a monthly e-newsletter of the Young Professionals Network   |   April 2011

Your Vote Matters!!! The primary elections in our area, including South Bend, Mishawaka and Roseland, will take place on Tuesday, May 3, 2011. The biggest and most talked about race is for mayor of South Bend. Voting in the primary elections is vital to the continuous development and progression of a city's government, especially in relation to young professionals. The candidates chosen in the primaries will then proceed to the general election in November. Only about 20-21% of people vote in the primaries, and of that percentage, the number who are 55 and older is around 65% compared to 35% among those under 55. As a young professional, are you comfortable knowing less than 35% of us are making an impact on electing our next officials? Click here for all of the Democrat and Republican Primary Candidates running in South Bend, Mishawaka and Roseland on May 3, 2011. In the primary election in the State of Indiana, you must ask for either a Democrat or Republican ballot at your polling precinct. You cannot ask for both. There is a misconception that by asking for a Democrat or Republican ballot you are then registering your political party affiliation. This is technically not true. There is no true political party registration in Indiana. You may identify yourself with one party over another, but if you choose to vote in the Republican primary one year and the Democrat primary the next year, that is your choice based on your voting preferences in the previous or upcoming general election. Indiana state statute for primary voting reads as follows: IC 3-10-1-6 Eligible voters Sec. 6. A voter may vote at a primary election:       (1) if the voter, at the last general election, voted for a majority of the regular            nominees of the political party holding the primary election; or       (2) if the voter did not vote at the last general election, but intends to vote at the            next general election for a majority of the regular nominees of the political            party holding the primary election; as long as the voter was registered as a            voter at the last general election or has registered since then. Your primary election voting history is a matter of public record and is used to identify you with a political party if you decide to run for public office and/or if you are being considered for an appointment to a board or commission by any level of government. Please be aware that, if you have consistently chosen one party’s ballot over another in the Primary Election and decide to change to the other party, you can be challenged by another voter of that same party, in which case you should be given a provisional ballot to cast your vote. Please refer to Indiana Code 3-10-1-9 and 3-10-12 for more information. http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title3/ar10/ch1.html http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title3/ar10/ch12.html This information is meant to be used for education and not as legal advice. Please consult with an attorney for further legal explanation. The Chamber Endorses Pete Buttigieg On a related note, The Chamber has chosen Pete Buttigieg as their endorsed candidate in the South Bend mayoral election. A Political Evaluation Committee was formed, implemented a selection process and selected Pete because of his "demonstrated ability to think innovatively and strategically, his global perspective on the economy and his capacity to convene groups with differing opinions to solve problems." The committee saw a real spark in Pete, and believe that his energy is just the catalyst South Bend needs to move it in a competitive direction. Pete represents a fresh start for South Bend. In addition, he has the education, background, and experience to set a dynamic tone to motivate citizens, businesses, and other leaders to implement priorities that focus on community advancement while also possessing those intangible qualities desired in a leader. The committee believes Pete will assemble a great team around him and that his experience and understanding of finance will help him manage a complicated city budget. With all of these qualities, the committee thinks he will be a great ambassador and salesman for the city of South Bend. Book Review: Life After College: The Complete Guide to Getting What You Want by Jenny Blake This book reads like a portable life coach with tips from the author. Blake has exercises for nine separate life areas:      -Work      -Money      -Home      -Organization      -Friends & Family      -Dating Relationships      -Health      -Fun Relaxation      -Personal Growth Blake is an award-winning Gen-Y Blogger who has worked in career development for Google. She has geared this book to people in their 20s and 30s to be a "big-picture" life guide. Check it out! Upcoming Events   Deadline for Michiana Forty Under 40 Nominations Wednesday, April 27   Nominate individuals within the Michiana region who have demonstrated the following: Initiative and dedication in pursuing their career; Investment in others through their involvement in civic, charitable and/or religious organizations; and are under the age of 40 before June 1, 2011. Nominations will be accepted through April 27. Winners will be recognized at a luncheon June 3 at the Gillespie Conference Center in South Bend. MORE DETAILS/NOMINATION FORM YPN Power Lunch: Jumping Into Social Media - What Your Company Needs to Know Thursday, May 5 | 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. ITT Technical Institute $10/person Social media is not a fad, but rather a proven, viable way to grow your business. Join Jillian Koeneman, founder of Freshlime Marketing, to learn more about creating a successful social media strategy including the best practices, the art of listening and engaging, and other key elements you need to know before jumping into social media. REGISTER Community CORNER LiveTheBend Kickoff Happy Hour April 28, 2011 (5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.) How do you LiveTheBend? Find out more about this new community-wide initiative aimed at awareness of all things great about South Bend and Mishawaka. Check out LiveTheBend.com for more details about the myriad of ways to LiveTheBend and counter the “dying” city reputation. The happy hour will take place at Corby’s Irish Pub, LaSalle St. & Niles Ave. $20 donation gets you a limited edition LiveTheBend t-shirt, 1 drink ticket and munchies. Susan G Komen Race for the Cure April 30, 2011 (9:00 a.m.) Susan G. Komen for the Cure's Northern Indiana Affiliate is hosting its 3rd annual Race for the Cure at the Coveleski Stadium in South Bend. Register for the 5K run or walk online by visiting KomenNorthernIndiana.org. Register as an individual or as a team of 10 or more. There is a $30 registration fee per runner/walker.  Downtown South Bend First Fridays: All About Art May 6, 2011 (5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.) The first Friday of every month downtown South Bend businesses open their doors to host entertaining events. For a complete list of participating businesses and their specials during DTSB First Fridays, visit DtsbFirstFridays.com.   YWCA Tribute to Women May 3, 2011 - The YWCA Tribute to Women strives to recognize and celebrate the many and varied achievements of women in our communities. For more information and to register, please click here.   Original Art Rain Barrel Auction May 6, 2011 - Join us for a fun evening and bid on a beautiful rain barrel! Twelve area artists and artist groups have painted 55-gallon plastic containers converted for use as rain barrels. The goal is to raise awareness of water as a natural resource and demonstrate how homeowners can save money while protecting the St. Joe River and watershed by capturing water in a rain barrel. More information about the auction, along with pictures of the barrels and where they are on display is on the Goodrich Auction Company website. Bike the Bend May 15, 2011 – Bike the Bend is a recreational, non-competitive bicycling event in our community where casual and experienced riders can ride the streets and trails of South Bend and Mishawaka. . With public safety officers limiting vehicle access to the route, you and your family and friends can enjoy safe biking, riding side-by-side, and taking in the beauty of nature and local architecture on approximately 40 miles of streets and trails. Registration is now open at BiketheBend.com. Urban Adventure 2011 July 30, 2011 – Urban Adventure Games is a fun and challenging adventure games where teams of two navigate South Bend, Mishawaka, and the Notre Dame area utilizing the streets, waterways, bike paths, and even some "top secret" modes of transportation – all while solving clues that help them move on throughout the race. Early Registration is now open at UrbanAdventureGames.com. YP Board Opportunities LaSalle Council of the Boy Scouts of America is looking for people who might have an interest in serving as board members. Their Board covers a wide area, including the South Bend/Mishawaka area, but also extends into Elkhart, LaPorte, Porter counties, as well as into Michigan. They are searching for quality leaders, and in particular someone with CPA/Legal Counsel Assist/Fundraising Assist. If interested, contact Pat Bridges, Scout Executive/CEO, LaSalle Council, 1340 South Bend Ave., South Bend, IN 46617. Email Pat at pbridges@lasallecouncilbsa.org or contact him at 574-289-0337, ext 310.   Make a Difference Michiana is now recruiting new board members. If you are energetic about helping others to get to know their community through service, we want to hear from you! Send your letter of interest to: info@makeadifferencemichiana.org and a Board Member will contact you about a face-to-face meeting.

Young Professionals Network
The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County
401 E. Colfax Ave., Suite 310, South Bend, IN 46617