In the last three years, the Seward County Chamber and Development Partnership has played a part in getting and utilizing more than $11.5 million in grants and encouraged $247 million in investments in housing and businesses across Seward County.
Those funds have enabled daycare providers to offer services for 200 children, added 131 housing units and provided fiber optic broadband service to 518 more locations.
The partnership, which is comprised of government entities, schools, businesses and others, recently wrapped up its 2023-25 strategic plan period.
It has been a busy three years and others have noticed. The Nebraska Department of Economic Development named Seward the 2024 Nebraska Showcase Community of the Year and the Nebraska Diplomats presented it the 2024 Community of the Year Award.
SCCDP President and CEO Jonathan Jank said board members will begin making plans for focus group discussions and a membership survey before they create a new strategic plan and work with SCCDP staff to implement it.
2023-25 goals set path
The partnership’s first of four goals for 2023-25 was to lead long-term, progressive community change and it focused on housing, broadband service and childcare.
In housing, $2.39 million in Seward County Rural Workforce Housing Funds helped to create $27.2 million in anticipated investments from others, which is creating 131 housing units – single family homes or apartments – around the county.
As part of the Seward County Broadband Task Force, SCCDP advocated for what became a $9.1 million grant to provide fiber-optic broadband service to 518 unserved and underserved locations in eastern Seward County.
A county-wide effort around childcare and early childhood development utilized more than $2 million in local, state and federal grants to support three new childcare centers and a new preschool in the county, increasing the number of children they can serve in the county by more than 200.
The second goal was to support a thriving community and economy, and the SCCDP report notes that more than $220 million has been invested in Seward County through the LB840 community development funds and Tax Incremental Financing programs.
Those investments are expected to account for more than 150 new jobs.
Also part of these activities is workforce development, including career fairs, externships and other connections between businesses and the colleges and school districts in the county.
Seward County also received a Nebraska Public Power District grant for development of commercial and industrial sites.
County efforts around safety and mental health include advances such as the opening of the Seward Wellness Center, and SCCDP’s work with Seward County Bridges, which now supports 17 local charitable groups, as well as efforts like the Nebraska Tech Builders Challenge at Concordia which encourages tech entrepreneurship and innovation.
Telling Seward County’s story is the third priority in the 2023-25 strategic plan, and Jank’s report notes collaborative efforts, such as the Seward Arts Council and City of Seward’s work to have a state-designated creative district that utilizes the arts as a community economic driver.
The SCCDP also restarted the Seward County Young Professionals group to help recruit and retain talented young people in the county.
The fourth and final priority for the SCCDP is to sustain its own mission as a membership-driven organization.
In the past three years, the group has grown its dues revenue by more than 30 percent, worked on board development by assuring representatives of multiple communities and varied industries and professional backgrounds, and providing health insurance for SCCDP staff to better recruit and retain team members.
The 15-member board of directors includes representatives from the Seward County Board of Commissioners, cities of Milford and Seward, Utica village and Commercial Club, Seward County Visitors Bureau, Concordia University, Southeast Community College, Memorial Health Care Systems and other business and community representatives.
Laser focus for 2026-28
When the SCCDP board looks ahead, Jank expects to create a document similar to the 2023-25 version identifying goals and focus areas where SCCDP activities and staff will be accountable to the board.
“This keeps us laser-focused,” he said.
Jank said SCCDP is also mindful of the 2035 “big, hairy, audacious” vision for Seward County that was the focus when the partnership was developed in 2015.
While the vision document is more detailed, it describes a 2035 Seward County having vibrant and safe communities recognized for their agriculture, arts and culture, business, education, entrepreneurship, government and health care, as outlined on the SCCDP website.
The vision described 2035 Seward County as a destination location for businesses, visitors and residents.
“We are halfway there,” Jank said of that 2035 timeline. “That is the litmus question that we ask. If we want to look like that in 2035, how do we break that down?”
Jank said his staff used the 2023-25 document to set out three-year goals that were broken down into 90-day segments to drive activity.
New topics gain relevance
He expects some priorities will remain – like housing. The SCCDP is preparing to launch a new housing study to assess needs around the county for the coming years.
Housing costs have increased and there are new factors to consider in the study, he said.
“I think we are going to have to be more creative in housing,” he said.
Jank also sees new topics to address.
“Things we did not talk about three years ago are now relevant,” he said.
For example, placemaking is a topic discussed in community development now, which ties into the area young professionals’ group, as well as high schools, Concordia University, Southeast Community College and local employers.
In the last six months, SCCDP has asked people to look at ways our communities can revitalize and thrive to better engage young people in the community, Jank said.
“How do you make those spaces useable, accessible and memorable?” he said.
That fits in with the county’s efforts to develop and retain its workforce.
