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CIVIC CHAIR

The Civic Chair strives to provide opportunities for YPC members to become active participants in their communities, the Greater Des Moines Area, and the State of Iowa. The goal of YPC's Civic programming is to make sure members have the tools and resources they need to engage in their government, business, and community organizations. It will be at the chair's discretion whether to utilize a committee process for the planning and execution of events.

This is a voting position.

YPC Civic Chair Responsibilities + Prior Experience

See below for more information on Civic Chair responsibilities and ideal traits.

What You'll Do

  • Work to provide a variety of opportunities to interact with political candidates, elected officials, and leaders in a non-partisan fashion both at the Iowa State Capitol level and any levels of government
  • Work to provide members and the board with resources and opportunities to engage in government and community organizations and actively participate in the electoral process
  • Facilitate collaborations with YPC committees and outside groups to plan events (i.e., debate watch parties, issue forums, informative tours (Civics 101), and meetings with government officials and candidates)) 
  • Hold a seat on the Greater Des Moines Partnership's Government Policy Council 
  • Work closely with the Public Policy Manager at the Greater Des Moines Partnership, ensuring YPC events and initiatives align with the Partnership's legislative agenda 
  • Provide guidance on parliamentary procedures during the monthly Board meetings when applicable 

What It Takes

  • An interest in educating and exposing members to business, community, and government activities at the local, state, and national level 
  • Strong organization and communication skills
  • The ability to balance planning multiple events
  • Collaboration and problem solving skills 
  • Time Commitment: It is what you make of it! As a Board Member, you're expected to attend YPC events as you are able, which can be 1-5 hours/week. For event planning, outreach, and communications, past chairs found it is best to devote 15-30 minutes each day to stay on top of things plus additional time for deeper planning.

A Strong Candidate

  • Has participated in Civic Committee Events
  • Has a strong knowledge of local government policies and procedures or the willingness to learn in a self-directed fashion
  • Ability to stay up to date and aware of current events in the Iowa Legislature and in the local community
  • Has a strong knowledge of the mission and purpose of YPC
  • Has knowledge of parliamentary procedures 

3 Traits Describing an Ideal Candidate

  • Passionate
  • Listener
  • Service