Obstacles and Opportunities for Rural Development

1
Western Kansas Partnership Bringing together
public and private leaders for regional
thinking, dialogue and action.
2
On Cooperation

• We must, indeed, all hang together or, most
  assuredly, we shall all hang separately
  (Benjamin Franklin)
• The San Juan Forum Four-Corners region has
  helped us get past our parochialism. Its issue
  and idea oriented, and there are plenty of issues
  to contend with. It helps cut through the
  bureaucratic red tapeRegionalism in large part
  boils down to education and future visioning.
  The San Juan Forum helps us look at how the
  region fits in the national and global picture.
  (Keith Haugland Dave Eppich)

3
Western Kansas Partnership Overview

• Public-Private Partnership
• Annual Planning Summit
• Work Groups convene throughout year
• Facilitated by Docking Institute of Public
  Affairs at Fort Hays State University

4
Organizational Structure

• Western Kansas Partnership Summit coordinated
  and facilitated each September by Docking
  Institute
• Communicate legislative activities of past
  year
• Review work group activities/ progress
• Set priorities for next years work groups

• Advisory Board
• Work Groups
• Partners

5
Organizational StructureAdvisory Board

• Purpose
• To prioritize issues for upcoming Planning Summit
  by reviewing work group progress and legislative
  activity
• To help facilitate work group progress
• Public/private partnership with involvement by
  all major sectors in western Kansas
• Economic Developers/Chambers of Commerce
• Business (manufacturing, banking, energy,
  telecomm, etc.)
• Elected officials
• Agriculture
• Education
• Health care
• Local, State, Federal Government/Agencies

6
Organizational StructureAdvisory Board (contd)

• Advisory Board Members
• Leaders from all social sectors willing to serve
  on the advisory board.
• Identified/Invited to participate by inaugural
  Western Kansas Partnership Planning Summit
• Initial Meeting
• Two to four weeks after inaugural Planning Summit
  to help provide initial direction to work groups
• Annual Meeting of Advisory Board
• Convene in June to review Work Group activities
  and plans and set direction for upcoming year

7
Organizational StructureWork Groups

• Regular meetings throughout year
• Each group determines frequency
• Work group volunteers solicited at inaugural
  Western Kansas Partnership Planning Summit
• Work Group Chairs to be determined at first
  post-summit work group session
• Neutral facilitation support provided by Docking
  Institute of Public Affairs and Policy Fellows
• Reports activities and progress to Advisory Board
  every June

8
2004-2005 Western Kansas Partnership Work Groups

• Inaugural priorities set based on 2003 Regional
  Prosperity Summit reports and Economic Growth Act
  of 2004
• Comprehensive Energy Plan
• Entrepreneurism Development
• Marketing and Recruitment
• Transportation
• Value-Added Business (includes biosciences)
• Workforce Development
• Future priority areas recommended by Advisory
  Board and discussed by partners at Annual
  Planning Summit

9
Organizational StructurePartners

• Participate at Planning Summit by offering
  grassroots feedback and ideas to Work Groups
• Participate in Work Group(s)
• Open to all individuals and organizations in
  Western Kansas

10
Organizational StructureDocking Institute of
Public Affairs

• Conference planning, marketing, media relations
  on-site coordination
• Advisory Board coordination
• Work Group facilitation
• Host web site portal for Western Kansas
  Partnership
• Documents/video streaming of conference
  proceedings
• Maintenance of electronic library of resources
  for regional economic development/work groups
• Electronic discussion board/listservs for Work
  Groups

11
Inaugural Western Kansas Partnership Summit
Agenda September 8, 2004

• Welcome Address, Governor Kathleen Sebelius
• Keynote Speaker, Mark Drabenstott, VP Kansas City
  Federal Reserve Bank and Director Center for the
  Study of Rural America
• KDOC review of Economic Growth Act of 2004, Matt
  Jordan
• Overview of Western Kansas Partnership, Larry
  McCants, Steve Irsik, Donna Shank
• Introduction of 2004-2005 Priority Areas/Work
  Groups
• Work Group Sessions (facilitated by Docking
  Institute)
• Identify and prioritize objectives
• Report out to General Session
• Next Steps Adjourn