EPIC Toledo Members with Zak Vassar (second from left)
By: Emily Dammeyer, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce
Zak Vassar, new President of the Toledo Symphony, attended his first symphony concert in Toledo at age 10. Now, 26 years later he has made a life in Toledo and is excited to give back to the community through his role with the Symphony.
View the Photo Gallery Below
Zak recently hosted The Breakfast Club at the Toledo Symphony and shared his thoughts on personal enrichment and leadership with our members. He urges young professionals to get involved in the community and to support and engage one another. Though he went away for college, his primary goal was to come back to Toledo within 10 years of leaving, which is something he did successfully. When asked, “why Toledo?” he couldn’t have had more positive things to say about the people, the community, and the access to the arts.
When Zak and his wife moved back to Toledo they made the decision to live downtown. They joined the Toledo Club with the thought that they would just work out, it would not be a place that they went to socialize. Much to his surprise and excitement he discovered that the executive community is very open and welcoming, so as a young professional he was able to access mentors and cultivate relationships that in another city would have been much more difficult to establish. Said Zak, “If you are willing to make the effort, our executive community is very open.”
Another thing that he loves about Toledo is the opportunities that are open to young professionals through EPIC Toledo and other organizations. “EPIC understands the power of connection,” he said, “…so seek opportunities for personal enrichment.”
One thing that Zak realized during his time away from Toledo is how rare and unique our access to the Arts is. “Access to the arts is something we expect and this is a town that loves the arts,” he reflected. In Toledo, we don’t have to “pay to play.” The museum is incredible and free, the Art Loop brings culture to our streets, and we have some of the best musical and cultural organizations in the country. It is affordable, accessible, and Zak encourages everyone to get out and experience it.
Zak was upfront about the fact that there is no one true path to get to your dream job. His advice is to network, to cultivate professional relationships, to work hard and set long-term goals. At the end of breakfast he had already collected several business cards and was arranging to meet EPIC members for coffee to continue their conversations. He is excited to give back to the community that he grew up in. “[You can] feel the energy we have in this community. It’s such a rush and I am so blessed.”
When Zak and his wife moved back to Toledo they made the decision to live downtown. They joined the Toledo Club with the thought that they would just work out, it would not be a place that they went to socialize. Much to his surprise and excitement he discovered that the executive community is very open and welcoming, so as a young professional he was able to access mentors and cultivate relationships that in another city would have been much more difficult to establish. Said Zak, “If you are willing to make the effort, our executive community is very open.”
Another thing that he loves about Toledo is the opportunities that are open to young professionals through EPIC Toledo and other organizations. “EPIC understands the power of connection,” he said, “…so seek opportunities for personal enrichment.”
One thing that Zak realized during his time away from Toledo is how rare and unique our access to the Arts is. “Access to the arts is something we expect and this is a town that loves the arts,” he reflected. In Toledo, we don’t have to “pay to play.” The museum is incredible and free, the Art Loop brings culture to our streets, and we have some of the best musical and cultural organizations in the country. It is affordable, accessible, and Zak encourages everyone to get out and experience it.
Zak was upfront about the fact that there is no one true path to get to your dream job. His advice is to network, to cultivate professional relationships, to work hard and set long-term goals. At the end of breakfast he had already collected several business cards and was arranging to meet EPIC members for coffee to continue their conversations. He is excited to give back to the community that he grew up in. “[You can] feel the energy we have in this community. It’s such a rush and I am so blessed.”
Click to enlarge photos
 | Emily Dammeyer is the Communications Manager at the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce. She has extensive volunteer and work experience in community outreach and communication. She has also worked in membership retention, sponsor management and fulfillment, and collegiate development. |
Please contact Emily Dammeyer, Communications Manager, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce to submit a story for our blog.
RSS Feed
