By Andrea Applegate, Director of Workforce Development
Teckie Shackelford was among a panel of presenters recently at an event at the YWCA.Teckie is a veteran of the boards of directors of many corporate and non-profit organizations (e.g., H&R Block, Wendy’s and the Columbus Foundation, where she was the first female to be elected the president of the board). She was asked to give advice to anyone under 30 who might be reluctant to get involved on boards because "life happens."
Teckie acknowledged that life often gets in the way—regardless of one’s age or stage in life. She observed, however, that if you don't establish habits and priorities early in your career, you will likely never do it. "Start now," she advised.
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One morning last month, I got out the door early to pick up breakfast items (donated by Chamber-member Dunkin' Donuts) and deliver them by 7:15 a.m. to the Jazz Academy at the Lincoln Theater. That’s where the YP Presidents Council meeting was being held. I had no role at the meeting other than to deliver the food — and I didn’t intend to stay. But, I ran into some friends, got involved in some interesting conversations, and chatted with a prospective Chamber-member. Before I knew it, Robbie Banks started the meeting. Yikes!
I thought it would be rude to leave. I’m glad I stayed.
If you’re not familiar with the YP Presidents Council, the Columbus Chamber convenes this informal gathering of people in leadership positions (staff, volunteers, doesn’t matter) within groups focused on "young professionals." The purpose of the YP Presidents Council is to support and strengthen the great work of these groups, help them learn best practices from each other, encourage common event planning when appropriate, and allow them to broaden their personal and professional networks.
It was awesome to see everyone really engaged in the process. They shared a little bit about their respective organizations so that others in the room can recognize synergies, points of collaboration, etc. They also talked about how to keep their members engaged, particularly when it comes to producing events. They agreed how challenging this is, particularly when their committees are made up of volunteers with fabulous ideas and the best intentions, but who are short on time.
The YP Presidents Council meets every other month. If you're a YP president and would like to get involved, contact Robbie.
There are dozens of YP groups in our community. Some are made up of, focused on and led exclusively by YPs. Others focus their outreach and services to a younger demographic. Still others seek to engage young people in their traditional organizations (like arts organizations, and health & human service agencies). Check out our YPO directory to see for yourself the variety.
If you are a young professional, you should resolve to get involved in at least one of these organizations. It's a great way to build skills and connections that will benefit you for years to come. And it's best to get in the habit of being involved as early in your career as possible. If you are a manager, make it a point to support—even encourage—the young professionals in your charge to get involved. It’s a great way to help them develop leadership, networking skills, and will raise also the profile of your business in the community.
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