CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 55 What Fayetteville Young Professionals Themselves Are Saying Wade Duggins, on the steering committee, vice president of operations for Duggins Smith Builders. "This is a great avenue to bring a lot of people in this town together who really haven't had much of an opportunity to meet each other on a professional level." Alison Friend, on the steering committee, outside sales rep for Illuminating Technologies. "I think it can only get better. I can see it growing and helping people make connections. There are a lot of young professionals who don't know how many other young professionals there are out there. There is just a ton of potential." Phillip Gilfus, on the steering committee, a graduate of Campbell University Law School who recently passed the Bar exam. "We haven't had an organization like this in Fayetteville for young people. The age range for this group helps bring a lot of people together who are going to be taking over leadership roles. This makes Fayetteville a stronger community." Will McLean, guidance counselor at Jack Britt High School. "I wanted the opportunity to network and meet other people my age in Fayetteville who are career-oriented. If you are dedicated to your job, it's easy to get really focused on your day-to-day tasks and get absorbed by it. It can be tough to take time out to reflect and talk with people who are in different fields to get a bigger perspective. When you have a group that puts together these events like Fayetteville Young Professionals is doing, you can wind down a little bit and get some perspective you might not have ever thought about." A lot Happens Quickly It was young professionals at the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce who first articulated the need for such an organization. "When Kristie Meave mentioned the idea to Doug (Peters, chamber president and CEO), he really gravitated toward it," said Kirk deViere, the Young Professionals chairman. "It's a vital part of a healthy chamber." Peters gave Meave, who serves as the Chamber's Senior Vice President for Communications, the signal to start moving with it. Meave, a young professional herself, is now the group's staff advisor from the Fayetteville- Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce The organization was researched in April, and a steering committee of 20 people was formed in May. The launch party was in August. Thaddeus Jenkins, Suzy Hrabovsky and Charlie Allen led the steering committee efforts. The steering committee is comprised of a professional development committee, marketing committee, social/civic committee and membership/sponsorship committee with each having a committee chair. The launch party was followed with the group's first social and a professional development function in September. Young Professionals aims to offer both to its members each month. About 100 people attended a social at Charley's with a walk over to Festival Park for Fayetteville After Five event. Members looking for professional development came out to hear an executive from Ford Motor Company talk about a new Taurus being produced and the state of the automotive industry. The turnout for the first few events has been excellent, a clear illustration of how the organization is going over with young professional people in the Fayetteville area. The goal for the organization is ultimately to have 350 members; more than 300 people attended the organization's launch party in August at the Festival Plaza Building on Maiden Lane. The building's first floor was transformed with a touch that made it more contemporary than most formal events, which definitely appeals to a younger set. "One of the reasons we had such a different type of event is because we brought in such a different cross-section of people," said Kristie Meave, "Many social events tend to attract the same people over and over." The Benefits to the Community But there's more to the Fayetteville Young Professionals than the opportunity to socialize with other young business people. "From an economic development perspective, our students are graduating and moving elsewhere because of a lack of jobs," Meave said. "They may be moving because they don't perceive Fayetteville as a fun place to be. We think by getting

• Cover