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By JAMES H. ERICKSON, TED STREAM and TOM HUNT  

Many Riverside residents appreciate the commitment of the young professionals in our community, for they recognize that the future greatness of the city is determined by the quality and involvement of its youth.

In fact, many Riverside leadership organizations aspire to develop young leaders who are dedicated to the enhancement of the quality of life in our community. But some have been concerned that there was not a group to which these outstanding young people might belong for the support and organizational power they need.

That objective has now been achieved with the establishment of the Pick Group. The Pick Group is an organization of 250 young people, all younger than 35, who have organized in honor of the late Chamber of Commerce executive Art Pick, a remarkable champion for the city and its activities.

We applaud the efforts of these young leaders in encouraging civic involvement through an increased presence on boards and commissions, nonprofit councils and committees. They are witnessing what philanthropy is all about.

The Pick Group supports education, the environment and the arts, as well as the strengthening of ties between the business and charitable communities. After all, it is through civic involvement that young people develop leadership and other important skills.

These young leaders are interested in making Riverside an even more attractive city for others their age, encouraging them to become involved and to live and raise their families here.

They are concerned about the "brain drain," where so many of the talented graduates of our fine local colleges and universities leave our region to pursue careers elsewhere.

The Pick Group is also committed to mentoring Riverside youths, establishing a "pipeline" through junior high, high school and college to lead them early on to civic engagement.

What has impressed us most about this young group of leaders is that they have backed up their words and their goals with concrete actions to better their community. For example, a number of the Pick members are working actively with Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID, teachers in the middle schools and high schools of Riverside to prepare students for college.

They are also assisting foster families, and more than 40 of the Pick members have helped with landscaping and cleaning duties at the YWCA and Operation Safe House, a shelter for children in crisis.

The Pick Group also recently brought together some 70 community leaders to present a panel discussion on race and sexual orientation in its continuing effort to emphasize the critical role diversity plays in our community.

They are also trying to determine how they might stimulate greater involvement of young people in pivotal public-policy issues.

It is our collective opinion that the Pick Group is thus filling an important void by engaging young leaders in the affairs of our city. In this way, they will ensure a future of more enlightened leadership and civic involvement for Riverside.

James H. Erickson is president of The Community Foundation, a public, nonrofit corporation created to enhance the quality of life in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Ted Stream and Tom Hunt are with the local volunteer Raincross Group.