A group dedicated to bringing young people together, the Whidbey Young Professionals, is hosting its second annual summer event. The Summer Bash is happening from 5-8 p.m. on Aug. 27 at the Mill at the Kasteel in Oak Harbor.
“This is really just an opportunity for our members and friends to just celebrate the group,” said Brittney Shigley, who is the president of Whidbey Young Professionals and a loan officer at Peoples Bank. “It’s also an opportunity for us to raise funds.”
Whidbey Young Professionals has three main focus points: community service, social networking and professional development.
Even though the group has “young” in the name, there is no age cap.
“We just are looking for people to support our mission,” Shigley said.
The group maintains the Pop Up Plaza stage in downtown Oak Harbor and volunteered for the Oak Harbor Music Festival last year. The group also helps the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce during events such as the Fourth of July.
Emily Klinga was the previous – and first – president of Whidbey Young Professionals, but she is moving to Japan next month with her husband who is in the Navy. Klinga said one of the main motivations for starting the group was the lack of young people involved in the community, which she noticed while working for the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce.
“I started working for the chamber when I moved here and I noticed a lot of the community services groups, a lot of the networking groups – there’s not a lot of young people involved in them,” she said. “I was looking around like, ‘Where are the young people at?’”
Some members of Whidbey Young Professionals, such as Klinga herself, are business owners and entrepreneurs who use the group as a helpful networking tool. Some are simply trying to make friends and “find a space that makes sense for them in the community,” Klinga said.
“They’re just looking for something to do or some way to support the community because they want to, they just don’t know how,” she said.
Shigley said the word “professional” can be misleading.
“It maybe gives the idea that you need to be in a super professional setting,” she said. “But, you know, we got Uncle Smiley the DJ as our vice president. We have people who work in construction, on farms, in moving companies, who are just ready to get out there and meet people.”
Klinga added that the networking events are “super casual.”
The group typically has three events a month. There are networking luncheons on the first Thursday of the month, morning tea or coffee on the second Tuesday of the month and a happy hour event on the last Friday of the month.
Occasionally at the lunches, there will be a guest speaker focusing on professional development. Recent topics covered included the benefits of young people buying property, the importance of saving for retirement and all of the free resources available at local libraries.
“So there’s really a timeframe for everybody to try to find a time to come to meet us and network,” Klinga said. “And you have different types of people who come to the different events.”
The Summer Bash is free for members and $30 per ticket for nonmembers. The ticket includes a drink ticket and access to the taco bar. Uncle Smiley the DJ will be performing.
To become a member, visit whidbeyyoungpros.com.
