On Wednesday, October 21, Site Southern California invited Young Leaders and industry panelists together for an evening of networking and mentoring.

Pictured above is (standing l-r): Hannah Schell, Christi Evans, Beth Stevenson, Brooke Barnes, Denise Dornfeld. Seated is Kevin Edmunds.

We were welcomed by Nigel Bramich, the current president of Site SoCal, who shared his support for the SoCal Site Young Leaders program and its strong presence in the Site Global community.  We also heard from Hannah Schnell, the Site Young Leaders Academy scholarship recipient.  Hannah shared her insight from attending the Academy, which was held in Iceland this past July.  Hannah was thrilled to spend her week with young leaders and decision makers who will drive this industry for years to come.  We have all set our sights on the 2010 Young Leaders Academy!

The focus of the evening was on our expert panelists, who welcomed questions from the group and shared their own experience and advice.  Our planner and vendor panelists were Vicki Kern, Nikki Nestor, and Constance Hoffman.  Young leaders asked questions about topics ranging from strategic marketing to business etiquette, and everything in between.  These industry experts shared their appreciation for the passion our young leaders have, and engaged in great dialogues, long after the panel session ended.

The event was energizing for all of our young leaders and we were encouraged by the Site board members who gave of their time and energy.  It was incredible to spend time with colleagues who are so driven, talented and passionate.  If you missed this event, I encourage everyone to attend the next outing – you will be absolutely impressed by the young people who are a driving force in this industry.

~Shelby Williams