Developing the Next Generation of Sports Leaders: Sport Oregon’s Young Professional Board Making An Impact - Sport Oregon Voices

Sport Oregon Voices:

With a growing membership, the YPB sets out to support overall organizational programs, establish board-specific initiatives

The past three years have seen an impressive array of changes and refinements at Sport Oregon. One of the latest initiatives that is beginning to make its mark – and rapidly so – is the organization’s Young Professionals Board (YPB), established to help support Sport Oregon’s many programs and goals while also providing a valuable professional development platform for its members.

More specifically, the YPB’s mission is to support youth programming in the state through the Sport Oregon Foundation, doing so by volunteering at events, serving on committees alongside the Sport Oregon Board of Directors, and by fundraising. The group’s contributions in the past have included their volunteer work with the TrackTown Youth League, Street Soccer USA, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional, the Oregon Sports Awards and recently, the first Fuel the Future event held in December.

But what was once a humble group of a half-dozen or so has now roughly tripled in size in the last few months, and is now some 20 members strong. This group that started with essentially a blank canvas to make it their own, now has clearly defined objectives and projects.

“It’s like a mini startup within Sport Oregon,” said Ashley Craig, a consumer events manager at Adidas who serves as the board chair for the YPB. “[Sport Oregon CEO] Jim Etzel and [Sport Oregon Board of Directors President] Bill Hueffner have a lot of trust in us and empower us to make the Young Professionals Board what we want it to be. And it’s very cool to be able to work with your fellow peers and come up with it together.”

Now bolstered by its increased membership, the YPB is working on establishing its own events and initiatives, while also supporting existing Sport Oregon programs. The Young Professionals Board is divided into multiple project teams, with some working hand-in-hand with the senior board on specific Sport Oregon projects. During the organization’s Fuel the Future virtual event this winter, the YPB project team led the silent auction activities. Other project teams focus specifically on YPB-hosted – or owned – events, while other teams specialize in membership and marketing, communications and digital.

Craig says the board is aiming to establish 2-3 owned events per year centered around fundraising and helping to support the community, a primary reason many join YPB. In Craig’s case, joining was a perfect way to combine her drive to be more active and connected within Portland’s robust sports community as a young professional with, as a Portland native and sports enthusiast, her desire to make a difference and facilitate more opportunities in the place she calls home.

“I joined to start networking and to give back to the community, and do that in a way through the work and the passion that I have,” Craig said.

For Sport Oregon, creating the YPB has injected an additional layer of energy into the organization, bringing in young, talented professionals loaded with great ideas, and importantly, a deep interest in the many things the organization does across the broader community. And because of the size and scope of the senior board of directors, this combination provides current and prospective members with a terrific mentoring network.

Of course, the ongoing pandemic has had an effect on the group’s ability to fully execute on some of their plans. But Craig, and those involved with Sport Oregon, are bullish on the direction of the YPB and have been encouraged by the tangible momentum generated by the growing board.

“I am excited about the additive energy that the YPB group is bringing and their refinement of the areas of focus they are taking ownership of,” said Maika Janat-Vennemann, Sport Oregon’s senior director/general manager who oversees the YPB on behalf of the organization’s leadership team. “While basic parameters have been set, it’s really this group of talented and diverse young professionals that is defining what success looks like and how to get there.”

While the recent recruitment efforts certainly added to the energy these past few months, the YPB is looking to expand its membership even further. Effectively representing the next generation of leaders in the sports community, the board’s main recruitment period is in the fall, but membership is open year-round, according to Craig. Additionally, membership is open to people engaged in pretty much any line of work, not just a sporting entity.

“You can be in any industry; you don’t’ have to work in sports,” Craig said. “We recognize that so many people are still passionate about sports, but don’t necessarily work in the industry and have a lot to contribute in that area.”

The most important qualifications are the shared passion and vision that has become synonymous with Sport Oregon and its many endeavors.

To Get Involved

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Sport Oregon Young Professionals Board or would like more information, contact Jared Rose, director of strategic partnerships with Sport Oregon, or YPB recruitment officer Ian Frost.