On the evening of February 23rd, the Steering Committee of the Young Professionals Council successfully held its inaugural reception to celebrate the creation of the Council, hosted by the Ackerman Institute for the Family.
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| Members of the Steering Committee are Shannon O’Neil, Genevieve Haverstick, Emily Umbdenstock, Ali Sexton, and Chris Connelly |
The Council was formed by a committee of five determined young individuals who believe that strong families make better communities. Members of the Steering Committee are Shannon O’Neil, Genevieve Haverstick, Emily Umbdenstock, Ali Sexton, and Chris Connelly. They came together with the purpose of working in partner with Ackerman, to raise funds, secure non-monetary resources, increase awareness of our work, and eventually assume volunteer leadership positions to ensure the future and legacy of Ackerman.
More than 40 of their friends and colleagues came to support their efforts, and to learn more about what makes Ackerman special and so worthy of their involvement. It was a lively and fun event. Alec Haverstick, Ackerman’s Board Chair, Lois Braverman, President/CEO, and Jean Malpas, faculty member and Director of the Gender and Family Project, were the special guests of the evening.
The evening kicked off with a welcome by Shannon O’Neil, who urged the guests to learn more about Ackerman and to get involved in its work. Lois Braverman followed by passionately describing the mission of Ackerman, while also emphasizing the significance of a healthy family to society as a whole, and Alec Haverstick discussed the important influence that Ackerman Institute has on the well-being of families, locally and nationally, describing Ackerman as an “intellectual powerhouse of family therapy.” He shared his belief that strong families translate into having a strong economy and future for our country.
LearnVest, an online company providing financial planning tools, graciously provided a door-prize for one lucky winner, an individualized Budgeting Plan. Starbucks donated a station of freshly-brewed coffee for our guests.
We congratulate the Steering Committee on a successful event and we look forward to working with the Young Professionals Council in the future.