Remarkable Resident: Lindbergh's Beth Cross

For the past two years, Beth Cross has written every press release issued by the Lindbergh School District. She’s been a face for the district at chamber of commerce meetings, school functions and community events. As community relations director, it is her job to keep the public informed about the district, but not many people know about her.

Cross, who grew up in Sunset Hills and now lives in Affton, went to Lindbergh High and took an early interest in journalism as the editor of the school’s newspaper her senior year.

“I have always loved writing,” Cross said.

She attended Drake University in Des Moines, IA and majored in news-editorial journalism. Her first job out of college was at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, a daily paper in South Texas.

Back in St. Louis, she worked as a communications specialist at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. She was there for five years before moving to Lindbergh.

Cross, who enjoys sewing and knitting when she has the time, is the oldest of Patty and Dennis Cross’s three children. Patty is a business manager, and Dennis is in retail management. Growing up, her parents took them on summer vacations each year. Trips included the Grand Canyon, Boston, Florida and Washington, DC. 

“My mom would make us activity books full of handouts to keep us busy in the car,” she said. “This was way before the days of portable DVD players. Now we try to get together every few years for a family vacation, usually in Outer Banks in North Carolina.”

Cross remains close to her family and enjoys riding in bike races with her father. Together they have ridden the MS 150 four times, a ride of 150 miles of two days.

These days Cross is sporting a new piece of jewelry on her left hand after recently getting engaged to her boyfriend, Jason, an accountant. She enjoys walking and gardening and describes herself as a homebody.

Along with her work at Lindbergh, Cross serves on the board of The Primrose Foundation, a foundation set up by her grandparents, Bill and June Harper of Crestwood, to assist agencies who care for children in crisis.

“We exist to honor those children whose lives have been disrupted due to abuse, neglect and other circumstances beyond their control,” she said. “My grandfather's biological parents both came to the Midwest on the Orphan Train, and then they put him up for adoption as well. He met his biological siblings at the age of 80, and that experience moved him to start the organization.”

Cross has always loved children and said the best perk about working at Cardinal Glennon was meeting the kids and their caretakers.

Though she liked it at Cardinal Glennon, when the opportunity came to do community relations for her old high school, she jumped at the opportunity. 

“As an LHS alum, I was really excited to come home to Lindbergh and serve my alma mater,” said Cross. “Everyone always asks me if it was weird ‘going back to high school,’ but really it wasn't, because I see the schools from such a different perspective, and this job was my first exposure to Lindbergh's elementary and middle schools.”

But there was one instance that brought her back to her high school days. 

“The only really weird thing was walking into a pep rally at LHS Gym 3 to take photos. I had some very strange déjà vu during that experience,” she said.

Cross said that she is proud of Lindbergh’s achievements, especially the recent high test scores.

“Doing PR for such an exceptional district is a very fun and rewarding opportunity,” she said.