Convention will give voice to area's young professionals

A non-profit group dedicated to making the Pittsburgh area more attractive to young people is hoping that a three-day convention at the Omni William Penn Hotel will allow it to target a handful of issues of most importance to those it aims to serve.

In its six years of existence, the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project (PUMP) has grown from an idea inspired by a letter to the editor in a local newspaper by a University of Pittsburgh graduate student to an organization of roughly 600 members that now employs an executive director and an assistant with offices in the Regional Enterprise Tower on Sixth Avenue.

Carey Harris, director of the South Side Development Co. and president of the PUMP board of directors, said the group's membership continues to grow.

'Our growth speaks to the fact we are meeting needs of young people in Pittsburgh. There are many people looking to get engaged in civic life. We've given them a forum,' she said.

The group aims to provide social networking opportunities and also serve as a political voice for young people.

On the social side, it has developed events like the summertime M Squared parties in downtown Pittsburgh's Market Square that have become a hit, attracting thousands to eat, drink and dance to live entertainment. It also sponsors monthly happy hours around the city.

PUMP recently launched an intramural sports program that is providing flag football, deck hockey, volleyball and tennis leagues this fall.

The group sponsors forums on issues ranging from entrepreneurial to the county's new home rule charter to transportation and housing. It has sponsored tours of loft housing in the city as well as arts nights that involve show receptions and tours of theaters and other venues.

At election time, it hosts candidate question-and-answer forums.

'It's just important that young people are engaged in Pittsburgh, whether it's debating Fifth and Forbes (a downtown retail development project), or joining a sports league or coming to a happy hour. We've done a good job of being well-rounded,' Harris said.

Nevertheless, the group has conducted numerous surveys to find out how it can best meet its goal of serving Pittsburgh's young professionals. And it's looking to its upcoming convention to give it some answers.

'There are so many issues. We're trying to pinpoint the ones people care enough about to get involved in,' she said.

The ImPAct convention is 15 months in the making, said Julie DeSeyn, a project coordinator at the Urban Redevelopment Authority and PUMP board member.

'We're shooting at an attendance of about 500,' DeSeyn said. 'If we come out of this with some ideas about how to move forward as an organization, it would be considered a success.'

The event will feature seminars on topics such as political organization and action, entrepreneurship, increasing immigration to the region, downtown development and health and wellness.

The keynote speaker will be James Carville, Democratic Party political strategist.

It will also offer the opportunity to meet with local politicians from city, county and state government, including Mayor Tom Murphy, Allegheny County Executive Jim Roddey and gubernatorial candidates Mike Fisher, Barbara Hafer and Robert Casey Jr.

PUMP coordinated its event with the Harrisburg Young Professionals, as well as young professionals groups in the Lehigh Valley, Scranton/Wilkes Barre and York areas.

DeSyne said the ImPAct event is intended to move around to different parts of the state to build a statewide organization 'so we can act together when it's appropriate.'