St. Louis center execs' pay scrutinized

ST. LOUIS (AP) - The nine highest paid executives at the St. Louis Science Center in 2010 collectively received more than $2 million in compensation, which includes salary, retirement packages and other benefits.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Sunday that made up 19 percent of what the science center paid for its entire staff, which includes 184 full-time employees and 410 part-timers.

The commission that oversees the science center is scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss a proposal to restructure the staff. The review comes as the board of the Zoo-Museum District has hired an accounting firm to review the science center's finances.

Doug King, who stepped down as the center's president Dec. 31, said senior executives at the St. Louis center deserve their pay. If anything, he said, "they all deserve an increase."


Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com