Bernard (Bernie) Sammons, Ph.D.

President and Founder, Social Justice 4 All (SJ4A).

Bernie grew up in a military family and was one of nine children. He was born on an Air Force base in Valdosta, GA, and lived in many places as a child primarily on the East Coast along with several years abroad that included England and Greece.  Following his high school years in Wilmington, DE, his academic training included three universities: BS from University of Delaware, MS from University of Maryland, and Ph.D. from Clemson University. All degrees are in plant pathology. His professional career began in 1985 when he joined Monsanto Company, and he first moved to St. Louis in 1986. This was followed by 2 ½ years in Syracuse, NY with a permanent move back to St. Louis in 1989.  The majority of his professional career at Monsanto focused on improving crop yields using the tools of Biotechnology and working to obtain global regulatory approvals for crops of interest. He retired from Monsanto in November 2015 which then allowed him the opportunity to focus full-time on his passion for social justice and improving the lives of the marginalized.

Bernie and his wife Kathy presently lead the Peace and Justice Team for St. Clare of Assisi located in Ellisville, and they are actively working with the Archdiocese and ten West County churches to expand the awareness and need for peace and justice work in West County. In addition to organizing social justice presentations, Bernie founded the Social Justice 4 All (SJ4A) Team in 2016 that was formed to take action to support social justice work in St. Louis City and County. By partnering with key social enterprises in St. Louis City, the team is focused on housing, education, and employment in an effort to assist people with need. Social Justice 4 All was granted tax exempt status as a 501 (c) (3) organization in 2017 with a mission to raise funds needed to support social justice projects supported by the team and our community.

Bernie is active in the community, and serves the following organizations:

• Board member for the St. Louis Reconciliation Network (2015)
• Ignatian Volunteer Corp and Advisory Council (2016)
• De La Salle/La Salle Middle School (tutor and teacher’s aide for math/science, grades 5-8)
• Catholic Charities – member of the advocacy council (2018)

Bernie is happily married to Kathy and is the proud father of two daughters. Hobbies include being an avid Philadelphia Eagles fan; he loves watching film on the big screen; listening to music, and reading. He has a keen passion for reading material that pushes people to grow in spirituality and faith, and is a strong advocate for the teachings of Father Richard Rohr.