TulsaPeople / April 2010 / TYPros - Special section - How TYPros makes a difference in the community

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TYPros - Special section - How TYPros makes a difference in the community

TYPros members have established a noticeable presence in the city.

Since the inception of Tulsa’s Young Professionals (TYPros) in 2005, young people across Tulsa have rolled up their sleeves, taken a seat at boardroom tables and joined in efforts to make a difference in the community. Members participate actively in mayor-appointed boards and task forces, nonprofit boards and, for a select few, the Tulsa Metro Chamber’s executive committee to represent and give a voice to the region’s young professionals.

“We were never meant to be a social organization,” says Andrea Myers, founding member and the first TYPros chair. “While we realize that is a part of who we are, we also knew early on that to attract and retain young professionals to Tulsa, we needed to be a part of the decision-making process. Community engagement and being a change agent for our city is a part of our core mission.”

With nine work crews and about 700 active volunteers, TYPros members are getting involved in the community like never before. Before TYPros existed, young professionals were unlikely to serve on area boards or have the ear of politicians and business leaders in Tulsa. Not only has TYPros given young professionals influence in the community, but now numerous organizations and community leaders are also actively seeking out their opinions, time and talents.

“Now that TYPros has such a large presence in our community, we are asked almost on a daily basis to serve on this board, that committee, meet with the City Council, head up a task force, you name it,” says Shane Fernandez, a recent past chair of the organization.

In order to keep up with the demand for young professionals to serve on boards, TYPros started a formal board-placement program, which matches young professionals to nonprofit boards. Now in its third year, the program has placed more than 200 young professionals on 85 boards throughout the city.

This dynamic program is one that young professional organizations across the country look to as a best practice. In fact, TYPros Executive Director Chris Oden discussed the board-matching program with various groups and at conferences, including the national Next Leaders Summit in 2009. Oden will start in a new position as account supervisor at Saxum PR’s Tulsa office beginning in April 2010.

In addition to nonprofit boards, members of the TYPros Leadership Team meet with the City Council and the Mayor’s Office regularly, and many members have been appointed to city boards, committees and task forces.

TYPros’ goal is not only to attract and retain young professionals but also to establish members as Tulsa’s next generation of business and community leaders. A special event series, dubbed the Leadership Development Series, was created specifically to foster leadership skills in TYPros members. These types of events are offered in addition to the hands-on leadership experience offered through TYPros.

“We are truly recognized as a force in Tulsa, and people are starting to realize the importance young professionals have to the vitality and growth of our city,” Fernandez says.

Who is the young professional?

There isn’t a “typical” young professional; they are anything but. Yet young professionals do have a few things in common: Together, they create a powerful voice in politics, entertainment, charity and buying power. Together, they are the future.

If you put a label on them …
Young professionals are often called

• Gen-X
• Gen-Y
• MTV Generation
• Generation Next
• Net Generation
• Millennials
• Echo Boomers

If you meet them on the street …
Young professionals are

• Diverse
• Voters
• Charitable
• Trendsetters
• Individualists
• Ambassadors for the city

If you meet them on the job …
Young professionals are

• Leaders
• Motivated
• Entrepreneurs
• Educated
• Tech-savvy
• Flexible
• Multi-taskers

If you walked in their shoes …
Young professionals have experienced

• The end of the Cold War
• The launch of MTV
• The birth of the Internet
• Gulf War
• “Dolly,” the first cloned animal
• 9/11
• Hurricane Katrina
• Technology revolution
• The War on Terrorism
• Social media phenomenon
• The election of country’s first African-American president
• Global recession

If you meet them in the future …
Young professionals will be

• Business leaders
• Political leaders
• Community leaders
• Leaders in medicine, science and
• education
• World-changing