Lawrence Business Magazine WOMEN OF IMPACT 2012 Q3 by Lawrence Business Magazine

women of 3RD QUARTER 2012

IMPACT

IN THIS ISSUE: VOLUME 2 NO. 3 3RD QUARTER 2012

FEATURES:

PUBLISHER: MARK KERN LAWRENCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE, LLC

THE BUSINESS OF HARDWARE

MANAGING/CREATIVE EDITOR:

USD 497 WHAT’S IN A SCHOOL BUDGET

LIVE IT LOCAL DEALERSHIPS

WOMEN OF IMPACT

SPACES

ANN FRAME HERTZOG ART DIRECTOR: DARYL BUGNER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: JOE RYAN, CLAY WESTERLUND FEATURE WRITERS: ANNE BROCKHOFF,

MARK FAGAN, DEREK HELMS, DAISY WAKEFIELD

CENTER FOR DESIGN RESEARCH

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: JESSICA BEESON, AL BONNER, MEGAN GILLILAND, KRISTI HENDERSON, JOE MONACO, GREG WILLIAMS

IN EVERY ISSUE:

HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER: STEVEN HERTZOG

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER: KALEY CORNETT

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ON THE COVER: LEFT TO RIGHT: NANCY LONGHURST, CRIS ANDERSON, HANNAH BOLTON, SUE HACK, SARAH HILLNELSON, DARYL BUGNER, TRACIE HOWELL AND ANDREA HUDY

DOWNTOWN IN FOCUS

BUSINESS ON THE HILL

PROFESSIONAL SPOTLIGHT

SCHOOLS IN BUSINESS

TECHNOLOGY

CITY OF LAWRENCE

LAWRENCE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

NON-PROFIT BUSINESS

LOCAL SCENE

NEWSMAKERS

photo by Steven Hertzog

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DOWN TOWN L AW RE N C E I N C . by DEREK HELMS

In all likelihood, Norman Rockwell would love downtown Lawrence. With blocks and blocks of unique shops, dinners sitting on restaurant patios and corners full of cascading flowers, Downtown Lawrence is as close to a living history museum as you can get in town. Second maybe only to the University of Kansas, Downtown Lawrence is the city’s largest attraction. Since its inception as a working group of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Lawrence Incorporated has evolved into a free-standing organization working to enhance, support and develop the businesses located in the blocks surrounding Massachusetts Street. Win Cambell, long-time owner and operator of downtown furniture store Winfield House, fondly recalls the organization’s beginning.

DOWNTOWN IN FOCUS

“Back in the 1960’s a group of businesses worked with the Chamber to get some parking lots built on Vermont Street and New Hampshire Street,” Cambell says. “The group was comprised of only downtown business owners, so I guess that was the very beginning of Downtown Lawrence as an organization.” At the time, the group was a small division of the Chamber of Commerce. No dues were paid, and new members were not recruited. As development spread away from the downtown area, and strip malls were built, the casual group decided to organize and protect their retail market share. “We saw what these new shopping centers were doing to promote themselves,” Cambell says. “Not just the new centers in Lawrence, but malls in the region were promoting themselves with planned events. We thought ‘well why don’t we do that?’ So we did.”

photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

Soon, Downtown Lawrence emerged as its own organization, independent of the Chamber of Commerce. A board of directors was elected and dues were set. For more than 40 years, Downtown Lawrence Inc. has operated to support business and commerce in downtown Lawrence. Comprised of more than 150 businesses ranging from restaurants to law firms, DLI aims to preserve, protect and promote Downtown Lawrence as the retail, service and professional, governmental, entertainment and social center of Lawrence. DLI is a non-profit organization. Cathy Hamilton is the Director of Downtown Lawrence Inc. On the job for few years, Hamilton is tasked with organizing and centralizing the cornucopia of downtown businesses. Her duties include forming a consensus of members, organizing events and recruiting new members.

“I operate at the pleasure of the Board of Directors,” Hamilton says “I don’t view myself as being in charge of much, but working to carry out the plans and ideas of the board.”

the city takes are opinion very seriously, but it isn’t the final decision. If, for whatever reason, we say we don’t want an air show downtown, the city may still grant permission for the event.”

The Board of Directors is comprised of 7 representatives from downtown businesses. Typically, according to Hamilton, four major industries areas are represented (4 from retail, 1 from service/ professional, 1 from hospitality and 1 from civic groups).

Most events, from block parties to parades and fests of street buskers, are given the blessing of DLI.

The main of objective of the DLI board (and Hamilton) is simple: get people downtown. Whether by hosting events, promoting individual members or holding networking mixers, DLI wants more foot, car and bike traffic on Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire streets. More traffic means people. More people mean more customers. And more customers mean a healthier Lawrence economy. Getting more people downtown is accomplished in a variety of ways, Hamilton says. The group puts on the annual Sidewalk Sale by paying for insurance, marketing and various other associated fees. According to Hamilton the Sidewalk Sale is the only downtown event exclusively put on by DLI. “In most cases, a group, or the city, will come to us looking for support and input,” Hamilton explains. “For instance, if someone wants to put on an air show in Downtown Lawrence, they have to go through the city for all the various permits and forms. The city will then approach DLI and asks for our opinion of the event. We get a consensus from our members and let the city know. I know

DOWNTOWN IN FOCUS

“If it brings people downtown, especially for a family friendly event, we’ll most likely support it,” Hamilton says. DLI charges annual fees, depending on the involvement of a business. Membership options range from a Premium Retail Member ($600 annually) to a Friend of Downtown ($150 annually). Member benefits include, but are not limited to, free participation in the annual Sidewalk Sale, participation in Girls Night Downtown, gift certificates redeemable only at DLI-member businesses, and free listing on DLI website and invitations to social and special events. Hamilton says her sales pitch when recruiting new members varies from business to business, but the basis is the same. “Selling downtown Lawrence isn’t a very difficult job,” Hamilton admits. “But catering a sales pitch to a new retail shop is different than catering a sales pitch to a new accounting firm. I really try to emphasize that DLI can help a business with almost anything they need. Yes, we work very hard to get more people downtown, but we can also help with networking between business owners and we do a lot of work with city officials. Always, no matter what we do, our main focus is the interests of our members.”

BUSINESS ON T H E H I L L by JOE MONACO, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

KU S PINOUT CRITITECH TO PARTNER WITH INDIA-BASED DRUG FORMULATION COMPANY A pharmaceutical company based on University of Kansas technology has established a partnership with an India-based drug formulation company. CritiTech, a drug development company that spun out of KU in 1997, will partner with Finoso Pharma on a joint venture to create better treatments with fewer side effects. The partnership – called Finotech Pharma – will combine CritiTech’s particle reduction technology with Finoso Pharma’s expertise in drug formulation. The goal of the partnership is to design particles to be used in products that enable the delivery of intravenous suspensions, oral dosage forms and inhalation products. As part of the joint venture, CritiTech will BALA SUBRAMANIAM provide its fine-particle production equipment for Finoso Pharma’s facility, located in Hyderabad, India. CritiTech is also providing new technologies, technical expertise and business and marketing support. “CritiTech is pleased to be expanding the access to its technology in India to address emerging needs and improve access to technology that enables different drug delivery options,” Dr. David Johnston, CritiTech CEO, says. “India represents a key market for Finotech Pharma as we continue with our geographic expansion strategy.” CritiTech is a KU spinout based on technology developed at the university under the supervision of Bala Subramaniam, a University Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering and director of the KU Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis. Subramaniam’s patented process allows CritiTech to make very small particles, called nanoparticles, of existing drugs to enhance their delivery and effectiveness and improve drug manufacturing and development. CritiTech currently has a cancer drug called

BUSINESS ON THE HILL

Nanotax in Phase I human clinical trials at the University of Kansas Cancer Center. CritiTech is one of 23 active KU spinouts. “It reflects well on our university when one of our KU startup companies goes on to do great things,” Chancellor Bernadette GrayLittle says. “CritiTech is an outstanding company that’s doing great things in drug development, and we’re proud to be part of their story.”

KU LAUNCHES REDTIRE PROGRAM TO HELP RURAL BUSINESSES The University of Kansas School of Business has launched a new program designed to keep rural businesses open for business. The Redefining Retirement program – nicknamed RedTire – will match qualified graduates who want to own a business with business owners who are looking to retire. The program is aimed at preventing rural businesses from closing because an owner can’t find a successor or buyer. “Every day in rural communities, businesses close forever because an owner retires and can’t find someone to take over the business,” Neeli Bendapudi, dean of the KU School of Business, says. “This is crucial to rural Kansas communities that depend on the services, jobs and tax revenue that these businesses provide. RedTire will address this issue by matching graduates with current business owners and facilitating a succession plan to keep the business running.” In effect, RedTire is a matchmaking service. Program staff will screen prospective replacement managers and candidate businesses, then identify good matches for purchase opportunities. From there, the program will help negotiate the purchase and transition of ownership terms, help establish a business purchase loan, and monitor and help the new owners successfully run and grow their new business.

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The program will be supervised by two separate boards – a Board of Advisors and a Board of Governors – which include a number of highly regarded Kansas entrepreneurs and business leaders.

RedTire is an initiative of the KU Center for Entrepreneurship, housed within the KU School of Business. The program will be financed through existing KU business school funding streams.

“Nearly 13,000 businesses in Kansas have owners who plan to retire in five years but do not have succession plans in place,” Wally Meyer, a RedTire director and the director of entrepreneurship programs for the KU School of Business, says. “So there’s certainly a need for this type of program in rural Kansas. This is another example of how KU entrepreneurship is working for Kansas.”

In addition to helping recent graduates, the RedTire program could be especially useful to alumni of Kansas universities who have left Kansas but are looking to move back. In that regard, RedTire dovetails perfectly with a number of other state programs, including the Rural Opportunity Zone program.

RedTire will assemble teams of graduates to provide the multidisciplinary capabilities that successfully managed companies require. For example, RedTire would team a pharmacy student and an MBA student to work together on purchasing a pharmacy, rather than have either individual do so alone. Ownership teams will be built across the core industries of business, pharmacy, medicine and agriculture. “By screening participants and learning about their personal and professional goals, we can match the right graduates with the right businesses in the right community to ensure long-term success,” Meyer says. “We want these businesses to thrive and drive economic development in rural communities into the next generation.”

“We’re pleased that Governor Sam Brownback and many other business leaders, some of who are helping us implement the RedTire program from their positions on the RedTire Board of Advisors, are such enthusiastic supporters of this initiative,” Bendapudi says.

by JESSICA BEESON & KRISTI HENDERSON, COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

DOUGLAS COUNTY PARTNERSHIP FOR COM MUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT

RedTire is available to all graduates of a Kansas Regents institution and to current Kansas business owners. Services are free. For details or to apply for services, visitwww.redtire.org.

The local economy stands to benefit from a partnership between local agencies and a KU program that is assessing opportunities to enhance community health in Douglas County.

Meyer first developed the idea for RedTire a few years ago when he was visiting with an economic developer from Goodland.

Last fall, the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department enlisted the services of the Work Group for Community Health and Development at KU to conduct a comprehensive community health assessment. The Work Group is a team of researchers, many of whom are faculty or students in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, who are dedicated to projects that build healthier communities.

“The economic developer told me, ‘We have no one to succeed our small business owners when they retire,’” Meyer says. “And subsequent research proved that this need is nationwide, and likely to increase due to the growing number of expectant retirees who are part of the baby boomer population now reaching retirement age. RedTire can help fill this successor void with Kansas Regents institutions’ educated labor pool, as well as alumni looking to return to the heartland.” The RedTire program has been in the planning stages since 2009. Since then, countless presentations about RedTire have been given to economic development officials, business owners, bankers and others statewide. The RedTire idea won best business concept in June 2009 at the U.S. Department of Commerce-sponsored University Center Showcase and in various annual showcases since then.

The goal for the Community Health Improvement Partnership is to learn top-of-mind community concerns and develop a targeted plan for improving the community’s health. The ultimate vision for the process is a healthier Douglas County.

B U S I N ESS O N TH E H IL L The process is made up of several steps, starting with the comprehensive assessment. To assess Douglas County’s community health, more than 1,500 residents were involved, through interviews, surveys, focus groups, and public forums. This step allowed the Work Group to gain a deeper understanding of important community health issues, and the assets available to address those issues. A concerted effort was made to reach people from all different community sectors and backgrounds, and especially to reach those whose voice may not traditionally be heard. Thirteen key areas of concern were identified through the assessment: • Lack of access to affordable, healthy foods • Limited access to dental services • Insufficient access to health care and other services • Poverty/ too few job opportunities • Limited access to safe, affordable housing • Abuse of alcohol (including binge drinking and drinking and driving) • Lack of access to health insurance coverage • Disparities in health care outcomes and quality of life • Inadequate access to mental health services • Limited knowledge of available health and other services • Lack of physical activity • Inadequate transportation linking people to services, jobs, and recreation • Prevalence of abuse and intimate partner violence The assessment also identified a number of areas of strength to draw upon, including high quality public schools, active, engaged citizens, and a number of existing services available to support community needs. With the key areas of concern in hand, the next step in the process is to develop a health improvement plan. To make the most of community resources, the plan is homing in on the five most critical needs: • Lack of access to affordable, healthy foods • Lack of physical activity • Poverty/ too few job opportunities • Inadequate access to mental health services • Insufficient access to health care and other services The decision on which critical needs to address came about through community forums in Lawrence, Baldwin City and Eudora that reported the findings of the assessment. Also considered was guidance from the steering committee and key stakeholders, including the

Community Health Improvement Partnership and the Board of the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department. Their deliberation included results of the community assessment, community desire to see change, importance of addressing the issue, feasibility, and community momentum. Over the next five years, the five critical needs will be addressed through a community health improvement plan. The next step in the process, expected to conclude in late 2012, is to convene working groups around each key area, and coordinate with and build upon the existing efforts of LiveWell Lawrence and other community groups and initiatives.

Adapting for our local community, the working groups will identify and prioritize programs, policies and environmental or systems change that will help support improved health in the community. The completed plan will drive health improvements in Lawrence and Douglas County as stakeholders work together to bring about meaningful community change. The plan could result in not only healthier citizens, but a healthier economy, as well. According to a report from the National Business Group on Health, employers are learning that the health and productivity of a workforce are affected by the vitality of the communities in which that workforce resides. The report, The Business Interest in a Community’s Health, found that the health of a community impacts the economic health of its businesses; and corporations are able to play a unique role in the development of a community’s health and continued vitality. The plan is already making an impact on at least one large

employer in Lawrence, the Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Gene Meyer, the hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CEO, shared that the hospital plans to use results from the local community assessment to guide its strategic plan. Involvement from partners across the community is crucial to the success of the plan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Working together for collective impact is essential to making progress on tough issues in Douglas County,â&#x20AC;? said Erika Dvorske, CEO of the United Way of Douglas County. Both Lawrence Memorial Hospital and the United Way of Douglas County, along with Douglas County Community Foundation, Heartland Community Health Center, and Douglas County Community Health Improvement Partnership have each participated on the Steering Committee for the effort, and have been involved in the process every step of the way. Recently, the Steering Committee has expanded to include Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center and K-State Research and Extension.

This collaborative effort represents a revived commitment to improving conditions and promoting health in Douglas County. The result will be a community that focuses on providing services but also on changing the conditions that make people sick in the first place by addressing social determinants of health. More about the KU Work Group: The Work Group for Community Health and Development is an organization committed to collaborative research, teaching, and service for community health and development. The Work Group works with partners and initiatives in Kansas, nationally, and internationally. The KU Work Group is affiliated with the Department of Applied Behavioral Science in the KU College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies at the University of Kansas.

P R OFES S I ONA L SPOTLIGHT T E D H AGGART P R ES I D ENT & C H I E F E XECU TIVE O FFIC ER, D O U G L AS COU NTY BANK

Upon returning to teaching, part of my responsibility was being the executive director of the Kansas Economic Education Council that was strongly supported by community bankers throughout the state. Those were challenging times of a recession, high unemployment, inflation and very volatile interest rates. Many aspects of banking are so enjoyable, fascinating and challenging. What I enjoy most are the remarkable people with whom I work, the strong relationships developed with the people, businesses and organizations we serve and the community volunteers and leaders who become good friends. The banking business is more interesting than ever, and it is both challenging and rewarding to deal with the ever changing technology, economic conditions and regulations. The wide variety of businesses we serve and learn about is fascinating and the high quality banking services – personal, business, trust and investments – we provide are very gratifying. Challenges include understanding and keeping up with the latest technology and keeping our services as near to the leading edge as is safe and sound for our customers.

MY PERSPECTIVES ON COMMUNITY BANKING WITH DOUGLAS COUNTY BANK Many aspects of the banking business attracted me. When majoring in economics and mathematics as an undergraduate at KU, one of the most fascinating and challenging courses was Money and Banking taught by Dr. Leland J. Pritchard. When I went on to graduate school at the University of Minnesota, my area of emphasis and Ph. D. dissertation were monetary economics. That led to an economics faculty position at Kansas State University. It was really nice to be back in Kansas close to our families in our hometown, Salina. I really enjoyed teaching and working with students, but was not strongly motivated toward research. In addition to community involvement during those years, where I knew many local bankers, I had the experience of serving as the minority staff economist for two years on the Senate Budget Committee staff working for Senator Bob Dole.

I am so very fortunate to now be in my 12th year with DCB. We are celebrating our 60th year! The philosophy of the bank’s founders – “the Bank of friendly service” – and the enlightened guidance of the Beach family for nearly 50 years keep DCB true to our community bank tradition. We all really miss Mr. Beach, but carry on, as he would want, with the Beach family guidance, including RA Edwards, who is our Board Chair. The opportunity to be involved with a variety of community and professional organizations in Lawrence has been interesting and gratifying. Serving as United Way Campaign Chair several years ago increased my appreciation of the outstanding services provided by the United Way and its agencies. Serving as Chair of the former statewide KTEC Board led to serving on the Board of the Lawrence Regional Technology Center, now the BTBC, for several years, enabling me to stay involved and support the development of technology based businesses in our community, drawing on the talents of KU faculty and the entrepreneurial abilities of business leaders, faculty members and investors. It does concern me that the ever increasing regulations make it more and more difficult for smaller community banks to keep up, and requiring more time and focus that can interfere with

serving our customers with the flexibility needed to fit their individual needs. Technology changes and large bank competition with extensive advertising exposure is a competitive challenge.

nesses really need and appreciate the personal service that is readily available. People still like the personal service and assistance of friendly, capable bankers.

Nancy, my wife, and I really love living here. Lawrence and Douglas County is a great community. We appreciate the strength and diversity of our local economy. Lawrence has a vibrant downtown and strong retail service areas, a thriving business and professional community with excellent career opportunities, cultural and athletic events at KU, a great community hospital and quality retirement communities. With 5 of our 8 grandchildren living in Kansas City, that is a huge bonus for us!

The biggest challenges in banking now are the costs of keeping up with technology, the increased and evolving banking regulations that require time and systems to show compliance and the current economic environment. The current monetary policy of forcing interest rates lower and lower has become counter-productive because of the impact of retirees and others who depend on interest earnings for their income. It is not working because lower interest rates will not have much impact on borrowing and spending decisions, such as business projects, home purchases or major expenses like vehicles.

Banking is a fascinating, challenging and rewarding career for me. The good fortune to be working with such a sound bank and so many fine longtime bankers makes it very enjoyable. In serving our customers, we have the advantage of 33 staff members with over 10 years of experience with DCB and 15 of those with over 20 years! Largely because of that, we have many longtime loyal customers who have become friends. The 60th Anniversary commemorative bench designed for us by VanGo Arts represents several of those businesses, the growth of our branch facility locations, and our relationship with the community. One of the exciting aspects of banking is the rapid evolution of electronic banking services that provide great convenience. We are very focused on providing the online and mobile banking services, and the financial management tools linked to personal and business bank accounts, that are on the leading edge of the business. At the same time, we believe the personal service touch through our branches and bankers is still very important. Even with all the technology, and often because of that, people and busi-

As a nation, we must get our budget back in reasonable balance. The budget process in Congress and the relationship with the Administration has simply not worked for several years. That needs to change. My personal preference is to greatly simplify the tax laws and code, with tax rates at a level needed to balance the budget as sound economic conditions return.

SCHOOLS IN BUSINESS

FUN RUN FUND RAISING LIBERTY MEMORIAL CENTRAL MIDDLE SCHOOL

by JOSH BELL, 8TH GRADER mentored by STEVEN HERTZOG, KERN GROUP & CREATIVE ROAD STUDIO

My time at Liberty, I’ve found that all the teachers are willing to give support and encourage me, but I’ve also come to see, they’re not just encouraging me; they’re encouraging everyone. If we work together, we can reach our goals. And twenty-five years ago, a P.E./English teacher named Michel Loomis helped organize the first “Fun Run,” which would help us all practice that.

Liberty Memorial Central Middle School

FUN RUN

on OCTOBER 26th call 785-832-5400

JOSH BELL IS AN 8TH GRADER AT LIBERTY MIDDLE SCHOOL. AS A 7TH GRADER, HE SET A FUN RUN FUNDRAISING RECORD (RAISING $1,016), PARTICIPATED IN BAND AND LIBRARY AID, AND WAS ON THE HONOR ROLE BOTH SEMESTERS. HIS GOAL

The Fun Run is an annual fund raiser/2.2 mile run. Each year, students work together to raise a goal which is now $20,000. All the money raised goes toward the education foundation, which is set up to help with school requests and acquiring equipment needed to assist in teaching. The run is a student and community event, which allows more and more people to participate yearly. The first Fun Run had 69 students, last year about 450 people ran. At first, I started to raise money to outdo my older brother and win a big prize. But as I went through the neighborhood people didn’t just donate money to help me out, they did it for the school. Individuals explained to me how they too have seen Central’s growth escalating, and how their sons or daughters were once raising money and setting goals. I then realized enjoying raising money for the school was only one of the many reasons I was doing the fund raiser. I was also getting a chance to build a “communication connection” with my neighbors, which I know will also help me in the future in business. School is about learning and educating, but I believe Liberty’s staff does a great job of making education fun. The week of the Fun Run incorporates both physical and mental education in the activities. The first half of the week we are determined to achieve our goals while the second half is celebration time. This year’s run is on Friday, October 26th at 2:30 pm, and I hope a lot of people show up. But If I may speak for the rest of my peers and the community, it just keeps getting bigger and better.

THIS YEAR IS TO BREAK HIS OWN RECORD.

MOBILE WEBSITES FOR YOUR BUSINESS by AL BONNER

Are you among the 93% of businesses that do not have a mobile friendly version of their website? Have you viewed and tried to navigate your website on a smartphone? Mobile websites have quickly moved from something nice to have, to something you must have. The number of consumers that visit website on their mobile devices is growing at a rapid pace. Today’s smartphone users represent a major percentage of your current or potential customers. You may not even realize how much of your total website traffic is coming from smartphones. What is a mobile website? It’s a simpler and smaller version of a desktop website designed to be displayed on a mobile phone. Your current site is probably already viewable on a mobile phone – the exception being a flash site on iPhones. However, many consumers don’t like pinching and zooming while trying to locate key information about your business. Sites vary in accessibility, but how does your site stack up? Nearly 2 out of 3 users are unlikely to return to a mobile site they had trouble viewing. Where do they go? 40% of consumers say they will visit a competitor’s mobile site instead of trying to navigate through a non-optimized site. Converting your desktop site to a mobile friendly version can put you in an ideal position to capture new customers and position you ahead of your competition. Remember, only 7% of businesses have a mobile website. But that number is expected to grow at a rapid pace. A well-designed mobile site will make it easy for consumers to both contact and locate your business. Mobile sites take advantage of features like click-to-call and click-tomap and make information about your products and services easy to find and read. Still not convinced? Here are more additional reasons why a mobile site is important to your business.

TECHNOLOGY

MOBILE USAGE IS EXPLODING. According to Nielsen, more than 50% of cell phone owners now use a smartphone. What’s more surprising is how smartphone users are using their phones. Here are some key statistics that might surprise you. • 51% of consumers are more likely to purchase from retailers with a mobile-friendly website. (Luth Research, November 2010) • 87% of smartphone consumers use their phones while on the go (Source: Google) • 93% of consumers use their smartphones at home. Take advantage of these new consumer habits to reach potential customers wherever they are. Consumers are searching on their smartphones and taking action on mobile friendly sites. • 30% of all Google searches come from smart phones. • 90% of smartphone users are searching locally and 87% of those searches result in action being taken. Mobile friendly sites benefit your customer and your business. A mobile screen is obviously much smaller than a desktop or even a tablet. It’s important to keep your message and key information as simple and easy to find as possible. The smaller the screen, the simpler the message.

READY TO BUILD A MOBILE SITE NOW? Here are 10 best practices according to Google. 1. Keep it quick. 2. Simplify navigation. 3. Be thumb friendly 4. Design for visibility. 5. Make it accessible. 6. Make it easy to convert. 7. Make it local. 8. Make it seamless. 9. Use mobile site redirects. 10. Listen and learn. In an age where technology is changing rapidly and consumer habits are shifting at similar pace, users expect your website to deliver the information they are searching for in a fast, simple, easy find manner. Give them a clear path to what they want. Embracing mobile in the early stages will drive more traffic to your website and earn you immediate return on your investment.

BONNER OWNS AL BONNER CONSULTING; A LAWRENCE BASED DIGITAL CONSULTING COMPANY. HE ALSO WORKS WITH V3 INTEGRATED MARKETING IN KANSAS CITY. AL@V3IM.COM

M AK ING A

LO CAL IM PACT A LOOK BACK AT OUR CITYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FEMALE MAYORS by MEGAN GILLILAND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, CITY OF LAWRENCE

Running for local, elected office is perhaps the most effective place to make an impact on our community. Local elected officials have a say regarding laws, regulations, fees and programs that are part of the daily lives of their constituents. They are most likely to personally answer a concerned citizenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s phone call or, you might even bump into your City Commissioner while shopping for produce at your local grocery store. Either way, City Commissioners are your connection to local government, a government that strives to increase the quality of life for each resident and make Lawrence an outstanding community in which to call home. Running for elected office, no matter what level, is daunting. You are challenged by your convictions, your connections, and you must define what makes you the best candidate for the community. In 1973, Lawrence elected its first female mayor, Nancy Hambleton. Eight women have served the Lawrence community as Mayor since then and each has made an impact in their own way. Of the eight women who have served as Mayor, Marci Francisco, Shirley Martin-Smith, Bonnie (Augustine) Lowe and Sue Hack met for lunch to discuss their experiences. Passion, vision, commitment to community were the primary themes discussed as the ladies gathered for lunch in downtown Lawrence. Each of the three women were brought to public service through different paths but each found that once elected, they were ready to face the great responsibility the community had entrusted to them.

PHOTO TAKEN IN AUGUST 2010 AT THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEDICATION OF CITY HALL. (L-R): SUE HACK, SHIRLEY MARTIN-SMITH, MARJORIE ARGERSINGER, SANDY PRAEGER, NANCY HAMBLETON, MARCI FRANCISCO, BONNIE LOWE

“The best elected officials do not have an agenda or specific issues to champion,” Bonnie Lowe, Mayor in 1997, says. “Those who voted for us for City Commission knew we would make decisions that were in the best interest of the community.” The common theme of job growth and economic development quickly became a priority for the women while in office. “My professional capacity was helping people find jobs,” Shirley Martin-Smith, Mayor in 1990, says. “I was concerned about job growth and decided I wasn’t encouraged by local efforts in regards to job creation. Once elected, any time there was a valid request that focused on job creation, I backed the project as long as the cost-benefit analysis showed that it made sense.” Lowe served as an Executive Vice President in banking when elected to the City Commission. She cites jobs and economic growth as her top priorities while in office. “My strong suit was finance,” Lowe says. “I knew where to go to find others on the Commission or in the community that were experts in other areas where I was not. That is key. I didn’t have to be an expert on everything. It was about knowing where to go to find

that expert I needed to make a decision.” Sue Hack, Mayor in 2002 and 2007, first took office as the city finished formalizing policies related to tax abatements and incentives for businesses. She served on the City Commission when a formalized plan was adopted for tax abatements, which is traditionally a spirited debate among elected officials and community members. “When I ran the first time, there was a lot of conversation about growth in Lawrence,” Hack says. “Those conversations continue today. Communities do not just stay the same – they either grow or decline. I believe there is still a lack of understanding about the fact that a community can grow, and grow wisely. Without growth, the things we take for granted in Lawrence would not happen.” Just as growth continues to be an issue, keeping neighborhoods and downtown vibrant remain strong points of discussion in Lawrence. Marci Francisco, Mayor from 1981 to 1983, took office at a time when neighborhood issues took center stage at many discussions. Much-needed neighborhood amenities including sidewalks, bike paths and storm water drainage were identified in neighborhood plans. Francisco also served during the time that zoning for a “cornfield mall” was rejected. Francisco also served during the time that downtown development was a major issue.

“When I was on the Commission, we adopted the downtown plan as part of our overall Comprehensive Plan,” Francisco says. “We added our efforts to the work of prior Commissions and left a framework for future Commissions to follow.” Francisco was also involved in creating some of the first recycling and sustainability programs for the city.

“I always felt like it was intimidating to go to the City Commission meetings,” Martin-Smith says. “You should always want people to come to the meetings and make their voice heard.” “I never wanted people to feel nervous or unrecognized,” Hack agreed. “I wanted to acknowledge citizen participation and ensure that they felt they were listened to.” Each of the women felt that their time on the City Commission was worthwhile and that their efforts made an impact. The ladies are quick with encouragement and enthusiasm for future elected officials. “Serving on the Lawrence City Commission is a fabulous education,” Francisco says. “You really put yourself in a good place to be a better citizen and help people after you have served your term.” Bonnie Lowe cautioned future leaders.

“Timing is everything,” Francisco says. “Sometimes you get things done by throwing out an idea and seeing what interest is there. I wanted the city to look at recycling; a relatively new concept in the early 1980s, and it just so happened that the EPA required the city to identify a new location for our landfill. The Parks and Recreation Department was going to be charged to haul trees to the dump. Instead of paying for the landfill costs, the city decided to start chipping tree limbs and reusing that material in Lawrence. This was our first targeted effort at recycling.” The women agree that being welcoming and open to constituents was a key.

“Educate yourself first then do it,” she says. “Speculation went viral when I started to talk about running. If you think you don’t have the finances to run, you would be surprised how the community is willing to support you if you are a good candidate. And, don’t shy away from running if you’re not from Lawrence.” “Enjoy the ride,” Martin-Smith says. “Remember to have a sense of humor and realize that you serve unofficially even after you are out of office.” “It is absolutely critical that we have a diverse group of people who want to serve on the City Commission,” Hack says. “It is a lot harder than it looks and decisions are a lot more difficult to make than you think.” The next City Commission election is in April 2013 in Lawrence.

by DEREK HELMS photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

In the United States, the business of hardware stores is a hundred billon dollar annual industry. Ranging from corner-store shops to massive lumber yards, there are as many as 30,000 hardware stores in the country, but numbers are declining as â&#x20AC;&#x153;home centersâ&#x20AC;? take the place of mom & pop shops. The hardware store market in Lawrence is representative of the national industry at-large. Local and regionally owned shops fight for market share with larger national chain stores.

If the hardware store market in Lawrence is an ocean; The Home Depot is a blue whale. The Lawrence box store has been the biggest player in local lumber, tools and supplies since opening in 2003. Though local sales figures are not available, according the corporation’s annual report, national Home Depot net sales increased 3.5% to $70.4 billion for fiscal 2011 from $68.0 billion for fiscal 2010. Comparable store sales increased 3.4% in fiscal 2011, driven primarily by a 2.6% increase in comparable store average ticket. Comparable store sales for U.S. stores increased 3.0% in fiscal 2011. Bruce Knight, Lawrence store manager and The Home Depot associate for 14 years, says the store is excited to celebrate its 10-year anniversary in April. “We feel privileged to be a part of the Lawrence community and try to give back through our Team Depot volunteer projects and be good community partners,” Knight says. “The Home Depot values Lawrence.” The shop, covering multiple acres off south Iowa Street employs up to 150 people each spring, their busiest season. On average, 125 people wear the trademark orange aprons and work in the store’s multiple divisions. The Home Depot is the only fullservice home center in Lawrence. The store offers lumber, equipment, large appliances and experts on staff. Knight says the company prides itself on helping not only major contractors, but also weekend warriors tackling home repair.

“WE FEEL PRIVILEGED

TO BE A PART

OF THE LAWRENCE COMMUNITY,” KNIGHT SAYS.

“We carry over 35,000 products in stock and are increasing our product selection available online and have instituted buy online and pick-up in store in the last year,” Knight says. “We offer a low price guarantee on our in-stock merchandise; if a competitor happens to be lower we will meet the price and beat it by 10%. We also offer specialized credit options including consumer, commercial and project loans.” Though some would argue that The Home Depot’s size, national presence and overwhelming advertising budget are its biggest strategic advantages, Knight disagrees.

“Our people, including bilingual associates reflective of our community, are the strength of the Home Depot brand,” Knight says.

Though spring is traditionally their busiest season, Westlake finds itself at the mercy of the weather.

Westlake Ace Hardware, if not as large as The Home Depot, has its own fair share of the Lawrence hardware market. The regional company (85 stores in KS, MO, IA, NE, TX and NM) opened its first Lawrence storefront on 23rd Street in 1984. Fifteen years later Westlake’s second store opened on 6th Street. The company employs about 1,500 people between stores and corporate office. Local employment numbers vary by season.

“The summer drought has been challenging for our lawn and garden business throughout the Midwest,” says Liz Benditt, corporate spokesperson. “We are thrilled that temperatures are dropping and customers are picking back up their outdoor projects before winter kicks in. Customers consistently have home repair projects that keep them busy. But we do see a surge in the spring season when we bring out our live goods and garden centers.”

Westlake is the largest independent Ace dealer in the country. A management investment firm owns all Westlake Ace Hardware stores. Westlake is not an Ace franchise per se – but a dealer of Ace branded products, among other repair and maintenance and lawn and garden products. As a privately held company, Westlake does not release financial information.

According to Benditt, it’s people, not products that separate Westlake from competing hardware stores. “We have a strong commitment and focus on customer service that you do not see at other stores,” Benditt says. “Our employees are trained and rewarded based on their ability to be genuinely helpful to each and every customer.”

If The Home Depot and Westlake Ace Hardware represent the current and future of the hardware store industry, two Lawrence shops are snapshots of the past. Ernst & Son Hardware and Cottin’s Hardware, both in downtown Lawrence, are two long-time, locally owned stores. Ernst & Sons is nearly as synonymous with downtown Lawrence as Massachusetts Street itself. Located in the same building (826 Massachusetts Street), operating as the same store and owned by the same family since 1905, Ernst & Son is now in its third generation. “Yep, we’ve held on well and done okay,” owner Rod Ernst modestly says. The 78 year-old shopkeeper took over store operations from his father in 1973. His grandfather opened the store 107 years ago and passed it on to Rod’s father. Rod Ernst has experienced the evolution of the local hardware business from the small locally owned stores to the major corporations. In his more than 60 years in the business, Ernst says the process of purchasing goods has created the greatest challenge for smaller stores. “We don’t operate on the same foot as the big box stores,” Ernst says. “Back when we started, and for years and years, all stores purchased their goods through wholesalers. We were all on the same foot. Then these box stores started to get big in the 1970’s and they started to just bypass the wholesalers. Well, now they’re not on the same playing field as us smaller stores, and it makes it harder for us to compete on price.”

Ernst & Son’s store is a bit like a time capsule. The old wooden floor creaks as customers walk through the aisles. Tools and equipment hang on the wall and an old-fashioned cash register sits on the counter. Not much has changed in the store over the past 50 years. When major competition moved into to Lawrence in the late 1970’s, Ernst & Son managed to maintain their market share. “Lawrence was big enough to absorb that,” Ernst says. “And we’re still here after most of those big stores south of town are gone.” Ernst admits that it’s hard for his small store to compete with The Home Depots of the marketplace on price. But, Ernst says, they offer things the big stores don’t always have. “We carry merchandise that others don’t,” he says. “It’s hard for the larger stores to maintain supplies of some of the more obscure items, because they have to keep moving merchandise through. If we get something and it doesn’t sell right away, we keep it until it does.” Ernst credits a viable downtown and steady customers as two keys to his success. Though he doesn’t promote the idea of a nostalgic trip to the hardware store, he does appreciate seeing generations supporting his store. “Yeah,” he says with a sigh. “I meet people who first came in with their grandfather, and are now bringing in their grandkids.”

Much like Ernst & Son, Cottin’s Hardware and Rental is fighting for market share with The Home Depot. Cottin’s Hardware & Rental has been a family owned and operated hardware store since 1946. Linda Cottin and her husband purchased the store from Bob & Barbara Zimmerman in 1992. “Our biggest challenge is getting more customers through our door,” Linda Cottin says with the mater-of-fact tone you’d expect from a woman that has spent much of her life working in hardware. “Competing with a home building center is tough, not to mention the other hardware stores in town.” Linda says Cottin’s pride themselves on their customer service. Though most of the products available at hardware stores are the same, the customer experience certainly is not. “I really think our customer service sets us apart in the local market,” Linda says. “Yes, you can go to a box store and walk their aisles and aisles, but you may not be able to get a good answer to your question. We will answer your questions, or put you in touch with someone who can. We are here everyday to help people.” Business has shifted in the 30 years Cottin has owned the store. Considerably more business is now from folks working on home repairs themselves. Twenty years ago, contractors were a major source of sales. Cottin credits a change in information for the shift in business.

“I think there is a lot more information available now, and a lot more people are doing minor repairs and home improvements themselves.” Though the market is competitive, Cottin says she knows the future of her store is best served by working with the other local hardware stores. “We communicate with Ernst & Son or Westlake a lot,” she says. “We don’t have the purchasing power or resources of The Home Depot, so we often work together with our suppliers. For instance, maybe we need a product, but our suppliers don’t carry it. We can call the guys at Ernst and maybe they have a supplier for the product. Then they call us with the same issue on a different product. It’s a good relationship and I think we all realize we can work together and be successful.” Cottin also credits the community for supporting locally owned hardware stores. “Lawrence is a great community,” she says. “We are here to help the people of Lawrence however we can. I think the community appreciates that, and we appreciate their business.”

USD 497

WHAT’S IN A

SC HOOL

BU DGET? by DAISY WAKEFIELD photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

FUNDING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT If reading, writing and arithmetic are at the heart of education, then the running of the local educational machine like Unified School District 497 is much of the same, just more complicated. Based on fund accounting practices, the school district’s budget is categorized into seven tax levy funds: General Fund, Supplemental General Fund (Local Option Budget), Adult Basic Education Fund, Cost of Living Fund, Capital Outlay Fund, Bond and Interest Fund and Special Assessment Fund. There are also Special Revenue Funds, which are non-levied funds. The total budget for 2012-13 school year is approximately $141 million, an increase of about 12% from the last school year. Each of the funds are specific for what they may pay. The General fund is the largest and goes toward salaries, utilities and general operational costs. The Local Option Funds are supported by a local mill rate and have a State regulated cap of 31% of General Fund amounts. Some of the Special Revenue Funds come from federal monies, such as that for special education, bilingual education, food service, and Title 1, a designation of educational funding for higher poverty populations. Some of the funds are formula-derived by the State, which can change from year to year, and are largely influenced by availability of tax dollars as well as political ideologies. With K-12 education accounting for 50% of the state budget, it is the most influential piece of the state budget puzzle. It is also the most vulnerable, at the constant mercy of cuts.

S U PE R I N TE N D E N T R I CK D O L L - BU D G E T BU C K E TS Doll uses his buckets to demonstrate that there is a finite amount of money in the budget - and all of the buckets can’t be full.

CUTS ALL OVER In the middle of the 2009-2010 school year, when budgets and teacher salaries had already been set, word came down from the state that $3 million had to be cut from the Lawrence school district’s state funding. There was no choice but to take a knife and start slashing. Talks started of closing one or more elementary schools to realize cost savings. Parents formed ad hoc community protests. Sixth-grade band members flooded a school board meeting to object to their activity being cut. Per pupil funding had decreased for 4 years, until this school year when $58 per student was added back. Still, that figure puts per pupil state funding at pre-2001 levels. “When tax dollars went down during the great recession, we got cut,” says Rick Doll, Superintendent of USD 497. “We thought that when the tax dollars increased, we would get some cuts restored, but that hasn’t been the case.” For the Lawrence school district, the cuts have been drastic. Class sizes have increased while programs have been reduced, and

service and support staff positions such as nurses, counselors, librarians and administrators have been consolidated. Wakarusa Elementary was shuttered at the end of the 2010-11 school year, decreasing the number of elementary schools to 14.

TO SPEND OR TO SAVE? Doll’s concern presses on him even more since recent tax cuts passed through the legislature. The Governor asserts that the tax cuts will boost the economy by creating jobs, and that services to schools will not be affected. However, an independent research study by The Kansas Legislative Research Department, lays out a bleak picture in which the state will go into deficit by mid-2014, and be $2 billion in deficit by 2018. If this proves to be true, it will have a pernicious effect on education in Kansas. The school district is currently between, and the school board has pounced on the opportunity to add and replenish. In April, the Board voted swiftly to add $2 million in programs and positions. Full-day Kindergarten was given to the remaining four elementary schools that did not have it. Class sizes in elementary and middle schools were decreased and 21 teacher positions were added to the district. The Board also voted to reinstate the director of instruction, a position that had been cut in previous years. Even as the Board spends currently available money, administrators know the other shoe can drop at any time. Doll is upfront about his pessimism that the tax cuts will work in favor of educational funding. “We’re spending down some of our savings, which is not unlike spending down your personal savings,” Doll says. “If your income source is constant, and you expect it to be constant or increase, then spending down some savings is not a big deal. But we don’t know our funding stream from year to year, and what we should be doing is increasing our savings.”

POLITICS Part of the problem with increasing savings, however, is that politicians are putting pressure on school districts to spend down their fund balances. The current political climate is that the savings of the districts is too cushy, and they can afford to dip into

“We don’t get our state funding until December or January of every school year. That means we have to operate for 4 to 5 months on savings, until that funding comes through.” - Rick D o ll

them. Previous to 2007-2008, schools were allowed a maximum of 6% of General Fund balances to be kept in Contingency Funds. State legislature approved a temporary increase in the maximum to 10%, but in 2011, the State wanted to go back to 6%, which meant that the Lawrence school district had to spend down savings by about $3 million. Ultimately, a bill passed allowing school districts to keep the maximum at 10%. “We don’t get our state funding until December or January of every school year,” Doll says. “That means we have to operate for 4 to 5 months on savings, until that funding comes through.” Other political maneuvering for K-12 education is the effort to increase the maximum for the Local Option Budget Fund. Currently at a maximum 31% of General Fund, the LOB allows school districts to raise money through property tax mill levies. While many

think an increased maximum would be good news for districts like Johnson County and potentially good for the Lawrence school district, it raises questions of equity for poorer districts, especially in urban and rural areas.

LOOKING GOOD… FOR NOW Currently, things are pretty good for the school district’s finances. Some money has been realized from increased enrollment and more at-risk dollars. Salaries for teachers have been set for the year, though there were a few tense weeks of negotiations. The mill levy was decreased slightly in July. And for the first time in 3 years there is no talk of consolidating elementary schools. Instead, there is talk of a bond issue to be put to vote in April 2013. This would be a “no tax increase” bond issue, as other bond and interest debt is due to be retired. The bond issue would be used primarily to fix long-ailing issues in the elementary buildings, especially in the 6 central and east Lawrence schools: Cordley, Hillcrest, Kennedy, New York, Pinckney and Sunset Hill. Beyond that, bond money could be used for ADA compliance and removal of portable buildings at all the elementary schools and addition of areas in the high schools. “Over the next several years, we’ll have about $110 million that we could fund without a tax increase,” Doll says optimistically. “We’re very confident that we can do a no tax increase in the bond issue. So I’m optimistic that it will pass. Not cocky, but optimistic.”

NOTE: Daisy Wakefield served on the Central and East Lawrence Elementary School Consolidation Working Group from June 2011 to March 2012.

USD 487 | BUDGET

LIVE IT LOCAL

DEALERSHIPS & THE LOCAL ECONOMY by MARK FAGAN

Standing out here early on a Saturday morning — between answering questions about fields and tournament matchups and referee assignments and seemingly anything else parents and players and volunteers and anyone else can think up — Kirsten Judd doesn’t at all mind doing a little math. With two brand-new Chevrolets parked nearby as prizes, and a table topped with a cardboard box for tickets and a metal box for cash, Judd plugs real numbers into the simplest of equations: 2,000 raffle tickets x $5 each = $10,000 for Kaw Valley Soccer Association. Selling tickets for the national drawing — sponsored by Chevrolet and backed in Lawrence by local dealer Dale Willey Automotive — adds up to real benefits for dozens of area kids who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford playing soccer. Proceeds will go toward the association’s scholarship program, which helps low-income kids join recreational soccer teams or move up into premier leagues, for which fees can hit $1,200. “This is a great opportunity we wouldn’t have otherwise,” says Judd, the association’s director of marketing and member services, as she sells tickets to parents and other family and friends during a tournament at the Youth Sports Complex in southwest Lawrence. “This is a no-brainer. It’s 100 percent profit for us.” And it’s not at all unusual.

The recreational raffle is just one of many community-minded efforts, activities and investments driven by Lawrence-area auto dealers, whose people-oriented businesses reach out to a variety of causes throughout the year. Dealerships count on the benefits of such efforts building for weeks, months and years ahead, both through personal connections that boost sales and the overall improvements they generate. “This community will flourish based on the support it gets,” says Miles Schnaer, owner of Crown Toyota, Scion and Volkswagen in Lawrence. Since coming to Lawrence in 1994, Schnaer has built a 12-acre complex for sales and service that does plenty of business. That’s why he and Crown are giving back. There’s title sponsorship for the past dozen years of the annual Salute festival of wine and food for Cottonwood Inc., which assists people with developmental disabilities. And the $10,000 college scholarships offered to four low-income seniors coming out of Lawrence high schools, provided through Bill Self ’s Assistant Foundation. And the $150,000 raised to help upgrade infusion rooms in the oncology center at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Making such investments is about building community, he says. Auto dealers are fortunate to record sales and provide services in Lawrence, and it just makes sense to help the organizations, programs and projects that make a difference.

Briggs Auto Group, renderings of the proposed upgrades.

“You support the community in any way you can,” Schnaer says. Lawrence dealers also recognize that the customers themselves also make a considerable difference in financing community services and projects, through their own spending on vehicles. Dealers account for some of the largest sales tax collections in the city. In August alone, sales at such dealerships accounted for more than $1 of every $10 in municipal sales tax collected — money that goes into hiring police officers and emergency medical personnel, fixing streets, running transit buses and otherwise financing many basic government services. “It’s definitely big,” said Ed Mullins, the city’s finance director. One example: Dale Willey Automotive, which sells Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC vehicles, collects more than $1 million a year in sales taxes going to Lawrence and Douglas County. Such sales also support dozens of jobs. At Dale Willey, 60 full-timers handle sales, service and support functions, with another six retirees working part-time as drivers. Together, Willey’s employees draw from an annual payroll that amounts to a more than $2.5 million, money that also gets pumped back into the local economy.

That’s only the beginning. There are several other new-car dealers in Lawrence — Briggs Auto Group Lawrence, Crown, Dale Willey, Jack Ellena Honda and Laird Noller Automotive — that all make a difference, says Dale Willey, CEO of Dale Willey Automotive. Some have higher payrolls and sales tax collections, he says, and some have lower. Shawnee Mission Kia recently entered the mix with a location on East 23rd Street. “Every dealer in Lawrence gives back generously to the Lawrence and Douglas County community,” says Willey, whose business supports Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Meals on Wheels, Lawrence Humane Society, Family Promise, the Lawrence Homeless Shelter, and Junior Achievement of Lawrence and the Lawrence Business Hall of Fame. While Briggs Auto Group is relatively new to Lawrence — the group arrived two years ago when it purchased the local Nissan dealership — it already is contributing to the Humane Society, Van Go Mobile Arts, Headquarters Counseling Center, Health Care Access, Theatre Lawrence, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Douglas County and other efforts and organizations.

“Those are incomes for local residents, who spend money for gas and food and clothes,” Willey says. “It just expands.”

“YOU SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY IN ANY WAY YOU CAN,” - Miles Schnaer

Briggs also is investing in its own business presence: more than $7 million to acquire, renovate and rebuild spaces for sales and service of Nissan, Subaru and Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles. Scott Teenor, Briggs’ general manager for Lawrence, is counting on what’s good for Briggs being good for the community, too. “The Briggs upgrades – including new showrooms, an overhauled body shop and new in-median vehicle displays along West 29th Terrace – should help convince more Lawrence residents to stay in town to buy their vehicles and have them serviced,” Teenor says. That means more security for Briggs’ 95 employees in the Lawrence area. And more sales taxes for local governments. And more donations, volunteers and events for projects, efforts and organizations in need. “It helps everybody in every facet,” he says.

MILES SCHNAER, AT SALUTE! BENEFITTING COTTONWOOD INC.

Back at the soccer field, Judd knows what he’s talking about. While she’s busy selling raffle tickets — one guy dropped $200 for 40 tickets, hoping to replace his 250,000-mile vehicle with a new Cruze or Equinox — Judd also is thankful for a secondary part of the promotion. Anyone who’s purchased a raffle ticket also gets $100 off the purchase of a new or used vehicle at Dale Willey, $100 that’s returned to KVSA in the form of a donation in the buyer’s name. That’s money that helps the association directly, of course. But the sale itself also sends money back into the community — through construction jobs, wages and sales taxes that help finance the very things that make Lawrence what it is. Right down to the city-owned fields where the league plays its very own games. “It’s a win-win,” Judd says.

LIVE IT LOCAL

DALE WILLEY IN HIS SHOWROOM.

Convenience You Want.

Services

You Need.

Freedom to Enjoy Your Life.

Investing in our Community, One Future at a Time.

DouglasCountyBank.com

FROM L-R: SUE HACK, ANDREA HUDY, TRACIE HOWELL, SARAH HILL-NELSON, NANCY LONGHURST, HANNAH BOLTON, CRIS ANDERSON, AND DARYL BUGNER

photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

women of

IMPACT by ANNE BROCKHOFF

Civic Leadership. Creative Marketing. Education. Green Energy. Hospitality Management. Philanthropy. Sports Performance. University Government. Women throughout our community impact our lives in traditional and not so traditional ways. Women are at the forefront of Lawrence’s business, education and civic life. They’re running power plants and hotels, coaching and teaching, building homes for families and training the next generation of leaders..

We’ve highlighted six outstanding professionals in this issue, and marked two newer faces to watch. They include Cris Anderson, principal of Kennedy Elementary School; Sue Hack, executive director of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Lawrence program; Sarah Hill-Nelson, owner and operator of Bowersock Mills & Power Company; Andrea Hudy, assistant athletics director for sports

performance at the University of Kansas; Tracie Howell, executive director of Habitat for Humanity; Nancy Longhurst, general manager of The Olivia Collection; Daryl Bugner, art director at KERN Marketing Group; and Hannah Bolton, Student Body President at KU. These women have each followed a distinct career path, yet they do share a set of common values. They work hard,

treasure their families, are passionate about what they do and absolutely dedicated to serving their community. Are they the only women making an impact on Lawrence? No. We’ve profiled a handful of standouts in these pages, but there are countless others out there, creating jobs, donating time and talent and striving to build a better Lawrence. It’s to them we dedicate this issue.

CRIS ANDERSON

PRINCIPAL, KENNEDY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Only weeks before school started in August, Cris Anderson stood in the Kennedy Elementary School office, surrounded by boxes of supplies and stacks of enrollment letters waiting to be mailed. There was clearly much to be done, but instead of worrying about it, Kennedy’s principal instead focused on the students who would soon fill the hallways. “We are a school with a beautiful neighborhood, and a wealth of talent and beauty within our families and children,” says Anderson, 56. “It’s really exciting to see all those kids stand tall and be proud when they come here.” “Here” is a low brick building on Lawrence’s east side that houses an early childhood program and grades kindergarten through fifth. There are about 350 students, and Anderson is committed to seeing each child succeed. Her determination stems from example. Anderson was born in south Texas. Her family moved to Michigan when she was five, where her parents continued their efforts to improve migrant access to health care and education.

CHRIS ANDERSON WORKING WITH STUDENTS AT KENNEDY ELEMENTARY.

It was hard work, and it wasn’t glamorous. But watching her parents make that kind of impact on others’ lives left Anderson in no doubt about the path her own would take. She decided early to teach - playing school was a favorite childhood game - and earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in early childhood education from what is now Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich. Anderson married, and then taught kindergarten in Holland, Mich., and Rockford, Ill., before job opportunities drew the couple to Lawrence in 1989. Anderson taught in the Broken Arrow and Cordley elementary schools before being tapped for the district’s early childhood program. As an early childhood specialist, Anderson helped develop a comprehensive system to serve children from birth to age four, including a family literacy program. She also coordinated the district-wide offerings and supplanted grants with private funding from local supporters. “I’ve found it easy to advocate for families and children, because Lawrence does not turn away from things that are so obvious, that can make such a difference,” says Anderson, who belongs to the Douglas County Child Care Association, Lawrence Education Association and National Education Association. The Lawrence school district consolidated its early childhood programs into one location— the East Heights Early Childhood Family Center—in 2003 and named Anderson its principal. When the center closed in 2010, Anderson became principal of Kennedy. She begins each day walking the school’s halls to connect with “her kids.” Anderson’s clearly proud of her students and staff—she enthuses about the “pride families” each staff member forms with a small group of students and

“I’ve found it easy to advocate for families and children, because Lawrence does not turn away from things that are so obvious, that can make such a difference,” says Anderson quickly reaches for a photo on her computer to show off hers. Anderson points to a bouquet of paper flowers, each with the word “respect” written on it with grade-school letters, that sits on her windowsill. And she tears up when relating one 10-year-old student’s reason for wanting to be on the newly formed student council. “Her first line was ‘I have been waiting for an opportunity like this for my entire life,’” Anderson says while both laughing and crying. “At age 10! I thought, well, yes, of course!” Anderson’s office is a welcoming place, with a table big enough for a group of kids to gather, a small collection of Hopi kachina dolls and black-and-white photos from one of her favorite beach town. There are also pictures of her husband and two grown children, mostly taken at the beach. Water, sun and sand soothe her soul, Anderson says, just as her Mexican-American heritage and close relationships with her parents and five siblings help keep her rooted and ready to give everything she’s got for Kennedy. “I can’t remember a day that I didn’t get up ready and happy to go to work,” Anderson says. “I feel blessed that I love what I do.”

SARAH HILL-NELSON

OWNER AND OPERATOR, BOWERSOCK POWER PLANT

DAVID KISSICK (KISSICK CONSTRUCTION), MATT ROTHERMEL (KISSICK CONSTRUCTION), RICH FOREMAN (BMPC), JEFF THORN (OLSSON ASSOCIATES), SARAH HILL-NELSON (BMPC), NATHAN WALKER (BMPC), STEPHEN HILL (BMPC), BOB HILL (KISSICK CONSTRUCTION), MARK MAXWELL (BMPC)

Sarah Hill-Nelson defies whatever electric power industry stereotype you care to imagine. She’s an environmentalist who enjoys fishing and hunting. A Truman Scholar and former high school history teacher. A 42-year-old who loves running, white water kayaking and skiing. A mom who often brings her two kids to work. And a Lawrence native who is surprised and delighted to find herself managing Bowersock Mills & Power Company, a hydroelectric power plant on the Kansas River. “I feel so passionate about my job,” Hill-Nelson says. “I cannot believe I have this job. I feel so lucky.” Hill-Nelson’s connection to the dam dates back to shortly after its construction in 1874, when her great-great-greatgrandfather took over its operation. Her family continued its involvement even after selling the business in the 1930s.

Hill-Nelson’s father, Stephen Hill, bought the plant back in 1972 with the idea of generating electricity to fuel a recycled paper mill. It wasn’t easy. Hill-Nelson’s parents both worked at Bowersock, but neither drew a paycheck. Watching them struggle to build a viable company left Hill-Nelson with a deep appreciation of their legacy. “That had a really profound impact on me and my outlook,” she says. “I recognize that I just happened to fall into this.” It certainly wasn’t her plan. Hill-Nelson wanted to be a teacher, so, after graduating from Lawrence High School in 1988, she studied history and Spanish at Bowdoin College in Maine.

“I love working in teams, and I love our partnerships,” Hill-Nelson says.

“Every single thing we’ve done here is a result of a really good team.” Hill-Nelson then worked in Chile as a bilingual secretary, taught in California and Washington, and earned a master degree in history. But she didn’t relish teaching. So she quit, moved to Colorado with her now-husband and began doing research and writing for a non-profit. Then, in 2001, Bowersock’s manager left. Hill-Nelson’s parents offered her husband the job, and the couple moved back to Lawrence. Soon, Hill-Nelson was paying the bills and negotiating power agreements. She liked it. Her husband didn’t. He returned to his teaching career, and Hill-Nelson became Bowersock’s CEO. A decade on, she remains enthusiastic about it all, from regulatory compliance and employee management to helping paint the new Obermeyer gates that will control the river’s flow into the plant. But the best part? “I love working in teams, and I love our partnerships,” Hill-Nelson says. “Every single thing we’ve done here is a result of a really good team.” That team still includes her father; her sister, Molly Hill Patten, also helps out. Together with five employees and numerous contractors, they’ve tackled a $25 million expansion on the river’s north shore that’s expected to triple its output of clean, renewable energy. Hill-Nelson also wants to upgrade the south power plant and launch a new service refurbishing hydroelectric equipment. The idea is to create better and possibly more jobs in Lawrence while demystifying the electricity-making process. Bowersock will offer tours, and there will be a pedestrian walkway and fishing platform near the north plant.

“It’s not just about energy,” say Hill-Nelson. “It’s about environment. It’s bringing people down to the river.” And it’s about building community. Hill-Nelson is on the city’s Sustainability Advisory Board, serves on the board for Landmark Bancorp, Inc. and Landmark National Bank and is involved in her children’s schools and other events. Engaging in that way is essential to creating the kind of city people want to live and invest in, she says. “I feel so lucky to have a community I wanted to return to,” HillNelson says. “How great is it that we have a community that supports a business like this?”

NANCY LONGHURST GENERAL MANAGER, THE OLIVIA COLLECTION

Standing with Nancy Longhurst on the ninth floor terrace of The Oread, taking in the nearly 360-degree view of Lawrence, you know this is exactly where she wants to be. Longhurst’s spent much of her career in hospitality management, and she’s now general manager of The Olivia Collection. The group includes The Oread, The Eldridge and The Eldridge Extended, and allows her to do what she likes best—take care of guests. “I enjoyed my other jobs, but my passion is the hotel industry,” says Longhurst, 55. She discovered that passion early on, when she took an office job at the Holiday Inn Holidome while attending the University of Kansas. Longhurst eventually became its director of sales, before leaving to help renovate The Eldridge in the early 1980s. The building was at the time an apartment complex. Longhurst helped transform it into an historic hotel and became its first general manager. But the work was demanding and the hours long, so when another opportunity came, she took it. “I think at that point I just needed a break,” Longhurst says. She worked in the computer industry for seven years, and then became executive director for the Lawrence

Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Lawrence program in 1999. Longhurst loved it, but she missed hospitality. In 2005, The Eldridge’s new owners asked Longhurst to return as general manager. She then oversaw design of The Oread’s operations systems during its construction. Longhurst took her current position when that hotel opened in 2010. Her schedule is still grueling—often 12-hour days, plus Saturday nights and catching up on emails during her off-hours—but Longhurst actually sees more of her family than ever. David Longhurst, her husband, is assistant general manager of The Eldridge. Her son, Harrison, works at The Eldridge’s front desk and as a bell man. Her daughter, Natalie, recently began a job in the banquet department and spends one day a week in the office. Longhurst sees their involvement as a way to impart her own work ethic to her kids. After all, it’s how she grew up. “We were raised to work and work hard. It’s just what you did,” says Longhurst, who grew up in Shawnee, Kan., and spent weekends at her grandparents’ farm near Smithville, Mo., helping with the gardening, canning and other chores.

“We were raised to work and work hard.

It’s just what you did,” says Longhurst.

It’s still what Longhurst does. She arrives at her office—an open desk next to reception at The Oread—around 7 a.m., and then spends days meeting with staff from all three properties, booking entertainment, inspecting everything from ballrooms to store rooms and overseeing all other operations. Together, the properties have 155 rooms, 320 employees and dozens of meeting rooms, event spaces and restaurants. The sheer scale means Longhurst can no longer handle every detail herself.

NANCY ON GAME DAY AT THE OREAD.

“Now we’re too big,” she says. “I’ve learned you can’t do everything yourself. Your team is vital to your success.” Sundays are Longhurst’s home days, and she loves getting away to places near, like Missouri’s Grand Lake or Lake of the Ozarks, and far, such as St. Maarten in the Caribbean. Longhurst continues her community involvement, although she tries to limit it to one board membership at a time. Currently, she’s on the Cottonwood Foundation Board of Trustees. Why? Because it’s just what you do, Longhurst says. “Any good business person wants to give back to their community, because they’re the ones who make you thrive and grow,” she says.

TRACIE HOWELL

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LAWRENCE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

“I didn’t know anything about how to build a house,” Howell says. “I never would have walked onto a building site, but now I do it every day in heels and a dress.”

Habitat for Humanity is perhaps one of the world’s best-known non-profits. It’s built 500,000 homes in countries as diverse as Germany, Brazil and Zambia since its inception in 1976. Habitat’s attracted support from the likes of President Jimmy Carter, and, in 2011, it became the sixth-largest home builder in the U.S. So, how do you make an organization that big feel so local? “It honestly is about connecting people and connecting community members,” says Tracie Howell, executive director of Lawrence Habitat for Humanity. “I’m continually networking and finding people who have a passion for what we do.”

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY And she does it at a whirlwind pace. On any given day, Howell might meet with the organization’s 16-member board of directors, lunch with volunteers and attend committee meetings. There are building site visits, and she might even prepare food for a dinner like the one given in July for Bike & Build, a cross-country bicycling group that stopped in Lawrence to work on a Habitat house. “That’s what I do every day, and it’s something different every single moment of my day,” says the 38-year-old Howell, who grew up in Lansing, Kan. Lawrence Habitat currently builds four houses a year, and each takes about four months to complete. Volunteers do most of the building. Local contractors install plumbing, electrical and other systems, and other businesses donate materials, food and supplies. Homeowners contribute hours of “sweat equity” on their own and others’ houses, as well as in Habitat ReStore, which sells gently used building materials and household goods. The typical Habitat homeowner takes on a zero-percent interest, 25-year mortgage of about $65,000 to cover the cost of building materials. Lawrence Habitat holds the mortgages, which gives the organization greater flexibility to work with homeowners, Howell says. Howell and her staff of five full-time employees, an AmeriCorps VISTA member and countless volunteers manage it all. “It’s a huge collaborative effort,” says Howell, who holds a business management and marketing degree from Emporia State University and a masters in higher education administration from the University of Kansas.

WOMEN BUILD The Women Build program helps Habitat for Humanity build more homes by recruiting women and girls. Women represent a tremendous volunteer pool. Women Build houses provide an opportunity for women to learn construction skills while working on construction crews composed predominantly of women. In Lawrence, the Women Build program has sponsored five homes on their own and cosponsored one home with Building on Faith. There is no need for experience when stepping onto a Habitat construction site. And if wielding a hammer isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other opportunities to get involved. On October 12, Women Build will host its 2nd annual Women Build Luncheon. The luncheon will consist of a live auction, where bidders will purchase parts of the next Women Build house, and a silent auction of takehome items. Last year, the luncheon nearly raised enough money to build an entire Habitat home. For more information about Women Bulld, and the luncheon, visit:

lawrencehabitat.org/women-build

She readily admits her enthusiasm for Habitat’s mission makes it hard to talk about anything else. Even a discussion about past jobs at the University of Dallas-Texas, Plymouth State University and the University of North Carolina-Wilmington and as director of the United Way Roger Hill Volunteer Center in Lawrence turn to how they prepared Howell for her current position.

TRACIE HOWELL She credits those experiences with teaching her how to manage budgets and volunteers, coordinate marketing and fundraising campaigns, network, write and manage grants and foster community relationships. Howell brought all those skills to bear when she joined Lawrence Habitat in 2011, but there was still a sharp learning curve. “I didn’t know anything about how to build a house,” she says. “I never would have walked onto a building site, but now I do it every day in heels and a dress.” That includes Saturdays, too, when most volunteers and families turn out to work on the houses. Howell and her threeyear-old son usually stop at building sites en route to his gymnastics class.

It’s not a nine-to-five life, Howell says, but it still leaves plenty of time to volunteer with the Junior League of Kansas City and the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign. Howell and her husband often have dinner with neighbors on Friday nights. On other evenings and Saturday mornings, she’s at the gym, punch boxing or doing Zumba. She still gets eight hours a sleep a night, and wakes each day determined to make a difference. “I just have a passion to address that need and do what we can to help,” Howell says. “If we don’t have viable community members, we don’t have a successful community.”

ANDREA HUDY

ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FOR SPORTS PERFORMANCE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

Andrea Hudy’s office is filled with exactly the sort of memorabilia you’d expect the University of Kansas’ assistant athletic director for sports performance to have—NBA jerseys from former students, a photo of the nine national championship rings her teams have won and signed basketballs. Hudy, 40, clearly likes to win. But the key to her success isn’t in a frame. It’s written in the lower corner of a white board on her wall, a list of core values including trust, care, hard work, knowledge and, perhaps most important, authenticity. “I never want somebody to be what they aren’t,” says Hudy,

who is strength and conditioning coach for the KU men’s and women’s basketball teams and who manages the Anderson Family Strength and Conditioning Complex for all KU sports except football. “Authenticity is huge.” Hudy grew up in Huntingdon, Pa., the daughter of two high school teachers and coaches and the youngest of five athletic siblings. Days were spent outside hiking, biking, playing on the water or competing in sports. Dinner time found the family at the table, where accomplishments were celebrated, discipline doled out and accountability and responsibility emphasized. Money was tight in her Irish-Catholic household, Hudy says, but that

ANDREA HUDY didn’t stop her parents from opening their home to other kids who needed a hand. “There were some times in our house when I didn’t know who those people were sleeping on our floor. You just walked over them,” Hudy says. “It was just because my parents wanted to help kids. I think that’s been ingrained in my upbringing.” So was hard work. Hudy mowed lawns in junior high, and, in high school, worked at a local marina and cleaned boats on the side while competing in three sports. She went on to play volleyball at the University of Maryland, where she graduated with a degree in kinesiology. A stint in corporate fitness followed—something Hudy says she hated. So, she returned to higher education with a graduate assistantship at the University of Connecticut and helped coach two men’s basketball, five women’s basketball and one men’s soccer team to national championships while earning her masters in sports biomechanics. Hudy joined KU’s staff in 2004 and regularly pulls 12-hour days throughout the university’s 46-week training schedule. Working in a male-dominated field for the past 18 years has not been without challenges, Hudy admits, but she doesn’t waste time worrying about it. “I’m in charge of the weight room, but I’ll be the last person somebody will approach because I’m female, which is fine,” Hudy says with a smile and shrug. “I get it.”

“I never want somebody to be what they aren’t,” says Hudy,

“Authenticity is huge.”

She remains entirely focused on her “kids,” often training with them as they lift weights or run stadium stairs, and is quick to share credit for any success with her staff, KU’s coaches and the administration. Hudy enjoys spending time on her boat on Clinton Lake and sometimes heads out of town for a weekend break, but hers is not a job she ever feels the need to escape from. Helping her teams reach their full potential—both as athletes and people—is simply what she loves doing. “If I’m true to myself, and I trust the kids, and they know I’m honest and care, then how can you fail at that? You can’t,” Hudy says.

SUE HACK

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP LAWRENCE

Meeting Sue Hack, with her easy manner and generous laugh, is like seeing your favorite teacher again. Which makes perfect sense—Hack taught for 31 years before swapping junior high hallways for city hall. Hack is now executive director for the Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Lawrence program. But she still regularly draws on her classroom experience to build cohesiveness and shepherd the personal and professional development of each year’s 35-member class. Some 90 volunteers also contribute to the program, which

has trained almost 700 civic leaders since its inception in 1982. “It’s such a joy to still be teaching,” says Hack, 65. “It’s been an absolute dream job for me.” Hack was born in Massachusetts, and her family of six moved to Ohio and Los Angeles before settling in St. Louis during her teenage years. Regular car trips to visit grandparents in Minnesota and Texas introduced her to much of the rest of America.

SUE HACK “You don’t have the right to live in this community and not give back to it,” Hack says. “You have to do it—whether it’s time, talent or treasure—it’s what you have to do.”

“We drove everywhere,” says Hack. “Why my father didn’t kick us out of the (Ford) Country Squire station wagon I’ll never know.” Hack graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in secondary education in 1970 and began teaching in Lawrence’s public school system a year later. She’d initially hoped to teach high school, but junior high proved a perfect fit. “That’s where I needed to be, with the seventh, eighth and ninth graders,” says Hack, who won numerous teaching awards throughout her career. “I just got the biggest kick out of them.” She also hadn’t planned on staying in Lawrence. But it was her husband Al’s hometown, and she quickly fell in love with it. Hack says her parents had always thrown themselves into community service wherever they’d lived, and she followed their lead. Hack found role models among women such as former Lawrence mayor Shirley Martin-Smith and Judy Wright, the recently retired director of the University of Kansas Chancellors Club. She graduated from the Leadership Lawrence program, served two terms as city commissioner and retired from teaching in 2002 in what she calls a bittersweet mo-

ment. In 2007, Hack was elected mayor of Lawrence. “I got off the bench. It was time to do some things,” says Hack says of her jump from education to civic leadership. Hack won Leadership Lawrence’s 30th annual Don Volker Leadership Award in 2012. She also serves on the LawrenceDouglas County Housing Authority board of commissioners, Lawrence’s Sister City Advisory Board, KU Sesquicentennial committee, the Lawrence Police Foundation Board, Lawrence St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee and the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center’s governing board. If Hack sounds busy, she is. But she works hard to keep her life balanced, fitting in walks with her husband, gardening, knitting, boating at Lake Clinton, regular trips to see her mother in central Missouri and visits with her son and daughter, who live in Austin and Denver. Throughout it all, Hack has remained deeply committed to serving Lawrence. “You don’t have the right to live in this community and not give back to it,” she says. “You have to do it—whether it’s time, talent or treasure—it’s what you have to do.”

WOMEN TO WATCH It’s easy to single out established leaders. They’re the ones chairing committees, smiling in photographs, running for election and calling the shots in business and education. But what about the next generation of women? The ones just now connecting with Lawrence’s many organizations, events and causes? They’re harder to spot, but they bring plenty of energy, enthusiasm and ideas to the table. Young leaders like Daryl Bugner, art director at Kern Marketing Group, and Hannah Bolton, the University of Kansas’ student body president, are striving to make their own impact on Lawrence. And they’re well worth watching. We’ll certainly be keeping an eye on their accomplishments.

DARYL BUGNER

ART DIRECTOR, KERN MARKETING GROUP* And that was just this year. “It’s that idea that there’s something out there bigger than yourself,” Bugner says. “There’s so much to learn right around you.” Plus, it’s a great way to connect with new people. Bugner graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor of fine arts degree in visual communications and graphics in 2007. She took a job with Sunflower Broadband in Lawrence and then watched as many of her college friends moved to other cities. She liked that first job, but it wasn’t until joining KERN Group in 2008 and taking advantage of their commitment to the community, that she was able to volunteer some of her time to organizations that would benefit from her design experience. That is when she became aware of how many opportunities were available to young professionals like her. Bugner was recently selected into the 2013 Leadership Lawrence class. “Once you really enjoy what you’re doing, all the other things fall into place,” Bugner says.

“It’s that idea that there’s something out there bigger than yourself,” Bugner says. “There’s so much to learn right around you.” This may be the era of social media, but Daryl Bugner makes friends the old-fashioned way—she gets involved. The 27-year-old art director at Kern Marketing Group has volunteered with the Lawrence Old Fashioned Christmas Parade, Lawrence Habitat for Humanity, American Business Women’s Association, American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women, Lawrence Young Professionals Network, Trinity In-Home Care and Imagine Drop-In Childcare.

Her biggest challenge now is prioritizing interests and better managing volunteer hours to leave room for other activities, like spending time with her dog, Greta, going to the lake and participating in Red Dog’s Dog Days community workouts. Bugner would also like to see more 20-somethings get involved with Lawrence’s many civic and service organizations. Her advice? Find something you’re passionate about, and then just join in. “When you realize people really are listening to you, that’s the most empowering thing,” says Bugner. “And it’s important to always have fun with it. I do this because I enjoy it.” (* In full disclosure, Daryl is the designer of this magazine, but we decided not to let it stop her from being a part of this issue as she is very involved and committed to this community.)

HANNAH BOLTON

STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

University of Kansas student body president Hannah Bolton is used to being a part of things. She describes her hometown of St. Libory, Neb., as “really, really small,” and her graduating class at a Catholic high school in nearby Grand Island had only 40 students. As a result, she participated in every activity, from volleyball, basketball and tennis to student council and band. So of course she plunged into campus life upon arriving at KU in 2009. Bolton joined the Chi Omega sorority and began exploring other organizations. Then student government caught her eye. As a sophomore, Bolton was co-founder and co-director of The Big Event, which recruited thousands of KU students, faculty and staff to assist with neighborhood service projects throughout Lawrence. She was also elected to student senate, but gave up her seat after being appointed chief of staff for the student senate executive staff. Bolton held that position throughout her junior year, and then ran for student body president. “Once I started getting involved, the ball just kept rolling,” says Bolton, who’s now a 22-year-old senior majoring in business management and leadership. Bolton says she’s only the fifth woman to hold the job in the more than 100year history of student government at KU, but gender doesn’t matter. She’s focused on her platform of 11 goals, including improving grading consistency within academic departments, that she says will benefit all students.

“Once I started getting involved, the ball just kept rolling,” says Bolton.

Can students really change how the university operates? Absolutely, says Bolton, who wants to work in higher education and administration after graduation. Participating in campus and other organizations is essential if students want to help shape their educational environment and positively impact the surrounding community. “Service days like The Big Event show the Lawrence community that students do care,” Bolton says. “Students enjoy giving back.”

LAWRENCE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

T HE R EAL ITY O F ECO N OMIC DEVELO PMEN T by GREG WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT/CEO LAWRENCE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The term “economic development” means different things to different people. Without a common understanding of what economic development is, it is difficult to build a framework for discussion on what it means to our community. In its most simplistic definition, economic development is the process of creating community wealth by connecting business and people in way that allows them to make a profit. Economic development is the lifeblood of a community. It is fundamental to our success and helps community leaders ensure an improving quality of life for its citizens – both current and future. We know that successful economic development is not a “one size fits all” model and that no single model will meet the needs of all communities. Every community has unique assets, needs and opportunities. Successful economic growth requires an understanding of those assets, needs and opportunities, coupled with a business climate that embraces the innovation and entrepreneurship necessary to move from the generation of an idea to job creation. The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce plays a significant role in the development and implementation of an economic development platform at the local level. The Chamber’s goal, in concert with the city and county, is to position Lawrence and Douglas County for success, developing sound public policy and pro-business, common sense programs beneficial to companies who hire our residents. The City and County are doing tremendous things, develop-

ing policy with vision and forethought, with the goal of creating new jobs that benefit our citizens and community.

Earlier this year, Site Selection magazine (a national trade publication focused on economic development) released its list of top performing U.S. economic development groups. They are: The Baton Rouge Area Chamber; the Dallas Regional Chamber; the Greater Houston Partnership; the Nashville Area Chamber; the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance; and the Select Greater Philadelphia organization. Rankings were based on jobs and capital investment generated by corporate facility projects on a per capita basis, as well as creativity in strategy, depth and breadth of project activity, and the ability to generate “breakthrough deals”. This is a signal, loud and clear, that chambers of commerce that take their work very seriously lead the best economic development programs in America. Chambers of Commerce is the logical, natural place for community economic development programs to be born and implemented, and in Lawrence, led by a strong partnership between the Chamber of Commerce, Douglas County and the City of Lawrence. Economic development is one of the most high profile, and highly competitive, efforts any strong Chamber chooses to undertake. This is a challenge the Lawrence of Chamber of Commerce is ready to meet, working with the City and County to create jobs that benefit our residents and community.

SPACES: CENTER FOR DESIGN RESEARCH

photos by STEVEN HERTZOG & COURTESY OF KU/CDR

GREGORY THOMAS, CDR DIRECTOR, WITH 1954 AERIAL VIEW OF CHAMNEY FARM

OLD CHAMNEY BARN WEST CAMPUS The Center for Design Research (CDR) on KUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s west campus off Billings Parkway, is known for two of its iconic buildings: the 80+ year old Chamney Barn and a new building designed by Studio 804. The CDR is one of the first dedicated interdisciplinary workplaces at KU for multiple schools. Activities here focus on new technology and development of consumer products and services. It is part of the School of Architecture, Design & Planning. The Chamney FarmHouse will be used by faculty and grad students involved in projects done at CDR; one of which is for Bayer Healthcare this fall. The CDR has done projects for Ford Motor Company, Bushnell Corporation, Nokia, Herman Miller, Inc. and more. The Barn will house two design studios, where students will spend most of their time in their research and development of projects.

STUDIO 804 BUILDING The award winning, one of a kind, CDR building constructed by Studio 804 will serve as a class space, presentation and other needs for sponsored projects and other School/University needs. “The ‘one of a kind’ comes from the fact that there are a number of sustainable buildings around the country, but to my knowledge it is the only one inclusive of the many sustainable features; such as a wind turbine, 32 solar panels, the first electric vehicle charging station in Kansas and a smart meter provided by Westar Energy. It also has a 40-foot ‘living wall’ made up of 10,000 ferns, and much more,” says Gregory Thomas, professor of design and director of the CDR. The building was designed and built in 2010-11 by Department of Architecture’s Studio 804. “Masters of architecture students sign up for this class, which designs and constructs a building every year,” notes Thomas. “There were 20 in this specific class, almost evenly split men and women. Some had never held a hammer, others had worked on construction.”

Over 100 companies donated or provided at family rates equipment and materials. “For example, the exterior bricks were throwaways from 2 Kansas quarries and the students cut bricks from them; the furniture for the house and barn were donated by the Herman Miller Corporation.” Since it’s completion, the CDR building has hosted civic and sustainability focused, the City of Lawrence and others.

For additional information about the CDR, you can go to: http://kudesign.wordpress.com Or contact Gregory Thomas, Director at: gthomas@ku.edu

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VAN GO CELEBRATES 15 YEARS OF ARTS AND KIDS by DAISY WAKEFIELD

Lynne Greene, Founder and Director of Van Go, calls her employees her kiddos and it’s not meant to be patronizing. The employees are ages 14-21, and in her heart, they are her kids. A former social worker and art curator, Greene started Van Go in 1997 and merged her two passions - disadvantaged youth and art. Her vision was to give at-risk youth a venue for building relationships and esteem through making art.

To do this, Van Go hires teens for main and interim sessions of making art. The teens, who are called Apprentice Artists, work 10 hours a week and are paid minimum wage to create products for sale for fundraisers and commissioned work. Referred for employment mostly through social workers at schools, 70% of the employed teens at Van Go fall within poverty lines. Because of their socioeconomic backgrounds, they are at high risk for substance abuse, teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency and mental problems. “We get the kids that other people consider the ‘throw away kids,’”

Greene says, “But you look out on that [workspace] floor, and you see a bunch of teens who are working hard at their job. They are respected for what they bring, what they give, and who they are. For many of these kids, there is no other place where they can feel successful. But here, it is a fail safe program.” The fail safe aspect of it is what keeps the teens coming back. Many of them apply for a second or third session, and some are employed from 9th grade through their senior year of high school. The program has an attendance rate of 95%, a completion rate of 97%, and a higher graduation rate in similar peer comparisons. A separate program works with youth 18-21 in the transition from school to adulthood, aiding in social services and job placement. The studio space is a converted warehouse on the east side of town at 7th and New Jersey. It looks artsy even from the parking lot, with brightly painted Van Go Mobiles and plant-

ers of flowers. A large mural greets visitors in the open foyer. Glass offices and a computer lab of Macs line the perimeter of a large working studio floor. The woodcutting workshop, display studio and full kitchen round out the space. Van Go employs a 5 full-time staff and several part-time staff, including a full-time social worker. The teens work on their projects in the main studio space, but they also intermittently weave back to the offices, for help with homework, or advice on future plans, or most poignantly, an empathetic ear. “We do as much esteem building through the process of making art as some one-to-one social service programs do,” Greene says. “Making art builds esteem in these kids and ultimately impacts if they finish school.” Like other humanitarian non-profits, Van Go relies heavily on grants and individual donors for their yearly budget of $641K. Their sources of funding include city and federal

grants (38%), private foundations (12%), United Way (3%), private donors (10%), sales of artwork and facility rental (28%) and corporate sponsors (6%). Though the organization has suffered the loss of state funding, it has been able to keep up with their budget needs through increased private donations. But they are constantly mining for new grants and sources of funding. To sell artwork, Van Go holds several fundraisers throughout the year. What Floats Your Boat is held at the Clinton Lake marina, where there is an auction of summer-themed artwork set against beer, barbecue and a live band. The Holiday Adornment Sale is another major fundraiser at the studio, transformed into a twinkling wonderland for sales of wooden wastebaskets, fused glasswork and holiday ornaments. Van Go’s crowning achievement and most recognizable symbols are the art benches adorn businesses through the community. The Summer Benchmark project, which is a commission of 20-22 benches each year, begins in late May and ends with the bench dedication in late July. Businesses or individuals commission the benches for $1000 from Van Go, who assigns the work to employees whom they feel are a good pairing. Van Go has sold out of commissions each year. The artist meets twice with their client - initially to discuss the theme, and then again for the client to review and approve the design. They create blueprints for their design, and benches are cut at the workshop, with older teens doing their own woodcutting. A huge checklist of 30 steps is plastered on one of the studio walls for the workers to methodically go through all the stages of planning and implementing the work. The project culminates in a bench dedication, where the client sees the completed bench. The client agrees to display the bench and artist statement at their place of business. Close to 300 benches dot the business landscape throughout Lawrence. Word of mouth has widened the clientele to across the US, with notable clients being Best Buy, Del Monte, poet laureate Rita Dove and author Toni Morrison. Greene says that this business model serves as an effective tool for teaching the teen workers everything from meeting deadlines to interpersonal skills. The recognition that the teen receives through the public display of their bench is a profound part of the program’s success. “When the kids make a bench that they know will be in the public and seen, it’s an extension and reflection of them,” Greene says. “It’s a birthing process for them, from a seedling of an idea to the completion of their work.”

photos by KALEY CORNETT

photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

NE WS M A K E RS

P EOP L E O N THE MOV E. LAWRENCE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WOMEN BUILD HONORS MARILYN DOBSKI WITH NEW AWARD

Lawrence Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program is set to honor longtime Lawrence businesswomen Marilyn Dobski with a new award. The inaugural preMARILYN DOBSKI sentation of The Rosie will be at the 2nd Annual Women Build Luncheon, set for October 12 at 11:30 a.m. at Maceli’s in downtown Lawrence. The Women Build Luncheon is the main fundraiser for the annual Lawrence Habitat home sponsored by the Women Build program. The event features a live auction of items used to build the home. Women Build’s goal is to empower women to help eliminate poverty housing and provide a comfortable construction environment while building a Habitat home. Since opening her first McDonald’s in Leavenworth in 1981, Marilyn Dobski, along with her husband, Tom, have become deeply rooted in the Lawrence community. The Dobskis now own 12 McDonald’s restaurants in five counties and Marilyn has become a visible leader in both local business and the community. Marilyn

COTTONWOOD, INC. ANNOUNCES NEW CFO Cottonwood, Inc, a not-for-profit agency that supports persons with disabilities, is pleased to announce that Jessica Babcock has been named as the Chief Financial Officer, replacing the retiring Barbara Blevins. JESSICA BABCOCK

Ms. Babcock received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Kansas. She spent seven years in public accounting and is a licensed CPA. She is recently returned to Lawrence after spending the last two years as the Accounting Manager for Centennial Mental Health Center in Sterling, Colorado.

NEWSMAKERS

has spent time giving back through many local groups, including the Douglas County Community Foundation, the Lawrence Arts Center, the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, and Corpus Christi Catholic Church & School. She has won numerous awards for her business leadership and service to the community, including induction into the Lawrence Business Hall of Fame in 2010. Marilyn embodies the meaning behind The Rosie by empowering local women to succeed in business and in life. Marilyn and her husband, Tom, have been married for nearly 40 years. They have three sons, Michael, Kevin and Brian, and two grandchildren, Kendall and Hadley. The Rosie, named after Lawrence Women Build’s logo, Rosie the Riveter, is an award given to a local woman who stands out among her peers and empowers women to succeed in whatever they choose to do. Rosie the Riveter is an icon that inspired a social movement that made women an integral part of the economy in the United States. Recipients of The Rosie mentor and encourage local women, ultimately building women and building hope in Lawrence. To register for the Women Build Luncheon, visit LawrenceHabitat. org/Women-Build.

MIZE HOUSER LAWRENCE OFFICES MOVE Mize Houser & Company P.A. announces the relocation of its two Lawrence offices to a new, combined office at 211 E. Eighth Street in Lawrence. The firm has maintained two offices in Lawrence since Mize Houser’s merger with Lowenthal, Webb & Odermann on January 1, 2012. The new office, at the corner of Eighth and Rhode Island, offers the firm ample space to continue its growth in the Lawrence community. Mize Houser & Company P.A. was founded in 1956 in Topeka and currently has offices in Topeka, Lawrence and Overland Park, Kansas. The firm provides a complete range of accounting, audit, tax and information technology services to privately owned businesses in this region and to quick service restaurant owner/operators nationwide.

LEADERSHIP LAWRENCE INTRODUCES CLASS OF 2013 The Leadership Lawrence Class of 2013 will be formally introduced to the community at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18. The announcement reception will take place at Landmark National Bank, 4621 W. Sixth Street. There is no charge for the event, which is open to the public. Leadership Lawrence is a year-long professional development program sponsored by the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. It is beginning its 31st year and has graduated more than 700 community leaders. “This is an exceptional group selected from a diverse and highly qualified applicant pool,” said Sue Hack, executive director of Leadership Lawrence. “I’m looking forward to seeing how they engage with each other as they learn about the community and tackle the challenges and opportunities of civic and service leadership.” The Leadership Lawrence Class of 2013 includes: Ryan Brittingham, Legends Dental; Daryl Bugner, KERN Marketng Group; Lori Carson, Intrust Bank; David Cronin, City of Lawrence; Kristin Eldridge, Snap Promotions; Brad Farmer, Laser

Logic; Andy Flory, Lawrence Douglas County Fire and Medical; Emily Hampton, Douglas County Child Development Assoc.; Andrew Hansen, Peoples Bank; Garrett Harper, New York Life Insurance; Jeffrey Heiman, Stevens Brand; Kristi Henderson, KU College of Liberal Arts & Sciences; Ryan Hornberger, Lawrence Douglas County Fire and Medical; Linda Jalenak, Jalenak Accounting Service; Kathleen Johnson, The World Company; Susan Johnson, KState Research and Extension; Shannon Jones, Simple Solutions & Peak Performance Health Center; Cynthia Lewis, Douglas County VNA; Julie Lintecum, Julie Neal & Co.; Mike Logan, The Granada; Deborah Moody, Douglas County District Attorney’s Office; Debbie Pitts, Theatre Lawrence; Scott Risley, Risley Chiropractic; Adam Ritchie, LED Source; Eunice Ruttinger, Bert Nash Mental Health Center; Grant Ryan, Emprise Bank; Sarajane Scott Koch; Scott Temperature, Dan Simon, KU Endowment Association; Jay Smith, Central National Bank; Leslie Soden, Pet Minders of Lawrence; Amanda Storm, Trinity In-Home Care; Casey Toomay, City of Lawrence; Dori Villalon, Lawrence Humane Society; Jay Wachs, Great Plains Media; Jeanne Waisner, ICL Performance Products; Colby Wilson, Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence; Scott Woodhead, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. Leadership Lawrence is a program of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, designed to inspire and strengthen active leadership in Lawrence and Douglas County. For more information about Leadership Lawrence, visit the website at www.leadershiplawrence.org.

INDEPENDENCE, INC. ANNOUNCES NEW DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING Brenda Brown. Brenda a native Kansan has lived in Lawrence since 1985. She studied theatre design at KU but Most of her professional life has been spent in sales and marketing.” I have sold everything from cross-country skies to medical devises to people on Medicare and everything in between. The key to any successful selling is to be honest, up front, available, and positive. Perhaps that is the key to a successful life as well.” Brown says. She now brings her sales and marketing experience to help develop fund raising programs for Independence, Inc. Brenda is familiar face in the Lawrence business community through her work as the current co-chair of The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce Envoy Committee. She has also served on the steering committee for Lawrence Memorial Hospital’s Hearts of Gold Ball this past spring. Among other charities she has been a part of The Lawrence St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee since 1998, serving as the co-chair of the charity auction committee. “Volunteering and charity work is following my heart.” She says. “My mother has a disability and I think about her every day when I talk about Independence, Inc. because we help people like her of all ages. We help them live independently, work to better themselves, and give back to our community.”

BRENDA BROWN

SILVER LAKE BANK HIRES FALES Michelle Fales has joined Silver Lake Bank, Topeka, as a Vice President/Business Development Officer. Michelle has over 20 years of banking experience, mainly in the Lawrence area. She will continue to maintain a presence in the Lawrence market as well as Topeka. Michelle may be reached at 785-331-7589.

MICHELLE FALES

GREAT AMERICAN BANK AGREES

PHILSQUARE ANNOUNCES NEW

TO PURCHASE LONE SUMMIT BANK

WEBSITE WORKSHOP

Great American Bank in De Soto, Kansas has just announced an agreement to purchase Lone Summit Bank, Lake Lotawana, Missouri. Great American Bank is assuming all loans and deposits from Lone Summit Bank. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in the 4th quarter of 2012. The acquisition will increase Great American Bank’s asset size from approximately $60MM to $83MM.

Philsquare has designed a new workshop perfect for bloggers and small business owners to build their own website. This workshop is just 4 hours but will provide overall WordPress training including installing plugins and implementing widgets, assistance in obtaining safe and appropriate themes, and help with uploading content.

Travis Hicks, President and CEO of Great American Bank in De Soto stated, “Great American Bank is looking forward to serving the community of Lake Lotawana and continue expanding its presence in the Kansas City area. With a record of strong earnings and capital, we are well positioned to continue with this expansion.” Great American Bank was purchased by First Financial Bancshares of Lawrence, KS in July of 2008, at the time it was a $30MM bank. In September 2009 Great American Bank acquired the former First Bank of Kansas City at 39th and Main, from the FDIC. Great American Bank has been one of the fastest growing and most profitable banks in the Kansas City market over the last 4 year period. First Financial Bancshares, Inc. is a 2 bank holding company, and also owns Lawrence Bank, which has 2 locations in Lawrence, KS. The combined banks will give First Financial approximately $155MM in consolidated assets.

By the end of the workshop, attendees will have a published website. The workshop is 1-4pm on Saturday, September 22 at Van Go’s Digital Arts Lab. More details and registration at philsquare.com/ workshops. Philsquare is a website design and development business that is proudly based in Lawrence, Kansas. It was started by Phil Martinez, a Kansas native with a passion for industrial design, programming, and technology. He honed his programming, problem solving, and project management skills in the School of Engineering at the University of Kansas, graduating in 2007 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. In 2010, he left his successful engineering career to focus on his passion for programming and website development. In 2011, Phil started Philsquare LLC with himself as the only employee. Today, Philsquare has three full-time employees and a reputation for great customer service, elegant designs, and robust development. They have hosted web workshops since February 2011.

AMERICAN BUSINESS WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION 2012 SALUTE! A FESTIVAL

ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD

OF WINE & FOOD The 14th annual Salute! A Festival of Wine & Food was held July 12-14, 2012. This annual event is a benefit for Cottonwood, Inc., a not-for-profit agency in Lawrence that supports persons with disabilities in Douglas and Jefferson counties. The festival is underwritten by Standard Beverage Corporation. This year’s 3 day events were attended by over 1300 persons and netted almost $115,000 for Cottonwood. This is the most money ever raised from this event according to Peggy Wallert, Cottonwood Director of Community Relations and Development. The dates for the 2013 Salute events are July 11-13.

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The American Business Women’s Association, Lawrence Express Network has announced their 2012-2013 Board: Crystal Swearingen, President; Alice Brewer, President-Elect; Sheryl Dick, VP of Finance; Diane Yeamans, VP of Programming, Jan Stewart, VP of Communications; Daryl Bugner, VP of Marketing and Public Relations; and Dawn Hill, VP of Membership. The mission of the American Business Women’s Association is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition. The Lawrence chapter meets ever 4th Thursday of the month at 11:30am for lunch, networking and special presentations.

The Lawrence Business Magazine invites you to share news of new employees or promotions in 50 words or less. If you would like to submit an electronic color photo no less than 300 ppi, JPGs or TIFs, save on CD or emailed to N ewsM a kers @L aw ren ceBu s i n ess Ma ga zi n e.co m. Because of space and layout considerations, photos are not guaranteed to run. Send CD to: Lawrence Business Magazine, 1617 St. Andrews Drive Lawrence, Kansas 66047

All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reprinted or reproduced without the consent of the publisher. Lawrence Business Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Statements and opinions printed in Lawrence Business Magazine are those of the author or advertiser and not necessarily the opinion of Lawrence Business Magazine.

NEW BUSINESSES IN DOUGLAS COUNTY JULY - SEPTEMBER 2012

1955 LLC P O BOX 333 EUDORA, KS 66025

COMPETITIVE EJ, LLC 438 HUTTON CIRCLE LAWRENCE, KS 66049

AC PRODUCTIONS LLC 1616 NEW HAMPSHIRE STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044

CONSIGN & DESIGN LLC 925 IOWA STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044

ACROSS THE STREET L.L.C. 519 AMES ST BALDWIN CITY, KS 66006 ALPHA ROAST LLC 413 TRENT COURT LAWRENCE, KS 66049 ANCAM, LLC 4504 OAK TREE CT LAWRENCE, KS 66049

CP RESOLUTIONS, L.L.C. 2115 MARVONNE RD. LAWRENCE, KS 66047 CS PARTNERS, LLC 601 N IOWA ST. LAWRENCE, KS 66044 DOCMATTER GRAPHICS, LLC 3125 LONGHORN DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66049

KANSAS SOCIETY OF KARATE LLC 3728 W 24 STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66047

MEDASSURE HEARTLAND, LLC 300 ROCK FENCE PLACE LAWRENCE, KS 66049

RANSOM ENTERPRISES, LLC 2508 W 9TH ST. LAWRENCE, KS 66049

KELLY CLINE QUILTING, LLC 2300 OXFORD RD LAWRENCE, KS 66049

MILE HIGH CLUB LC PO BOX 4229 LAWRENCE, KS 66046

ROAD BIKE STUFF LLC 4301 W 24TH PLACE LAWRENCE, KS 66047

KENNEDY SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, LLC 1627 CADET AVE LAWRENCE, KS 66044

NATAGRI INTERNATIONAL, INC. 2730 OREGON STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66046

RSR HOLDINGS, LLP 2103 CROSSGATE CIR LAWRENCE, KS 66047

KEYSTONE NURSING LLC 324 TALL GRASS DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66049

NEW VICTORY, LLC 1263 N 100 RD. BALDWIN CITY, KS 66006

SCHAAKE’S PUMPKIN PATCH, L.C. 1791 N 1500 ROAD LAWRENCE, KS 66046

KIDDIE CLUBHOUSE, LLC 2712 STRATFORD ROAD LAWRENCE, KS 66049

OBIJI FARM, LLC 18641 STAIRSTEP ROAD LAWRENCE, KS 66044

SDN CREATIONS, LLC 1720 LAKE ALVAMAR DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66047

KNIGHT INDUSTRIES LLC 3006 W 29TH TERRACE LAWRENCE, KS 66047

OMSPROUT LLC 1341 MASSACHUSETTS STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044

SHANE MARKETING INC 1423 TAMARISK CT EUDORA, KS 66025

ARC AVIATION, LLC 1004 DIAMONDHEAD DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66049

DRAPERSTOWN ON KAW LLC 1211 MASSACHUSETTS STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044

ATOLL-BIO USA INC. 839 MISSOURI STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044

DW BREEDLOVE LLC 62 E 800 ROAD BALDWIN CITY, KS 66006

AUL APPRAISALS, L.C. 524 PIONEER ROAD LAWRENCE, KS 66049

E. GRANT LARKIN, D.D.S., LLC 1661 STRATFORD ROAD LAWRENCE, KS 66044

LARKBACH LLC 10 E 9TH ST LAWRENCE, KS 66044

BAUER FARM RETAIL PAD 2, LLC 110 MCDONALD DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66044

EDEN MASSAGE LLC 2223 LOUISIANA STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66046

LAWRENCE CREATES, INC. 714 MISSISSIPPI STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044

BELLAVIA REAL ESTATE, LLC RR 1762 LAWRENCE, KS 66049

EL PATRON, INC. 1618 LINDENWOOD LANE LAWRENCE, KS 66044

BIBERBROX LLC PO BOX 1212 LAWRENCE, KS 66044

ERNIE OSHEL CONTRACTOR, INC. 1100 DELAWARE STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044

LAWRENCE DOGTOBERFEST ASSOCIATION 512 E 9TH STREET SUITE EAST LAWRENCE, KS 66044

BIG TIME FLOPS, LLC 2745 CONEFLOWER COURT LAWRENCE, KS 66047 BIZI4, INC 4420 WIMBLEDON DR LAWRENCE, KS 66047 BKH GLOBAL ENTERPRISES, INC. 4718 HARVARD RD. LAWRENCE, KS 66049 BLISS SPORTS, LC 209 FALL CREEK ROAD N. LAWRENCE, KS 66049 BRADSHELLO AUTO L.L.C. 952 N. 3RD ST LAWRENCE, KS 66044 BTMC LLC 1004 WAGON WHEEL RD LAWRENCE, KS 66049 CAROLINE H. EDDINGER, CPA, LLC 729 MASSACHUSETTS ST LAWRENCE, KS 66044

FINOTECH PHARMA, LLC 1201 WAKARUSA DR., STE C-1 LAWRENCE, KS 66049 FREE STATE PRODUCTIONS INC. 3525 SWEET GRASS CT. LAWRENCE, KS 66049

LA TROPICANA, LLC 434 LOCUST STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044

LOGICWORKS, LLC 3514 CLINTON PARKWAY LAWRENCE, KS 66047 LOWENTHAL INVESTMENTS, L.L.C. P.O. BOX 1040 LAWRENCE, KS 66044 MACBEE ENTERPRISE, LLC 2537 CIMARRON DR LAWRENCE, KS 66046

GOULD EVANS, LLC 706 MASSACHUSETTS STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044

MAJOR CHIPS, LLC 2011 RIVER RIDGE LAWRENCE, KS 66044

GRAHAM CHANDLER ASSOCIATES, LLC P.O. BOX 4152 LAWRENCE, KS 66047

MAMMOTH MANAGEMENT, LLC 912 TENNESSEE ST LAWRENCE, KS 66044

GROWING UP GREEN CORP 8315 OAKCREST LANE OZAWKIE, KS 66070

MARLA QUILTS, INC, 109 PINECONE DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66046

HSK LLC 1414 WEST 6TH ST LAWRENCE, KS 66049

MARSHALL COUNTY VENTURES, LLC 1144 CYNTHIA LAWRENCE, KS 66049

CDL ENTERPRISES LLC 4401 HERITAGE DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66047

IMMEL EARLY EDUCATION ACADEMY, INC. 3045 WEST SEVENTH STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66049

MARTY’S LAWN AND LANDSCAPE, LLC 929 HOLIDAY DR LAWRENCE, KS 66049

CERTIVAULT LLC PO BOX 442242 LAWRENCE, KS 66044

JAYHAWK LIQUORS LLC 701 W 9TH STREET SUITE C LAWRENCE, KS 66044

MCGRATH PROPERTIES LLC PO BOX 16118 SHAWNEE, KS 66203

CHANNELS OF HEALING LLC 2201 W 25TH ST LAWRENCE, KS 66047

OMTREE SHALA LLC 1405 MASSACHUSETTS STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044 OTTAWA SCHOOL OF DANCE & GYMNASTICS, INC 4301 W 24TH PLACE LAWRENCE, KS 66047 PARK GROUP, LLC P.O. BOX 628 BALDWIN CITY, KS 66006 PEACE ENTERPRISES, LLC 625 WOODRING RD LECOMPTON, KS 66050 PEACH TREE ENTERPRISES, LLC 3728 OVERLAND COURT LAWRENCE, KS 66047 PERFORMANCE PROCESS SOLUTIONS, LLC 1205 CARDINAL DRIVE EUDORA, KS 66025 PETERS & WILLIAMS LLC 3504 WESTRIDGE DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66049 PETROLEUM INVESTMENTS CONGO LTD 909 CONGRESSIONAL DR LAWRENCE, KS 66049 PRAIRIE SWEET LLC 2929 KENSINGTON LAWRENCE, KS 66046 PRECISION METALCRAFT LLC 3920 DAYFLOWER STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66049 PRINTWORTH PRINTING LLC 1104 HIGH ST BALDWIN CITY, KS 66006 QUANTUM SHIFT PHYSICAL THERAPY AND WELLNESS CENTER, LLC 3115 W. 6TH STREET, STE. B LAWRENCE, KS 66049 QUIXOTIC ENTERTAINMENT, INC. 545 COLUMBIA DR. LAWRENCE, KS 66049

SHOP AND SAVE LLC 710 E 14TH PL EUDORA, KS 66025 SIGMA QS L.L.C. 2629 MISSOURI LAWRENCE, KS 66046 SPACECRAFT LLC 1104 E 900TH ROAD LAWRENCE, KS 66047 STEWART-ZIEGLER ENTERPRISES LLC 305 WAGON WHEEL ROAD LAWRENCE, KS 66049 TARA NELSON PHOTOGRAPHY LLC 220 E 18TH STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044 THE PINK SOPHIE COMPANY 3518 HARVARD DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66049 THE SHENAGO LOUNGE, LLC 1520 WAKARUSA DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66047 UNITED PRODUCERS ENTERTAINMENT INC. 3252 SWEET GRASS CT. LAWRENCE, KS 66049 WAGS ‘N WHISKERS, LLC 412 E 9TH STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044 WALKABOUT RETREAT AND HISTORY CENTER, LLC 890 E 1750 ROAD BALDWIN CITY, KS 66006 WEBCAM LEARNING LLC 1411 LEGENDS COURT LAWRENCE, KS 66049 WILLIAMS MANAGEMENT, LLC 800 WHEATON DR LAWRENCE, KS 66047 ZIMMERSCHIED ARCHITECTURE, LLC 901 BRANCHWOOD DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66049

W H OSE

D ES K?

Be the first to correctly guess which local business figure works behind this desk. Winner receives a $50 gift card to 23rd Street Brewery. facebook.com/lawrencebusinessmagazine