Pictured at Great Northwest Day at the Capitol, from left to right, are: front row – Ashlee Driskell and Lori Staten; second row – Mark Staten, Monica Bailey, Judge Zel Fischer, Rep. Jeff Farnan, Crystal Woodring, and Sondra Davis; and back row – Kamron Woodring and Johnnie Davis.

As legislators returned to work in Jefferson City discussing bills in committees and on the House and Senate floors, advocates from across northwest Missouri convened for the 22nd annual Great Northwest Day at the Capitol. Representing a diverse array of sectors including business, education, healthcare, and government, over 200 individuals from the 19-county region came together to educate lawmakers on the challenges and opportunities facing Northwest Missouri.

This year’s agenda centered on key priorities including infrastructure (including broadband), workforce development (including childcare), education, and community improvement (including housing).

The day commenced with several attendees from the Great Northwest being welcomed to the Senate floor for a photo, courtesy of Senator Tony Luetkemeyer. That afternoon, participants engaged in discussions with legislators and government departments or attended a panel focused on this year’s regional priorities.

Evening festivities began with a reception sponsored by Touchstone Energy, featuring updates from area legislators and the presentation of the inaugural Great Northwest Day Citizen of the Year Award to representatives of Leadership Northwest Missouri. The reception led into the main event, a regional expo showcasing each county’s unique attributes and opportunities. Drawing a crowd of over 400, including numerous state legislators and delegates of state offices and departments, the expo served as a platform to spotlight pride points throughout Northwest Missouri.

Atchison County’s booth focused on youth career efforts by ACDC, Community Hospital-Fairfax, and Tarkio Tech, with a theme of “Planting Seeds and Growing Our Future.” In addition to having plants or flowers from each of the three local flower shops as part of the display, packets of seed grown at Flower+Forged Farms in Rock Port were handed out to guests.

The event concluded with a regional breakfast featuring remarks from The Honorable Zel Fischer of the Missouri Supreme Court, a native of Atchison County.

Planning for this event commenced in August 2023, with volunteers from across the region dedicating their efforts. Generous support from community and corporate sponsors, including Touchstone Energy, Evergy, Allstate Consultants, Cameron Regional Medical Center, Hedrick Medical Center & Memorial Wright Hospital, Mosaic Life Care, Snyder & Associates, Olsson, Missouri American Water, Missouri Western State University, North Central Missouri College, and Northwest Missouri State University, helped bring the event to fruition.

For details on this annual legislative gathering and the priorities for 2024, visit www.greatnorthwestday.com.