In this series, guest columnists respond to one of three topics selected by ELGL co-founder Kent Wyatt. This week Rick Usher writes about the growth of coworking space in Kansas City, Missouri. I write this from Kansas City’s newest and likely the world’s largest coworking space, Plexpod Westport Commons. Kansas City loves coworking and the … Continued
The Chris Traeger List recognizes the top 100 influencers in local government. Chris Traeger was the city manager for the fictional City of Pawnee, Indiana on the show Park and Recreation. He was known for extreme energy and commitment to improving local government. The Traeger List is not based on title or longevity. It’s based … Continued
Knope of the Week Lands on Ted Talks Rick Usher (LinkedIn and Twitter) is the Assistant City Manager for Small Business & Entrepreneurship and has been employed by the City of Kansas City, Mo. since 1985. He’s a guru on Google Fiber. He’s a historian on Cookingham. And he’s a master communicator on Twitter. And now, … Continued
Your wish is our command. Rick Usher, Kansas City assistant city manager, agreed to share the Google Fiber presentation from last week’s lunch and learn. Presentation: Kansas City Google Fiber Experience Photos: ELGL Facebook Page and Facebook Group Twitter: #MoKanELGL Blog Post: From the Land of Cookingham
Ben Kittelson, the reigning Knope of the Week, is driving cross country this week to his new home in Carrboro, NC. It was a no-brainer that he’d make a pit stop in the Land of Cookingham – Kansas City, MO. Thanks to our good friend Rick Usher, Kansas City assistant city manager, the stop was … Continued
Former mayor Barnes highlights women’s fight against Pendergast machine Hat tip to Rick Usher, Kansas City (MO) assistant city manager, for sharing the story of women who worked to bring down “Boss” Tom Pendergast’s political machine in the late 1930s and early ’40s, helping to end 20 years of mob rule in the city. Former … Continued
This week we had the opportunity to hear from Rick Usher the Assistant City Manager of Kansas City, Missouri about the efforts he and others went through to bring Google Fiber to Kansas City. It was an informative webinar and Rick even brought on a special guest to give her point of view.
The Google Fiber Experience in Kansas City When Google announced a new program to provide super fast internet to select cities, local governments around the country jumped at the idea. To bring something new and innovative to a city would be seen as a great accomplishment for elected officials and public administrators alike. But the work … Continued
