A headline about Lori

My 11-year-old son decided he wanted a Hereford pig for 4-H this year. If you're not in the livestock world, that might not mean much. But in Kansas, where the show pig circuit runs pretty predictably on certain breeds, a Hereford is a choice that isn’t easy to come by.

Four years ago today, I learned the hard way that if your jeans have been sitting on the closet floor, you should shake them out before you put them on.

When Taylor Swift announced the Eras Tour, our digital director Jo was determined to get tickets. And by determined, I mean the entire BowerComm office somehow became emotionally invested in the Ticketmaster lottery process. There were updates, strategy discussions, moments of despair, renewed hope and probably more workplace conversation than should reasonably happen over concert tickets.

I've spent the past two weeks reading scholarship applications, which always gives me a window into how people think about the future.

Over the past two months we reworked our fertilizer strategy because the kerfuffle with Iran sent prices skyrocketing. The wheat is running four weeks ahead of schedule because it has been so warm. That’s not a bad thing on its own, but a smaller crop than we'd hoped because the ground has been so dry. Right now we are waiting on rain so we can plant corn.

A wind farm project near us was scrapped this week, and the most revealing part was not the policy debate itself or even the formal decision.

Yesterday, about 45 minutes before we needed to leave for a wedding, I was trying to cut my son’s hair. He wanted a fade. I had limited skill, limited time, and an 11-year-old offering heated commentary with nearly every swipe of the clippers.

I’ve been accompanying choirs and groups on the piano since high school, which means I’ve had many years of practice in the fine art of being essential and not the main attraction.

I was in Hays, Kansas, last week for the Hansen Forum, where I spent the first day with community foundation staff and the second with a broader group including board members, economic development staff, and community leaders from across northwest Kansas.

We just got back from spring break. Family ski trip (year four), and for the first time, all four of us could ski at roughly the same pace. Which means this year was the first year that actually felt like a vacation rather than an elaborate exercise in family conflict management.

This week we sent annual reports for Cobb Community Foundation and West Central Initiative to the printer.

I was just in Phoenix for AdNet, a conference for community foundation development and communications folks.

“General public” is not an audience. It is a location. It tells you where people live. It does not tell you whose behavior must change to gain traction on a goal.

“I’m sick of it.” That’s how a community foundation CEO opened our meeting last week.

The Innovation Center provides economic and entrepreneurial assistance to businesses in rural Northwest Kansas.

When the Kansas State Fair was on the hunt for a new marketing and communications partner in 2018, they didn’t have to look very far.

Hutchinson Manufacturer Takes Pride in New Brand Located in Hutchinson, Kansas, with products that ship globally, Superior Boiler is the world’s leading manufacturer of Scotch Marine Firetube and high efficiency Condensing boilers as well as associated boiler room equipment for process steam, hot water , and waste recovery . Although they’ve been around since 1917 and have an excellent reputation in the industry, they lacked a cohesive, engaging brand. “We had no con

The City of Clearwater Wins Through Communication Strategy Located in south central Kansas, Clearwater is a small town of nearly 3,000 that’s rich with opportunities, quality schools, well-kept homes, and a strong sense of community. But even with many advantages, getting the attention of potential residents is a tough challenge. “We lacked the direction or skill set to develop a marketing plan for the city,” said Burt Ussery, Mayor, City of Clearwater. “We knew that Clearwat

The Summit Reaches New Heights with Updated Brand As a physician-owned healthcare facility located in Hutchinson, Kansas, The Summit offers a variety of services in one location, including Summit Surgical, Rehabilitation and Sports Performance, Summit Imaging, Alliance Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Capstone Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, and The Woman’s Place. With so many services and specialties to communicate, The Summit needed a cohesive, compelling brand to reflect

Placer Community Foundation Prospers Beyond Expectations For nearly two decades, Placer Community Foundation (PCF) in Auburn, California, has "inspired philanthropy to respond to critical community needs and build a thriving region where every person prospers." Although they've been successful in pursuing this mission, they faced a predicament in 2022 when they found themselves without a dedicated marketing and communications staff person. Facing unmet potential and missed o