About ProNet

To help the unemployed and underemployed professionals of Central Florida find gainful employment through networking, employment resources, educational presentations, and uncovering the hidden job market. To support and encourage one another, especially through periods of unemployment

One purpose of this site is to provide a venue where you can send us your Linkedin profile URL and have it linked to this site for employers to review. Openings are also being posted on this site. We will continually provide tools for you use when executing your strategy. We will be inviting companies to review our site. What is a "Professional"? Typically our members have attained at least a BS degree. They will typically have 3-5 years plus experience. Do you feel that you are a "professional"? If you answered "yes" then you are!

In 2003, Peter Contardo, an entrepreneur in Tampa organized ProNet Tampa and he decided he'd bring it to Central Florida and several other cities in Florida.

Peter visited with the the Unemployment Office's Professional Employment Network and spoke with several of its leaders. I was amongst these leaders. He learned that I was a professional corporate recruiter. He invited us to meet with him at a local coffee shop.

Shortly five of us with a passion toward helping people in their job search met. During the meeting Peter asked someone to "step to the plate" to launch ProNet Central Florida. Tim Chastain, a local HR consultant, volunteered and said he'd do it if I would be his right hand man. Tim had a start up consulting business and really wanted to work it and allow another to continue the process.

After six months Tim did leave ProNet Central Florida and passed the reins to me. I asked Roger Agness, an IT Professional, to be my right hand man...and we met at the Jean Rhein Library in Casselberry. ProNet Central Florida was very successful. We built our group to over 80 attendees at some meetings.

I eventually found a position and passed the reins to Roger. Roger continued the meetings and created a yahoo group for ProNet Central Florida. A short while later he approached me and asked me to take over the directorship and the yahoo group as he was about to take on a new contract. We went virtual on yahoo groups for about 2 years.

During the last two years, I was approached by many asking me to begin meetings again. As determined as I was to help unemployed professionals, we began meeting at Jobing.com in June, 2008, ran out of room and continued at The Knowledge Shop in Casselberry in August, 2008. As the economy began to erode many enterprises, TKS closed down in December, 2008.

From January to July, we met at the Northland Church in Longwood. We were informed that the room we were using was no longer available. Our team got to working on this challenge and found that the library in Casselberry was willing (again) to accommodate us...with varied dates and an earlier time...but it's home for now. Our membership has doubled since January, 2009. A Steering Committee was created in June, 2009 to bring our group to a new level.

Recently our Steering Committee decided to make our organization more formal. Our group is now known as ProNet Career Resources, Inc. with the local chapter being ProNet Central Florida. Our Articles of Incorporation were submitted to Tallahassee in August, 2009. We are compiling our bylaws, Business Plan and all that is needed to register ProNet Career Resources as a not-for-profit organization.

We are determined to serve, proactively, the unemployed and underemployed professionals of Central Florida. The time to take these actions is NOW....TODAY!!

If you are so moved...we now have an address you can mail donations to.

The new address is:

ProNet Career Resources
246 Hanging Moss Circle
Lake Mary, FL 32746

Questions?

Call Howie at 407-924-7545 or email at howie.appel@pronetcareerresources.org