Great Bend Economic Development’s President, Sara Arnberger, is a current and longtime resident of Great Bend and continues to give back to the community she was born and raised in. Arnberger and her spouse, Curtis, currently reside in Great Bend, a community she described as “vibrant, beautiful, and full of amazing people.”

Arnberger is currently the president of Great Bend Economic Development. GBED works to sustain long-term economic health and vitality of Barton County and make a positive contribution to the quality of life of its residents.

“Through my work efforts, we have created our downtown group, Great Bend Alive, and our childcare group, Advancing Barton County Childcare,” Arnberger said. 

“As president of economic development I have the opportunity to have overlap with many of our local organizations and non-profits,” she said. “My most direct involvement takes place as I serve in an ex officio capacity for the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce as well as the Convention and Visitors Bureau.” In addition to these organizations, Arnberger also serves on the business and childcare advisory boards at Barton Community College, serves as a board member for Network Kansas and is a member of many of the state’s economic development organizations. Arnberger has been involved with most of the groups since returning to Great Bend in 2020.

“I enjoyed attending and graduating from Great Bend High School,” Arnberger said. After graduating from high school, Arnberger moved to Wichita to attend Friends University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. 

Once graduated from college, Arnberger worked for a nationally known retail company, The Buckle. Arnberger traveled all over the nation assisting in store management, recruiting, training, hiring, and other responsibilities.

“I felt the desire to be back home near family to settle down and create some roots of my own,” Arnberger said. “This community is vibrant, beautiful and full of amazing people. In the last three years that I have been home I have watched this community activate and get involved in ways I hadn’t witnessed in my younger years.”

Arnberger is currently creating her own roots as a member of the Foundry Methodist Church. In her free time, she and her husband enjoy “restaurant hopping” to find local and near-local favorites. Arnberger also enjoys spending time with family and game nights with friends. 

“Great Bend is already great, but trust me when I say, people are noticing our vibrancy and I know we’re on a steady and exciting path to change and revitalization,” Arnberger said. “I’m so thrilled to get to dive in and be a small part of it all.”

Community Connections is a regular feature of the Great Bend Tribune, showcasing people who live in the Golden Belt. We welcome readers to submit names of individuals who are active in the community that they would like to see featured in a future story. Send suggestions to news@gbtribune.com and explain their “community connections.”