Nice Premium: What motivated you to be part of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) of Nice in 2007?
Lori Balyozyan: It was José Moro, the 2007 Past-President, whom I knew, who told me about the Junior Chamber. He described this movement as a great opportunity for personal development and interaction with others. From there, I got involved, toured the office. We have a peculiarity in our Junior Chamber in Nice: as an applicant, we must meet the office members to introduce ourselves and learn about the Junior Chamber. Then, once we’ve toured the office, we become interns. There, we rotate through the working committees and then advance to the director committee to become members at that moment. I embarked on this adventure and discovered motivated and enterprising individuals, people who want to act and get involved in their city’s life, to surpass themselves, really. That’s what interested me the most.
NP: How did this nomination to the presidency come about?
LB: The former presidents approached me. The 2008 Past-President, Alain Palacios, and the 2009 Past-President, Dorian Richelmi, came to see me and said it would be good for me to be the next president of the Junior Chamber. I am very committed to this movement. They entrusted me with this task. It’s a challenge for me this year. I’ve been part of the Junior Chamber for two years, and I quickly reached this position.
NP: How does the Junior Chamber proceed with nominations?
LB: Every year, the former presidents discuss who could best represent the Junior Chamber. Every year, a single person is nominated, and they either accept or decline the role. Then, there’s an Elective General Assembly where all members gather. The future president presents their motivations and program, followed by a discussion with all members.
NP: What are the profiles like?
LB: They are people invested in the Junior Chamber, who have the time. The Junior Chamber does require time beyond professional duties. There’s this representational role. You need to know the Junior Chamber well and be appreciated by the members as well.
NP: A young woman as the JCI president, this seems rather rare? Why, in your opinion?
LB: Yes, indeed, it’s quite rare. I’m the third female president of the Junior Chamber of Nice. But why, I don’t know (laughs). There are many women in all Junior Chambers. It ultimately depends on personal circumstances. A woman at 25 or 30 might want to start a family. Being in the Junior Chamber requires a significant time commitment. It’s practically another life. Personally, I’m single. I have the time to dedicate to the Junior Chamber.
NP: How long is a president’s mandate in the JCI?
LB: One year. We want the office and president to change annually so that everyone has the opportunity to take on responsibilities within the Junior Chamber. The aim is self-training and personal development.
NP: The JCI is an association, and you also have a profession. How do you balance your profession with your role in the association?
LB: I manage to do both. It’s true that I don’t have much personal time left. I don’t have obligations outside of work. Beyond my work hours, I dedicate myself to the Junior Chamber, mainly during the weekends. There are training weekends, development weekends, etc. I’m able to balance the two. Sometimes, like this week while preparing my transition, I won’t work much on my profession. I focus more on the association, but that’s exceptional. Committing means giving of oneself, and it’s done outside my professional hours.
NP: How many members does the JCI have?
LB: Thirty members. There’s the board with a general secretary, a treasurer, a vice-president for animation and communication, a vice-president for development who handles recruitment, development, and training, a program director who manages the commissions and acts as a director of commissions.
NP: Can you introduce the Junior Chamber International?
LB: As we call it, it’s the movement of Young Entrepreneurial Citizens. Members of the Junior Chamber are citizens aged 18 to 40 who invest in the welfare of their city. We propose innovative solutions to societal issues, test them within working commissions, and eventually propose them to associations, institutions, and businesses. The Junior Chamber also allows each member to quickly take on responsibilities by first becoming a director of commissions and then a board member.
NP: What are the upcoming projects for the JCI?
LB: This year, we have four commissions. The first commission’s mission is to animate public spaces in Nice. The goal is to bring fresh energy into the animation of Nice’s squares to recreate new social connections. Then, there’s the clean auto salon commission in Nice, where we aim to organize a show to raise citizens’ awareness of eco-mobility. We plan to invite automakers and companies to propose their innovative solutions to reduce air pollution and energy consumption of cars. Another commission is the first public speaking initiative, aimed at introducing young people in schools to public speaking. The last commission, which has been ongoing for several years, is the cocktail debate on the economic future of our city, previously known as the breakfast debate.
NP: You named the 2010 JCI program “2010: Nice, Capital of Eco-Citizenship,” why?
LB: At the Junior Chamber, we are responsible citizens. This year, we aim to initiate projects that reconcile economy and ecology. We’ve already started organizing a cocktail debate last year on the theme “eco-mobility everyone talks about, who acts?” This year, we plan to implement the clean auto salon in Nice, aligning with the national theme of today’s French Junior Chamber.
