COMMUNITY SERVICE
IS GOOD BUSINESS
Emily Smith , fund development coordinator at Halifax Health – Hospice , a second-generation New Smyrna Beach local and current president of Volusia Young Professional ’ s Group ( VYPG ), took some time to tell us about VYPG and their work in the area .
Emily Smith
Tell us about YPG . The mission of VYPG is to attract and retain young professional talent in our community . As part of this mission , VYPG seeks to create a platform for young professionals to build relationships and develop professionally . VYPG also seeks to encourage young professionals to become active in our community and contribute to its economic development .
How has the organization evolved over the years ? The organization was started in 2004 by a group of young professionals who recognized a void existed for people their age to network , socialize , develop meaningful relationships and contribute to the betterment of our community . They were originally called the Daytona Young Professionals but rebranded in 2015 to include the entire county as the Volusia Young Professionals Group . Our organization currently has about 500 members and has been seeing a great deal of growth over the last six months . We are finding that many young people moved to our area during the pandemic and are working remote jobs . Although their jobs may not be local , they are still looking to meet other professionals and are seeking ways to get involved in the community . It was hard during the pandemic when we were unable to do much in-person ,
VYPG 2022 Board of Directors at MOAS but that pause on events gave us a chance to really think outside the box to engage our members . Now that we are back to having events in person , it is exciting to see so many new faces who want to become more involved and become members .
What role does YPG play in supporting the business community ? I think our biggest role and responsibility with YPG is to show young professionals that Volusia County is a great place to live , work and thrive . I ’ ve heard from quite a few young people who have taken corporate jobs here that there is nothing to do in the area , which is not true at all !
We currently have six committees as part of our board ; membership , socials , community service , marketing , local government , athletics and leadership development . Besides marketing , each committee essentially plays a role in helping connect our members with things in our community that may interest them .
The leadership development committee has really chosen to
Volusia Young Professionals Group emphasize educating our members on things to do in our community through a summer lunch and learn series . The theme is “ Explore Volusia , Experience Volusia .” The first luncheon focused on arts in the community , the next luncheon focused on the coast and included speakers from the Marine Science Center , Beach Safety , Marine Discovery Center and the Volusia County Coastal Division . The third luncheon will have speakers from local parks and will include a tour of the new Riverfront Esplanade . Our community service committee plans various service projects and donation drives throughout the year . That is another great way we can introduce members to non-profits and ways they can give back . If someone isn ’ t into that , they can play on our kickball team or join us for 5Ks or other events that pop up throughout the year . If you like checking out new restaurants , join us at a monthly social ! We always try to rotate to different cities and locations each month .
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