This fall brought a flurry of engagements where CBKC had the opportunity to represent East Side interests including a meeting with Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, to CBKC President and CEO Emmet Pierson, Jr., and Pedro Zamora, executive director of the Hispanic Economic Development Corporation (HEDC) co-leading the KC Shared Prosperity Partnership Forum to Pierson presenting as part of the panel at the Opportunity Zones Summit.

All of these opportunities related to issues of investment inclusivity. Being included in these discussions is one step. Being a leader in these discussions is another step. Bringing these discussions to fruitful investment in the urban core is the most important step.

On October 9, Pierson joined a few of his community development peers, bankers, community and civic leaders in a roundtable with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Hosted by Congressman Cleaver at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, the discussion centered on community development, local banking, employment, consumer goods pricing and challenges in the financial sector.

Kansas City’s Forum of the Shared Prosperity Partnership, a collaboration of The Kresge Foundation, the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, the Urban Institute and Living Cities, was hosted October 3 at Plexpod Westport. Focused on economic values and incentives, the discussion led by Pierson and Zamora was wide ranging in identifying shared values in housing, job opportunities, neighborhoods, transportation and more, as well as tools to evaluate resource allocation and economic mobility. Local partners of the Forum included the Civic Council, Mid-America Regional Council, KC Rising and the Chamber.

In September, the Kauffman Foundation sponsored an Opportunity Zone summit at the Chamber of Commerce. Pierson served as one of the panelists for the discussion and spoke to how a $100,000 loan to CBKC 27 years ago resulted in a financially sound organization with more than $80 million in assets inclusive of institutional development, market rate and affordable housing, office buildings and retail centers on the East Side. Pierson also narrated a bus tour of investors and other summit attendees of the Kansas City Opportunity Zones.