YGL National Newsletter - February 2015

New YGL Logo (white background)

February 2015

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Elizabeth

Sometimes life hands you lemons...

with Newsletter Editor, Elizabeth Fischer Laurie

During the first weekend of February, I got stuck in a major, midwestern snow storm. The storm necessitated canceling a major family event for which my husband and I had flown to Chicago. Understandably everyone was upset, particularly those who had worked hard to schedule, plan, and pre-pay for the event. But realistically, what were we to do? When there are feet (yes feet) of snow on the ground, your options are few. Sometimes you get lemons.

How you choose to respond to these situations is entirely within your control regardless of the sourness of the situation. Five or six years ago my reaction to this unfortunate turn of events would have been different. Time and maturity have taught me to pick my battles. When you cannot change something, the right approach is often to do the best you can by making lemonade.

Despite the added time and money involved in rescheduling the event, it was a reminder of how important it is to be resilient and resourceful when things do not go your way. Life is often full of these bumps but by making the most of them you can live a more rewarding and happy life. Here's to a successful - and hopefully less lemon-filled - February.

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If you haven't done so in recent months, please scroll to the bottom of this email and click on "Manage Preferences" to update the content you receive from YGL. 

Chapters have newsletters to send and events to invite folks to but need to be sure they are reaching the correct members.

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YGL is Seeking Leaders Willing to Take Action

We are currently seeking candidates to fill an open YGL National Board Position. Serving as a volunteer on the Board can offer you amazing connections, a powerful platform for having your voice hear, and, most importantly, a direct way to add value to emerging government leaders around the United States. See below for a description of the role and responsibilities of the position. 

Please contact chiefofstaff@younggov.org for more information.

To apply, please submit your resume and statement of interest to chairman@younggov.org.


Chief Information Officer

The Chief Information Officer is responsible for the organization’s website (www.younggov.org) via WordPress. Knowledge of Google Analytics and Google Apps is a plus. Time commitment includes one monthly board meeting in DC plus around 5 hours a week of additional work, depending on need. Can be done virtually.

Director of Operations

The Director of Operations is responsible for assisting with Board operations, including planning monthly meetings. Attention to detail and ability to think strategically about how the Board operates are key skills. Time commitment includes one monthly board meeting in DC plus around 5 hours a week of additional work, depending on need. Must be DC-based.

Newsletter of the National Board

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Upcoming Event: Skating After Dark

Join the YGL National Board to ice skate in the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden. 

  • Friday, February 20, 2015
  • 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
  • Location: National Sculpture Pavilion, National Mall
  • Metro Stop: Judiciary Square or Archives

R.S.V.P. for free on Eventbrite. Registration is limited to the first 25 registrants.

Skating
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Kudos to the Denver Chapter!

Denver


The Denver Chapter of Young Government Leaders has already had a busy 2015, hosting a holiday party, starting up a winter/spring basketball league, and hosting an upcoming professional development event.

This past January the chapter held their annual post-Holiday party at a local pub. The attendees socialized and exchanged their "most interesting" white elephant gifts.  Gifts included a garden calendar, nearly empty adult beverage containers, and a baseball cleaning kit.   The Denver Chapter's Social and Community Chair, Jarrod Breuer, plans to proudly display his new garden calendar in his office.  

The chapter also kicked off their indoor basketball league in January. Chapter members can join as a regular weekly player or just drop in for some fun and exercise with other government employees on Wednesday nights.

On February 12 from 11:00 to 12:00, the chapter will be holding a professional development event in conjunction with the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber's Leadership Foundation is the state's premier leadership organization for preparing leaders from the business and civic communities to strengthen Colorado's future. Special guest Denise King, the Leadership Foundation's Program Director, will speak about the programs her organization offers.

These social and professional development events play a key role for Denver YGL.  They allow members to collaborate across agency lines, network, and build lasting relationships among peers.  The Chapter looks forward to a year filled with kickball, volunteering, and building a community of leadership for young public servants across the Denver metro area.  

King
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Kudos to the LA Chapter!

The LA Chapter has also had a busy start to the new year with a change in leadership and an upcoming professional development event. 

In January, YGL-LA President, Mike Stevens, stepped down and turned over the reigns to Tayo Agboke. Tayo has been a fed for five years and a YGL-LA board member since 2012. Tayo is excited about continuing YGL-LA's mission to educate, inspire, and transform current and future leaders of government. 

On February 18, 2015, the chapter is holding a Community Relations Executive Seminar Training at West Los Angeles College. The event will feature an FBI Special Agent talking about Civil Rights violations and the Project Director of ADL's A World of Difference Institute speaking about bias and hate crimes.

YGL-LA is also seeking new board members to fill critical roles and is accepting nominations for the FEB Public Service Awards Program, which recognizes star government employees. 

We wish YGL-LA good luck under new leadership in the new year.


We want to hear from you!

Did your chapter do something awesome this month? Have a member who deserves to be featured in an upcoming newsletter? Want to share information about a nationally available event? 

Contact Newsletter Editor and YGL Chief of Staff, Elizabeth Fischer Laurie, at chiefofstaff@younggov.org to share your story. Content and photos may be featured in our monthly national newsletter.

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The Latest from FEDManager.com

with Lynnie Martin

Lynnie
Leadership Q & A

Recently Lynnie Martin interviewed Cecilia Moore, Supervisory Environmental Scientist with the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund Division in Chicago, IL. Cecilia talks about how important taking a walk is to being a good leader, how she gets her employees on board with new ideas, and her goals for 2015. You can read the full article here.

Each month, the Young Government Leaders' feature column offers a fresh perspective on news and information, not just for current and future generations of YGL, but to all feds interested in hearing from those who will meet the next set of challenges facing the federal government. More articles relevant to your professional life can be found on fedmanager.com.

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Tyler

YGL & the Federal Times

with Tyler Robinson

YGL's Chairman, Tyler Robinson, regularly writes for federaltimes.com

On December 31, 2014, Tyler wrote about using the ECQs for a framework for working towards your professional goals. Tyler explains the ECQs and how you can use them to help your development as a manager. You can read the full article here.

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New YGL Logo

Young Government Leaders is a 5,000 member, non-profit organization committed to providing the authentic voice for our generation of aspiring government leaders. We are actively building a community of leadership for young public servants across the country through professional development activities, networking opportunities, social events, seminars, fellowships, and scholarships. You can find out more and join for free on our website.