For the past few months, we've been conducting a national search for three new board members to join the YNPN National team.

Now, we are proud to announce that the search is over and we have selected Will Guyster to help build and shape our unique culture throughout the staff and the network:

For the past few months, we've been conducting a national search for three new board members to join the YNPN National team.

Now, we are proud to announce that the search is over and we have selected Adriel Arozco to help build and shape our unique culture throughout the staff and the network:

Along with the rest of this month's news, we have a bittersweet update to share with you all. Our Associate Director, Trystan Reese, will be leaving YNPN at the end of February. When someone says a breakup is “mutual,” it's almost never true. But in this case-- it is. We have loved working alongside Trystan over the past year, and we have accomplished many things together.

It’s a topic not discussed regularly in the workplace, but happens every day – code switching. With the work environment becoming increasingly more diverse our young professionals needed a space to have these conversations about how our personal culture weaves its way into our professional lives.

Young Nonprofit Professionals Network-Kansas City hosted a Coffee Talk event in early November to provide a space to have a conversation about code switching in the workplace with local professionals who have had these discussions and experienced code switching in their careers. 

If a white coworker randomly walked up to me with what I thought was light-hearted small talk. She then steered the conversation to police brutality, asking my opinion on a particularly graphic video she saw on Facebook. The cell phone video showed a young black girl getting dragged by a white policeman. Let's just say I was not ready to share my thoughts on this video with a work colleague.

To be honest, at that moment I didn't even have cable and I hadn't for more than three years. In this day and age that doesn't stop me from being informed about what's happening in the world. Once something hits the news (such as a school shooting, an unarmed minority getting shot by the police or a vulgarly expressed and ignorant tweet by a random or presidential celebrity), everyone knows almost instantly, and quickly replies, screenshots and shares the news.

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What did you want to be when you grew up?

Was it a general vision of awesomeness, like YNPN New Jersey Vice-Chair Mallory, who wanted to be “a strong, inspirational woman”? Or was it really specific, like our Associate Director Trystan, who wanted to be a Broadway star?

Recently I have started to cringe at the thought of a new acquaintance addressing me by my first name. Yes, you read that correctly. I have this new found desire to be addressed by my last name. Here's why...

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Was it a general vision of awesomeness, like YNPN New Jersey Vice-Chair Mallory, who wanted to be “a strong, inspirational woman”? Or was it really specific, like YNPN Portland board member Brittney, who wanted to be a veterinarian?

YNPN Chicago hosts a monthly #YNPNChiChat on Twitter, connecting virtually with their members and sparking important conversations within the nonprofit sector. They recently tackled the topic of Board Service to answer potential members’ burning questions about joining a board and hear from experts across the country.

Written by YNPN Chicago Board Member SommerAnn McCullough, below are the key takeaways you should know before joining a board! As a network of 50,000+ young nonprofit professionals, we hope to see you at a future #YNPNChiChat, hosted the second Thursday of the month from 12pm-1pm CT.