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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2006
Contact information: Ryan Entz, 268-1152
Young Professionals of Wichita Celebrate First Year of Making Wichita Home to Young, Diverse Talent
Wichita, KS – According to a study by Visioneering Wichita, each 21-year-old college graduate that leaves Wichita to work and live costs our region $300,000 in lost investment.
Young Professionals of Wichita (YPW), an initiative of the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce, is celebrating its first year of lessening that impact by attracting and retaining diverse, young talent to this region.
YPW will be celebrating this one-year milestone with various events for its members and corporate investors on Friday, July 21.
Young Professionals of Wichita spent its first year focused on helping young professionals succeed both personally and professionally by connecting them to important business, civic and social issues of our community. Listed are several accomplishments that are building momentum for the future:
- Reached 1,745 members…nearly 350 percent of goal
- Secured 32 corporate investors
- Initial YP planning group becomes the YPW Core Council now engaged in leading more than 150 YPs in program planning and implementation
- YPW moved from its initial networking emphasis (designed to create awareness and engagement) to a dynamic mix of leadership and volunteer opportunities
- Established self-motivated Action Teams to carryout events and activities
- Generated a total of 1,800 attendees at 15 events in just 10 months
“As a collective group, young professionals add tremendous value to both our businesses and our community,” says Stacia Frasco, director of Young Professionals of Wichita. “This initiative is giving young people the opportunity to not only connect socially with their peer group, but also helps them become more well-rounded citizens by connecting them to the most important business, civic and social issues in our community.”
Looking forward to next year and beyond, YPW has several key goals to increase employee retention, membership and membership engagement, such as strengthening the prospect hosting initiative of the YPW Ambassadors Action Team; educating members on political advocacy; and beginning an annual survey to assess progress of the YPW mission to attract and retain professional talent for Wichita.
“The future success of metro Wichita will be greatly influenced by our region’s capacity to both embrace and empower our young professionals and provide them with an unparalleled platform for succeeding both personally and professionally,” says Bryan Derreberry, president & CEO of the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce. “Young Professionals of Wichita has proven itself to be instrumental in the growth and development of this region as it has succeeded in its mission to attract and retain diverse, young professionals during this first year.”
YPW will be holding “The Celebration” members-only event on Friday, July 21 from 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame to celebrate their anniversary. Mayor Carlos Mayans will speak at this event designed to celebrate YPW’s major milestones. The media is invited to attend.
Young Professionals of Wichita (YPW) is a community-based organization which offers innovative ways for young professionals in the Wichita area to socialize and expand their professional horizons. Our vision is to help Wichita become the Heartland's destination for young intellectual capital. For more information on YPW contact Stacia Frasco at 268-1171 or sfrasco@wichitachamber.org. |
