Broken Bow Economic Forum Explores Many Facets of Rural Communities

In late June, staff from the Omaha Branch visited Broken Bow, NE, to learn about the community and host an Economic Forum. Economic Forums are an opportunity for the Kansas City Fed to share insights on the economy and also learn about local economic issues. This was the first-ever Economic Forum in Broken Bow.

On Tuesday, June 27, Omaha Branch staff had the opportunity to visit Sargent Pipe to learn about their business and tour their operations. Branch staff then met with area business, banking and community leaders for a roundtable discussion centered on current economic and business conditions in the region. 

Dell Gines, Senior Community Development Advisor for the Omaha Branch, and Ariel Cisneros, Senior Community Development Advisor for the Denver Branch, hosted a Community Reinvestment Act for Workforce and Economic Development Professionals event on Tuesday afternoon. During the event, they provided an overview of CRA requirements and discussed examples of how communities are partnering with banks to achieve workforce and economic development goals.

The Economic Forum on Tuesday evening featured Nathan Kauffman, assistant vice president, economist and Omaha Branch executive. Nathan updated the Broken Bow community on the Nebraska economy, including a focus on the agricultural sector, and also discussed national economic conditions and monetary policy objectives. 

The following day, June 28, Public Affairs Specialist Nicole Connelly met with leaders from Custer Alliance for Preparing and Advocating for Business Labor and Education (CAPABLE) to learn about their program and share resources in entrepreneurial education.

For more information on Nebraska’s economy, read The Nebraska Economist.