T. Christopher Peoples is a St. Louis place-maker who is putting his compassionate nature to work to help other people thrive. Chris, who is the first-ever equity and economic impact director for Great Rivers Greenway, is currently implementing economic development strategies such as workforce training, affordable housing and community development for the agency’s Brickline Greenway, a planned $245 million new trail system connecting St. Louis, including the north part of the city where he grew up, through a network of paths and places emphasizing discovery, exploration and economic inclusion.
“I chose UMSL because it was the best fit for me as a non-traditional student. The warmth and support of the joint engineering program staff, including Dr. (Bernard) Feldman, was instrumental in keeping me on track.”
Before joining Green Rivers Greenway in 2021, Chris spent the early years of his career working full-time at Pitzman’s Company of Surveyors and Engineers while attending the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Within two years of his 2008 graduation from the UMSL/Washington University Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program, Chris purchased a majority stake in the firm and became president and CEO. Looking back on his meteoric rise in urban development and real estate management, Chris is grateful to UMSL for nurturing his initial interest in engineering.
