(MPACT Memphis member Darrell Cobbins tells Tuesday's town hall meeting that he wants to help local leaders understand what young professionals want, so the city can attract and keep those sought-after workers.)
By James Dowd
Posted August 24, 2010 at 5:06 p.m., updated August 24, 2010 at 9:32 p.m.
Alarmed by the city's ongoing hemorrhage of creative talent, local leaders gathered at the FedEx Institute of Technology Tuesday to discuss the plight and flight of the city's young professionals. The invitation-only town hall meeting attracted about three dozen business executives, community leaders and government officials. The event was sponsored by MPACT Memphis, a nonprofit organization founded in 2001 that targets young professionals.
Topping the agenda: Boosting Memphis mojo among 25-to-34-year-olds.
"Memphis needs more creative, innovative young leaders," said City Council member Edmund Ford Jr. "For the future of our community, we've got to encourage young people to get involved." The Bluff City has to do a better job of producing, attracting and retaining young professionals, participants said -- particularly if leaders hope to avoid the downward spiral of the Motor City to the north.
"Just look at Detroit. It's falling apart, but we're not far behind," said Gwyn Fisher, executive director of MPACT. "We're bleeding our middle class. If we don't create a city that young people want to live in, they'll high-tail it out of here as soon as they get a chance." Many already have.
According to an MPACT study, an average of five young professionals per day move out of the city, taking with them their intellectual capital and earning power. Nearly half the respondents said Memphis is not the city they most prefer to live in at this point in their careers, 77 percent say the city is not environmentally friendly and 85 percent said there aren't enough high-tech jobs here.
"We're moving into a knowledge-based economy that requires a vibrant community of young people to fill work force, but to attract those companies with jobs we need people to fill them," Fisher said. "We need to do a better job of growing and recruiting talent and convincing our young professionals to stay here after graduation."
Germantown Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy agreed.
"We have to work together to improve employee development," Goldsworthy said. "We need to leverage our assets and create an attractive environment for young professionals."
The MPACT survey generated a frank discussion of where the city is now, but also offered hope for the future, Fisher said. For example, among the MPACT findings, 68 percent of respondents described Memphis as a good place to raise a family, and 75 percent said they feel a strong connection to the city. Similarly, three-fourths are proud of the city. That's a good foundation to build on, said David Williams, president and CEO of Leadership Memphis.
"I believe we're at a crossroads and the mission is critical," Williams said. "It's going to take a united effort, but I believe we can move forward and prove that the city's best days are ahead of us."
-- James Dowd: 529-2737
MPACT Memphis
Founded: 2001
Address: 506 S. Main, #101
Phone: 528-8340
Leader: Gwyn Fisher, executive director
Members: 800
Community partners: 30
Events: More than 150 programs held each year
Online: mpactmemphis.org
