About the Digital Annual Review

This is the digital companion to the print version of the 2022 MARC Annual Review. It includes highlights from each focus area. Please download the full version for a complete look at each focus area. 

MARC 2022 Annual Review Cover
Headshot of Blue Springs Mayor Carson Ross
Carson Ross, Mayor, Blue Springs, Missouri

A message from our chair

Welcome to the Mid-America Regional Council’s 2022 Annual Review. As you scroll through, I hope you are inspired and encouraged – as I am – by the progress we have made to build a stronger Kansas City region.

Last year, MARC reached 50 years of regional impact. During the celebration, we reflected on past achievements and looked ahead to the next 50 years. As we move forward, MARC will continue to serve as a forum for the region to address critical needs, promote economic and social progress, and ensure equitable opportunity for everyone.

In this Annual Review, you’ll read stories about people coming together to benefit our communities in important ways, such as increasing the region’s climate resilience, strengthening roads and infrastructure, supporting mental health response and bringing medical services to kids with few pediatric options.

The MARC Board of Directors joins me in thanking you for everything you do to make this region great. I’m looking forward to an exciting year working alongside colleagues from across the region to build a place we’re proud to call home – now and into the future.

 

Efficient Transportation & Quality Places

MARC advances regional plans for a safe, balanced and equitable transportation system. We establish priorities, guide investments and support coordinated operations to help achieve a regional vision for our people, places and communities.

New Kansas City International Airport terminal at sunset

2022 Transportation and Quality Places Highlights

Bicyclist riding in bike lane on bridge with cars

Transportation investments

Through MARC, more than $137 million in federal transportation funds were distributed to support 78 projects across the region. Additionally, MARC received a $6 million federal grant to support planning for the Bi-State Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor, which will connect four cities in the Kansas City region.

Multi use apartment building with sidewalk

Planning Sustainable Places

MARC allocated $1,228,500 in grant funds to 15 local Planning Sustainable Places projects. The 2022 projects include a plan for improvements to the Rock Creek corridor in Mission, Kansas, and a feasibility study for a mixed-use trail on the North Kansas City, Missouri, levee system.

Black teenage boy in driver's seat of red car

Transportation Safety

The Destination Safe coalition launched a transportation safety plan with the goal of zero roadway deaths in the Kansas City region by 2050. The plan includes strategies from Vision Zero, a national effort aimed at setting and reaching a goal of zero roadways deaths among all road users.

 

Competitive Economy

MARC works with regional partnerships to enhance the performance of the metropolitan economy and expand inclusive economic opportunity, focusing on workforce development systems, postsecondary educational attainment, and producing data and analysis for economic recovery efforts.

A group attending a presentation on the Kansas City regional economy

2022 Competitive Economy Highlights

With partners, MARC produces the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Plan.

Economic recovery and resiliency

MARC updated the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) plan to incorporate strategies that support economic recovery and increase the region’s resiliency. The Regional Workforce Intelligence Network provided important input to the CEDS update and met quarterly to share information about labor market trends.

Members of KC Rising's Place Committee sit around a table using computers

Economic Equity Values Atlas

The Economic Equity Values Atlas (EEVA) is a tool designed to help decision-makers apply an equity lens when evaluating place-based investments and policies. EEVA is a web-based application that maps the strength of the pillars in all of the region’s neighborhoods. By overlaying recent major investments or growth patterns, users can identify strategies to support an economy that grows for everyone.

couple using laptop to access internet

Broadband and digital equity

MARC and partner organizations worked with local and state governments, businesses, civic leaders and community partners to analyze the availability of high-speed broadband infrastructure and develop a Kansas City Regional Digital Equity Action Strategy Plan. MARC has continued to work with the two-state broadband offices and community organizations to ensure that federal broadband and digital equity funds could meet needs in the Kansas City region.

Effective Local Government

MARC works with regional partnerships to enhance the performance of the metropolitan economy and expand inclusive economic opportunity, focusing on workforce development systems, postsecondary educational attainment, and producing data and analysis for economic recovery efforts.

Miami County City Hall Selfie Day

2022 Effective Local Government Highlights

workforce-housing-apartment-complex

Housing partnership

Working with LISC Greater Kansas City, the Regional Housing Partnership launched a housing data hub and e-newsletter, and increased funder support. The partnership also shared data-centered articles about housing issues in the region, including the current gap in affordable rental units for the region as well as the current impacts of historic racial housing discrimination.

A woman standing in an office near a laptop

Government Training Institute

In 2022, MARC’s Government Training Institute (GTI) offered relevant and timely training opportunities, including specialized trainings for planning commissioners and courses on diversity, equity and inclusion—serving 452 people. GTI also provided customized courses for area cities and counties, and support for special projects such as the ArtsKC and Jackson County, Missouri, Arts and Culture Strategic Plan.

Group of students talking to EMS

Government-to-University initiative

In 2022, the Government-to-University (G2U) program received a Talent Connections award from the Volcker Alliance to enhance partnerships between government employers and college career service officers. A foundation was also created for the development of a regional jobs aggregator. G2U expanded available curriculum, including online courses for the Regional Data Academy to help public sector employees expand their data skills.

Safe & Secure Communities

MARC manages ongoing operation, maintenance and state-of-the-art enhancement of the regional 911 system, and coordination of the region’s interoperable communications system, and helps strengthen the region’s emergency services and homeland security capabilities to prevent, protect, prepare, respond and recover with coordinated plans and high-quality training, exercises, technology and specialized equipment.

Telecommunicators receiving awards at the annual TAC celebration

2022 Emergency Services and Homeland Security Highlights

988 implementation

Local community mental health centers in the Kansas City region worked together to identify best practices for a collaborative, shared approach to implementing 988, the new national suicide and crisis lifeline. MARC facilitated discussions with six community health centers that serve Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte and Ray counties in Missouri in coordination with Kansas partners. The effort received a $3 million federal grant to advance equitable mobile crisis response for 988 calls in partnership with community health centers.

Active Shooter Training Exercise

Emergency coordination and preparedness

Through the Regional Homeland Security Coordinating Committee, the region works together to update emergency response plans and provide access to high-quality training, exercises, technology and equipment. In 2022, the committee supported a broad range of emergency services and health and medical agencies by providing 55 trainings reaching 1,000 personnel on topics ranging from cybersecurity to hazardous materials.

911 technician at work

911 system updates

Work continued in 2022 to strengthen and expand the regional 911 system. MARC added Linn County, Kansas, to the regional 911 system and installed new IP-based routers to facilitate emergency call handling during the transition to Next Generation 911, a new technology that will allow the public to share videos, images and texts with emergency call centers. New microwaves and dual radios on 10 towers tripled available bandwidth and ensured continued high-quality system operations. 

Man in a MARC mask receiving a vaccine

Regional COVID-19 response

In 2022, MARC coordinated resources to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and support recovery, and updated the region’s preparedness website, PrepareMetroKC.org, with the latest COVID-19 data, information and resources. With support from dozens of partners, MARC completed a COVID-19 after-action report to identify lessons learned from the pandemic response, strengths and modifications needed for the future.

Thriving Older Adults & Communities

MARC empowers our region’s vulnerable residents, including older adults and underserved communities, by ensuring equitable access to opportunities and resources that support independence, healthy living and active lifestyles for all residents.

Two older women talking outdoors

2022 Thriving Older Adults & Communities Highlights

Double Up Food Bucks

Double Up Food Bucks provides a dollar-for-dollar match for Supplemental Nutrition Incentive Program recipients, up to $25 a day, for fresh produce purchases at participating grocery stores, farmers markets and farmstands. In 2022, the program expanded to 151 locations across the two states, reaching nearly 55,000 households and an estimated 118,000 individuals.

Home-Delivered Meals

MARC continued to ensure older adults and individuals with disabilities had access to healthy food with the home-delivered meal program. MARC expanded this program in 2022 and delivered 12,000 meals weekly in 2022 across the region.

older hands

Integrated care

The Mid-America Community Support Network launched in 2022 and provides whole-person interventions, in-home supports, community health workers support, administration function coordination, and centralized intake and referral services. 

Westwood, Kansas, officials holding award

Communities for All Ages

The Communities for All Ages program recognized five cities in 2022 for their efforts to make communities more welcoming for all age groups. 22 jurisdictions have earned honors to date, with 10 reaching the Gold Level. 

Community Health Workers at a table

Community health workers

In 2022, MARC worked with the KC Regional Community Health Worker collaborative to develop and distribute a toolkit to help health care and community organizations to secure reimbursement of community health worker services. 

Quality Early Learning

MARC provides leadership and coordination to build a robust early learning system with strong families, skilled teachers, quality programs, supportive communities, sustained and sufficient funding, and multi-sector collaboration.

A smiling young girl holding a flower umbrella

2022 QUALITY EARLY LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS

Students doing a project in a preschool classroom

Quality environment for kids

MARC implemented quality rating and improvement systems in 29 centers and 23 family home programs. MARC also coordinated and conducted quality assessments on nearly 300 classrooms. Providers and community organizations received over $90,000 in grants to provide training, materials and equipment for fine motor, art, music, science, dramatic play, diversity and block activities in classrooms. Eighty-four percent of programs receiving these supports achieved two or more quality improvement goals.

Head Start teacher and student in a classroom

Early care and education workforce

MARC is supporting the region in creating, expanding and deploying strategies to strengthen the regional early care and education workforce, including offering stackable credentials through a partnership with the University of Central Missouri and implementing a retention pay plan to mitigate staff turnover for MARC Head Start direct service providers.

A child receiving dental services at a mobile dentist event

Mobile medical services

KidsCARE, a collaboration to remove barriers to high-quality medical and dental care for children, through a partnership with Swope Health Services. In 2022, the KidsCARE partnership expanded the availability of mobile dental units to 11 Educare community-based providers in Jackson and Clay counties. KidsCARE also secured $300,000 in federal, private and corporate support to build a medical facility in Excelsior Springs.

Healthy Environment

MARC develops and implements initiatives that help keep the region’s air and water clean, reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills, protects and conserves green infrastructure, advances energy efficiency and renewable energy, and catalyzes climate resilience.

Two people pick up litter along the Berkley Riverfront Trail in downtown Kansas City

2022 ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Climate Resilience

Climate and Environment Council

In 2022, MARC launched the Climate and Environment Council to foster collaboration around the Climate Action Plan and regional sustainability initiatives.The committee develops near-term regional climate action work plans and tracks metrics, among other functions.

Climate Action Summit

Also in 2022, MARC supported the Climate Action Summit, which attracted more than 600 attendees and featured local and national leaders sharing remarks on the progress, challenges and strategies related to addressing climate change. 

Building Energy Exchange of KC

Building decarbonization efforts continued in 2022 through the Building Energy Exchange of KC (BE-Ex KC), which held its first-ever Rising Trades Contractor Accelerator Program to support diverse entrepreneurs in green construction and the high-performance buildings industry. 

Sunflower in front of a blue sky

Air quality

During ozone season—from March to October—MARC issues a daily SkyCast forecast to alert Kansas City region residents of potentially high levels of ozone pollution. A moderate summer led to two high ozone days in 2022. Based on the rolling average, the region remained in attainment of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards, with average ozone levels below the federal standard of 70 parts per billion.

A young teen holds a recycling bin with various items that can be recycled curbside in Kanas City

Recycling and solid waste

The MARC Solid Waste Management District (SWMD) held 11 household hazardous waste mobile events across the region, collecting over 103 tons of hazardous materials and another 167 tons between two permanent facilities.

The district awarded more than $700,000 in grants to six organizations and private companies to help divert waste from landfills. 

Water Manhole Cover

Water quality

In 2022, the MARC Water Quality Education Committee awarded $25,000 in grants to six nonprofits for projects. The committee also supported the annual Plogtober event, which encourages regional residents to pick up litter near waterways while exercising outdoors. MARC also launched an initiative to update the region’s stormwater engineering and best management practices, which was last updated in 2003. 

Exemplary Core Capacities

In addition to its programmatic work, MARC’s core back-office develop and maintain the agency’s capacity to support internal and external partners through shared services, effective use of data, technology, financial services and innovative approaches to regional problem-solving. MARC provides core functions necessary to ensure effective operation of all programs, including financial management, human resources, information technology, data management and communications.

MARC team members wearing red and holding a KC flag

2022 Funders

Federal
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • U.S. Economic Development Administration
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • U.S. Department of Justice
  • U.S. Department of Transportation / Federal Transit Administration
  • U.S. Department of Treasury
  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
National Organizations
  • Kresge Foundation
  • Volcker Alliance
State*
  • Kresge Foundation
  • Kansas Department of Health and Environment
  • Kansas Department of Transportation
  • Kansas Division of Emergency Management
  • Kansas Highway Patrol
  • Missouri Association of Area Agencies on Aging
  • Missouri Association of Councils of Government
  • Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
  • Missouri Department of Homeland Security
  • Missouri Department of Natural Resources
  • Missouri Department of Public Safety
  • Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Missouri Department of Transportation
Local Governments and Agencies
  • Nine counties and 119 cities in the MARC region
  • Kansas City Area Transportation Authority
  • Regional hospitals and emergency services agencies
Foundations and Nonprofits
  • Anthem Foundation
  • ARTSKC – Regional ARTS Council aka Parade of Hearts
  • BlueKC
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas
  • Civic Council of Greater Kansas City
  • Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
  • Family Conservancy
  • Francis Family Foundation
  • Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation
  • Hall Family Foundation
  • Health Forward Foundation
  • Kansas Health Foundation
  • KC Healthy Kids
  • Local Initiatives Support Corporation
  • Menorah Heritage Foundation
  • REACH Healthcare Foundation
  • Roger A. and Corinne R. Durkee Fund
  • School Smart KC
  • Sosland Foundation
  • St. Louis University
  • Stanley H. Durwood Foundation
  • United Way of Greater Kansas City
  • University of Missouri
  • William T. Kemper Foundation, Commerce Bank, Trustee
  • WJ Brace Charitable Trust, Bank of America, Trustee

*Includes pass-through federal funds