Harrisburg Young Professionals

Harrisburg Young Professionals:
Hip or Hype?
by Frank Pizzoli

Are Harrisburg Young Professionals hip or hype?

Amidst criticisms that it is a do-nothing organization of young white people looking for mates — one critic

called it a “sperm club” — HYP begins the new year with a demanding set of goals, although the point of some their goals are more “implicit” than “explicit” upon a quick read.

Clearly, HYP has spent the last year completing an enviable list of projects. But how others perceive them is often at odds with how they present themselves. A non-scientific set of questions to a half dozen movers and shakers from ages 20-something to late 40s drew the following answers.

Mayor Reed snips the ribbon at HYP’s first City
beautification planting celebration

Why don’t you attend HYP’s socials? Too overdressed, too networky, I don’t want to perform.

What do you think the purpose of the group is? To socialize.

Are you aware of any HYP community projects? Tree planting, that’s about it.

“I’d like to think of us a little differently,” says Greg Rothman, new HYP president, laughing at the observations leveled by members of the local media and others.

Lucky or not, HYP has been active, a typical characteristic of a busy organization completing its goals rather than just talking (or arguing) about it. Sadly, this characteristic is atypical for this region that is fat with ‘plans’ but ‘skinny’ on action. Other than FilmSpeak — the local film publication — HYP is the only group — comprised of established residents and newcomers — to set a goal and reach it within about one year’s time.

Last year, HYP raised and donated $15,000 to various community organizations. Pick a month last year and there was a HYP volunteer on the move: Toys for Tots, Historic Harrisburg Association, the Child’s Playroom, canned food collections at the group’s monthly socials, a street clean-up with the Market Street YWCA, a Monte Carlo Night benefiting the Harrisburg Parks Partnership; even a formal ball in the Capitol benefiting their new Mentor Program and the popular Strawberry Ball with the Leukemia Society. The HYP “Green Team” will be out and about again this year with more tree planting and showcasing of green spaces within city limits.

Perhaps the most visible HYP endeavor was the organization’s “99 in 99” project. “Last year we wanted 99 individuals to move into the city. We were successful. A total of 112 people made the move,” Rothman confirms with his records in front of him. Of the total, 92-incoming residents purchased a home. Another 20 new residents are renting —Pennsylvania Place and Townhouse Suites were their choice.

Here the HYP folks raise money for Hbg. Parks
Partnership with a Casino night of fun

Another pattern emerges from HYP records. Nearly half of the new residents, drawn here by HYP — 53 — moved into the Midtown District. The other half are spread throughout the city’s other neighborhoods. The average original price on the properties sold to newcomers was $83,081. The average sale price was $78,864. Well-known real estate players Jackie Kirby, REMAX, and Ray Davis Jack Gaughen were the heavy sales hitters with 31 and 23 sales respectively.

This trend builds on a growing interest in city neighborhoods in general and in the Midtown District in particular. “In 1995, and 1996, there were 23 and 22 new home buyers in midtown. Then it hit 35 and 40 the next two years. We’re happy with the 53 figure from 1999,” Rothman says. “We’ve set our 2000 goal at another 102 new residents.”

Although ethnic diversity is listed as the seventh HYP goal for 2000, Rothman speaks at length about its importance. “When we formed the organization, whoever came forward was included. Of course it was based on a network of business and professional folks, that’s how community development groups get started. We never even remotely sought to ‘exclude’ anyone. We need all the time and talent we can muster,” he explains. Color isn’t important to Rothman. Commitment is. HYP hopes to increase membership by 50 percent this year.

This year, Rothman will direct a HYP committee to develop a city business opportunity package to assist with recruiting businesses into the city. “We’d like to build on the success of Advance Communications on Jefferson Street. Dave Dodd brought his printing operation here. He has nine employees. Not a cent of city money was spent to accomplish this business recruitment,” he points out.

HYPers traded in suits for orange vests
during the tree planting.

Of Mayor Stephen Reed’s 15 mayoral appointments, 10 were from HYP ranks, perhaps they were selected for their media savvy. “On 93.5’s ‘Ed Coffee in the Morning Show’, we said we wanted a Banana Republic in Harrisburg. He thought he meant we wanted to overthrow city government. At the time, it was funny. And yes, we would like to have that store here,” Rothman says, ready for his due diligence as HYP president. (A change in city government might not be a bad idea, especially when it comes to city council.)

Finally, “HYP Passport” program will launch in 2000 with a special card granting a holder discounts at city restaurants and bars. For details, visit: www.hyp.org.

Perhaps what looks like chaos from the outside is the genius of their organizational style — they allow for many points of entry into a variety of volunteer and philanthropic endeavors and accomplish a lot along the way. That is significantly different than so many local organizations that glory in the agony of process, sapping energy through endless meetings that resemble the Stations of the Cross … and then when the least amount of energy remains, they diligently set out to accomplish their goals. Maybe that’s why outcomes are so few around here.