Our February 2006 presenter, Allison Collinger is the director of corporate communications and community outreach for the St. Louis Rams -- overseeing the Rams community outreach team, the Rams Foundation and the team's off-the-field public relations initiatives. She manages various special projects for the team including planning and oversight for post-season festivities, including two Super Bowl post parties. In 2001, she helped launch one of the NFL's first corporate communication departments at the Rams, which includes proactive public relations and creation of a publication for business partners and publicity surrounding marketing and community initiatives.

Prior to joining the Rams, she was an active member of the group that brought the team to St. Louis. From the announcement of the move, she assisted with the team's transition to the area. She was instrumental in helping the Rams develop a strong community relations program and create transitional programs for marketing and corporate media relations. Formerly a vice president of Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., she has more than 15 years of experience in public and community relations.

During her tenure at Fleishman-Hillard, she played a role in the approval and opening of the Edward Jones Dome, the Kiel Center and the MetroLink light rail system. Her work has been recognized with several national awards - three Silver Anvils, the highest award bestowed on public relations programs by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and a CIPRA for creativity in public relations. Local recognition has included two Bronze Quill Awards of Merit from the International Association of Business Communicators/St. Louis Chapter and MetroLink being awarded the Lamplighter Award from the PRSA/St. Louis chapter. In 1998, the St. Louis Jaycees named her one of Ten Outstanding St. Louisans. In 2001, she was named to the St. Louis Business Journal's Forty Under Forty, a list of accomplished individuals under 40. She also received the 2001 Community Leader Award from the Coro Midwestern Center.

In addition to her professional involvement, she was a founder of the Diversity Awareness Partnership and currently serves as the vice-chair for the project. In addition, Collinger serves on the Coro Leadership Center Advisory board and the Girl Scout Council of Greater St. Louis President's Advisory Board. She is also is active in her children's schools serving in various capacities. Her former board service includes the American Lung Association of Eastern Missouri, Citizens for Modern Transit, ECHO Emergency Children's Home, the Girl Scout Council of Greater St. Louis, the Metropolitan Association for Philanthropy, the St. Louis Zoo Friends Association, the University of Missouri Friends Association and Young St. Louisans. She has chaired public relations committees for the Coro Midwestern Center, the Girl Scouts, the Junior League of St. Louis' Annual Public Relations Workshop, the Healthy St. Louis 2000 Conference and the Consortium for African-American Male Survival. She speaks regularly at area seminars on sports philanthropy, special events, image development and fundraising and gives freely of her time to counsel young people who are seeking career advice.

Collinger holds a B.A. from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, is a former Coro Fellow in Public Affairs and a graduate of the 1996-1997 Leadership St. Louis program.