Inaugural Planning Committee

Wesley Bell

Wesley Bell is the Prosecuting Attorney for St. Louis County, Missouri. He was sworn in to office at 12:01am on January 1st, 2019 and is the first African American to serve in this position. Elected in a 2018 landslide, Wesley ran a vigorous grassroots campaign to unseat a 28 year incumbent by a 14 point margin. Wesley has served with distinction across the spectrum of the legal profession as a public defender, defense attorney,

judge, professor and prosecutor. Wesley is an advocate for ending mass incarceration, eliminating ‘debtors’ prison’ practices, and rebuilding trust between communities and the prosecutor’s office. As prosecutor, Wesley began implementing reforms on day one; directing more resources to fight violent crime and ensuring victims receive compassion and justice at every step. These shifts are based in data driven policy that further increases public safety by making sure violent crimes are vigorously prosecuted and those needing treatment for addiction or mental health have access to appropriate care.

Wesley was raised in North St. Louis County, the son of a Police Officer father and a County civil servant mother.  His childhood instilled a deep appreciation for law enforcement and public service. After attending Hazelwood East public schools, Wesley earned degrees from Lindenwood University and the University of Missouri-Columbia law school with the help of student loans and scholarships. While at Mizzou Law, Wesley chose to focus his studies on the representation of the poor and disenfranchised. After graduating, he turned down several job offers to come back to St Louis to work as a Public Defender.

As a Special Public Defender, Wesley represented hundreds of disenfranchised clients throughout the St. Louis region. It was immediately apparent to him that St. Louis County’s criminal justice system was sorely

broken and wasn’t working for anyone from any background, but especially the marginalized. After his time as a Public Defender, Wesley started his own criminal defense practice where he maintained a robust pro bono (free of charge) case load, continuing to dedicate himself to public service. From his time as a Public Defender, Wesley determined that one of the shortcomings of our criminal justice system is that most people simply don’t understand how it works. In order to address this problem, Wesley became a criminal justice professor at St. Louis Community College (Florissant Valley).

Dr. Min Liu

Dr. Min Liu is a Professor of Communication Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She often takes an inclusion and equity lens in her teaching and research on topics of health communication and culture. Having lived in St. Louis for years, Min Liu is actively involved in the local Chinese/Asian American community. Her community service work often focuses on youth and capacity building. In 2017 she worked with several Asian American youth leaders to start the St. Louis Asian American Civic Scholars group; this group led by STL AAPI high school students has been active in providing a platform for community service, education, outreach and advocacy since then.

Grace Hu

Grace Hu is a Ladue High School alumni and will be attending the University of Chicago in the fall. She is on the executive board for Asian American Civic Scholars, a youth-led organization focused on elevating the stories of the STL AAPI community and providing opportunities for AAPI youth to become more civically engaged. In high school, she was heavily involved in speech & debate and her school publications, and has earned international, national, and local awards in both. She hopes that this program will help other students discover a passion or interest in civic engagement and government.