Is Liberal stuck in a rut? A year and a half ago, José Lara thought so. The U.S. Census showed Liberal and Seward County losing population. There were only about 10 new houses being built each year in town. He wasn’t seeing new businesses open. “Our actual growth at that point was very, very limited. I definitely believe Liberal was in a rut,” he says. “We were not growing at a point that I would be comfortable with.” Lara, 32, an insurance agent who is married with three young kids, decided to get involved in his community. He ran for a seat on the Liberal City Commission, won and is now the first bilingual Latino mayor. … Language gaps such as the one Lara describes are an example of hidden barriers that can hold communities back. It’s hard for many to see them until there’s a crisis or an inadvertent solution comes along – in this case, Spanish-speaking commissioners coming on board – that quickly makes clear how things have advanced. But can community members also make conscious choices together that improve their economies? That’s what Lara and a group of about a dozen Liberal residents have been trying to learn through an effort over the past six months to improve what’s been termed the “entrepreneurial ecosystem.” … Through a three-month pilot program called Heartland Together… Liberal’s trailblazing dozen have been working to strengthen their leadership skills in order to get more people engaged in shaping their entrepreneurial ecosystem for the better. The hope is the training and activities associated with the program will help members of the community more effectively connect their networks and resources.
Source: KLC Journal
