Recap: Roundtable Discussion with Governor Rick Snyder

Well, well! Last week was a BIG week for the Traverse CIty Young Professionals. We were contacted by the Michigan Govenor's office a while back about hosting a roundtable discussion with Governor Rick Snyder. A lot of planning and organization went into making this happening, but the outcome was incredible. 

Last Friday, at an invitation-only event, fifteen YPs from different businesses and backgrounds sat at a table with Governor Snyder to ask him questions and give him feedback about what young professionals want for our wonderful state of Michigan. It was an experience of a lifetime, and I was so honored to be invited and snap some photos. 

There was a lot of hubbub before the roundtable discussion started. I walked around the room and chatted with familiar faces and met some new folks, too. Our panelists, selected by their industry or expertise in our community, took their seats at the table and awaited the Governor's arrival. 

Honestly, this was about as close to any public governmental figure as I've ever been, and I was pretty nervous that I was going to trip over a speaker cord or something and make a huge fool of myself. And I wasn't even asking a question! I can only imagine how nerve-wracked our panelists were, but as I expected, they did a fantastic job. 

Governor Snyder took his place at the head of the table, next to Kent Wood from the TC Chamber. Kent gave some opening remarks, as did Governor Snyder, and then the conversation worked its way around the table as each of our panelists asked their question. Here is a summary of the YPs that were present and the topics they chose: 

Jessica Wheaton (TC Light & Power): Promoting/incentivizing staying in Michigan for current residents. "Live Michigan"

Warren Call (Huntington National Bank): Support for Michigan's water resources and combatting invasive species

Allison Beers (Events North): Future of public education in Michigan

Rachel Johnson (Cherryland Electric): Growing & sustaining diverse economic development

Josh Janowiak (Platinum Sound): Transportation and road funding 

Jeff Fedorinchik (Hallmark Construction): Incentivizing/Encouraging young people to join trades

Drew Bucholz (Interlochen Center for the Arts): Arts and cultural funding

Shannon Owen (Northwestern Michigan College): Higher education funding

Bryan Taggert (Larkin Group): Tax reform in Michigan 

Andrew Kohlman (Image 360): Struggles for "green" businesses

Todd Sanders (Sanders Solutions): More YP involvement in Government

Marie Chantal-Delese (Chateau Chantal): Regulation for farm/food industry

Lee Michaels (Cherry Capital Foods): Creating a career market place for future workforce

Tracy Wittkop (Munson Healthcare): Northern Michigan Rural OB health service funding

As a young professional living in Michigan, I was so pleased with all the questions posed by our panel. Support for small businesses and farming, concerns about education at all levels, needs for better public and bicycle transportation, concerns about protecting our Great Lakes, and making entrepreneurship more accessible for young people…yes, please! These are all issues near and dear to my heart, and to have the Governor in the room responding to all our concerns--truly having our voices heard--that is something that is unlikely to come around again for our organization. What a privilege!

Governor Snyder did a great job listening to our concerns and understanding our wants for this state. He wanted to know what encourages young people to find a place in Michigan to call home, and also asked us to get involved in our local communities. He is working to build more trails in Michigan, but asks that the trail users work to make trails open for all kinds of activities, not specialized and limited to only a few. Greater pre-K education funding will hopefully make an impact across our entire education system, and upgrades in technology will help teachers as they work with students learning at different paces. Agriculture and arts are important topics to Governor Snyder, and he is pushing for more funding and support into these areas, as well as making it easier for young entrepreneurs to access funding for their businesses.

For us young professionals, we are constantly looking to improve our life/work balance: we want a place that fosters creativity and community, but also provides us with a steady, challenging job and a means to provide for ourselves and our families. Quality of life is the name of our game. Lucky for us, Governor Snyder agreed with the importance of these two issues, and encouraged all of us to get involved in our communities and continue building upon the wonderful foundation we all have in here Traverse City. 

One of my favorite quotes from Governor Snyder was, "Do you want to be another yuppie in Chicago, or do you want to make a difference in Detroit?" Although we are far from Detroit, the message is the same: we live in a place where our voices, our opinions, and our choices make a difference. As citizens in this town, we can make a difference in transforming our economy and bringing others to the place we call home; we can share all the goodness to be found in Michigan. 

We are young, but we are mighty, and we have the power to positively impact the place we live and help make it better for all. Personally, that is the kind of place I want to call home, and I am so glad to have that in Traverse City. Regardless of your political beliefs, getting involved in your local governance and community efforts can shape the place you live. So get out there, and get your voice heard!

All in all, it was a great experience to have this conversation with the Governor. I was so proud to see my friends up there, asking tough questions and wanting answers for their concerns about the future of our state. 

Congratulations to all the YPs selected for the roundtable discussion, and a big "thank you" to Governor Snyder for sitting down and taking the time to listen to what we have to say!

Business After Hours: Opa! Uptown

Hello, everyone! I wanted to check in and share the most recent Business After Hours (BAH) that I went to this week, working the registration table on behalf of TCYP. It was my second BAH event since joining the YPs this past January, and I had a lot more fun this time around because I saw many familiar faces!

This month's BAH took place at Opa! Uptown, which was already great because their food is FANTASTIC. I was really glad that we were able to sneak some nibbles while working, and that everything tasted so good. I've never had a blueberry pierogi before, but I'll be surprised if I deprive myself of having another one over the next few weeks...

The place was packed. It was great to see so many people walking about and enjoying the new digs at the restaurant (they opened up a few months ago) and people were all over the place. No doubt Opa! got some good exposure, because people were raving about the food and service. 

One of my favorite things about Opa! Uptown is the artwork they have around the restaurant. Yes, perhaps it's a bit of a curveball in terms of what most people notice when they go out to eat, but I think their restaurant has some of the coolest, most unique, and intriguing artwork in this town. As a History of Art major in college, I can't help but notice stuff like that! It does so much for the ambience, and it has made a strong impression on my the times I've visited. I love the "wow" factor of each large-scale piece they have...it's refreshing to see a place unafraid to fill their walls with big, bold works of art!

But, of course, my favorite thing about BAH is spending time with my fellow YPs. We had a really fun group working this week, and it's always nice to talk with YPs in a more casual setting where we can really spend time getting to learn more about each other. We spent two hours working the registration table and chatting with various Chamber members, but my favorite conversations were the ones I had with the YPs I was working with that night.

Well, that's all from me. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! Winter is beginning to settle in Traverse, and while we've had a few snowflakes fall there isn't anything sticking on the ground yet...I hope it stays that way until December, but I know how Michigan weather has a mind of it's own. We'll see!

Keeping it Local...Because You'd be Silly Not to do So.

One of my closest friends from Florida came to visit this past weekend and I was so excited to show her my new city. I wanted to make sure to take her places that only Traverse City offered...which was probably the easiest goal I've ever achieved.

The main reason that showing my friend the best of Traverse City was so simple was because local Traverse City businesses are fantastic. The businesses of traverse city offer such great products, food, drink, etc. that making sure to show off what we offer locally was a breeze.

We started off at Firefly on Friday night and had a wonderful dinner (and far too many pita chips), which included a lot of locally grown ingredients. We went back to my apartment and snacked on some Great Lakes Potato Chip Co. Tortilla chips...yes. I even keep it local at home.

Saturday began with some Higher Grounds coffee and a trip to the Commons. The commons did not disappoint - especially High Five Threads, which even had free (yes, you read that correctly...free) North Peak Siren on tap. Quality local goods...and local brews? We were sold.
We grabbed some so-delicious-that-I'm-still-thinking-about-it whitefish dip at Mackinaw Brew Co. before changing and driving over to The Jolly Pumpkin for dinner. The Jolly Pumpkin was beyond-words delicious. Where else can you get a side of truffle fries with your turkey sandwich topped with cherry pesto? Probably not many places...except for Traverse City.

Saturday night finished off with a trip to the new and improved Right Brain Brewery. If you have not taken a trip to their new location you need to go. right now. It has all of the charm of their last location, but with around four times the space. Plus, they always play the best music, not to mention have the most creative names for all of their beverages (who doesn't want to tell people that they had a wine called "The Betty White" the other day?!)

Sunday morning included a walk by the bay, a lot of touristy photos, and a brunch stop at Morsels, where my friend claimed that she had "the best breakfast sandwich in the world" and that her latte was "as close to perfection as humanly possible."

What I'm getting at is that we have such amazing locally owned businesses. It is really great to be able to allow our out of town guests to really experience what Traverse City has to offer...and that we get to enjoy these places on a daily basis.

Making Sure Your Voice is Heard.

I'll be honest, I was under the impression that as a 22 year old who was new to the Traverse City community, no one was really that interested in what I had to say.

For a few months, I kind of just kept my mouth shut (which, if you know me personally, you know is not an easy feat). I attended meetings, conferences, events and networking nights, but I tended to only speak when spoken to and stayed inside of my shell when it came to local issues or questions where I wasn't 100% sure I knew the answer.

In my mind, I was positive that not one of these local leaders or business professionals actually cared about the opinions of a young professional, especially one who did not have much (no, really...I hadn't even been out to the dunes at this point) experience with the area.

...then the Young Professionals asked me to write this blog. My first thought was What?! Who wants to hear about a girl who moved from Florida to Michigan and her adventures adjusting to snow and thoughts on Traverse City?"

Well,  I've been writing this blog for a few months now. I've been planted in Traverse City for 10 months. I've attended countless meetings, networking nights, events and conferences. I can even give someone directions on how to get to the dunes. Most importantly, I now realize that Traverse City cares a lot about what the Young Professionals in the town have to say.

I speak up in meetings and find my opinion on local issues and how to find solutions is actually valued. Local leaders are are listening to what the Young Professionals in the area have to say because they are interested and want to hear from us, not because they're simply being polite.

The Young Professionals program is continually changing for the better, and 2013 is going to bring a lot of improvements and involvement opportunities. Why? Because the YP's of Traverse City have a lot to offer, and Traverse City's leaders are taking notice.

So, if I could go back to the beginning of this year and tell myself one thing, it would be to speak up. We're lucky to live in a place where the opinions of Young Professionals matter, even if they are from 22 year old Florida transfers.