Tri-County Young Professions provides fun networking opportunities

Quentin Young, Branch Manager at Forcht Bank on Cumberland Falls Hwy. in Corbin, founded Tri-County Young Professionals last year.

A local social organization — geared toward helping young professionals, and those who are young at heart, network with like-minded people — is gaining membership momentum as it approaches its one-year anniversary in existence.

When Tri-County Young Professionals (TCYP) held its first meeting last July, its founder, Quentin Young, didn’t really know what to expect.

“It’s a little bit nerve-wracking with something new like that,” he said. “You put out the invitation, but you’re not really sure if anyone is going to show up. I sort of wondered what would happen.”

Young, a Banking Center Manager at Forcht Bank on Cumberland Falls Hwy. in Corbin, is 26-years-old. He said with TCYP, he was hoping to find other people in the area like himself; young, energetic professionals trying to make a name for themselves and make connections with others in the area.

“We really didn’t have anything that was geared toward young people in our area,” Young said. “I felt like this would fill a niche, and so far it’s gone really well.”

TCYP meets infrequently, but usually at least once a month. Members are notified through an e-mail distribution list. Joining the group costs nothing. Anyone can get on the list by emailing Young at: quyoung@forchtbank.com.

Meetings are meant to be fun, informative affairs.

Last month, the group met for Trivia night at downtown Corbin coffee shop You and Me Coffee and Tea. They’ve also been bowling and met at several restaurants around the area.

“There’s a lot of ice to break sometimes, especially for people who are new to the area,” Young said. “If you just put a bunch of people in a room and tell them to socialize, either that’s going to go good or it’s going to go bad. But if you have an activity going on, like trivia or a meal, people that have never met each other before usually find common ground.”

TCYP is focused on professionals who are 40-years-old and young, but Young said anyone is welcome to be involved. More than anything, he said, it’s meant to deal with issues that young professionals face in the workplace today. More established professionals, he said, can often provide useful advice and help bridge the gap between generations.

“We are trying to definitely promote better communication,” Young said. “We want our young professions to have a good foundation because they are the business leaders of our community tomorrow. They are definitely our future.”

“I think people with more experience can really bring other things to the table that, even if they aren’t really in the group’s target age, they can kind of serve as mentors to others. We definitely are not going to discriminate against anyone.”

Young said he also created the group to encourage recent high school and college graduates that it is possible to stay in the area and find success.

“If new graduates can see other successful people in this area, then maybe they can get to know them and see how they built up their business or how they were able to stay in the area,” Young said. “It just makes it more attractive to for them.”

TCYP was based off a similar idea Young heard about in the Louisville area. He said the group encourages membership in a larger organization, Young Professionals of East Kentucky (YPEK) that covers 32 counties, but meets less frequently.