A Year In Review - A Letter From ypB's Chairman
Valued members of ypB,
As Young Professionals of Brevard heads into its 5th year of inspiring and empowering professional, social and civic engagement, I would like to take the opportunity on behalf of the ypB Oversight Committee to thank our members for a very successful '08-'09 fiscal year. In a tough economic year where Brevard County watched the unemployment rate climb to double digits, ypB members continued to solidify their impact within the community.
In September of 2008, ypB had the distinction of being chosen to host the YP International Summit. The 3-day event drew over 200 young professionals from around the country and Canada to Brevard County and featured renowned guest speaker, Rebecca Ryan. The summit was made possible by the efforts of our ypB volunteer team and staff which worked around the clock to ensure that our guests experienced the best that Brevard County has to offer.
In April of 2009, over 60 ypB members participated in the inaugural year of Access. The event featured 18 community leaders who provided insight into their careers over dinner at the Melbourne Hilton Rialto. The evening was highlighted by a speech from Emmy-award winning journalist, Jay Barbree, who addressed the future of the space program.
Throughout the year, ypB members also made their impact known through volunteerism. With over 1,100 hours volunteered, members have helped organizations such as Space Coast Early Intervention Center and the Strawberry Festival. Where some members didn't have time to volunteer, they gave with their wallets, raising over $700 for Brevard County Schools and $200 for Toys for Kids via in-kind gifts.
On June 1st, 2008 we launched our ypBuy! program which offers ypB members various discounts to businesses and organizations throughout Brevard County. The program has already expanded to 10 listings (which can be found on our website) and will continue to expand throughout the year.
I am proud to announce that ypB recently created a Member's Only area on its website. This area of the website will continue to be expanded in the months ahead and will serve as a Member's Directory so members may connect more easily with other members.
While we are excited about these past successes, we are even more encouraged by the membership's desire to do more. Our three committees, Leadership & Development, Membership, and Business Outreach, are in the process of planning next year's events and anticipate providing even more ways for the YP demographic to get involved. From your feedback, we are pursuing a larger variety of Member's Only events to include sports and recreation and family oriented events. Please keep an eye on our website for more information on these events.
Thank you again for all of your hard work which made last year so successful. I anticipate another successful year and look forward to working as your Chairman.
David Hall