Young professionals group starts in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE— A new group was recently created to help connect members of the area’s younger workforce with each other as well as with their communities.

By joining the Young Professionals of the Columbia Basin, members can network and build personal relationships as well as establish closer ties to the region, said Emily Braunwart, of the Grant County Economic Development Council.

Braunwart said she has participated in similar groups in areas like the Tri-Cities and Portland, Ore. in the past. 

“They were just great groups,” she said. “They got people together and promoted career development and community involvement.”

Braunwart said she thought the Columbia Basin could benefit from a young professionals group as well.

“I felt that this was a group that needed to happen,” she said.

Braunwart said she got together with friends and other young community members to come up with some ideas for the group.

“We finally said let’s do this, let’s make it happen,” Braunwart said. “We also talked to businesses and they all agreed this was something that was definitely missing in our area.”

She said the group will hold their first networking event from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. July 10 at Imbibe Wine and Art Bar in Moses Lake. Imbibe is located at 216 W. Third Ave. in downtown Moses Lake. 

“We want this group to be for anybody who feels like they could benefit from this,” Braunwart said.

While the group will initially be a way for members to socialize and network, the group could expand and become more active in the community.

“We’ll see what the people who start coming want this group to be, but we could expand to do volunteering in the community, mentoring programs or learning about other businesses,” she said. 

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/youngprofessionalscolumbiabasin or e-mail youngprofessionalscb@gmail.com.