Meet the New IGNITE
IGNITE has been busy redefining its role and objectives. Steering Committee member Monika Salvage shares the results of their recent brainstorms and meetings below.
Mission Statement
“IGNITE is a program of the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce, governed by young professionals, that empowers its members to recognize and enhance the value of living and working in Cayuga County by connecting people and ideas.”
4 Task Forces:
IGNITE CONNECTS
Events – Offers a monthly meeting platform at interesting local venues to highlight a variety of businesses and connect them with residents.
IGNITE ENGAGES
Communications – Creates awareness and starts a discussion about important local topics.
IGNITE GROWS
Recruitment – Grows the number of paid membership as well as card benefits and participating businesses.
IGNITE INVOLVES
2011 Project – Raises political awareness during the 2011 election year and encourages civic engagement by informing and representing young professionals.
Question & Answer with Monika Salvage
Is there an age limit for people who want to join IGNITE?
IGNITE is run by a steering committee of young(er) professionals, but we welcome anyone who supports young professionals and their advancement and involvement in the community as new members, regardless of their age.
What are the benefits of joining IGNITE and how much is membership?
By becoming a member of IGNITE you not only help support Auburn’s Young Professional’s Agenda, you also receive tangible benefits. Your very own “IGNITE Card” entitles you to various discounts at local participating businesses. We are currently working on expanding this list. The yearly membership is $25.
How do I join IGNITE?
There are several ways how to get in touch with us. You can visit our website www.ignite-cny.org, send us an email to info@ignite-cny.org, contact us via Facebook www.facebook.com/ignitecny or call the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce at 315-252-7291. Either way, one of our recruitment team members will follow up with you and send an application and information package with further instructions.
What if I want to become more involved with IGNITE?
We truly appreciate active members who come to our social gatherings, join in on our Facebook conversations and give us frequent feedback and ideas for future activities and projects. If you actually want to have a say in where IGNITE is headed and how to get there, you can always approach us about a steering committee position.
What do steering committee members do?
Our steering committee consists of 12 young professionals that live and/or work in Cayuga County. Towards the end of the year, we usually meet for a planning session regarding the upcoming year. The outcome of that meeting is an action plan that provides guidance for the following year’s goals and objectives.
We meet every 4th Tuesday to discuss current issues and plan our next activities. We established four task forces to work on our social events, communications, recruitment and our project of the year. This way, things can get done faster in smaller groups without having to involve the entire steering committee in every little detail. Every month, each task force chair gives an update about what happened since the last meeting.
Does IGNITE do anything fun or is it just work?
We do put a lot of “work” time into our initiatives, but we make it a point to set aside time for “play” as well. We reserve every 2nd Tuesday of the month for our “social gatherings,” where we invite young professionals to meet us at a local hotspot to catch up and mingle, while learning something new about the hosting organization or business.
A few months ago, we were able to offer an inside look into one of the Logan Park Lofts and we got to chat with the Bartolotta brothers about this and future development projects. In March, we visited the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, where young professional could discover their artsy side with their children in an ad hoc arts project. We try to find interesting venues, where people normally wouldn’t have access or would have to pay to get in. Something that sparks people’s interest and makes them want to come out and check us out.
What is IGNITE focusing on this year?
2011 is all about “IGNITING the Vote.” We are working on raising political awareness and civic engagement in our community. We have mayor and city councilor elections coming up, which could potentially mix up the political playing field in Auburn significantly. The same goes for county elections. It is a known fact that political engagement in general and voting in particular is not a big topic for many young individuals. IGNITE wants to remind them that they have a stake in this community’s future and a right to cast a vote to help shape it.
Besides voting, there are many other ways that young people can get involved and have their voices and opinions heard – by serving on local boards and volunteering for various organizations. Most of our steering committee members serve on at least one other local board and we plan on informing young professionals about how to get on boards and what it entails. Sometimes you have to make elected officials aware that you are there and ready to serve.
This is what happened with the City Manager situation that developed recently, which made us start this initiative earlier than planned. IGNITE’s plea before City Council for a more diverse City Manager search committee didn’t change anything initially, but soon thereafter we were considered for a spot and we are very pleased that we could recommend a very qualified candidate. Jessica Kolodzie works as a human resource manager at Cayuga Home for Children, was a past IGNITE Chair and serves currently on our steering committee.
What is IGNITE currently working on?
In mid-April IGNITE hosted a free public forum to gain input into what qualities young professionals think are essential for the City of Auburn’s next City Manager to possess.
Participants worked in small facilitated groups and discussions were recorded. They also brainstormed tours for candidates that highlight both the positives and negatives aspects of the City.
Some tours included Auburn Public Theater, the recently renovated Logan Park Lofts, the Owasco River and the baseball field at Falcon Park. There would also be stops at the city’s industrial Tech Park, the Orchard Street neighborhood and the city’s major north and south gateways on Route 34, West Genesee Street and Routes 5 & 20.
Participants also discussed the search process, with many suggesting open public discussions and meet-and-greets with stakeholders and City department heads, for finalists for the job.
Monika Salvage, who helped organize the forum said attendees covered a lot of ground but often came back to a handful of themes – the city’s downtown, arts and culture, the poor economy and lack of job opportunities for young professionals who want to live in Auburn. One forum attendee shared, “The young professional community in Auburn is large and needs to be connected; these people choose to live here because they see the potential of the area and are waiting for the rest of the community to take the risk necessary for Auburn to get to the next level.”
In short, this IGNITE forum was a great exercise, proving that the young adults in our community certainly do care and are involved. Stay tuned for more upcoming IGNITE initiatives!
