Letter from the Chair (2022)
I would have loved to start this letter off with “Happy new year!” or something similar, but I feel that we’re all in the same space: moving from one end of the couch to the other to signify the changing date.
It’s true - last year was rough. And it didn’t leave Sacramento’s young professionals out of its wake with mounting consequences of COVID-19, including widening disparity gaps, emerging virus variants, and always-changing rules and protocols. It was enough to make anyone stay in the same sweatpants for three (or four) days.
And yet there were some really awesome high points. We saw communities uplift one another to overcome health issues and loneliness, the consistent support of local shops and restaurants, the emergence of innovation through entrepreneurship, and a region ready to blaze ahead.
It certainly feels like we could be turning a corner.
At one of our most recent Leadership Council meetings, we discussed the themes of 2021 and how we can position Metro EDGE to be ready for 2022. First, all kinds of words and phrases were offered - isolation, overwhelm, dread, languishing, frustration, loneliness. Then the antidotes to them followed - empathy, rest, drive, community, new perspectives. And from the conversation, a theme emerged: connection.
We’re all looking for connection, even if it’s not apparent. Walking down the street, you might meet eyes with a neighbor and share a smile, or small talk with the person in front of you at a coffee shop, or an opportunity to meet a client in person whom you’ve only seen in a tiny box on your screen. The anticipation of connection and the joy of learning shared interests, challenges, trajectories, and more is enough to inspire anyone to look ahead and see something a little brighter each time.
In 2022 Metro EDGE is committed to providing opportunities for consistent connection. This year, you can count on us to host monthly happy hours on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at varying locations across the region and monthly coffee meet ups on the last Friday of the month. We want to get out, support local businesses, and offer you the opportunity to connect.
I don’t have much to say (or ask) of you when this letter pops up in your inbox, but I will nudge you toward this: seek connection. Reach out to an old or new friend. Share your perspective with a colleague. Join an organization - I have an excellent recommendation.
Because when we connect, we learn, and when we learn, we care. In fact, caring is what community is all about. And I think we can all agree that community is a resource nobody wants to see run dry.
Happy connecting,
Taylor Toledo
Program Chair, 2022
