Transcript
Tom Heath
Good morning. It’s a beautiful Sunday in the Old Pueblo. And you’re listening to KT- DT Tucson. Thank you for spending a part of your brunch hour with us on your downtown Tucson Community sponsored rock and roll radio station.
Tom Heath
This week, we speak with Zazk Yentzer, executive director of the Tucson Young Professionals. He’ll give us some surprising facts about that organization. Today is January. 24th, my name is Tom Heath and you’re listening to Life Along The Streetcar.
Tom Heath
Each and every Sunday, our focus is on social, cultural and economic impacts in Tucson’s Urban core and we shed light on hidden gems everyone should know about. From A mountain to UArizona and all stops in between, you get the inside track right here on 99.1 FM, streaming on DowntownRadio.org. Also available on your iPhone or Android by using our very own Downtown Radio app, just head over to your App Store and download Downtown Radio Tucson. If you want to get us on the show, our email is Contact@LifeAlongTheStreetcar .org you can find us on Facebook and Twitter.
Tom Heath
If you want to find out some of our past episodes you can head over to LifeAlongTheStreetcar.org. You can also find this the podcast on Spotify, iTunes or Ask your smart speaker to play Life Along the Streetcar.
Tom Heath
We’re going to start today with a look back at a look back. Few cities in the United States have such an interesting history as has Tucson. Her pageantry of nearly four centuries of changes. It begins with a Spanish conquest of this continent and is still being written as giant bombers wing up from Desert Air bases, which are of importance as this nation engages in the world’s greatest War.
Tom Heath
So said the Arizona Daily Star on January 10th, 1943. This front page story was the first in a series of Sunday articles about the historic Tucson landmarks. The series ran for six months, one each Sunday, and we’re going to pick a few to share with you over the next few weeks. We thought it’d be interesting to have a glimpse back at how Tucson viewed itself and its history 80 years ago.
Tom Heath
This first article was in reference to the Kings Highway and how Main Street here in Tucson was the remnant of the Spanish Camino Real. The road that brought the Spanish from Veracruz in 1519 with Cortez’s Landing to Tucson. It’s the most Northern Outpost of the new world. Now this road would be used for centuries as a vital artery for trade, transportation and War.
Tom Heath
The Royal Road eventually became Main Street, home to shops and businesses. Well by 1943 as the article summarizes quote “the years that followed saw Main Street diminish. The street could more shabby with each passing decade and the Glorious history faded into the past.” Well now as we are seeing in 2021, we also see the same view in 1943 from those modern Tucsonans again quote. “It was rediscovered because of the wishing Shrine and it became traveled again as quaint and old worldly” unquote.
Tom Heath
Then came Pearl Harbor and Caravans of troop transports rolled down the old Royal Road on their way to the Pacific War history had come full circle from one period of Conquest. to another and that’s how the first article of a six-month series comes to an end. We’re going to revisit 8, we’re going to revisit this fascinating look at a 1943 perspective of Tucson’s great Treasures, but our feature today is not about the past about the future.
Tom Heath
The New Normal is a phrase we’ve been hearing for years during a different major shifts in our economy and we’ve been hearing it most recently as a reference to life in a post pandemic World a life. That is sure to be different. Therefore a new standard what if that standard was set up during covid graduates completed their coursework and entered a work of art environment in the midst of the pandemic. For them, this is simply the norm not The New Normal.
Tom Heath
Well today we chat with Zach Yentzer, executive director of the Tucson Young Professionals and get his take on how the next generation of leaders are approaching the pandemic and post pandemic life.
Zach Yentzer
I’m Zach Yentzer and I’m the executive director of Tucson Young Professionals. TYP was really created kind of rank 2010 right around the recession, a lot of people smarter than me realize that Tucson’s future was really going to be dependent on how well that we retained and promoted and supported young professionals. Our young talented Workforce in our community and a that was the pipeline for the future and there really wasn’t an organization that was existing to be a platform for promoting, attracting and retaining young professionals in the greater Tucson region.
Zach Yentzer
So TYP was created to be that and fast forward to, you know, 2018-2019. I came on as the interim and then full-time executive director at a fantastic board. And we really decided to lean into our potential as an organization to promote the most inclusive, Innovative and prosperous greater Tucson that we could for young professionals, age 21 to 45, and we had always hovered around a hundred – hundred and twenty members. I think it one point that even gotten the 200 and we were about a hundred – hundred and twenty when I came on board in a staff Rule and in a year’s time, you know by the end of 2019, we were at about 250 and they’re in 2020 We Grew From 250 to 650.
Zach Yentzer
Enormous growth, never been in this place before and I’m not sitting this out as a metric of success it may or may not happen. I’ll be okay. If it does I’ll be okay if it doesn’t, but there are some hints item 2021. We might even hit a thousand members and that would be incredible in terms of really catalyzing passionate young professionals who are passionate about their career who are interested in their community that it’s a move the needle and some in some good ways. And yeah, so absolutely incredible year A Real Testament to our board and the vision and the cool part too is that we also really have a break family of organizations and companies in Tucson that are supporting the work of Tucson Young Professionals.
Zach Yentzer
And it really double down on that support in 2020 and a year where so many of us could have said and had to say hey we got to pull back. We have to kind of hunker down so many organizations that meant you know, what we’re going to keep investing in TYP. They believe in their future in our future and so that was incredible. And so when I was mentioning that to you about 2020, I expected some different things to happen in a negative way. We didn’t know what to expect but it was really exciting to see that happen and the value that we provide is connection, professional growth and advocacy. They want to connect young professionals together and invest in their professional growth as career professionals and then provide ways to advocate and promote and do good things in our community. So those buckets that everything we do falls into And we execute those things through our teams and committees and you’re a good time doing it. So yeah excited by TYP right now and I think we’re doing some good things.
Tom Heath
So how much of the growth acceleration do you attribute to the fact that you’re a local celebrity, you know people just want to be in your circles that is that pretty much what people are putting on the application form.
Zach Yentzer
Sometimes, but I the box and I’m checking is our bored. And I mean that genuinely the you know, I think having a staff member involved taking that step was powerful because it allowed for someone to be a full-time working on the growth of your organization the impact of the organization. We’ve always had an amazing volunteers and Leadership, but I think when you start to really commit to having someone on the ground full-time that makes a huge difference, but I like to stay out there that you know, an executive director is only as good as their word. Word and I’ve met so many people in my position had a huge vision for their community and the organization and they just got you know, just got squished by a board that didn’t want to see growth and didn’t want to see progress and I’ve always been lucky to have a board of TYP that is gross focused, both for our organization and in the community. So I’m always laying in at their feet. But yeah, I think having the opportunity full-time executive director has made a huge difference for the organization.
Tom Heath
Well, I think having a board that not only so it doesn’t hinder you but actually helps you that’s kind of The Best of Both Worlds when you get the support to carry out the mission as well as the vision to allow you to do your thing. So congrats on on a good on a good fit there. Let me ask you a little bit about your members. We hear the term young professionals is that mean we’ve got lawyers accountants doctors or what? What’s the membership base made out of?
Zach Yentzer
Yeah great question. And we like to say and we’re trying to say it more specifically that if you are between the ages of 21 that 45, you are in your profession and you are in Tucson, you’re a TYP member or should be and so we’re not, you know head hunting for specific Industries got everything from you know, banking, real estate, finance, entrepreneurship, nonprofit leadership. It really spans the spectrum.
Zach Yentzer
The only really group of workers that were really Being intentional about engaging with better because you’re absolutely right and some of the young professional there’s thinking about what’s traditionally been called White Collar jobs, and we don’t intend to only be white collar. We love to engage with trades men and women, trade from Craftsmen and women and those who are involved in the trades because we consider that work to be, you know, a profession and its young people involved with it, and it’s in Tucson, so that’s one of the makeup of our membership where we’re wanting to go and where it exists.
Zach Yentzer
Currently. we got just about everybody though representing a low diversity of scepters. And that’s the way we want.
Tom Heath
650 members that gives you a lot of opportunity for for diversity. That’s for sure, you know, the pandemic that’s changed how business is done. It’s changed how interactions happen. It’s changed so much about just about every profession that I know. What are you seeing through the young professional some of these some of these young leaders our Future Leaders?
Tom Heath
They may have just been sort of starting in their career. So that the shift May might not be as dramatic for them. It’s not the new normal. It’s just what they know is the normal but what are you seeing from? Your members? What are you hearing was is their optimism. Is there concern what’s out there?
Zach Yentzer
Yeah, man, that’s a good question and A lot of things a lot of different layers to that. You know, I think it’s interesting professionally, you know, it would seem that. Hey there’s you know, there’s a lot of people in the workforce who are trying to get a job or get into a job and I think that post Grand Ma has made it really hard to stand out with companies and organizations. I think for those who are trying to get into their career. So it’s really hard for those who maybe during this time are trying to transition and careers. We’ve also heard it’s hard. It’s hard to stand out.
Zach Yentzer
You can have some incredible individuals who are ready to bring their talents to maybe a different organization at this time and they’re having a hard time cutting through the noise. And so, you know typ what we try to do and we’re trying to do is provide a resource on how to present yourself and cut voice and so that’ll be Big thing, you know mentorship is going to be really important for us in 2021 is connecting younger and older professionals together.
Zach Yentzer
We’re seeing I think you know a trend we’ve had a survey early on in the pandemic doing thankfully the majority of our members who answered we probably had we had almost a hundred responses, which I guess is decent first serve only I wouldn’t say it’s conclusive but I do see a good picture fortunately, a lot of our members were able to maintain their positions working remotely. So we’re thankful for that. We know that that’s not the case for everybody but you know a lot of our members weren’t saying yeah, this is awesome and welcome home forever. I think a lot of people would say, oh young professionals they can adapt to then we finally working on my phone anyway, but we’re seeing, you know, a desire to get back face to face.
Zach Yentzer
We’re seeing challenges and maintaining and keeping that mental health is Go help that really came up strong and you know, a lot of people want to get back face to face and are struggling with you. The fact that we are working as remotely as we are, you know, and we’re seeing that even with our virtual events. We still do three to four different events of varying kinds month to month and we’re seeing that people are shifting from not just consuming events, but they want to be collaborative together. When they’re working virtually and so a little bit weary of consumption and want to move more into collaboration. So I think looking down the road will we see a hundred percent moved back to offices? I don’t think so. I think what we’ll see is more hug and team-based work. I can imagine a lot of decentralized work, you know through co-working or smaller office spaces where people are still connecting person, but in more of a team function rather than the whole company is working from the physical space. So I think those are some things that are interesting in terms of the future of work and how young professionals give in to that and tell me really important.
Zach Yentzer
Your office itself isn’t is it typ out of a collab working space? Yes, we’re working out of common work space downtown and and of course that’s a that’s a space that has been developed by Young professionals. I mean people will know Leah Bogan, DanWalker and Gustavo Court a young professionals typ members who are investing in our downtown and trying to make downtown better. And so typ is putting as many words now because that in terms of supporting that and working on in common. So yeah.
Tom Heath
We’re listening to Zach you answer the executive director of Tucson young professionals and we’ll be back to finish up the second half of this interview in just a moment, but I want to Mind you that you are listening to Life along the streetcar on Downtown Radio 99.1 FM and streaming on Downtown Radio.org
Tom Heath
And we are going to finish up our interview withZach Yentzer of the Tucson Young Professionals. You’ll probably recognize Zach from other episodes. We’ve had here on lifelong streetcar. He does quite a bit with the downtown Tucson partnership the Menlo neighborhood association as well as hosting his own radio show called The Tipping Point. Kissing on a lot of the same topics that we like to cover here on the show. So he’s a good friend to have on the show. And today we’re interviewing them in his role as the executive director talking about the young professionals as a group the success that they’ve had and some collaborations now that are coming out of a very interesting year and although challenging. I think it bodes well for the future of the young professionals.
Tom Heath
And you mentioned collaboration from a member level. What about from an organization level like organizations like startup Tucson are these are these groups are working with?
Zach Yentzer
They are they are you know startup Tucson is one of our closest Partners were working with them for example and remote Tucson, which is an effort to provide soft Landing to remote workers who are still employed by their employer but they don’t have to be in New York. You don’t have to be in San Francisco. They don’t have to be in Austin or Dallas and they want to make a change they want to you know, invest in the Tucson Community or providing Them Softly the opportunity call them what to say. So we work closely with them in there.
Zach Yentzer
We work a lot with greater Tucson leadership. For example, the common side Brown Foundation all around how do we raise up and support really great young professionals who are prepared to lead our community and be that top of funnel for leadership development and for economic development in the region. So yeah, we collaborate quite a bit and really see I’ve saw the traffic conductor. You don’t have to do everything all the time. How can we traffic and duct people to and through organizations that are doing things and really or passionate about so it’s a lot of fun not have to own the whole pie but to help grow it with other people.
Tom Heath
Well, I appreciate you bringing up remote to Sade. I was actually that was where I was leading with that question was to see if there was any involvement. So it’s nice nice to know that those collaborations exist the for four years and I still think there’s there’s some talk of this. But we hear about the drain of town and you know, you just said you’re Preparing People to lead our community. And I mean for years it was people were prepared to leave our community. Are you seeing a shift where people are deciding that Tucson is where they can find their job where they want to build their their future.
Zach Yentzer
We are we’re seeing some good shit there, you know, there’s some data coming out of the University that more and more graduates are either considering Tucson or are successfully staying in Tucson in a way that is competitive with a lot of other university towns. And so that’s encouraging, you know that you know 2014. I think I the early 2000 and tens. We’re seeing you know, the 86. Percent of graduates, you know wanting to take off after he left and we’ve seen that retention number about double bowl over double in the last six seven years, which is I think really positive. You know, what we hear from Young professionals is that there’s a there’s a decent number of entry-level jobs in Tucson. If you’re coming out of college, you want your first job or two, you can find it pretty well in Tucson if you are in Your level management when you’re in the senior part of your career, you can also find that there’s a lot of senior level leadership positions in Tucson.
Zach Yentzer
What is continuing to drive away our young professionals is that that mid-career mid-level management position is just not here in Tucson. It’s a big doughnut hole. And so I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, you know professionals. I am capped out here. There’s nothing for me to continue. The middle part of my career. That’s the big hairy audacious terrans that were working on that is going to require Tucson to grow smart and the grill well because we just don’t have that job here that can you know when you get into the family and we want him staying stage of any other young professionals career. The dots are yet, not fully connected. And so that’s why cyp is committed to helping you grow the most Innovative prosperous and inclusive greater Tucson region possible. Because we need those jobs to maintain that Workforce here.
Tom Heath
I think we’re going to be running out of time for this interview, but I would love to chat with you down the road about the other aspect of why people at least for my understanding and laughing that’s the lifestyle and the opportunities of the social environment as well as the professional but while I still have you if someone wants to explore your organization either as a member or as a mentor as a collaborator, how do they get a hold of you?
Zach Yentzer
Sure, I’d love to set up a zoom or socially distance copy down the road as [email protected] until the organization name.com. And then my name is a cat exact. It seems like a professional.com would like to connect offline and that’s also our website. You can check us out all the things that we do and what we hope to accomplish and greater Tucson
Tom Heath
Alright, and then anything in parting that we that we haven’t talked about that that we should have or something burning. Being a burning desire to share some information that really needs to get out?
Zach Yentzer
Good question. Yeah, that’s a great question. Those are other are their upcoming event. So if someone was interested in exploring typ, but just wanted to kind of dip their toe in the water you mention virtual events. Is there is there something that someone could tie into here in the near future? Yeah, absolutely. That’s a I can answer that one pretty quickly every third Thursday of the month. So this month will be January 21st. It’s at noon every time we call it. What’s next it’s a typ information session to get a deeper dive into what you ipas and what it means to be a member and really how we can have Collective impact as hundreds and thousands of young professionals and moving the needle. I mean, you know, she’s that we care about to create that best possible Tucson, so I would love to invite people to that. Anyway, you have seen and whose 2145 and that’s the third Thursday Thursday. Yes, January 21st, so we’ll be airing on the 24th.
Tom Heath
So if you’re listening to this live, you’re hearing it on the 24 so that would put us into February 18th would be serviced your next upcoming events and they can get all that information from your website. Absolutely fabulous. Well, mr. Zack Yentzer, executive director Tucson young professionals radio. Host of The Tipping Point on kvo. I also a member of the downtown Tucson partnership board, Menlo Park neighborhood association and probably going to run out of time with all the accolades 40 under 40. Actually. We just passed the 40 under 40. So you’re you are a man of the year weren’t you in 2019?
Tom Heath
I was man of the year in 2019, and I’ve seen through relinquish that title but still part of the family so you don’t have answer you you are local celebrity I’m sure that’s part of the reason for the success of typi think they’re lucky to have you and it sounds like you found a good fit with with what their goals and what you’re trying to accomplish. I greatly appreciate your time sir, and look forward to being in touch your down the road.
Tom Heath
Zach Yentzer of Tucson Young Professionals and I want to remind you that my name is Tom Heath and you are listening to Life along the streetcar on downtown radio. It’s 99.1 FM and we’re streaming on Downtown Radio dot-org. Well, that’s gonna do it for this week on Life along the streetcar coming up next Sunday. We’ve got Laura Tanzer, internationally renowned clothing designer who operates out of the Historic Depot in DownTown. We’re going to chat with her about her new video series and how she is implementing her sustainable practices in fashion and education.
Tom Heath
In honor of Our Guest today Zach Yentzer,. We’re going to leave you a little Swedish indie-pop. This is Peter Bjorn and John from their 2011 album writer’s block. This is their song Young Folks. Have a great week.
