YPS celebrates fifth anniversary
Date: 11/21/2012
By G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.comSPRINGFIELD — The Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield celebrated its fifth anniversary with an announcement of a series of goals the organization wishes to complete by 2015.
Designed to retain young people in the region, Jill Monson, the group's co-vice president, noted that according the Economic Development Council, the median age of the Pioneer Valley is 36 and maintaining younger demographic groups is "important to the strength of the region."
The organization has about 500 members who are largely between the ages of 21 and 45, according to Jeremy Casey, the treasurer of the group. The club's activities are financed by dues and corporate sponsors such as Baystate Health Systems, NUVO Bank and MassMutual, he added.
Speaking at a press conference last week, the organization's secretary, Beth Ginter, noted that in the past five years the organization has sponsored a variety of activities from social events such as New Year's Eve festivities to efforts to encourage voting registration to a dodgeball tournament.
President Pamela Thornton said the group intends in the next few years to be a "primary resource for young professionals" and will seek ways to strengthen its programming to address how young professionals can better cope with the demands of both their work and personal lives.
She added that to do this, the group would be launching a professional development programming series next year. It will also launch a more comprehensive marketing effort to gain more members and will seek a "sustainable organizational structure" that would include planning for the addition of an executive director.
To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, go to
www.springfieldyps.com.
