ReThink West Michigan works to bring back young talent to region with 5th annual event

During the past couple of years that Cindy Brown has served as executive director of the West Michigan-focused talent attraction organization, Hello West Michigan, she says it has become a lot easier to convince young people who have moved away from the area that there are good reasons to come back and stay. 

“In the years I’ve been doing this, it’s done a complete turnaround where it’s easier now to target individuals (who relocated from West Michigan) and remind them of great opportunities here,” Brown says, adding that all of the recent enhancement to downtown areas — which includes everything from a plethora of new commercial retail and residential projects to renewed interest in enhancing public parks and adding bike paths — make the job much easier. 

So, with the Thanksgiving holiday just on the horizon, Hello West Michigan has teamed up with economic developers at The Right Place to host the fifth annual ReThink West Michigan event on Wednesday, Nov. 23. 

With 16 area companies and several non-profit organizations all signed up to represent career opportunities geared at attracting former West Michiganders back to the region, ReThink West Michigan offers a non-traditional “career fair” setting that skews toward a more casual networking environment. The event will be held from 5:30-8 p.m. on the fourth floor of The B.O.B. in downtown Grand Rapids.

Brown says the past four years of the event have attracted more than 460 professionals and resulted in somewhere around 40 hires — or relocations — to date. 

“This event is truly unique because it is solely for former West Michigan residents that have moved away. We’re highlighting the things people want to know about when they think about relocating: career opportunities and lifestyle in West Michigan,” Brown says. 

The event is free and some walk-ins will be available on the night of, but Brown encourages anyone interested in attending to register online prior to the event. 

For more information on ReThink West Michigan or to register for the Nov. 23 event, visit www.rethinkwm.com. 

Written by Anya Zentmeyer, Development News Editor
Images courtesy of ReThink West Michigan/Hello West Michigan