Preparing for the future
Program links young leaders
Preparing for the future: Program links young leaders

By Michael Bratcher

Published: January 2, 2008

Nick Samarripas grew up in a small, western Oklahoma town unaware of the United Way or its commitment to helping dozens of charities.

After moving to the metro area to attend college, Samarripas began donating to the organization through his workplace, but that wasn't enough for him. He wanted hands-on involvement with some of the group's partner agencies.

Samarripas, 27, was given that opportunity through Emerging Leaders, a United Way of Greater Oklahoma City program designed to prepare young professionals for leadership positions in the community. The group has about 150 members ranging in age from mid-20s to early 40s.

On Dec. 18, members hosted a Christmas carnival for clients of the Oklahoma Foundation for the Disabled. They made ornaments, read stories and sang carols during the social. Last month, Emerging Leaders served Thanksgiving dinners to hundreds of people at local Boys and Girls Clubs.

"There were several things my wife and I could do through our church, but we were kind of limited there on ways to volunteer,” Samarripas said. "I knew United Way had other places to go and things we could do to help.”

The Emerging Leaders program began in 2001 at the suggestion of longtime United Way supporter Burns Hargis. Membership is open to anyone who contributes at least $500 a year to the United Way and has a desire to be involved in the community.

"Burns and some other local leaders felt there was a need to create a program to develop young professionals into the future leaders in our community, and he felt the United Way was a great place to begin a program like that,” said Erin Gillogly Brewer, vice president of marketing and communications for the local United Way. "The program has grown and expanded, but now we offer young professionals a lot of opportunities from interaction with current community leaders ... to networking and learning more about issues in the community and what they can do to impact their own community.”

Brewer said similar programs for young professionals exist in Dallas, Denver, New York and other cities. Joining the local chapter is as simple as checking the designated box on the United Way pledge card or calling the local office at 236-8441.

Samarripas said Emerging Leaders has helped him realize there are ways to help people beyond close friends and family.

"There are hundreds of thousands of other people who need help, and that you can do so little and it's the biggest thing in the world to them,” he said. "One person can make a difference, but if we put a lot more of them together, we can make a huge difference.”

Professionally, the program offers great networking opportunities, Samarripas said. Members recently lunched with Devon Energy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Larry Nichols and his wife Polly. They were able to ask candid questions and learn about the Nichols' philosophy on leadership and community involvement.

Tresha Wilson, 36, a commercial loan officer, discovered the Emerging Leaders program through e-mails from the United Way. She decided to attend the luncheon with the Nichols because it provided an intimate setting to learn about their successes. Instead of several hundred people meeting with the couple, Wilson was impressed the event was limited to about 20 people.

"It's always nice to meet more people of a younger crowd that are involved in business,” Wilson said. "I think I am finally coming to a point in my life that I am not just the youngest one around, but still in the younger end. Interacting with people of the same age group is interesting to me.”

Brewer said United Way officials plan to expand the Emerging Leaders program to offer training for members to learn what it takes to be a board member of a nonprofit organization.

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