The Board
Bob Elfanbaum
Board Member
Bob is Chief Executive Officer at Object Computing Inc., a St. Louis-based consultancy focused on transforming companies into data-driven businesses. Specializing in software engineering, AI, machine learning and other technologies, OCI provides technology solutions to commercial, government and non-profit sectors. Previously, Bob served as the Vice President of Products at World Wide Technology, and he co-founded and served as CEO/General Manager of Asynchrony, one of the leading agile development organizations in the U.S. An active community leader and volunteer, Bob is a Board member of CyberUp, supporting a Registered Apprenticeship program that enables people to start their cybersecurity career regardless of prior educational background. He’s also a member of GeoFutures Advisory Committee, working to help St. Louis become the global center of excellence for the geospatial industry.
Valerie Hiser
Board Member
Valerie has worked in the downtown St. Louis office of World Wide Technology for more than 10 years. As a Practice Development Specialist, she helps the organization evaluate new software consulting service offerings and bring them to market. In her spare time, Valerie enjoys city living while supporting downtown initiatives and local businesses. A devout fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues, she has deep knowledge of the history of both franchises. Valerie’s passion for sports is rivaled only by her passion for people living in the city. She serves with her heart and her hands and is committed to providing new opportunities for growth and development. Valerie and her boyfriend live downtown with their dog.
Linda Najim
Board Member
Linda spent her career in financial services, technology and management consulting. She has expertise in customer and channel strategies, operating model design, technology strategy development, organizational effectiveness, cost and performance improvement, and process reengineering. She also has deep experience in planning, implementing, and managing large-scale business transformation initiatives. Prior to her retirement, Linda was a partner at PwC (PriceWaterhouseCoopers) in their Advisory practice. She both served financial services clients as well as played a COO role for the largest industry-aligned consulting division.
Linda was born and raised in Cleveland, OH and currently lives in Naples, FL. She attended Columbia University, where she received a computer science degree from the School of Engineering. Since her retirement in 2017, Linda has volunteered at Champions for Learning, an organization that provides scholarships, mentoring and resources that primarily support first generation students in achieving post-high school education and career goals. Linda was introduced to UrbanReachSTL 18 months ago, and has volunteered at events and advised the team on a variety of operational, planning and communications topics.
Jesse Sneed
Board Member
Earnest Robinson
Board Member
An Oklahoma native, Earnest has over 40 years of retail management experience: 23 years with Safeway Stores and 19 years with Walgreens. For more than 12 years, he and his wife served as Elders and Board of Trustees members at the Father’s House Church in Oklahoma City. They moved to St. Louis in 2010 and currently volunteer as Division Directors with Grace Church–Saint Louis. Earnest also serves as a Board Member with LoveTheLou, a nonprofit organization that seeks to unite the city of St. Louis through meaningful relationships.
Jacob Thorne
Board Member
Jacob serves as the Senior Minister at Community Christian Church in Manchester. He is committed to serving others, connecting with those who are marginalized by society, and creating new forms of ministry and mission. Jacob earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Missouri in Columbia and a Master of Divinity degree from Eden Theological Seminary. He and his wife have been married for 20 years and have four children.
