In 2013, Young Professionals of Fond du Lac (YPF) established the Future 5 Awards to support and recognize upcoming leaders in the community. This award is presented to five area young professionals ages 21-40 who are presently growing and excelling in their respective fields and will continue to positively influence the growth, prosperity, and quality of life in Fond du Lac County well into the future. Annually, the recipients of the Future 5 Award are also eligible to be recognized through the Young Professional of the Year Award.
YPF unveiled new branding in early 2024, updating their mission, vision, logo, and colors. In the continued spirit of reinvention, YPF is updating its longstanding Future 5 Awards and Young Professional of the Year Award structure.
In 2024, the YP of the Year Award was recognized during Envision Greater Fond du Lac’s Annual Meeting after traditionally being celebrated during the Future 5 Awards event each year. Upon the success of integrating the YP of the Year Award into the Envision Annual Meeting, the YPF Advisory Council decided to evaluate the award structure altogether.
After being intertwined since 2013, YPF’s Advisory Council voted to separate the Future 5 and Young Professional of the Year Awards moving forward.
Now, the YP of the Year Award will be given to the individual who most promoted and assisted the Young Professionals of Fond du Lac (YPF) program and will follow the same nomination process as Envision Greater Fond du Lac’s Annual Awards.
The Future 5 Award nomination process and annual event will remain the same, only without the additional recognition of the YP of the Year Award.
“This shift allows us to focus not only on young leaders making positive community changes, but those who are also champions for YPF,” Jackie Runge, current YPF Chair, said. “We have given better definition to the YP of the Year Award and found a way to appropriately recognize those doing great work for our program, while maintaining the original spirit and celebration of the Future 5 Award recipients.”
The nominations for the Future 5 Awards are currently open through October 31, 2024. The nomination process for the Young Professional of the Year Award will open in early 2025 alongside Envision Greater Fond du Lac’s Annual Awards.