Gus Gast Welcomed as Newest Board Member

ST. LOUIS, MO. February 23, 2018 – Access Academies is thrilled to welcome Gus Gast, a partner at Moneta Group Investment Advisors, as the newest member of our governing board.

“Gus will be a strong addition to our Board of Directors. He is an accomplished businessman, bringing decades of business strategy and management experience to our organization,” said Tom Mackowiak, Executive Director of Access Academies.

Gast has worked at Moneta Group since 2002, providing financial advice on a broad range of topics including retirement planning, estate planning, philanthropy, risk management, investment management, income tax planning, employer benefits planning, education funding and business issues. Previously, he served as the Vice President – Finance for Financial Settlement Matrix and Max Broadcasting Network, two start-ups; Vice President- Treasurer for Thermadyne; and Audit Manager for Price Waterhouse, now PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Gast earned his B.S. in Accountancy from the University of Illinois and is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant.

As a board member, Gast will work with other board members to oversee the strategic growth of the organization, including the launch of the Access’ programs within a school in East St. Louis and enhancing the Graduate Support Program by adding college and career counseling and support services.

Since 2005, Access has partnered with middle schools serving high-poverty populations to propel low-income, first-generation students from middle school into college and career success through a multi-year commitment of enrichment, guidance counseling, and scholarships. Academies are currently located in Most Holy Trinity Catholic School & Academy; St. Cecilia School & Academy; and St. Louis Catholic Academy. Access is also laying the groundwork to open their Academy program at Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School in East St. Louis this Fall.

To date, Access has impacted more than 1,100 disadvantaged students in the St. Louis region. Ninety-eight percent of its graduates have been accepted to private, college-prep high schools; 99 percent graduate on-time; and 96 percent are accepted to college or other post-secondary institutions.

For more information regarding this release, please contact Julie Linder, Public Relations for Access Academies, by calling (573) 268-0639 or emailing Julie.Linder@Accessacademies.org.

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Press Release: Access Academies Welcomes Gus Gast of Moneta Group as Newest Board Member