Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center, Inc. Hires Randy Speaker as Housing Specialist

The Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center, Inc. is proud to announce the hiring of Randy Speaker as Housing Specialist for the northwest 26 counties of Kansas.

Affordable, quality and accessible housing are critical to growing the northwest Kansas economy and improving the quality of life in our region. The state of Kansas and the federal government have various programs to assist individuals, developers, cities, counties, non-profits and lenders to meet housing needs.

"Randy will be integral in assisting northwest Kansas communities navigate these programs to take advantage of these opportunities. It is the opportune time right now to bring Randy on board to set up our communities to take advantage of the numerous programs available for rural housing expansion. Randy will be invaluable in helping us navigate and pair together all of the different opportunities to make the best housing packages possible," stated Scott Sproul, President and CEO of the Innovation Center.

Since 2021, Speaker was the Housing Specialist for the Kansas Department of Commerce where he worked with developers, businesses and communities so that each could benefit from additional housing production. These duties included working with the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation, USDA Rural Development and Federal Home Loan Bank to ensure the state has enough good quality and affordable housing for all Kansans. He has also served as a managing partner for the Kansas Regional Center since 2013 and Director of Public Works and Deputy City Manager with the City of Topeka. Originally from Leavenworth, he received a bachelor's degree in business administration from Washburn University.

Sproul went on to add, "The Innovation Center Board of Directors set a five-year goal to be the resource to help create sufficient housing in their region. Hiring Randy is a key component of this plan."

To contact Speaker, please contact office@nwkeici.org.

(Information courtesy Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center, Inc.)