Virginia Anderson

Did You Know?

Association of Business and Industry — Tue, 29 Apr 2008

There are currently 96 YP Groups in the state of Iowa? This includes Jaycees, Young professional groups & statewide YP networks.

Twp leaders of each of these 96 groups are invited to attend the 1^st YPIowa Leadership Academy. It is the passion of YPIowa to help every YP group in the state continue to learn from each others strengths and weaknesses. The annual Leadership conference is a great way to network and share, but not a lot of time to focus on what makes a YP group tick through the growing pains of start-up, the challenges of staying fresh and when planning for the future.

I see the obstacles that YP groups face most often are:

Boosting your membership numbers
Increasing member participation
Connecting with Business Leaders
Gaining community support
Re-energizing your YP Group
Succession Planning

Do you have any success on any of these topics? Is there another obstacle your YP group faces?

Job Hunting?

Association of Business and Industry — Fri, 14 Mar 2008

What has your job seeking experience been like in Iowa? How did you find the job you currently have? What resources do you feel would help others trying to find a job in Iowa?

Iowa Commission on the Status of Women

Association of Business and Industry — Mon, 21 Jan 2008

On January 8^th, I represented young women professionals on a panel hosted by the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women. I learned a lot of interesting facts about women in Iowa from their survey completed in 2005 & published in 2006.

Females make up the majority of the state’s population at 50.8%. Women represent an estimated 47.3% of the total workforce in Iowa. Median earnings for Full-time male employees who worked year-round in Iowa were $39,275 while the median earning for women were $29,384. After the 2006 election, women comprised 22.7% of the Iowa General Assembly and Iowa women made up 33.5% of all of the state’s elected county officials. Iowa and Mississippi are the only two states that have never elected a women to Congress or as Governor. Think about these facts in your community.

After attending this forum, I believe young women professionals need to keep pushing to stay involved in their communities throughout their entire lives. My experience is that, often, young professional women stop their community involvement when they have children, and we need to look at that. Here is my advice on how to accomplish this: 1) Most women are born with a little attitude, I encourage you to keep that little voice inside contained - loose the attitude. 2) Business is Business, Personal is Personal – Don’t let your business dealings affect your personal relationships outside of the office and vice verses 3) it doesn’t have to stop when the children come, get them involved with you. 4) Plan ahead so you don’t get burned out. 5) Just get out and do it.

What is your experience on women’s roles in your community?

Insurance

Association of Business and Industry — Fri, 28 Dec 2007

Does your YP group have General Liability Insurance? As some of the new YP groups are starting up, do you have any advice for new groups on this topic?

Share and share alike

Association of Business and Industry — Wed, 07 Nov 2007

A quote you hear me say often is that “it’s okay to copy once you have graduated”. I believe we can improve our yp groups by communicating through our experiences. What is working in your community’s yp group? What is not working? Here’s your opportunity to share your experience to help us put together a guide for starting and reenergizing yp groups.