Christina Rogers of the Roanoke Times wrote this article today about our young adult initiative and how we are using online vehicles to communicate to our target audience.

Her story was fair and presented a snapshot of just some of the programs and events we are implementing to address this issue. The more discussion, exposure and recognition for attracting and retaining young adults regionally, the better our chances are of succeeding.

What are your thoughts? Please make a comment to this post and if you want to give Christina feedback, then please send her an email.

I recently subscribed to a Google Alert on the search term "young professionals" and I have received daily emails summarizing articles on this topic from around the nation. One thing is true, Roanoke is not unique in addressing the issue.

Many, many cities and regions have aggressive programs on this topic. In some cases we see that we are ahead and compared to others we are behind. However, I believe that we are ahead of the average region who is addressing this issue. A lot of it has to do with our web presence, natural amenities and a genuine positive perception of the region from afar.

We are getting closer to that tipping point, which I believe will get us over the top. We have a number of champions who are working relentlessly to make a difference. People who are currently unemployed spending their entire day on an event to better connect young adults to the region. This is special.

To all of you who subscribe to this blog, are interested in the topic, who want to make a difference  and are making a difference, thank you. The thanks is not only from me, but from the region and the people young and old who will benefit from your efforts.

Please keep pushing and giving of your time and if you want to follow what others are doing sign up for a Google Alert.   

This op-ed piece was written by Christopher Burns of the Rochester YP group in NY illustrating his frustration in not having resources to create such a position similar to the one the City of Roanoke has created for our region.

This candid article should illustrate to readers of this blog the creativity, vision and commitment the City Manager of Roanoke, Va. had when she created a position to address the brain drain phenomenon. Also, Lynchburg, Va. has recently created such a position as well.

Christopher is right. It is no one person’s role or responsibility. It is shared and others must buy in. Therefore, we must encourage and promote all folks who have an interest in this topic to get engaged, plan events, start groups, use new communication channels and create that buzz about our region.

I congratulate and admire the pasion and commitment Christopher has to the issue – a shared passion that I and many others in this region have. Keep pushing Christopher. 

I recently met a young woman who moved to Roanoke for a job that will help her in her niche career. The Roanoke company actually was very well respected for this type of career and she jumped at the opportunity to live and work here.

She has been here for a while and loves being in Roanoke. In fact, she feels that the dating scene is far superior to the previous large metro she came from.

As she said, "when I look back (from the city I came from) I went to same four places just like I do now in Roanoke."

One of her friends visited her in Roanoke and liked it so much, SHE IS MOVING TO ROANOKE FOR NO REASON. This person does not have a job, but likes Roanoke.

Additionally, this same young woman said that she knows another young woman who moved from Florida to Roanoke without a job.

Moving to x city for no reason is how the Charlottes, Austins, Raleighs, Atlantas, etc. have created this street credibility among young adults and thus are growing very rapidly.

Isolated stories like these are encouraging as people are becoming more aware of the region and are moving to the area regardless if they have a job or not.

If you have a similar story, then please share it. We will post them to the blog. 

The young professional organization affiliated with the Roanoke Chamber of Commerce – NewVa Connects -  has created this new blog to communicate issues with its members and others. It is great to finally see more folks using this medium to communicate issues of interest to the masses. The larger consequences of this active blog is that it will communicate to others who do searches on the Roanoke region how connected young adults are to the local issues. Congrats to this group for taking action in creating this communication vehicle.