Liberal ? The idea of forming a regional partnership to promote cooperation of communities across southwest Kansas has taken a step forward, after dozens of leaders in the area met in Liberal to discuss the challenges of competing in today’s global economy.

State senators and business and civic leaders from Garden City, Dodge City, Liberal, Ulysses, Hugoton, Scott City and other southwest Kansas cities met Thursday in Liberal at a workshop organized by the Southwest Kansas Chambers of Commerce. The goal is to put aside regional competition and form a Southwest Kansas Alliance, The Garden City Telegram reported.

Paul Joseph, president of the Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce and head of the chambers group, acknowledged that the idea to organize a regional economic partnership has been discussed for many years. But he said the Southwest Kansas Chambers decided this year to move forward with the plan for an alliance because of increasing competition for global business.

“We, as southwest Kansans, must compete or die. No longer are our competitors other (southwest Kansas) communities, … other regions in the nation or even Mexico,” Joseph said. “In today’s new world economy, our competitors are the likes of Pakistan, India, China, Brazil.”

In recent years, most southwest Kansas communities — especially the three most populated ones in Finney, Ford and Seward counties — have competed aggressively for economic development and other opportunities. Many attendees at Thursday’s meeting agreed that needs to change in order to tackle issues that plague nearly all southwest Kansas communities, such as stagnant job growth and tourism, declining rural populations and limited transportation.

Increasing communication between the various communities and a brand to market southwest Kansas to the rest of the world are some of the ideas that came out of the meeting.

“From Scott City to Liberal, we’re very unique. But we can work as a region and still maintain that identity at a local level,” Joseph said.

Another obstacle for the region is the “brain drain” that finds young people leaving the area for high-paying and specialized jobs. Bringing those types of jobs to southwest Kansas is essential to “keeping our kids home,” said Garden City Mayor John Doll.

Joe Yager, of REAP of South Central Kansas, a regional economic area partnership consisting of nearly 40 cities and counties in and around Wichita, attended the meeting. Southwest Kansas leaders said they want to see a partnership modeled after REAP.

Yager said southwest Kansas should brand its region by identifying its purpose and prioritizing regional opportunities.

“We want you to recognize the common themes,” Yager said. “You need a decent idea of why you’re here and who you are.”

The Southwest Kansas Chambers of Commerce has tentatively set up another Southwest Kansas Alliance meeting Aug. 18 in Garden City.