Institute for Organization Management - A Program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

  • About
    • General Information
      • Institute Policies and Procedures
      • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement
    • Recruitment Toolkit
    • Prospective Student Toolkit
    • Media
    • Answers to Your Frequently Asked Questions
    • Contact Us
  • Curriculum
    • Core Curriculum
    • Elective Curriculum
    • Webinars & Resource Center
  • Sites & Dates
    • Winter Institute
    • Midwest Institute
    • Southeast Institute
    • Northeast Institute
    • 2024 Institute Schedule
  • Registration
    • Registration
    • Deadlines and Fees
    • Scholarships
      • Enrollment Incentives
      • State Partner Scholarship
    • How To Institute
  • Who’s Who
    • Staff
    • Volunteers
    • Faculty
    • Sponsors
    • Alumni
      • IOM Alumni Database
  • Blog
A PROGRAM OF THE U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOUNDATION
 

IOM Blog

May 21, 2013

Why Regionalism Matters to Young Professional Organizations

Regionalism is not just a trend or a buzzword. It is something that is vital to any organization’s existence. Fewer resources, less volunteers, and a changing membership landscape creates an environment that demands organizations work together, merge, collaborate, and evolve. Look beyond your borders to your neighbors and capitalize on growth together.

Apply this with your young professional organizations (YPO). Over the last several years, YPO’s have gained a lot of popularity and momentum. Inevitably, the passion and zest fizzle, and the organizations start to suffer. YPO’s are unique in the sense that young professionals are often balancing a new career, a new family, and volunteer work. Work and family come first, and it’s easy and understandable for volunteer work to quickly take a back seat on the priority list. Another unique characteristic of YPO’s is aging volunteers who no longer fit into the young professional model. Hence, you are always circulating through new volunteers. The turnover process becomes tiresome.

What to do?  Build a bigger more sustainable organization through regionalism or collaboration. An impressive factor for me is that YPO’s understand what is good for you is good for us. Last month, Coast Young Professionals attended the first ever Mississippi Young Professional Summit. I could not have been more impressed with over 300 people representing 24 YPO’s working together for the common goal of retaining talent in our state. We are powerful, but we are always more effective together. There is strength in numbers. Not to mention the benefit of shared resources.

If your YPO is not an affiliate of your local chamber of commerce or business alliance, I encourage you to explore opportunities to collaborate. Marketing, member management, events, and back office operations can take a toll on limited staff. Focus can become not on the mission or the ROI but on operations. Sharing resources can aid in minimizing expenses and maximizing staff productivity and effectiveness.

We’re in this together, why not work together?

 

      
Avatar photo
Kimberly Nastasi, IOM
Board of Trustees Chair Elect, Institute for Organization Management
CEO, Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director, Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce Foundation

Kimberly Nastasi, IOM, CAE, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, Inc. and the Executive Director of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Nastasi is the immediate past Chair of the Winter Board of Regents for Institute for Organization Management, a program of the United States Chamber of Commerce Foundation. She is also a member of the Institute for Organization Management Board of Trustees Executive Committee and will serve as Chair in 2017. Nastasi is a member of the United States Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
DONATE NOW!
UPDATE CONTACT INFO
Sign-up for Emails
Consultations
Approved Provider
Approved Provider

About

  • General Information
  • Contact Us
  • Curriculum
  • Prospective Student Toolkit

Sites & Dates

  • Winter Institute
  • Midwest Institute
  • Southeast Institute
  • Northeast Institute

Resources

  • Scholarships
  • Faculty
  • Sponsors
  • Update Contact Info
  • Volunteers

Follow IOM

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
IOM Blog

Institute for Organization Management - A program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce © 2023 | Privacy Policy