The Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas is into a pair of transitional periods.
One has to do with the person in the main leadership role. With Jim Witt exiting as interim CEO after over a year in that chair, the RDA Board of Directors recently chose former Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Lyle Butler to take over. Butler says Emporia has unique advantages, in large part due to its highway access and higher education options.
Butler says Emporia’s economic development challenges are not unique to the city. Many places across Kansas and the country are struggling with workforce development, whether it comes to recruitment or retention. Housing and child care are also key hurdles to overcome.
The changeover at the top comes as the city’s Economic Development Advancement Committee is researching potential structural changes at the behest of the Emporia City Commission. Witt says trust and respect are critical for this process as it advances.
The City Commission has been considering changes since an external study partner, Vision First, outlined the possibility of the RDA serving as the city’s “umbrella organization” for all local economic development as part of a study released this past summer. City commissioners also wanted a reconfiguration of the RDA board to have the city hold a majority of representation, but an agreement was reached last month to delay any decisions until an Advancement Committee report due by April 1.
Before going into economic development, Butler had senior management experience in banking and radio broadcasting in both Kansas and Colorado. He is currently a board member for ESB Financial and Frontier Financial Partners, both based in Emporia. Butler says the potential changes for the RDA mirror conversations taking place across the country. He says it is important for Emporia to “come together and decide how best to go forward.”
