The annual Regional Leaders Retreat held at the Sheraton in Overland Park has been scheduled for January 16th-17th.

This years retreat will once again be facilitated by Courtney Dunbar, Economic Development Leader with Olson and Associates out of Omaha, Nebraska. Last years focus was on economic development and how to work together as a region to attract business, opposed to as individual communities.

Susan Jagerson, EDC Specialist with the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce explained that this year the group will be reporting back to Dunbar on the progress they have made over the past year. Jagerson explained that the region has put together different groups over the past year.

“T.A.G. groups, which are targeted assessment groups. People who have attended the retreat, and others in the region have participated in these groups to develop road maps and outlines of how we can approach some of the issues that Courtney brought up that we need to work on to truly compete regionally,” explained Jagerson.

The retreat brings together the communities of Junction City, Manhattan and Wamego in order to focus on working closer together as a region.

“When you talk to economic developers, or you talk to site selectors, or company representatives they’re all looking regionally. They don’t really decide and pin point, ‘I want to come to Kansas, I want to come to Junction City.’ They look at what’s going on in the region and then find the best place to locate in that region.”

More details on the retreat are expected to be released soon.