Cocktails & Conversations 2009
Young Leaders discuss issues with prominent community activists
On May 16, 2009, around 100 community leaders gathered in the Capital City Club for United Way of the Midlands’ annual Cocktails & Conversations event. The Tocqueville Society sponsors this event exclusively for YLS members to provide them with an opportunity to discuss topics of interest ranging from improving education in South Carolina to volunteer involvement. M. Edward Sellers, CEO of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, was the featured speaker for the event and offered some insight into life’s challenges through a short synopsis of how he faced the challenge of coordinating a United Way fundraising campaign. He stressed the importance of competition and incentives and reminded the audience that things will not always happen the way one might expect. The true leaders take on those unexpected circumstances and find solutions that benefit as many people as possible.
The evening presents a chance for YLS members to pose questions and share ideas with people who have already had invaluable life experiences and are now well-established members of the Midlands community. Both groups are working hard to make a difference and the conversations that took place generated an energy that could only be produced as a result of a gathering such as this. It is refreshing to be in a room where everyone there is truly invested in making an impact on the community in which they all share. 