Team Coastal YPN
- Janine Dickens
- Bailey Dolson
- Emily Rendall-Araujo
- Carissa Schlegel
- Olivia Zeman
- Jenny Zalewski
You've heard of walking the talk? These five young professionals are ready to dance the talk.
Coastal is the young professionals network of the Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce. Their goal is to attract, engage and retain young, diverse talent to Sheboygan County by providing opportunities for young professionals to design their social culture, serve as civic innovators and community stewards and develop into the next generation of leaders for Sheboygan County.
When Carissa Schlegel, Coastal YPN Coordinator, learned that the Movers & Shakers Gala would be changing formats in 2018, she immediately thought Coastal should have a team. Four other Coastal members immediately joined on:
- Janine Dickens, foodservice director - Fresh Meals on Wheels
- Bailey Dolson, marketing and creative manager, Visit Sheboygan
- Emily Rendall-Araujo, executive director, Above & Beyond Children's Museum
- Olivia Zeman, branch manager, UnitedOne Credit Union
Rendall-Araujo recalls the first Movers & Shakers Gala from when she was a student at Lakeland, and while dancing isn't necessarily her thing (she's an accomplished singer), she's always thought it would be cool to take center stage at the Gala.
"One of our goals is to inspire people to become community stewards, and we felt this was a great way for us as young leaders to do that," Rendall-Araujo said. "This is a way for us to send a message to Sheboygan County young professionals that this is a cool place and we need to engage in our community and be involved in something bigger than our little worlds. This also fits in with the Someplace Better campaign."
The team has some solid dance experience in Schlegel, who danced in college and currently coaches dance at Sheboygan South High School.
Zeman says, "Although I'll be super pregnant, this is literally a dream come true for me since I attended my first Gala with my mom back in 2010. Last year, Bailey and I told each other 'Someday we will be dancing up there.' How awesome is it that someday is NOW!"
So while you watch them dancing away on the Weill stage, know you're seeing people interested in shaping the future of Sheboygan County.
"I think I can speak for all of us in saying we plan to stay here for a long time and grow into larger leadership roles," Schlegel says. "Sheboygan County is an amazing place, and we are all really strong advocates for moving here, staying here and making a life here."
Team Coastal YPN's dance is choreographed by Katie Hammer.