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Herington taps rural 'World Champion' fellow to jump-start downtown revival
Summary
The Herington City Commission heard a presentation from Lisa Schlessner, a recipient of the World Champion (rural champion) fellowship, who outlined a part-time role to coordinate downtown economic development, pursue Main Street designation and connect local businesses with county and state resources.
Lisa Schlessner, introduced at the Herington City Commission's Dec. 17 meeting, described work she will lead as a World Champion (rural champion) fellowship recipient to help revive downtown and prepare a Main Street program application.
Schlessner said the fellowship will be a part-time, 20-hours-per-week position focused on rebuilding relationships with local businesses, collecting data on downtown buildings, and providing hands-on support and trainings that help entrepreneurs move from idea to operation. She told commissioners the team plans to complete the Main Street application by late January and to use that framework to guide economic-development work.
City staff and partners described matching funds and local support for the fellowship. A staff member said the seed money for the program is about $25,000 and that the grant application process included local contributions from the Dickinson County EDC and Dickinson County Partnership. Schlessner credited Janet and Rhonda Rice and local partners for organizing application efforts.
Schlessner highlighted models from other Kansas communities: shared commercial kitchens, market-style vendor incubators and food-and-brew halls that provide lower-cost entry points for entrepreneurs. She said those approaches and Main Street strategies can help Herington make better use of existing downtown buildings.
Commissioners and staff said the fellowship is intended to be the boots-on-the-ground role that helps turn grant awards and strategy into tangible projects. Staff indicated the commission will revisit support for the position during the 2026 budget process and may seek ways to provide partial ongoing funding if the program shows local progress.
The presentation concluded with an outline of early objectives: create a consolidated community-development group, inventory downtown building conditions, gather business data with partner agencies and submit the Main Street program application. Officials indicated they will return with updates during next year's budget cycle.
