Action Teams
NextGEN Leadership Team oversees the four Action Teams: Connect, Inspire, Learn, and Grow. Each Action Team works to carry out various functions of the NextGEN mission. If you’re interested in learning more about any of these Action Teams, please contact Kelly@BillingsChamber.com. Find details on upcoming meetings and events by clicking here.
Connect:
NextGEN Connect is led by Jason Leininger and Jaidyn Milliron.
NextGEN Connect is the Social & Community Engagement Committee working to provide opportunities for relationship building within NextGEN and the community. They organize the monthly NextHOUR events as well as no host social opportunities to gather with fellow NextGEN members. Some of these events are family friendly.
Inspire:
NextGEN Inspire is led by Colton Welhaven and Abbey Wink.
NextGEN Inspire works with students residing in Billings, Montana to help them build a professional network, offer resources for career development and retain incoming young professionals.
Through Inspire, students at both the high school and college level are invited to mocktail events twice annually. These events, held in the fall and spring, allow students to practice networking with young professionals. Additionally, many students arrange job shadow and/or internship opportunities through their interactions with NextGEN members.
Further, Inspire functions as the liaison between student programming and our NextGEN young professionals. NextGEN members in this group may attend student career and internship fairs, help find internship and job shadow opportunities, serve as career resources for students interested in learning more about a certain pathway, and help those considering Billings as a place to work to learn about and connect to the community.
Inspire does not hold regular meetings, but does often seek volunteers to meet with students for short periods of time.
Learn:
NextGEN Learn is led by Shannon Christensen, Kayla Vokral and Whitney Griffin.
NextGEN Learn is focused on identifying opportunities for professional development. The committee meets monthly to come up with ideas and put plans in place for professional opportunities.
NextGEN Learn organizes two major NextGEN programs annually: the Professional Development Series and the NextGEN Mentorship Program.
The Professional Development Series is held annually from January through May (with one session each month). The theme of each series changes and caters toward young professionals.
The Mentorship Program pairs NextGEN members with season professionals to aid in professional and personal growth.
Grow:
NextGEN Grow is led by Cathy Grider and D’Vaughn Hayes.
NextGEN Grow is focused on growing NextGEN as a thriving organization within the community of Billings. Emerging leaders and professionals from all industries are encouraged to join. A sub group of the Grow Team is the NextGEN Ambassadors.
Grow focuses on onboarding new NextGEN members, helping to retain current members, and encouraging young professionals to join. In addition, Grow organizes the monthly CoffeeHour events, a morning opportunity to network and discuss varying topics with a community leader.
AMBASSADORS
A sub committee of the Grow Action Team, the Ambassadors of NextGEN work to connect and engage new members.
Ambassadors are chosen from individuals within the organization who have exhibited a desire to serve, coupled with a past history of supporting the organization through committee activity or other means. They are highly motivated individuals and community leaders committed to advancing the focus and goals of NextGen. NextGen Ambassadors are led by the GROW Action Team and comprised of at least 1 member from each of the other NextGen Action Teams; Grow, Learn, Connect & Inspire.
