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It’s 2009. The United States has its first African-American president, and Mobile has its first African-American mayor.  But Mobile’s premier celebration and signature event-Mardi Gras-is still largely segregated by race.  One forward-thinking organization is setting the bar for change. The Conde Explorers is an integrated Mardi Gras society founded in 2004 for the express purpose of bringing together men and women of all races to celebrate Mardi Gras together.  If you’ve seen The Order of Myths, the 2008 award-winning documentary on Mobile’s Mardi Gras, you’ll remember that the Conde Explorers were featured in that film.

Earlier this month, MAYPA directors Chris Barraza and Tim Parker sat down with members of the Conde Explorers and spoke with the society’s president, Terence Bridges, to discuss the organization’s goals. MAYPA is proud to support the initiatives of The Conde Explorers, and the two groups are already planning on collaborating in the future.

The Conde Explorers parade in downtown Mobile (Route A) the Saturday night ten days before Mardi Gras (January 30th in 2009).  The society’s ball is held at the Mobile Convention Center after the parade.  The Conde Explorers have several parties throughout the year and are making plans for monthly after-work get-togethers in the fall.  The organization currently has about a hundred members and welcomes men and women of all races.

The Conde Explorers organization is currently accepting new members. The membership dues are $200 a year; the costumes (reusable) are about $75, and of course members purchase their own throws.

Come join the fun and help make Mardi Gras history!  Membership applications are available at www.condeexplorers.org.  For more information, call the group’s president Terrence Bridges at 689-1471 or member Henry Callaway at 694-6224 (hcallaway@handarendall.com),  or e-mail condeexplorers-org@hotmail.com.

On May 9th, MAYPA, along with the Downtown Mobile Alliance and Mobile Historic Development Commission, hosted a LoDa (Lower Dauphin) Walk & Talk tour. The tour was organized in an effort to educate young professionals on the rich architectural history of our city while shedding light on the revitalization efforts currently taking place. After the tour, MAYPA members kicked back in Joe Cain Cafe before taking to the streets again for a LoDa scavenger hunt…

See all event photos here.

Members of MAYPA and other community leaders met on Thursday, April 23 for the first gathering of the new Engaging the Next Generation lunch series. This new series of luncheons was planned as a follow up to the successful January 22 event held at Space 301. Thursday’s program was sponsored by MAYPA, Mobile United, and Government Street Presbyterian Church, where the event was held.

Bill Sisson, Executive Director of the Mobile Airport Authority, was asked to speak at this opening event. Sisson, who previously served as the vice president of economic development for the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, shared insights on Mobile’s economic activity and the potential for strong growth in the years ahead.

“Mobile is ready to come out of the chute flying strong.”

Sisson explained that even while Mobile is feeling the effects of the down economy, it still remains as one of the fastest growing metro areas in the region. International companies continue to take interest in our area and several have already entrenched their operations in our neighborhoods. Sisson also explained that Mobile is quickly matching the economic activity levels of Birmingham and Huntsville. Developments from ThyssenKrupp, Austal, Mobile Container Terminal, and the Mitchell Cancer Institute bring solidarity to future of Mobile’s commercial growth.

Even better news was shared regarding the Brookley Complex of the MAA. Strategic plans are in place to revitalize and renovate corridors of the aged complex. “If you want to see the future of Brookley, look at Airbus,” said Sisson, who explained that architectural guidelines are in place that will heighten the aesthetic quality of Brookley’s future facilities. The Bring Back Broad revitalization project would also be extended into the entrance of the complex. Vacant parcels also allow for expansion at Brookley and the Regional Airport grounds… allowing for operations to at least double.

And what about the Tanker? It seems that a dual contract will be a likely scenario. Such a situation may not be as bad of a deal as once perceived. Sission explains…

“In my opinion a dual contract might be the quickest way to get a solution… even if half of the contract is awarded, it will be enough to change Mobile forever.”

While a dual contract (not necessarily a split) may not be the ideal situation, it will not be a bad deal. Mobile will still be in line for great economic growth as a result of the tanker project.

Other encouraging news… Mobile Regional Airport will again receive service from larger planes once pulled from the location, and the cost comparisons with nearby regional airports show that our local rates are becoming more affordable.

The Engaging the Next Genration series will continue with a luncheon in May. Stay tuned to MAYPA’s website for updates on the next location and guest speaker.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123724924781149465.html

Hitting a 12-year low, the Dow closed below 7,000 today after falling by nearly 300 points. Corporate layoffs also continued as businesses of all stature strive to keep a pulse. This national global economic crisis is far from over, and the light at the end of the tunnel appears only as a faint flicker to those affected most.

But amidst the doom and gloom, other stories are emerging. The next generation workforce is finding a familiar way to deal with the challenges, and inspiring stories of creative job prospecting are making headlines. I recently discovered that a friend of mine was one of the latest YP’s featured by the media for his efforts to find career opportunities.

Steven Dixon, 23, is a recent graduate of Auburn University and has joined many others who are fighting the hiring freeze in hope of beginning a successful career. Dixon has been searching for leads since December, but he’s recently created a buzz after his decision to place his resume on eBay… see the video.

Similar to Dixon, others are realizing that online resources and social networks can be utilized in creative ways to find jobs.

Bring Employers to You

You may have heard that job seekers are encouraged to increase privacy settings for their Facebook or Myspace accounts, or that they should clean up their profiles to make them appear more professional. Willy Franzen, of One Day, One Job has actually conducted an experiment aimed at drawing employers to Facebook users’ profiles. By using Facebook, Franzen encouraged five recent college graduates to ask for employment leads by creating Ads titled “I Want to Work for (company name).” You can read about the entire experiment and view the results here: Use Facebook Ads to Make Employers Hunt You Down.

Network, Network, Network!

Finally, what if you have already received the dreaded pink slip? Numerous young professionals across the nation are sharing a common bond… unemployment. But rather than letting their current situation bring them down, many groups are using it as an excuse to party… well, sort of. One networking organization out of California, Pink Slip Mixers (http://pinkslip.collectivex.com), organizes events for its members to “Network to Find Work.” When it comes to developing job leads, networking can not only get your name out in the community, it can also keep your spirits up by placing you around peers who may be in a similar situation. Word-of-mouth still remains as one of the most utilized recruitment practices, so get out there and talk it up!

*Don’t forget to check out our new job board for career opportunities: jobs.maypa.org

Interested in getting more involved? Then meet us on Tuesday, March 3rd, at Serda’s Coffee downtown to discuss what opportunities we have cooked up! Beginning at 5:30, the Corporate Relations committee will meet to discuss how to get more visible in the corporate world and get more dedicated YPs on board. Then at 6 p and 7 p, respectively join us as we reconvene the events planning and volunteer committees and plan the rest of our year away. Then stick around for live karaoke at 8 pm.

In 2008, Mobile Bay Young Professionals, LLC and MAYPA polled its members, now over 500 strong, to find out why they were in the city. This is what a few of them had to say.

Today, members of MAYPA/MBYP took part in the organization’s February volunteer event. We attended a “Paint Party” to benefit the Mobile campus of The Learning Tree, Inc. Several unpainted dressers were given new life as volunteers transformed them into scenes of pirates, farm life, circuses, Mardi Gras, music, wildlife, and more. The furniture will be given back to the young residents of The Learning Tree campus, a facility which operates as a warm and loving environment to persons faced with significant challenges.

The Mobile Campus is known for the positive and supportive atmosphere created by their qualified and dedicated staff, and we want to thank Shana Baughman, Director of Resource Development, for giving us the opportunity to participate in this worthy event.

We also want to thank Adam, Spencer, and the gang from Americorps NCCC who showed up to the help out with the event.

MAYPA and MBYP hold frequent volunteer events, and each one is designed to educate our members on community initiatives and encourage them to engage in ongoing service activity. For more information on our organization or to find out about upcoming volunteer opportunities, pleas visit the Events page on our website, www.maypa.org.

To discover more information about The Learning Tree, visit their website at: www.learning-tree.org

Click here to view all event photos