Young and Professional



Alliance Focuses on Retaining and Attracting Young Professionals
Read Article by Sarah Winn in the Charleston Gazette

November 21, 2006
Young & professional

City’s up-and-comers find strength in numbers


By Sarah K. Winn
Staff writer

After 10 years away, Amy King, an attorney at Spilman Thomas & Battle, moved back to Charleston less than a month ago.

For young professionals like her, getting into the swing of life in Charleston sometimes is difficult. And for those already working here, staying invested in their community — through more jobs, social events and networking — is also key.

“I’m very lucky,” King said after a recent meeting of the Charleston Area Alliance’s Young Professionals group. “I immediately met other professionals my age.”

Made up of the young and the young at heart, the group is in its infancy in the capital city.

The Charleston Area Alliance brought up the idea of a young professionals group in October 2005. Executive Vice President Matt Ballard, soon to be the Alliance’s president, was tapped to get the group running.

“It’s important to retain young, educated folks,” Ballard said. “It’s something that companies look at when they decide to locate here.”

The first meetings consisted of about six people talking about the lack of downtown housing. Now, the group has about 89 members on its mailing list, gained mostly by word of mouth, Ballard said. The group tries to meet monthly and has just formed official committees.

“Charleston is a wonderful place as a young professional to have a career,” said co-chairwoman Erica Mani, an attorney with Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love. “This group has given them [young professionals] a chance to put the word out, to socialize and grow.”

Brad Rowe, the group’s other co-chairman, grew up in Charleston and came back from Texas just over a year ago. His first involvement with the group came after attending a meeting about the need for downtown housing.

“Most of the people that I grew up with are gone,” said Rowe, director of operations at a Charleston real estate company. “If we can get [young professionals] involved [with their community], they will stay.”

Rowe and Mani have already had informal conversations with similar groups in Parkersburg, Morgantown and Huntington. Morgantown’s group is just forming, while the Parkersburg and Huntington groups are slightly more established, Mani said.

The groups want to form a statewide mission to help with grant funding and have regular social events.

On Nov. 15, the Charleston group held their monthly meeting at Charleston’s Embassy Suites. During the meeting, the 38 attendees separated into committees and outlined their goals for 2007.

The 40 under 40 committee is working on recognizing the top 40 professionals under 40 years old in the state. The recognition and subsequent gala is the biggest goal for 2007, Ballard said.

The networking committee is finalizing plans for a social event in December, in lieu of a monthly meeting and the non-profit committee will help place group members on non-profit boards. On the membership front, current members are asked to bring a guest to the next meeting to receive a prize.

While the committees are established, there is always room for more people, Ballard said. And, an all-consuming time commitment is not necessary, he said.

“You can become as involved as you like,” he said. “We are still growing.”

“I don’t think we require a huge time commitment,” Mani added.

For Laura Davis, an interior designer with Williamson Shriver Architects in Charleston, returning to her home state to work was a big decision.

“Chicago, Orlando, Charlotte — they all have a lot to offer,” she said. “I luckily got a big opportunity to stay here. There’s not a lot of design opportunities in the state.”

Expecting Charleston to change without young leadership is unrealistic, she said.

“If people have expectations of their community, they need to get involved,” she said.

Davis heads the networking committee, which is planning a December event and wants to have monthly social events.

So what is next for the group?

Ballard is sending out an e-mail blast to Alliance businesses to encourage their young employees to get involved. While Ballard will soon have new duties as president of the Alliance (he officially takes office on Dec. 1), he doesn’t plan to abandon the group.

His goal in the next few years is simple.

“I hope one day that if you are a young professional coming into the area you would hear all about us before you get here,” he said.

To get involved or be included on the group’s e-mail list, contact Matt Ballard at 340-4253 or mballard@charlestonareaalliance.org.

To contact Gazette staff writer Sarah K. Winn, use e-mail or call 348-5156.