Young Professionals
The Young Professionals of the Chippewa Valley is a personal and professional development program of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Chippewa Falls Chamber of Commerce. Our organization encourages young leaders in our community to engage socially, swap ideas and strategies, and share common interests. Members of YP have many opportunities to grow personally and professionally through the many activities and events held throughout the year. The Young Professionals of the Chippewa Valley began to make a strong impact in September of 2003 and continues to do so today!
Membership in the Young Professionals of the Chippewa Valley (YPCV) is open to anyone between the ages of 21 and 41. Membership is discounted for professionals that work for a business or organization that is a member of the Eau Claire or Chippewa Falls Chamber of Commerce. We have members from all different professions including: accountants, bankers, event planners, financial representatives, teachers, students, chiropractors, real estate agents, university professionals & many more.
Annual Membership Cost
- $25.00 (full-time student over the age of 21, please include copy of student ID with application, if you pay the student rate you will be listed as a student, not under your business)
- $50.00 (Employer is a member of the Eau Claire Chamber or Chippewa Falls Chamber)
- $105.00 (Employer is not a member of the Eau Claire Chamber or Chippewa Falls Chamber)
Become a Member
- Follow the join button at the top of this webpage to officially become a Young Professionals Member!
- If you have additional questions - please contact Kaitlyn Molis.
YPCV holds one to three events each month. There are NO meetings, only events! You are not required to attend a certain number of events. The freedom is there for you to choose events that appeal to you the most.
Once you become a member of YPCV, you will receive weekly emails from the Chamber notifying you of events & opportunities.
In a rotation, each event falls under one of three categories:
Professional Development
- Beer with a Boss Series
- Commercial Construction Tours
- Educational Sessions
Community Involvement
- Phoenix Park Clean Ups
- Sponsor a Family Holiday Shopping Night
- Event Volunteering
Networking
- Morning Mingles
- Happy Hours
- YP Mentorship Program
Our Mission
To engage, educate & elevate young professionals by offering diverse opportunities for networking, professional development, and community involvement.
Our Values
- Inclusivity
- Integrity
- Aspiration
- Fun!
The Young Professionals of the Chippewa Valley board members attend monthly meetings and a minimum of six events each year. They are very dedicated volunteers that are committed to the success of Young Professionals.
If you are a member of the YPCV and are interested in serving on the board, complete the YP Board online application form. The board will only accept one person from each business in an effort to keep the YP leadership diverse. Preference will be given to Chamber members, but a non-Chamber member/YPCV member will be considered. The board reviews applications in fall each year and fills open positions based on a calendar year schedule. No more than 24 individuals will serve on the board.
The following are considered when selecting new members: time in Young Professionals, how active they are in the group, company, job, reason they want to be on the board, and what they will bring to the organization's leadership.
YP Board Members 2023
Jacob Bauer, Security Financial Bank
Hannah Connor, Chippewa Valley Technical College
Hannah Cowan, Citizens State Bank
Addie Erdmann, Eau Claire County Humane Association
Jason Faanes, Wipfli LLP
Abby Hanlon, SIGH Group
Josh Hanson, Imagineering
Isabella Hong, United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley
Brit Heymans, Feed My People
Dustin Johnston, Advanced Engineering Concepts
Gretta Lawton, Blue Granite Wealth - Raymond James
Peter Lund, Glidepath Power Solutions
Travis Ida, Trust Point
Ryan Iverson, Donnellan Real Estate
Max Kaiser, Banbury Place / Cigan Properties
Cory Knutson, Huebsch Services
Rachel Meyer, Badger Meter
Tim Nelson, Re/Max Affiliates
Zac Scherr, Royal Credit Union
Jen Sonnentag, Market & Johnson
Barbie Tupy, American Insurance Services
Sydney Willson, Century 21 Affiliated
Any YP Member is welcome to join one of our committees - please contact Kaitlyn Molis if interested in getting involved further. All committee chairs are members of the YP Board & report back all committee outcomes.
YP IMPACT COMMITTEE
Chair: Rachel Meyer – Badger Meter
Purpose: Role of this committee is to support and provide insight to the YP Board through data, surveying, input from chairs of other YP Committees. The flow of communication is directly to the entire YP Board through a report from the chair of this committee.
Goals:
- Help YP organization meet goals
- Look at overall events health
- Membership engagement / value (New & existing – Improving retention & attendance)
- **Possibly assisting with volunteer initiatives
YP PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Chair: Ryan Iverson – Donnellan Real Estate
Purpose: Through educational opportunities, this committee will enhance the growth, both professionally and personally for our YP membership.
Goals:
- Create innovative ideas to enhance professional development
- Education & Diversity of offerings
- Event affordability / accessibility (time & location offerings)
- Be accountable to the YP Professional Development budget
YP EXTRAVAGANZA COMMITTEE
Chair: Hannah Connor – Chippewa Valley Technical College
Mission: Provide feedback & generate ideas for the YP Annual Meeting to make the event a success.
Goals: Execute YP Extravaganza typically in December (door prizes, sponsors, setup, take down, awards) & help event to be successful.
YP TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE
Chair: Gretta Lawton - Blue Granite Wealth
Mission: Executing both the YP Bean Bag Tournament (February) & YP Golf Outing (June)
Goals: Assist in executing major YP competitive events / tournaments (door prizes, sponsors, setup, take down) & help both events to be successful.
YP MARKETING COMMITTEE
Chair: Abby Hanlon - The Sigh Group
Mission: Develop, implement & advise on all YP Marketing strategies
Goals: Maintain YP branding & digital impression in the Chippewa Valley, Build & grow current marketing efforts, Assist YP Director on all things marketing!