Lee's Summit Economic Development Council Annual Report 2016-2017

2016 - 2017

ANNUAL

REPORT

Vision to Reality

Missouri Innovation Campus photos courtesy of McCowenGordon Construction and rendering provided by DLR Group

Letter from the Chairwoman Over the past four years, the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council has undergone a transformation focused on reigniting our investors while casting a new vision for community development through business investment.

As our city, state and nation continue to emerge from an economic downturn that redefined traditional models of economic development, LSEDC began examining how to add value to our investors’ commitments while creating a sustainable and stable organizational framework. After nearly three decades of steadfast work, the conversation turned to legacy planning.

When I assumed the role of LSEDC chairwoman, it became clear that Lee’s Summit was at a crossroads; our community was ripe with potential, but the recent economic downturn had created a risk-averse environment. As I listened to local business and civic leaders, the idea was born to launch our Speaker’s Series, a lineup of innovative, successful thought leaders who would be sure to challenge our perspectives, epitomize engagement and demonstrate personal investment in an outcome. The 2016-17 Speaker’s Series included:

Christine Bushyhead Chairwoman, 2016-17

• Doug Linkhart, President of the National Civic League, challenged us to confront apathy by understanding its definition. “Apathy is when other people don’t care about something we think they should. In other words, it can be easy to see our neighbors as apathetic if they don’t rally to a cause we think is important.” Doug’s comments encouraged LSEDC to consider best practices for improving civic engagement, how to make the case for engagement to the next generation, and how to “sell” the benefits of increased engagement to existing community leaders.

• Carol Marinovich, former Mayor, CEO and community leader, described the inspiring journey of how community leaders re-envisioned and consolidated Kansas City, Kansas, and Wyandotte County. Carol’s story is a testament to the long-term benefits of patient and deliberate planning, as she shared that the Unified Government of Wyandotte County we see today may appear to be an “overnight success,” when in reality it was the culmination of 25 years of focused work. Carol encouraged us to learn what we can from the past and cautioned against underestimating “the competition,” which she defines as those who don’t share your vision.

• Dayton Moore, general manager of the 2015 World Champion KC Royals, inspired us with the reminder that every person in an organization is a stakeholder, no matter their job description or pay scale.

Dayton encouraged us to not be afraid of taking chances on people and projects that may not always look perfect on paper. He also emphasized the importance of hiring team leaders who are willing to apply moral principles to business and warned against selfishness, which “will destroy teams, committees and organizations.”

• And, Toby Rush, founder of successful Kansas City startup EyeVerify, shared how the values and work ethic he learned as a Kansas farm boy translated into his future career as a tech entrepreneur in the mobile software space. Toby encouraged us to dream big and think like children, considering that we are better than we believe we are. His advice: “Find the right mirror.”

Vision >> Reality >> Engagement >> The Speaker Series celebrated vision and showcased mission-critical leadership, which comes in many different styles and callings. Establishing a sustainable organizational framework directly translates into a culture that supports the vision and mission. Recognizing that inspiring and fostering engagement brings that culture to life, LSEDC’s guiding principle for 2016-17 has been, “Vision to Reality.” To that end, LSEDC has embraced a new Vision Statement which more fully, yet succinctly, describes our mission:

To promote and enhance the City of Lee’s Summit as a model community for economic innovation and growth fueled by a pro-business environment, diverse economic base and a commitment to strong relationships and work ethic.

Current board leadership determined that organizational changes are required to ensure future successful outcomes and to stabilize the foundation of the LSEDC, which has not seen a bylaw revision since 2004. In July 2017, the Board of Directors will consider revised and updated bylaws that align more closely with the LSEDC’s current business processes and clearly define the scope of commitment required from future Investors and board leaders.

A critical piece of LSEDC’s organizational infrastructure snapped into place in 2016-17 with the establishment of a new staff position to oversee business retention and expansion, as well as community and investor relations. In January, LSEDC hired Jessica Hamilton to fill the role of Director of Community and Investor Relations, with the primary focus of creating the best Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) program in the metro area. Not a small part of that programming will be LSEDC’s continued leadership in Workforce Development.

The concentrated effort to establish a solid organizational framework set the stage for LSEDC leadership to reaffirm the LSEDC Strategic Plan at its 2017 Investor Luncheon. The document outlines LSEDC’s commitment to four focus areas of economic development: Community Product Improvement, Community Image Enhancement, Target Industry Attraction, and Business Retention/Expansion. These areas of emphasis inform the LSEDC conversation, which comprises projects and initiatives focused on targeted geographic areas and corridors, public infrastructure improvements, workforce development and business retention and expansion.

It has been an honor to serve this year as the Chairwoman of the LSEDC Board of Directors and to continue the transformative work of the past Chairmen and Executive Committees. Clearly, the vision and phenomenal work of the last four years has created a new reality for Lee’s Summit, a reality that is strong, anchored, and engaged!

Yours Truly,

Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council • 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 2-3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14 15 16-17

LETTER FROM THE CHAIRWOMAN YEAR IN REVIEW COMMUNITY PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MAJOR CORRIDORS OF DEVELOPMENT SIGNIFICANT SECTORS OF GROWTH COMMUNITY IMAGE ENHANCEMENT STRONG LEADERSHIP SUPPORTIVE MEMBERSHIP OUR INVESTORS LSEDC STAFF

Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council • 2

Vision to Reality 2016 -17 : YEAR IN REVIEW Plan.... Build.... Deliver.....

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE: LSEDC announced significant internal process improvements in 2016-17 that included approval of an overarching Vision Statement and Strategic Plan. These documents identified top priorities and benchmarks for success in key areas such as Business Retention/Expansion, Workforce Development, and Investor Recruitment.

BUILDING THE RIGHT TEAM: The Lee’s Summit EDC achieved full staffing levels in 2016-17.

Jessica Hamilton was hired to fill the newly created position of Director of Community and Investor Relations.

In addition to successfully launching LSEDC’s Business Retention and Expansion program, Jessica is spearheading LSEDC’s investor recruitment and workforce development initiatives. In addition, Stephani Bordner joined the LSEDC team as Executive Assistant. Stephani is responsible for daily operations of the organization including finances, meeting coordination and office management.

DELIVERING INVESTOR BENEFITS: In 2016-17, LSEDC streamlined its programming to maximize investor benefits. The effort was headlined by an all-new Speaker’s Series designed to boost civic and investor engagement, as several of the region’s most high-profile and well-respected thought leaders and entrepreneurs shared the good, the bad and the ugly of their personal vision-to-reality stories at quarterly luncheons that left the crowd with plenty of food for thought.

In addition, LSEDC’s “Hump Day Happy Hour” networking events continued to grow in popularity, with an average attendance of more than 50 per month. Advisory board-level members enjoyed “Investor Spotlight” luncheons hosted by MC Power, Aircraft Electronics Association, and Saint Luke’s East. And “pop-up” events focused on timely topics such as workforce development, civic engagement, and regional exports provided coveted education and industry insight.

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Community Product Development WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES & COLLABORATIONS 2017 Key Initiatives....

LSEDC believes the long-awaited opening of the Missouri Innovation Campus--and its key partnerships among the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, MCC-Longview and the University of Central Missouri-- will create a huge hometown advantage for Lee’s Summit companies as they compete for top talent. However, workforce development continues to be a top concern for Lee’s Summit business and a top priority for the Lee’s Summit EDC. In response to challenges, LSEDC launched several initiatives to assist local companies with talent recruitment.

HR ROUNDTABLE: Seeing the need for more collaboration and sharing of best practices among human resources specialists in Lee’s Summit, LSEDC launched the HR Roundtable in 2017. The group meets quarterly and discusses topics such as internships, competitive compensation, recruitment and retention strategies, employee engagement, and general workforce issues.

WEB PORTAL: In 2017, the LSEDC launched a Website portal dedicated to Lee’s Summit employers who have current openings, giving those companies an opportunity to highlight specific positions. The Web page also promotes company job fairs and internship and apprenticeship opportunities, which are then shared on social media channels. In addition, a new billboard along I-49 will soon direct individuals to the LSEDC Website to access job openings in Lee’s Summit.

INSIGHTFUL PROGRAMMING: LSEDC is working to lead the conversation on workforce development issues and expertise throughout the Kansas City region. In May, LSEDC partnered with TeamKC and the Kansas City Area Development Council to present best practices for workforce development to LSEDC’s advisory level investors. Jessica Nelson of TeamKC offered insight into talent recruitment efforts and the role Generation Z is playing in the labor picture, while LSEDC’s Jessica Hamilton presented information about current business retention and expansion efforts, as well as LSEDC workforce initiatives and tools LSEDC uses to track labor demand and demographics.

EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS: LSEDC serves as the bridge between the business community and the education ecosystem of Lee’s Summit, helping keep lines of communication open between industry and education while promoting and assisting with current and future programs. LSEDC values its education partners, which include: - Missouri Innovation Campus - Summit Technology Center - LS R-7 School District - University of Central Missouri - Metropolitan Community College- Longview - Summit Christian Academy - Saint Michael the Archangel High School

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STRATEGIC LOCAL & REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS AND FRESH FACES: The Lee’s Summit EDC supported partners such as the City of Lee’s Summit, the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce, and Lee’s Summit R-7 School District as they welcomed new leadership in 2016-17. The City hired Ryan Elam to fill the newly created director of development position, the Lee’s Summit Chamber found fresh leadership in President Tim Arbeiter, and LS R-7 hired new Superintendent Dr. Dennis L. Carpenter after a nationwide search. LSEDC partnered with Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street to showcase the historic district through the Heartland Economic Development Course, and President Rick McDowell served as president for the Eastern Jackson County Alliance and on the board of directors for the Market Center of Ideas, an initiative that celebrates and encourages Lee’s Summit innovation.

LABOR SHED STUDY: LSEDC is currently in discussions about conducting a labor shed study to identify labor supply and labor community. Understanding the city’s labor supply will help LSEDC and partners identify local available skills and desired pay. In addition, having data about commuting demographics will help LSEDC identify whether our community is a magnet for employment and characteristics of workers who commute into and out of our city.

BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION NEW BUSINESS: As of July 1, LSEDC was working 16 active projects after submitting seven RFPs in the first quarter and anticipates announcing several key industrial, mixed-use and office announcements in the next year.

Pipeline prospects have been greatly enhanced thanks to commercial land opening for development in the Summit Corridor as well as on the south side of town near Missouri Highway 50 and US 291 Highway.

New development projects in Lee’s Summit in 2016-17 included construction of the $30.3 million Summit Square Apartments; the $21.1 million, 134,000 square foot Missouri Innovation Campus; the first phase of the $200 million, (approximately) 189,000 square foot mixed-use Paragon Star Soccer Village and entertainment complex; the $23.8 million Saint Michael the Archangel High School; Wal-Mart’s $13 million, 167,000 square foot super store; a $9.1 million Cable Dahmer Kia dealership at 400 NE Colbern Road; and construction of B&B Theatre’s New Longview 7 cinema.

EXPANSION PROJECTS: Medical and retail projects comprised the backbone of business expansion projects in 2016-17. Health care expansion projects included John Knox Village’s $25 million, 218,000 square foot independent living facility and commons area; Saint Luke’s East’s $10 million, 11,000 square foot operating room addition; and an $11.5 million tower addition at Lee’s Summit Medical Center. On the retail front, Hy-Vee constructed a $10.3 million addition and renovation at its 301 NE Rice Road store, and QuikTrip is investing a total of $15 million in three next-generation stores.

RETAIN EXISTING BUSINESS: During the first six months of the year, Jessica Hamilton conducted 22 on-site BRE visits, 47 face-to-face investor visits and provided 59 “company assists,” connecting a local company to a potential partner or project or troubleshooting any number of issues.

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Major Corridors of Development Summit Tech Corridor Townsend Summit - $200M mixed use Missouri Innovation Campus - $50M Tudor Road Bridge and Improvements - $11M Summit Square Multi-family - $30.3M Holiday Inn Express - $10M Cable-Dahmer Kia - $9.2M

View High Corridor New Longview including B&B Theatres - $50M Paragon Star, Phase I - $212M Village at View High - $225M Historic Longview Farms Stabilization - $20M Summit Church - $9M

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Airport Runway Extension to 5500 Ft - $10M Lee’s Summit Road Improvements - $10.3M Saint Michael the Archangel - $23.8M

South Side - “Southtown” US 50/Hwy 291 Interchange - $16M The Grove, 83 Acre Mixed Project, 200,000 SF Spec Industrial Blackwell Road Interchange - $23M Pinetree Plaza Redevelopmnent - $9.3M Wal-Mart - $13M

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Significant Sectors of Growth INFRASTRUCTURE & PUBLIC PROJECTS Roads and bridges may not be the most exciting aspect of economic development, but they’re an essential building block to community building, as well as to the important work of attracting and retaining business.

In the first half of 2017, Lee’s Summit had more than $100 million in ongoing infrastructure projects that include new roads, interchanges and bridges. While these investments will improve traffic flow and convenience for Lee’s Summit residents and visitors, the economic development opportunities and potential benefits to our local economy are significant.

The City of Lee’s Summit will spend more than $311 million on Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) from 20182022, thanks in large part to voter-approval of a public safety bond initiative as well as a ¼ cent sales tax for Parks and Recreation projects. The CIP includes road and bridge projects, airport improvements, parks and recreation facilities, water treatment projects, police and fire buildings and structures, as well as neighborhood curb and gutter projects, among others.

Here are some specific projects paving the way for future growth: - Lee’s Summit Road Construction and Improvements. This $10 million shared investment with Kansas City, Mo. to widen and improve Lee’s Summit Road between Colbern Road and Gregory Boulevard is helping open new sites and available land near the new Saint Michael the Archangel High School and Lee’s Summit Airport.

- Tudor Road Bridge. This $10 million bridge serves as a key connector to the nearby Summit Technology Academy and provides access to development sites in the area near the Missouri Innovation Campus.

- US 50/M-291 Highway Interchange and Roundabout. The $16 million diverging diamond opens development opportunities in the “Southtown” corridor. While addressing safety concerns and improving traffic flow, the interchange will ensure efficient movement of goods into and out of planned warehouse and distribution operations at The Grove mixed-use project and other planned industrial locations.

US 50/M-291 Hwy Interchange

photo courtesy Summit Video Services Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council • 8

PRIVATE INVESTMENT Health Care, Multi-Family, Retail, Education Investment The City of Lee’s Summit private commercial project activity in 2016-17 was primarily focused in the health care, multi-family, retail and education, which combined brought more than $270 million in new investment and construction projects.

Health Care Sector $47.2 M in Medical and Hospital Investment Lee's Summit issued new permits totaling 855,039 square feet for health care related projects in 2016-17, signaling more than $47 million in medical investment. Medical/hospital companies in Lee's Summit employ 4,165 health care workers.

Projects include: Saint Luke's Operating Room expansion: $10 million, 494,627 SF Lee’s Summit Medical Center Tower Expansion: $11.5M, 194,000 SF John Knox Village Meadows: $25.2M, 100,962 SF Multi-Family Sector Lee’s Summit had more than 860 total units of multi-family space under development in 2016-17, for an investment exceeding $90 million. The City just completed a housing study that showed significant demand for additional multifamily residential projects.

Current and recently completed projects include: Summit Square Apartments: $30.3M, 308 units at 789 SW Donovan Road Meridien at View High Apts: 312 units along SW View High Dr. Residences at Echelon: 243 units at 3500 SW Hollywood Dr. Retail Sector Lee’s Summit welcomed $60 million in new retail investment and over 250,000 square feet of new or renovated retail space, including: - Dick’s Sporting Goods: New 50,000 square foot store in Summit Fair - H&M: New 20,000 square foot store in Summit Fair - Wal-Mart Super Center: New $13.05M, 167,000 SF store at 3410 SW Market St. - QuikTrip: $15 million invested in three next-gen stores totaling 17,000 square feet - HyVee: $10.3M renovation/9,600 SF addition at 301 NE Rice Road.

- Holiday Inn Express: New $10M, 90 room hotel at 1201 NW Innovation Pkwy.

- Cable Dahmer Kia: New $9.2M/45,000 SF dealership at 400 NE Colbern Road Education Sector Lee’s Summit had more than $73 million in education-related projects under construction in 2016-17. These investments contribute to the overall well-being of our community, attract new residents and improve property values, helping Lee’s Summit develop a world-class, workforce-ready labor pool.

Projects include: Missouri Innovation Campus: $50M, 134,000 SF at 1101 NW Innovation Pkwy.

Saint Michael the Archangel: $23.8M high school at 2901 NW Lee’s Summit Road.

Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council • 9

Community Image Enhancement COLLABORATED BRANDING The Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council continued to promote business expansion and investment activity in Lee’s Summit in 2016-17 with a concentrated and collaborated branding effort executed through targeted project announcements, print and digital advertising and trade and business publications, community focused radio partnerships, branded events, social media and key partnerships.

Through a cost-sharing partnership with the City of Lee’s Summit and the Chamber of Commerce, LSEDC executed an aggressive media outreach campaign designed to raise the profile of Lee’s Summit development and opportunities through a combination of paid and earned media: Print advertising campaigns were launched in the following publications and media outlets and negotiated at a deeply discounted rate: Royals partnership/co-op with 610 Sports 106.5 The Wolf Community Heroes Campaign The Kansas City Business Journal Crane Watch sponsorship The Kansas City Star Spaces Sunday edition KC RELO Magazine Heartland Real Estate Business trade publication KC Options (Kansas City Area Development Council) MetroWireMedia Lee’s Summit Journal Lee’s Summit Tribune Thinking Bigger Business Examiner Catalyst Public Relations activity focused on expanding media coverage of Lee’s Summit development activity to business and trade publications, as well as targeted economic development related newsletters throughout the metropolitan area, the region and the state of Missouri. The campaign brought about coverage of Lee’s Summit development deals in the following publications and media outlets: The Kansas City Star The Kansas City Business Journal Thinking Bigger Business MetroWireMedia Thinking Bigger Business Kansas City Area Development Council newsletter Missouri Department of Economic Development newsletter KMBC Fox4

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KCTV KSHB KMBZ Lee’s Summit Journal Lee’s Summit Tribune Examiner Colliers ReTALE newsletter Missouri Municipal League Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce Catalyst

INTEGRATED MARKETING Development stories attracting regional media attention generated by Lee’s Summit news releases and PR pitches included:

-Lee’s Summit Development Fills Demand For Industrial Space

-Lee’s Summit Books $200 Million in Tech Corridor Investment

-B&B Theatres Invests in Lee’s Summit at New Longview

-QuikTrip Invests Heavily in Lee’s Summit

-Lee’s Summit Poised to Consider $500M in West Side Projects

-Royals Manager Dayton Moore On Deck for LSEDC Speaker Series

-Paragon Star Groundbreaking Signals Historic Move (shared)

-Initial Site Preparation Begins at The Grove

-LSEDC Touts Economic Development Benefits of Hangar Purchase

-KC SmartPort President: Spec Industrial Market Set to Sizzle

-EyeVerify Founder Toby Rush Will Headline March Speaker Series

-OATS Public Transportation Expanded to Include TMC Lakewood

-City of Lee’s Summit Breaks Ground on Route 291 and U.S. 50 Interchange

-LSEDC Launches Web Portal to Connect Employers with Job Seekers In addition to advertising and public relations activity, Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council expanded overall marketing and communications efforts through a variety of activities: •Friday e-blasts including headlines of the week and newsworthy items •Quarterly Newsletter “The Skinny” •New Promotional Video Highlighting Lee’s Summit - Live,Work and Play •Special events and programs: -Monthly “Hump Day Happy Hour” in Downtown Lee’s Summit -Developer’s Showcase with exclusive project information and updates -Broker’s Outreach event in partnership with MetroWireMedia focused on Eastern Jackson County

development and drew 120 to Lee’s Summit Muncipal Airport.

-Workforce Development education

KC SmartPort and World Trade Center of Kansas City Luncheon

MetroWire Media Event at Lee’s Summit Airport

Third Wednesday’s at Llywelyn’s Hump Day Happy Hour

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Strong Leadership EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Christine Bushyhead, Chairwoman

William Brown, Past Chair

Keith Asel,Vice Chair

Randall Rhoads, Mayor

Machelle Riffe, Secretary

Steve Arbo, City Manager

Gary Hawkins, Treasurer

Dr. Brent Blevins, Deputy Superintendent

Spectrum Strategies, LLC

Bushyhead, LLC

Hawthorn Bank

Riffe Communities

HSMC Orizon

City of Lee’s Summit

City of Lee’s Summit

LS R-7 School District

Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council • 12

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Steve Arbo, City Manager City of Lee’s Summit

Gary Hawkins, President HSMC Orizon, LLC

Keith Asel, Regional President Hawthorn Bank

Todd Haynes,Vice President Haynes & Woodward Investment Group

Ron Baker, CEO Saint Luke’s East Lee’s Summit

Larry Hillier,VP Commercial Lending Equity Bank

Dr. Brent Blevins, Deputy Superintendent Lee’s Summit R-7 School District

Eric Mann, Director of Development RED Development

Bill Brown, President Spectrum Strategies

Chip Moxley, President Tingle Flooring

Christine Bushyhead, Partner Bushyhead, LLC

Dr. Kirk Nooks, President Metropolitan Community College - Longview

Will Coates, President Billy Goat Industries

Randall Rhoads, Mayor City of Lee’s Summit

Paula Derks, President Aircraft Electronics Association

Machelle Riffe, Director of Development Riffe Communities

Wayne Forgey, President & CEO Bank of Lee’s Summit

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Supportive Membership ADVISORY BOARD LEVEL INVESTORS

Grand Champions:

Pacesetters:

City of Lee’s Summit Lee’s Summit R-7 School Distritct

Lee’s Summit Medical Center Saint Luke’s East - Lee’s Summit

Leadership Partners: Blue Springs R-4 School District Central Bank of the Midwest Equity Bank Government Employees Health Association HSMC Orizon LLC KCP&L

Langsford Development NorthPoint Development Polytainers Security Bank of Kansas City Tingle Flooring Truman Medical Center

Benefactors: Aircraft Electronics Association Allstate Consultants Bennett Packaging Billy Goat Industries Block & Company, Inc. Bushyhead, LLC CEAH Realtors Cerner Corporation Cobbs Allen Commerce Bank Country Club Bank Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street Emery Sapp & Sons First Federal Bank Fogel-Anderson Construction GFI Digital, Inc. George Butler Associates Gilmore & Bell, P.C. Hawthorn Bank Haynes & Woodward Investment Group HDR Engineering Heavy Constructors Association of Greater KC Industrial Development Authority

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J.E. Dunn Construction Company Jackson County Economic Development JCI Industries, Inc. John Knox Village Lead Financial Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce LegacyTouch McCownGordon Construction MC Power Metropolitan Community College Meyer Companies MGE - LaClede Gas Newmark Grubb Zimmer NextGen Wealth Olsson Associates Plastic Enterprises Co., Inc. RED Development Riffe Communities SilverTree Companies Simmons Bank Spectrum Strategies Summit Bank of Kansas City Superior Bowen Asphalt Company The Grove @ Lee’s Summit University of Central Missouri White Goss

Thank you for your investment INVESTORS Patron:

ACI/Boland Colliers International Great Southern Bank ServiceMark Telecom

Investors: ABI, Inc. Affinis BHC Rhodes Bob Sight Ford Chief Heating & Cooling Chinnery Evans & Nail Crane Curry Real Estate Services Dave Cross Motors DLR Group, Inc. Geiger Ready-Mix Co. Grand Street Company Haynes Benefits PC Heartland Business Capital HG Consult Hunt Midwest Real Estate Development HyVee East

HyVee West Integrity Group Real Estate KCB Bank Kelly Construction Group Lee’s Summit Animal Hospital Lee’s Summit Parks & Recreation Mid Continent Public Lib. NAI Heartland Parrot Properties Richard Mather Builders Space Center Kansas City Spilker McKeone & Nelson Tratos III Real Estate Turner Construction Unity World Headquarters ViraCor/IBT Lab. Weed Man/Turf’s Up

Individual Investors:

Ashley Backhus Doug Bates Jody Carroll Kay Ford David Gale

Don Kahan Jon Plaas Cynda Radar David Spellerberg

Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council • 15

LSEDC Staff A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT Over the past two years, Lee’s Summit has seen record-breaking investment, and we expect development activity to continue to be in overdrive in the upcoming year. Clearly the secret is out about Lee’s Summit’s business-friendly environment, available workforce and high quality of schools, neighborhoods and amenities.

At the mid-year point, LSEDC was working 16 active projects after submitting seven RFPs in the first quarter. We expect to make several key industrial, mixed-use and office announcements in the next year, thanks to commercial land opening for development in the Summit Corridor as well as the south side of town near Missouri Highway 50 and US 291 Highway.

LSEDC is proud to have made significant organizational strides in 2016-17, including reaching full staffing, launching the region’s best business retention and expansion program, streamlining investor programming, and implementing significant internal process improvements.

Looking ahead to 2017-18, workforce will continue to be a top priority for LSEDC, as the long-awaited Missouri Innovation Campus creates a huge hometown advantage for Lee’s Summit companies competing for top talent. LSEDC will work to leverage this community’s strong educational ecosystem-- which is built on key partnerships among the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, MCC-Longview and the University of Central Missouri-- to attract new investment and retain existing businesses.

As the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council kicks off a new fiscal year, I want to thank our 2016-17 board and Chairwoman Christine Bushyhead for their steady guidance. On behalf of the LSEDC staff and investors, we are looking forward to continued success in the year ahead.

Yours Truly,

Rick McDowell

President & CEO

Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council • 16

YOUR RESOURCE FOR DOING BUSINESS IN LEE’S SUMMIT The Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council is a public-private sector partnership devoted to improving the economic well-being of residents and businesses in Lee’s Summit.

Our vision is our mission: to promote and enhance the City of Lee’s Summit as a model community for economic innovation and growth fueled by a pro-business environment, diverse economic base and a commitment to strong relationships and work ethic. In other words, we are your resource for doing business in Lee’s Summit. Whether you are starting a new commercial project, expanding your operations or current business, looking for workforce resources or simply need to get connected to the right people - we’re here to help!

Jessica Hamilton

Tina Chace

Stephani Bordner

Krista Klaus

Director of Community and Investor Relations

Marketing and Operations Manager

Executive Assistant

Public Relations Consultant

Jessica specializes in Business Retention and Expansion and Workforce Development with emphasis on connecting businesses in Lee’s Summit with the resources they need to be successful.

Tina handles organization management and daily operations including marketing strategy. She specializes in programming, publications and communications.

Stephani is responsible for all billing and budgets. She assists staff in organizing events and special projects as assigned. Most importantly, she is the Gatekeeper for all of us.

Krista assists with all public relations and media related events and content in coordination with the City of Lee’s Summit.

Investment in the LSEDC means all of these things and more.

Your referrals are the best testimony to what we do. Feel free to reach out to any of us to help you tell that story.

When your connections become our investors we all benefit.

Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council • 17

Missouri Innovation Campus photo courtesy Summit Video Services

218 SE Main Street Lee’s Summit, Mo 64063 816.525.6617