Our People
Meet the Team
At the heart of Concordance is a desire to help our participants move forward. Our team members and board of directors include a wide range of backgrounds and expertise in criminal justice, Fortune 500 leadership, behavioral sciences, and beyond — and we are dedicated to restoring individuals, rebuilding families, transforming communities, and advancing the field of re-entry.
Executive Team
David Steward
Chairman of the Board
"The generational cycle of people returning to prison has enormous, negative impacts on all Americans, especially the family members of incarcerated people. By addressing generations of trauma, especially in the Black community, Concordance helps people released from prison achieve significant change and lasting success for themselves, their families and society at large."
Our Board of Directors
We couldn’t do the work we do today without those who’ve invested in us. Learn more about our individual and corporate supporters and how you can join the charge.
Fiduciary Board
Angela Adler*
SVP, Networks & Transformation, Optum
Ken Cella Jr.
Principal, Branch Development, Edward Jones
Ken Chenault
Chairman & Managing Director, General Catalyst Former Chair and CEO, American Express
Harold Clarke
Former Director/Commissioner of Corrections, States of VA, MA., Washington and Nebraksa Former President, American Correctional Association
Dan Isom
Vice President of Corporate Safety, Security & Crisis Management, Ameren Former Chief of Police, City of St. Louis, Former Director of Public Safety, City of St. Louis Former Director of Public Safety, State of Missouri
Jeremy Keele
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Catalyst Opportunity Funds Co-Founder & Partner, Sorenson Impact Group
Rich McClure*
Former Co-Chair, The Ferguson Commission Former CEO and President, Unigroup
Dr. Art McCoy*
Ambassador, CEO, Educator, Fellow Social Entrepreneur, Superintendent Emeritus, SLU Distinguished Fellow
Joseph (Joe) McFarland III
Executive Vice President of Store Operations, Lowes
Rod Nunn*
Vice President of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, SSM Health Former EVP, Employment and Education, Concordance
Emily Procter
Actress, Activist
Dave Steward*
Founder & Chairman, World Wide Technology
Susan Stith*
CEO, Concordance
John Thompson
Venture Partner, Lightspeed Venture Partners Former Chair and Current Board Member, Microsoft
James Turley*
Retired Chair & CEO, Ernst & Young
Mary Unnerstall
Executive Manager, Office of the Chairman, World Wide Technology
Mark Wrighton
Chancellor Emeritus, Washington University in St. Louis
Al Zollar
Board Director and Tech Investor; Board Member, IBM; Board Member, NASDAQ
Essye Miller
CEO, Executive Business Management
*Denotes Executive Committee Member
Advocacy Board
Kelvin Adams
CEO & President, St. Louis Community Foundation, Retired Superintendent, St. Louis Public Schools
Scott Brown
Regional Director of State Government Affairs, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Eric Brunngraber
Chairman & CEO, Cass Information Systems, Inc.
Tad Edwards
Chairman, CEO & President, Benjamin F. Edwards & Co.
David Eichhorn
CEO & Head of Investment Strategies, NISA Investment Advisors, LLC
Sal Hernandez
Senior Compliance & Ethics Advisor, Husch Blackwell
Rick Holton, Jr.
General Partner, FINTOP Capital COO, Hermann Companies
Eric Karlovic
CEO & Co-Owner, Hughes Leahy Karlovic
Diane Katzman
President, Diane Katzman Art
Rusty Keeley
CEO, Keeley Companies
Robert Kirkland
SVP & CFO, North America at Stanley Black and Decker
Greg Kraus
Managing Director/Resident Director – Wealth Management Advisor, Merrill Lynch
Marc Lazar
Founder, Domaine Wine Storage
Mingu Lee
Managing Partner, Cleveland Avenue
Ken McDonald
Co-Founder, Global Counseling Network Senior, Director of Business Development, Covenant Theological Seminary
Robert Newmark
Managing Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
Nick Ragone
Executive Vice President, Chief, Marketing & Communications Officer, Ascension Health
Ben Rassieur III
President, Paulo Products
Joe Reagan
Founder & CEO, One Stone Development
Rev. B.T. Rice
Pastor, New Horizon 7th Day Christian Church
David A. Thomas
President, Morehouse College
Rob Vitale
President & CEO, Post Holdings
Caprina Wakefield
SVP, Human Resources, Bethesda Health Group, Inc.
Jimmy Williams, Jr.
President & CEO, Estel Foods, Inc.
In Memory of Danny Ludeman
Founder and Former Chair
Danny Ludeman founded Concordance in response to a calling to serve others and to address the persistent cycle of reincarceration. Guided by a deep sense of purpose and faith, he brought together community leaders, corrections officials, and academic experts to imagine a more humane and effective approach to reentry.
A visionary leader, Danny believed in the potential of every person and shaped Concordance’s mission to create real first chances for individuals and families impacted by incarceration. He stepped away in June 2024 to focus on his family following a pancreatic cancer diagnosis and passed away on March 9, 2025.
Danny’s legacy lives on through the lives transformed by Concordance and through the continued work of the organization he founded. We remain deeply grateful for his vision, leadership, and enduring impact.
