Lawrence Business Magazine

DR. ZENGER ONSTUDENT ATHLETES& KU ATHLETICS

VOLUME 2, NO.44TH QUARTER 2012

IN THIS ISSUE:

FEATURES:

LIVE IT LOCAL SHOPPING LOCAL VS. ONLINE

THE BUSINESS OFINTERESTING FOOD

POLICINGPARADES & CELEBRATIONS

KU ATHLETICS: DR. ZENGER

WEAVERSTHE GIFT OF DOWNTOWN

BOOKSTORESIN A DIGITAL AGE

SPACESUNIQUE EVENT VENUES

IN EVERY ISSUE:

DOWNTOWN IN FOCUS

BUSINESS ON THE HILL

PROFESSIONAL SPOTLIGHT

FINANCIAL

TECHNOLOGY

LAWRENCE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

NON-PROFIT: BOYS & GIRLS CLUB

MANAGEMENT

MARKETING

LOCAL SCENE

NEWSMAKERS

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VOLUME 2 NO. 44TH QUARTER 2012

PUBLISHER:

MARK KERNLAWRENCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE, LLC

MANAGING/CREATIVE EDITOR:

ANN FRAME HERTZOG

ART DIRECTOR:

DARYL BUGNER

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT:

JOE RYAN, CLAY WESTERLUND

FEATURE WRITERS: ANNE BROCKHOFF, MARK FAGAN, DEREK HELMS, DAISY WAKEFIELD CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER:STEVEN HERTZOG

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: JANA DAWSON, ALEX DELANEY, TONI DIXON, JACKIE EVANS, GENE MEYER, JOE MONACO,DONI MOOBERRY, URSULA ROTHROCK, GREG WILLIAMS

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER:KALEY CORNETT

INQUIRIES & ADVERTISING INFORMATION CONTACT:

info@lawrencebusinessmagazine.comwww.LawrenceBusinessMagazine.com

Lawrence Business Magazine1617 St. Andrews DriveLawrence, KS 66047785.856.1990 (P) 785.856.1995 (F)

ON THE COVER: LEFT TO RIGHT: DR. ZENGER CENTER WITHSTUDENT ATHLETE LEADERS (L TO R)TOBEN OPURUM, ANDREA GUEBELLE, CAROLINE JARMOC, TRAVIS RELEFORD, MAGGIE HULL, MICHAEL STIGLER photo by Steven Hertzog

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Lawrence Business Magazine, is published quarterly by Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC and is distributed by direct mail to over 3000 businesses in the Lawrence & Douglas County Community. It is also distributed at key retail locations throughout the area and mailed to individual subscribers. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reprinted or reproduced without the publisher’s permission. Law-rence Business Magazine, LLC assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Statements and opinions printed in the Lawrence Business Magazine are the those of the author or advertiser and are not necessarily the opinion of Lawrence Business Magazine.

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DOWNTOWN LAWRENCE INC.

DOWNTOWN IN FOCUS

by DEREK HELMS

The Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has one mis-sion: put as many heads as possible in as many hotel beds as they can. Specifically, the CVB works to attract events to Lawrence that will bring countless numbers of visitors. In theory, those visitors will stay in Lawrence hotel rooms, eat at Lawrence restaurants and spend lots of money in downtown Lawrence and other Lawrence stores. The goal is a large and robust year-end balance in the city’s guest tax fund, which is funded with monies collected from hotels. “Really, we go to work everyday and get to brag about how great of

a place Lawrence, Kansas is,” says Christina Phelps, new Executive Director of the CVB. “We sell conferences and sporting events and even businesses on the uniqueness and great qualities of Lawrence. Not many people have a job as cool as that.” Phelps, a former hotel and advertising executive, took over the po-sition in November after a lengthy search for a new director. She says she needed to hit the ground running to keep up with the cur-rent staff. “The team here is just absolutely phenomenal,” Phelps says em-phatically. “This certainly is not the type of situation where some-

DOWNTOWN IN FOCUSLAWRENCE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

one needed to come in and implement new policies and practices. I just need to keep this team rolling ahead.” The CVB staff works, in reality, to ensure their positions for the following year. The entire budget for the organization derives from the city guest tax. If people aren’t visiting Lawrence and spending the night in hotel rooms, the CVB isn’t funded. The 2013 CVB budget is $806,000, increased from $720,000 in 2012. “We work very, very closely with local hotels,” Phelps says. “We almost think of the hotels in Lawrence as staff members.”

6 DOWNTOWN IN FOCUS

Though not on staff, multiple local hotel managers do serve on the CVB Advisory Board. The Advisory Board is a group of 12 mem-bers of the Lawrence business community that offer ideas and in-sights from their areas of expertise.

Jason Edmonds, Vice President of Financial Services at Morgan Stanley, is the board president. “I think I can speak on behalf of all the board members and say we serve on the board to help Lawrence,” Edmonds says. “I can help with some financial questions, obviously the hotel managers have great insights. We have some marketing representatives that help however they can. We don’t make decisions for the CVB, but we do all we can to help the staff bring people to town.”

Bringing people to town may mean hosting a health care confer-ence at Lawrence Memorial Hospital or a group of insurance bro-kers meeting in a hotel conference room. Those events are valued by the CVB, but it’s the sporting events that tend to get all the at-tention.

You know those crazy 5ks that seem to be occurring with ever-increasing frequency? That’s the work of Bob Sanner, CVB Sports and Marketing Manager. The Tour de Lawrence, national youth softball tournaments and Ironman Triathlon? Sanner and the CVB play a pivotal roll in all of them. “Lawrence is such a great sports town,” Sanner says. “More than just having world-class athletes, and we have great athletes in town, most Lawrence businesses understand the direct impact hosting tournaments and events can have on our community.”

Sanner sells sporting organizations on the practicality and profes-sionalism of Lawrence.

“We are 45 minutes from a major airport, have a great culture in town, a unique small-town feel and hundreds of available hotel rooms,” Sanner says. “But maybe most importantly, Lawrence has earned a reputation for hosting and supporting various sporting events.” The typical process of bringing an event to town involves countless emails, phone calls and often, a sight visit. Sight visits might be an afternoon. In the case of the AAU, which recently awarded Law-rence it’s cross country national championships, the visit included a group of organization officials and former Olympians and lasted 3 days.

“We had the visit planned meticulously,” Sanner says. “From the moment the group got off the plane to the moment we took them back to the airport, we knew where they would be, who they would be speaking with and what they would be seeing.”

Sanner believes Lawrence looks good on paper, but the key is get-ting decision makers to see the town. “The visits are really where we put our best foot forward,” Sanner says. “Many times if we can get a site visit, we can be very confident in securing the event. One of our biggest obstacles is overcoming the idea that Lawrence is just a small-town in Kansas. Sometimes that can work for us, in terms of discussing safety and traffic and things like that. But often people aren’t aware of the great cultural opportunities we have in here.”

Sanner, Phelps and Edmonds all agree the proposed Rock Chalk Park in west Lawrence will provide new opportunities for Law-rence.

“It’s an absolute game changer,” Sanner says. “Once the complex is completed, I’m not sure there will be another city in the Midwest better situated to host major youth sporting events. There are a lot of questions that still need to be answered, obviously, but having that many more courts and fields, in a state-of-the-art facility, will really qualify Lawrence to host larger, more lucrative events.”

Phelps is also excited about the possibilities.

“I think it will phenomenal,” Phelps says. “Anything that will help us bring more and more people to our great town is a positive. It’s a very exciting time to be working for the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.”

8 BUSINESS ON THE HILL

BUSINESS ON THE HILLby JOE MONACO, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

LARGEST GRANT IN KU HISTORY TO ASSIST

SCHOOLS WITH NEW EDUCATION MODEL

Researchers at the University of Kansas have been awarded a five-year, $24.5 million grant to develop a national center to assist schools across the country to implement KU’s successful model for educating general and special education students together and im-prove school-wide academic outcomes.

The award from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Spe-cial Education Programs will establish the SWIFT Center (School-wide Integrated Framework for Transformation) to be directed by Wayne Sailor, associate director of the KU Life Span Institute’s Beach Center on Disability. It is the largest award in KU history.

“Many educational researchers around the country have taken on the problem of inclusion, bringing special education and general education more closely together in a cohesive framework, but KU’s success has garnered the most national attention,” says Sailor, who is also a professor of special education.

The School-wide Applications Model (SAM), developed and re-fined over 10 years by Sailor and KU colleagues, including Amy McCart, associate research professor, and Nikki Wolf, assistant re-search professor from the Beach Center on Disability, significantly improved academic and behavior outcomes in 23 low-income ur-ban schools in Wyandotte County, Kan.; East Palo Alto, Calif., and Washington, D.C.

U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan has cited Anne Beers Elementary School in Washington, D.C., for the school’s “extraordinary job of inclusion.”

“I truly believe this award will change the face of education in America,” says McCart, who will serve as the new center’s second-in-command as director of technical assistance.

The SWIFT Center has multiple partners from KU, including five professors from the highly ranked Department of Special Educa-tion: Ann Turnbull; H.R. “Rud” Turnbull; Don Deshler; Kathleen Lane and Elizabeth Kozleski, chairwoman.

“This critical mass at KU enabled us to attract one of the largest grants in U.S. Department of Education history to translate our findings into school and school district practices across the coun-try,” Sailor says.

CAPITOL FEDERAL FOUNDATIONS COMMITS

$20 MILLION FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW KU

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS BUILDING

Capitol Federal Foundation of Topeka has committed a $20 million lead gift toward construction of a new School of Business build-ing at the University of Kansas. The gift, the largest in the business school’s history, is part of Far Above: The Campaign for Kansas, the university’s $1.2 billion comprehensive campaign. KU Endowment is working with alumni and friends to complete private funding for the building, which is expected to cost about $60 million.

This is the largest single gift the Capitol Federal Foundation has made.

“An outstanding School of Business is an integral part of every university,” says John B. Dicus, chairman, president and CEO of Capitol Federal Savings. “We’re proud to play a role in making this building a reality. With this gift, we are giving students at the Uni-versity of Kansas the opportunities they need to be successful in the business world.”

John B. Dicus earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from KU in 1983 and 1985, respectively. His fa-ther, John C. Dicus, chairman emeritus of Capitol Federal Savings, earned a bachelor’s degree in business from KU in 1955.

“A great school of business deserves a great place to do business,” says Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little. “Thanks to the generosity of the Capitol Federal Foundation, the KU School of Business will be able to compete with any business school in the world when it comes to having a modern facility to educate the leaders and entre-preneurs our communities need to grow and prosper.”

Neeli Bendapudi, dean of the KU School of Business, said business education must adapt to the rapid changes in the business landscape.

“This gift will help create an environment that fosters innovation in business education and research and at-tracts top students and faculty,” she says. “Capitol Fed-eral Foundation’s transformative gift is an investment in ensuring that our students and our state will be com-petitive in the global marketplace.”

The six-story, 166,000-square-foot building will be located on the east side of Naismith Drive, across from Allen Fieldhouse at the south entrance of the campus. It will feature the newest technology, modern learning labs, auditoriums and space for collaboration and research. A conceptual rendering has been submitted, and a com-pletion date will be determined once additional funding is secured.

Summerfield Hall, the current home of the School of Business, cannot accommodate future growth or meet the needs of the cur-rent business world. About 25 percent of incoming KU freshmen express an interest in majoring in business. The new facility is ex-pected to boost annual KU business graduates from 500 to 750 in the undergraduate program, and from 280 to 350 in the graduate program.

“create an environment that fosters innovation in business education and research and attracts top students and faculty”

Dean Neeli Bendapudi

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Capitol Federal Foundation was established to benefit the commu-nities in which Capitol Federal operates. The foundation is com-mitted to improving the quality of life in these communities by investing in the citizens of today and tomorrow. The foundation’s previous gifts for the School of Business include establishment of the Capitol Federal Distinguished Professorship in Financial Mar-kets. Moreover, it has supported The University of Kansas Cancer Center, scholarships for student athletes, the Lied Center of Kan-sas and Spencer Museum of Art.

NEW ENGINEERING BUILDING WILL

ACCOMODATE FOR GROWTH

In its ongoing effort to produce additional high-quality engineers to meet industry demands and boost the state and national econo-my, the University of Kansas School of Engineering will be break-ing ground this fall on new engineering facilities.

The $80 million, 140,000-square-foot project consists of two sep-arate buildings, one at the engineering complex and another on KU’s west campus. Through the University Engineering Expan-sion Act of 2011, the Kansas Department of Commerce is provid-ing $35 million for the project. The remaining $45 million will be from a combination of donor gifts through KU Endowment, the KU Center for Research and other university funds, including is-suing bonds to finance construction and related costs.

Staff in the School of Engineering has actively encouraged more high school students to pursue degrees in engineering and com-puting to meet industry needs. Undergraduate enrollment at the School of Engineering this fall was at a record 2,151 students. That included a 22% increase in freshman enrollment from the previ-ous year.

The building to be constructed at the engineering complex will be four stories and 110,000 square feet, located west of Spahr Library, between Learned Hall and the Measurement, Materials and Sus-tainable Environment Center (M2SEC). It will also extend west to the area currently occupied by Burt Hall.

“The main campus facility will become the keystone for the engi-neering complex – linking the state-of-the-art research facilities in M2SEC with our traditional Learned and Eaton halls,” JoAnn Browning, associate dean for administration in the School of En-gineering, says. “The new building will serve as the front door for the complex – a welcoming center for new students, a resource for current students, and a launching site for our newest graduates.”

The building on KU’s west campus will house a “high bay facility,” which is designed to provide ample space for research, testing and development of large, structural systems such as concrete piers or steel girder connections for bridges. Primarily faculty and students in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural En-gineering will use the 30,000-square-foot building.

“The new high-bay structural testing facility provides versatile space for large-scale testing of components and systems under large loads and deformations,” Browning says. “A 40-foot tall strong wall will enable lateral loading of these systems and posi-tion KU to perform structural testing that is currently not possible in the area.”

There will also be space for a new home for student projects, in-cluding groups of engineering students focused on developing sustainable approaches to energy infrastructure and automotive technologies.

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by URSULA ROTHROCK, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

BUSINESS ON THE HILL

“This project will help bolster the School of Engineering in many ways,” says Stan Rolfe, interim dean of engineering. “It will provide a state-of-the art learning environment for a growing number of students, space for additional faculty and a home to many of the services essential to recruiting and retaining high-quality engi-neering and computing students to meet the demands of industry. We are grateful to the state, the university and our donors for their support to make this building a reality.”

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES:

LEARNING WITHOUT BOUNDARIES

In the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at KU, we talk about learning without boundaries. Degrees from our 50 plus depart-ments are not always tied to a specific career track but are flexible and provide fundamental skills highly coveted by employers across the globe. Among these skills are analytical and creative thinking, strong written and oral communication, teamwork and collabora-tion, and the ability to view things in a global context. In essence, the liberal arts & sciences are about learning how to learn, a neces-sary skill no matter what occupation a student wishes to pursue.

Today we often hear people ask, “What is the value of a liberal arts & sciences education?” The answer is in the alumni profiles that follow. Rooted in the Lawrence community, Wint Winter, Erika Dvorske and Wayne Simien exemplify the qualities and diverse educational skills emphasized in the Col-lege. All of them aspire to be life-long learners and to make our community stronger and healthier.

WINT WINTER,

BA POLTICAL SCIENCE,

LAW DEGREE

Wint Winter’s roots in Douglas County run deep. As a fifth-generation resident of Douglas County, his commitment to the area comes as no surprise. After graduating from the University of Kansas College of Liberal Arts & Sciences with a bachelor’s degree in political science, he im-mediately attended law school at KU. Winter graduated from law school with several offers to work in big cities around the country, but instead chose to stay close to home and work for a law firm in Lawrence.

Winter not only stayed, but also made an indelible mark on the Lawrence business community. He has remained active in the law profession, currently a partner at Stevens & Brand, L.L.P. He served as a Kansas state senator for a decade in the ’80s and ’90s. Now, in addition to his law practice, Winter serves as the CEO and presi-dent of Peoples Bank.

Family ties to Douglas County guided Winter’s future, triggering his jump into local banking. His father, Wint Winter Sr., founded Peoples Bank and invited his son to be part of the family business.

“I think the liberal arts education I got really set the stage and gave me the tools to have all these different jobs,” Winter says. “I don’t think I would have had those opportunities had I not had a well-rounded education from the College. I just think the College teaches you to learn.”

After Douglas County fostered Winter’s education and careers, he wanted to give back to the community that had given so much to him and his family. Winter has extended his Lawrence connections to those looking for a foothold in the community. He offers intern-ships to KU students at Peoples Bank, supplying students with the opportunities he received as an undergraduate.

“I was able to be an intern when I was in school and I thought it was a very valuable experience,” Winter says. “I’ve had a lot of interns from KU, and I think it’s probably as much helping give back to KU and KU students as it is helping the company.”

Even with three careers, Winter has dedicated himself to giving back in more arenas than solely business. As a founder of The Shel-ter, a community service organization focused on improving the lives of children at risk in Douglas County, Winter strives to im-prove the lives of those in desperate need of help. He describes The Shelter as one of his passions, highlighting the support it receives from KU students and graduates.

“Lawrence has – for me – the historical family roots and the edu-cational opportunities that help support my business,” Winter says. “I think that Lawrence really provides the best of both worlds: it is a small town, it has a typical small-town kind of feel, but it’s got the intellectual vibrancy that the university brings.”

ERIKA DVORSKE,

MA’S ENGLISH & SLAVIC LANGUAGES

Twelve years ago, Erika Dvorske found herself in a position all too familiar. Although she had consecutively earned two master’s de-grees from the University of Kansas and had plenty of teaching ex-perience gained while earning her degrees, she lacked something key: employment.

By chance, as she describes it, she fell into a temp job at the United Way of Wyandotte County, Kan.

That temp job stuffing envelopes turned into a promotion, then an-other, then another, eventually evolving into a successful full-time career in community development. Dvorske worked at the United Way in Wyandotte for seven years, before moving to Lawrence to become the President and CEO of the United Way of Douglas County.

With master’s degrees in English and Slavic Languages, community development may not jump out as an obvious career path. Yet, for Dvorske it made sense. She had engaged in a meaningful year of

volunteer work between her bachelor’s degree and her master’s de-grees that changed her perspective on her goals.

“What I learned during that year was that I wanted to impact the world, but when I was trying to help an individual I always went to ‘What caused this?’” Dvorske says. “What I was able to do at the College was combine my love of the academic approach with what we can do to strengthen communities.”

After her volunteer experiences, she focused the research for her English degree in composition and rhetoric on communities, spe-cifically how communities engage and communicate, something she relies on in her work at United Way.

United Way supports and facilitates community resources that benefit Douglas County. It raised $1,700,000 in 2011 to support programs advancing the areas of education, health and income. Through collaboration with more than 20 local human services programs, it leads the community in reaching goals, engaging resi-dents and identifying where and how to efficiently and effectively administer help. Dvorske leads these initiatives on a daily basis.

“People in Douglas County want to respond to local needs and do so in the best possible way,” Dvorske says. “I love playing a small part in making that happen.”

WAYNE SIMIEN, BA SOCIOLOGY

The name Wayne Simien holds a certain significance for most Lawrence residents. Until a few years ago that name resonated with ideas of athletic and academic greatness from Simien’s time at the University of Kansas as a star student athlete. Now many associate Simien with another kind of greatness: helping the Law-rence community through community service, fundraising for lo-cal organizations and ministry work.

Simien founded the Called to Greatness program in 2007. He was still playing basketball professionally, having been a round-one pick in 2005 after an illustrious college basketball career at KU, graduating with a degree from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences in sociology. Called to Greatness is a Christian student ministry that reaches out to junior high, high school and college students, encouraging them to achieve greatness in every aspect of their lives. The program includes youth and campus ministry, athletic camps and inspirational and spiritual programs.

“When we think about greatness and what we’re trying to pur-sue, it’s not just limited to one particular area, but to every part of your life,” Simien says. “Being rooted in an academic community where higher learning is something a lot of people are involved in let us take the insight and knowledge people are learning from the university, but also steward it to influence society and culture as a whole.”

Simien’s dedication to social change can be seen in his undergrad-uate study in the Department of Sociology at KU. The sociology department stresses the study of human social behavior and its causes and consequences. Simien now applies these principles of social human behavior in his ministry and volunteer endeavors.

Simien maintains strong ties to the university as well; he is active in the Alumni Association, works with the K Club and acts as a volunteer mentor with the Athletics Department. Simien says the Called to Greatness program has a deep connection with the uni-versity – 21 of the 22 full-time staff members are KU alumni and three interns are KU students. He says his connections to the uni-versity helped lead him back to the Lawrence community after his basketball career.


JAY WACHS

FORMER GENERAL MANAGERGREAT PLAINS MEDIA

LBM: What is great plains media’s most important commodity or service? JW: Great Plains Media is a radio broadcasting con-glomerate that serves to inform, entertain and educate the listeners in its core service area. For 1320 KLWN, that core area is Lawrence and Douglas County. For 92.9 The Bull and 105.9 Kiss FM, that area encompasses a much larger territory which includes Topeka, Lawrence, Kansas City and the areas in between.

LBM: Other than monetary, what is Great Plains Media’s most important priority? JW: At Great Plains Media, they believe that when it is good in the community, it is good for you and me. That is a philosophy that requires a lot of action and very little posturing. They support locally-owned businesses in Lawrence and Douglas County by offering competi-tive advertising opportunities, and free on-air business interviews, and developing partnerships among our cli-ents that enable success with minimal risk. It also means supporting local charities and non-profit organizations with interviews, public service announcements, news bulletins and event support.

LBM: What have been some of the most important aspects of your success?

JW: If you surround yourself with successful people and you listen to their opinions and ideas with an open mind, you might learn a thing or two. Hank Booth has been instrumental in helping me develop a relationship with Lawrence and understand its core values. Through Hank and the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, I have met many other business leaders and decision makers who have become trusted advisors and friends. I was honored to be selected as a member of the Class of 2013 for Leadership Lawrence and from the moment the program began, I inherited a very large extended family of individuals who have a vested interest in my success and happiness.

LBM: How do you manage the day-to-day stress of business?

JW: Lots of daily laughter. Sometimes at the executive level, we tend to take ourselves and our position too seriously and we get lost in the title. I make it my business to try to enjoy every portion of my day and allow others to see me in that moment.

LBM: How do you reward excellent work performance?

JW: At Great Plains Media we had an employee of the month and a sales person of the month plaque system and a financial reward. In addition, we custom tailored personal incentive programs to our employees based on their individual needs, wants and desires.

LBM: How do you manage poor performance? JW: I have always believed in managing by individual need and skill set rather than attempting to apply a generic set of policies to a group of people. To that end, when performance is not up to expectation; work with the individual to take personal corrective action. The problem needs to be diagnosed and a remedy offered that must be taken and adhered to by the employee. If the employee follows the prescribed path, the outcome is almost always positive. Some take it more seriously than others. But discipline means improve, not remove and I believe you should only remove in situations where there has been a serious breech of company policy or the circumstances are no longer favorable to either party to continue the employment.

LBM: What is the biggest challenge you feel the radio industry faces?

JW: The economy has been very difficult for everyone in media since the economic collapse of 2008. For any business to succeed, the community must stand behind its businesses. Economic development in Lawrence and Douglas County will allow the radio stations to thrive and allow it to do more for the community in return. Having the support of local business makes the difference and this is not a problem that is unique to Great Plains Media. It is faced by the newspaper and cable television outlet as well. The bottom line is that if you are a Lawrence business, you should advertise with the mediums that serve Lawrence.

LBM: How many people Great Plains Media employ? JW: 50

LBM: How many of those live in Lawrence?

JW: 90%

LBM: Does Great Plains Media encourage people to live in Lawrence?

JW: Yes and Great Plains Media offers relocation assistance on a limited basis to our department heads who wish to live in Lawrence.

LBM: What is or is there a benefit?

JW: There is most definitely a benefit for both the employee and the company. I believe Lawrence is the best place to live and raise a family in Kansas. It provides cultural diversity, access to the arts, great restaurants and two amazing universities that serve the totality of our population. We have good medical care and you can get anywhere in Lawrence in under 15 minutes. That being said, the ease of the commute, the savings for automotive fuel and repair and the ability to get to and from work in a short time make a critical difference in employee productivity.

LBM: What is the biggest misconception about the radio business?

JW: That it’s a dying medium that saw its hey-day pre-internet and pre-satellite radio. The truth is radio is at its strongest posture than at any other time in my 27-year career. Over the last two years, radio usage among adults has increased 1% nationally from 93% to 94%. While the 1% might not seems like a large percentage, the raw population number is in the millions. The internet has enhanced radio station’s abilities to reach people. In addition to the listener bases in Lawrence and Topeka Kansas, there are listeners all over the world who listen to the streaming service online. As for satellite radio, it has actually driven more listener traffic to the local stations. There is no local content on Sirius-XM. When you want to know the news, the weather, the traffic, the scores of the games or

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the outcome of your local political race, the only radio station that provides that information is local radio.

LBM: What would you change about doing business in Lawrence?

JW: Great Plains Media has been successful with our business model in Lawrence and are pleased to report a 91% retention rate in our client base. That means that what we are doing is working for our clients because they keep coming back. When radio is done right (the right message repeated enough times over a consistent time frame) it NEVER fails. If we took that model and applied it to how business is done in Lawrence, we would see greater success as a community.

LBM: How does your business make a positive impact on the Lawrence community?

JW: Providing local news, weather and sports on 1320 KLWN fulfills a civic duty to our listeners. Supporting the arts, local non-profits and charities makes the community a better place to live. Covering events put on by the Chamber like Eggs and Issues has allowed the community to take part in events that their schedules may not allow. Broadcasting the band concerts from South Park this past summer allowed shut-ins to enjoy a local event.

LBM: What do you see as the community’s role in the media and radio business? Its responsibility?

JW: The station provides a service for the members of our community. Give feedback: what do you like, what you do not like. The community’s support of what the station does is of paramount importance to survival. The station belongs to the community. When listeners of 1320 KLWN said they wanted more live, local content the response was to give them their radio station back. In 2012, the station went from 3 hours of live and local programming daily to 10 hours.

LBM: You operate in a very competitive industry. How have you managed to remain relevant and profitable?

JW: KLWN is having the best year in its 62-year history both in terms of ratings and revenue. The secret to that success has been listening to the needs of the community and responding. Radio

has the advantage of being the only mobile medium. You can listen at home, at work and in the car. Being a source for severe weather coverage, news, sports and information that is specific to, and germane, to Lawrence Kansas has made the difference.

LBM: Over the course of your career, what has been the single largest change in the radio or media busi-ness environment?

JW: When I started in 1985, I worked for a single station that had a single owner. We had local control of our programming, operations and budget. When the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was passed and deregulation of the industry occurred, large corporations bought up as many radio stations as their lenders would allow. To maximize profits, these companies streamlined programming decisions so that what you heard in one market was what you heard in all markets. The localism was eliminated. The live personalities were eliminated and the connection to the community was severed. I experienced that disconnect at Clear Channel, Radio One and Cumulus first hand. It is the reason why I went to work for Great Plains Media, which is a small private company that allows for local control of content and encourages community involvement. There are no two communities in this country that are exactly the same. The lack of recognition of that critical key fact is the greatest threat to media today.

LBM: What do you foresee as being the biggest challenge to the radio/communications business? JW: The ability to adapt to new technologies and content dissemination mechanisms is our industry’s biggest challenge. When I started, we had a radio station. Now, we are content providers with multiple avenues to share that content with our listeners. Traditional terrestrial radio will always be at the forefront, but proper use of streaming broadcasts, pod-casting, social media, websites and blogging are all important components. For those that are stuck in the ways of the past and unwilling to accept change or development, becoming irrelevant is perhaps the only kindness they will know.

Jay Wachs was formerly the General Manager of Great Plains Media which owns 1320 KLWN, 92.9 The Bull and 105.9 Kiss FM. Jay is on the board of Theater Lawrence, Independence Inc. and a member of the Class of 2013 of Leadership Lawrence. He has been a Rotarian since 2007 and is the proud father of two daughters: Melanie, 17 and Rachel, 12 and three cats, one of which was adopted this past July from the Lawrence Humane Society. In his spare time, Jay enjoys reading, cooking, theater, music, movies and exploring historically and culturally significant destinations.


17

$

BONNER OWNS AL BONNER CONSULTING; A LAWRENCE BASED DIGITAL CON-

SULTING COMPANY. HE ALSO WORKS WITH V3 INTEGRATED MARKETING IN KAN-

SAS CITY. [email protected]

The usual push for year-end donations looks the same this year as every other year. My mailbox and email inbox have begun receiving a steady stream of solicitations from various local, national and international charities. Many of them tout the same benefits to giving that are familiar to most of us. Although most of these strategies are already well known, the tax benefits to giving strategically are always worth a brief mention.

Strategy for charitable giving is complicated this year by the uncertainty surrounding the fiscal cliff negotiations currently dominating the economic headlines, because the amounts you can deduct could be reduced. There is no way now to know for sure who will be affected and by how much, but it is likely that some of the ways you can save this year may not be available in the future.

Once you have developed a giving strategy – determining what you hope to achieve through your charitable giving – it is prudent to spend a bit of time planning the actual mechanics of the gifts to take advantage of potential tax savings. That way, you can maximize the value of the charitable deduction you can take if you itemize deductions on your annual 1040.

If you hold appreciated securities in your portfolio, you can get more bang for your buck by transferring these assets

CHARITABLE GIVING IN AN UNCERTAIN TAX ENVIRONMENT

by DONI L. MOOBERRY

MOOBERRY FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, LLC

FINANCIAL

directly to the charity. The greater the gain you have on these securities, the more it will save you on taxes. Utilizing this method of giving will not only give you a charitable deduction in the amount of the fair market value of the security on the date of the gift, but since you haven’t actually sold the security, you avoid realizing and paying tax on the appreciation. The charity will not have to pay any tax on the gain either.

Another thing to consider when planning charitable giving is timing of the gift with respect to your tax situation for any given year. In years that your income is expected to be substantially higher, it often makes sense to bunch charitable deductions into that year; the deduction might offset income that would put you into a higher tax bracket. It may make even more sense for you this year, because a provision to cap at 28 percent the value of all itemized deductions, including the deduction for charitable donations, may be one outcome of “Fiscal cliff ” negotiations.

Moreover, without Congressional action, 2013 will see the reinstatement of the gradual phase-out of itemized deductions.

Given these two possible outcomes, charitable donations may be more valuable for reducing taxes this year than next, especially for high-income taxpayers, who might want to take advantage of the maximum allowable tax deduction for charitable donations in 2012 (50 % of Adjusted Gross Income).

Taxpayers who want to maximize giving in 2012 to realize what could potentially be the highest deduction value for the charitable dollars, yet still support individual charitable organizations in future years can avail themselves of institutions such as the Douglas County Community Foundation. Such institutions provide a vehicle that allows donors to take an immediate tax deduction, while making recommendations for distributing the funds in later months or years to qualified 501(c) (3) organizations at whatever times the donor wishes. Organizations like the Community Foundation have 501(c) (3) status themselves, and can accept gifts of appreciated securities in addition to cash donations and other types of assets.

19

EXAMPLE 1: You take a photo on your mobile phone and it almost instantly appears on your desktop and tablet. Is it magic? Of course not, the only magic here is a cloud service at work. The cloud software in your phone, once purchased and activated, uploads the photo to one of the cloud provider’s many servers, where it is then stored. Similar cloud service software on your desktop or tablet sees the photo that has been loaded on the server, and downloads it so that it is available on all your devices. What may seem like magic to some is really just a series of digital tagging, and automated downloading and uploading.

EXAMPLE 2: Your company uses a database to store client information and sales records that are accessed by many offices across the country. Rather than having to store the data on company owned equipment in each location, and deal with the maintenance, licensing, and staffing that can come with owning servers, the company has decided to subscribe to a third party cloud service to handle the information, also referred to as a database. The database can be delivered as a website, a piece of software, or even a mobile app. As an end-user, you are assigned a username and password, which can be used to access the database no matter where you are, or what device you are using, with very little chance the service will ever be unavailable.

TECHNOLOGY

by ALEX DELANEYPRINCIPAL, INDEPSYS INC

WHAT IS A

CLOUD?

Of all the questions that I get asked on a daily basis, one of the most frequent is, “What exactly is

the Cloud?” I can understand the confusion, because the answer can vary a lot depending on whom

you ask, and some answers can get very technical and complicated.

Simply put, the Cloud is a service provided by a third party company that specializes in storage

of media and/or software. This stored media and/or software can then be delivered to all of your

devices, either mobile or stationary. To help take this definition even further, let’s look at a few

examples in which the Cloud may be used.

Example 3: A growing company wants their employees to have a full desktop experience without the high cost of licensing and equipment for each employee plus the additional cost of maintenance and insurance. After researching available options, they have decided to deploy a server, or series of servers that they either own and operate, or lease. Now they are able to provide a remote desktop complete with email, word processor, and spreadsheet authoring software in a true desktop style, without the cost of individual equipment, and little or no maintenance. Employees from anywhere in the world can access their “computer” from nearly any device with an internet connection, allowing for remote productivity. Microsoft’s Terminal Services and Citrix, Inc’s. Citrix environments are perfect examples of this.

These examples show some of the benefits of the Cloud, but just like any other service, individual providers deliver these benefits differently, each having strengths and weaknesses. There are many companies that provide cloud services but for the purposes of this article I will review only a few of the most popular consumer level providers.

The first, and most popular is Dropbox. Dropbox has a huge advantage as they supply software and apps for almost every device and platform, from Windows to Mac, to iPhone and Android. This makes uploading and accessing photos, documents, and other media very easy and convenient. Unfortunately, Dropbox has recently had some very serious issues with security, making users take caution with what they store there. This shouldn’t discourage average consumers to use the service, but it may make some businesses think twice.

The next is Apple’s iCloud service. Apple has always done a fantastic job integrating their software across all the devices they make. If you have an iPad, an iPhone, and a MacBook you’ll most likely find

the service to be very fluid and easy to use. If you own an iPhone but do not use a Mac computer however, things can get a little more complicated. Many users in this situation find that there are some things that will sync, some things that sometimes sync, and some that just simply won’t sync at all. And with Apple’s new operating system, even Mac users are seeing some of these problems.

Google Drive is definitely your best option if you have an Android device. And, everyone that has a Gmail address already has a Drive account. The service automatically sets itself up as a folder on your desktop or laptop, and users can simply drag-and-drop documents or other media to this folder to sync. Disappointingly, many users report issues with the documents never syncing, or when they do, they have been converted to file types that the average user can’t open. There are work-arounds that have been found and posted on the Internet, but finding help from Google itself can prove fruitless.

Finally we’ll look at a few notables. Microsoft’s SkyDrive, on the new Windows 8 phones and desktops, looks very promising. Little known SugarSync has received very high marks by some online bloggers and tech news websites. Some providers have a specific niche in the Cloud. Evernote for example does a great job of taking notes in various forms (photos, text, and even audio) and stores them in a cloud style.

Cloud computing is going to be around for a long time and there are many service providers that are getting into the increasingly popular and quickly improving “Cloud” market. As well it should be. It meets the needs of many users and makes our digital lives a lot easier. So ask your tech guy what solution would be best for you, and start enjoying the benefits of “THE CLOUD.”

21

Stephan Prô could use a laptop, tablet or iPhone to pull up all the detailed information anyone could imagine about wineries, vineyards and varieties. He also could go electronic to buy bottles from California, France or most anywhere else grapes are aged into wine.

But the orthopedic surgeon prefers instead to venture into a bustling shop tucked into the corner of a strip center in northwest Lawrence. That’s where he finds two especially attentive wine merchants willing to share their experiences, enthusiasm and inventory with anyone showing an interest.Their complimentary wine tastings each Saturday afternoon merely confirm what Prô’s always known: The personal touch is always best.

“I don’t want to spend the time to research and check things out online to know what’s ‘good’ and what’s ‘not good,’ ” Prô says as he peruses the wire shelves one Saturday at City Wine Market, swirling a glass of red said to pair well with turkey and other trimmings for Thanksgiving. “If it’s in their store, it’s good. And the knowledge these guys have is great, as well as the help they provide. You can’t go online and get that.”

Score one for the locals.

In a world where cost and convenience are feeding a growing market share through e-commerce — the National Retail Federation forecasts that more than half of Americans will shop online for the winter holidays, spending a record of up to $96 billion online — local merchants are doing what they’ve always done to survive and thrive: Adapt. Focus. Compete. Serve.

by MARK FAGAN


LIVE IT LOCAL:

SHOPPING LOCAL MAKES A DIFFERENCE

CITY WINE MARKET

22

“I would argue that the one thing that local businesses can do is to provide service that can’t be outsourced,” says Steve Wilson, who runs City Wine Market with Jamie Routledge at 4821 W. Sixth St. “So the challenge is on us to provide better service than you’d get if you called an 800 number.”

City Wine Market — with its knowledgeable staff, accessible prices and timely tasting events — isn’t the only merchant in town carving out a niche in an increasingly online economy.

That’s welcome news for John Ross, chairman of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. He sees such community commerce as critical for preserving, protecting and promoting the services that make Lawrence the livable community that it is.

“When you generate local sales tax, it supports the local infrastructure we all have come to know and depend upon,” says Ross, whose organization champions the “Live It Local” campaign to raise awareness of such issues.

Buying consumer goods in town means pumping money into local government accounts used to finance an array of municipal projects and services: police and fire protection, parks and recreation projects and programs, road maintenance and upgrades and on and on.

Owners of local businesses, in turn, tend to spend their revenues locally, creating a churn of money that supports municipal services and allows the businesses to hire local workers, who also spend their money locally. And folks in local businesses, Ross notes, often are the ones out there volunteering with social

service agencies, coaching youth sports teams and otherwise bolstering community-oriented programs that make a difference in everyone’s lives.

“When you’re buying local,” Ross says, “you’re supporting everything that we love.”

Ross is confident that local businesses can continue to meet the needs of local residents, even as online operations pose increased competition. Not that it’s easy. At his own business, Laser Logic, Ross had to make changes to prevent his complimentary network-consulting services from being used by others to buy products from online competitors. “It’s a challenge,” Ross says.

Jennifer and Matt Richards are up for it. When they opened their own shop, Made, in downtown Lawrence back in June 2011, they were careful to offer only unique gifts from local and regional providers, whose one-of-a-kind products and product lines present a contrast to mass-marketed items easily found online.

Made stocks glasses made from recycled beer and vodka bottles, and notebooks bound in scorecards from nearby golf courses. Hand towels, letterpress coasters and solid granite drink chillers share space with spices mixed, and pistachios flavored, by the folks at Nut Nation, just at the edge of Lawrence on the south side of Clinton Lake.

Like many small, independent shops, Made relies on limited inventories and close connections to stay above the online fray — even while dabbling in social media to build buzz and line up a few sales.

LIVE IT LOCAL

23

Jennifer Richards regularly posts photos of new items to the shop’s Facebook page, an account that eclipsed 1,000 “likes” just as the holiday shopping season began. The world’s largest social network allows her to let interested folks know when a shipment of, say, 10 leather credit card wallets hits the shelves.

Then she can take requests for setting particular ones aside for customers who promise to stop by after work, or perhaps seek other special arrangements.

“We can pull it and mail it,” she says, pointing to a space behind the counter for set-asides. “We do ship.”

Such customer service long has been in vogue at Weaver’s Department Store, a fixture in downtown Lawrence for more than 155 years.

Joe Flannery, president of Weaver’s, acknowledges that online sales do cut into the store’s sales. But the business remains strong by doing what it does best: offering clothes, cosmetics, accessories, small appliances, gifts and everything else that customers expect, and doing so at competitive prices and with attentive and knowledgeable customer service.

Weaver’s employs 50 people, in a combination of full and part-time roles, and once again the store will provide what remains

its signature holiday service: cheerful, complimentary gift wrapping.

The store even offers free delivery for customers in Lawrence.“We believe that customers still like to touch and feel the merchandise — to feel it,” Flannery says. “We try to make sure it’s convenient, with our personal service.”

Such familiar services aren’t going anywhere, but even a store that’s been around a year longer than Macy’s soon will be entering the digital age. Flannery plans to introduce online shopping at Weaver’s sometime in 2013 — not as a replacement for the personal touch, but instead as an extension of the connections already made inside the stalwart building at 901 Mass.

“We just want to make sure we do it right, and make it simple for the customer and for our order fulfillment,” Flannery says. “It’s all about relationships. When we do online, we still want to have those relationships.”

The city of Lawrence is counting on local merchants to build bricks-and-mortar success in the increasingly online economy, as municipal services continue to rely heavily on revenues from sales taxes to finance operations. Many online sales are not subject to taxation.

“WHEN YOU’RE BUYING LOCAL, YOU’RE SUPPORTING EVERYTHING THAT WE LOVE.”

-JOHN ROSS

LIVE IT LOCAL

David Corliss, city manager, said that the city would continue to try to convince lawmakers to require that sales taxes be assessed on all online purchases, regardless of whether a particular merchant operates a physical presence in Lawrence or elsewhere in Kansas.

More online shopping means less money for basic services.“I have a budget that needs $30 million in sales taxes,” Corliss says, noting that buying from L.L. Bean doesn’t put fuel in the tanks of police cars, maintain equipment for parks or provide support for most other municipal services.

Flannery is confident that Lawrence shoppers will continue to spend money in town, money that helps the community offer the important protections, services and amenities that make it a special place. Sales taxes make a big difference, he says, but all businesses owned by Lawrence people also spend their money locally, which in turn helps other businesses and the people they employ.

“Lawrence people are very astute,” he says. “They know it makes a difference.”

25

26

The new year is under way at the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. The start of a new year offers both people and organizations the opportunity to set and achieve new goals. Like many of you, the Chamber has set its goals for 2013 and beyond.

Leading our efforts to achieve newly established goals is a group of key volunteer leaders – our Board of Directors. We salute these men and women who volunteer their time and experience and recognize the companies that support them in serving the community.

The Chamber will focus on three strategic priorities in 2013:

• Regional economic growth and job creation by working across Douglas County and the larger region to recruit, retain, expand and encourage business growth.

• To identify issues and advocate for solutions to issues affecting economic growth in the region.

• Creating opportunities for our member businesses to network, develop business connections and increase their companies’ visibility throughout the region.

These three strategic priorities will guide everything the Chamber does in service to its members and to the larger community. We believe the business owners and operators in Lawrence play a critical role in the future of

our community providing the investment that helps sustain the quality of life we all enjoy. The Chamber is working to become a more relevant, more productive and more “value-oriented” business advocacy and economic development organization.

In 2013 and beyond, we will maintain a laser-like focus on meeting, and exceeding, the expectations of our customers, this community and the region through facilitating the creation and retention of quality jobs and building strong regional partnerships that position us in the most positive manner for the future.

I encourage you to read our complete 2013 business plan “Moving Forward,” on the Chamber’s website at www.lawrencechamber.com.

by GREG WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT/CEO LAWRENCE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

28

Food is a powerful thing, especially when you’re living in a foreign country. Just ask Lora Wiley, co-owner of Au Marché, which specializes in European food.

Wiley spent a year studying in France during college and was starting to feel homesick when she visited a friend in Aix-en-Provence. While there, Wiley wandered into a shop selling American food. She never forgot the feeling.

“I was surprised by how emotional I was at seeing things like Skittles, Budweiser and Oreos,” Wiley says. “I didn’t even eat much of those things back home, but it really pulled at my heartstrings.”

She’s not alone. Every day, a growing number of consum-ers seek the flavors of home or tastes from their travels at Au Marché, Brits, the Mediterranean Market & Café and supermarkets such as Checkers Foods. Nationwide, retail sales of specialty foods rose 9.2 percent to $59.7 billion in 2011, according to the National Association for the Spe-cialty Food Trade.

“The U.S. has gotten so much more interested in food and food culture,” says Louise Kramer, a spokeswoman for the

trade group. “Especially in the past few years, there’s been an amazing passion for the world of food.”

No one knows that better than Sally Helm, who opened Brits with her then-business partner Susie Pryor in 1995. Food accounts for about 60 percent of Brits’ sales, while bath and body products, Dr. Who merchandise, giftware, DVD and VHS rentals and memorabilia from Prince Wil-liam’s wedding and other events generate the rest.

Helm buys HobNobs (a cookie-like snack), Fairy liquid dishwashing soap, HP Sauce and Cadbury Flake chocolate bars and other staples from several U.S.-based specialty distributors. Still, keeping track of which company has what brands in stock at any given time is tricky, especially since expected shipments are sometimes delayed in cus-toms.

FOODby ANNE BROCKHOFFphotos by STEVEN HERTZOG

INTERESTING

THE BUSINESS OF

Importing gift items directly was problematic until recently. Now, Helm occasionally uses an online payment system called Xoom.com and co-loads containers with other companies. She won’t import food herself because the process is too complicated and unpredictable, especially when it comes to meat and cheese prod-ucts.

Instead, Helm stocks her freezer case with sausages and savory meat pies made by Cameron’s Market, the English Pork Pie Com-

pany and other American companies with British roots. Still, dis-tribution remains Helm’s biggest challenge.

“It’s what our little industry is lacking,” says Helm, who also sells goods through the Brits web site. “There’s no real distribution net-work.”

Brits moved to its current location at 929 Massachusetts Street in 2003, just as Wiley’s Au Marché was moving in next door. The two share more than a wall, though—theirs is also a shared history.

Wiley befriended Helm and Pryor after visiting their store in 1996, and the women asked her to become their partner in open-ing Au Marché two years later. Wiley bought Pryor’s share of the business in 2006; Helm retains her one-third stake in Au Marché and is now the sole owner of Brits. The two companies collabo-

INTERESTING

“THE U.S. HAS GOTTEN SO MUCH MORE INTERESTED IN FOOD AND

FOOD CULTURE,” SAYS LOUISE KRAMER, “THERE’S BEEN AN AMAZING

PASSION FOR THE WORLD OF FOOD.”

30

rate on events including a holiday open house in November, but otherwise operate separately.

Au Marché sells food, bath and beauty products and gifts from France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and other conti-nental European countries both in the store and online. There’s Cavallini wrapping paper and Swedish Dream Sea Salt Soap, Lurpak butter, Anna’s Ginger Thins, Benedetto Cavalieri pastas and Edmond Fallot Dijon mustard. And there’s chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate.

Besides dozens of European brands, Au Marche has a display case full of Christopher Elbow chocolates, which are made in Kansas City. Shoppers these days are spending less per ticket, but sweet treats remain an affordable luxury, Wiley says.

“The economy went south in 2008 and 2009, but we’re selling more candy than ever,” Wiley says.

The Mediterranean Market & Café has also weathered the eco-nomic downturn, mostly by keeping prices low, introducing new products and working more hours, says owner Moham-mad Al-zaiti. But then, those are things he’s always done since opening in 1998.

Al-zaiti was an electrical engineering student at the University of Kansas back then. He couldn’t find the foods he missed from his native Jordan, so he opened a store to sell them. At first, Al-zaiti focused on products from Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, but customers soon asked for more.

By the time he moved to a larger location at Bob Billings Park-way and Kasold Dr. in 2000, the market was selling items from throughout the Middle East and Eastern Europe, as well as In-dia, Pakistan, Iran, Greece and Italy.

You can now find everything from buckwheat kasha and freekeh (roasted green wheat) to olive oil and olives; spices; chili, toma-to and eggplant pastes; canned broad, fava and ful beans; non-alcoholic malted fruit drinks; frozen cassava and jute leaves; rice and flours; pickles and chutneys; teas and coffees; and halal chicken, lamb and goat.

While many shoppers are expatriates, restaurant owners or frequent travelers who know exactly what they want, about 70 percent of customers are Americans attracted by the Mediter-ranean diet’s health benefits or intrigued by Middle Eastern cui-sine. Al-zaiti opened the café to connect with them all.

31

Customers can order gyros, falafel, shawarma, moussaka and other specialties to eat in the café or take out and buy pastries, hummus (which Al-zaiti also sells at the Community Mercantile) and other products at the deli counter.

“That way they can try the food first, and it encourages them to go buy the products and make it at home,” Al-zaiti says.

As for those prices, Al-zaiti buys in bulk, negotiates directly with manufacturers and seeks out specialty coffee roasters and other suppliers in cities with large ethnic populations to get the best deals. But even more appealing, he says, is the sense of community that’s evolved in the store.

“A neat thing happens here,” says Al-zaiti. “The customers them-selves, whether they live here or are from the Middle East or Eu-rope, they interact with each other, explaining the products and getting involved. I like seeing customers helping other customers.”

That customers want more international food has also captured the attention of Lawrence supermarkets. Most now carry ingredients from Asian, Latin American and other countries, but none have committed to the market quite like Checkers Foods at 23rd and Louisiana streets.

Walk through the produce section, and you’ll find longan (a small Southeast Asian fruit), both smooth and spiny chayote squash, five types of fresh chiles, four kinds of eggplant, gai choy (also called Chinese mustard), taro and yucca roots and opo and tatuma squash.

Some items, such as garlic grass, are locally grown. Others, includ-ing canned peppers, salsas and beans, Mexican sodas and juices and frozen banana leaf and tamarind pulp are sourced from dis-tributors. They’re all there because customers asked for them.

AU MARCHÉ931 Massachusetts Street(785) 865-0876www.aumarche.com

BRITS929 Massachusetts Street(785) 843-2288www.britsshop.com

MEDITERRANEAN MARKET & CAFE3300 Bob Billings Parkway(785) 842- 9383mediterraneancafelw.com

CHECKERS FOODS2300 Louisiana(785) 843-0023www.checkersfoods.com

“Being independent, we’re able to take requests, and we don’t have to get permission from corporate headquarters to carry certain things,” says Dan Callan, who manages the store’s specialty foods department.

The push into specialty foods began about five years ago, Callan says, and the store’s inventory has grown through trial and error. If some-thing sells—like the dried shiitake and black fungus mushrooms often used in Asian cooking—it stays. If it doesn’t, they drop it.

“This is a pretty competitive town for grocers,” Callan says. “This is something we can do to broaden our customer base and increase sales.”

33

POLICING

by DAISY WAKEFIELDphotos by STEVEN HERTZOG

Last March, Downtown Lawrence went a little crazy.

After the University of Kansas men’s basketball team ad-vanced to the Final Four and, subsequently, to the National Championship game, throngs of fans stormed Massachu-setts Street in celebration. The Lawrence Police Department seemingly came out of the woodwork and blended into the melee, controlling crowds and ensuring public safety. While the crowds may have appeared spontaneously, the police de-partment’s actions were far from impromptu.

“We start planning for March Madness before basketball season even starts,” says Police Chief Tariq Khatib. “There’s been a celebration creep. Ten years ago, only the champion-ship was a big deal. This year, a few thousand went down-town after KU’s win in the Elite Eight.”

For the March Madness celebrations, the cost of protecting people and property ran about $140k for the Police Depart-ment, and about $200k for the city. Ten outside police agen-cies donated their officers’ services to the city of Lawrence.

LAWRENCE PARADES & CELEBRATIONS

34

Over the years, the Police Department has developed a comprehensive plan to have the infrastructure in place for a big celebration, with such considerations as extra officers, outside agencies, food support, trash dumpsters, porta-potties, egress and access and satellite cameras.

The few weeks before March Madness with the plan in place, the department holds their breath and waits along with everyone else.

After the Jayhawks defeated Ohio State to advance to the championship game, about 60,000 fans charged down-town. For thousands of people mobbing a small area, Lawrencians behaved pretty well.

“I’m proud to say that we’ve got a pretty good track re-cord, not a lot of collateral damage,” Khatib says. “Part of that I attribute to having a community that wants to cel-ebrate and doesn’t have a history of keying up. Our po-lice engagement strategy downtown is to celebrate with people and be positive, but making sure that everyone is safe.”

Along with these intermittent celebrations, the Lawrence Police Department also provides support for city activi-ties such as parades, races, game day traffic direction and holiday events. Each year between 50 and 70 events call on the Police Department for help. Most events require about 2 months of planning, with a supervisor assigned to it, and a varying number of extra officers to man it.

M A RC H M A D N ESS BY THE NUMBERS

100 Lawrence police officers deployed each night of celebrations

200+ Police officers from outside agencies who came to help each night

600+ Box meals provided for all officers over 2 nights

52 Porta-potties brought in

12 Dumpsters brought in

4 Security Cameras mounted

7 Number of agencies represented in the command center to monitor activity viewed over cameras

Costs for each event are absorbed by the Police Department’s annual $14.5 million budget. The biggest challenge for the Po-lice Department in manning these activities is providing the hu-man resources. Any activity that requires extra man-hours is pulling from other routine activity or hours from another day of the week. The Police Department is becoming hard pressed to come up with the resources necessary to cover responsibilities.

“Our appetite for cultural interactions, for being a destination for events, parades, runs, a hub of art, a melting pot of social interactions, has grown exponentially,” Khatib explains. “That’s a good thing. We want people coming here. That’s an advantage that Lawrence has over other places. But that comes with a need for the resources to make sure that these things go safely.”

When Trei Dudley talks about her past, she returns not only to her touchstone — the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence — but also to specific mentors and relationships in the program.

The 2012 National Youth of the Year for Boys and Girls Club of America is not shy in speaking about the adversity she had to overcome while growing up, and she credits the Boys and Girls Club program and people with providing the stability and vision for her to achieve more than her circumstances would dictate. Now a freshman at the University of Arkansas, Dudley has goals of one day running her own nonprofit organization dedicated to helping young people.

“It’s a testament to how amazing our staff are, the impact we’re having on kids as we focus on activities and academic success, and how much this program helps kids who are struggling in one way or another,” says Erika Zimmerman, Director of De-velopment.

Kids who may be struggling make up a significant portion of the population at the after-school program. Nearly 60% of Boys and Girls Club families receive free or reduced lunch from the school district and a scholarship for fees from the Boys and Girls Club. Fees are determined by a sliding scale of income, and no child is turned away for inability to pay.

“We have kids who are in foster homes, living with grandpar-ents, or single parent homes, and it’s an opportunity for us to influence kids who are at risk of dropping out or using drugs and alcohol,” says Colby Wilson, Executive Director. “The kids in these situations are at higher risk for ending up in the safe-ty nets of our society, and while we need to support people in those situations, our goal is to keep them from getting there. Our program is an affordable, high quality option that promotes academics, character, and making healthy choices.”

BOYS

by DAISY WAKEFIELD


NON-PROFIT

CELEBRATES FORTY YEARS IN LAWRENCE

CLUB

AND

GIRLS

37

GIRLS

The Boys and Girls Club has grown in the last ten to twelve years from 150 members to its current 1800. The origi-nal building on Haskell was the only building in use until an on-site Club began at Cordley Elementary. Programs have spread to 12 elementary schools and the former East Heights Elementary School hosts students who do not have an on-site program at their school.

Six full-time administrators and 12 full-time program man-agers handle the operations of the program, alongside 140 part-time program staff. KU students constitute 95% of staff, many of who are looking for experience to supplement degrees in education or other youth-oriented fields.

The school district rents the East Heights building to the Boys and Girls Club for $1 a year and hosts the on-site programs without charge to the Club. Federal grants from the Depart-ment of Education have provided the other funding necessary to run the school sites.

“We believe philosophically that we can have deeper impact with kids when we are on site at the elementary schools,” Wil-son says. “The coordination that exists between the Boys and Girls Club and the school district sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s not a reality in many other communities. Many struggle with getting support from their local school district and getting the collaboration and connection for it to work. Our board, the previous director, and staff here have done a great job making it work, and the school district has reciprocated. That’s the key to our success here. Lawrence should be held up as a symbol for how it could work.”

For it to continue to work, though, Wilson says the Club needs to build more diverse and sustainable revenue streams. The Club’s $2.3 million budget currently comes from two main sources - fees and the 21st Century Grant from the Depart-

ment of Education. Other sources include the United Way, City of Lawrence, and a few fundraising events. However, some of the grant monies are due to roll off in the next few years, and it is uncertain whether the Club will be able to reapply. Leadership within the organization is talking about how to find and bolster other income streams like individual and foundation support to continue its broad reach across the community. As well, discus-sions are underway with KU to give students credit hours for their work at the Boys and Girls Club, which could potentially decrease salary expenses.

While most of the kids attending are elementary school stu-dents, a program for middle and high school kids is held at the original Boys and Girls Club building on Haskell. Wilson says that these programs hold major potential for development, as the Club seeks to engage students through these upper grades and provide support for students to get into college, trade school, and other post-secondary education goals.

Beyond the direct economic impact of the Boys and Girls Club as an employer with a payroll of about $1.5 million, the Club also brings indirect economic benefits.

“Parents who are working and have their children in The Boys and Girls Club are more productive workers when they don’t have to worry about where their kids are and what are they do-ing,” says Al Hack, Board Member. “Additionally, the skills that the club members learn while attending the club make them better employees in the future when they enter the work force. From an economic point of view, everyone wins with the help of The Boys and Girls Club.”

DR. SHEAHON ZENGER: STUDENT-ATHLETES & KU ATHLETICSLEFT TO RIGHT:

ANDREA GUEBELLE, SENIOR, TRIPLE JUMP/LONG JUMP; TOBEN OPURUM, SENIOR, FOOTBALL; CAROLINE JARMOC, JUNIOR, VOLLEYBALL; DR. ZENGER; TRAVIS RELEFORD, SENIOR, BASKETBALL;

MAGGIE HULL, SENIOR, SOFTBALL; MICHAEL STIGLER, SOPHOMORE, HURDLES

by DEREK HELMSphotos by STEVEN HERTZOG

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR DR. SHEAHON ZENGER IS A PASSIONATE MAN. “There are no shortcuts,” Zenger says as he leans forward in his seat, making sure to maintain eye contact.

“We must maintain a patient and methodical approach each and every day to be successful here at The University

of Kansas. Too many people, not here necessarily, but too many people strive for a short cut or an easier way to find

success. I know that there just isn’t. There are no shortcuts.”

DR. SHEAHON ZENGER: STUDENT-ATHLETES & KU ATHLETICS

“OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES ARE BEING TRAINED TO

COMPETE IN THE WORLD,

AFTER THEY COMPETE ON THE FIELD.

AND THE WORLD IS A COMPETITIVE PLACE.”

- SHEAHON ZENGER

42

As Zenger enters his second year on the job, he could boast a list of accomplishments that many athletic directors may consider an accomplished career. In a span of less than 24 months, Zenger accompanied KU’s men’s basketball pro-gram to the national championship game, fired one football coach and hired a hire-profile replacement, navigated the tu-multuous landscape of conference realignment, negotiated a historic conference television contract and re-signed the na-tion’s best college basketball coach to a long-term deal.

However, Sheahon Zenger doesn’t like to use the words ‘I’ or ‘me’ when discussing his work. Instead of pounding his chest, he credits the work of his staff and the merits of the university and looks forward to new challenges with the qui-et confidence of an accomplished man.

“I just don’t believe in talking about myself,” he says without any impression of irony.

Zenger came to the University of Kansas after a 5-year stint at Illinois State University. Prior to his time in Normal, Illinois, Zenger was a football coach, administrator and magazine publisher. After playing football at Fort Hays State and Mid-American Nazarene College, he finished his undergraduate and masters degree at Kansas State. In the early 1990’s he worked on Bill Snyder’s staff at KSU. While completing his doctorate at KU, Zenger and a friend founded American Football Quarterly, a magazine for coaches. Zenger served as publisher and then editor - until 1995, when he sold his share of the magazine.

“MY JOB AS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

IS TO FORWARD AND SUPPORT THE

MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS.”- SAYS ZENGER

43

Zenger cut his teeth during shifts as the recruiting coor-dinator at the University of South Florida, assistant coach at the University of Wyoming and as assistant athletics director for major gifts at KSU. In 2002 he was appointed KSU’s associate athletics director for development, a po-sition he held until 2005, when he was named Athletics Director at Illinois State.

“We couldn’t be any happier with Sheahon and what he’s doing for KU,” says Bernadette Gray-Little, Chancellor of the University of Kansas. “When you consider his experi-ence, his character and his leadership skills, he’s exactly who we need as our athletics director. Sheahon is com-mitted to ensuring that every Jayhawk student-athlete can succeed on the field and in the classroom, and ensur-ing that our programs operate with integrity. And when you factor in his Kansas roots and his appreciation for KU’s education mission, he’s the perfect fit for us.”

Zenger believes his responsibility, as the director of

athletics, is simple.

“My role as athletic director is to forward and support the mission and the purpose of the University of Kan-sas,” he says. “To put it in laymen’s terms, to put our best foot forward for KU on a daily basis. The President at the university I came from used to say ‘athletics is the front porch of the university.’ I would then say, let’s in-vite the faculty and the staff to put their furniture on the front porch. If you watch us on game day, there are activities surrounding football game day, other game days, wherein faculty and staff are able to celebrate their roles and missions here. They invite guests and use it as a public relations arm of the university. We try to do what we can do to celebrate their accomplishments. The tail here will never wag the dog. We are here to support the mission and the purpose of the University of Kansas.”

L - R: BRENNAN BECHARD,

ANDREA HUDY, SHEAHON ZENGER,

MAX FALKENSTIEN, JIM MARCHIONY

44

Zenger supports the mission of

KU by overseeing the activities of the 206 employees and managing the nearly $75 million budget of the athletic department. If Zenger is the CEO, the 16 head coaches em-ployed are his COOs.

“I view myself as a coach-centered athletic director,” Zenger says. “I make sure you spend time with each of the coaches. That means both scheduled meetings and walking by and dropping in. I’m a coach at heart and also a fan.”

Only football and men’s basketball are profit-generating sports, but every sport is conscious of the bottom line. While budgeting varies for each sport, in Olympic sports, being competitive is always a top priority.

“This is where conferences are so important,” Zenger says. “We share financial information across the conference. Ev-eryone is striving to probably hit the median in the confer-ence, which means we end up chasing each other. But you have to make choices as to which sports in your program are going to be near the medium, the top or below median in the conference.”

When there is no realistic opportunity for a sport to operate in a fiscally beneficial manner (i.e. rowing or golf), financial responsibility is still a consideration.

“If the sport

isn’t profit generating, we have to ask reasonable questions,” Zenger says. “How do you

measure in the conference? How close can you get turning a profit? Was your gap between profitability and non-profit-ability smaller this year?”

Monetary aspects aside, there are simple ways for non-profit generating sports to judge success.

“We have scoreboards and clocks and tape measures for a rea-son,” Zenger says persuasively. “We keep score for a reason. We compete for a reason. I have made it clear to all coaches that we are here to compete at the highest levels of the Big XII conference. Our student-athletes are being trained to com-pete in the world, after they compete on the field. And the world is a competitive place.”

Zenger is widely praised for the role he played in the

chaos of conference realignment. Having been on the job

for only a few months, he had to shake off any notion of

easing into the position.

“The chancellor and I played our cards very close to our vest and didn’t speak publicly about it,” Zenger recalls. “I believe when those scenarios were playing out, the less said the bet-ter. Things were, literally changing on a daily basis, so if we were to come out publicly and make a statement it was quite possible that 24 hours later, that statement would be incor-rect. It was changing that rapidly.”

Since the dust from the realignment storm has settled, albeit briefly, Zenger is able to look back on the instability of the situation.

45

“I would say to you that it was the longest number of months of my life,” he says. “It was literally phone calls beginning at 6:00 in the morning and ending at midnight. And when I told people I lived downstairs, I really did. I didn’t actually put a bed down there, but I slept on a couch. I would have the iPad hooked up, 2 phones hooked up and have ESPN on. The kids would be coming and going and that was how you would function at that time. It wasn’t just me, but also the other athletic directors in our conference.”

Reports at the time questioned if Zenger’s lack of longevity would damage KU’s negotiating position. He is quick to dis-pel that notion. If anything, he says, it gave him an opportu-nity to prove himself.

“It was good for me in that my time as the new kid on the block was short lived,” Zenger admits. “The University of Kansas had equal footing within those 10 or 12 schools as much as anyone. So whoever was the representative was at the time received that equal treatment. I didn’t get treated like the new kid on the block. So, for me as an individual, it was good and bad. It was exhausting and overwhelming, but by the time it was done I felt very close to my peers and col-leges in the league.”

The results are, by now, well known. Missouri and Texas A&M left the league. TCU and West Virginia joined. The Big 12 signed a new television rights deal that will reportedly pay each school in the conference upwards of $22 million a year. The agreement is widely viewed as a tremendous win for the conference schools.

“I consider that not just a win, I consider that a national championship for everyone involved,” Zenger says proudly. “To see where we are now, compared to where we where a year ago is just amazing. And I’m not taking credit for that. I’m giving credit to the chancellors and presidents in the league, particularly Chuck Neinas and Bob Bowlsby. Dan Bebe did a significant amount of work in the beginning as well, and people forget that. The associate commissioners and, rounding out that group, would be the directors of ath-letics. It was a group effort and those of us that hung together and the new ones that joined us have benefited greatly.”

Though the ‘new’ Big 12 is widely regarded as a tremendous financial success for the member schools, . the true monetary benefits of that

success may be much more than the $20 million originally reported.

According to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports: “One industry source estimated Big 12 schools will be cashing checks for $30 million-plus in the first year of the playoff beginning in 2014. The total now stands at approximately $20 million per school. Beginning in 2014, the Big 12 will begin taking in $40 million per year from the alignment with the Sugar Bowl.”

KU Athletics Inc. has a lot of debt, about $40 million in

fact. The number seems staggering, but Zenger doesn’t

think Jayhawk fans should be worried about it.

“Right now, in deference to those before me, while some may have seen that as a big negative, it’s not,” Zenger says with a casual demeanor. “We have to keep it all in perspective. For example, a $200,000 or $300,000 home loan sounds like a lot of money to a freshman in college. Now, granted, it is a lot of money, but in perspective to the budget of the athletic department, it really isn’t an issue.”

Pat Kaufman, Chief Financial Officer for KU Athletics, Inc., says that, despite the debt, the athletic department is finan-cially sound.

“In the last 10 or so years we’ve funded in the neighborhood of $140 million in capital improvements,” Kaufman says. “The fact that we only have $40 million of debt left on our books shows that the other 2/3 of that we were able to fund ourselves through fundraising and other means such as op-erating income.”

The great majority of the operating debt comes from two bonds taken on to fund major renovations to Allen Field-house and to build football practice fields, buildings and of-fices. Additional projects included renovating the baseball stadium. The projects did not begin under Zenger’s regime, but he believes they were both needed expenses.

“The regime before me took great strides in what they did with the baseball stadium, Allen Fieldhouse,

MENTALLY TOUGH

46

football practice fields, football buildings, which wasn’t just for football,” Zenger explains. “It was also for Title IX. By moving all those offices and space over there, they were able to accommodate more sports in terms of offices for coaches, weightlifting rooms for other teams, etc. Now we need to get those debts paid. At most universities, you don’t fundraise for every dollar that pays for those facilities. Well how do you get the rest? You bond it. You take out loans, just like you do your house loan.”

Kaufman explains that the debt associated with that con-struction and renovation does not impact the athletic de-partment’s ability to operate in an aggressive manner. Even if the Jayhawks experience catastrophic seasons on the field, the fiscal stability of the department is sound.

“We are right on schedule to pay off bonds,” Kaufman says. “Whenever we take on debt we don’t take on more than we have the ability to repay. So much of our revenue has nothing to do with success on the field. A big chunk of money comes from the Big 12 and television contracts and will for the next 12 or 13 years. We have multiple marketing contracts that have a guaranteed source of income. The only chunk of our revenue that could be hurt by a bad year would be ticket rev-enue. It would take some catastrophic kinds of things for us to not be able to make our payments on our debt.”

When Zenger speaks about the financial stability of the ath-letic department, it is clear he is confident the future is bright.

“Going forward, we will probably always have some debt and always manage that debt because we have more facilities to build,” he says. “I’m not so naïve to think we are going to

raise every last dollar to pay for the renovation of memorial stadium. We will raise as much as we can and probably end up bonding the rest. Our job as a staff is to protect that bond rating and to protect the remaining room that we have to bond going forward. That’s why it is so incredibly important to fundraise as much as we can.”

While the glamour of running a major athletic department is gained by success on the fields and courts of play, Zenger knows fundraising and public relations are how the athletic department grows. Some would argue that major donors are as important as winning coaches, and when the athletic de-partment is mired in a scandal, the trust of major donors can be compromised.

After the ticket scandal that cost KU Athletics multiple mil-lions of dollars in lost revenue and landed 4 former KU Athletics employees in prison, the department was at risk of loosing the trust of it’s coveted major donors. It was Zenger’s job to regain the trust of donors and restore the reputation of the athletic department.

“On the alumni trail this summer, every time I got a chance to speak I thanked the donor base and the alumni base,” Zenger says. “There’s something about the Jayhawk nation that is different than other places. It is a very kind and gener-ous group of people, by large. I have met with very, very little negativity about anything in my two years at the University of Kansas. I’ve met with great hope from folks from through-out the state, region and the country. When I think back to that time period, which seems like 5 years ago, it feels like a lot of things we were worried about are well behind us. From where I sit, and from the way people interact with me, it feels like night and day.”

Being new to the post, having no ties to the previous regime and having been praised for the way he conducted him-self and represented KU during conference realignment all seemed to work in the favor of Zenger restoring trust in the department.

“It was somewhat of a perfect storm,” he admits. “And I bene-fited from that just like I think anyone else in that role would have at that time.”

“I’M A COACH AT HEART

AND ALSO A FAN.”- SAYS ZENGER

FUNDAMENTALLY SOUND

Jim Marchiony, Associate Athletics Director for External Relations, said that donors appreciate stability of finances as much as stability in management. “Donors are looking for whether you’re running your department in a financially re-sponsible way,” Marchiony says. “I can say that we are, with-out a doubt.”

With the Big 12 on solid ground, a new high-profile foot-

ball coach on board and Bill Self signed to a long-term

contract, Zenger is looking to the future. The short, mid

and long-term goals for the athletic department are

simple: improve facilities and win games.

“The prior regime did an outstanding job of addressing some of the major upgrades to facilities that needed to be done,” Zenger says. “Prior to that time, there were other facilities that needed to be addressed as well. Now it’s incumbent on us as a team to get those done. That’s why you hear the talk of

a track, a soccer stadium and a softball stadium. Those need to be done for a number of reasons, but also so we can fin-ish Allen Fieldhouse and we can attack what needs to be our long-term goal of renovating Memorial Stadium.”

Zenger explains that the universities unwavering support of the proposed Rock Chalk Park in west Lawrence serves both financial and competitive interests.

“What Coach Redwine is doing right now with the track programs is incredible with the facilities we currently have,” Zenger says. “It’s incumbent on us to give the facilities what a national level program warrants. That’s what we need to do for our student athletes. And it’s not just for track, but also for our women’s soccer and softball programs. They deserve better facilities.”

FUNDAMENTALLY SOUND

DR. ZENGER CHATS WITH LEGENDARY ANNOUNCER MAX FALKENSTIEN DURING SAN JOSE STATE MEN’S GAME.

48

Construction of Rock Chalk Park is the first step in what Zenger calls the most important projects the athletic depart-ment has: finish renovating Allen Fieldhouse and begin ren-ovations to Memorial Stadium.

“Our crown jewel is basketball and we’re never going to loose sight of that,” Zenger says. “But we’re also not going to make the mistake of not understanding the importance of college football and what that means financially to the world of col-lege athletics.”

While work on Allen Fieldhouse is nearly complete, it is completely funded. Plans for Memorial Stadium are in the works.

“We build a track,” Zenger says. “We build a softball stadium. We build a soccer stadium. Then we take the track out. Fun-draise and make the stadium newer and more intimate to accommodates the modern day football fan.”

Though focused on improving facilities for the Olympic sports, Zenger’s eyes are clearly on the prize of turning the football program into a major financial asset.

“More important on a financial side is what we do with that football stadium,” Zenger says with a stern tone. “We’ve all learned the hard way just how important football is in the financial world of college athletics. As long as we leave a

track around our field and don’t renovate the stadium, we are sending a very loud and strong message to the rest of the BCS about where we stand. How we address that stadium is as critical as anything we do. We are planning, very quietly what we will do with Memorial Stadium.“

The department is quietly putting together an aggressive plan to renovate, and fund renovations, to the dated football sta-dium. They have sent a survey to select season ticket hold-ers and donors trying to ascertain what it is they want, and for what they will pay. Several architectural and engineering firms have been contacted to discuss the renovations.

The end goal is selling more tickets to KU football games. A winning football program makes life around the athletic department much easier.

“It’s shear numbers,” Zenger explains. “The Fieldhouse holds 16,300 people. Memorial Stadium holds 50,000. And it’s not just selling tickets. It’s the donations that come behind those tickets, so it’s a multiple of anywhere from 10 to 100. We’re already seeing the residual effects from television contracts.”

Having a less-than-stellar football program may not pro-hibit the athletic department from moving forward with its projects, but maximizing profits on Saturdays in the fall sure would help.

ASSIGNMENT CORRECT

“It’s not a strain,” Zenger says. “I view it as managing your accounts. We’re fortunate to have a basketball program that is one of the 4 or 5 most profitable in the country. We don’t take that for granted. We are ‘managing our buckets.’ One happens to be heavier than the other right now. If we can get football profits back to where they were around the Orange Bowl year, it’s amazing how good things could be. That be-ing said, if our athletic programs are our children, all of our children are being fed very well.”

Entering his second year on the job, Zenger is confident

the athletic department is moving in the right direction.

If the first 24 months were a whirlwind of activity, he

doesn’t see things slowing down anytime.

“We are in the planning stages of what will be done with Memorial Stadium,” he says with an excitement in his voice. “The university is in a capital campaign. We’ve been very quite about our part of the campaign. Right now we are try-ing to land the plane that is that track stadium, the soccer

stadium and the softball stadium. That’s a large project. That would be more than enough for most athletic departments in a 3 to 5-year window. We’re just having to catch up faster than some.”

While the department focuses on fundraising, improving athletic facilities and winning games, Zenger understands what the ultimate focus of their work is.

“As I said, we are here to support the mission and the pur-pose of the University of Kansas,” he says. “I know we have a lot of work to do, and our staff knows we have a lot of work to do. Ultimately, that mission is to prepare our students, and student athletes, to compete and succeed after earning their degrees from the University.”

ASSIGNMENT CORRECT

OF DOWNTOWNgiftthe

by ANNE BROCKHOFFphotos by STEVEN HERTZOG

51

CORNERSTONE OF DOWNTOWN

It might have been 30 degrees outside, but Gina Hummel grinned as she sang Christmas carols and waited for Santa to “land” on the roof of Weaver’s Department Store during the annual Downtown Holiday Lighting Ceremony.

When Santa arrived, he was quickly rescued by the Lawrence-Douglas County Fire/Medical service and delivered into the cheering crowd. Watching it all has been a Black Friday tradition for Hummel and her family the past five years, and she can’t imagine it taking place anywhere else.

“We love Weaver’s,” says Hummel, a Lawrence resident who regularly shops in the store. “It’s the main hub for events like this.”

Weaver’s has long provided a backdrop for Lawrence life, which is something of an accomplishment given that the era of independently owned department stores is largely over.

Newman’s in Emporia, Innes Department Store in Wichita, A.A. Wiesner and Son Department Store in Hays and countless others across Kansas have disappeared over the years. The culprit? An onslaught of competition from chain retailers, discount stores, shopping malls, big box retailers and online shopping.

52

There’s nothing special about Kansas, though. Countless independent department stores across the country have suffered the same fate, says Dr. Vicki Howard, associate professor of history at Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y.

“The fact there are still a couple holding on is amazing,” says Howard, author of a forthcoming book on the history of department stores. “You can probably count them on one hand.”

Weaver’s is among them, and it remains a true department store. Its four floors offer men’s and women’s clothing, intimate apparel, shoes, luggage, linens, gifts and gourmet housewares. Cosmetics lines including Clinique and Lancôme, perfume and special occasion dresses draw locals and out-of-towners alike.

“In prom season, girls come in from far western Kansas and from beyond Kansas City,” says Weaver’s vice president Earl Reineman.

That’s a far cry from the small dry goods store Lathrop Bullene opened at 723 Massachusetts Street in 1857, one year before R.H. Macy opened his first “fancy dry goods” store in New York. The store did a solid business in groceries, tools, cloth and other staples, moving to several locations on Massachusetts Street as it expanded, according to an online exhibit by the Watkins Community Museum of History.

A.D. Weaver joined the business in 1883 and later married Bullene’s daughter, Gertrude. The couple bought the store in 1886 and renamed it Weaver’s. Their son, Art Weaver, began working there in 1915.

Weaver wanted to expand, so when the Innes Bullene & Hackman Department Store closed, he took over its building at 901 Massachusetts Street. It was the perfect location, but terrible

timing—Wall Street crashed shortly after the new Weaver’s opened in October 1929.

The store survived the Great Depression and World War 2, but soon faced new pressures from chain stores like J.C. Penney, Sears and F.W. Woolworth Company.

“Independent merchants who had been the biggest store on Main Street began to feel threatened,” Howard says.

Department stores adopted chain strategies in order to compete. They created buying groups to boost purchasing power and trade organizations like what is now the National Retail Federation to better understand market trends—practices that still benefit Weaver’s.

But it wasn’t enough to save some stores. The industry had begun consolidating in the 1920s, and the trend accelerated after the war. Almost 60 percent of the country’s independent department stores either closed or merged between 1929 and 1954, going from 2,166 stores nationwide to just 905, according to Howard.

Art Weaver successfully navigated that increasingly challenging landscape and in 1950 recruited Larry Flannery to the store. When Weaver decided to retire, Larry Flannery, his friend, Jack Eckles

“WE’RE ON SOLID GROUND, KNOCK ON WOOD, AND WE

JUST WANT TO MAINTAIN THAT,” WEAVER’S PRESIDENT JOE FLANNERY SAYS.

53

(owner of the now-defunct Eckles Department Store in Dodge City) and a group of Kansas investors formed a corporation to buy the business in 1962.

Weaver’s Inc. still owns the store, hosts an annual meeting for shareholders and is governed by a four-member board of directors.

The privately held company doesn’t disclose sales figures, but current Weaver’s president Joe Flannery is positive about its performance.

“We’re on solid ground, knock on wood, and we just want to maintain that,” he says.

But 1962, proved a consequential year in retail history. That was when Kmart opened its first discount department store in a Detroit suburb; it had 166 such stores by 1966. Walmart also opened its first store in Rogers, Ark., in 1962, while Target kicked off in

Roseville, Minn. These companies initiated an avalanche of change in the industry, but change didn’t scare Larry Flannery.

“My father always emphasized the importance of continuous change,” says Joe Flannery. “He was always looking at the latest trends.”

Weaver’s bought the men’s clothing store next door and opened the wall to connect it to the main store. It added more women’s ready-to-wear apparel, and converted the basement from storage and sign painting to retail space for housewares. Weaver’s now has 20,000 square feet of selling space, plus another 10,000 square feet of offices, storage and other operations.

In 1971, Weaver’s took advantage of the city’s downtown improvement program to give its building a face-lift. The main store was red brick with rows of large windows; the front of the menswear store was stone. Both were handsome, but inefficient

WEAVER’S DATES BACK TO 1857, MAKING IT ONE YEAR OLDER THAN MACY’S

and incongruous, so the company added the façade that’s still in place today.

“As much as I loved the original building, I think updating the exterior has probably helped over the years,” says Flannery, who joined Weaver’s in 1972 after graduating from the University of Kansas.

Flannery became Weaver’s president and its general manager—only the fifth in its 155-year history—in 1987 after his father unexpectedly passed away. He had his work cut out for him. Competition had only intensified, and independent department stores were still losing ground.

According to Howard, the 660 one-store companies (most of which she assumes were independently owned) still in business by 1984 accounted for just 1 percent of the U.S. retail market.

Most department stores were by then owned by national chains, and many were leaving downtowns in favor of new digs anchoring the regional malls springing up across the country. Such malls opened in Salina, Hutchinson, Manhattan and other Kansas towns in the 1980s, but Lawrence resisted developers’ efforts to bring one here.

“That made a big difference,” Flannery says. “It saved our downtown.”

But even regional malls faltered as so-called big box retailers eschewed malls in favor of separate footprints in the 1990s, and online retailers gained momentum in the new millennium. Throughout it all, Weaver’s remained focused on its own mission, Reineman says.

“We have to change with the times, but, at the same time, we have to maintain the qualities that make us unique and special,” he says. “That’s a fine balancing act.”

Flannery and Reineman agree that their most important quality is customer service.

Weaver’s offers perks including tailoring, free home delivery, shipping, special orders, free gift wrapping year-round and a wedding registry. But the real difference has more to do with people, says Cathy Hamilton, executive director of Downtown Lawrence.

“Their customer service is really second to none,” Hamilton says. “They have a lot of long-term sales associates there, and there’s an old-fashioned way of doing business.”

The store’s 50 employees are evenly split between full and part-time staff; another 20 positions are added during the holiday season. Benefits include paid vacation and holidays, a flex-time option, a 401(k) retirement plan, in-store discounts and a health care plan.

Flannery says turnover is low, something he attributes mostly to the relationship between employees, the store and its customers.

“We’ve had dozens and dozens of people who’ve worked here for 20, 30 or 40 years,” Flannery says. “That’s just the history of Weaver’s.”

In 2000, Weaver’s began a new chapter by purchasing its building for an undisclosed sum. Owning the building means Weaver’s has more control of its overhead and other costs—financial stability that’s essential to an independent store’s survival, Howard says.

The store has in recent years restored the original wood floors in the men’s department and second floor walkway, and it still uses

“We have to change with the times,

But, at the same time, we have to maintain the qualities

that make us unique and special,” Weaver’s vice president Earl Reineman says.

“That’s a fine balancing act.”

“We have to change with the times,

But, at the same time, we have to maintain the qualities

that make us unique and special,” Weaver’s vice president Earl Reineman says.

“That’s a fine balancing act.”

the pneumatic tubes that once shuttled transactions between sales counters and a central cashier for internal messages.

Carpets and fixtures are regularly updated. The company is also installing energy efficient interior lighting, participates in Westar Energy’s WattSaver Program and in August replaced its exterior sign with an LED version.

Weaver’s continues to refine its merchandise mix, focusing more on men’s and women’s fashions, shoes and gourmet housewares in recent years. Most of the store’s inventory is purchased about six months in advance—Weaver’s bought much of its spring apparel and footwear in September and October.

How does the store’s management know what to buy? By using forecasting techniques to analyze everything from past sales and current inventory levels to prices, cash flow and retail trends.

“It’s all based on the time of year, and every quarter is different,” Flannery says.

Weaver’s uses buying affiliations like The Gourmet Catalog & Buying Group (kitchenware), N.W. Buyers Menswear Buying Group and The Doneger Fashion Group (women’s fashion) to get the same merchandise sold by Williams-Sonoma, Nordstrom and other upscale chains at favorable prices, Flannery says.

Collaborating with such groups also lets Weaver’s tap into their forecasting and trend expertise. The store always reserves part of its purchasing budget (called open-to-buy in the industry), so it can adjust inventory levels as needed.

“Their trends are usually on-target, but we feel as an independent operator we can adapt quickly if things do change,” says Flannery, who serves on the National Retail Federation board of directors, Lawrence Memorial Hospital board of trustees and Douglas County Bank board of directors.

Direct mailings and catalogs remain the most effective way to reach Weaver’s customers, Flannery says. The store also advertises in the Lawrence Journal-World and local cable television. It uses social media to connect with shoppers, especially students at the University of Kansas, who account for about a quarter of its customers.

There’s a web site, too, that will soon change as Weaver’s adds online shopping to the mix next year. The new site is still in development, and Flannery is reluctant to set a launch date until it’s fully functional and supported by the store’s distribution and shipping systems.

Once it goes live, though, it’s unlikely to cannibalize in-store sales, says Weaver’s merchandising manager Brady Flannery.

“THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS REALLY SECOND TO NONE,”

SAYS CATHY HAMILTON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DOWNTOWN LAWRENCE.

“THEY HAVE A LOT OF LONG-TERM SALES ASSOCIATES THERE, AND THERE’S AN

OLD-FASHIONED WAY OF DOING BUSINESS.”

“If we’re able to build a presence there, as well as with our brick-and-mortar store, it only means greater opportunity for us,” says Flannery, who is the third generation of his family to work at Weaver’s.

In the meantime, there’s plenty of enthusiasm for what happens in the store. There’s the Weaver’s spring sale in April, the downtown sidewalk sale in July and its anniversary sale in October.

And then there are community events like Santa’s rescue and the weekends of visits with Santa on Weaver’s first floor during the run-up to Christmas. Such things forge lasting connections with generations of customers, creating a sense of community that’s invaluable, Howard says.

“These stores are local institutions that are specific to a place,” she says. “They’re not just Internet sites or standardized stores. They’re family businesses.”

Joe Flannery appreciates the role his store plays in Lawrence, and he’s optimistic that Weaver’s will remain as one of downtown’s most recognizable anchors.

“We have challenges like all retailers, but we pride ourselves on adapting and we think we’re going to be in Lawrence for a long time to come,” says Flannery. “We’re looking forward to the future.”

WEAVER’S DEPARTMENT STORE

901 MASSACHUSETTS STREET

(785) 843-6360

WWW.WEAVERSINC.COM

It is a modern day David and Goliath pairing happening all over the

country — the independent, locally-owned bookstore out matched

in size, resource, and price point by a giant, the online retailer Ama-

zon. For symbolic small boys with slingshots, the story doesn’t al-

ways have a happy ending. According to the American Booksellers

Association, a trade organization of independent booksellers, only

about 1900 independent bookstores remain in the US. Ten years

ago, their number was at 4000.

Their feud, however, is not necessarily a picture of the bully pick-ing on the little guy, as Amazon is not purposefully targeting small indie bookstores. These are simply not enough of a menace to put a dent in the billions of dollars that the behemoth commands. The shuttering of independent bookstores is just collateral damage in Amazon’s true targets — big box bookstores, like Borders, which was indeed conquered as they went out of business last year.

INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES

FIND THEIR WAY IN A DIGITAL AGE by DAISY WAKEFIELD photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

58

“THERE’S SOMETHING ALMOST romantic ABOUT HOLDING

A BOOK.”

59

But for local booksellers, the fight does feel personal. Especially when Amazon put on a promotion at the end of 2011 that encour-aged consumers to go to a brick and mortar store, scan a book’s UPC code, and then buy it from Amazon in order to receive a 5% discount off of their purchase.

“It’s disappointing,” says Heidi Raak, owner of The Raven Book-store. “The problem with Amazon in particular is that they use predatory pricing.”

This practice of predatory pricing is underpricing in order to drive out competition, and then eventually raising the price levels once a de facto monopoly is established. Predatory pricing is some-what dependent on show rooming, in which consumers check out something in a physical store and then buy it online. A 2011 Codex study reveals that 28% of book buyers practiced show rooming be-fore making their purchase online. Since Amazon commands 70% of the online literary market, show rooming most likely benefits them above any other online retailer.

Raak, who has owned The Raven for five years, still believes that the power of customer service and a loyal customer base will help to sustain local bookstores.

“We’ve implemented a few changes so that we can get any book within 3 days — definitely if there’s a book out there and it’s avail-able, we will get it. There’s also something about being able to come in and have a recommendation given by the staff, who are like a family here. And if you wanted to read Catcher in the Rye, you could come in and get it that day. Even Amazon can’t deliver that fast.”

Besides behemoth online retailers, independent bookstores are also grappling with the swell of converts to e-readers. Proprietary e-readers like Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook have wooed their own legions of readers. More significantly, the transfer of books from print to digital media has upended the publishing industry. This has unleashed a multitude of complexities which bode either harm or health to any of the various stops on the food chain of publishing. For Signs of Life, the choice is to fight fire with fire. The bookstore upgraded their website last year so that customers can order almost any printed book on their site as well as purchase e-books through them. They are also stocking the Kobo brand of e-readers in store, in time for the holiday season.

Clay Belcher, owner of Signs of Life, says, “Lawrence is a highly educated community. As such, we have far more technologically

savvy customers. That’s why we are so pumped up about the new Kobo e-readers. We’re confident this new technology will resonate well with our clientele. Unlike other readers, the Kobo readers use a new e-ink technology which improves visibility under even the harshest lighting environment. This is a great new opportunity to serve our customers with state of the art e-readers.”

But for another of Lawrence’s long-standing independent book-stores, The Dusty Bookshelf, the allure and magic of browsing a bookstore cannot be found in an e-book. Admittedly, “Dusty”, as it is known to regulars, is a used bookstore, and thus has the ability to sidestep some of the direct competition that other retail bookstores grapple with. Customers come into the bookstore to browse the some 60,000 titles of used books, and many times, they stay to buy.

Shannon Jones, district manager for The Dusty Bookshelf, says, “Browsing is an event. People will go out to dinner and then come here to browse and make a night of it. They come in because of the constantly moving inventory, and almost all of our titles are indi-vidual ones. So you don’t know what you’re going to find when you come here — it’s a treasure hunt.”

And then there is the argument that true book lovers are purists, and will not read from an electronic device. The tactile and sensory engagement of having a “real” book is a large part of reading. And for people who are constantly in front of a screen, that sensation may be even more inviting.

“There’s something almost romantic about holding a book,” says Jones. “It provides a different sort of experience for people and a lot of our customers don’t want to lose that sense. There’s even a great smell to new books, and definitely to old books. If the Kindle starts piping in smells, we might have a problem.”

60

Unless one has been stranded on a desert island for the past two to three years, most Americans are aware that our fed-eral leaders passed legislation in March of 2010 titled the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. There are few recent federal laws that touched so many individuals and was as controversial as this one. Since the act was signed into law, it has been challenged by the Supreme Court and was the subject of local, state and federal elections.

Continuation of this act was a focal point in the recent presidential election. Since President Obama was re-elect-ed, it is more likely that the essence of the Affordable Care Act will move forward. How much of the 2000+ pages the act comprises actually will be implemented is yet to be de-termined. Many people, from governors to small business owners, as well as the health care industry, have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for clarification.

Now that November 6 is behind us, many hope a higher degree of clarity will occur. In the health care industry, particularly the hospital side, many questions remain. We know that in many employee benefit plans additional pre-ventive care, extension of coverage to children to age 26, and other significant adaptations contained in the Afford-able Care Act have been implemented already. But in 2014, the real, major portions of the plan will be put in place, and

MOVING HEALTHCARE

FORWARD

by GENE MEYER, PRESIDENT & CEO,

LAWRENCE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

all intentions are focused on coverage of nearly 32 million currently uninsured Americans. This is clearly when the rub-ber will meet the road.

For many hospitals like Lawrence Memorial that have a vested interested in carrying out our mission to serve our communities, several important issues will be on our agenda. One will be supporting and hopefully expanding the num-ber of primary care physicians and other first-line providers who are available to serve the newly insured. Secondly, more creativity in how we deliver sick care in a more cost-effective and efficient manner will be necessary. Third, we will find ourselves adapting our traditional business model to include keeping people well, and frankly, out of the hospital. As you can imagine, with just these three initiatives, it should be an exciting time in health care in the coming two to three years.

What I’ve described, however, is really only the tip of the ice-

berg. It will be a time of change and drama for an industry that occupies approximately 18 percent of our Gross Domes-tic Product. Moving us forward will require transparency and creativity, all with continued focus on what is best for those we serve.

In many respects, at least with the conclusion of the Novem-ber elections, we’ll have a better idea of what the future may bring. Having said that, there are still many questions that need to be answered, and I invite any of our readers to call me directly to talk about their perspectives on the exciting changes for our country and for those of us in Lawrence, Kansas.

One final word: Take responsibility for your own health. Stay healthy and develop good preventive habits. That may have as big an impact in the direction our country takes with re-spect to health care reform as any legislation.

FORWARD

62

Kristi is a 30-something, mid-level employee who coordi-nates electronic delivery channels for her organization. While she doesn’t have any direct reports, she wields great influence within the company, particularly with those well above her pay grade. She doesn’t have the authority to make purchasing decisions on her own, but her leadership on those issues de-termines the company’s direc-tion. Welcome to 21st Century organizational management.

If you’ve spent any time read-ing about generational studies, you know that our workplace is changing rapidly. Today’s younger workers have little use for authority or hierarchy. Think about how learning has changed. Back in the day, if you wanted to learn to play the guitar, you signed up for lessons and learned from an expert. Today, if you want to learn to play guitar, you go online, watch a few videos, listen to tips from your peers and take initiative to make it happen. That kind of learning mentality flies di-rectly in the face of traditional organizational structure, so it’s no wonder that we see dissension among our workplace

teams, which, in some cases, span four gen-erations.

We need to make a distinction between ex-ercising authority and exercising leadership. Authority provides protection, direction and order and comes from those in formal authority roles (think CEO and department manager). Leadership is about behaviors or acts that instigate thoughts or actions to-ward addressing an issue. All of your em-ployees can and should exercise leadership within the organization.

We tend to intertwine the two even though they are distinctly different. Authority brings us comfort because it is a known entity, but true leadership is inherently risky as it involves managing losses and risking casualties.

Kristi sticks her neck out every time she calls the VP to dis-cuss shortcomings in the customer delivery process because, in most organizations, people reward you for delivering to

them what they want. What is hard is delivering to them what they need when it is different from what they want. The list of risks is long: friendships, reputation, labels and career.

So, why is Kristi comfortable exercising leadership in her organization? Because her CEO is comfortable with Kristi exercising leadership in her organization and her depart-ment manager is comfortable with her exercising leadership. They’ve recognized that providing Kristi with that level of autonomy makes her a much more valuable asset to the com-

AUTHORITY VS. LEADERSHIP MAKING A GOOD LEADER.

by JANA DAWSON, CornerBank Sr. Vice President, Human Resources & MarketingChief Marketing Officer

MANAGEMENT

WE NEED TO MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN EXERCISING AUTHORITY AND EXERCISING LEADERSHIP.

pany. Kristi is much more inclined to respect the CEO, work within her role and take opportunities to advance because she feels that same respect from upper manage-ment. Additionally, this respect has to extend to the full peer group. All parties have to work toward the concept of continuous improvement and work together to solve problems versus focusing on blame and retribution when something goes wrong. The CEO’s expectation that every employee has the responsibility to intervene to address issues for the common good has to be coupled with an understanding that there is no intent to get someone else in trouble. The intent is to solve the problem.

With this culture, the CEO also is exercising leadership rather than exerting his authority and demanding re-spect solely based on his role. He, too, is taking a risk in that once he has intervened and taken a course off the traditional management path; he has lost some control over the outcome. He is risking his reputation by trusting the leadership of his employees. Recognizing the distinction between exerting authority and fostering leadership and de-veloping that level of trust, top down and side-to-side, is how

you build a very different kind of team. This team is a culture full of leaders who care enough to take the risks required to make progress on their organization’s most pressing business objectives.

WE NEED TO MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN EXERCISING AUTHORITY AND EXERCISING LEADERSHIP.

64

“Entrepreneurship is a very broad topic. It’s not just about starting something in your garage,” Charlotte Tritch said. Not all entrepreneurs are the people with big ideas and a new product to launch, she explained. It also encompasses the small business owner who buys a franchise or the person who plans to be a part of the family business. The definition of entrepreneurship even expands to employees who bring an innovative mind-set to their corporate environment.

As Associate Director of the Entrepreneurship Program and lecturer at the University of Kansas School of Business, Char-lotte teaches three very different courses within the subject area: “Management of Small Business,” “Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Corporate Environment,” and “Entre-preneurship in Practice.”

Because her classes attract a range of students, from those who do, in fact, have the next great idea, to those who have worked in the family business since childhood, to those who want to bring new innovations to the corporation, Charlotte tries to fill in the big picture.

“When I teach entrepreneurship, I try to frame it through the idea of bringing everything together, covering all the disci-plines involved in running a business,” she said. “If you’re the founder of a business, you may not be an expert in each area, but you will touch on each area. You have to wear many hats, and understand all aspects of the business.” This includes production and manufacturing, distribution, marketing, ad-vertising, product development, finances, employees and hu-man resources, and more.

Students use a business computer simulation called Mike’s Bikes, then work in teams to run a company over several simulated years. Students’ companies then compete against one another. They make decisions about which customer segments to target, market spending, product development, manufacturing, quality, financial decisions and more. “They

see how all the functions come together and learn the cause and effect of the choices they make.”

Charlotte offers an example of just how that connectivity works. Business owners need to know that if they put a lot of emphasis on marketing, but they didn’t order the extra ma-terials so that production can meet the demand, problems could arise quickly. “My students are finding out that this is challenging. You pull one lever and it has a ripple effect in another area. They enjoy seeing how that works.”

Guest speakers, often local business owners, are a big part of teaching entrepreneurship. A business owner can provide the real-life answers to students’ questions. “We spend a lot of time studying franchising in the Management of Small Business course. Students learn about the nature of own-ing a franchise from franchise owners. Then we review case studies and have in-class exercises where we examine real life franchise documents, in order to better understand how franchise ownership works.”

ENVISIONING A

by TONI DIXON

DreamTEACHING ENTREPRENUERSHIP

65

STONEBACK APPLIANCE

StonebackAppliance.com

Service & Parts Available in Store.

Locally owned for over 50 years.

GE • Amana • Maytag Whirlpool • Hotpoint • KitchenAid

925 Iowa St. Ste A, Lawrence, KS 66044 785.843.4170

“One of the best ways to understand small business is to give students hands-on experience working with area businesses. Our big focus is on the experiential learning.” A key compo-nent is a project where students work in a small group with a local business on a particular business challenge the business has.

“It’s really a mini consulting project, Charlotte said. The project might be a pricing assessment, competitive analysis, development of a marketing plan, or assessment of expan-sion opportunities. “It really depends on the needs of the client business. The goal is to add benefit for the client com-pany while providing a rich, hands-on learning opportunity for the students.” Last semester her student groups worked with local businesses Wave the Wheat Pizza and Lawrence Montessori School, among others.

At the end of the semester, students present their research, findings and recommendations. It’s a great opportunity for students, as well as for a business that might not have the resources for research such as an in-depth study in pricing.

The students are learning and the clients come away with valuable information they can apply to their businesses.

Charlotte adds that it’s not just small start-ups that need en-trepreneurs. “In today’s competitive environment, an entre-preneurial mind-set can help larger, established companies achieve sustained competitive advantage. Through case studies, guest speakers, and many practical examples from the students’ own work experiences, we talk about how to apply the entrepreneurial process in a corporate environ-ment and understand what might encourage entrepreneurial behavior and innovation. We also look at ways to overcome obstacles that might inhibit entrepreneurial activity.”

Charlotte adds that the question of money always comes up. “We explain the nuances of financing options and discuss ev-erything from venture capital, and angel investing to family members or bootstrapping a business. We tell them it’s most likely that you’ll need to have skin in the game.”

Is it rewarding? “Absolutely!” she said. “It’s fun to get to know the students and find out what they are passionate about.”

MARKETING

66

SPACES: SPECIAL EVENT VENUES

WHERE’S THE PARTY AT?

What happened to the day when a backyard or a garage was the perfect party, stage or event locale? Somewhere along the line, things got specialized and wonderful, leading to a profession and the need for a variety of event space options that hold nothing short of spectacular functions!

Three buildings come to mind that provide both historical significance and experiential value. the Carnegie building, the Granada and Maceli’s, all located in walking distance of each other in downtown Lawrence.

SPACES: SPECIAL EVENT VENUES

A local favorite known to many as the origi-

nal Lawrence Arts Center building (a proud

LAC preschool alum myself) is the Carnegie

Library Building. Built in 1904, the Carnegie

building housed the public library until 1972.

In 1975 the building was added to the Nation-

al Register of Historic Places as the Old City

Library. In January 2011, the Lawrence Parks

and Recreation Department began operating

the facility, making it available to the public

as a venue location. The largest of the three

event spaces covered here, the Carnegie seats

168 on up to 220 theater style. Rich in histori-

cal value, surrounded by beautiful windows

and spectacular ceiling height this elegant

space does not disappoint.

THE CARNEGIE 200 West Ninth Street

68

THE GRANADA 1020 Massachusetts Street

THE GRANADA 1020 Massachusetts Street

FOR A MUSIC ENTHUSIAST -

Walk one block east and two blocks south and you’re

now standing in front of the Granada. Can you believe

the Granada; host to national and international tour-

ing acts, was originally home to a silent movie theater?

From the 1930’s until the 1980’s the Granada provided

Lawrence with movies. Today and for the last 20 years

the art deco theater plays host to talented musicians and

performers. And when not being used as a performance

venue, the Granada provides a unique setting for events

& weddings. Depending upon the configuration of

space, the Granada can hold 100 (seated) and up to 600

(standing).

70

Literally out the back door of the Granada and around

the corner Maceli’s is probably hosting a fabulous party.

Maceli’s has proven a success since its opening in 1995.

Maceli’s recently completed renovations to add more

space and update the decor, including transforming

Maceli’s color palate from black, gray and burgundy to

blues and browns. The Bistro Room was enlarged in by

encompassing unutilized areas of the adjacent dry clean-

ers. And, the Ballroom was architecturally transformed

with the addition of a carpeted mezzanine that accom-

modates 125 guests. Flanking staircases access the glass

encased mezzanine. The combination of leather chairs,

banquettes and fabric reading chairs to small banquet

tables make this new addition a versatile and cozy space.

The Carnegie Building, Granada and Maceli’s, different

spaces for different personalities, events and needs.

MACELI’S1031 New Hampshire Street

BY GUEST DESIGNERJACQUELINE EVANS BA/MA Interior & Architectural Design and Owner, Designer, Artist of Evans Design Firm www.evansdesignfirm.com

74

NEWSMAKERS PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.

VISITING NURSES WELCOMES NEW CEO

Visiting Nurses is pleased to an-nounce the promotion of Cynthia Lewis to Chief Executive Officer following the retirement of cur-rent CEO, Judy Bellome. Cynthia has worked in the healthcare field for 22 years in areas of behavioral health, inpatient, and home health and hospice care. She began work-ing with Visiting Nurses in 2008

as a Quality and Compliance Manager, and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2012. Cynthia is a member of the 2013 Leadership Lawrence class, Lawrence Rotary, and a Friend of Breakfast Optimists. Having received both her undergradu-ate and graduate degrees from The University of Kansas, Cynthia has made Lawrence/Douglas County her home for more than 30 years. “The Board of Directors is delighted to have such a strong and capable leader as Cynthia who is passionate about enhancing VNA’s reputation for providing quality home health and hospice care in the community” says Steve Tesdahl, Board President for Visiting Nurses.

SUNFLOWER BANK HIRES NEW COMMERCIAL LENDER AND RELATIONSHIP MANAGER.

Sunflower Bank is pleased to announce the hiring of Sara Dawson as a commercial lender and relation-ship manager for the Lawrence market. Dawson previous experience includes 12 years of banking expe-rience, and most recently, seven years as a surety manager. Dawson was responsible for surety programs in Lawrence, Topeka, Kansas City, Wichita, and Lincoln, Nebraska.

“I’m very excited for Sara to join our team. She brings the knowledge, enthusiasm, and expertise that are so important to our customers. Sara is committed to serving our customers and our communities, which makes her a valuable asset,” said Glynn Sheridan, Sunflower Bank Lawrence president.

Dawson is a member of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, and is on the Envoy Committee for the Chamber. She is currently the PTO president at Langston Hughes Elementary School. Dawson also cur-

rently serves on the board for Douglas County Health Care Access, and has served on the Lawrence Humane Society Board in the past. She is a graduate of both Leadership Lawrence and the Kansas Community Leadership Initiative.

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX STORE:WONDER FAIR IS HOMETOWN FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Beginning Black Friday, November 23rd, Wonder Fair (803 1/2 Mass St.) transforms into a magical marketplace for your holiday gift-buying needs. All year Wonder Fair specializes in cleverly-designed functional art and original prints, and carries a careful-ly-curated selection of affordable handmade goods. This special month, however, The Wonder Fair Gallery will be filled with an expanded selection of original art, holiday cards, books, zines, paper goods, jewelry, vintage tin toys and Larryville classics. Our expanded Holiday Hours, now through December 23rd, are daily 12pm-6pm, Saturdays 10am-7pm, and additional hours at random when we happen to be moved by the Christmas spirit.

Beyond the scope of our normal business upstairs on Mass Street, we are also partnering with the Invisible Hand Gallery and Pa-chamamas to present the 2012 edition of the Lawrence Sip & Shop. Sip & Shop brings together over 18 independent Lawrence and KC-based artists to sell their amazing creations directly into the hands those who pride themselves on giving gifts that err on the side of awesome. If that wasn’t enough, this is an opportunity to partake of Pachamamas fine libations while getting the bulk of your holi-day shopping done. Art Markets—they’re not just for the Ladies of Lawrence, anymore.

CYNTHIA LEWIS

SARA DAWSON

NEWSMAKERS

75NEWSMAKERS

SLOAN LAW FIRM ADDS ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY

Vernon L. Jarboe, president of the law firm of Sloan, Eisenbarth, Glassman, McEntire & Jarboe, L.L.C., is pleased to announce that Allison H. Maxwell has joined the firm as an associate attorney.

Ms. Maxwell is a graduate of the Washburn University School of Law. She is a member of the Kansas Bar, is admitted to practice in the federal and state courts of Kansas and will be working primarily in Sloan Law Firm’s domestic relations section.

ITEGRITY MIDWEST INSURANCE HIRES NEW SALES EXECUTIVE

Integrity Midwest Insurance, LLC is proud to announce and welcome Woody Davis as a Sales Executive. Mr. Davis is excited to join the In-tegrity Midwest Insurance team and will be responsible for new commercial sales production, de-veloping business to business rela-

tionships and completing commercial insurance policy reviews.

Clint Kueffer, President of Integrity Midwest Insurance, states “Woody is a refined professional. We believe his character, vir-tues, and broad experience will be tremendous assets to his cli-ents and our organization. We are very excited to have Woody on our team.”

DEAN RONEY JOINS KU CREDIT UNION AS REGIONAL DIRECTOR - BUSINESS SERVICES

KU Credit Union is pleased to an-nounce that Dean Roney has ac-cepted the position of Regional Director – Business Services. In his new capacity, Roney will cre-ate financial relationships with business members, including es-tablishing loans. Roney comes

with more than fifteen years of commercial lending experience. “Dean brings with him a great deal of knowledge and experience to help businesses of all sizes grow,” said Vice President, Regional Manager Ginger Wehner. “We are happy to have him as part of our team.”

GREAT AMERICAN BANK ABSORBS LONE SUMMIT

Great American Bank in De Soto, Kansas has completed its acquisition of Lone Summit Bank effective November 30, 2012. Great Ameri-can Bank assumed all assets of Lone Summit Bank including the branch location at 12418 South 7 Highway in Lake Lotawana, MO. Great American Bank now has 3 locations in the Kansas City area and total assets of $83MM. Travis Hicks, President and CEO, stated, “With Great American Bank’s record of strong earnings and capital, the bank will continue to look for opportunities to expand throughout the market.” Great American Bank was purchased by First Financial Bancshares of Lawrence, KS in July of 2008, at the time it was a $30MM bank. In September 2009, Great American Bank acquired the former First Bank of Kansas City at 39th and Main from the FDIC. Great American Bank has been one of the fastest growing and most profitable banks in the Kansas City market over the last 4 year period. First Financial Bancshares, Inc. is a 2 bank holding company, and also owns Lawrence Bank, which has 2 locations in Lawrence, KS. The combined banks give First Financial approximately $155MM in consolidated assets.

WOODY DAVIS DEAN RONEY

ALLISON H. MAXWELL

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900 NEW HAMPSHIRE, LLC110 MCDONALD DRIVELAWRENCE, KS 66044

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AC PRODUCTIONS LLC1616 NEW HAMPSHIRE STREETLAWRENCE, KS 66044

ADVANSE TITLE LOANS LLC923 N 2ND STREETLAWRENCE, KS 66044

AMERICAN MAID,LLC2515 CRESTLINE PLLAWRENCE, KS 66047

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PHOTOBIOLOGY810 E 10TH STREETLAWRENCE, KS 66044

BAER ESTATES, LLC2907 MISSOURI STLAWRENCE, KS 66046

BARNETT LAW OFFICE LLC2140 HASKELLLAWRENCE, KS 66046

BISON LEGAL LLC2233 BARKER AVELAWRENCE, KS 66046

BKH GLOBAL ENTERPRISES, INC.4718 HARVARD RD.LAWRENCE, KS 66049

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BLUEJAY APARTMENTS, INC.3514 CLINTON PKWYLAWRENCE, KS 66047

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BURTON CONSULTING, L.L.C.1211 MASSACHUSETTS STREETLAWRENCE, KS 66044

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ESDECA MEDIA, LLCRR 5LAWRENCE, KS 66047

EVENT SOFTWARE GROUP, LLC2531 WINTERBROOK DR.LAWRENCE, KS 66047

EXPITEK, LLC1028 HARTLAND DR.LAWRENCE, KS 66049

FAWTY, LLC603 COUNTRY CLUB TERRACELAWRENCE, KS 66049

G6 ENTERPRISES, LLC1013 WAGON WHEEL ROADLAWRENCE, KS 66049

GETJEFFED, INC568 E 1600TH RDBALDWIN CITY, KS 66006

GLASS CONSULTING, LLC1117 LAWRENCE AVELAWRENCE, KS 66049

GROVE IO, LLC401 MAINE STREETLAWRENCE, KS 66044

HALCYON HOUSE II, LLC1000 OHIOLAWRENCE, KS 66044

HEARTLAND LAWN AND LANDSCAPE, LLC1003 E 1292 ROADLAWRENCE, KS 66047

HIGHLIGHT FILM GUY LLC618 8TH STREETBALDWIN CITY, KS 66006

HOLTKAMP HOLDINGS LLC2607 SKYVIEW COURTLAWRENCE, KS 66047

HONORED CITIZENS CLUB2232 MASSACHUSETTSLAWRENCE, KS 66046

ICAFE TECHNOLOGIES LLC2300 WAKARUSA DRIVELAWRENCE, KS 66047

INTERNATIONAL CHI-NESE TRANSPORTATION PROFESSIONALS ASSO-CIATION - HQ1536 W. 15TH STREETLAWRENCE, KS 66045

J & C EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, LLC2500 W 31ST STREETLAWRENCE, KS 66047

JANE S. HENRYCONSULTING, L.C.5009 W JEFFRIES CT.LAWRENCE, KS 66047

JAYHAWK LIQUORS LLC701 W 9TH STREET SUITE CLAWRENCE, KS 66044

JAYHAWK MOBILE HOME PARK, INC.3514 CLINTON PARKWAYLAWRENCE, KS 66047

JAYHAWK PARK, INC.3514 CLINTON PARKWAYLAWRENCE, KS 66047

JAYHAWK TRADER LLCRR 1716BALDWIN CITY, KS 66006

JAYHAWKER DESIGN LLC1845 ILLINOISLAWRENCE, KS 66044

JES PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, LLC4500 BOB BILLINGS PKWYLAWRENCE, KS 66049

JIMERICA LLC4609 TRAIL RDLAWRENCE, KS 66049

KANSAS PHARMACEUTICAL CON-SULTING, LLC925 W 14TH STREETEUDORA, KS 66025

KAW VALLEY SOLUTIONS, LLC16547 27TH STREETLAWRENCE, KS 66044

KELLY CLINE QUILTING, LLC2300 OXFORD RDLAWRENCE, KS 66049

KM TRANSPORT, L.L.C.2513 LAZY BROOK LANELAWRENCE, KS 66047

KPC PROPERTIES, LLC5220 THORN TREE COURTLAWRENCE, KS 66049

KRE SALES, LLC1527 WEDGEWOOD DR.LAWRENCE, KS 66044

KZOO PARTNERS, LLC1203 IOWA STREETLAWRENCE, KS 66044

LANGSTON HEIGHTS DEVELOPMENT, LLC2103 CROSSGATE CIRLAWRENCE, KS 66047

LARKBACH LLC10 E 9TH STLAWRENCE, KS 66044

LAWRENCE LEGENDS CHEER AND DANCE, LLC1704 W 24TH STREET #111LAWRENCE, KS 66046

LAWRENCE MASSAGE, LLC816 OHIO STREETLAWRENCE, KS 66044

LEVINE NATURAL SALES AND CONSULTING, LLC4605 TRAIL RDLAWRENCE, KS 66049

NEW BUSINESSES IN DOUGLAS COUNTY SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2012

LIEDER MACHEN, LLC1101 WAGON WHEEL ROADLAWRENCE, KS 66049

MCLAUGHLAN, INC.6005 MARTWAY STREETMISSION, KS 66202

MID-AMERICA ALLIANCE FOR AFRICAN STUDIES (AS-SOCIATION)1415 JAYHAWK BLVD.LAWRENCE, KS 66045

MIDWEST COAST, LLC1740 W 20TH TER.LAWRENCE, KS 66046

NANCY PINE PERSONAL FITNESS, LLC3009 W 28THLAWRENCE, KS 66047

NEW HAMPSHIRE STREET ATTORNEYS, LLC843 NEW HAMPSHIRELAWRENCE, KS 66044

NGUYEN PROPERTIES, L.L.C.522 N. 1700 ROADLAWRENCE, KS 66044

NIEMACK FAMILY LLC961 N 1735 ROADLAWRENCE, KS 66049

OVERTON’S ARCHERY CENTER LLC1035 N 3 STLAWRENCE, KS 66044

OZ-SOME ENTERPRISES INC1062 E 1400 RDLAWRENCE, KS 66046

PARK GROUP, LLCP.O. BOX 628BALDWIN CITY, KS 66006

PATHFINDERS, LLC4921 STONEBACK DRIVELAWRENCE, KS 66047

PJEM LLCP.O. BOX 152LAWRENCE, KS 66044

PRAIRIE LAND GROUP, LLC123 W. 8TH STREETLAWRENCE, KS 66044

R. W. FINGER CONSULT-ING L.L.C.4117 WIMBLEDON DRIVELAWRENCE, KS 66047

RAINBOW ICE COMPANY, LLC1716 E 30TH STREETLAWRENCE, KS 66046

RANGEL CONTRACTING, LLC1415 N 960 RDLAWRENCE, KS 66046

REIGN BASKETBALL MIN-ISTRIES FOUNDATION2000 RHODE ISLANDLAWRENCE, KS 66046

RESONATE PICTURES INC2121 VERMONT STLAWRENCE, KS 66046

RESURRECTION INVEST-MENTS LLC2213 BRECKENRIDGE DRIVELAWRENCE, KS 66047

ROAD EYE 1 LLC3100 OUSDAHL ROADLAWRENCE, KS 66046

ROCK CHALK PROPER-TIES, LLC768 N 1750 ROADLAWRENCE, KS 66049

RPM1, LLC900 MASSACHUSETTS STREETLAWRENCE, KS 66044

RTP, LLC515 ROCKLEDGELAWRENCE, KS 66049

RUMBLE FLORY FARMS L.L.C.615 E 1452 ROADBALDWIN CITY, KS 66006

RURAL PHYSICIANS RE-SEARCH ALLIANCE, LLC2029 BECKER DRIVELAWRENCE, KS 66047

SOBRIQUET, LLC1129 SOMERSET CIRCLELAWRENCE, KS 66049

SOCIAL AUTOMATION LLC2713 CONEFLOWER COURTLAWRENCE, KS 66047

SUMPTUOUS LLC2232 VERMONT STREETLAWRENCE, KS 66046

SUNFLOWER FAMILY THERAPY, LLC729 1/2 MASSACHUSETTSLAWRENCE, KS 66044

THE PHOENIX GROUP OF LAWRENCE, LLC321 WOODLAWN DRIVELAWRENCE, KS 66049

THE RUMPLED NEST LLC5216 FOX CHASE DRLAWRENCE, KS 66049

THOUGHT AUTHORITY LLC207 ARKANSAS STREETLAWRENCE, KS 66044

TOOTER AND TILLAYE’S HOME GOODS LLC961 NORTH 1735 RD.LAWRENCE, KS 66049

TWO MOMS AND A MOP LLC920 CONGRESSIONAL DRIVELAWRENCE, KS 66049

VEVETECH LLC445 EISENHOWER DRLAWRENCE, KS 66049

VISUALLY SOUND INC.2100 HASKELL AVENUELAWRENCE, KS 66046

VOICE MY HEART LLC3208 W 19TH STLAWRENCE ,KS 66047

WAGS ‘N WHISKERS, LLC412 E 9TH STREETLAWRENCE, KS 66044

WEBCAM LEARNING LLC1411 LEGENDS COURTLAWRENCE, KS 66049

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