Greater Wichita Partnership > About > Overview
Accelerating Regional Economic Growth
Welcome to the Greater Wichita Partnership, the economic development organization for the greater Wichita region. The Partnership’s mission is to fast-forward economic growth by focusing on three strategic priority areas — Jobs, Talent and Quality of Place. Each of these priorities is driven by highly detailed and research-driven plans.
The Partnership believes in collaboration. The team works hand-in-hand with partners to align resources and unite the business community around common strategies to propel the economy of Wichita and South Central Kansas. Through innovative approaches and holistic strategies, the Partnership is creating a more vibrant and successful community now and laying the groundwork for a thriving future for generations to come.
In 2023, the Partnership and Downtown Wichita worked with Baton Global, an internationally recognized firm, to define core initiatives and key performance indicators (KPIs) for implementing the vision set by their Executive Boards.
The strategic plan outlines what the Partnership and Downtown Wichita should Own, Facilitate, Advocate and Avoid (OFAA).
These comprehensive plans encompass the organizational and financial resources necessary to bring the initiatives to life. The teams have also developed fiscal sustainability plans which evaluate various funds and initiative-supporting funding strategies to bolster initiatives.
The Greater Wichita Partnership aligns resources and focuses the business community on common strategies that fast-forward economic development and growth in Wichita and South Central Kansas.
Forward Thinkers: Collaborative Community
- The Partnership consists of 130 investors, including both public and private organizations and businesses.
- Carrying out the mission of the organization is a team consisting of business and community leaders and full-time staff, dedicated to discovering catalytic ways to grow the area’s economy.
- The team provides up-to-date market data, empowering the private and public sector to make strategic business decisions. Additionally, the Partnership implements marketing campaigns to promote regional business and talent opportunities, while providing the resources and vision to ensure the community stays on the right path toward progress.
Bold Initiatives: Putting Progress in Motion
- The Partnership has the community at heart, taking a proactive stance to lead community and regional initiatives toward actionable results. In moments of economic challenge or crisis, the team’s dedication to the community continues, facing adversity and creating solutions together.
- The Partnership purposefully collaborates with an extensive list of community partners, subject matter experts and industries for a holistic approach to economic growth, recognizing that success requires teamwork and action.
- While it may be customary for other communities to work on one strategic plan at a time, the Partnership initiated and completed three major planning efforts in one year to ensure cohesiveness, alignment and integration of strategies and tactics.
A Quick Look Back: Forming the Partnership
In 2012, more than 100 private-sector companies came together within the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce to form the Leadership Council, a group looking for ways to move the region’s economic development forward. It was determined that the best approach to achieve the region’s long-term goals was through greater coordination between local businesses, non-profits and government agencies. To facilitate this strategy, the group began the process of forming the Greater Wichita Partnership — an organization that could serve as a hub for collaboration and communication between public and private sectors. The Partnership was officially launched in 2015, bringing Downtown Wichita, the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition, and multiple economic development committees and task forces together as a collaborative initiative. The Leadership Council was originally initiated by the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Next: Strategic Priorities
