Volume 40 - Issue 13 - April 1, 2021

State of Kansas

Office of the Governor

Executive Order No. 21-08
Establishing the Advantage Kansas Coordinating Council

WHEREAS, Kansas is committed to a shared vision of increased prosperity and improved well-being for all Kansans;

WHEREAS, cultivating the highest educated, trained, and skilled workforce in the Midwestern region and beyond is essential to the well-being for all Kansans, and for growing the economy;

WHEREAS, aligning education with state agencies and business needs is vital to talent development, retention, and attraction, as well as essential to create vibrant communities, cultivate opportunities, and promote an innovative, entrepreneurial economy;

WHEREAS, ensuring seamless transitions from K-12 to technical schools, community colleges, and universities, and on to business and industry is vital to realizing our shared vision;

WHEREAS, economic growth depends on cooperation, coordination, and accountability between the education community and high-growth, innovative businesses and industries;

WHEREAS, enabling growth and prosperity in our state will require harnessing the strengths of Kansas to establish new policies, programs, and investments to realize substantive gains in our competitive position and build a future-focused economy, and

WHEREAS, upholding values of transparency, equity, inclusion, and accountability between educators, businesses, industry, and our broader Kansas community is essential to robust economic growth.

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Kansas, I hereby direct and order the following:

1. There is hereby established the Advantage Kansas Coordinating Council (the “AKCC”), and its membership shall be as follows:
   1. The Governor shall appoint up to two representatives from each of the following agencies or organizations:
      1. Governor’s Office
      2. State Board of Education
      3. Kansas Department of Education 
      4. Kansas Board of Regents 
      5. The Kansas Chamber
   2. The Governor may appoint one representative from each of the following entities or organizations:
      1. the Department of Commerce,
      2. the Kansas Independent Colleges Association,
      3. the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Kansas,
      4. an organized labor association;
   3. The Governor may appoint additional individuals the Governor determines have relevant experience or qualifications. 
2. The Governor shall appoint a chair and co-chair from among the members of the AKCC, and the AKCC may recommend members to serve in those roles.
3. Members shall receive no compensation or reimbursements for expenses and shall serve voluntarily. Officers or employees of state agencies who are appointed to the AKCC as part of their duties shall be authorized to participate on the AKCC and may claim subsistence, allowance, mileage or associated expenses from their respective agency budgets as permitted by law. 
4. The AKCC shall be subject to the Kansas Open Records Act and the Kansas Open Meetings Act.
5. Plans, reports, or recommendations of any nature adopted by the AKCC shall be considered advice to the Governor, and associated governing boards, and shall not be construed as official policies, positions, or interpretations of laws, rules, or regulations by any department or agency of state government, nor shall any such department or agency be bound in any manner to consider such advice when conducting their advisory and regulatory affairs.
6. The AKCC shall:
   1. Create synergy between education, economic systems, and the Framework for Growth;
   2. Empower business and industry to drive results while ensuring equity of and influence by stakeholders to align the system toward the vision: “Kansans cultivating the highest educated and skilled work-force in the Midwestern region”;
   3. Identify resources, investments, strategies, and policy implications to fully implement the AKCC Signature Initiatives to close the gap between Kansas’s current economic reality and the vision of highest and skilled workforce in the Midwestern region;
   4. Develop a strategic plan to achieve the five-year goals of:
      1. “Best in the Midwest in Postsecondary readiness and success;
      2. Preparation for high-wage, high-demand, high skilled, critical need occupations;
      3. Business expansion, attraction, and retention”;
   5. Expand public-private partnerships and strategies focused on access and equity to dual and concurrent enrollment, resulting in attainment of industry-recognized credentials and degrees;
   6. Expand public-private partnership and strategies focused on industry-aligned and in-demand training;
   7. Expand industry driven youth and registered apprenticeship opportunities;
   8. Develop intentional job strategies tied to high-growth, future-focused, and Kansas legacy sectors in collaboration with the Department of Commerce and the Framework for Growth;
   9. Conduct a comprehensive assessment of, and recommend targeted improvements in, the use of state and federal resources tied to workforce development, education, and training;
   10. Provide quarterly reports to the Governor and Governor’s Council on Education, and to provide reports to relevant state agencies on an as needed basis as to the implementation of the Signature Initiatives and progress, and any recommended adjustment to achieve the goals set-forth in this order.
7. The AKCC shall be staffed primarily by the Kansas Department of Education with the assistance of the Kansas Board of Regents.
8. The AKCC shall meet as often as the chair determines necessary to achieve the goals set forth in this order. 

This document shall be filed with the Secretary of State as Executive Order No. 21-08. It shall become effective immediately and remain in force until rescinded.

Dated March 22, 2021.

Laura Kelly
Governor

Doc. No. 048968