Austin comes together

The Austin Area Chamber of Commerce is looking to introduce new residents to just how awesome Austin is.

Next Friday, the chamber will kick off Awesome Austin, a program consisting of three separate events to introduce newcomers to each other, community leaders and major aspects of the community.

“It’s our first attempt to really bring newcomers together so they can meet each other, make connections and make friends,” said Kristen Olson, community concierge at the chamber.

Awesome Austin is the latest part of AustinWorks, a program formed through the chamber and Vision 2020’s Business Friendly Environment committee to address the loss of talented young professionals by connecting workers and their spouses to the community.

The program is designed to introduce and connect new employees and their families to Austin in the hope it will help people become a part of the community and make them want to stay in town.

“We’ll visit some of the places that make Austin unique, enjoy some great food and have some fun in the process,” Olson said in a press release.

The series begins from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday with an lunch at Piggy Blues with community leaders. There is no charge to participate. From 5:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 18, the group will discuss local recreational opportunities at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center. Finally from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 25, the group will tour notable Austin sites before a meal at El Mariachi and dessert at Sassy Strawberry.

Since she started as the community concierge in February, Olson has helped more than 60 new residents.

“It’s been great,” she said, noting that number surprises many people.

She’s creating a rental database to help newcomers, and she connects people looking to buy with real estate agents. Another big part of the program is helping trailing spouses find jobs.

Along with housing and employment, Olson helps connect residents with clubs, schools, volunteer opportunities and other local clubs.

Next, Olson plans to create a one-stop employment database for prospective workers to share resumes and for employers to find employees, which she is modeling off a similar program in Dubuque, Iowa.

Olson said business leaders don’t want to hear stories of people leaving because they didn’t like Austin. Leaders hope connections like the ones formed through Awesome Austin will help.

If newcomers are happy, they’ll stay and spend money here.

“It’s going to help Austin all the way around,” she said.

This is only the beginning for Awesome Austin, as Olson envisions hosting three sets of events each year. Though the first series will feature three events, she said future series could be changed to include more or fewer events.

Generally, Awesome Austin is intended for people who’ve been in town no more than about two years.

AustinWorks is funded by the Hormel Foundation and major employers.

To sign up for Awesome Austin, contact Olson at the Chamber at 507-437-4562 or kristen@austincoc.com.

“We encourage people to give us a call if they’re interested in joining up,” Olson said.

Awesome Austin events:

• Sept. 12, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Meet the mayor and other community leaders during lunch at the Hormel Historic Home. Enjoy sandwiches and ribs from Piggy Blues Barbecue and connect with other newcomers.

• Sept. 18, 5:30-8 p.m. Learn about recreational opportunities in Austin at this meeting at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center. Enjoy Steve’s Pizza and practice “owl calling” on the Nature Center trails.

• Sept. 25, 5:30-8 p.m. Experience a bus tour of Austin’s most notable sights and enjoy a meal at El Mariachi and dessert at the Sassy Strawberry.