Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly: YLNI Wants to Start Groups Outside Fort Wayne

Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana wants to do a better job living up to its name.

The group of young professionals is largely comprised of people from Fort Wayne and Allen County. Former YLNI board member Michael Barranda wants to see the group extend into Noble, DeKalb, Adams and other northeast Indiana counties.

Barranda, an attorney in Fort Wayne, said YLNI is looking for names of young people living outside Allen County who are interested in gauging interest for a similar group in their own cities or counties. He said YLNI wants to stop neglecting the rest of the region.

“We’re trying to find out who is interested now,” he said. “Are there enough bodies? I think so. It’s just a matter of forming a nucleus of people.”

YLNI began meeting in 2005 in an effort to keep young professionals from leaving the area. It encourages community involvement and networking among young professionals and has grown to include more than 1,000 members.

YLNI members have restarted the Barr Street Market in downtown Fort Wayne, conducted candidate forums during election season and sponsored personal- and professional-development seminars.

YLNI President Heather Schoegler said outreach beyond Fort Wayne always has been one of the organization’s goals because it can help the group achieve its community-involvement and other goals. She said the outreach part was neglected because of the group’s early popularity in Fort Wayne.

“It is a foundational piece that’s been missing,” Schoegler said.

Now that the group appears stable in Fort Wayne, Barranda said he is looking for potential group members in outlying towns. A Kendallville native, Barranda said the smaller cities in northeast Indiana also should be interested in retaining their young professionals.

“I think communities are all receptive to the idea. Now we want to have community leaders step up,” he said.

Kendallville Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Anita Shepherd was encouraged by the potential for a young professionals group in Noble County. She said there have been general conversations about the idea, mainly among community leaders with long involvement with service groups. Shepherd said they felt arrangements should be made to pass the baton to a new generation of community leaders.

Some young professionals in the area also have asked her about training and networking opportunities.

“I know from experience many young professionals are interested to serve the community,” Shepherd said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for young professionals.”

Kelly Knox, executive director of the Auburn Butler Chamber Partnership, said thus far she’s not heard any discussions about a young professionals group for that area.

“I don’t know that there has been any contact with anyone up there, either,” Knox said.

Barranda said each community would decide the best way to organize the group. He said some areas may not limit their organizations to young professionals.

“They can organize themselves, they can provide community leaders’ access,” he said. “What will work for Kendallville will be different for Auburn, different for LaGrange.”

E-mail Michael Barranda at michael@ylni.org if you are interested in helping expand YLNI outside Allen County.