During the 95th Annual Meeting & Banquet for the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development, Regan Reif was recognized as the 2016 NextGen Leader of the Year for her selfless efforts to serve, give, and lead at work and in the community. This award program was launched in 2013 as a joint project of the organization’s Board of Directors and the Barton County Young Professionals Group to recognize up-and-coming leaders for their volunteer service.
Regan was raised on a farm in Hoxie, Kansas. After graduating from high school, she attended Fort Hays State University where her enthusiasm for leadership and volunteerism were evident early on. She was active within the Leadership Department of the college, spearheading numerous projects and studying abroad in Europe. Regan helped lead the FHSU Catholic Disciples group; she served as a VIP Ambassador for the President’s office, and spent time in Guatemala doing mission work.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership, she was recruited by Adams Brown Beran & Ball to work in their Great Bend office helping lead their internship program and assisting with marketing functions. Her passion for helping others succeed earned her a promotion to HR & Marketing Associate in 2014. A year later, she was promoted to the executive team helping with firm growth and strategy. Regan’s unparalleled work ethic and commitment to excellence did not go unnoticed. When the firm decided in 2016 that it needed a Chief Operating Officer to oversee new acquisitions and mergers, staff development, and strategic planning, Regan was an obvious choice for the promotion.
Outside of work, Regan’s heart for others is even more pronounced. In the years since she moved to Great Bend, her impressive resume as a volunteer continues to grow. Regan’s service to the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development started as a volunteer for the Barton County Young Professionals group, for which she now serves as its Steering Committee Chair. Also within the networking group, Regan chairs the BCYP Public Relations Team and helps plan the annual Leadercast simulcast event. She also recently completed a 3-year term as a Chamber Ambassador.
For local charities, Regan has been active with United Way, serving first as a Young Leader alongside her husband, Cole. Now the couple serves as Campaign Co-Chairs and Regan has been a huge force in implementing and maintaining the nonprofit’s Literacy Kit campaign which provides reading materials to all preschool students attending Kindergarten roundup each spring. Currently, Regan is working with United Way to raise funds and awareness to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Great Bend, which would allow every child under the age of 5 to receive one free book per month by mail with the goal of increasing our statistics on literacy and Kindergarten readiness. Regan is also a proud member of The Prairie Godmother Funds of the Golden Belt Community Foundation.
Regan is an active member at Prince of Peace Parrish in Great Bend, where she serves as a Lector. For several years she led the Dante Deo Catholic ministry at Barton Community College, bringing her faith to students living on campus. For her alma mater, Regan also helps organize the Golden Belt Chapter of the Fort Hays State University Alumni Association.
While the list of Regan’s accolades would be impossible to summarize in its entirety, the noticeable commitment she has made to make Great Bend her home and give tirelessly to see it improve and flourish is undeniable.