MANKATO — Since 2005, representatives of Mankato-area businesses, local governments, higher-education institutions and nonprofits have been periodically climbing aboard a chartered airplane for a trip to another city with the aim of building relationships, seeking creative solutions and contemplating south-central Minnesota’s future.
The Intercity Leadership Visits sponsored by Greater Mankato Growth were planned in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015 and 2018. Even with the cancellation of the 2008 trip due to the Great Recession, the current seven-year gap is the longest ever between trips.
The drought will end this year.
“The Greater Mankato InterCity Leadership Delegation is a visionary initiative designed to bring together leaders from across sectors — business, education, government, nonprofit, and faith communities — to explore innovative solutions and strengthen the region’s economy,” according to the GMG website encouraging “delegates” to sign up. “Through carefully planned visits to peer communities across the United States, delegates examine best practices, engage with local leaders, and study strategies that address challenges and opportunities similar to those facing the Greater Mankato region.”
At the most recent Mankato City Council work session, City Manager Susan Arntz attempted to gauge interest in making the trip — first cautioning that the destination was not The Emerald Isle. GMG chose Dublin and the coastal seaport of Sligo as the focus of an economic development trip scheduled for early September, but the Intercity Leadership Visit is further away — Nov. 5-7 — but not farther away.
“This in not about Ireland,” Arntz said. “This is about Wichita, Kansas.”
While it’s known as “Cowtown” for its cattle-drive past, Wichita is now the largest city in Kansas with a population of just under 400,000 and is a hub of culture, entertainment, manufacturing and engineering, according to the city’s website. It also ranks very high among American metropolitan areas for job growth, housing affordability and overall cost of living.
One of the pillars of GMG’s recently completed regional strategic plan, “Transforming Tomorrow Together,” is to make Mankato a “talent hub” capable of attracting and retaining the workforce necessary for the area economy to thrive. Wichita, according to GMG, has lessons to offer as Mankato works to prioritize “attracting, developing, and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce to power our region forward.”
The per-person cost of joining the Wichita trip is $2,495 for private sector/corporate officials, discounted to $1,875 for nonprofit and government representatives.
Arntz suggested a large municipal delegation might be overkill, considering the focus of the trip is more on business, economic growth, talent development and retention and — to some extent — higher education.
Council member Jessica Hatanpa agreed, based on her experience attending a previous Intercity Leadership Visit as a representative of her business.
“It’s really not for elected officials,” Hatanpa said.
She suggested Arntz and maybe Finance Director Parker Skophammer or Community Development Director Mark Konz represent the city and deliver a report to the elected officials upon their return.
“Us riding bikes through the city streets and seeing that they have bikes you could rent by swiping a credit card … . I think it’s a waste of money, in my opinion, for elected officials,” Hatanpa said.
Council President Laven noted that the trip is the culmination of the regional growth planning process that GMG undertakes every few years. The very first Intercity Leadership Visit — to Bellingham, Washington, in 2005 — was very focused on building relationships between the city, the business community and the university.
Subsequent trips were made to Fort Collins, Colorado; Charlottesville, Virginia; Columbia, Missouri; and Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Laven thought that the city of Mankato should be in Wichita, too: “I think we need a presence there.”
He didn’t, however, see a need for council members to be on hand, saying Wichita doesn’t have magic answers to reveal to visitors.
“It’s not anything we’re not doing,” Laven said of Wichita’s governance. “… There isn’t going to be a silver bullet about housing or transit. It’s just a matter of scale.”
GMG officials could not be reached for comment, but the organization — which serves as the area’s chamber of commerce and regional economic development entity — suggested on its website that more than 80 community stakeholders would be part of the delegation.
Two — possibly three — will be joining from Mankato City Hall. Arntz and Council member Dennis Dieken are attending for sure, and one more may join them, according to Arntz.
As for exploring Ireland, the city of Mankato is taking a pass.
“No one from the city is attending the international trip,” Arntz said.
