YPN VP Candidate Jarrod Odean Anderson

Describe your current involvement with the YPN.
I joined the Young Professionals Network because I was new in town, and, quite frankly, I was desperate to meet people like me. I set out looking for something, a book club or a community service opportunity, to fill the spare hours I had between sleep and work. After looking for a while, I happened to stumble upon the YPN. About a week after signing-up, I found myself at a table at Captain Freddy’s where I was greeted by the Service Team co-leads and a small handful of other newbies. We introduced ourselves, talked a little about the network, and discussed the service opportunities available later that month. As is customary,  a sign-up list was passed around, so I wrote my name down for a couple of things…after a moment, I wrote my name down for all of them. Today, I am still writing my name next to as many opportunities as I can.

My father has always said that the best thing you can do to get involved is to GET INVOLVED. As a new member, I had all the time in the world to put towards the opportunities that the YPN Teams work to provide, and I did so because I wanted to be involved with my new home. I joined the Service Team and the Social Team and I attended meetings religiously; I loved that I was helping to plan the type of events that would not only keep me involved, but that would engage other young people as well. Even outside of the Social and Service teams, I attended as many events on the YPN calendar as I could. I took great pride in being a representative of the bright, ambitious young people that work and play in Bismarck-Mandan, and I wanted to make sure that our community continues to nurture and support the incredible talent and vision that young professionals bring to the table.

What strengths as a leader would you bring as VP?
This year I was successful in securing the Red Cross as the YPN’s non-profit partner of the year. These two organizations, though very different, have something essential in common; they are aimed at building communities. The Red Cross hopes to craft communities that are resilient, that stay standing when emergency strikes, and function under pressure. Similarly, the YPN hopes to foster and grow a community that is conducive to the success and prosperity of young professionals. This year, these two complimentary goals drove these two partnering organizations to build our two growing cities into a community that is both more resilient and more youthful than before.

Today, I continue to engage with the YPN because it is an organization that I firmly believe in. Young professionals are some of the most innovative, entrepreneurial, and driven entities in today’s workforce, and our growing community benefits from our work. We are more engaged than ever in issues that affect the places we live, and we are essential to the vitality and prolonged prosperity of Bismarck and Mandan. Considering this, it is more important than ever that our needs are represented. As Vice President of this network, I will continue to be a representative of the community we are building. As Vice President, I would consider it my obligation to ensure that Bismarck-Mandan continues to be a society rich with opportunity, and a community which celebrates its young professionals.

YPN VP Candidate Amber Jensen

Describe your current involvement with the YPN.
I have been involved in the YPN for 2.5 years and currently serve on the Bismarck-Mandan YPN Leadership Team and am the current Ambassador Co-Lead. I was a committee member for the 2nd Annual Epic Impact event and was the liaison between the speaker
and the committee. Since being involved on the Ambassador Team, our team has continued to strengthen the New Member Breakfast and continually have 10-12 new members at each event. We also put on the First Thursday Social and continue to strive to make sure each member is engaged in the network. I have done multiple presentations to our top business partners to further our relationship with their employees and encourage their involvement in the YPN. Prior to moving to Bismarck, I was also a member of the Minot Young Professionals Network for two years where I served on the Service Team.

What strengths as a leader would you bring as VP?  
I believe I am a strong candidate for the Vice President position due to my relationship-building skills, strong work ethic, and vision for the future of our community. I am a results-oriented individual and am passionate about serving others. I have advanced quickly in my career with multiple promotions at United Way and am now second-in-command of our organization. I have lead our largest volunteer event at United Way and have increased participation from 550 volunteers to 957 volunteers in 2015.

Overall, I believe I have extensive leadership qualities and am able to generate enthusiasm in others. I am highly motivated and dependable in achieving the strategic plan goals that are set out by the YPN.

I was just recently accepted into the United Way Fellowship Program to further my leadership development. I was selected out of 1,600 United Way organizations and they picked 30 participants. This is a year-long leadership academy and a great opportunity to learn from others around the world to further my leadership development.

Vote for one of these candidates at the Cinco Anniversary Celebration and Awards on May 4, 2016. RSVP today!