasing director in the used car marketplace, Richard has developed deep expertise in the luxury and exotic car market.

Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Richard is a devoted family man, married to the love of his life and proud father to two beautiful daughters. His dedication extends beyond his professional life—he has served on the Next Step board, interviewing promising candidates for scholarships, and held service positions at Central Services and the Benchrest Rifle Club.

Richard’s passion for cars, combined with his commitment to community and family, underscores his dedication to excellence in every facet of life.

Ron retired in 2018 after 36 years in the financial services sector, including 26
years at Scottrade where he held numerous leadership positions including
CFO/FinOp. Ron has a BS in Accountancy from the University of Missouri –
Columbia.

In addition to The Next Step, Ron is involved with AliveSTL.org, and The United
Way of St. Louis. Ron enjoys golfing, travel and spending time with family and
friends. Ron’s hope is to help those in recovery achieve success through their
education.

Jay is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and a certified substance abuse counselor (CRADC) and has been a practicing clinical social worker for over 28 years. Jay has worked at Saint Louis University in the counseling center since 2008 and is one of the founders of the collegiate recovery community there. Jay has studied and worked around the country including South Florida and New York City.

Jay has been helping students find and maintain recovery and is passionate about supporting people in recovery achieve their goals through education.

Sherry joined the organization in 2017 and has over 25 years of marketing and nonprofit experience. In her current role as Senior Director, she provides overall management in all aspects of the organization with a strong focus on marketing and fundraising.

Sherry enjoys working with scholarship recipients to share their stories of hope and resilience and to raise awareness of The Next Step’s good work.