The Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals have been involved in the Grand Forks region for nearly twenty years, and in that time have boasted great members, a great community, and growth of opportunities for regional YPs.

GGFYP started as a small seed in the back of Pete Haga’s mind. Looking around our region, it seemed like something was missing. Among the other great civic organizations, he felt that Young Professionals should have a group to call their own, and apparently, he was not the only one. The initial interest meeting for YP was held on September 30th, 2004, at the Parrot’s Cay and quickly overwhelmed anyone’s expectations. At the initial ‘meet up’, there were a hundred people ready to get involved. It was clear that there was a strong desire for these opportunities, and it was now time to make it happen.

Shortly following this, the organization was formed and began hosting regular meetings, volunteering, and hosting social events. The organization was run 100% by a volunteer board from the start and maintains a completely volunteer board of directors to this day. The early leadership of GGFYP helped establish many of the pillars that we operate on today. None is more important than our commitment to our members and our community.

In Late 2010, the Board of Directors had decided it was time to take a big step towards a larger impact on our community. After a few years of getting established and growing a membership base (100+ in early 2011), the need for a full-time leader was apparent. Someone who could spearhead their organizational goals and mission, and wouldn’t just work on a volunteer basis. The hiring process was greatly expedited when YP received a $50,000 grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation in the early months of 2011. With this grant (and commitments from other area businesses), the YP organization has secured enough funding to support their mission, Executive Director, and community initiatives for three full years. 

Among our earliest supporters were: Altru, The City of Grand Forks, UND, XCEL Energy, AE2S, Happy Harry’s, JLG Architects, and the Alerus Center. The funding process was spearheaded by board members: Michaela Schell, Tom Ford, Becky Madigan, and Amanda Bentow, and Advisory Board members: Keith Lund (EDC), Barry Wilfarht (Chamber), Judi Paukert (XCEL), Cheryl Swanson, and Steve Burian (Burian & Associates). All these individuals and many others help lay the groundwork for what we have today.

Once the funding was in place, it was time to find the individual who was going to lead it all. This full-time director had a unique opportunity to transform the way our community views and supports YPs. Not only would this individual need to believe and champion the mission of GGFYP, but they would also be tasked with finding the fiscal support that could keep the organization running. From that initial search, it was settled that Stacey Heggen would lead the organization forward.

In 2012, the board also advocated and established a central piece of our leadership structure, the Advisory Board. The Advisory board consists of partners from corporate sponsors, local non-profits, and government officials. Working with our Advisory Board enables us to consider other community opinions, as well as tap their vast experiences to steer the organization forward.

Since the initial hiring, YP has been led by four executive directors who have been champions of the organization and pulled it forward on an unfaltering path. GGFYP is proud to be the only regional Young Professionals organization to retain a full-time executive director, along with a volunteer board of directors, and an advisory board composed of local business, government, and non-profit leaders.

In our nearly twenty-year history, we have many things to be proud of, but none more than the success of our members. YPs from all years of our organization have gone on to establish businesses, advance to senior-level positions, and help create what our future in Grand Forks is.  A vibrant and accepting community that attracts and retains personal and professional opportunities for people of all ages, and especially for Young Professionals. We are proud of our history, and we look forward to what we can achieve in the years ahead.

Over the course of our 18 years, our annual sponsorship totals have nearly doubled (annualized), and we have had over 1,000 members who have connected with peers, mentors, and our community.