Wendell E. Kimbrough, who has grown Area Resources for Community and Human Services (ARCHS) six-fold, has announced his retirement effective September 30, 2025.
Kimbrough joined the organization in 2005. During his 20-year tenure, he partnered with ARCHS’ board of directors and led his staff to create a grant model that supports funded agencies with business consulting and compliance expertise. Today, ARCHS is one of the region’s largest grant making organizations with a portfolio of state and federal funded grants that enhance the work of fifty human service agencies, serving over 270,000 St. Louisans.
Board Chair Sherrie Wehner said, “ARCHS’ board and staff have been fortunate to benefit from Wendell’s 20 years of leadership. He has balanced community needs and fiduciary stewardship to ensure state and federal funding made meaningful impacts on the lives of St. Louis families.”
During Kimbrough’s tenure, ARCHS has received prestigious national and regional honors including three quality improvement awards related to the Baldrige Excellence Framework® and six “What’s Right with the Region” accolades from FOCUS St. Louis.
Kimbrough has served in prominent community leadership roles including the Missouri Governor’s Pre-K Readiness Panel, the St. Louis Mayor’s Commission on Children, Youth and Families, the After School for All Partnership of St. Louis and the St. Louis Prayer Breakfast Committee.
He is an Immediate Past Board Chair of Philanthropy Missouri; the Immediate Past Board Treasurer of both Kids Win Missouri and Clark Atlanta University’s Alumni Association. Kimbrough is also an active member of both Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and the NAACP.
Residing in Swansea, Illinois and a native of East St. Louis, Illinois, he has a master’s degree in business administration from Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois, a bachelor’s in business administration from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia, and is a graduate of the FOCUS St. Louis Leadership Training Program.
A search for Kimbrough’s replacement is being led by ARCHS Executive Board and is currently underway.