A relatively new phenomena, the Emerge Tampa Bay program, was first established in 2004 to provide ambitious individuals with tools to reach their full leadership potential.
The program is an offshoot of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce directed primarily at young professionals seeking to make a splash in their local communities and broaden their connections through extensive networking.
“The goal of the program is to connect and engage emerging leaders in the community,” said Camille Cacioppo, Emerge spokesperson.
The impetus for the program derived initially from a study published by Richard Florida on regional trends in professional talent and grew in response to the personal needs of individual members.
Cacioppo explains how the career dilemmas of college students helped to shape the program even in its earliest stages.
“At that time, Deanna Roberts was our Chamber Chair, and she and Dianne Jacobs had sons who were about to graduate from local colleges and did not want to stay in the Tampa Bay area. They felt that Tampa Bay had nothing to offer them.”
Emerge attempts to achieve its goal of empowering young professionals through the four basic pillars: connect, grown, interact and voice.
Each of these elements are addressed by a number of scheduled Emerge events throughout the year. Among these opportunities for networking are various volunteer projects, social events and professional development seminars.
Members are encouraged to overlap events that correspond to these four essential ideologies of leadership growth and thereby broaden their experience.
“On a monthly basis we have anywhere from four to six events,” said Cacioppo.
In the immediate future, Emerge is hosting a new event called the Young Professional Summit.
On Oct. 29, influential Government Relations workers and locally elected representatives will gather at the Grand Hyatt hotel to discuss the role of young professionals in politics.
Introduced by representative Will Weatherford, the event will move on to two panels analyzing different aspects of young professional success in local governmental affairs and follow up with a closing speaker and a social reception.
“Our goal is to build a true coalition of young professionals in West Central Florida,” said Cacioppo about the Young Professional Summit.
Participation in the Emerge program and the wealth of beneficial opportunities associated with it is restricted to individuals between 21 and 35 years of age.
The yearly membership fee is dependent in part upon the company affiliation of the applicant is $75 for members of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and $100 for nonmembers.
Emerge Tampa Bay may well be an ideal fit for UT students seeking to pursue a locally based career.
“Getting connected while you are still in college could open doors for potential employment opportunities and allow you to build a relationship with the Tampa Bay community so you’ll be prepared to lead it in the future,” said Cacioppo.
Jeffrey Palmer can be reached at jeffrey.palmer@spartans.ut.edu.