How I came to be on National Board - Emma Eastwood

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How I came to be on National Board - Emma Eastwood

Posted By admin |12 Sep 2014
How I came to be on National Board - Emma Eastwood

National Board Blog 2014 » emma-eastwood.jpg

I first joined JCI in 2006 for social reasons as I wanted to meet more people outside of my circle of friends and colleagues. At that point I didn't even know that there was a national board team let alone have any hopes or ambitions on joining the team. I was asked to join the local team within a short time of becoming a member and after a couple of years I was elected as deputy local president, serving as local president of JCI Leeds in 2009.

During my membership of JCI I had developed a passion for training and had trained at local, regional and even international events. One of my fellow trainers Dan Lally was serving as the 2011 JCI UK Training Director and I asked him if I could work as his deputy so that I could gain some experience, with a view to standing for the role myself in 2012. The worked really well as I started to understand what kind of work I was committing too and get an idea of what national board did and how they functioned. I stood for the role and loved every minute of it. It was great to work in an area that I was so passionate about and a fantastic team experience. I also got to meet so many members from across the country. I then went on to stand as Deputy National President and National President before my current role as IPP and head of the new chamber task force.

Serving on national board is a unique and fulfilling experience and one that is open to all members. Although I think that my experience as local president was a great foundation it isn't essential and not all national board members take this route. It is a big commitment and a lot of responsibility so I'd encourage people to think it through carefully. I can guarantee though that if you do work on the national team you will love it and you will make friends for life. Why not put it on your JCI career plan. What have you got to lose?