This Easter saw some gloomier weather than the past few years. In the Miller household, that didn’t stop us from transitioning to an indoor egg hunt for big “kid” prizes. Each egg throughout the house had a different letter inside, which was tied to a distinct gift. After all letters are placed to spell out an item, it’s yours! Ultimately, when all of our prizes are compiled, we often trade items around so everyone gets what they want anyway―except for the chocolate, which is usually held in the highest regard. Here’s a picture before the egg shenanigans (click here).

Powering Up Tomorrow’s Leaders

I was invited to speak to Neosho County Community College’s soon-to-be graduating electrician certification class this past Tuesday evening. Their final chapter hones in on leadership, as these individuals will probably serve in leadership roles, whether managing staff or even running their own business one day. I brought some concepts that I had learned from the Kansas Leadership Center to present. Through that dialogue, it is evident that some of these concepts made them uncomfortable. KLC believes that everyone can lead and that it’s not related to a position or authority, but rather it engages others to make progress together. For individuals who are currently working in this field, or plan to, they all admitted they’ve experienced very autocratic bosses while on the job. Sometimes, this can be to a fault, but sometimes, businesses must conduct themselves in this manner to keep things moving along. I think it’s fair to say that not one leadership style works in every scenario, but clear and consistent communication is always a winning attribute! I appreciate the class’s warm welcome and openness to new ideas. From our short time together, I have a strong feeling we’re adding a handful of really bright electricians to the workforce. Good work NCCC!

Planting Seeds with Fort Riley

Paul Bean and the Franklin County Development Council have built relationships with partners all over the region with the goal of making progress on some of our community challenges. One challenge facing our county (and so many others in the nation) is workforce shortages. Not enough bodies to fill the jobs available, which has been a consistent theme for some time. This adaptive challenge isn’t something that can get fixed overnight, but progress can be made! And progress was made this week through a partnership with Fort Riley.

Each year, thousands of military personnel transition from active duty to civilian life through this US Army base. These men and women come from all corners of the US and are looking for a fresh start, along with a home to relocate themselves and their families. An exciting decision that comes with a healthy amount of anxiety, especially when options seem limitless. Paul’s thought process is, “Why not Franklin County?” Our community hosted over a dozen soon-to-be transitioning military personnel this Wednesday, with tours to local industry and talks from local experts on education, real estate, and quality of life in our community (pictures here). I was invited to close out the evening with a quick conversation about why I love living in Franklin County. After a long day of running around, they were wiped out. But all of those with whom I had a chance to speak gave the same reaction: it was a good day! They all left with positive opinions about our community. Now, only time will tell whether they choose to relocate or find employment here. Paul can rest easy knowing that seeds were planted this week. I have a strong feeling that even if they don’t live here, they’ll remember the name Ottawa and Franklin County. And if they’re headed to a destination off I-35, they’ll stop for a visit. Hopefully, we can go through this process again soon!

Not Lost in History

The Franklin County Historical Society had its inaugural trivia night this week, hosted at Not Lost Brewing Company. This engaged seven teams, all with the goal of being top local historians (pictures here). Parker Olmsted, the MC for the evening, shared the prizes at the beginning of the event: “Along with bragging rights, first place receives a personalized plaque, second place receives a plaque as well, while third place receives nothing (this isn’t the Olympics)” (winners here). Topics included national, state, and county history. After seven rounds of questions, the final prompt allowed teams to wager their points for all the glory. You can try your luck―the question was, “During the flood of 1951, how high did the water get on the main floor of the Old Depot Museum (measured in feet)? You can see if your guess is correct (answer here)! At the end of the night, over a thousand dollars was raised for the Historical Society, and everyone walked away with more knowledge about local history.

Legacy of Leadership Continues

Yesterday afternoon saw the graduation of 18 outstanding leaders as the 2024/2025 Leadership Franklin County class came to a close (pictures here). Forty years ago, our Chamber hosted its inaugural class. Since then, hundreds of individuals have called themselves LFC alums. I’m proud to be part of the 2019/2020 LFC class, an experience that still holds so many fond memories. My class graduation in 2020 looked a little different than the one that took place yesterday. With the world being locked down for my graduation, I gave my final presentation over Zoom while lying in bed. This year’s graduation looked a bit more formal (like all non-pandemic years), with in-person presentations and physically handing plaques, certificates, and binders to all the graduates.

Each participant's last project is to recap their experience and share any tidbits with the class in a few minutes (picture here). The purpose of the exercise is to be reflective and maybe push some people out of their comfort zone if they don’t like public speaking. What I’m reminded of each year as I listen in on these presentations is that LFC significantly impacts participants' lives, and as a result, our entire community. I had chills on multiple occasions listening to class members share their experiences. All had nothing but positive feedback, sharing that what they learned about themselves, their community, and the other participants is going to make them more effective leaders. I jotted down a handful of pieces that stood out, and I wanted to share.

One said that before entering this class, they thought they were going to have to change their personality to be a better leader, but instead found that they needed to lean into who they were already.
Another said that they realize the power of mentorship and how real change occurs when younger generations have someone to guide them.
One comment was made about how a clique formed quickly when the class started, and they didn’t think that they’d ever get close to those involved. In the end, they were wrong. Some of those they became closest to were those aforementioned. They shared that the friends they made in these nine months were worth the experience alone.
A couple spoke on confidence, in themselves and as leaders. They said that this opportunity gave them confidence they didn’t have before. With that confidence comes calmness under pressure, which previously resulted in panic.

I’m incredibly proud of all of those who stepped out of their comfort zone these past nine months. This investment in personal growth is a true sign of leadership. I’m blessed to work with a group of trustees who have made this program so successful. Lastly, self-sponsored participant Brett Staneslow wrote this rhyme, which he shared during his presentation. If you’ve been through the class, it will have even more meaning―it’s worth a read (view that here).

Invested in Ottawa

Earlier this week, Ryan Henningsen, Jacob Boyd, and Casey Lytle invited Edward Jones clients and community members to come and hear a market update (picture here). With plenty of uncertainty around the stock market as of late, it’s understandable that there are questions about one's financial fate. Ryan shared that the best way to look at the future of investments is to look at the past. One out of four years has historically ended in the red. But in the other three, there have been positive returns. This is not to say that every four years, there will be one bad one, but on average, that’s the case. This doesn’t take away the fact that those lows can be scary and cause anxiety. But… those lows are only around for a quarter of the time. The best way to combat these instances is to be prepared! Ryan, Jacob, and Casey are there to help with just that.

This morning’s Chamber Coffee celebrates 50 years of Edward Jones (EJ) in Ottawa (pictures here). Ryan Henningsen has been a financial advisor for 24 of those years, following in his father's footsteps. Jacob joined Edward Jones Ottawa in 2020, making this summer his fifth year. Casey is the newest to the team, having joined about a year and a half ago. EJ has been located in half a dozen offices since its arrival in Ottawa. It has been located at 502 S Cedar and 101 N Main since 2014 (see location history here). Ryan shared a bit about the history of Edward Jones, which was founded in 1922 by Edward D. Jones in St. Louis, Missouri. Over those 100+ years, financial advising has changed quite a bit. One change being the title of the agents, historically being referred to as an Investment Representative. This later changed to Financial Advisor, and is now used to this day. That title references the fact that actual brokering of investments is just one piece of their job. Holistic financial advising is more representative of their role today. It was also neat to hear that EJ was one of the pioneers who brought this kind of financial support to rural communities. Prior to, one would have to drive to a metropolitan area to receive a service like this. Realizing that the ‘little guys’ needed financial support, Edward Jones reps began popping up in small communities.

I am grateful that we have three incredibly humble, community-minded individuals to serve in this way. In addition to helping their clients, these three give their time and treasure to so many different organizations in town. I’m grateful to work with each of them in various capacities. With strong leadership like this, I have no doubt there will be a 100th anniversary in the future!

Today marks my 28th trip around the sun! I was serenaded at this morning's coffee by those in attendance. I appreciate all the birthday wishes I’ve received so far today; I’m very blessed! If you’re reading this, you’re likely part of the reason for those feelings. So thank YOU! Makayla and I plan to lay low tonight. We’ll be heading to Branson for a quick getaway before the start of my conference, which will keep me out of the office until Thursday. I look forward to sharing more about our trip soon,

Ryland Miller

President/CEO

Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce

ryland@ottawakansas.org

785-242-1000