The Regional Response Team (RRT) was officially founded on April 8, 2020, with Dr. Jason Purnell as the Managing Director and 43 founding social service and government partners.
The Collaborative Action Network (CAN) was established as a convening structure in May 2022.
The RRT’s Steering Committee was established as the organization’s governing body, representing the geographic region, sectors, and industries.
Serena Muhammad was the RRT’s first Managing Director, working with Co-Chairs, Dr. Jason Purnell and Riisa Rawlins-Easley. Beginning in 2020, various initiatives worked to improve our community. Areas of focus included PPE (personal protective equipment), vaccine education, eviction prevention, and support for the unhoused.
In September 2021, Dr. Andrea Jackson-Jennings was selected as the RRT’s new Managing Director.
Throughout 2022, in addition to campaign activities and ongoing COVID-19 response, new crises (flooding, Monkeypox, and a pediatric “tripledemic”) underscored the need for ongoing RRT efforts.
February 2022 marked the start of a strategic planning process to determine the RRT’s long-term vision and impact, carried out under the leadership of Dr. Jackson-Jennings.
October 2022 saw the completion and approval of the RRT’s new three-year Strategic Plan outlining the long-term vision for the RRT. A Collaborative Solutioning Structure was unveiled which will be a tool for the RRT to use to understand how to best tackle a pressing issue.
October 2022 also saw the publication of the RRT’s Comprehensive Report (see below), that walks through the RRT’s history and accomplishments.
Under the leadership of Dr. Jackson-Jennings and in alignment with the new Strategic Plan, the RRT sunset the original Steering Committee in January 2023, while working to stand up a new governance structure. The RRT’s Advisory Council was officially voted upon in May 2023. The Advisory Council is charged with governance of the RRT and
The CAN has refocused to be a smaller network of organizations dedicated to the mission and vision of the RRT. This group meets quarterly and helps to advise the Advisory Council on issues and crises in the greater St. Louis region.