Know a superstar under 40 in Merced who deserves to be recognized? We need your help

We’ve all heard the bad news about Merced County’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 Merced 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 Sun-Star is starting “20 Under 40,” a recognition program that will identify rising young leaders who are impacting the region through professional success and community involvement.

Last year, The Modesto Bee – the Sun-Star’s sister newspaper – launched 20 Under 40 in Stanislaus County, and it was a rousing success. The competitive program brought together 20 deserving individuals and helped foster a spirit of cooperation and optimism for a better tomorrow. The enthusiasm was contagious, and we thought it would be a fine idea to bring this program to Merced County, where the need to identify and nurture emerging talent is no less great.

To that end, we need your help to fill out the 20 Under 40 Class of 2017.

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 Merced County - and must be under 40 years old as of Jan. 1, 2018.

The nomination form is paperless and is filled out online at this link: www.mercedsunstar.com/events

The deadline is Friday, June 30. There is no cost; this is a public service by the Sun-Star.

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 40 special section is published in the Sun-Star and on mercedsunstar.com published in September.

The winners also will be honored at a gala event at the end of September.

20 Under 40 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 2018.

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 23, 2017 at 3:30 PM with the headline "Know a superstar under 40 in Merced who deserves to be recognized? We need your help."