Young Professional Profile
Editor’s note: In keeping with the Canton What type of dwelling do you live in? What would you change about
Chamber’s Young Professionals initiative – to What do you think of the housing choic- Canton if you could?
attract and retain talented young people for es for YPs in the Canton area? I would like to see people have more pride
Stark County – ACTION will feature a month- My husband and I just bought our first and appreciation for the city they live in. I
ly profile of an individual who represents the home this past summer. We love our think this city sometimes suffers from a
group (ages 20-40) that the initiative is tar- neighborhood and the community around case of low self-esteem. With many of our
geting. us. It’s a pleasure to finally live somewhere industries and jobs recently being dis-
where I actually know my neighbors’ placed, we are experiencing a period of
Name: names! unprecedented transition. I believe we
Kirsten H. Conley need to continue to think progressively
What do you like MOST about Canton? and remind ourselves that the pendulum
Age: 31 I most enjoy the fact that Canton is always swings both ways, it will only be a
small enough that you feel connected matter of time before we find our place
Occupation/Title/ to the people around you. I’m also again in the global economy.
Place of work: learning that it is quite a forward-thinking
Brand Manager at community. I’ve also heard that Canton is a Could you see yourself spending your
The M. Conley great place to raise a family. lifetime in Canton?
Company I could see that being a very real
What do you like LEAST about Canton? possibility.There are definite perks to
Kirsten H. Conley
Having lived in larger cities, I do miss the living in Canton; my husband’s family
Why are you interested Canton’s Young incredible, almost innumerable assortment lives here, I’m beginning to meet some
Professionals initiative? of new things to do and see – arts, enter- very interesting people and I’m making
I’m interested in what innovative, young tainment, culture, culinary experiences. new friends. There are so many communi-
ty-minded organizations to be involved in,
minds can accomplish when they work So, having a design background, it has
and Canton is going through an exciting
together. been very encouraging for me to see the
period of change. My whole family is
advancement of the arts here in Canton.
spread out from coast to coast, so I always
What is your involvement in ystark!, I recently had the opportunity to serve
on the subcommittee for September’s have someplace different to visit when I
explain what you do.
inaugural “green” First Friday. I was floored get a little restless and feel like I need a
I’m a member and attend as many events
by the number of diverse people who change of scenery!
as possible. I think the leaders of the
attended, demonstrating Canton’s interest
ystark! movement have been tasked with a
for the environment and the arts. What other cities in the United States
very important job; one that’s integral to
would be appealing to you as a home
the growth of this city. They are doing an
What do you think Canton needs to base? Why?
amazing job!
attract other young professionals like I love Chicago and could see myself
yourself? happily living there again. It’s a
Where did you grow up?
Encouraging YP minds to be involved in cosmopolitan city with all of the benefits
I’m a hybrid of two states: Virginia and
the advancement of our community will that its size and cultural diversity supports,
Ohio. I was born in Washington, D.C. and
not only encourage a sense of pride and but without the impersonal, unwelcoming
spent most of my childhood years living
ownership, but also dissuades the attitude nature of most cities that scale. I’ve also
just outside the beltway in Northern
that Canton is a stagnant place to live. I always been charmed by the Southeast,
Virginia.The remainder of my earlier years
think that many young professionals are specifically the southern coastal Carolinas
were spent living in Northeast Ohio.
attracted to service and volunteerism in and Savannah, Georgia area.
their communities, and those YPs, I believe,
In what cities have you lived and
are one of the keys to the city’s future
worked?
growth.
I have lived and worked in Washington,
D.C., Northern Virginia, Windsor, Conn., Fort
Lauderdale, Fla., Canton and Cleveland,
Ohio and Chicago, Ill.
Why have you chosen to live in Canton?
I’ve spent much of my life in transient,
densely populated areas. When I met my
husband, a lifelong Canton resident, our
backgrounds were in stark contrast. Due in
large part to his efforts to persuade me to
live here with him, I grew to appreciate the
close-knit, community-oriented lifestyle of
Canton. There is a sense of accountability
and concern for fellow residents here that
I’ve never experienced anywhere else.
Living here gives me a sense of connection
to, and responsibility for, the people I share
this city with.
15
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce