Editing Pensacola Young Professionals

{{Infobox Organization 
|name= Pensacola Young Professionals
|image=PYP-Logo.jpg
|image_border=
|size=
|caption=
|mission=To develop the Pensacola Bay Area as a thriving and dynamic place to live, work and play by making our fellow young professionals and the community as a whole aware of issues shaping the area through proactive civic, social and professional involvement.
|motto=
|formation=[[April 25]], [[2006]]
|extinction=
|type=
|location=[[Pensacola Chamber of Commerce]]<br/>117 West [[Garden Street]]<br/>Pensacola, FL 32502
|membership=190
|leader_title=
|leader_name=
|executive=
|board=[[James Hosman]], ''chairman''<br/>[[Ashley Hodge]], ''vice-chair''<br/>[[ShaLonda Palmer]], ''secretary''<br/>[[Catherine R. Thornton]], ''treasurer''
|staff=
|key_people=
|budget=$35,000<ref name="2007report">[http://pensacolayp.com/2007annualreport.pdf 2007 Annual Report]</ref>
|website=[http://www.pensacolayp.com/ PensacolaYP.com]
}}
'''Pensacola Young Professionals, Inc.''' (PYP) is a non-profit organization of Pensacolians in their 20s and 30s organized in [[2006]] to provide "networking, education and support services for young professionals"<ref name="incorporation">[http://www.sunbiz.org/COR/2006/0425/20678342.tif Electronic Articles of Incorporation]</ref> and "to showcase the Pensacola Bay Area as a cool place to live, work and play."<ref>[http://pensacolayp.com/OurStory.html About PYP]</ref>

==History==
In November [[2005]], ''[[Independent News]]'' publisher [[Rick Outzen]] and [[Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce|Chamber of Commerce]] president [[Evon Emerson]] met with a group of about 20 young professionals to discuss the future of Pensacola. They discussed "being proactive on community issues, networking through social events and enhancing their leadership and professional skills," and how to succeed where defunct predecessor groups like [[Progress 20/20]] and the [[Culture Club]] had "fizzled out."<ref name="shapingfuture">[http://www.inweekly.net/article.asp?artID=2555 "Shaping Pensacola's Future."] ''Independent News'', March 9, 2006.</ref>

In March [[2006]] the group elected its initial board of directors, including chairman [[John Hosman]] and co-chair [[Chad McDaniel]], and publicly endorsed the [[Community Maritime Park]] project.<ref>"Make way: New guard to take its turn." ''Pensacola News Journal'', March 26, 2006.</ref> It was officially incorporated on [[April 25]].<ref name="incorporation"/>

==Issues and projects==
===Teams===
{{sectstub}}
====Member Services====
Team chair: [[Brock Dickens]]

Meets the third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the [[Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce]] building.

====Economic Development====
Team chair: [[Leslie Cagle]]

Meets the last Tuesday of each month at 5:45 p.m. at [[Avalex Technologies]].

====Governmental Affairs====
Team chair: [[Miller Caldwell III]]

====Quality of Life====
Team chair: [[Marina Paul]]

Meets the second Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the [[United Way of Escambia County]].

====Networking====
Team chair: [[Marie Thompson]]

Meets the first Wednesday of each month at noon at the [[Fish House]].

===Internship Pensacola===
{{main|Internship Pensacola}}
In early [[2007]], PYP launched its [[Internship Pensacola]] program, a partnership with the [[Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce]] and the [[University of West Florida]]. The groups found paid, 12-week internships with local employers that would provide real-world experience and six to nine credit hours.

===PPDI===
{{main|Pensacola Professional Development Institute}}
PYP partnered with the [[Studer Group]] in [[2008]] to create the [[Pensacola Professional Development Institute]] (PPDI), a self-sustaining leadership training program designed "to help companies improve employee retention and selection, productivity, and satisfaction."<ref>[http://ppdi.pensacolayp.com/PPDI.pdf PPDI Fact Sheet]</ref>

The 2008/09 schedule includes four conference dates. [[Quint Studer]] will be one of the speakers. The cost to attend PPDI is $400 for PYP members and $500 for non-members.

===Hosted events===
====Political forums====
PYP hosts occasional town-hall-style political forums where its members and the public can ask questions of elected leaders and political candidates. The first such event took place on [[July 24]], [[2006]] at [[Pensacola Junior College]], where 18 state and local candidates spoke to about 100 people.<ref>"Group targets young voters." ''Pensacola News Journal'', July 25, 2006.</ref>

====Pub Club====
[[Image:PYP-PubClub.jpg|right|Pub Club]]
"Pub Club" is a bi-monthly social function, held on the first Thursday of every other month at the [[Fish House Deck]] (or the adjacent [[Atlas Oyster House]] during inclement weather).

====Forward Focus====
"Forward Focus" is the name of PYP's bi-monthly general membership meeting.

==Board of directors and officers, 2007-08==
*Chair: [[James Hosman]]
*Vice Chair: [[Ashley Hodge]]
*Secretary: [[ShaLonda Palmer]]
*Treasurer: [[Catherine R. Thornton]]

*Fundraising: [[David Sansing]]
*Marketing: [[Natasha Roberts-Sluder]]
*Legal Counsel: [[Ryan Hatler]]
*Immediate Past Chair: [[Jason Crawford]]
*At-Large: [[Jay Overman]]
*Professional Development: [[Kristine Karsten]] CIC

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Pensacola Young Professionals|Pensacola Young Professionals]] [[Category:Professional organizations]] [[Category:Fraternal & service organizations]]