The search is on for young people in the Williams Lake area who are interested in developing their leadership skills and creating positive change in their community through a new local chapter of Junior Chamber International (JCI).
JCI is a worldwide community of nearly 200,000 young active citizens around the globe ages 18-40 working together through shared values to create positive change, says Josh Maitland, who is helping to establish JCI in Williams Lake.
Through activities ranging from local development to international initiatives, he says JCI members work to improve their communities.
“These activities empower young people to demonstrate their social responsibility and improve themselves through participation, leadership and action,” Maitland says.
He says a fun and interactive Get to Know JCI event will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 26 at the Oliver Street Bar and Grill.
During this event young people will learn about the activities of JCI and how they can take advantage of the opportunities that JCI offers for individual, business, community and international development.
Maitland grew up in 100 Mile House, graduating from Peter Skene Ogden Secondary in 2001, then going on to earn a bachelor of business administration degree at TRU in Kamloops. He then took a position with RBC/Royal Bank in the Kootenays where he was first introduced to JCI.
He is now a Royal Bank representative in Williams Lake.
“Because of my association with JCI, I quickly became connected with the community,” Maitland says.
“Even though I was successful in the Kootenays I wanted to get back to the Cariboo. I have settled into my new home at Miocene, and am looking forward to the opportunity to get to know young professionals my own age.
“Hopefully like my friends in the Kootenay’s, we can get the interest of young professionals here in Williams Lake and join together to do some good work for the community, and the chance to participate some of the great events and training that JCI offers.”
While attending his first National Conference of JCI, Maitland met other JCI members including members formally of Williams Lake.
JCI Okanagan member Beth Veenkamp, now of Kelowna, is a 1980s alumni of the former Anne Stevenson Junior Secondary School, and will travel to Williams Lake along with a contingent of members from across the JCI B.C. region to help host the Get to Know JCI event.
“I give credit to JCI for a large part of my business success,” says Veenkamp, who has been a member in Kelowna for seven years.
“I joined JCI as a young mom who needed an outlet and an opportunity to meet like minded people,” Veenkamp says. “My group in Kelowna has given me literally hundreds of opportunities to train and develop my business skills, but even more importantly, the support and friendship to keep taking the risks necessary to build a business.”
The Get to Know JCI event will take place Saturday, March 26 at the Oliver Street Bar and Grill starting at 6:30 p.m.
For more information go to Facebook under Introduction to JCI — Cariboo or the web site at www.jci.cc
Maitland can be reached at 250-855-9533 or joshmaitland@hotmail.com
Veenkamp can be reached at 250-765-2637 or beth@constructinglifecoaching.com or www.jciokanagan.org.