CATAPULT Seacoast Celebrates Second Anniversary

Catapult, the seacoast's young professionals networking group dedicated to providing young professionals with unique and valuable opportunities to enhance personal and professional development, celebrates its second anniversary this month.

Since its inception, Catapult Seacoast has generated more than 1,100 members ranging all industries, ages and career levels. Catapult believes that young professional organizations across the state represent the next generation of business and community leaders.

This past year, Catapult broadened its original programming to include small seminars, roundtable discussions, and social networking events, specific to topics of interest to young professionals including debt management, rewarding career paths, business etiquette and networking, health and wellness practices, team building, and graduate school options.

Those agendas have helped to create beneficial relationships between young professionals and community members. In its attempt to create and cultivate future leaders, Catapult now appeals to new graduates as a resource for professional growth, which it hopes in turn, will encourage young professionals to live and work in New Hampshire.

Other Catapult initiatives include:

Catapult partners with the 55% Initiative through the Univ. System of NH in support of a state-wide effort to bring awareness of the need to retain a young workforce in NH. Catapult also works with UNH Alumni Seacoast Chapter to encourage additional networking opportunities.

Catapult is represented on Governor Lynch's Task Force for the Retention and Recruitment of a Young Workforce in NH, charged to deliver recommendations to the Governor on how the State can help support or generate efforts toward the maintenance of a workforce in the 20-40 demographic.

Catapult has been featured in the Communities and Consequences documentary by Jay Childs and Peter Francese, highlighting the organization as a catalyst for young professionals to live, stay and play in NH. This film was selected for the NH Film Festival in 2008 and was shown across the state.

Thanks to our members, board, and sponsors, Catapult has become a solid force, appealing to young professionals and the business community alike, said Catapult Board Chair Helen Donington. We are very appreciative of the support we have had in our first two years and plan to continue on our path with additional program and resource enhancements in our 2009 initiatives.

To celebrate two years of success and growth, Catapult's Lifestyle Series Event presented an Evening of Wine Appreciation at Atrezzi in Portsmouth. A holiday party will take place December 17th. For more information about events, sponsorship or to become a member, please visit www.catapultseacoast.org.