His father mailed a newspaper clipping. His mother sent him the same article via Instagram.
Both were dropping hints to their son, Calder Hynes, that they鈥檇 like him to come home with the help of a new program that offered perks for remote workers to relocate to 蜜柚直播.
鈥淪o I learned about it via my father鈥檚 snail mail and my mom鈥檚 21st-century way,鈥 Hynes said with a laugh.
The 34-year-old is among 10 people selected by Startup 蜜柚直播 to receive incentives valued at $7,500 for committing to move to 蜜柚直播 for at least one year as permanent remote workers with their companies.
Along with his wife, Lisa, and children, Xander and Harlow, Hynes is in the process of packing up their home in the Los Angeles area and has closed on a house in the Catalina Foothills.
He is the head of public relations and communication for a sports agency, and his work will continue remotely.
People are also reading…
Hynes graduated from University High School in 2004 and attended the University of 蜜柚直播 before heading out.
鈥淲e always considered moving back to 蜜柚直播,鈥 he said. 鈥淪o this was the perfect opportunity.鈥
Calder Hynes and his wife, Lisa, and children, Xander and Harlow, are relocating to 蜜柚直播 from the Los Angeles area. Calder learned about the program from his parents.
His parents still live in the midtown home where Hynes grew up.
Startup 蜜柚直播鈥檚 Remote 蜜柚直播 program launched in the fall and with funding for 10 families, organizers hoped for at least 150 applicants.
The nonprofit received more than 600 applications.
Incentives included money for relocation costs, a year of GIG Internet from Cox and job placement assistance for a spouse or partner. They also get memberships to professional groups and cultural organizations.
Financial sponsors of the program included the city of 蜜柚直播, Marshall Foundation, Main Gate Square, 蜜柚直播 Electric Power, Cox, Pima County and Bourn Cos.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Ahmad Taleb, 31, is also returning to 蜜柚直播. The product developer graduated from Palo Verde High School in 2007 and UA in 2012, after which he left town to start his career.
鈥淭o me, it was a great opportunity,鈥 Taleb said. 鈥淲e were looking for our next opportunity.鈥
Taleb and his wife, Noor, 29, recently arrived from the Bay Area and are renting a home on the east side for now.
鈥淲e鈥檙e definitely looking at it as a permanent relocation,鈥 he said. 鈥淐oming home was a no-brainer and we got out of a tiny one-bedroom apartment and into a house 鈥 quite a difference.鈥
He learned about the program from family members in 蜜柚直播 who sent him information.
A lover of theater and the outdoors, Nick Boris learned about the relocation incentives from a Google alert about 蜜柚直播, which he had visited for cycling events in 2006 and 2007.
The brand planner for a health-care agency, Boris has closed on a house near the Foothills and hopes to move from Brooklyn to 蜜柚直播 by April.
鈥淚 miss New York, but the New York I miss doesn鈥檛 exist right now,鈥 said Boris, 50.
鈥淚鈥檓 not here temporarily,鈥 he said. 鈥溍坭种辈 has such a rich history of theater and film and those are things that I was deeply involved with, but the pandemic has decimated the theater world in New York.鈥
鈥滻 miss New York, but the New York I miss doesn鈥檛 exist right now,鈥 said Nick Boris, who is relocating to 蜜柚直播 as a permanent remote worker.
Boris spent three months in 蜜柚直播 this past summer as a trial run for relocation and it went smoothly.
鈥淧lus, the workday is done at 3 p.m., so I鈥檒l have time for cycling and hiking.鈥
鈥淎 GOOD MIX鈥
The success of the pilot program caught organizers happily off guard.
The selected winners come from all parts of the country, especially California, Washington and New York, with an average household salary of $128,000.
They represent industries in technology, engineering, telecommunications, cybersecurity, health care and higher education. More than half previously lived in 蜜柚直播.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had so much positivity from this,鈥 said Dre Thompson, executive vice president of Startup 蜜柚直播. 鈥淭he number of applicants was a giant surprise 鈥 we met our goal of 150 applicants in the first week.鈥
Promotion partners Visit 蜜柚直播, 蜜柚直播 Metro Chamber, Sun Corridor, Rio Nuevo, Local First 蜜柚直播, the University 蜜柚直播 Alumni Association, SAHBA and 蜜柚直播 Realtors Association helped spread the word about the program.
鈥淏y all measures, the rollout of this program has been a huge success and has created opportunities for a diverse group of talented individuals to choose 蜜柚直播,鈥 said Barbra Coffee, director of the city鈥檚 economic initiatives.
Thompson said the screening process was challenging.
鈥淚t took a while just to whittle it down to 200 highly qualified applicants,鈥 she said with a laugh. 鈥淏ut we got to a good mix with ethnic diversity, areas of expertise, young families and seasoned professionals.鈥
Startup 蜜柚直播 has been getting calls from cities around the country to try and replicate what the local program accomplished.
Thompson said Startup 蜜柚直播 is planning another round for the program this summer that will also include talent retention.
鈥淲e want to combine talent attraction with talent retention,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also important to keep local professionals here.鈥
Visit for more information.
