Man looking out at downtown Topeka

Matt Pivarnik looking out at downtown Topeka

In comparison to many of the Capital City’s residents, Matt Pivarnik, president and CEO of the Greater Topeka Partnership, was able to see the city’s virtues shortly after his arrival. “I was shocked by the pervasive self-loathing,” he says. “There were definitely things to fix, but Topeka was a lot better than what its regional image should have been then.” (Photo by Jeff Tuttle)