Liberal Selected As Network Kansas E-Community

Liberal was recently added to the Network Kansas 2012 Entrepreneurship Community and has been awarded $166,667 in tax credits. This allows the Liberal E-Community to raise $125,000 to be loaned to local businesses. The program started six years ago with only six communities but is currently up to thirty-eight communities. The Network Kansas E-Community partnership allows a town, a group of towns, or an entire county to raise seed money for local entrepreneurs through donations from individuals or businesses within a community. Over 6 million dollars have been raised, which is estimated to generate more than 34 million dollars of investment in rural businesses across the state.

Liberal’s leadership team consists of Jeff Parsons, Don Witzke, Robert Burkey, Roger Crossman, Ronda Maxwell, Ernie Schaffer, Tom St. Aubyn, and Jack Taylor. These representatives submitted a detailed written application to Network Kansas in August before being chosen as a finalist, followed by an interview conducted by Network Kansas. Erik Pedersen, Director of E-Communities, and Anne Dewvall, Product Manager, recommended Liberal’s approval as a 2012 E-Community to the Network Kansas Board of Directors.

To learn more about the Liberal E-Community, call Jeff Parsons, Economic Development Director at (620)626-2256, or send him an email at [email protected].