STAFFORD COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
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2016

December
Hosted an airport site evaluation study kick-off meeting for the Stafford County public. Olsson & Associates sent a consultant to discuss the process.

The County of Stafford was awarded a $100,000 Moderate Income Housing Grant that Executive Director, Carolyn Dunn wrote on their behalf. This grant will provide four individuals/families with a $25,000 down-payment for the construction of a new house.

Executive Director, Carolyn Dunn sold 75% Kansas Entrepreneurship Tax Credits that would be used towards the development of a grocery store in St. John. 

November
Executive Director, Carolyn Dunn traveled to Wichita to represent Central Kansas on the Kansas Department of Transportation Freight Advisory Committee which helps establish investment priorities for the State related to highway and rail. 

Awarded a $5,000 Foundation for Rural Service Grant towards construction of the Business Incubator.

​Helped promote the third match day ($60,000 in funds) for Golden Belt Community Foundation's Giving Tuesday.  

October
Staff attended the Accelerate the Heartland Conference in Wichita to learn more about what angel investors are searching for in an entrepreneur.  Topics at this conference also helped with forming ideas for our Launch Pad Business Incubator. 

Awarded a $3,450 Bike & Build Grant towards construction of the Business Incubator.

Awarded a $1,000 Midwest Energy Grant towards construction of the Business Incubator.

September
EcoDevo assisted the St. John appointed Grocery Committee with giving tours in the old Dillons grocery building on the square.

A market analyst from Perkins Marketing was hired to conduct a market survey for the purposes of guiding the City of St. John with recruiting a grocer.  Program Director, Ashlee Bevan created the Grocery Consumer Survey for Stafford County residents to complete.

KSN interviewed Executive Director, Carolyn Dunn about the current status of recruiting a grocer to the St. John community.

August
The 1% sales tax passed in St. John to be used for recruiting a grocer and other economic development projects.

BreAnn Anshutz completed her summer internship by presenting her work to the EcoDevo Board of Directors.

July
The 6th annual photography contest was held at the Stafford County Fair for County residents to submit photos of what it's like to Live, Work and Play in the County.

EcoDevo sold the newly constructed home in Stafford to a young family.

Executive Director, Carolyn Dunn participated in the KWCH broadcast of Hometown Proud in Stafford.

EcoDevo participated in hosting educational sessions for residents of St. John about the 1% sales tax increase that would be on the ballot in the August primary that would provide funding to be used for recruiting a grocer and other economic development projects.

Summer intern, BreAnn Anshutz spent time with Kiowa County Media Center's, Grant Neuhold to learn the ins and outs of video creation.

June
BreAnn Anshutz, a Macksville High School graduate, began a summer internship creating visual stories of EcoDevo and Stafford County.  EcoDevo hired BreAnn through the Ogallala Commons Internship program.

The North Carolina to San Diego Bike & Build group stopped in St. John for a "build day" to work on assembly of kitchen cabinets for the Business Incubator and plaster removal in Gray's Studio.  Following their work hours, EcoDevo took them to a wheat field to experience a Kansas harvest in full-swing.

The 4th annual St. John Farm & Art Market geared up for the summer.  EcoDevo helps with the administrative duties of this.

May
Staff attended the two and a half day Growing Entrepreneurial Communities Summit at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City to learn more about the opportunities available to foster an entrepreneurial atmosphere in Stafford County.

Program Director, Ashlee Bevan attended a Golden Belt Community Foundation Leadercast event Architects of Tomorrow and received a Certificate of Professional Leadership Development.

EcoDevo accepted a $2,500 grant on behalf of the Stafford County Hospital Adminstrator, Todd Taylor, from The Center for Counseling and Consultation for implementing mental health telemedicine at the hospital.  This was part of the Improving Health in Rural Counties Grant provided by The Centene Foundation and Sunflower Health Plan.

The County of Stafford received a $27,075 grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation to conduct an airport study.

The Stafford Call to Action volunteer group began painting downtown buildings. 

April
Took part in the Golden Belt Community Foundation (GBCF) Listening Tour in each of our communities that encouraged residents to speak about their community needs.  These meetings helped the GBCF Board align funding.

Hosted a legislative coffee for Representative Greg Lewis in the County Annex. 

Ashlee Bevan, After-School Entrepreneurship Instructor took the Stafford STARS students to Wichita State University to take a tour of Devlin Hall where their entrepreneurship program is centered.  Afterwards, students were given a business tour of All-Star Sports.

Received a $10,000 grant from Golden Belt Community Foundation to construct a Launch Pad Business Incubator in St. John.

NetWork Kansas approved EcoDevo to use $45,000 out of the E-Community Fund as a grant towards construction the Launch Pad Business Incubator.

BG Consultants agreed to begin a preliminary engineering report for the City of Stafford for a downtown streetscape through the Live Well Stafford County intiative work.

Three Stafford High School students participated in the State Entrepreneurship competition that was held at Kansas State University in Manhattan.

Construction was completed on the single-family home that was built in Stafford and an open house was held.

Program Director, Ashlee Bevan promoted Stafford County as a great place to live and work at the Great Bend Job Fest.

March
EcoDevo hosted the First Annual Central Kansas Youth Entrepreneurship Competition at the Stafford County Annex.  There were participants from Hodgeman, Pawnee, Reno and Stafford Counties.  Two Stafford County business ideas placed in the top three to go on to the State competition at Kansas State University in April.

EcoDevo and some Stafford business owners attended the BIG Rural Brainstorm in Newton hosted by the Kansas Sampler Foundation.

February
EcoDevo received a flood of phone calls in regards to the St. John Dillons grocery store closing on the 2nd.

Stafford USD 349 Superintendent, Mary Jo Taylor and St. John-Hudson USD 350 Superintendent, Josh Meyer asked EcoDevo Executive Director, Carolyn Dunn to testify in opposition of HB 2504 that called for realignment of school districts.  Dunn presented to the Education Committee in Topeka that the bill would have undercut State efforts to stimulate growth.

January
All renovations on the Hudson housing project located at 207 Pleasant were completed and an open house was held.

Ashlee Bevan, Instructor for the After-School Entrepreneurship Program and the students sold their handmade para cord bracelets at home basketball games.

The basic bone structure of the single-family home in Stafford was completed.
Office Location
Workspace 311
311 N Broadway Ave
PO Box 233
St. John, KS 67576

Office Hours
​Monday - Friday
​8:00am-12:00pm & 1:00pm-5:00pm
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This institution is an ​equal opportunity provider.
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  • HOME
  • About Us
  • Our Story
  • Live
    • Assistance Programs
    • Church
    • Education
    • Get Involved
    • Healthcare
    • Live Well Stafford County
    • Neighborhood Revitalization
    • Water
  • Work
    • Remote Work and Training Opportunities
    • AmeriCorps VISTA
    • E-Community
    • Entrepreneurship
    • WO Tax Credit
    • Opportunity Zone
  • Play
    • Discover the Past
    • Get into the Game
    • Photo Contest
    • Stafford County Businesses
    • Stafford County Country Club
    • Travel & Tourism
  • Projects
    • Stafford County Marketplace
    • Housing
    • Business Incubator and Remote Work Space
    • The Port Authority of Stafford County
  • Blog
  • Contact