By William D. Moore, President & CEO
There was a gathering in Montpelier last week, an important gathering. There was no agenda. There were no long-winded speeches. No one was haranguing anyone about their latest missed opportunities or goals. There were no white boards, PowerPoint presentations or flip charts. It was, nonetheless, a very important meeting.
The Central Vermont Young Professionals (CVYP) met for the second time. This one was more of a social gathering, at the Three Penney Taproom. Why was this such an important meeting? The reason is a simple one. The CVYP is up and running and serving the Millennials of Central Vermont.
Who or what is the CVYP?
The Mission of the Central Vermont Young Professionals is “To energize the next generation of professionals in Central Vermont through networking, learning and collaborative opportunities.” It is expected that the new organization will provide opportunities for professional development, social and networking interactions, and greater community involvement for tomorrow’s leaders.
The CVYP is reaching out to provide a forum for the generation that sociologists call “Millennials.” Millennials are generally defined as anyone born in the tail-end of “Generation X” and at the beginning of “Generation Z.” Think of those born from roughly 1980 to 2000. There may be, depending on who you ask, a little spill-over on either end of that spectrum. They were formerly known as “Generation Y.”
According to Time magazine, “Since they grew up not having to do a lot of math in their heads, thanks to computers, the group is made up of mostly teens and 20-somethings. At 80 million strong, they are the biggest age grouping in American history.”
The CVYP is reaching out to entrepreneurs, professionals, those who have taken the more traditional corporate road to success and those who have staked out the non- and not-for-profit worlds. The CVYP is open to educators, customer service professionals, hospitality professionals, marketing and sales professionals and creative types. The targeted audience includes technology specialists and those who are technology driven. In short, the CVYP is working for those young professionals who are moving up in the workforce …tomorrow’s leaders.
The CVYP Steering Committee is comprised of Tonya Barnett from the Central Vermont Chamber, Alicia Browning, Mark Browning and Reuben Stone from Stone and Browning, Josh Jerome from The Barre Partnership, Alyssa Johnson from Revitalizing Waterbury and Paige Johnson from Insights Marketing.
The CVYP has a three-pronged agenda. They will be providing educational programming for the members, networking opportunities for the members and community services to benefit all of Central Vermont.
The opportunity to network last week in a social setting was important. I am sure that there was business being conducted, but it was being done in a relaxed, informal setting. Members got to know each other a little better and came away with a better understanding that the challenges these young professionals face are not unique to each member.
The CVYP is providing a vital service to this next generation of leaders. The next meeting is scheduled for August 16 at 5 p.m. at SunCommon in Waterbury. That meeting will have an agenda, focusing on finances, financial planning and preparing for the future. I’m not worried. It sounds like these professionals have things under control.