Fresno Famous

The typical path of a promising Fresno high school student goes a little something like this: graduate as one of 40 "valedictorians", go to a UC or "back east" for college, settle down in a city with a firm grip on one of the lower rungs of the corporate ladder, and catch up with your childhood chums every December 26th on the Livingstone's patio.

There is no doubt that the San Joaquin Valley suffers from a severe brain drain. In its annual "The State of the Great Central Valley Indicators" report, The Modesto-based Great Valley Center notes that the lack of "high-level professional positions" contributes to the region's poor economic performance.

And it is this lack of "high-level professional positions" that forces many of the Valley's brightest minds to move elsewhere, contributing to the low education levels in the Valley and in turn, its inability to attract jobs and industry.

But the last 12 months have witnessed, if not a sea change, then at least a wave. Three new organizations have emerged that aim to harness the potential of Fresno's younger (or younger-minded) professionals in order to make their community more palatable place to live and work.

The first of these groups, Creative Fresno, came out of a Creative Summit last year that discussed how Fresno could build on its assets to attract and retain creative professionals. The brainchild of council member Henry T. Perea, 27, the group takes inspiration from the book "The Rise of the Creative Class" by Richard Florida. Florida and other followers of the Creative Cities movement posit that cities that attract creative professionals- artists, designers, entrepreneurs, and others- do better economically. Creative Fresno is sponsored by the Great Valley Center.

"Creative Fresno is not a networking, social organization of young professionals, but a group of people from all ages and diverse backgrounds that want to make Fresno a place that they can live, work and play," explained Jocelyn Fuller, 27, Managing Editor of Fresno Magazine and a member of the Creative Fresno Leadership Committee.

Creative Fresno spearheaded the downtown mural by RNDM and Eatcho, and has plans to support more murals and downtown in general. It has a committee devoted to mixers to give like-minded people a chance to form relationships.

"Creative Fresno is an opportunity to get involved and make a difference. So many groups and committees in town are filled with CEOs and leaders that have been around for years. Others sit and talk about what they want changed, but don't actually make the change," Fuller said.

Fuller is a Fresno transplant from the Midwest. Nevin Hindiyeh, 27, founder of Fresno's Leading Young Professionals (FLYP) and an Electric Estimator for PG&E, is a boomerang. Referring to Fresno's tendency to draw people who swore-they-would-never back, the boomerang (or black hole, to be more negative) effect has breathed new life into young civic community.

FLYP's mission is to "create a strong network among young professionals in the Central Valley." Through monthly mixers and other social activities such as hockey games and yoga classes, FLYP affords its members a chance to meet new people.

Hindiyeh says most of the members of FLYP are people returning to the Valley after stints in larger cities, or new transplants. She started the group after moving back to Fresno and found there were few ways for young professionals to connect. Members say they are energized by the people they meet at events.

Another group striving to harness the energy of Fresno's young, educated workers is the Young Pillar Society (YPS), an offshoot of the United Way. Geared toward philanthropy, the YPS hopes to reach out to young professionals and involve them in the efforts of the United Way and its partner non-profits.

"A Young Pillar is a young professional who is already giving money and/or time to the United Way or its partner non-profits or a young professional in Fresno County that has never been involved with the United Way, but wants the opportunity to get involved and be a leader in our community," explains Ethan Smith, 33, a commercial real estate agent and founder of the Fresno YPS. Smith is another boomerang.

The YPS's first event was held recently at the Fresno Art Museum. While sipping on wine and munching on snacks donated by Whole Foods, participants learned more about the United Way's efforts in Fresno County.

"We plan to have three social and networking events a year. Additionally, we will have four to six "volunteer Saturdays" that we will coordinate with United Way's partner non-profits," said Smith. One such volunteer Saturday involved cleaning up a Boys and Girls Club.

All three organizations promise the opportunity to engage with like-minded people. And whether it's through the arts, philanthropy, or networking, all three aim to make Fresno more attractive to brains that might otherwise flee.

For more information visit www.creativefresno.org, www.flypinfo.com, and www.unitedwayfresno.org/civics.html. Creative Fresno will hold an open meeting Thursday, March 10 at 6:30pm. FLYP will sponsor a Fresno Falcons Hockey game Saturday, March 12. Check the calendar for more information.

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