It has been a historic year for YPAL! The 2016-2017 board term saw accelerated membership growth, outstanding programming, new community relationships, and improved operational processes. During this term, YPAL completed the 2017 – 2022 Stragetic Plan and focused on areas to specifically “engage” in advocacy, civic and community dialogues, brand awareness, and creating strong partnerships with other organizations in the community.
View the 2016-2017 Organization Report
2016-2017 Highlights:
- YPAL made history in 2017 by reaching and exceeding 900 members! Current membership level at the time of this posting was 945.
- Met with Louisville Metro Mayor Greg Fischer and 24 members of Louisville Metro Council to discuss ways we can engage young professionals across all districts and areas of our community.
- For the first time in YPAL’s history, we met with the Mayors of Jeffersonville, New Albany, and Charlestown, Indiana.
- The Emerging Leaders Program, shifted class projects to focus on “Quality of Life for Young Professionals.” Topics included affordability, safety, parks, professional development, festivals and accessibility to jobs. This research was shared with the business community and received recognition in both local and regional press.
- Conducted a listening tour with 10 nonprofit organizations to discuss how YPAL can better engage with the nonprofit community.
- Launched “CommunityTalks” to allow young professionals to engage in meaningful dialogue with city influencers around topics such as affordable housing, food justice, poverty, and safe neighbors.
- Completed and passed YPAL 2nd five-year strategic plan. The 2017-2022 Strategic Plan that will focus on growing and improving our operations, diversity, programming, technology, and membership.
- Hosted the YP Unite Summit in Louisville, where over 150 young professionals representing five-states and over 20 different organizations attended.
- YPAL registered one federal Trademark and 4 state Servicemarks to protect our intellectual property.
- Advocated for increasing the number of young professionals serving on boards of directors across the Louisville community. We successfully helped see many young professionals appointed to government boards and commissions.
- Successfully completed the first year of our Excelerate Professional Development Workshops.
- Improved YPAL’s brand awareness through press coverage in over 13 different local and regional publications.
- Formed a partnership with Dale Carnegie to offer professional development and leadership training to our membership.
- Partnered with Louisville Uncorked.
- Adopted a non-discrimination policy and focused on areas where YPAL can continue to be inclusive and diverse to and for all young professionals.
- Partnered with young professional groups from around the region during the YP Day at the Capital, including Bowling Green Young Professionals, Legacy Leadership (Northern Kentucky), Lexington Young Professional Association, Hopkinsville YP Engage, Young Professionals of Lake Cumberland and Young Professionals of Murray. For the first time in the history of this event, all three branches of state government where represented and met with our members.