How about a blue ribbon panel convened by the City to strategically assess what is needed to attract and retain young professionals, that is led by NexGen Door County members?
See this article from last week's YPWeek activities, excerpted here:
"To further his involvement in the overall Door County community, Kernosky has joined the steering committee of NexGen Door County, the newly developing young professional’s network. He also leads NexGen’s Strategic Planning Committee. 'Working in the city, we (NexGen) recognized we have a workforce demand,' Kernosky said. 'Having NexGen will help, as it grows, to ease the transition of Door County being just for retirees and empty nesters to a place for all generations to live and work.' He is hoping the organization will be the start of changing the persona of Door County to be a place to live and work instead of just working or just living here."
From wikipedia: "...a blue-ribbon panel (or blue ribbon commission) is a group of exceptional people appointed to investigate or study or analyze a given question. Blue-ribbon panels generally have a degree of independence from political influence or other authority, and such panels usually have no direct authority of their own. Their value comes from their ability to use their expertise to issue findings or recommendations which can then be used by those with decision-making power to act...[] The 'blue-ribbon' aspect comes from the presentation of the panel as the 'best and brightest' for the task, and the appointment of such a panel, ad hoc, is meant to signal its perspective as outsiders of the usual process for study and decisions".
(Sent via Center Line Community Forum)
Response from Ryan Kernosky, City Planner (Thank you, Ryan):
I would question the need for another organization to do what NexGen and several others (Discuss Door County, DCEDC Workforce Housing Taskforce, Workforce Development Group, etc.) already are doing. Unfortunately, the NexGen Young Professionals Network is still in a growing stage (we are less than a year old), but I could see down the road when the organization grows taking on some of these “blue-ribbon” type of initiatives. We have been working on a strategic plan to grow our organization, which includes doing extensive outreach to the high schools and business community. Thanks to Bill Chaudoir and Sam Perlman from DCEDC for recognizing the need for a young professionals network and helping us financially while we continue to grow.
To whomever submitted this idea, if you’re interested in joining NexGen’s leadership team or one of the several other groups discussion retaining young professionals in Door County, please feel free to contact me and I can get you in touch with the right person.
Ryan Kernosky