Angela Clark, PhD, RN, FAAN, president of Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing, has been named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s “Most Influential Business Women” list for 2026. This prestigious honor recognizes remarkable women making an impact in their organizations and in the St. Louis community.
Dr. Clark is one of two BJC Health honorees on the 2026 list. Shivani Bass, CEO of the Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis–West County, also was honored. The Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis is affiliated with BJC Health and Encompass Health.
Dr. Clark joined Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing in May 2022 as the Maxine Clark and Bob Fox President. As president, she has been instrumental in driving nursing workforce stability in St. Louis. Under her leadership, the college doubled its enrollment and rolled out new programming, including the Full-Ride Scholars' program in collaboration with BJC Health’s East Region (BJC HealthCare).
She is a public health advocate and is committed to amplifying the important role health care plays in advancing health equity and championing community partnerships, such as the BELIEVE Academy.
During her tenure, Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing has been elevated to the national stage in nursing excellence. She co-led the AACN-AONL Academic-Practice Advisory Committee and oversaw the release of The AACN/AONL Academic-Practice Partnership Playbook, a resource designed to strengthen collaboration between academic institutions and healthcare organizations. The college has increased scholarship funding and achieved national rankings under her leadership, including U.S. News & World Report ranking Goldfarb’s certified registered nurse anesthetist program No.9 in the nation.
“This honor from the St. Louis Business Journal is incredibly meaningful,” says Dr. Clark. “This honor reflects the collective work of an extraordinary team dedicated to our students every day. We believe that education and health are inseparable and foundational to individual success and thriving communities. The choices we make to invest in education today have a ripple effect on health, economic opportunity, and quality of life for generations. That interconnectedness is what drives our work and inspires our commitment to creating stronger, healthier communities for the future.”
Dr. Clark is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, was also named a “Rising Star 2025” in Modern Healthcare and a Perfect Score recipient in the 2026 “Excellence in Nursing” awards in St. Louis Magazine.