Official: Pride in Topeka is rising

Pride in the Topeka community is increasing, according to results of a survey taken by the Greater Topeka Partnership.

Topeka received a higher "net promoter score" in the survey it put out for that purpose last year than it did in the one it administered in 2017, Shawnee County Commissioners Bob Archer, Bill Riphahn and Kevin Cook learned at their meeting Monday from Kayla Bitler-Loschke, the GTP's vice president for strategy.

Commissioners heard from Bitler-Loschke and Keith Warta, of Bartlett and West, who are two of the three chairpersons for the Momentum 2022 campaign aimed at making Topeka and Shawnee County a better place to live, work, play and do business. Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla is that campaign's other chairperson.

Bitler-Loschke told commissioners a survey the GTP conducted last year indicated this community improved its "net promoter score."

She said the score in that survey was calculated using responses participants provided after being asked, "How likely are you to recommend living in Topeka and Shawnee County?"

"Basically the score is calculated by taking the people that scored the nines and tens, those promoters, minus the detractors at the lower end of the scale, and it yields you a number," Bitler-Loschke said.

This community's score from the survey taken in 2017 was "negative 50," while the score from the 2018 survey was "negative 37," Bitler-Loschke said.

"So it's actually gone up 13 points," she said. "So we're pretty excited about that."

Bitler-Loschke described efforts Momentum 2022 participants are making aimed at developing homegrown talent, creating vibrant and attractive places, growing a diverse economy, promoting a positive image and collaborating for a strong community.

Warta talked about how Momentum 2022 participants have worked this year to create a public values statement, implement clear bylaws related to roles and responsibilities for everyone involved, and look at who the organization is communicating with, how frequently they communicate and what those messages say.

The public values statement that was created is aimed at resonating with everyone in the community, Warta said.

It says, “Momentum 2022 will measurably improve access to opportunity for all people and organizations to experience increased hope, health, happiness and prosperity.”