Event Recap — Health on the Plains Coffee Hour, Featuring Bonita Roberston-Hardy

3 Min Read

Jun 25, 2025

By

Wyatt J. Beckman, M.P.H.
Promotional image for “Health on the Plains,” featuring a wide, tilled farm field under a blue sky with scattered clouds. Bold black text reads “HEALTH” with “ON THE PLAINS” beneath it. On the lower left, a coffee cup graphic with steam and a leaf inside it sits above the words “COFFEE HOUR” and the URL “khi.org.” The bottom right shows the Kansas Health Institute logo with the text: “KANSAS HEALTH INSTITUTE – Informing Policy. Improving Health – khi.org.

How can we bridge rural health and economic development to support thriving rural communities?

On June 25, KHI launched the Health on the Plains Coffee Hour series with a conversation featuring Bonita Robertson-Hardy of the Aspen Institute’s Community Strategies Group. The session focused on bridging rural health and economic development. Robertson-Hardy shared insights on the importance of trust, asset-based approaches and local leadership in successful cross-sector collaborations in rural communities.

Event recording posted below.

Featured Speaker 

Bonita Robertson-Hardy, Co-Executive Director, Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group 

Bonita Robertson-Hardy is a workforce and economic development professional committed to connecting the public sector, private sector, and nonprofit communities. Since joining the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group in 2021, Bonita has worked to highlight the importance of equitable rural prosperity by lifting up the diverse voices of rural practitioners and researchers. A native of New Orleans, Bonita works to build relationships, influence policy, and advocate for equity and opportunity in public and private organizations. 

Explore the Resources Shared by Guest Speaker Bonita Robertson-Hardy

About Kansas Health Institute

The Kansas Health Institute supports effective policymaking through nonpartisan research, education and engagement. KHI believes evidence-based information, objective analysis and civil dialogue enable policy leaders to be champions for a healthier Kansas. Established in 1995 with a multiyear grant from the Kansas Health Foundation, KHI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization based in Topeka.

Learn More About KHI