Cenia Bosman

President and CEO
Community Action Agency of St. Louis County, Inc.

Location: St. Louis, MO
Founded: 1968
Industry: Non-Profit Social Service

Cenia D. Bosman believes that in order to be a good leader, you must first learn to follow.

Bosman, president and CEO, Community Action Agency of St. Louis County Inc. (CAASTLC), a non profit fighting poverty that has been serving St. Louis County residents for 53 years, said CAASTLC will continue to be an advocate for helping our county’s most vulnerable citizens.

“We will continue to represent, influence and demonstrate the value of valuing diversity, equity and inclusion,” Bosman said.

An accomplished executive with more than 30 years of corporate and nonprofit organization experience, Bosman has built a reputation as a strong, respected industry leader.

During her tenure at CAASTLC, she has led the organization of 48 employees to deliver essential poverty fighting programs and services throughout the region. Under her leadership, the organization has achieved progressive revenue growth and expanded services to assist low-income families.

“Healthy families thriving in their community free from poverty and social exclusion is our vision with a wide range of opportunities and accessibility to education, healthcare, careers, and safe, affordable, energy efficient housing,” Bosman said. “Inclusive communities that sustain economic opportunities and business growth, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect and the barriers of structural and systemic inequities have been removed. That is who we are.”

In addition to her leadership at CAASTLC, she serves on the National Community Action Partnership Board of Directors and Missouri Community Action Network Board of Directors, St. Louis County Workforce Development Board of Directors, St. Louis Zoo Association Board of Directors, and the St. Louis Heat Up St. Louis Board of Directors.

In 2019, she led her current agency to create its first time Employer Based Small Dollar Loan program Community Loan Center of St. Louis County, in addition to other noteworthy accomplishments over the years.

During her tenure with the St. Louis Gateway Region YMCA, Bosman provided direction and oversight for Global Diversity and Inclusion, Government Relations and Public Policy, Childcare Services, Urban Core programming, and United Way Reporting. As the lead for United Way reporting, Bosman’s efforts resulted in the agency maintaining its Exceptional Agency Status, while growing its annual allocation.

She has held the role of business manager for a St. Louis based a multi-million dollar global chemicals business and co-chaired a community initiative that led to 30 non-profit agencies developing a comprehensive St. Louis City Children’s Services Plan. A recipient of The St. Louis Business Journal’s 2012 Diverse Business Leader Award, Bosman was honored in 2012 as the recipient of the Phenomenal Women of Metropolitan St. Louis Award by the Center for Racial Harmony.

Still, Bosman finds her greatest rewards when following the mission of CAASTLC.

“The agency is one of 1,000 Community Action Agencies across the United States created to help lift people out of poverty,” Bosman said. “We are able to stabilize and enrich vulnerable households by instilling hope and creating pathways to empowerment.”

She added, “We are committed to helping the families and communities of St. Louis County transition from poverty to self-sufficiency for present and future generations.