Why Nex-Tech is Invested in the Kansas Legislative Process

Our team was at the Legislative Day of the Kansas Economic Developers Alliance (KEDA) held at the Kansas Legislature in Topeka recently. This is the second engagement we have had in Topeka this year (recall the CCK engagement last week). During KEDA engagements, we spoke with legislators serving communities within the Nex-Tech footprint, as well as representatives of the Department of Commerce. Our message was simple: Nex-Tech is a strategic partner, neighbor, and friend of the communities we serve. I will attempt to unpack our message below. Nex-Tech serves many small towns, in very big ways. We connect communities to the Internet and build high-speed fiber networks, which create unique ecosystems popularly called Smart Rural Communities. But we do more. We are closely connected to schools, hospitals, farms, retail centers, senior centers, law enforcement, small businesses, local sports teams, and more. We relate with community institutions like family. If it affects the community we serve, it affects us. If it impacts a community we serve, it impacts us. This is a missing element in many corporate circles. Nex-Tech wants individuals in our communities to thrive, and we are always seeking opportunities to achieve this. We are aware of global issues and partner with communities locally to proffer solutions. We have dreams for our communities and take meaningful steps to achieve them. Economic development is not what we do, it’s who we are. I define economic development as the constant process of ensuring the various elements and social systems enabling individuals and communities to thrive are in place. As a Cooperative, Nex-Tech is invested in economic development because when our communities succeed, we succeed. What do I mean?

• For example, we want the schools in our service footprint to be healthy, not because we are an educational institution, but because good schools are an essential part of a thriving society.
• We want the hospitals in our footprint to be well-staffed, not because we are a healthcare institution, but because quality healthcare impacts the quality of life and the sustainability of our communities.
• We want the agricultural industry to be resilient, not because we are into agriculture, but because sustainable food systems are crucial to successful communities and thriving societies.

With these in mind, we feel, and personally, I feel, a sense of duty to inform and perhaps educate our legislators by leveraging platforms like KEDA. We let our legislators know that there are direct and indirect connections between social policy, quality of life in communities, and the strategic interests of Nex-Tech. Before voting, legislators have to understand the multifaceted implications of every law or bill affecting rural Kansas, and specifically western Kansas. State laws on taxation, education, healthcare, real estate, agriculture, tourism, and more all have a direct impact on our communities, and consequently on Nex-Tech. This is why we are invested. This is why we listen to and talk to our legislators. I would conclude by saying the challenges rural communities in western Kansas face are not easy to fix, and we don’t expect the government to fix everything. No. But we believe that the economic challenges are amenable to improvement, and the public sector should play its part. Government alone cannot create organic economic development, but when the public sector exercises good judgment, common sense, and decision-making rural communities in western Kansas can be made better, and progress can be made.