The voice of young professionals in Springfield is highly valued by community leaders, so opportunities to provide input on the future of our city are frequent! We know not all communities are like that, so we are grateful for ours!

One of the goals of The Network is to connect young professionals socially and civically in the community, and one of the main ways we do that is through our Access to the Issues series. At these events, we cover topics from candidate forums, ballot previews and more. And for this first time since March, we met in-person with members also joining us virtually.

Inclusion and diversity are important topics to the health of an organization or a community, but they can also be difficult subjects if they’re not approached the right way.

Anyone who thinks only “seasoned veterans” of the political world are making a difference at the state and federal level must not have attended The Network for Young Professionals’ Access to the Issues event on July 17.

The Springfield region likes to talk with great pride about its willingness to give young professionals a “seat at the table” – a chance to be heard, to be involved in the decision-making process and shape their own future.

On July 18, three YPs who have already decided to get involved in public office spoke to members of The Network at the latest Access to the Issues event about what it’s like to be an officeholder, and how they’re working to shape the community.