Combining the personal and the political

Published on Tuesday, December 22, 2009

BY JOY JORDAN

As the Legislative Aide to state Representative Cleon H. Turner (D-Dennis), Stefanie Coxe is, in her words, “chief cook and bottle washer.“

More officially, she is his community liaison. When a constituent calls, say a local business person looking to startup, she connects them with the appropriate people at the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. She also is the go-to person for the towns in Turner’s district looking to pass home-rule legislation and find information about local aid. She also drafts and shepherds much of Turner’s legislation.

A graduate of Barnstable High school and current resident of Dennis, Coxe splits her time between her office in the State House in Boston and the representative’s district of Brewster, Dennis and Yarmouth. Her involvement in state politics and membership in the Dennis Democratic Town Committee, Cape & Islands Democratic Council and Cape Cod Young Professionals gives her a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities presented to young people in Southeastern Massachusetts.

How did your past education and experience lead you to where you are now?

Mine is not your typical career path. As a 12th-generation Cape Codder, my perspective of the changes the Cape has undergone is not one of longing for the days of a fishing and artisan community, but one of concern for small business sustainability and hope for the introduction of new industry. I didn’t want to see Cape Cod go the way of Martha’s Vineyard, its economy so top-heavy in tourism and second-home owner business that those who service those constituencies can’t eke out a living. That’s why I got involved in politics.

I saw my career start before my education finished. I began working in the political arena while I was still at Cape Cod Community College and my classes took a backseat to my job. Eventually I transfered to UMass Boston, where I began to craft my studies around the subjects I found most interesting in the Legislature. Specifically, the issue of casinos led me to take as many economics classes as I could. I wanted to understand and disentangle the arguments and rhetoric being made on both sides of the issue. After a while, I started to view economic development as the path to unite my goals of staying in politics and making the Cape a better environment for young people.

Why did you become involved with the Cape Cod Young Professionals?

As soon as I moved back from Boston, I heard about CCYP. In fact, its presence was a big motivator in my decision to come home. I found that the CCYP isn’t just another networking organization. It’s here to provide social opportunities as well. There are so few people my age on the Cape, but I can find a lot of them at CCYP events, which are actually really fun.

What is your view of opportunities for young professionals in the Cape and Plymouth region?

The average young person considers three things when moving 1) affordability, 2) will the job provide them the ability to comfortably live and plan for the future, 3) what will my life look like in the off-hours? All three are intrinsically connected.

The burst of the housing bubble has had a positive impact on the affordability issue. But on the other hand, food and gas continue to be expensive. And the fact remains, when the economy heals, so will the housing market.

As far as the job scene goes, we need to get away from the service sector. For one thing, businesses can no longer afford to pay competitive wages to even college students, let alone graduates. So we need, as a community, to make the commitment to invest in businesses that offer other directions for the Cape economy. Regardless of your position on the wind farm or Plymouth Rock Studios, you can’t deny the high-skilled, good-paying jobs they will bring. So how can we foster auxiliary businesses?

The final key, which I can’t emphasize enough, is nightlife. In Boston, I could go to an all-hours cafe to study or socialize. I went to singles night at the Museum of Fine Arts. I went to networking events designed around my age bracket. I would love to see more businesses tailor events to my age range because we’re thirsty for more to do.

So are we where we need to be to attract young professionals? Not yet. That’s why groups like CCYP are essential to developing a sustainable economy.

What advice do you have for young professionals just starting out in the workforce or trying to better establish themselves?

It’s important to know who the stakeholders are in the community. The most obvious group is the local and regional chambers of commerce, so their networking events are a good start. And of course, CCYP meetings can help point you in the direction of potential mentors.

But young people often overlook the importance of the role of local government. The board of selectmen, school committee, finance committee members, the housing authorities; these people play a role in the taxes you pay as an individual and as a businessperson. They also look forward 15 to 20 years in terms of planning. So if you want to see a literal and figurative environment that’s good for your business, you need to know these people and what they are doing. ■


Published in Cape & Plymouth Business December 2009