Fort Smith chamber revisiting young leaders effort

Ben Quintana says a young professionals group will best boost a region’s economic development program by working effectively and through many partnerships to recruit and retain professional talent.

Quintana, head of the Boise Young Professionals managed by the Boise (Idaho) Metro Chamber of Commerce, was brought to Fort Smith by the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce as part of a chamber effort to re-visit an effort it started — Young Emerging Leaders (YEL) — more than four years ago. He spoke Thursday (Sept. 23) to more than 65 chamber members about the ups, downs and potential of the Boise program.

YEL was launched by the Fort Smith chamber in September 2006 based upon a recommendation of the TIP Strategies report. The TIP report — an economic development strategy for the chamber — noted: “The creation of a Young Professionals Association should be a top priority for the Chamber.” According to the report, the purpose of such an organization should be to “develop networking opportunities for professionals in the area. It was designed to help recruit and retain young professionals by providing them a network in which to meet other professionals, learn more about the region and get involved in issues and events.

YEL leaders and a community advisory board met in January to talk about re-energizing the group.

But just a couple years after forming the group, the former chamber president inexplicably pulled staff support for YEL, leaving the group to function solely through volunteer management.

Paul Harvel, the new chamber president, wants to reinvigorate a young professionals program. Other than to say he would educate himself and chamber members about the options and then issue a recommendation in the near future, Harvel was careful to not talk specifics about how the chamber would approach the effort. He did say YEL leaders are part of the discussion.

“I don’t know what this will look like. … I will tell you that I think the way they do it in Boise is a great way to do it,” Harvel said.

Maggie Rice, a planner with the city of Fort Smith and YEL chair, attended one of the two presentations by Quintana. Rice said YEL has about 650 on its e-mail list and has about 250 active members.

“Boise has a great program,” Rice said. “I’m looking forward to a strengthening of our relationship with the chamber.”

Quintana said developing new leadership is critical for any community, especially with a potential generational shift that could see two people retire from the workforce for every one person entering.

“You have to continually build that leadership pipeline,” he said, stressing that a young professionals group should complement rather than cannibalize existing leadership programs.

He said the four-year Boise program has been successful so far — 600 active members representing more than 350 companies in the Boise area — because it stuck to a simple mission: Connect, Empower, Engage.

“With the young people in your community, it’s often about ‘What have you done for me lately,’” Quintana said in explaining that the new generations don’t join organizations for the same reasons that motivated their parents and grandparents. “With them it’s about, ‘What are we doing today, and what are we doing for the future.’”

The demographics of the Boise Young Professionals, according to Quintana, provide reasons why business and civic leaders should cater to such groups. Demographic data from BYP members includes:
• 82% have four-year degrees or higher;
• 94% are registered voters;
• 74% are charitable, giving an average of $500 within six months of being surveyed;
• The median individual income was $47,500;
• 35% had 4-7 years of experience in their professional field;
• 45% had more than 7 years experience in their professional field; and,
• 67% were homeowners.

Quintana said his research indicates that successful young leadership groups focus on business networking events while also providing social networking and opportunities to organize to volunteer for community support projects. Within the business networking category, Quintana said, professional development is the toughest to do but the most important for long-term organization and community success. However, success is most tied to being tied to a chamber.

“The ones failing, often they don’t have a connection to the chamber,” Quintana said.

That’s not been the case in Boise, with the chamber connection resulting in the involvement of “influential business and government leaders,” Quintana added.

Also, young leadership groups should not try to be all things to all its members. Instead, it should be a “convener,” providing members with connections to entrepreneurship resources, social networking and the other personal and business needs of a group with members likely ranging in age from 21 to 40.