Kansas Community Empowerment Rebrands as Empower Kansas
Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland and the Kansas Community Empowerment (KCE) board have introduced Empower Kansas as a new identity for the statewide program. This simplified change is designed to strengthen the connection between Kansas communities, expand collaboration opportunities, and give local leaders greater flexibility to add their community’s touch to the program.
“Our communities benefitted greatly from the resources that came from programs such as Kansas PRIDE and Kansas Community Empowerment — and the Empower Kansas identity is designed to encompass both programs,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Empower Kansas restores simplicity while building on the program’s long history of bringing Kansans together to strengthen their communities.”
Empower Kansas encapsulates the strength of the state’s communities and their role in growing the economy. Through Empower Kansas, communities can connect with one another, share successful strategies, strengthen local leadership, and pursue projects that improve the quality of place.
“Since our agency took over the KCE program in 2025, we’ve strived to increase enrollment and connect with each community to hear what resources are most impactful and important,” Assistant Secretary of Quality Places Matt Godinez said. “Exchanging insight and feedback has brought new ideas and innovative approaches, all designed to strengthen our local leaders who are driving their community’s revitalization.”
In July 2025, the Department of Commerce assumed the administration of the Kansas Community Empowerment program. The department spent months listening to participating communities to better understand what is most valued, what is needed, and what they want from a statewide community development network.
“Empower Kansas has given our community a clear connection to a statewide network, helping us connect with other communities across the state,” Empower Kansas and Empower Norton Board Member Cindy Wegener said. “It’s incredibly valuable having a group of communities who are willing to share ideas, tackle challenges and celebrate success together.”
The Empower Kansas model gives communities the option to choose to adopt an Empower Community identity or continue using a local name that reflects their history and character while remaining connected to the statewide network.
“Kansas PRIDE has been part of grassroot community developments in Kansas for more than 50 years — and communities have thrived from its resources,” Empower Kansas Board President Doug Helmke said. “We wanted to honor its legacy and create a program that continues to capture the pride Kansans have in their communities, while giving local communities the opportunity to add their own identity.”
Empower Kansas is a statewide network of communities committed to improving quality of place through leadership, collaboration, volunteerism and community-driven action. For more information about the Empower Kansas program and how to get involved, visit here.
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