Capital Commitments to Childcare and Housing Create Opportunities for Growth in Deshler
City of Deshler earns recertification in State of Nebraska’s Leadership Certified Community program.
The Nebraska Department of Economic Development announced recertification for the City of Deshler (pop. 747) in the Leadership Certified Community (LCC) program this week. Local business and community investments in a childcare facility and a county-wide workforce housing initiative have earned statewide recognition for Deshler.
LCC Program Director and Central Business Development Consultant, Kelly Gewecke, presented the award to village and county officials on Tuesday, October 6th. The City of Deshler earned LCC status in 2021 and recertification in 2026.
Deshler is one of 29 Nebraska communities in Nebraska’s LCC program, which was established by DED in 2011. The program encourages local leaders to adapt to changes in economic development; provide support for new and expanding businesses; and prioritize childcare, housing, and workforce development projects. LCCs must demonstrate preparedness in strategic planning and display readiness in technological development by marketing their communities online. Qualifying LCCs gain status in the program for five years and are required to maintain community websites to highlight local opportunities for growth.
“Thank you for recertifying Deshler as a Leadership Certified Community for another five years,” said Mayor Julie A. Deepe. “We are truly honored by this recognition.”
Efforts to create opportunities for new childcare options started four years ago through extensive fundraising efforts from local businesses and supporters. Following a community-wide capital campaign that raised $100,000, Midwest Bank and Reinke Manufacturing committed $50,000 per business to refurbish a once-vacant downtown building into a non-profit childcare center.
In just two years, Deshler residents raised $470,000 for the project, which also received assistance from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The Thayer County Economic Development Alliance (TCEDA) helped secure ARPA funding, which was distributed to states and local governments for coronavirus economic recovery efforts. Spring Creek Kids, Inc., a 5,000-square-foot facility, opened in October 2024 and is licensed to care for up to 60 children. The childcare facility currently serves 40 kids and has assisted the community’s six in-home childcare providers with additional capacity.
Thayer County joined the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation’s Communities for Kids (C4K) program as part of a statewide effort to expand childcare capacity. The C4K program provided $30,000 to Thayer County for childcare expansion opportunities.
“Thayer County’s C4K partnership is a great example of combining creative local fundraising with regional and state resources,” said LCC Program Director Kelly Gewecke. “These efforts established overall funding opportunities for childcare and even created a scholarship program to increase affordability for local families. Leaders in Deshler established these opportunities by building relationships both inside and outside of their community, which is often a top priority among successful members of Nebraska’s LCC program.”
TCEDA unveiled a workforce housing initiative encompassing Bruning, Davenport, and Deshler in 2023 to develop a new home in each community. The Deshler community celebrated the completion of Deshler’s new home in 2024, which has since been sold. In addition, TCEDA’s Home Ownership Program offers down payment assistance to homebuyers in Thayer County. Reinke Manufacturing privately funded an eight-plex apartment building which has provided essential workforce housing opportunities in the community.
Recent business additions include Deshler Family Medicine, which is now one of two healthcare facilities in the community. Brick Street Chophouse opened on Main Street in Deshler in 2025.
Deshler was one of nine communities to receive funding from the Revitalize Rural Nebraska grant in 2024 to assist in demolishing abandoned commercial properties. The city received $200,000 to assist in the teardown of a commercial property on 4th Street. The property was sold and renovated into an outdoor space for the adjoining Longshots Lounge business, offering a much-improved Main Street façade.
For additional information about the Leadership Certified Community (LCC) Program,
contact Kelly Gewecke at kelly.gewecke@nebraska.gov, 308-627-3151, or visit https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/programs/community/lcc/.
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