Publication: Eastern Pennsylvania Business Journal
Published Date: February 3-9, 2003

By Kim Jaick
Business Journal Staff

Young professional eager to make new friends and business contacts gathered for a Network Development Workshop and Social on Jan. 23. “I wanted to get to know people in the area,” said Scott M. Harney, EIT, of Benchmark Civil Engineering Services., Allentown.

The group of roughly 30 was “my kind of crowd. Everyone’s trying to meet more people,” Harney said.

The 23-year-old said he came back to the Lehigh Valley after graduating college a year and half ago because he “loved the area.” Harney added that he can get around town easily, but that the Valley still has a big city feel to it.

Held at the Bethlehem Club, Bethlehem, the event was sponsored by the Network of Young Professional. The workshop, which aimed at helping young business people develop their networking skills, featured keynote speaker Kevin F. Flemming, director of sales and marketing for Integrity Personnel in Allentown.

According to president Alison E. Jost, the group is geared for people in their 20s to 40s.

“ We are primarily three to four years out of college,” said Jost, 25, a technology analyst with the corporate technology partnerships group of Air Products and Chemicals Inc., Allentown.

However, there were some older attendees who came to help promote their businesses.

“ My job keeps me young,” said 50-year-old John P. Hamel. “This is a good one (networking group). It’s a lot more casual.”

Hamel, a photographer, is owner of J.P. Hamel Photography in Allentown. He said that much of his business come from word of mouth, so attending events such as the workshop are beneficial to someone promoting their own endeavor.
But Hamel wasn’t the only one who enjoyed the casual atmosphere of the Bethlehem Club that Thursday night.

“ There’s less at stake,” Jost said. At other professional groups, younger people are often “stared through as invisible.”

While drinking martinis and chatting with new faces, several older members, newer members, and those just checking out the scene offered the following comments:

• “I’ve only been a part for a little bit, but it’s good to surround myself with hard workers,” said Paul J. Narsavage, 29, database application specialist, data fulfillment solutions for Dun & Bradstreet, Bethlehem.

• “I wanted to volunteer and connect with other young people,” said Jeffrey F. Tintle II, 23, international group of National Penn Bank, Exton. He and Narsavage helped to plan the workshop.

• “I’m just out here expanding my network…it seemed good to meet people with other agencies,” said William C. Rooney, Ph.D., 29, development engineer for Air Products and Chemicals Inc.

• “Today is my first day,” said Christa M. Otto, 25 assistant manager for the Allentown office of Enterprise Rent-A-Car. “I’m very interested in speaking with other people and trying to get involved.”

• “I’ve been a member of six months and I’ve gotten to know new people from the Lehigh Valley,” said Yves J.-G Deiss, 26, an application engineer for Keopsys Inc., Hampton, N.J.
A native of France, Deiss attended Lehigh University and said he’s not aware of any French networking groups.

• “I love networking events,” said Abraham Nemitz, 26, product manager with PPL Telcom LLC, Allentown, “But I was more interested in seeing the inside of the Bethlehem Club.”

Nemitz joined the networking club six weeks ago. He moved to the Lehigh Valley from the Midwest and said that out there most of the networking events were mainly for people with high tech ideas.

According to Jost, the Network of Young Professionals began in 2000 with the help of Ben Franklin Technology Partners. She added that the group held its first mixer in January 2001.
“We strive to keep young professionals in Pennsylvania,” she said.