YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
NORTHEAST METRO YOUNG PROFESSIONALS PROGRAM IN ITS 5TH YEAR
2019 Cohort - left to right Chelsea Holmes , Brett Larsen , Donna Hankiewicz , Erik Goebel , Meghann Welch , Ted Tschida , Allison Johnson , Jenna Grendahl , Molly Weibel , Caleb Peterson ( front )
7 Vines Winery - left to right Kelly Carey , Mikaela Freese , Elena Glass , Mike Vowels , Kate Goebel , Kyia Britts , Michael Steck
VHEDC is proud to have established and continues to support the Northeast Metro Young Professionals ( NMYP ) program . Despite all the obstacles caused by the pandemic , year four continued to successfully serve current young leaders , emerging leaders and those looking to move up in their careers in 2020 .
NMYP focuses on cultivating leadership skills , and helping participants gain a better understanding of the community . The majority of the program sessions focus on these topics .
Nine young leaders who work in the commercial painting , commercial banking , the arts , collections , and nonprofit sectors participated in the program in 2020 , beginning the year with in person activities , then transitioning online when in-person meetings were no longer safe to do .
“ What we ended up doing is we had more virtual happy hours , we had a virtual theater night , and we would play games virtually , so we found ways to connect and still have people doing things that kept them engaged ,” said Nancy Hoglund , owner and president of Hoglund Coaching .
Hoglund serves as the program leader and leadership coach for participants . Throughout the year she met 1-on-1 with program participants , coaching them on their current and long-term goals . Not only where they want to go in their careers , but in their lives .
Among this past year ’ s program participants were Kyia Britts , 25 , Associate Director , Children ’ s Performing Arts and Elena Glass , 31 , Development Manager and Acting Production Manager , Lakeshore Players Theater . Both companies are in White Bear Lake .
“ Their organizations are located in the same building , and participating in the program has not only brought them , but their organizations , closer together . It ’ s like there were these added benefits that I didn ’ t even know about ,” said Hoglund . “ I ’ m seeing such tight bonds created among participants .”
Nancy Hoglund
Kyia Britts vhedc . com 41