The ASCE Central PA Section’s Younger Member Group (YMG) provides an opportunity for young civil engineers and related professionals 35 years old and younger to become familiar with the local civil engineering community and get involved in ASCE early in their careers. The YMG provides an avenue for younger engineers to come together to interact socially, build their professional networks, and grow both professionally and personally through numerous technical, social, and volunteer activities held around the Central PA area.

The Central PA Section, which covers 19 counties in the mid-state, boasts approximately 350 Younger Members* (YMs), including around 200 Student Members from our six Student Chapters (Bucknell University, Messiah College, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Penn State – Harrisburg, Penn State – University Park, and York College of Pennsylvania). We strive to bridge the gap between our Student Chapters and our Section, and aim to ease students’ transition into the professional world while encouraging them to remain active in ASCE after graduation and take advantage of the many benefits that membership offers.   

 

The YMG holds several events throughout the year. Generally our events are free for members or at least subsidized by the YMG. Typical events include:

  • Networking socials/happy hours 6-8 times per year at various Capital Region restaurants/bars
  • Annual Hershey Bears AHL Hockey Game Outing in early December – The YMG provides discounted group tickets for purchase
  • Biannual Adopt-A-Highway Litter Clean-up with Breakfast at Cracker Barrel in April and October – Winding Hill Interchange on US-15 in Mechanicsburg, PA
  • Engineers Week STEM Outreach Program at the Whitaker Science Center in Harrisburg, PA in mid-February - The YMG volunteers at the science center to teach elementary school students about civil engineering through hands-on projects.
  • Student Chapter Canned Food Drive Competition each October - The YMG sponsors an annual competition in which our Section’s six student chapters are invited to collect non-perishable goods and monetary donations for a local food pantry of their choosing – The winning chapter is awarded an engraved trophy and funds for a pizza party
  • Technical tours of project sites and points of interest, such as Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station
  • Events with our six Student Sections (speaker events, Q&A panel discussions, resume/career workshops, social/networking events, etc.)
  • Section Events – Several YMs are active on the Section’s Board of Directors and there is generally a substantial YM presence at all Section Events (dinner meetings, technical tours, institute meetings, social outings, etc.)

 

Each year, our YMG likes to send at least one active YM to the Younger Member Leadership Symposium (YMLS) at ASCE National Headquarters in Reston, VA, and one or two active YMs to the Eastern Regional Younger Member Council (ERYMC), which moves around to various locations in the Eastern U.S. The ERYMC is part of ASCE’s Multi-Region Leadership Conference (MRLC), which also includes the Workshop for Section and Branch Leaders (WSBL) and the Workshop for Student Chapter Leaders (WSCL), pulling representation from ASCE Regions 1, 2, 4, and 5. The YMG also participates in regional events, such as the annual Region 2 Assembly each November, where representatives from across ASCE Region 2 (PA, MD, DE, DC/NoVA) assemble and spend the day focusing on leadership and professional development through presentations and activities. Opportunities also exist to attend the ASCE National Convention to represent the Section.

 

All of our events are publicized through the Section’s ConstantContact Email Account and are also posted on the Section website and our social media pages (Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn). Members who have their Central PA address registered with ASCE National are automatically added to our email list. If you are not receiving emails and believe you should be, or if you would like to be added to our email list, please contact Loujin Daher ([email protected]).

 

If you’d be interested in getting more involved, we’d love to have your help. We are always looking for new ideas and motivated people to help plan new events. If you have an idea or would like to champion an initiative, we’d love to hear from you! If you have any questions or would like additional information about our YMG or any of our activities, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Matt Greenholt, our YMG President, at [email protected]. Hopefully, we’ll see you at a future event!

 

The ASCE Central PA YMG has a history of excellent leadership. The following have devoted their time and energy as Presidents:

  • 2022-Present - Matt Greenholt
  • 2021-2022 - Danielle Schroeder
  • 2020-2021 - Danielle Schroeder
  • 2019-2020 - Bill Kingston 
  • 2018-2019 - Bill Kingston
  • 2017-2018 - Bill Kingston
  • 2016-2017 - Bill Kingston
  • 2015-2016 - Bill Kingston
  • 2014-2015 - Joe Eberly
  • 2013-2014 - Joe Eberly
  • 2012-2013 - Jason Bowes
  • 2011-2012 - Jason Bowes

And prior to 2011, there were a number of other people who focused their efforts to bring about the YMG as we know it today.

Some of these people include:

  • Todd N. Stager
  • Nick Brien
  • Michelle Madzelan