Editor’s Note: Great Bend Economic Development Director Jason Kuilan gave his first report to the Great Bend City Council at the Dec. 1 meeting. His comments were in the form of a letter, reprinted here.
Good evening, Mayor, City Council, and members of the public.
As this is my first official monthly report, I wanted to take a moment not just to share updates, but to offer an open letter to the community of Great Bend, something I’ve written after completing my first month as your Economic Development Director. ·
First, let’s clear up what Economic Development in Great Bend actually is.
Today, the organization is staffed by one full-time employee, me. I plan to post the second position shortly. Beyond that, everything we accomplish is driven by volunteers. That includes the board. It includes subcommittees. It includes neighbors and community members who choose to step up when something needs doing.
And what do we do?
Many people understandably associate GBED with the Innovation Center. It’s a major undertaking, one that will absolutely transform our region. And yes, I know people have questions, and I will address them shortly. But it’s equally important to understand that economic development is much larger than one building.
Every day, GBED is working quietly and consistently on efforts that rarely make headlines.
We are supporting small businesses, working with large employers, guiding community projects, strengthening our workforce, generating new opportunities, and building momentum that doesn’t always show up in a Facebook post.
We run programs like the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, ICE-House, Co.Starters, Ignite, the Job Fair, and the Workforce Development Summit. There are more that I am still learning myself, but they all share one purpose: ensuring Great Bend doesn’t remain stagnant but moves forward.
We also manage Great Bend Alive, the nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing our downtown and maintaining our accredited Main Street status. That means events like Fridays on Forest, The Big Bend Bash, and many holiday activities that make our city feel alive and connected.
We also oversee Advancing Barton County Childcare, a growing initiative working to increase childcare access so parents can work, businesses can grow, and families can thrive.
Each of these organizations is governed by volunteer boards. And unlike Congress, mine have term limits. This year, two board members will be rolling off the GBED board, which opens the door for two new community voices. Applications are open now, and we’ll begin meeting with candidates soon.
But you don’t have to sit on a board to be part of the change happening in Great Bend. GBED has subcommittees anyone can join: Entrepreneurship, Workforce Development, Housing, Marketing. And once the Innovation Center opens, we’ll be adding Education and Healthcare.
On these committees, you choose how you want to contribute, as a working member, an advisor, or a champion, all providing essential support with various levels of commitment.
This brings me to the purpose of this letter.
Great Bend is full of people with strong opinions about what this community should be. And that’s great. Passion is good. But passion without action doesn’t move a city forward.
If you want to see change, be a part of it.
If you’re tired of seeing “the same names,” become one of the new names.
If you want your voice to matter, bring it to the table where decisions are being made. And if you want to see progress, help build it.
Every major success in Great Bend past, present, and future has volunteers behind it. People who showed up. People who worked. So, I’m extending an open invitation ... directly, personally, and sincerely.
If you want to shape the future of Great Bend, reach out to me directly. Email me at Director@gbedinc.com. Let’s connect and find a place where your talents, passion, and energy can make the biggest impact.
I’ve only been here one month, and I can tell you this: Great Bend is full of good people who love this community. Let’s continue to build on this momentum by working together to build the community we collectively want.
The second thing I would like to share tonight are a few examples of what I have done during my first month in the role.
Over the past four weeks, I’ve focused on building the relationships and partnerships that unlock resources for our community. I began by meeting with Great Plains Development, Inc. at their annual meeting, an organization dedicated to supporting economic growth throughout our region. That one meeting turned into connections with Network Kansas and the Kansas Office of Innovation, which then led to meetings with the Kansas Department of Commerce.
Each of these organizations brings different tools, funding opportunities, technical support, and strategic expertise. My job is to understand what exists, where it lives, and how to bring it home to Great Bend for the right initiatives.
I also met with Kansas Main Street to ensure we are fully prepared for our on-site review later this month, an essential step in keeping Great Bend Alive accredited as a Main Street America community. And I want to emphasize what that accreditation really means.
It is not a participation trophy. It is a nationally recognized designation earned through rigorous standards of strong community engagement, sound nonprofit management, thoughtful planning, historic preservation, and measurable impact. It brings us:
• Access to additional resources and expert support
• Stronger funding and grant opportunities
• A proven, nationally recognized revitalization framework
• Greater credibility
• State and national visibility
Additionally, throughout the month, I have also met with each of my boards and subcommittees, and I’ve sat down with businesses of every size-from major employers to new startups. I’ve spoken with local entrepreneurs, MyTown, CKDI, the Golden Belt Community Foundation, and many other partners who are all working toward the same goal: strengthening Great Bend and Barton County.
I’ve also gathered input from people well outside our region as well, because outside perspective often reveals opportunities we haven’t considered. And I’ve spent time with both government agencies and private-sector foundations to explore grants, funding pathways, and long-term investment strategies.
I share all of this not as a checklist, but to reiterate my earlier point about what economic development really is here in Great Bend.
My role is to be the focal point between residents, businesses, community organizations, state partners, and external resources. It is my job to understand the full landscape of resources available to us and then channel those resources back into Great Bend in a way that leads to real, lasting improvement.
This work only succeeds when the community is engaged, willing to step up, participate, and partner together.
Innovation Center questions
Lastly, I want to address the status of the Innovation Center by answering some of the questions I hear most often. Transparency matters, and the community deserves clear answers.
Question 1: When will construction of the Innovation Center resume?
Answer: We are currently working with our_contractors to prioritize securing and winterizing the building. That work has already begun. Before anything else, we are making sure the structure is protected and prepared so construction can move forward responsibly.
Question 2: When will the Innovation Center be finished?
Answer: Our goal is to complete the building and begin scheduling events, programs, and classes by Sept. 30, 2026.
Question 3: What is the purpose of the Innovation Center?
Answer: The Innovation Center will serve many purposes, primarily it will address the region’s most pressing workforce, education, and community challenges. We will accomplish this by Strengthening entrepreneurship resources, expanding education opportunities, improving healthcare access, and increasing after school programming and childcare availability. This focus comes directly from the requirements of our primary funding source, the Kansas Children’s Cabinet & Trust Fund.
Question 4: What events, programs, and classes will the Innovation Center offer?
Answer: I am in the process of finalizing the vision for the full slate of programs, events, trainings, and educational opportunities that will live inside the Innovation Center. This work is being done collaboratively with businesses, educators, health care providers, and other partners.
These programs will be in addition to the many initiatives GBED already leads.
My goal is to share this full vision publicly before the end of the year. So stay tuned!
Question 5: How can I support the Innovation Center?
Answer: If you are a business, an organization, or simply someone who cares deeply about Great Bend’s future, you can play a role. We will always need partners to help with operations, programming, events, mentorship, expertise, funding, and countless other pieces that make a project of this scale successful long-term. If you want to be part of this next chapter, email me directly at Director@gbedinc.com.
With that, I want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone in Great Bend for the support, kindness, and warm welcome you’ve shown my wife and me as we settle into this community. In just a short time, we’ve already made a home here, dining at the newly reopened Tellers, grabbing a beer at Dry Lake, shopping and attending events downtown, catching the final games of a great Panther season, and now cheering on the Cougars. So truly ... thank you, Great Bend.
I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.
