Title
RESOLUTION AND COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENT WITH WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY REGARDING SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS ECONOMIC GROWTH STRATEGY.
Presented by: Chris Chronis, Chief Financial Officer.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Approve the resolution and authorize the Chairman to sign the agreement.
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Private and public leadership groups across South Central Kansas have agreed it is time to work together to shape a next generation action strategy to grow the regional economy. Wichita State University, Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce, Wichita Downtown Development Corporation and if approved, the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County, will join forces to work with regional companies and institutions to develop a regional, cluster-based strategy for economic growth. For purposes of the growth strategy the region will consist of 10 counties: Sedgwick, Butler, Cowley, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Marion, McPherson, Reno, and Sumner. These counties comprise the full coverage areas of the Regional Economic Area Partnership (REAP) and the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition (GWEDC).
On Tuesday, September 23, council members from the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County commissioners were briefed on the regional strategy as part of a joint meeting. That presentation is attached.
The collaborative effort will be advised by consultants who have been working with Wichita State University on its Innovation Campus: Paul Masson, managing director of StarNet LLC, and James Gollub (James Gollub Associates), a StarNet affiliate.
The consulting team has worked with markets and economic cluster development in cities throughout the United States and the world, including Austin, Albuquerque, San Antonio and Calgary.
The development of the growth strategy follows a four-step process:
-- Mobilize - identify regional leaders and ”stewards,” who will guide the economic strategy
-- Analyze - complete a diagnostic baseline of how the region’s economy is performing, assess existing and ...
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