When Anthony Taylor started a new job in 2008 with
Synergy Medical Education Alliance, he didn't know a soul in Saginaw.
All
that changed overnight when Taylor was asked to sit on a steering
committee to create the Saginaw Valley Young Professionals Network.
"The
Saginaw Valley Young Professionals Network has provided me with
everything since I moved here. It's given me all the social
interactions and friends and business associates that I could ever ask
for," says Taylor, who grew up in downriver Detroit. The 27-year-old
works in the department of geriatrics and medical student education at
Synergy in Saginaw.
Saginaw Valley Young Professionals Network
(YPN) is a program that was started by the
Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce to attract and retain young talent, and develop the next
generation of leaders in the Saginaw Valley region.
The young
professionals network in Saginaw is one of several that is making a
difference in the region. Similar programs also are thriving in
Midland, Bay City and Mount Pleasant.
Area chambers started the
networks during the last two years to help stem the area's brain drain.
Chamber officials say that too often, young people graduate from area
colleges and universities, only to leave the region for career
opportunities elsewhere. The young professionals networks also help
retain young professionals once they locate in the region by
introducing them to all the region has to offer -- including other
young professionals who are at the same stage in their careers.
Each
chamber in the region offers a mix of networking opportunities and fun
events for young professionals, as well as opportunities to meet
established professionals and mentors in the community. Most of the
groups target young professionals in the 21 to 40 age range.
Diane
Middleton, director of community programs for the
Midland Area Chamber of Commerce, says the impetus behind creating Midland's Young
Professionals (MYPros) was sustainability.
"To have a
sustainable business community, I think we have to constantly replenish
the professionals we have and keep the entrepreneurial spirit going,"
she says. "Having young professionals here forces us to keep assessing
ourselves and making sure we've got a certain quality of life
available. It makes us stretch."
MYPros, which has hundreds of
participants, is a hit with the young professionals in the area. The
same can be said for the networks in Bay City, Saginaw and Mount
Pleasant. And about six times a year, all area young professionals
groups band together for various events and networking opportunies. The
Bay Area Chamber of Commerce's group -- Energize Bay Area Young
Professionals Network -- recently hosted a party at the Dow Bay City
River Roar.
"We have so many young professionals that we need
and want to stay in the area," says Cathy Koebke, director of sales and
marketing for the
Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. "Becoming a part of a
YPN group helps them to see all of the benefits our region offers
professionally and socially."
The Mt. Pleasant Young
Professional Network, which was started last year, has found success
because its young professionals are innovative and have a fresh
perspective. And many are entrepreneurs, says April Osburn, VP of
membership and programs for the
Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce.
"It's
important to retain and attract young professionals to the region
because we need to continue its growth and continue to create jobs'"
Osburn says.
For those who get involved, the young professionals
networks provide a way for young professionals to give back to their
communities, says Michelle McManaway, programs and communications
coordinator for the Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce. Many times, the
Saginaw Valley YPN luncheons will feature speakers from area nonprofits.
"Giving
back to the community is the responsibility of leaders in the area --
and we believe we have a lot of future leaders involved in Saginaw
Valley Young Professionals Network," McManaway says.
Saginaw's Anthony Taylor is one of those future leaders, she says.
Taylor's
involvement with Saginaw Valley YPN opened the door to a post on the
board of the directors of the Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce and
the United Way of Saginaw County.
"By networking, you meet
so many people from so many different organizations that you may find a
calling that you never knew existed," Taylor says.
Taylor says
he would tell any young person to join a young professionals group --
it's a great way to meet young, talented people, and to gain
"professional intelligence" about the business world and the Great
Lakes Bay region. In some cases, getting involved with a young
professionals group can advance your career.
"The area has so
much opportunity and more coming every day," Taylor says. "I think the
Great Lakes Bay Region has a lot of good reasons for young people to
stay in the area."
Photos captions:
Anthony Taylor sits in the educational medical library at Synergy Medical in Saginaw.
Anthony Taylor is a founding member of Saginaw Valley Young Professionals Network.
With the young professionals network, Anthony Taylor has created a way for area young professionals to socialize and make profesional connections.
Anthony Taylor is an educator at Synergy Medical
Education Alliance in Saginaw.