CLOSED - We are currently seeking a creative volunteer for the Director of Communications position on the Board.

Director, Communications

Volunteer Position Description – Winnipeg, Manitoba

JCI Winnipeg is currently seeking a dynamic, independent and creative person to fill the Director, Communications position on the 2014 JCI Winnipeg Board of Directors. This position offers you the opportunity to enable positive change through the development of young citizens. JCI offer opportunities to learn, inspire and build our experience as leaders.

Main duties:

• Develop, implement and evaluate communications strategies and programs
• Prepare communications material for internal and external audiences
• Prepare brochures, newsletters, blogs, reports, speeches, presentations, Web sites, interviews, news conferences, press releases and other material
• Maintain contact with the media and act as spokesperson for JCI Winnipeg
• Participate actively in JCI Winnipeg events, meetings and projects
• Carry out all other duties as reasonably assigned by the JCI Winnipeg Board

Qualifications:

• Active citizen aged 18-40 willing to create positive change
• Passion for public relations, communications, journalism or related disciplines
• Skilled with Microsoft Office Suite and social media
• Driven to make JCI Winnipeg better and uphold its mission and values
• Eager to provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change
• Able to think critically about society’s challenges and act on behalf of our communities to be part of the solution
• Willing to take responsibility for our communities through participation, leadership and action
• Dedicated to continuous organisational and individual improvement though professional development
• Bilingual, in both English and French, an asset

Position details: Voluntary, 1 year term starting immediately

Interested individuals can send their applications no later than March 4th, 2014 by email at info@jciwinnipeg.ca

Be Better

JCI members constantly seek ways to live JCI’s slogan, Be Better. JCI members think critically about existing problems to find sustainable solutions for a better future. We not only believe that improvement is possible in our communities and in ourselves, we believe it is our responsibility.

www.jciwinnipeg.ca

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Chamber lunches, connections and caribou

CCFSB Networking Event

Feb 12^th, 2014

Hotel Norwood

*Please email JCI Winnipeg if your interested in participating in CCFSB networking events.
*Communiquer par courriel avec JCI Winnipeg pour participer aux événements de réseautage de la CCFSB. 

Chamber lunches, connections and caribou

The Chambre de commerce francophone de Saint‑Boniface (CCFSB) gathered a record number of people today at its annual Festival du Voyageur networking lunch, held at the Norwood Hotel.

Over 190 people attended.

The 190 attendees included city councillors, Members of Parliament, business owners, the Official 2014 Voyageurs, World Trade Centre Winnipeg staff, Université de Saint-Boniface Business students, Junior Achievement of Manitoba Achievers (high school business students) among with a plethora of company representatives from all industries.

The Official Voyageurs with a few Chamber guests. 

In line, I met Colin Grover, of Pike Projects, who collaborated on Hygge House, the winning project in the 2013 Warming Hut competition. I also spotted Obby Khan, former Winnipeg Blue Bomber and now owner of Shawarma Khan.  

These type of events give us the opportunity to learn about projects and the people behind them, and to share with them what we represent and what we are working on. In many cases, we can find synergies and ways to collaborate.

Here are some other takeaways from attending JCI Winnipeg members Simon Méthot and Sachit Mehra : 

“This particular networking event is the biggest one on the Chamber events calendar. We kick off the Festival du Voyageur with a traditional meal, a shot of Caribou and a lot of French-Canadian “Joie de Vivre”. Today, I met a university student networking for summer employment opportunities, Rob Campbell of Sysco, who trained me years ago as a Junior Achievement of Manitoba volunteer and Alejandro Dominguez-Suberbie, of Community Futures Triple R, who I will be working with this summer for the R Biz Camps. There are great opportunities here. Think we can ask Pike Projects to draw up a new Santa Float?” – Simon Méthot

“It was a pleasure to attend the Francophone chamber of commerce luncheon today. I met an array of influential business people from all across Winnipeg and Manitoba. Truly, the Chamber recognizes the importance of doing business not only in English, but both official languages. C'était un plaisir d'assister aux Diner-Rencontre de la Chambre de commerce francophone de Saint-Boniface mercredi dernier.  J'y ai rencontré plusieurs gens d’affaires influents de tous les coins de Winnipeg et du Manitoba. Vraiment, la Chambre reconnaît l'importance de faire affaires non seulement en anglais, mais dans les deux langues officielles.” – Sachit Mehra

The room was buzzing with energy as we moved about the room with Red Moon Road setting the tone with a few songs.

Red Moon Road

Special thanks to Matt Allard, Executive Director at CCFSB, for sharing this opportunity; I’m even more excited now for the “Sugar Shack” fun JCI Winnipeg will be having on February 15^th and 22^nd at the Festival du Voyageur – He Ho!

Danelle Hueging

President

JCI Winnipeg
JCIWinnipeg@gmail.com

L'adhésion de JCI Winnipeg à la Chambre de commerce francophone de Saint-Boniface est du a l'appuie financier du Secrétariat aux affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes

JCI Winnipeg's membership to the Chambre de commerce francophone de Saint-Boniface is due to financial support from the Secrétariat aux affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes

Local Officer Training School

Dear JCI Winnipeg members and supporters,

It was my honor to meet your president Danelle in St. Louis a few weeks ago at the JCI USA Local President's Summit along with many other JCI Canada local presidents.

Your national president Jen Sencar mentioned the opportunity to come and train at the regional LOTS (Local Officer Training School) in Regina just a week ago. For those of you not familiar with LOTS, it is an excellent opportunity for local officers to attend training on best practices to ensure a successful year as a local officer. Think of this opportunity as a great way to not only prepare your board of directors, but also a fantastic opportunity to network with other chapters.

I was able to join the Prairie Region for LOTS and conduct the JCI Admin course on effective chapter management. It was very exciting to see so many JCI Winnipeg officers in attendance! Your chapter was definitely well represented. Part of my job as International Vice President is to travel around to my assigned countries and meet with members and officers in the organization to share the tools and resources available to them as JCI members. This also includes communicating the strategic plan, Active Citizen Framework, and information about JCI programs and events.

My favorite part of being able to train JCI Admin, was being able to share my experiences in JCI as far as what I have been able to accomplish personally, the impact my local organization has had in my community, and also the impact we have been able to have on our local members who took advantage of the opportunities for personal and professional development. I have witnessed members grow in JCI by learning how to manage people and projects and transcending those skills into real world business skills that set them apart from other employees. This type of experience has earned members promotions, raises, and in some cases, new jobs that allow them to excel even further into their careers. I know of many members who have been hired by employers because of their involvement with JCI and the experience they have gained by being active members. 

Members - JCI Calgary, JCI Edmonton, JCI Humboldt and JCI Winnipeg

Personally, my affiliation started paying off just a few years after I joined when my boss noticed my outside activities and volunteerism. My leadership skills I was learning in the Junior Chamber were helping me on the job with managing people and projects, as well as expectations.  I was given a very nice raise and a promotion to a brand new title and I was empowered to lead a team on an important project. Fast forward to seven years later, and I have climbed the leadership ladder within JCI to become a local president, regional director, state vice president, state president, national training director, and national vice president.  My career path at my job was slowing down and the opportunities for my specialized work were dwindling. After I returned from an NVP trip to one of my assigned states, I was informed that my job was being eliminated. Most people would be upset or sad about losing their job, especially after 12 years of loyalty to a single company, but honestly, after experiencing life to the fullest in JCI and reflecting on everything I have learned and the person I have become, I was quite at peace, if not relieved that my employment was coming to an end. I knew that I had hundreds of LinkedIn contacts and several thousand Facebook friends that I could leverage in my new job search. JCI taught me the value of networking and personal connections. I reached out to my friends and former coworkers to let them know of my search for a new opportunity. It did not take long for one of my JCI friends to connect me with one of her connections which resulted in a series of interviews. Those interviews resulted in a job offer that substantially raised my salary and granted me an excellent opportunity to use even more of my skills I have honed in JCI. I made the leap into IT Consulting and I am loving every minute of it! My new employer supports my JCI career and I feel like I can truly grow with this company and that everything happens for a reason. I am so much happier and I feel empowered by my employer and my clients, but most of all, I have a feeling of fulfillment when I go to work every day. I can only attribute my success in my professional career to my involvement in JCI. It is just one of the many great benefits of being an active member in this great organization!

Jennifer Gracey

2014 International Vice President

Local Presidents’ Summit 2014 - Cross-border Collaboration - St. Louis, Missouri

Cross-Border Collaboration - St, Louis, Missouri

As one of eleven Canadian delegates privileged to take part in the US Local Presidents’ Summit (LPS) this past January, I returned with a few takeaways from this exceptional learning and networking experience:

Poverty Simulation - This 3 hour workshop had participants ‘walking a mile’ in the shoes of those who live below the poverty line. We were exposed to homelessness, unemployment, no food, and limited resources with which to get help. It was a game that we couldn’t seem to win at; it was an eye-opening way to get a better understanding of how tough things are for those living in poverty.

IMPACT Training - We reviewed the Active Citizen Framework (ACF) and discussed current issues affecting our communities, sharing ideas on how to overcome them. Topics included re-training of the workforce, mentoring youth, and out-reach to at-risk people.

Nothing But Nets - Buzzz tour 2.0 has US Jaycees travelling across the States collecting signatures from those supporting the fight against Malaria. Signed advocacy cards are then delivered to Congress at Capitol Hill. Malaria affects over 3 billion people – half of the world's population is at risk of malaria. We have the means to stop this! Just $10 sends a bed net to those at risk and greatly reduces the spread of Malaria.

Canadian Presidents Meeting - It was fantastic getting to know my fellow JCI Canada Presidents! We shared resources, fundraising ideas and plans to better execute our chapter missions. The 2014 JCI Canada Plan focuses on IMPACT, using the Active Citizen Framework to facilitate positive change in our communities.

Local Chapter Presidents

I encourage you all to stay active and involved in JCI events, like the Western Regional Conference and the National Convention this September in Ajax, and experience them firsthand!

Travel when you can – listen to the stories of others and share ideas for making the world a better place… we’re all better off for it!

Danelle Heuging, 2014 JCI Winnipeg President
JCIWinnipeg@gmail.com

2014 President’s Message

It is with great honor that I greet you as the 91^st president of JCI Winnipeg!

As the oldest JCI Chapter outside of the United States, JCI Winnipeg has a long history of developing leaders and promoting positive change. Some of our signature events include the Santa Claus Parade, Spring into Business and, of course, the Effective Speaking Competition. This year, JCI Canada’s representative in the Conference of the Americas Speaking Competition in April, 2014, is one of our own, Natasha Fisher.

At JCI, we strive to empower young people to create positive change and we are continuously looking at ways to get active and get involved when it comes to improving ourselves, our youth, and our community.


We offer:

• Leadership development and the opportunity to learn by doing (by getting involved with project plans, event planning, fundraising, etc.)
• Opportunity for civic engagement through partnerships within our community
• Personal development opportunities (including public speaking, budgeting, working with a team)
• Understanding of board operations
•  A network of like-minded individuals to work with across Canada
• Fun with purpose!

JCI members are young professionals, students, tradespeople, artists, etc.; above all, we are active citizens willing to foster positive change.

I invite you to get involved, to be a part of something ‘bigger’ and help create positive change in our community. 

To quote Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Warm Regards,

Danelle Hueging

President

JCI Winnipeg