By Jasmine Kim
For students who are looking to get engaged with the world around them, there is one person on campus who knows the community inside and out: Bonnee Lallouz, our Engagement and Advocacy Coordinator. She was awarded the 2022 Chamber Advocate of the Year on Thursday, February 16 at the North Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce annual installation. This was an award well-deserved for her dedication to our community.
Every year, the Chamber awards different members for their commitment to the community. Lallouz received this award as a committed member and advocate. She has been networking for over 15 years under the North Valley Regional Chamber. She recruited new members, chaired their education committee meetings, and met with businesses to initiate collaborations with Granada Hills Charter (GHC).
“It was wonderful because there were four other awards, and I knew the other four people,” Lallouz said. “It was nice for me to stand up with these other people who are completely dedicated to the community and seeing their businesses grow.”
Lallouz has been a part of the Chamber of Commerce world since the early 2000s and was once a part of seven different chambers, focused on the ones related to education. She watched businesses bloom and shut down as a result of the pandemic and experienced changes in the networking world. Currently, she volunteers with chambers to help rebuild community relations following the pandemic.
As the Engagement and Advocacy Coordinator at GHC, Lallouz continues to work with chambers of commerce throughout the Los Angeles region to form relationships and network with businesses.
“The businesses need marketing, and the schools need money,” Lallouz said. “The businesses donate to the school, and the schools give back to the businesses [through] a banner on the fence, a logo on the website, or a booth at an event.”
Lallouz started a volunteer program last year to connect close to 300 students to the community and helped them participate in over 40 events, such as the Granada Hills Street Fair, the Chatsworth Parade, and the Black History Month Celebration at the Museum of San Fernando Valley. She has also worked to help students volunteer at many North Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce events. Through these events, the students represented GHC in the community and acquired collaborations with the school.
“When we have students at events, I get phone calls from people afterwards saying, ‘Your students are the best; we love what they do, and we love their commitment to helping us.’” Lallouz said. “I get compliments all the time about Granada students.”
Lallouz believes in building personal relationships with business owners before pitching partnerships at meetings. Recently, she worked with different companies such as UCLA Health to donate bags with promotional items for the GHC’s annual Highlanders Golf Classic, a fundraiser on March 31. In consultation with GHC, she also obtained community partnerships supporting various programs at the school. In exchange, the School’s communications office works with these small businesses on cross-promotional collaborations.
“Ms. Bonnee is a tireless advocate for our school, endeared to our students, and well-respected within the community,” Marketing and Outreach specialist Jordan Duke said. “We are proud to celebrate this accomplishment with her.”
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