Alexis Vincent Gomès: A Forward-Thinking Leader for Lions Clubs International

In the realm of international service organizations, the Lions Clubs International (LCI) stands out as one of the most venerable, with over 100 years of answering the needs of people and the planet. The fact that LCI has been able to fulfill its mission for more than a century is due in no small part to the quality of its leadership, at the top level and across all regional chapters.

The organisation’s success is also thanks to leaders like Alexis Vincent Gomès, who, in a career spanning over 40 years, has played a significant role in LCI’s missions and initiatives. As a member of the Eucalyptus Lions Club in Pointe-Noire, Congo-Brazzaville, as well as through his leadership positions at each level of LCI, including Club Secretary and President, District Governor, Council Chairperson, International Director and Board Trustee of the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), Gomès has been at the core of initiating projects that have brought about tangible benefits to communities across Africa and Asia.

As he campaigns for the position of 3rd International Vice President of LCI, Gomès’s extensive experience and deep commitment to service paint a compelling portrait of a leader poised to drive the organisation forward.

A Track Record of Service

Throughout his tenure at LCI, Gomès has led various initiatives focused on healthcare, education, and community infrastructure, with the Brazzaville native emphasising the enhanced provision of critical public services and infrastructure for citizens of the Global South as a core personal mission. In this space, Gomès has worked to fund hospitals and ambulances in countries including Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Nigeria, and Congo-Brazzaville.

In addition to healthcare, Gomès has long prioritised improving access to clean water by installing wells and water boreholes in numerous villages. What’s more, his special commitment to education has been reflected in the creation of rural libraries as well as the funding of kindergartens with an eye to promoting literacy and early childhood education. Indeed, for Gomès, education is not only a stepping stone for all future endeavors, but a crucial link between individuals and their natural surroundings, underscoring his unshakeable belief in treating one’s self, society and the planet with respect.

According to Gomès, the fundamental principle that “education is essential,” is being powerfully illustrated by the “negative impacts” our “current behaviors” are having in terms of climate change’s ever-increasing destruction around the world.

Experience and values guided by family life

Gomès’s professional journey is marked by a rich tapestry of experiences that have shaped his leadership style. As a lawyer, his expertise in high-profile cases involving liquidation proceedings and corporate transactions has enabled him to gain extensive knowledge in economic sectors key to Africa and the global economy—be it oil, energy, mining, or infrastructure—as well as effective business leadership and entrepreneurship. Over the years, this strong foundation has allowed him to understand what the African continent needs to fuel its inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development.

Crucially, Gomès’s personal life has mirrored his professional dedication. Growing up in a large family, he learned the importance of cohesion and togetherness from a young age, keeping him strongly connected with his local community. According to Gomès, “my extended family, in the African sense, has instilled in me a deep sense of solidarity and collective responsibility”, a commitment he has applied to his role in the Lions Clubs. LCI “is a large family, and I continue to serve all Lions around the world as my brothers and sisters,” he reflects. This pervasive sense of familial duty has inspired Gomès’s lifelong path of giving back to others.

The core virtues of selflessness, charity, respect for differences, and moral integrity form the foundation of Gomès activities, all of which are an absolute requirement for “awakening consciousness, moral and civic integrity, and respect for values that restore dignity and humanity to man,” he states.

A bigger role for the silent majority of Africa and South Asia

Considering his personal and professional background, it is perhaps no wonder that as the 3rd International Vice President, Gomès intends to promote initiatives that reinforce these principles within LCI. He identifies key issues such as promoting democracy within the organisation, reforming the electoral system to allow proxy or online voting, and recruiting young people and women from its fastest-growing regions to safeguard the association’s future.

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