Young and very professional

Just when you feel like it's time for a wake, along comes an awakening.

Last week at The Coeur d'Alene Resort, a standing-room-only crowd of energetic, interested and engaged citizens invested an evening learning about their community, thanks to a roundtable event hosted by Kootenai County Young Professionals.

We say it was standing-room-only because intimate little groups of visitors went from tall table to tall table for a few minutes at a time to talk to local business leaders. If you were looking for a place to take a load off, the roundtable event wasn't for you. But if it was information, enhanced communication and great face-to-face interaction at a rapid pace you were after, the event was simply superb.

While 11 personalities were allegedly the attraction, the stars of the show were the 75 or more fascinating people - most of them well ahead of the times and well behind the Baby Boomer generation - who came to ask questions of the business leaders. After the nearly three-hour event, several of the business leaders huddled for an informal debriefing. And the "performers'" review of the "audience" was simply glowing.

Pessimists of all ages and influences can take heart and hope in our up-and-coming replacements. For all the young people you might see lacking work ethic, social skills and sense of civic responsibility, the Kootenai County Young Professionals' event offered proof positive that a strong segment of our pre-AARP population is going to meet and exceed the standards our generation has set. The group attending Thursday's gathering weren't merely smart, tech-savvy and ambitious; they were quick to smile, to joke and to listen intently. In short, they were happy and very, very positive.

We offer a standing ovation to the Kootenai County Young Professionals for putting this inaugural program together, with special kudos to KCYP President Ashley Piaskowski. We look forward to the encore.

To all the young business- and civic-minded Kootenai County residents reading this editorial, we strongly encourage you to look into joining KCYP. Membership is just $50 a year. Find out more: www.kcyp.org