Behind The Scenes | Spotlighting Molly Howey

Behind the Scenes with TK Business Magazine is a podcast series hosted by Danielle J. Martin, delving into the innovation that fuels the growth of the Topeka community: local businesses.

Molly Howey serves as CEO of the Greater Topeka Partnership (GTP), housing economic development, tourism, Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Topeka. Previously president of GO Topeka for 14 years, she’s driven the creation of more than 2,000 jobs and over $2 billion in capital investment, supporting expansions for Mars, Walmart, Federal Home Loan Bank, Advisors Excel, Frito-Lay and HME.

Howey spearheaded the nationally recognized Choose Topeka talent relocation program, generating $14 million in media coverage, and secured a Plug and Play partnership. Under her leadership, GO Topeka achieved the first and only IEDC accreditation in Kansas.

She holds degrees from Washburn University and certifications from UOK Economic Development Institute and IEDC. Howey serves on boards including IEDC and Team Kansas. Her accolades include YWCA Woman of Excellence, Consultant Connect’s Top 50 Economic Developers, and Washburn University Fellow. She lives near Silver Lake, Kansas with her husband and three children.

Danielle Martin: It’s powerful to see a female CEO at the GTP. What was going through your mind when you found out you’d been chosen for the position?

Molly Howey: I think I knew it was the final checkpoint in my journey when I looked at my phone and saw the search firm was calling me. I hesitated a minute before I answered the call, but I had a lot of faith in the search committee. I came into it with eyes wide open, knowing the people making the decision really care about Topeka. I was trying to be open about any scenario and the final result.

Martin: You’ve been in leadership positions for a while, but you must be excited about this step forward.

Howey: It’s exciting. I’ve been with GO Topeka for 14 years, and a lot of great changes in the organization and community have happened in that time. I didn’t think I would be here as long as I have been, but there were so many projects I really wanted to see through. This felt like a natural progression in my leadership journey.

Martin: Talk to me about your plans for the city.

Howey: There are a lot of really great projects underway, some we can’t really talk about yet. That was something else that made me want to take on this role, because I knew I had a lot of relationships and involvement in several projects and believe I can take them to the finish line. I align with a lot of the community’s goals. Some of those involve collaborating with our partner organizations more, and assessing what our role should be in those collaborations — whether we should be the lead or someone else should, and what our appropriate role should be to drive the future.

Martin: What was one of your most memorable projects?

Howey: The formation of the GTP. I know that sounds a little self-serving, but I was here before the Partnership was formed, and I worked for GO Topeka when it was still just GO Topeka and the Chamber of Commerce, while Downtown Topeka and Visit Topeka were separate from us. The segmentation of that work led to slower progress. So, the formation of the GTP — and [former GTP CEO] Matt Pivarnik coming in at the right time to really wake us up — was memorable. I learned a lot from him, and I really am grateful for the time I spent under his leadership.

Martin: What was it like when Matt announced his departure as CEO? I’m sure the transition had an effect on the GTP team.

Howey: Anytime you lose a coworker you’re close to who has a lot of impact on the team, that’s tough. I think there were a lot of unknowns for us. We were fortunate to have Stephanie Moran, a current member of our leadership team, step into the interim role.

Martin: As far as your leadership style, what can people expect?

Howey: I’m a pretty open book. I consider myself an authentic person and want to be my whole self at all times, and hope I can stay true to that. I also want to continue to be collaborative. Yes, we want to be a solution and a catalytic organization, but sometimes there are other organizations who are doing great work that we could partner with. Being a cheerleader for them and amplifying what they’re doing is sometimes part of our role, too.

Martin: Do you have any leadership advice for other leaders out there?

Howey: Our team at GO Topeka took a survey — it’s like the love languages, but in the workplace. It was really helpful for me as a leader because it helped me understand what drives them and what their “why” is, so I can give opportunities for people to scratch that itch as much as possible. The test asked questions like “How do you like to receive recognition?” “What’s your communication style?” “Do you want more free time and flexibility?” “Are you driven by what your paycheck looks like?” Those kinds of things.

Martin: You’ve been a CEO for a little over a month now. Has there already been a big shift behind the scenes?

Howey: Yes. Being the CEO is different than being the president of GO Topeka because you’re not only looking at economic development, but also downtown, tourism and the Chamber. Leading some really awesome leaders in those organizations has been fun. Making sure we have our leadership team poised and ready has been a top priority for me. As I mentioned before, Stephanie Moran did a really good job of maintaining the culture and norms throughout the transition. We have a lot of energized employees here, so it’s been great. I’ve been flooded with feedback, suggestions and ideas from everybody inside these four walls and outside, and I welcome that.

Martin: How do you maintain balance between your professional life and personal life?

Howey: My husband and I have been together for 25 years, and we have a strong partnership. He has been with me through my entire career, including when it required a lot of travel, and our kids were little at that time. We have a really good yin-yang relationship, and he’s a great helper. Fun is usually something outdoors and not people-y, because I’m with people all the time. I spend time with family and a small circle of longtime friends. My kids are older, so it’s fun. We play a lot of cards and board games. We’re also at the lake and go camping quite a bit.

Martin: What challenges you?

Howey: Economic development has challenged my sense of competitiveness, because those projects take a long time. Oftentimes when you lose out on an economic development project for a reason you couldn’t change, it’s like, “Oh, you were located too far away from X or Y,” but we can’t change where we’re physically located in the nation. So that can be frustrating at times. But I think the team effort is definitely key.

Martin: What do you think makes our community in Topeka so resilient and willing to embrace change?

Howey: I think part of it’s just the Midwestern work ethic and the way we’re very determined. The accessibility we have to decision-makers is something I think we probably take for granted, but it allows us to move things forward. If you want to sit down and talk with the mayor or an elected official in Topeka, you’ll eventually run into someone who says, “Oh, I have his or her cell phone number. Let me just send ‘em a text and see if they’re free.” That accessibility and authenticity is really great, and I hope we never lose that.

Martin: What’s something you’ve learned about yourself as a leader?

Howey: I’ve always prided myself on being pretty humble. I’m learning that it’s okay to come out strong and be confident. I’m confident, but I don’t want to be seen as overconfident. I’m learning to own my confidence more.

Martin: What does personal development look like for you?

Howey: I read books and The Wall Street Journal a lot. I have a lot of conversations with all of our elected leaders and business leaders to hear what they’re doing. I watch all the city council, county commission and law meetings, and then I’m involved outside of the community and my professional networks, too. It’s important to understand what my peers are doing. I have networks outside the community so I can tap into them and say, “Hey, what are you guys doing over in Colorado or Texas or Arizona?” Just to understand the industry as a whole.

Martin: What does your morning routine look like? Are you a 5:00 a.m. person?

Howey: No. I like to have a slower morning. I like to get up around 6:00 or 6:30 a.m., take my shower, drink my coffee (I’m an espresso girl), and while I’m doing that, I listen to things. I check in on the news and then I’m usually checking in with my team pretty early in the day. And then I like to see what my inbox looks like, but only after I’ve had coffee.

Martin: What should people expect from GTP over the next year?

Howey: They can expect a lot more outreach and a lot more communication. We’re near the end of the Momentum 2027 strategy, so we’ll be getting more feedback and finding out what the next strategy should entail. I think we’ll narrow the scope so we can go deeper on fewer things and make a greater impact. The Small Business Council has undergone an overhaul over the past 18 months, and I think they’ve found a good spot to provide resources and a platform for discussion.

But there’s more we can do. GO Topeka has a lot of resources, but sometimes people aren’t aware of those resources or where to find them. We need to do a better job of taking those resources and conversations into the community. It’s hard for small businesses to get away and come to a training or networking event because they’re running their business. We plan to find more ways to get in front of people and have those open conversations. Small businesses are super important for this community. It’s what makes us unique.