The City of Kansas City, Missouri’s AdvanceKC initiative was launched in the fall of 2011 to determine how Kansas City, Missouri can effectively use its competitive assets to grow our economy to its fullest potential. City and community leaders worked with a consulting team for over 18 months to analyze the City’s competitive advantages, role, purpose, structure, future, and how a stronger Kansas City could benefit the region as a whole.
This detailed work has produced a competitive snapshot and a strategic plan. The competitive snapshot summarizes Kansas City’s economic position compared to other cities, using facts and evidence. The strategic plan presents what Kansas City needs to do to attract and retain jobs and talent, making it an even better place to live and work for todays generations and those to come. Every geographic area in the City will benefit from the AdvanceKC strategies.
As a City and as an economic development organization, we have so much to celebrate. For the first time in decades, Kansas City has developed a comprehensive plan to address our challenges and capitalize on opportunities for a visionary future. Top priorities include building awareness and support of the Advance KC process among the public and implementation partners, and redefining economic development in the City by creating a holistic approach to it through the lens of ten defined AdvanceKC strategies.
Here are the ten defined categories:
1. Arts & Leisure
2. Business Climate
3. Connectivity & Collaboration
4. Infrastructure Development
5. Innovative and Entrepreneurship
6. Mobility
7. Public Safety
8. Talent Development and Education
9. Urban Land Use and Revitalization
10. Target Sector Support
To realize the AdvanceKC goals, the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City is electing members to an Advocacy Council, a prominent and vital committee of the EDC’s Board of Directors. The Advocacy Council will be an “umbrella” entity serving to tie together multiple local partners working together to improve the City. The primary roles of the Advocacy Council will be to monitor the implementation of the AdvanceKC strategic plan and to be an advocate for the EDC and the City of Kansas City, Missouri. Private and public members with expertise in one or more of the ten strategic areas are asked to serve an annual term in order to ensure proper monitoring and success of the plan.
The Advocacy Council will be a staffed program of the Economic Development Corporation and will meet four times per year. We hope to have the first meeting before the end of 2014. It will be chaired by the Chair of the EDC’s Board of Directors.
If you would like more information or are interested in being considered for appointment to the EDC’s Advocacy Council, please email advocacyboard@edckc.com with your committee preference (from the above ten categories) along with a brief statement of why you would like to be considered. Thank you for your ongoing support of economic growth in Kansas City!
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References:
KCMO.gov