What the Forum Is

The Welcome Home Forum is a leadership series built around honest, civil dialogue. People from across public service, private industry, and community life come together to share stories, compare experiences, and explore ideas that strengthen the places they call home.

A man in a suit giving a presentation at a conference room with a banner reading 'MASON' and 'PLP', in front of an audience of men and women.

Where It Started

The Welcome Home Forum was founded on a simple idea that communities get stronger when people show up, listen, and share their stories. What started as a small effort to spotlight veterans has grown into a wider platform for conversations that reflect the full range of people shaping our civic life. 

The topics have broadened, the guests have changed, but the purpose remains the same. We come together to highlight our communities and strengthen the civic fabric that hold them together.

A young soldier in uniform with the name tag 'Broeker', wearing a camouflage cap, standing in front of a U.S. flag.
Group of soldiers in camouflage uniforms standing inside a military aircraft.

The Forum is built on presence. We bring people into the same room, listen without pretense, and let the conversation unfold naturally. The dialogue is unscripted and grounded in real experience. Leaders speak openly about their work, their challenges, and the communities they serve. It is simple and it is effective. Showing up still matters.

The Forum’s Approach

A panel of three men seated at a table during a conference in a room with wood paneling, large windows, and a projector screen displaying the logo and name of the Metropolitan St. Louis Bar Association.

Past Guests

  • A smiling man in a navy suit with a red tie, standing between American and another American flag in the background.

    David Wasinger

    MISSOURI LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

  • A man in a suit with a red tie, smiling, sitting at a desk with a blurred historic building in the background.

    Andrew Bailey

    MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL

  • A smiling woman with shoulder-length blond hair, wearing a black blazer and white top, standing in front of American flags.

    Honorable Cheryl Mason

    INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS

  • A uniformed woman speaking at a podium outdoors against a blurred autumn background.

    Rear Adm. Dan Kloeppel, USN

    CEO OF VETJOBS

  • Portrait of a woman in military uniform standing in front of American and Texas flags.

    Major General Cassie A. Strom

    NATIONAL GUARD ASSISTANT TO THE AIR FORCE JUDGE ADVOCATE

  • A smiling female doctor sitting at her desk in a yellow-walled medical office, with a computer monitor displaying colorful brain diagrams.

    Ginger Nicol, M.D.

    WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN
    ST. LOUIS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

  • A man smiling in a black robe with a red polka dot tie, standing indoors with an American flag in the background.

    Honorable Matthew T. Schelp

    U.S. DISTRICT COURT FOR THE
    EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

  • William "Trey" Warren

    FORMER F-14 AND F-18 PILOT AND UNITED STATES NAVY TOPGUN GRADUATE

  • Close-up portrait of a middle-aged man with glasses and a beard, smiling outdoors with a blue sky and clouds in the background.

    Larry Shapiro, Ph.D.

    QUANTUM BEHAVORIAL, LLC

  • A man with a beard and mustache, wearing a black t-shirt with patches and a black cap, standing against a dark background.

    William Wisner

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF
    GRUNT STYLE FOUNDATION

Shaun Broeker is an Iraq War veteran and litigation partner at Thompson Coburn LLP. He has spent years involved in veteran advocacy and civic leadership across Missouri.

The Welcome Home Forum began with his experience in Bangor, Maine, when a small group of volunteers welcomed his unit home from Iraq. That moment underscored the impact of simple, direct support within a community.

He created the Forum to bring leaders from government, business, innovation, public service, and the military into one place for straightforward, in-person conversation.

Shaun is also a husband and father, and the Forum reflects his commitment to building strong, effective civic institutions.

Our Founder, Shaun Broeker

A person standing next to a yellow U.S. Navy training airplane on a grassy field during a clear day with a blue sky, with other aircraft parked in the background.

Be part of what we are building.