Chamber Young Professionals

Call it what you will — “the new guard,” “those kids growing up,” “the next generation” — but the members of Chamber Young Professionals are making their mark on Owensboro.

CYP, a networking group for professionals 21 to 40 years old, is designed to promote socialization, service, development and growth. After all, these young professionals will soon be thought of as leaders in our community.

“The way I see it, we’re all in this community working together and probably will be for the next 30 years or more,” said Blaine Mathew, a member of CYP for more than three years. “It’s important to be building relationships.”

And build relationships, they do. CYP hosts a variety of regular events for its members, from morning Coffee & Conversations, to lunch meetings featuring speakers from local businesses, to after hours social events and happy hours.

“We try to offer things at different times because everybody’s schedule is different,” CYP Past Chair Sara Williams said.

The schedules are different because the industries are different. Kenzie Tomes, who has been a CYP member for a little over a year, says she’s met people she never would have come in contact with — or developed more than a professional relationship with.

“I just graduated from Kentucky Wesleyan College in 2021,” Tomes said, “so I was very new, and being able to dive headfirst into this awesome program and get in touch with people who have been doing this longer than I have … they’ve really welcomed me and encouraged me, personally, and I’ve learned from them.”

Mathew concurs. “I get to work with people in education, healthcare, architecture … I’m not only gaining contacts, but I’m making friends with people that I wouldn’t normally meet,” he said.

More than the relationships — both personal and professional — coming together with other community professionals allows unique opportunities for development. Not only can newer professionals benefit from seeing how people interact or even dress, learning opportunities are built into the programming.

Lunch events often feature speakers from local businesses. Philanthropic efforts allow members a chance to engage with the community as well as develop skills that can be used in the workforce and beyond.

“It’s definitely helped my leadership skills,” Williams said. “Because CYP has an arranged age group, you’re in contact with people who are a lot more established in their careers, and you can learn from them. It’s just a great way to grow.”