Our Board

Spencer B. Burke is responsible for marketing and the evaluation of private investment opportunities.  Prior to joining The St. Louis Trust & Family Office, Spencer served in senior management positions and was responsible for the investment banking operations at both A.G. Edwards and Edward Jones, LLP.  He was also a partner in the corporate and securities law department of Bryan Cave LLP.  Spencer began his career in corporate law and finance with Sullivan & Cromwell in New York City.  He earned both his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and his JD from the University of Pennsylvania.

Spencer is very active in numerous non-profit organizations in St. Louis, including Opera Theatre of St. Louis, the Mercantile Library, the Radio Arts Foundation and the Nine Network.  He is an Adjunct Lecturer of Family Business at the Olin School of Business at Washington University and serves on the Board of the Mallinckrodt Foundation (a provider of grants for medical research).  Spencer’s other outside interests include opera, sports (golf and tennis) and bridge.

John M. Jennings is President and Chief Strategist of St. Louis Trust & Family Office. In these roles, he leads the client service practice and is responsible for developing and implementing strategic initiatives. John is a member of the firm’s Management Committee, on its Board of Directors, and also serves on the Investment, Risk Management and Trust Committees. He works closely with client families, advising them in all areas of wealth management.

As an author and speaker, John is a leading voice in the space of wealth management and leadership. His book, The Uncertainty Solution, is an engaging dive into investing philosophy and best practices as well as an authorita­tive, accessible guide for anyone who feels inundated with financial news and data. “A must-have addition to anyone’s reading list,” says Charles R. Schwab.

John is also the author of the highly acclaimed IFOD blog, is an adjunct professor at Washington University’s Olin Business School, and frequently writes on wealth management topics for Forbes. He has finance and law degrees from the University of Missouri and a professional certificate in Decision Making and Behavioral Finance from Harvard.

Prior to joining St. Louis Trust & Family Office as a founding principal, John gained varied professional experience in investments, tax, estate planning and trusts in the Private Client Service group at Arthur Andersen LLP and in the Estate Planning and Tax practices at the St. Louis-based law firm, Armstrong Teasdale LLP. John earned both his Bachelor of Science in Finance and Banking (cum laude) and JD degrees from the University of Missouri. A past St. Louis Business Journal “40 under 40” honoree, John is a frequent speaker on investment, trust and various other family office topics.

John is a Gen Xer of median height. He is happily married with two daughters and a four-legged best friend. He is an avid reader, a BIG fan of coffee, a vegan, a skier, a lover of indie music, and a ravenous St. Louis Blues fan. He likes to challenge himself physically and mentally and loves to laugh. He’d like to think he’s funny, but you’ll have to ask his wife about that one.

John’s Professional Involvement

• President and Chief Strategist, St. Louis Trust & Family Office
• Adjunct Professor, Washington University’s Olin School of Business (Wealth and Asset Management graduate program)
• Logos School Board of Directors
• Greater St. Louis, Inc. Leadership Board
• Chair of the Board of Trustees for The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Endowment Trust ($250 million endowment)

As CEO, Julia J. Lilly (Julie) is responsible for client service and satisfaction, finance, business development and strategic planning. Julie is a member of the Management, Risk Management, and Trust  Committees.

Prior to joining St. Louis Trust & Family Office, Julie spent over 20 years at Lewis Rice LLC, a leading regional law firm headquartered in St. Louis. After several years practicing law in the Trusts and Estates group, she spent the last 15 years leading the firm’s Operations team. As Chief Operating Officer, Julie had responsibility for human resources, finance, budgeting and billing, technology, facilities and marketing. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University, cum laude, and a law degree from Washington University, where she graduated first in her class. Julie is winner of the 2023 Family Wealth Report Awards “Outstanding CEO” designation and a 2018 St. Louis Business Journal “Most Influential Business Women” honoree.

Away from work, Julie serves on the Boards of the St. Louis Regional Business Council, the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation, City Academy, the St. Louis Zoo Association and the Edward Mallinkrodt, Jr. Foundation. She also serves on the Boards of Auto Club Enterprises, located in Costa Mesa, California, and AAA, Inc. She is the past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Mary Institute Country Day School (MICDS), her alma mater. She loves to play golf with her family, travel, read, share a bottle of wine with friends and walk the beach in search of the perfect seashell.