News

Three Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumni, Damon Harbison, David Ruby and William Stahlman, have been recognized on the St. Louis Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2017 list as “rising stars” in their respective professional fields. The industry leaders were among 450 nominees and were chosen with help from previous winners.

Harbison earned a master’s of business administration from SIUE in 2004. He is chief operating officer of SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital.

“It is such an honor to work with so many high performers in St. Louis to begin with, but then to be chosen as one of the top 40 under 40 was icing on the cake for me,” said Harbison. “I am humbled by those that nominated me for this honor and incredibly blessed to be recognized.

“My professional mission is simple: be the best leader and example to those I serve, day in and day out. My goal is to never stop learning and never stop improving. I accomplish this by making sure the dynamic high-performing teams that surround me have the resources to be their best, are empowered and feel confident to make decisions, learn together from our opportunities, and are recognized for their accomplishments.”

Ruby achieved a bachelor’s of business administration from the SIUE School of Business in 2003. He is vice president and commercial banking relationship manager at Simmons Bank.

“I was completely shocked, honored and humbled to learn that I was selected as a Top 40 under 40 recipient,” Ruby said. “I have had the opportunity to work with several previous recipients throughout my career and have always admired the way they conduct themselves personally and professionally.

“I was fortunate enough to fall into my banking career while attending an SIUE career festival during my junior year. During my senior year, I juggled my full-time education with a part-time – 30+ hours per week – career in banking. I learned how to become extremely organized and effectively manage my time. I can’t thank SIUE enough for the opportunity to find my career while finishing my education.”

Stahlman earned a bachelor’s in civil engineering from the SIUE School of Engineering in 2005. He is director of engineering and construction at America’s Central Port. Stahlman is highly-involved in the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association.

“The St. Louis region has a vast wealth of talented and inspiring people, so to be recognized in this manner is quite humbling for me,” Stahlman said. “I choose the profession of engineering so that I can contribute to the improvement of the world around me in any way that I can. Every day, I am given the opportunity make others’ lives just a little bit easier in the work which I do, and my reward in return, is the relationships I gain with the amazing people whom I have the pleasure of interacting.”

 “SIUE provided me with the foundational skills and knowledge which helped mold me inot the professional I am today. The opportunities which I was exposed to during my tenure at SIUE fueled my drive to be successful in whatever I found myself in front of.”

Members of the 40 Under 40 Class of 2017 will be featured in a future issue of the St. Louis Business Journal. An awards banquet will be held on Thursday, Feb.16 at the St. Louis Marriott Grand Hotel.

Photos: Damon Harbison

David Ruby

William Stahlman