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Newly-formed group hopes to unite young adults |
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Tuesday, November 13 2007 |
By JENNIFER
ZARTMAN ROMANO
for The Post & Mail
Some say they just don’t care -- that they’re self-absorbed, cynical slackers.
To describe the generation that is now between the ages of 20-40 in such terms may be narrow-minded -- particularly considering that this younger generation has developed a reputation for being both highly entrepreneurial and techno savvy. At the business table and among the boards of our non-profits today, unfortunately, that younger voice is not being as well represented as it should be. But, it might not be that way for long in our community thanks to the efforts of Pat Hatcher, the Columbia City Chamber of Commerce and a growing group of young adults eager to lead change in our community. The goal at hand is making Whitley County a better place for generations to come.
Young Adults in Action (YAIA) is bringing together those between the ages of 20 to 40 for the purpose of networking, education, socializing and volunteerism.
Initially conceived as an idea for bringing together young professionals, the group is seeking to bring together all members of its generation — from biomedical engineers to stay-a-home mothers.
What began as an initial meeting of nearly a dozen local professionals in September has quickly expanded to a growing organization with a steering committee, a spark of excitement and significant enthusiasm toward changing the face of the future.
Steering committee member and South Whitley resident Jorell Tucker is excited about this new group and its goals, saying he feels the group’s purpose is “to keep the young adults in Whitley County active in the community so that they have a choice on what happens.”
“I believe that we are forming YAIA to develop the future leaders of our communities,” said fellow steering committee member Erik Fearnow of Columbia City, “so that we may take a more active role in business development and community service to prepare ourselves to become the leaders that our towns will need and respect.”
The organization also hopes to eventually offer networking opportunities, seek ways to meet various needs in the community, encourage philanthropy and volunteerism and, perhaps encourage non-partisan participation in elections, representation on business and non-profit boards of directors and other opportunities not yet apparent in the community.
Similar organizations have formed in neighboring communities in recent years with great success, including Young Adult Professionals (YAP) in Warsaw and Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI) in Fort Wayne. Such groups have taken leadership roles in revitalizing their communities and are not only acting as a mobilized voice, but a body of representation that is being asked for input and involved in many important initiatives.
Still in in earliest stages of growth locally, the group hopes to gather interested members of the community for an event entitled “YAIA…It’s Time” from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Whitley County Historical Museum. A cover charge of $5 per person includes hors d’ oeuvres and a drink.
“Our hope for the social event is to identify young adults who want to be actively involved in this group, and also to get ideas as to what can be done in the community to make Whitley County a prosperous place for young individuals and families,” said steering committee member and South Whitley native Ingrid McClain.
Steering committee member Eddie Beagles is eager to see a variety of people represented at the event – particularly, he said, “young professionals that are willing to get involved in the community to at least a small extent.”
“This should be an organization that is ran by the membership, not a few individuals,” Beagles added.
“We are looking for business owners, community members, moms and dads, college grads or anyone wanting to form a social network of young adults and also be actively involved in designing or volunteering in local projects that would improve Whitley County,” McClain added.
Tucker said he hopes the event draws a very diverse turnout of attendees from ages 20-40. “I would also would like to see different occupations represented like (those working in) factories, teachers, administrative assistants, retail, food services, etc.,” Tucker added.
Why ages 20 to 40?
“This is the demographic that will soon be leading our businesses, our industries and our towns,” Fearnow said. “We need to prepare ourselves for that responsibility and the time is now.”
At the event, the group will be not only hoping to gather more members, but collect ideas about what people want to see happen in our community in the future.
Beagles said he hopes to learn several things from the event, including, he said, “What direction we are going to take the organization in, ideas for future programming, and volunteers that are willing to donate their talent to get this organization off the ground.”
The group hopes to bolster membership in the organization, which is free of charge, with representatives from all corners of Whitley County.
To RSVP for the event, contact Jorell Tucker at 609-1818, Erik Fearnow at 248-2677, Ingrid McClain at 720-252-6212, Eddie Beagles at 609-8642 or Jennifer Zartman Romano at 610-1873 or send an e-mail to
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You may also RSVP during business hours by contacting the Columbia City Chamber of Commerce at 248-8131. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, November 14 2007 )
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