How are we going to bring our young people back home, is a question that I get in virtually every town that I visit. Last week I met two young people who not only came back home but have developed a new organization to help make the transition a smoother one. They were on the program with me at Alliant Energy’s “Get Your Smaller Community Booming” Conference.
Matt Randall and Kori Heuss are both 30ish young professionals who both moved home to Ames, IA. Ames is one of my golden eagles, so I was particularly interested in their story. In 2002 they and a third individual got together to discuss trying to connect with more of the young people in the community. They grew the group to 12 and decided to go public with a concept of developing a Young Professionals Organization in the town.
They invited 100 people to their initial meeting in 2003, but word spread and over 200 showed up. Within a month they had over 175 dues paying members, aged 21 to 40, and it has grown ever since.
In 2004 they set up YPIowa (www.ypiowa.com) to help foster other Young Professionals Organizations in other towns. Already there are chapters in several other Iowa towns. I have a feeling that this is a concept that will spread throughout Iowa and to other states.
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