Barton County Economic Summit focuses on growth, community development

LAMAR, Mo. — Improving the economic well-being of Barton County residents was the purpose of an economic summit held earlier this month in Lamar.
This year's Barton County Economic Summit took place inside the First Baptist Church.
Hosted by the Barton County Extension Council, those in attendance got the chance to learn more about the many programs and services available across the county, as well as ones on the state and federal levels.
Barton County Economic Summit focuses on growth, community development
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Agriculture, business, investments, and workforce development were just a handful of the topics covered.
'Extension is here to serve them in a variety of areas, and all the other presenters today are also here to serve them. Whether it's helping with workforce, starting a business, community programs – whatever it might be. These programs are here to serve them and are available to their community,' said Lisa Robinson, UM Extension regional econ. dev. field specialist.
'I think sometimes we don't have the opportunity to get the, like, boots on the ground sort of information, so that's – that's my other hope for today is to make some connections and hopefully bring some opportunities for us to learn more about the community,' said Marisa Martinez, Federal Reserve Bank of KC community dev. advisor.
Close to 80 people attended the summit, which also featured Missouri's 127th District Representative, Ann Kelly.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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