Metro EDGE in the News
Metro EDGE Announces New Chair
Metro EDGE Elects Merrill Lynch’s Sean O’Brien as New Chair
February 2, 2012
Metro EDGE today announced Sean O’Brien, financial advisor for Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management, as its new chair. O’Brien replaces Alexis Fitzpatrick, Senior Manager for Crowe Horwath, who served as chair for 2011, and remains a member of the Leadership Council.
“Sean will be a strong Chair and we’ll all benefit from his leadership and experience as chair of our board,” said Fitzpatrick. “Sean will continue to lead an organization that provides meaningful connections with peers, influencers and decision-makers in the Sacramento region through events, community involvement and educational opportunities. I’m so proud to be a part of Metro EDGE and I look forward to the great things this organization will accomplish under Sean’s leadership.”
Elected in 2011, Sean became Chair of Metro EDGE in January 2012.
Metro EDGE Featured in National Magazine
How Associations are Targeting Young Professionals
Meetings & Conventions Magazine
January 1, 2012
Michael C. Lowe
Fresh blood is not the sole province of the Twilight series. Many professional associations see the growing number of Millennials entering the work force as a critical, untapped demographic that could bolster their aging — and often declining — ranks. There’s just one problem: Millennials — those born roughly between 1982 and 2000 — don’t appear to be as interested as their predecessors were in affiliating with associations. Attending a networking event can be especially intimidating if you’re 25 and everyone else is older, more established and already knows most of the crowd. “When you go to these big networking events, there’s a huge generation gap,” says Alexis Fitzpatrick, chair of Metro Edge, a Sacramento, Calif.-based group specifically geared to meet the needs of young professionals. Associations need to acknowledge that and add programming targeted to younger members.
Andy Ekstrom Memorial
One year later: Ekstrom remembered with sculpture
Sacramento Press
August 24, 2011
Brandon Darnell
The man known as “Mr. Midtown” and the unofficial “Mayor of Midtown” was remembered Wednesday night a year after his death at the MARRS building in Midtown, where a sculpture in his honor was erected. Ekstrom was involved in was the launching of Metro Edge, the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce’s young professionals group. “When we started talking about it in January of ’09, he was one of the first ones to help set it up,” said Sean O’Brien, vice chair of Metro Edge. “He was just an amazing guy who would always bring everyone together,” O’Brien said. “When there were differences, he helped people see the greater good.”
Poll: Downtown Plaza Redevelopment
Survey: Young professionals favor redeveloping downtown plaza
Sacramento Business Journal
July 11, 2011
Kelly Johnson
“Sacramento’s young professionals understand the economic impact of a strong retail hub in the downtown area,” said Alexis Fitzpatrick, chair of Metro Edge, in a statement. “It is important Downtown Plaza be redeveloped not only to attract new investment opportunities, but to keep the downtown area a desirable area for local businesses.”
What should be done with Sacramento’s Downtown Plaza?
Sacramento Bee
July 11, 2011
Ryan Lillis
“It is important Downtown Plaza be redeveloped not only to attract new investment opportunities, but to keep the downtown area a desirable area for local businesses,” said Metro EDGE chair Alexis Fitzpatrick.
Day on the EDGE
Looking to get knocked upside the head with a dodgeball?
Capitol Morning Report
June 17, 2011
Want to watch someone else get smacked? Want to help a worthy cause? If you answered “yes” to any of the above, consider the daylong dodgeball and field games tournament Saturday, June 18, at the Boys & Girls Club on Lemon Hill Ave. The players are members of of Metro EDGE, a group of young professionals who support local charities. Emilie Cameron of Lucas Public Affairs says there’ll be food, drinks and music to go with the games. Proceeds go to Junior Achievement of Sacramento, an educational organization that teaches financial literacy and other life skills to Sacramento students in grades K-12. Among the Dodgeball players scheduled to give their all are James Schwab, legislative consultant to Sen. Alex Padilla; Alison MacLeod of KP Public Affairs; Alexis Fitzpatrick, chair of Metro EDGE, and Cameron.
Ashley plays Dodgeball for a cause… And you can too!
Good Day Sacramento
June 17, 2011
Preview Day on the EDGE event and on camera interview with chair, Alexis Fitzpatrick
Sacramento, Let’s Play Ball!
Sacramento Press
May 18, 2011
Sarah Olinger
“We are extremely excited to partner with such a fantastic organization. To be able to support a program designed to provide kids with hands-on economic and business education programs could not be more fitting. In fact, the graduates of Junior Achievement may very well become future members of Metro EDGE. Opportunities of this kind are what will enable these young children to succeed in the business world, and I can only hope to one day see them thrive.”
Poll: Kings Impact
Who gets hurt if Kings leave town?
Sacramento Business Journal
March 4, 2011
Kelly Johnson
“What we found was if the Kings relocate, this would have a huge impact on local business,” Metro Edge chairwoman Alexis Fitzpatrick wrote in an e-mail. “The prospect of losing the Kings is a pressing issue and as the next generation of Sacramento’s business leaders, we are standing up and asking others to take notice.”
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For media inquiries please contact Emilie Cameron