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Kirksville Regional Economic Development, Inc. has pledged to donate 100-thousand dollars toward bringing another college to Kirksville

The K-REDI board voted unanimously today to help in an effort to raise one-million dollars as an incentive for A. T. Still University to build its new dental college in Kirksville.

Some estimates suggest that a dental college in Kirksville could mean huge economic gains for the city, as much as 100-million dollars a year.

It was an easy decision to make, said Board President Bill Lymer.

"K-REDI's job is to innovate economic development, to bring jobs to Kirksville, to assist in that in any way and we feel like this is the biggest project that we have had for untold years to allow for economic development in Kirksville," he said.

Kirksville is competing against Orlando and San Diego to land the new college.

That may seem like overwhelming odds, but Kirksville could have an advantage in the competition.

"The Kirksville Community is the birthplace of osteopathic medicine.  We are the perfect place to further the mission of the school in serving the underserved and the rural populations.  As we are aware, Missouri ranks 47th in the nation in access to dental care.”

“We have an infrastructure in partnership with the community health centers and Northeast Missouri Health Council.  That makes this a golden opportunity for us to further evaluate the feasibility of establishing a school," said Ranee Brayton, Northeast Regional Medical Center’s Associate CEO.

Brayton added that part of ATSU’s mission is to “serve the underserved,” something the school could accomplish by meeting needs in Kirksville.

For more information on the effort to bring a dental college to Kirksville, contact K-REDI at 660-665-2003 or email Director Phil Tate at ptate@kirksvillecity.com.