Q&A with Lon Smith, WIBA president

Lon Smith vows that he will revive the troubled Wichita Independent Business Association.

Smith provided energetic, hands-on leadership for the Museum of World Treasures and, for the last seven years, led the Kansas Aviation Museum. Now, his goal is to refocus and rebuild the 83-year-old small business organization. He replaces Tim Witsman.

For years, WIBA provided group health insurance to small business owners, but the need for such policies has largely gone away with the advent of the Affordable Care Act – and, with it, most of its membership.

Smith, 53, was named president of WIBA a month ago. He is married to Sherri Smith, a senior commercial designer for Integrated Facilities Group. Their daughter works at the Fidelity Bank branch at the south Wichita Wal-Mart.

What will WIBA look like going forward?

“We are going to be a membership organization. It’s true that in the past many, many people joined because they could get lower-cost health care through WIBA. That component of WIBA … has diminished greatly. And many members who joined for that are no longer members. We’ve gone from a couple thousand members to 350.”

How will you do that?

“I think a big part of that reinvention is determining how we can get tapped into the steamroller that is more aggressive economic development. … We are developing a program, which we hope will find a funding source, for a development program. It has a number of components, including at least a half-time employee who would act as a liaison in a number of ways, mentoring businesses and helping business-to-business connections, an ombudsman who would help assist businesses when they are faced with regulatory concerns.”

Give me an example of how that might work.

“Lotus Leaf Cafe was struggling … I called them, and I said we’d like to help. ‘We’re going to give you a $370 membership for $50. And then you give us a 10 percent discount and we’ll blast it out to our members and they will come in droves and send it on to their friends and help you pay your back taxes.’ Which has happened. I asked members to tell me when they visited and already I’ve gotten 15 or 20 responses.”

What else is needed?

“We have to grow our membership to remain financially solvent. Our goal for next year is 100 new members, minimum. Not a lot of explanation needed; it’s just hard work. Roll up the sleeves. Meet with people.

“But right now we are increasing by 10 members a month, so 100 in a year is quite doable. … A target for us is minority-owned businesses and women-owned businesses, but businesses in general.”

That’s going to take a lot of work. What’s the source of your work ethic?

“My father was a politician back in Illinois when I grew up. He owned an insurance agency, but he was on the local council for 16 years and then was mayor for 16 years. Every single day before I went to school my father would stop me and put his hands on my shoulders and say, ‘Son, always remember, there is one way to be successful: Have a great vision, work hard and don’t give up.’

“I was usually working as I grew up – my father and grandfather had a business reclaiming wood from buildings that we would tear down – but one Saturday that we weren’t doing that and I was in my bedroom really bored, and I went downstairs and said, ‘Dad, I’m really bored.’ He said, ‘Oh, are you? Well, go back to your room and find something to do.’ About a half hour went by and I heard beep, beep, beep and I look out my window and there’s a 10-ton dump truck dumping a pile of dirt in the side yard. I said, ‘Dad, what’s that dirt for?’ He took me out in the garage, gave me a shovel and said, ‘I want you to move that dirt from here over there.’ It was a hot day and when I got all done, I went inside and said, ‘Well, I’m done, what do you want me to do now?’ And he said ‘Move it back.’ When I got done with that, he said, ‘I bet you’ll never say you’re bored again, will you?’ ”

So what’s your vow?

“Even though it may seem that WIBA is waning, I am here to tell you as long as I am involved in this organization, it’s not going to be waning anymore. We’re going to be a vital part of this community. We are going to be highly involved in the Greater Wichita Partnership and economic development.

“We will continue to serve our membership. We will continue to help emerging businesses. All of those things will be incredibly important. We will continue to be a voice in Topeka for a climate that helps business grow.”

This story was originally published October 28, 2015 at 6:57 PM with the headline "Q&A with Lon Smith, WIBA president."