Building the Next Generation of Leaders at The Store

We're looking for 15 young professionals who want to spend two years helping our neighbors get groceries with dignity and choice.

Applications for The Store's Young Professionals Board are open.

One of the first things I did as CEO was put something in motion that I believed would matter to the long-term health of this organization. So much of The Store's early support came from people who had been with us from the beginning, from when Brad and Kim first had the idea. Those people are extraordinary. They carried this work, believed in it, and helped build what exists today.

Part of leading an organization is thinking about who comes next. I knew we needed to make room for a new generation of leaders in our fight against food insecurity. So early on, I worked with Corey Sargent to start The Store's Young Professionals Board.

It has been one of the best leadership decisions I've made. I thought we were building a pipeline. What we built was a board that gives young professionals a real place to lead.

Members serve for two years. They volunteer four times a year, including at the School Store and Toy Store. They join a committee and contribute to the work of that committee. They attend quarterly meetings. They give at a level that is meaningful to them. And eventually, they help interview the people who will take their seats.

That last part matters to me. This isn't a group designed to sit adjacent to the mission. Members are asked to show up, take responsibility, work alongside others, and help carry something forward. They build relationships, create events and partnerships, show up in the grocery store, and help more people understand what dignity and choice can look like in practice.

There are a lot of places where young professionals can network. I think there are fewer places where they are trusted with real responsibility, expected to contribute, and given the chance to grow as leaders while serving their community.

Ashley Weber at ServisBank said it better than I can: "Being part of this board means being part of something bigger than any one exec team. You inherit it, you build on it, and then you pass it forward."

That is the heart of it.

Leadership is not only about having a title. It is learning to show up for something bigger than yourself, work well with people who bring different strengths, take ownership of what is yours to carry, and leave something stronger for the person who comes next.

Applications are open now for young professionals ages 21 to 40. If you're curious, there's an information session on October 13 where you can learn more before you apply.

And if someone came to mind while you were reading this, send it their way. Sometimes the right invitation is all it takes to move someone from "I'd love to get involved someday" to actually stepping in.