Is there Brain Gain in Erie

I'd like to know why people are in Erie. Have you always lived in Erie, moved away and returned, or relocated to Erie. Each person has his or her own story of why (s)he's in Erie. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey to let me know about you.

I left Erie in 1985 to go away to college. I was all pumped for big-city life and to get out of this town. I moved to Arlington, VA (outside Washington DC). I loved DC. There are museums and nightlife and lots of excitement. I got to see President Ronald Reagan speak. I attended marches. I sat out on the "mall" watching the White House buzz with activity during some particularly turbulent times. I also managed to go to classes, edit the college paper, and graduate on time.

It wasn't until I joined "the real world" that I realized I didn't like living outside Washington DC. The traffic is horrendous! I worked 10 miles away from my apartment, but it took 45-60 minutes to get there. I was always broke because it cost so much to rent an apartment, buy food and gas, let alone find any money to visit my friends. Then the final straw broke (actually it was 3 straws that broke at one time).

I was working as the associate manager for a retail store and was informed I would have to open on Black Friday (the Thursday after Thanksgiving) and close on Christmas Eve. Now, we Guelchers get together each Thanksgiving for an all-out celebration. Everyone is home if at all possible. I wasn't going to be able to make either holiday and that broke my heart. Then, to top it all off, my grandmother had a heart attack.

I decided then and there that my family is much more important than any job, big city, or pretty much anything else for that matter. I quit, moved back to Erie without a job lined up and haven't looked back. Sure it was a bit of a struggle to find that first job. But, now I'm happy, surrounded by family and friends and couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

As an aside...I do like to travel a lot so I get my fill of what everywhere else can offer while enjoying the home I have come to love.

Young Leaders

It was a good weekend for Brain Gain Erie…

A big thank you to Dennis from Erie Blogs for finding our Brain Gain site and giving us a mention on Saturday. I’d also like to thank John Gallagher for volunteering to help with Brain Gain Erie by sharing his success stories.

Today I’m highlighting our future leaders. Young Erie Professionals (yep!) honors Erie leaders, under 40 each year. This is the third year for the Generation-E Awards. Previous winners include Jacob Rouch, the president and CEO of the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership and Debra Steiner, director of the Gannon Small Business Development Center.

This year’s winners have all enhanced the quality of life in Erie and have made positive contributions to our community. A complete list of winners can be found here. The award ceremony is being held on March 30, 2007 at the Avalon in downtown Erie.

The honorees have helped coordinate Celebrate Erie, arranged fundraising activities for a variety of nonprofit organizations throughout the community, and started their own companies. These young leaders also bring music, entertainment and life to Erie through their entrepreneurial attitudes and belief in the success that seems to radiate from each of them.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

One way for any economy to grow and succeed is through encouraging the entrepreneur. These innovative people are the type who make apple sauce from old apples...they don't pitch the apples.

There are many successful entrepreneurs in Erie. I don't think we do enough to recognize their contributions to our city. We hear a lot about the big employers around here; but not so much about the large number small employers with staffs of 1-20 people. Nationally, the small business sector makes up 84% of businesses representing 18% of the employment in the United States. If you include small businesses with 20-99 employees, the employment statistic nearly doubles. (source: BizStats.com)

One thing I have a tendency to rave about is the courage and strength of the small business market. In celebration of all they do for Erie I give you the trailer for the movie "The Call of the Entrepreneur" by the Acton Institute. It seems this documentary will highlight why it is so important to recognize and rejoice in the successes of the people who make our economy work.