The Bee begins ‘20 Under Forty’ program to recognize area’s emerging leaders

We’ve all heard the bad news about our region’s “brain drain” – the discouraging pattern where our best and brightest young adults skedaddle after high school to pursue opportunities in other communities.

What we don’t often hear about is the legion of talented millennials who thrive right here and make a difference every day. Many of these young adults went off to earn an education elsewhere and returned, eager to nurture the community that nurtured them. Others stayed and built families, enviable careers and businesses. All share their unique talents to make Modesto, Turlock and all of Stanislaus County a better place.

It’s time to shine a light on these emerging leaders. They deserve your attention and admiration. That’s why The Bee is starting “20 Under Forty,” a recognition program that will identify rising young leaders who are having an impact on the region through professional success and community involvement.

To that end, we need your help to identify the 20 Under Forty Class of 2016.

Do you know someone under the age of 40 who deserves to be recognized and/or encouraged as a future leader? If your answer is “yes,” consider it your noble duty to nominate as many candidates as you feel are deserving.

The rules are simple. Nominees must work or conduct business in Stanislaus County – and must be under 40 years old as of Jan. 1, 2017.

The nomination form is paperless and is filled out online at this link: www.modbee.com/site-services/article76787882.html

The deadline is Friday, June 17.

A distinguished panel of judges will review the nominations and decide on the winners. Names of the winners will not be made public until the 20 Under Forty special section is published in The Bee and on modbee.com on Aug. 21.

The winners also will be honored at a gala event on Aug. 24 at Gallo Center for the Arts.

It’s worth noting that this is not the first time The Bee has commissioned a list of rising young community talent. A similar project 10 years ago identified a group of emerging superstars, many of whom have made outsized contributions to our region. Some now hold elected office, including Kristin Olsen – who went on to represent us in the Assembly and was elected a Stanislaus County supervisor last week – and Marian Kaanon, who now leads the powerhouse Stanislaus Community Foundation, among others.

But this time, 20 Under Forty will not be a one-year deal; it will be back next year with a new crop of emerging leaders who will make up the Class of 2017.

So please take the time to nominate deserving candidates for this honor. They deserve to be recognized, and we all need to nurture them into the leaders of tomorrow.

This story was originally published June 11, 2016 at 4:43 PM with the headline "The Bee begins ‘20 Under Forty’ program to recognize area’s emerging leaders."