Our Programs

Communication is key. Connect NWK streamlines connecting businesses and the workforce effectively, cutting through the noise.

Explore our comprehensive Housing Resources page, your gateway to valuable information and assistance for all your housing needs.

Introducing our Cybersecurity Pathway, a collaboration with Grow with Google and EnterpriseKC, offering valuable resources and career pathways.

Prepare for a new career in a high-growth field in three to six months, no experience required! You’ll get professional training designed by Google.

Thriving communities need education for young families. NW Kansas Cares for Kids offers a variety of programs, fostering early childhood education.

Our comprehensive Business Services suite empowers entrepreneurs and existing businesses to maximize their potential and seize opportunities.

Serving 26 Northwest Kansas Counties

Our area includes: Cheyenne, Cloud, Decatur, Ellis, Ellsworth, Gove, Graham, Jewell, Lincoln, Logan, Mitchell, Norton, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Rawlins, Republic, Rooks, Russell, Saline, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Thomas, Trego, and Wallace counties in Kansas.

Click on a county for local economic development director contact information.

Local economic development directors. 

CN

Teryn Carmichael
Bird City Century II Foundation
PO  Box 174
Bird City, KS 67731
785-734-2556
teryn@birdcity.com

Kris Oldsen
Cheyenne County Development Corporation
PO Box 255
St Francis, KS 67756
785-332-3508
director@ccdcks.com

DC

Sharee Dempewolf
Oberlin-Decatur Economic Development
104 S. Penn - Suite #1
Oberlin, KS 67749
785-475-2901
sdempewolf@oberlinkansas.gov
o-daedc@oberlinkansas.gov

RA

Deb Minkler
ACE Foundation & Rawlins County Economic Development
Atwood, KS 67730
308-660-3647
deb@rawlinscounty.org

CD

CloudCorp
606 Washington St 606 Washington St
Concordia, KS 66901
785-243-2010

EL

Doug Williams
Grow Hays
219 W. 10th Street
Hays, KS 67601
785-628-3102
doug@growhays.com

Julie Rider
Downtown Hays Development Corporation
106 W. 12th Street
Hays, KS 67601
785-621-4171
dhdc@downtownhays.com

EW

Stacie Schmidt
Ellsworth County Economic Development
PO Box 321
Ellsworth, KS 67439
785-472-9204
ewcountyeconomicdevelopment@gmail.com

GO

Jason Moses
Gove County Economic Development
102 Sunset Ave
Quinter, KS 67752
785-754-8211
govecoed@ruraltel.net

GH

Dan Steffan
Consultant for Graham County Economic Development
410 N. Pomeroy
Hill City, KS 67642
785-639-1526
dans.nwk@gmail.com

JW

Kyra Lampe - Coordinator
Jewell County Economic Development
118 N. Commercial St.
P.O. Box 154
Mankato, KS 66956
(785) 378-7036
jccda@nckcn.com

LC

Kelly Gourley
Lincoln County Economic Development
216 E. Lincoln Ave
Lincoln, KS 67455
785-524-8954
lcedfdirector@outlook.com

LG

Oakley City Admin
209 Hudson Ave
Oakley, KS 67748
785-671-3611

MC

Emily Benedick
Solomon Valley Economic Development
209 E. Main Street #104
Beloit, KS 67420
785-738-3000
ebenedick@beloitks.org

NT

Dallas Gosselin
Norton County Economic Development
205 S. State
Norton, KS 67654
785-874-4816
dallas@nortoncountyks.gov

OB

Stacey Jackson
City of Osborne Economic Development
130 N. First St
Osborne, KS 67473
785-346-2670
osborneed@ruraltel.net

City of Downs Economic Development
715 Railroad Ave
Downs, KS 67437
785-454-3765

 

OT

Katie Vanderhoff
Choose Ottawa County
Minneapolis, KS 67467
785-407-0532
katie@chooseottawacounty.com

PL

Phillips County Economic Development
205 F Street
Phillipsburg, KS 67661
785-543-5809
director@pcedks.org

RP
Republic County Economic Development
Director - Jenny Russell
PO Box 178
Belleville, KS 66935
785-374-3047
RO

Roger Hrabe
Rooks County Economic Development
115 N. Walnut
Stockton, KS 67669
785-425-6881
roger@rookscounty.net

RS

Maggie Holloway
Russell County Economic Development, Tourism Director
331 E. Wichita Ave
Russell, KS 67665
785-483-4000

Mike Parsons
Russell County Economic Development
Economic Development Director
331 E. Wichita Ave
Russell, KS 67665
785-483-4000
rced2@russellks.net

SA

D. Mitch Robinson, CEcD
Salina Area Economic Development
120 W. Ash
Salina, KS 67401
785-404-3131
mrobinson@salinaedo.org

SD

Karl Pratt
Sheridan County Community Foundation & Economic Development Corporation
736 Main Street
Hoxie, KS 67740
785-675-1240
director@growsheridancounty.org

SH

Kerissa Payne
Goodland Area Economic Development
204 W. 11th
Goodland, KS 67735
785-677-5090
programs@growsheridancounty.org

SM

City of Smith Center Economic Development
219 S. Main
Smith Center, KS 66967
785-282-6517
sced@smithcenterks.com

TH

Vernon Hurd
Thomas County Economic Development Alliance
350 S. Range - Suite 12
Colby, KS 67701
785-460-4511
director@thomascounty.com

TR

Cheryl Gibson
Trego County Economic Development
216 N. Main
Wakeeney, KS 67672
785-743-5785
cheryl.gibson@tregocountyks.com

WA

Lissa Sexson, Director
Wallace County Community Development

313 Main Street
Sharon Springs, Kansas
785-443-3217
wacokscommdev@gmail.com
wallacecountyks.gov/164/Wallace-County-Community-Development

Lissa Sexson, Director of Tourism & Marketing
Wallace County Visitors Bureau

313 Main Street
Sharon Springs, Kansas
785-443-3217
travelwallacecounty@gmail.com
travelwallacecounty.com/

Cheyenne County

Teryn Carmichael

Bird City Century II Foundation

107 W. Bressler

PO Box 174

Bird City, KS 67731

785-734-2556

teryn@birdcity.com


Cheyenne County

Kris Oldsen

Cheyenne County Development Corporation

107 Washington St

PO Box 255

St Francis, KS 67756

785-332-3508

director@ccdcks.com


Cloud County

CloudCorp

606 Washington St

Concordia, KS 66901

785-243-2010


Decatur County

Sharee Dempewolf

Oberlin-Decatur Economic Development

104 S. Penn – Suite #1

Oberlin, KS 67749

785-475-2901

sdempewolf@oberlinkansas.gov

o-daedc@oberlinkansas.gov


Ellis County

Doug Williams

Grow Hays

219 W. 10th Street

Hays, KS 67601

785-628-3102

doug@growhays.com


Ellis County

Julie Rider

Downtown Hays Development Corporation

106 W. 12th Street

Hays, KS 67601

785-621-4171

dhdc@downtownhays.com


Ellsworth County

Stacie Schmidt

Ellsworth County Economic Development

114 1/2 N. Douglas Ave

PO Box 321

Ellsworth, KS 67439

785-472-9204

ewcountyeconomicdevelopment@gmail.com


Gove County

Jason Moses

Gove County Economic Development

102 Sunset Ave

Quinter, KS 67752

785-754-8211

govecoed@ruraltel.net


Graham County

Dan Steffan

Consultant for Graham County Economic Development

410 N. Pomeroy

Hill City, KS 67642

785-639-1526

dans.nwk@gmail.com


Jewell County

Kyra Lampe – Coordinator

Jewell County Economic Development

118 N. Commercial St.

P.O. Box 154

Mankato, KS 66956

(785) 378-7036

jccda@nckcn.com


Lincoln County

Kelly Gourley

Lincoln County Economic Development

216 E. Lincoln Ave

Lincoln, KS 67455

785-524-8954

lcedfdirector@outlook.com


Logan County

Oakley City Admin.

209 Hudson Ave

Oakley, KS 67748

785-671-3611


Mitchell County

Emily Benedick

Solomon Valley Economic Development

209 E. Main Street #104

Beloit, KS 67420

785-738-3000

ebenedick@beloitks.org


Norton County

Dallas Gosselin

Norton County Economic Development

205 S. State

Norton, KS 67654

785-874-4816

dallas@nortoncountyks.gov


Osborne County

City of Downs Economic Development

715 Railroad Ave

Downs, KS 67437

785-454-3765


Osborne County

Stacey Jackson

City of Osborne Economic Development

130 N. First St

Osborne, KS 67473

785-346-2670

osborneed@ruraltel.net


Ottawa County

Katie Vanderhoff

Choose Ottawa County

Minneapolis, KS 67467

785-407-0532

katie@chooseottawacounty.com


Phillips County

Phillips County Economic Development

205 F Street

PO Box 604

Phillipsburg, KS 67661

785-543-5809

director@pcedks.org


Rawlins County

Deb Minkler

ACE Foundation & Rawlins County Economic Development

Atwood, KS 67730

308-660-3647

deb@rawlinscounty.org


Republic County

Republic County Economic Development

Director – Jenny Russell

PO Box 178

Belleville, KS 66935

785-374-3047

rcedc@nckcn.com


Rooks County

Roger Hrabe

Rooks County Economic Development

115 N. Walnut

Stockton, KS 67669

785-425-6881

roger@rookscounty.net


Russell County

Maggie Holloway

Russell County Economic Development, Tourism Director

331 E. Wichita Ave

Russell, KS 67665

785-483-4000


Russell County

Mike Parsons

Russell County Economic Development, Economic Development Director

331 E. Wichita Ave

Russell, KS 67665

785-483-4000

rced2@russellks.net


Saline County

D. Mitch Robinson, CEcD

Salina Area Economic Development

120 W. Ash

PO Box 586

Salina, KS 67401

785-404-3131

mrobinson@salinaedo.org


Sheridan County

Kerissa Payne

Sheridan County Community Foundation & Economic Development Corporation

736 Main Street

PO Box 445

Hoxie, KS 67740

785-677-5090

programs@growsheridancounty.org


Sherman County

Julica Oharah

Goodland Area Economic Development

204 W. 11th

PO Box 59

Goodland, KS 67735

785-890-3743

julica.oharah@gogoodland.org


Smith County

City of Smith Center Economic Development

219 S. Main

Smith Center, KS 66967

785-282-6517

sced@smithcenterks.com


Thomas County

Vernon Hurd

Thomas County Economic Development Alliance

350 S. Range – Suite 12

Colby, KS 67701

785-460-4511

director@thomascounty.com


Trego County

Cheryl Gibson

Trego County Economic Development

216 N. Main

PO Box 355

WaKeeney, KS 67672

785-743-5785

cheryl.gibson@tregocountyks.com


Wallace County

Lissa Sexxon, Director

Wallace County Community Development

313 Main Street

Sharon Springs, Kansas

785-443-3217

wacokscommdev@gmail.com

wallacecountyks.gov/164/Wallace-County-Community-Development

Lissa Sexson, Director of Tourism & Marketing

Wallace County Visitors Bureau

313 Main Street

Sharon Springs, Kansas

785-443-3217

travelwallacecounty@gmail.com

travelwallacecounty.com/

By working with existing businesses or entrepreneurs throughout the coverage area with targeted programs, Innovation Center strives to reverse the outflow of people and businesses from Northwest Kansas. Through its current and future initiatives that extend resources to these businesses and entrepreneurs, Innovation Center hopes to increase population and to foster economic innovation in Northwest Kansas.

Innovation Center Stories

Stay informed about the latest developments at the Innovation Center and stay updated on the current activities developing in the Northwestern Kansas region.

Under Construction:

New Housing Opportunities Ahead!

The Kansas Housing Cooperative Program is on its way to helping families build new homes in Northwest Kansas. Stay tuned as we finalize the details of this exciting initiative. Check back soon for more information!

Contact Our Workforce Team