New group helps lead community

May 11th article in the Times Herald:

New group helps lead community

The declaration, "I will stay if ..." probably applies to more than our community's young professionals. When members of this demographic group utter those words, people take notice.

Mobility often diminishes the more we age. Staying in one place becomes more important when we are raising our families. Picking up stakes means disrupting our children's lives with new schools, new friends and a new community in which to fit in.

Options for leaving a community are strongest when you're in your 20s and 30s. For residents in that age category who have college degrees and skills that garner comfortable salaries and promise substantial contributions to the communities, they choose, the declaration carries a resonance that's difficult to ignore.

"Young urban professional" is a term that has become cliché through the years, but that isn't true for the people the term was created to identify.

Communities measure their health -- economically, culturally, educationally and socially -- by the presence of young professionals. When their numbers are large, their community's future has greater promise.

The emergence of the Blue Water Young Professionals, therefore, is a promising development. The group's "I will stay if ..." campaign drew nearly 200 participants to a launch party last month at the Vintage Tavern in downtown Port Huron.

For some time now, Blue Water Area residents young and old have been engaged in a discussion about the community's future -- and it isn't the first time attention has been devoted to the importance of young professionals.

The Cool Cities initiative Jennifer Granholm launched during her first term as governor was premised on revitalizing cities by attracting young professionals largely through the arts. Studio 1219, an arts incubator in downtown Port Huron, is the most tangible result.

Today, the arts community is an established Blue Water Area asset and a testament to the Cool Cities program.

The Young Professionals are a welcome addition. They promise to expand the Blue Water Area's commitment to reinventing itself.

Responses to "I will stay if ..." were collected at the group's Vintage Tavern launch party. They are expected to be presented May 20.

When Blue Meets Green, a collaboration of St. Clair County's, business, government and civic leaders, is working to create a plan for economic development. Blue Water Young Professionals are welcome participants.

It's difficult to predict exactly how our community will increase its prospects, but it is certain that young professionals are essential leaders in that development process.

"I will stay if ..." is an important wake-up call, and our community's young professionals are best suited to make it.