Taulby Roach, President and CEO of Bi-State Development, today announced an upcoming leadership transition effective Nov. 2, as Mary Lamie prepares to conclude her successful tenure with the organization. Lamie joined Bi-State Development in 2015 to head up its newest enterprise, the St. Louis Regional Freightway, and assumed her role as Executive Vice President of Multimodal Enterprises in 2019, taking on additional responsibilities overseeing the operations teams for the Gateway Arch, Riverboats at the Gateway Arch, and St. Louis Downtown Airport. She has accepted a consulting position with Lochmueller Group, a leading regional engineering firm.
Over the past decade, in her capacity as head of the St. Louis Regional Freightway, Lamie has led the successful efforts to strengthen the St. Louis region’s position as one of North America’s premier multimodal freight hubs.
“Under Mary’s leadership, the St. Louis Regional Freightway has become a nationally recognized model for public-private collaboration, uniting leaders from all modes of transportation, manufacturers, economic development organizations, elected officials and transportation agencies around a shared vision for regional growth,” said Roach. “While she has become the public face of many of the St. Louis region’s largest freight and infrastructure initiatives that have strengthened the region’s freight network, Mary has determined this is the time for a change. We’re thankful for the many contributions she has made to the region and to our organization, and we wish her well in this next chapter of her career.”
“This truly has been the best job ever, and I look back on the past 10 years with immense gratitude for the opportunity I have had to work alongside talented partners, colleagues and friends in the public and private sectors on both sides of the Mississippi River who shared a belief that, through collaboration, we could make our region stronger,” said Lamie. “Together, we have delivered infrastructure wins for the region that have strengthened our world-class freight network, while supporting the continued growth of our logistics and manufacturing industries well into the future.”
Gregory Linhares, Chief Legal Counsel for BSD, is taking on the role of directing the Gateway Arch, Riverboats and Airport teams currently overseen by Lamie. Having undertaken responsibility for establishing and leading the Freightway back in 2014 at the request of East-West Gateway Council of Governments, Bi-State Development is at this time engaged with regional leaders and Freightway partners to evaluate the structure that will best support the Freightway over the long-term following this leadership change. Linhares will provide strategic oversight and leadership support for the Freightway during the evaluation period, working with all the Freightway’s partners to facilitate continuity and help determine future strategic direction as the organization continues to drive economic growth throughout the region.
Since joining Bi-State Development in October 2023, Linhares has overseen Bi-State Development’s legal, governance, risk management and compliance functions while leading cost-saving, organizational effectiveness and strategic policy initiatives across the agency. He brings his 18 years of experience as a government executive to his newly expanded role.
“The Gateway Arch, the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch, and St. Louis Downtown Airport are all highly professional operations that, under Mary’s leadership, have become a huge part of what BSD and the entire St. Louis region are all about, and I am excited to step up and do whatever I can to continue and advance their great work,” said Linhares. “Mary also has built the St. Louis Regional Freightway from the ground up and established it as a respected entity with national visibility. We are committed to providing continuity as we work with our regional partners to evaluate the next steps for this enterprise, which has become a valuable regional asset. Even as Mary assumes her new role, she will remain actively engaged in that evaluation process and help us guide the Freightway through this transition.”
Lamie recently was named the recipient of the Transportation Club of St. Louis Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the region’s highest honors recognizing an individual’s lasting impact on transportation, logistics and economic development. The recognition reflects a career spanning more than three decades in transportation, engineering and economic development, including 22 years with the Illinois Department of Transportation and the past decade leading the St. Louis Regional Freightway.
Working with partners across Missouri and Illinois, Lamie helped establish the Freightway’s Priority Projects List, which today represents more than $9 billion in infrastructure investments designed to improve freight mobility and economic competitiveness. She helped develop the “Ag Coast of America” brand, highlighting the region’s strategic role in moving agricultural products to domestic and global markets from a port district recognized as the most efficient inland port in the nation. She also supported the creation of the Freightway’s Featured Real Estate Sites program, an online resource used by brokers, developers and site selectors evaluating industrial development opportunities throughout the bi-state region.
Her commitment to collaboration extends to her role as the founder of FreightWeekSTL, which has grown into one of the nation’s premier freight and logistics conferences, bringing together industry leaders to discuss innovation, workforce development, infrastructure and supply chain trends. In 2024, she helped launch the St. Louis Regional Aerospace and Aviation Task Force, applying the same collaborative approach to support growth in one of the region’s fastest-growing advanced manufacturing sectors.
She also was instrumental in sourcing the first new riverboat in St. Louis since 1987, overseeing the arrival of the Becky Thatcher—St. Louis’ newest riverboat at the steps of the Gateway Arch— in late August. This replica 19th-century paddlewheel riverboat joins the Tom Sawyer in the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch fleet, expanding the only riverboat tours in downtown St. Louis and contributing to the revitalization of the historic riverfront.
Her time overseeing the operations team at St. Louis Downtown Airport was marked by a significant expansion by Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., which invested $30 million in its new completions operation at the airport and has added more than 200 employees over the past couple of years. In 2023, the airport completed a new $5.4 million Ground Engine Run-Up and Compass Calibration Pad project supporting high-tech aerospace maintenance and skilled trade jobs at the airport. It is currently moving forward with the multiphase reconstruction of Taxiway Bravo and plans for a new general aviation terminal. These investments will help the airport to safely meet future needs.