Gov. Sam Brownback accepts the key to the city from Mayor Carl Brewer
Mayor Carl Brewer and the Wichita City Council honored Gov. Sam Brownback with a key to the city this morning.
The gesture is a way of thanking Brownback for his work as a U.S. Senator, Brewer said. Brownback has helped obtain funding for local flood prevention efforts, the Heartland Preparedness Center and other projects.
“The millions go on and on and on for the city of Wichita,” Brewer said.
Brownback joked that he would try the key out on a few doors. And he highlighted Wichita’s efforts to retain and grow its aviation industry.
The Governor said he will host a governor’s aviation summit on April 25 to find which two or three things the state can do to help the industry grow.
“We want to grow it, and grow it in Wichita,” he said.
Brownback also noted the city’s entrepreneurial spirit and its budding composites industry, which has applications in wind energy, health care and aviation.
“This is the composites capital of the world,” he said.
Brownback joins a list of about 50 people who have received a key to the city since 1974, when one was presented to President Gerald R. Ford. Some other interesting names on the list include: Sen. Bob Dole, Nelson A. Rockefeller, Jesse Jackson, Gordon Parks, Luciano Pavarotti, Barry Sanders and Lynnette Woodard.