Blount County Young Professionals

What is Blount County Young Professionals?

Blount County Young Professionals invites individuals ages 21-40 who work, live, or play in Blount County to join BCYP. A Blount County Chamber of Commerce membership is not required to participate.

Mission/Vision Statement

Mission: Blount County Young Professionals aims to attract and retain young, diverse talent by providing inclusive and meaningful opportunities for career development and community engagement through service, connection, mentorship.

Vision: Blount County Young Professionals contribute to a thriving and diverse local economic landscape by inspiring emerging young leaders to contribute to the vitality of our community and engage civically.

What types of events does BCYP have?

2022 Events:
April: Mixer at Smoky Mountain Axe House
May: Food Drive and Volunteer Opportunity at Second Harvest
June: Four Lenses Personality in Business Training with Tn Air National Guard
August: Regional Mixer with Loudon, West Knox and Knoxville YP groups
August: Non Profit Board Service Training with Alliance for Better Non Profits including Non Profit Panel Discussion
September: Mentorship Program Kickoff with Knox Trivia at Tri-Hop Brewery
October: Mixer at Company Distilling including facility tour and spirits tasting
November: Personal Branding Presentation by Fletcher PR and Headshots by Open Roads Media
December: Downtown Pub Crawl in support of Santa Cop

2023 Events:
January: Family Feud Trivia at Tri-Hop Brewery
February: Leadership Principles presented by UT Haslam Business School
March: Volunteer and Team Building Event at Blount County Habitat for Humanity

How do I receive first access to BCYP events?

By completing the Young Professionals Questionnaire, you will be notified first of upcoming BCYP events and receive our monthly newsletter.

How to get more involved?

If you are interested in being more involved in BCYP events, consider applying for the 2024 Steering Committee. Reach out to Alexa Johns (ajohns@blountpartnership.com) at (865) 983-2241 for more information.

View 2023 Steering Committee

• Chair: The Chair presides over meetings, works with other chairs, submits various reports to the Blount County Chamber of Commerce board and performs other duties as the need arises. The Chair is the primary liaison between Blount County Young Professionals and the Blount County Chamber of Commerce.
• Vice-Chair: The Vice-Chair assists the Chair with all programs, initiatives and other duties as needed, oversees all development of initiatives, and assists Chair(s) in all scopes and duties whenever possible or requested.
• Past Chair: The Past-Chair assists the Chair and steering committee with history on past events, areas of growth and other duties as needed, in order to provide continuity and impart historical knowledge of the organization.
• Finance/Sponsorship Chair: The Finance/Sponsorship Chair is responsible for updating the committee on what is spent, ensuring other chairs are within budget, and securing sponsorships.
• Community Service & Outreach Chair: In this role you will be responsible for the planning and execution of 4 community service events throughout the calendar year with the help of Chair and Chamber Staff Liaison. This includes choosing a chamber member (preferred but not required) organization to partner with, working with the organization on details for YPs to give back and connect. Projects should be volunteer labor oriented or product donation; not monetary fund raising.
• Professional Development Chair: In this role you will be responsible for the planning and execution of 4 professional development events throughout the calendar year with the help of the Chair and Chamber Staff Liaison. This includes finding speakers to provide seminars, workshops, and other professional development opportunities for young professionals. Responsible for gathering feedback from membership about relevant topics and focus for future events.
• Mentorship Chair: In this role you will be responsible for the planning and execution of mentorship opportunities with the help of the Chair and chamber liaison.
• Membership Chair: In this role you will be responsible for recruiting eligible young professionals to join our group and connecting them with the resources and benefits available through the YP group. Promoting and recruiting skills are of utmost importance.
• Engagement Chair: In this role you will be responsible for promoting the Blount County Chamber of Commerce and its event to BCYP Members and encouraging them to attend.
• Creative Chair: In this role you will be responsible for creating content for Chamber Staff Liaison to post on social media.
• Events Chair: In this role you will be responsible for planning and promoting 4 networking and/or special events throughout the calendar year.
• At-Large Member: In this role you will learn more about BCYP and provide insight/opinions when needed. This role was formed to allow members to gain a better understanding of how BCYP operates and potentially serve in a chair role in the coming years. You will be expected to attend our monthly steering committee meetings and actively participate and jump in when other chairs need assistance. We hope this year allows you to see where your skills can best be utilized in BCYP!

How do I support BCYP?

If you are interested in supporting BCYP, please consider the opportunities below.

• Mentor: Mentorship is one of the many benefits of BCYP both for the mentee and mentor. Being a mentor is a year long commitment to reach out to a mentee monthly and engage them in all that Blount County has to offer including: the chamber, local events, nonprofits, civic engagement opportunities, etc.
• Sponsorship: BCYP utilizes sponsorship dollars to offer meaningful and beneficial opportunities for young professionals in Blount County to grow as civically, professionally, and personally.

How do I get more information?

If you are interested in learning more about the Young Professionals group, please contact Alexa Johns (ajohns@blountpartnership.com) at (865) 983-2241.

• To join, please complete the Young Professionals Questionnaire.
• View the calendar for upcoming events.