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Meet the 2022-23 District 35 Trio!
Jennifer has a PhD in Economics and is also a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya. She is an Associate Professor at the College of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she uses her Toastmasters skills and experiences to teach and mentor undergraduate and graduate students, conduct research and serve as Chair of 3 Committees.
Jennifer joined Toastmasters in 2014 and has served in four club officer roles—Club President, Vice President Education, Vice President Membership and Treasurer. She is currently a member of three clubs: Milwaukee Metro Speakers, Resource Advanced and Southwest Toastmasters. She has also served as a Club Mentor and twice as a Club Sponsor. She was a Distinguished
Area Director and Select Distinguished Division Director, before joining the Trio to serve as Club Growth Director, Program Quality Director and is currently the District Director. Jennifer is from Kenya and has lived in three countries Kenya, Botswana, and the U.S.
Jennifer has earned two Distinguished Toastmasters Awards (DTMs)—under the Traditional Education Program (2020) and Pathways Education Program (2022).
Jennifer envisions a District where Every Member, Every Club, Every Area, and Every Division is served. She is inspired by this quote attributed to a Toastmasters leader: “We owe it to those who came before us to leave the organization in better shape than we found it, so those that come after us can grow and learn.”
“I am excited to serve and see the power and promise of toastmasters come alive for you this year as you pursue your personal and professional goals. Please reach out anytime @ kibichodtm@gmail.com if I can support you on your journey to self-actualization.”
Jason has been a Toastmaster since 2015. As a charter member of NM Speaks! and a member of Pewaukee Speaks, Jason has served in most of the club officer roles and has been a club officer every year since joining Toastmasters. At the District level, Jason has served two terms as District Finance Manager, led a great team as Division D Director in 2020-21, and had the honor to serve last year as Club Growth Director.
Professionally, Jason is the Assistant Director of Human Resources Services & Solutions at Northwestern Mutual (NM), leading a team of seven HR Professionals. Jason has been with NM for over 14 years, serving as a people leader first in Insurance Operations, now in HR, and also spent several years working in Corporate Crisis Management.
Outside of work and Toastmasters, Jason is a musician. He’s been a member of the Waukesha Area Symphonic Band as a trombonist for over 20 years. He has also served on their board of directors for nearly 20 years and has been president for the last 5 years. Jason is a member of the Jubilate Chorale, and serves on NM’s Executive Committee for the United Performing Arts Fund campaign.
“I’m honored to be serving this year as the District 35 Program Quality Director, where my responsibilities are focused on Club Officer Training, Contests, the District Conference, the Distinguished Club Program, and all other training to help support our district, clubs, and members.
Toastmasters is all about its members. Everything we do this year in Program Quality will be focused on providing education and learning to help clubs support their members, so that each member’s goals are met. This ensures they will have a positive experience, which will help our clubs grow, which will in turn help the district and Toastmasters as an organization to grow.”
If you are interested in helping support Training, Contests, the District Conference, or any other aspect of Program Quality, please feel free to reach out to Jason at jfeucht.tm@gmail.com.
Robert is an Internet professional of over 20 years, who specializes in both web development and information architecture. He also develops training and procedures for clients, and has significant skill in breaking down and communicating complex concepts.
Many people talk about how they developed their presentation skills in Toastmasters. Robert took a different route, being completely unaware of Toastmasters until after learning many of the skills by teaching classes for inmates at a local jail. Every now and then, somebody will ask Robert how people learn presentation skills without Toastmasters, and he can reply from experience, “you get up in front of people, and you fail. You fail a lot. And it’s not fun.”
Robert joined Toastmasters in 2007, and that previous experience makes him appreciate the program all the more. Robert’s focus has been more on the leadership development side, and as a self-employed professional Toastmasters has helped him build his skills both working with and supervising teams.
Apart from that, Robert describes himself as “a general tech geek, strategy game & puzzle enthusiast, & a beagle dad.”
“In my view, Toastmasters is one of the best-kept secrets in our district. And that’s the challenge. We have this program that changes peoples’ lives, but it’s sometimes challenging to explain to people outside Toastmasters how such a simple program can have such a big impact. A big part of my role this year involves helping our members to effectively communicate the benefits of Toastmasters to the people and organizations they know, so we can share what we’ve received with a new generation of Toastmasters. I’m looking forward to serving the district in the coming year!”
If you need assistance with growing your clubs, you can connect with Robert at rswall@rswall.com.
District Director Welcome Letter
As your District Director, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to this new Toastmasters year, being also our Platinum Anniversary Celebration as a district.
This year, we celebrate 70 years of bringing opportunities to our communities. We celebrate 70 years of learning and growing. We celebrate 70 years of personal and professional development. All of this would not happen without each of our dedicated members. Do you ever reflect on what your life would be like without Toastmasters? The things that you have learned, the people that you have met, the difference you have made in others…. all of this would not exist without your commitment.
Over the past few years, we have experienced a decline in membership and club strength. It is important for us to step back and focus. We need to build back stronger. Focus on the positive, learn from others and create opportunities that can enrich our lives as well as the lives of others. We know that when we hold high quality club meetings with high attendance, we learn and grow more.
But let’s not forget to celebrate all the victories and milestones along the way. Here are some early milestones I want to share with you.
We have a full team of district officers that have been trained, and are eager and energized to serve. This team includes the Trio, Finance Manager, Public Relations Manager, and Administration Manager, 7 Division Directors and 22 Area Directors. These Toastmasters have all stepped forward to serve and grow their leadership skills while supporting your clubs’ success. Please visit District35.org to view the full list of the 2022-2023 District 35 Leadership Team.
We also have teams working on the District 35 3-Year Strategic Plan to provide a roadmap and strategies designed to achieve our district goals. We will share progress reports in due time, but it is important to celebrate where we are at today and where we are going tomorrow!
A Toastmaster’s Promise
It all starts with being a member first. If you think back to that first day of a member – you made a promise – A TOASTMASTER’S PROMISE. A Toastmaster’s Promise is at the core of the strength of each club meeting. When we make this commitment to ourselves and to our clubs, when we uphold the Toastmaster’s Promise and we commit to the Club Mission, when we contribute to and hold high quality club meetings, when we commit to serve our club, and step out of our comfort zones and look out for opportunities to serve beyond our club, we are doing our part to move our District forward. Have you reaffirmed your Toastmasters promise?
Vision For Our District
To build back strong as we celebrate our Platinum Anniversary, we need to take care of our members as well as strengthen and build our clubs. It will take the sum of us to move our District forward.
I envision a District where:
- Every Member Served (all members actively engaged in their clubs)
- Every Club Served (Club Officers trained & actively serving their members)
- Every Area Served (Area Directors trained & actively supporting their clubs)
- Every Division Served (Division Directors trained & actively supporting their areas & clubs)
Through excellence in service, we’ll keep our District moving forward.
A Toastmasters leader once said, “We owe it to those who came before us to leave the organization in better shape than we found it, so those that come after us can grow and learn.”
It is the highest honor of my life to serve during this Platinum Year as we celebrate 70 years as a District. Together, through excellence in service and commitment to the Toastmasters Promise, we can move our District moving forward.
May this year be our most successful Toastmasters year yet!
Program Quality Director Final Report for 2021-22 TM Year
Distinguished Clubs
In 2021-2022, we had 11 clubs that were Distinguished. Of those, 4 clubs were Presidents Distinguished, 5 clubs Select Distinguished and 2 clubs Distinguished. It’s worth noting 4 of the Distinguished clubs were corporate clubs—ROK the Talk, Royal Toastmasters, NM Speaks!, and Toast on Tap – and 7 clubs were community clubs—DJAB, Eastside Madison, Eclectic Image, Madison Achievers, Menomonee Falls, Reedsburg, and Waukesha Toastmasters. Toast on Tap has the distinct honor of being the largest club in our District with 56 members. A special shoutout to Madison Achievers for being the only club with a club coach—Joe Domblesky Division B Director —that became Distinguished!
Please join me in congratulating the following 11 clubs:
DISTINGUISHED CLUBS — 2021-2022 | |||
Division | Area | Club Name | Distinguished Status |
A | 2 | DJAB | P |
B | 3 | Eastside Madison Toastmasters Club | P |
C | 3 | Eclectic Image Club | P |
N | 4 | Menomonee Falls Toastmasters | P |
C | 4 | Madison Achievers | S |
B | 2 | Reedsburg Area Club | S |
C | 2 | ROK the Talk | S |
N | 3 | Royal Toastmasters | S |
D | 3 | Waukesha Toastmasters Club | S |
A | 1 | NM Speaks! | D |
D | 2 | Toast On Tap | D |
Pathways Adoption Rates As Of August 4, 2022
The Pathways adoption rates for our District is 82.6%. As of August 4, 2022, 24 of the 98 active clubs (with members) have 100% Pathways Adoption Rates, another 49 clubs have between 75-99% adoption rates. Congratulations to the Division F team—Division F Director Jean Rossett, Area F1 Director Joe Domblesky, Area F2 Director Kelly Martyn, and Area F3 Director Paul Anderson—for having the highest Pathways Enrollment Rates and the most clubs with 100 Pathways Enrolled in our District.
Pathways Adoption Rates as Of August 4, 2022 | |||
Total Member Rate | Clubs with 100% Enrollment | ||
Division A | 90% | 4 of 10 Clubs | |
Division B | 80% | 3 of 16 Clubs | |
Division C | 74% | 3 of 12 Clubs | |
Division D | 85% | 4 of 16 Clubs | |
Division E | 84% | 3of 11 Clubs | |
Division F | 95% |
| 7 of 10 Clubs |
Division N | 73% | 0 of 13 Clubs | |
Education Awards (as of June 30, 2022)
Below is a summary of education awards earned by each Division in total and on average per club. Congratulations to Division A team that had both the highest total number of education awards and the highest number of education awards per club.
EDUCATION AWARDS BY DIVISION AS OF JUNE 30, 2022 | |||
Division | Education Awards | Number of Clubs | Education Awards per Club** |
Division A | 72 | 10 | 7 |
Division B | 58 | 10 | 6 |
Division C | 70 | 16 | 4 |
Division D | 38 | 11 | 3 |
Division E | 38 | 16 | 2 |
Division F | 42 | 12 | 4 |
Division N | 66 | 13 | 5 |
384 | 88 | 4 | |
** Rounded to the nearest whole number | |||
We had 29 clubs with 5 or more Education Awards. Congratulations to Eastside Madison Toastmasters Club for having the highest education awards submitted to date (18 awards). Below, a list of 29 clubs that have submitted 5 or more Education Awards in the 2021-2022 Toastmasters year.
EDUCATION AWARDS BY CLUB AS OF JUNE 30, 2022 | ||||
Club | Award Count | Club | Award Count | |
Eastside Madison Toastmasters Club | 18 | Ozaukee Toastmasters | 8 | |
Sheboygan Club 2121 | 17 | Madison Achievers | 8 | |
Royal Toastmasters | 15 | CNH Industrial Toast Team | 8 | |
Eclectic Image Club | 15 | Plymouth Toastmasters Club | 8 | |
DJAB | 12 | The Breakfast Club | 7 | |
Reedsburg Area Club | 12 | Wisconsin Club | 6 | |
Menomonee Falls Toastmasters | 12 | Tosa/Medical Club | 6 | |
Cream City Communicators | 11 | Fox Speak Toastmasters Club | 6 | |
Mid-Day Women’s Alliance Toastmasters | 11 | Rolling Hills Toastmasters Club | 6 | |
Waukesha Toastmasters Club | 10 | ROK the Talk | 6 | |
Wisconsin Rapids Area Toastmasters | 10 | Talk of the Town | 5 | |
Capital City Club | 9 | Univ./Wi-Stevens Point Club | 5 | |
Love of Laughter | 9 | Oak Creek Toastmasters | 5 | |
Brookfield Toastmasters | 9 | Direct Supply Champion Chatters | 5 | |
A Stately Discourse | 9 | |||
Triple Crown Winners
Congratulations to 36 Toastmasters (and 4 anonymous) that have earned a Triple Crown (3 or more education awards) in this Toastmasters year. Congratulations to Kris Pool for having by far the highest number of Education Awards in the 2021-2022 Toastmaster year!
TRIPLE CROWN WINNERS AS OF JUNE 30, 2022 | ||||
Member | Award Count |
| Member | Award Count |
Kristine R. Pool, DTM | 13 | Drew Holloway, IP4 | 3 | |
Carol Mather, DTM | 6 | Elizabeth A. Pollock, DTM | 3 | |
Barb B. Sexmith, DTM | 5 | Heather Prueher, EH2 | 3 | |
Janet E. O’Rourke, DTM | 5 | Jean Rossett, MS5 | 3 | |
Jim Kohli, DTM, PID | 5 | Kristin McCabe, PM4 | 3 | |
Kathy Shine, DTM | 5 | Laurie Showers, PM4 | 3 | |
Robyn Krueger, PM3 | 5 | Liz Urban, LD3 | 3 | |
Jennifer Johnson, PM2 | 4 | Lois TeStrake, DTM | 3 | |
Jennifer Kibicho, DTM | 4 | Lucas Roberts, PI5 | 3 | |
Jennifer L. Liedl, TC1 | 4 | Mark A. Robinson, DTM | 3 | |
Stephen Wittmann, EH3 | 4 | Mark Person, EH3 | 3 | |
Susan Brushafer, MS2 | 4 | Melissa Gavin, PM3 | 3 | |
Akovi Wilson, PM5 | 3 | Michael Cooper, IP3 | 3 | |
Anthony Cooper, EC4 | 3 | Michael Dill, DTM | 3 | |
Bruce Bitter, EH4 | 3 | Rhonda Williams, DTM | 3 | |
Chris Williams, PI4 | 3 | Travis Currier, EC3 | 3 | |
David L. Hendrickson, DTM | 3 | Umol C. Jalo, SR5 | 3 | |
David Schmitt, DTM | 3 | Yuriy A. Ksenidi, PI2 | 3 | |
Pathways Path Completions:
We had 32 Path Completions in 2022, with Presentation Mastery being by far the most popular. Congratulations to all those who completed a Path during 2022:
PATHWAYS LEVEL 5 COMPLETION IN 2022 | |
Pathways Path | Level 5 Count |
Presentation Mastery | 8 |
Visionary Communication | 4 |
Dynamic Leadership | 4 |
Engaging Humor | 3 |
Strategic Relationships | 3 |
Innovative Planning | 3 |
Leadership Development | 2 |
Motivational Strategies | 2 |
Persuasive Influence | 1 |
Effective Coaching | 1 |
Team Collaboration | 1 |
32 | |
Let’s Get More DTMs This Year
We only have one DTM last year.
Plan ahead to make this the year you earn your DTM.
Plan Ahead: You might be very close to completing your DTM if you’ve completed 2 Pathways Paths. Reach out to TI at educationprogram@toastmasters.org to get information about the DTM Project if you’ve:
- Completed a Pathways Path
- Completed Level 3 in your second Path
- Have met the leadership requirements
THANK YOU TO A FANTASTIC PQD TEAM
Please join me in thanking the following Toastmasters for serving on the PQD Team this past year:
- Jesse Franklin—Pathways Chair
- Keith Hardy—Club Quality Chair
- Ronda Williams—Spring Conference Chair
- Jesse Franklin—Spring Conference Chair
- Dianne Young—Winter TLI Chair
- Carl Ervin—District 35 International Speech Contest Coordinator
- Amy Linn-Strosin—District 35 Table Topics Speech Contest Coordinator
- Judy Bauer—District 35 Chief Judge
- Division & Area Directors
- All Club, Area & Division Speech Contest Functionaries
- Trio—Teri McGregor and Jason Feucht
It takes a village to get the work done. Thank you very much for your commitment, service and leadership to our District.
Last Word: About that $0.25/Day Investment in your Professional Development
My fellow District 35 Toastmasters, it’s been my distinct honor to serve as your PQD this year. The journey to getting my second DTM was very educational. I learned that I had to plan ahead to achieve my goals and then keep evaluating progress to ensure that I remained on track. I would not have made it without the accountability that I built into the process my openly sharing my goal to earning a Triple Crown this year. In the process, I realized that a longer-term goal of getting my second DTM under Pathways was within reach. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you as PQD this year. It’s been an exciting journey. As I reflect on the year, I feel like my quarter a day investment in myself—make that three quarters a day since I belong to three Toastmasters clubs—was well spent and generated a high return on investment.
Are you on track to complete a Pathway Education Level by end of year? If yes, I rejoice with you. If not, I would encourage you to set a new goal, create accountability, and map out a plan to accomplish your goal. Reach out to your Vice President of Education (VPE) and schedule to give a Pathways speech soon. Remember, if you give a speech every 3 months, you will complete a Level by end of year! I am cheering you on as you continue the path to achieving your personal goal for this year.
Have you completed one Path and advanced to Level 3 in a second Path? If that’s you, please reach out to TI at educationprogram@toastmasters.org and ask for access to the DTM Project guidelines.
Toastmasters Leadership Institute and Club Officer Training
We’ve had a very successful District Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI) as well as several additional club officer training sessions. While not all of them are complete at this time, all so far have been very successful and well received.
Our flagship training event this summer was our District TLI, on July 16th. Over 140 club officers joined us for the half day for training not only in their roles, but also in skills that will help them support their clubs. The day’s Keynote was provided by Radhi Spear, DTM and Toastmasters International Second Vice President, on the topic of Member Engagement. We had breakouts on Conflict Resolution hosted by Andy Little, DTM, Past International Director and Past District Governor, as well as a session on How to Run Effective and Inclusive Hybrid Meetings hosted by Markus Seppälä, DTM – a three-time TEDx speaker from Switzerland, and expert on hybrid meetings.
All our other club officer training sessions not only covered the standard officer role training but covered other topics such as building a healthy team, creating a quality club, member engagement, and others. All of our sessions included a focused session on the Club Success Plan, and emphasized the importance of planning as a club on how best to meet our members’ needs, and reminded us about the Toastmasters Promise and the importance of staying focused on meeting member needs.
Later this summer we will be sharing select TLI & Club Officer sessions and trainings on YouTube for reference.
This year we pulled together the Division Directors as a team, to plan, host and execute all our training sessions. This gave us the opportunity to all learn as leaders by planning this type of event, as well as experiment a bit with the formats of the sessions and of the overall program. I wanted to thank our TLI and Club Officer Training team:
- Teri McGregor – IPDD & TLI Dean
- Yuriy Ksenidi – Division A
- Joseph Domblesky – Division B
- Lee Samson – Division C
- Ronda Borowski – Division D
- Carol Mather – Division E
- Paul Anderson – Division F
- Brandon Birrenkott – Division N
The team did an excellent job and will soon be kicking off planning for the Winter TLI and club officer training as well. If you have any feedback regarding our club officer training this year, or are interested in presenting please reach out to me at jfeucht.tm@gmail.com.
Club Officer Training Credit
Make sure your club gets off on the right foot, ensure your club officers get trained, and ensure those that were trained receive proper credit!
While summer club officer training in District 35 is over, if you have not yet been trained, opportunities remain for you to get trained in any Toastmasters District in the world. All training must be complete by August 31. If you have been trained in another district, request that that district’s Program Quality Director email me at jfeucht.tm@gmail.com confirming the date of your attendance. If you want to be trained and are having trouble finding training let us know via this form: https://forms.gle/Rg8AM7db3KAFwQmf6 and we will try to help you find training.
To ensure your club officers have received proper training credit, please review this document: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qtvte6mx0njb25p/D35TrainingSummer2022.pdf?dl=0. Here you will find the up-to-date status by club of our training records. If your training is missing, please fill out this form for credit: https://forms.gle/eE9u6SqsqwFQHYDd7, or if you are having trouble with the form please email me at jfeucht.tm@gmail.com with your name, club, and officer information.
All club officer training for the summer term must be complete by August 31 and must be recorded no later than October 31.
Thank you for supporting your members as club officers.
Club Growth In 2022-2023 – Take Your Next Step Toward Significance
Remember when you attended your first Toastmasters meeting? You showed up, and you saw something about Toastmasters that you liked, so you joined. And if you’re anything like me, you signed up for your Icebreaker, gave it, and were amazed at all the positive feedback and support from your fellow members.
In that exchange, you accomplished something profound. You gave a speech, and you received feedback. You took a step forward yourself, and by doing so you created a space for your fellow members to invest in your success.
And that’s the magic of Toastmasters.
Some of us would love to be the CEO of a huge company, or the next great motivational speaker. Some of us just want to be better at communicating with our family and friends. But no matter what our goal is, it usually boils down to one thing: we want to make a difference. We want to make a mark on the world. We want to be significant.
And while that’s a rather large goal, it begins with a single step. My sincere desire for the next year is to help each and every one of our members take their next step toward significance.
For many of you, that “next step” is a speech-related goal. And if that’s your jam, that’s awesome! That was my goal when I first joined as well – I just wanted to speak.
But over time, that changed for me. In fact, one of my favorite experiences in Toastmasters was my first year as Division Director. As a self-employed person, the interpersonal skills and leadership development were invaluable. I can say with complete confidence that I’m here today because of numerous other Toastmasters who thoughtfully and generously invested in me, beyond all reasonable expectation – and I’d love to see that be the experience of every Toastmaster in District 35.
There’s an old proverb, “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” In my Toastmasters experience, this is incredibly true.
The opportunities to positively impact others’ lives in this organization are truly limitless. If you’re a more seasoned Toastmaster, you can have a huge impact by mentoring others and serving in other capacities.
But even if that’s not you, you can still have a huge impact by doing something as simple as tapping a friend or coworker on the shoulder, and asking them if they’d like to come to a meeting. Our district is filled with stories about people who, 20 or more years ago, got that tap on the shoulder – and it changed their lives forever.
And who knows? 20 years from now, somebody may be telling a story like that about you!
It all starts with a single step. If there’s anything I can do to help you on your journey, please don’t hesitate to reach out. And no matter what it looks like for you, this year I encourage you to take your next step toward significance.
Dues Renewals – Different System, Same Process!
As a reminder, fall dues are due by September 30th. I’d like to address a concern that’s been voiced regarding the dues renewal process.
Toastmasters recently upgraded their ERP system, which is the computer software that basically manages their whole organization. And with that, there have been some rumors that Toastmasters will use this new system to change the way dues are paid.
It’s true that a few years ago TI began exploring the process of potentially allowing members to pay their own dues online. And if they’re going to do that, their recent ERP system upgrade is definitely a crucial step.
But for now, there’s no real change. Collect dues from your club’s members, log in to https://toastmasters.org, go to Leadership Central -> Club Central -> Submit Payment, and pay the dues just like you did before.
And while you’re collecting dues, this is a good time to evaluate whether you’re delivering value to your club members. If you are, remind them of the value they’re getting. If you’re not, ask members what you can do to make their experience better.
Let’s keep serving our members, and make this a great Toastmasters year!
You are the KEY to a successful Spring Conference
Volunteers are an essential key to the success of our next Spring Conference on May 5-6, 2023, at The Abbey Resort on beautiful Lake Geneva in Fontana. A second key to a successful conference is planning ahead and recruiting volunteers early in the process.
If you are interested in being a key player during the planning phase – and/or the weekend of the Spring Conference – now is the time to unlock the opportunities that lie ahead.
Contact Spring Conference Chair Kris Pool (kris.pool.dtm@gmail.com) if you’d like to be a key chairperson or assist with a specific committee(s) or key task(s).
Below are just a few of the specific areas and brief explanation of these key roles. As the chair, you’ll be instrumental in developing your teams, tasks, and timelines.
- Registration
- Plans and runs conference registration (both advance and on-site) procedures and logistics, including handling of credit card fees, cancellation policy, creation of name badges, gifts, and handouts for attendees
- Education / Speakers
- Recruit speakers, help set schedule, work with PR teams to provide session information and publicity blurbs
- Prepare team of “Room Monitors” to introduce each speaker, give thank you gift and certificate of appreciation, and collect evaluations as needed
- Public Relations
- Coordinate publicity plan with Conference Chair, District Public Relations Manager, and PQD, and assign tasks to team members
- Ensures there is publicity that supports conference activities including attracting attendees and media recognition
- Works with other committee chairs to promote various aspects of the conference with a focus on their areas
- Oversees a team that creates and posts publicity materials, social media, etc. including promotional videos prior to event
- Collaborates with team of on-site photographers and social media gurus for “live” videos throughout event
- Coordinates with program/brochure team on printed material design & printing coordination, signage, online /social media, etc.
- Coordinates with Website team for publishing content, website maintenance, streamlining layout, and increasing online presence
- Technology
- During the conference, help with setup of A/V, and any recording
- Coordinate with Zoom / Tech Masters
- Possible: provide music / DJ services during main events
- Facilities (venue and logistics planning)
- Works with the Conference Chair and all sub-committees in the planning of the conference space, including room set-up and materials, and assist in handling any last-minute needs or glitches
- Coordinates with team of “Runners” to help carry, lift, setup, take down, fill in as needed
- Sponsorships / Donations / Raffle
- Drives external fundraising and support for different aspects of the conference
- General Volunteers
- Define your own role that is consistent with the goals of the conference, its successful execution, and your passions and skills
Toastmaster’s Bright Future
Toastmasters has a very bright potential for membership growth. We must not take condolence in the fact that Professional and Service Clubs are suffering from membership decline. Covid-19 is getting the blame but the trend of dropping membership started long before Covid-19. Toastmasters is not immune from the trend but has a huge advantage in combating the problem.
Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Basic Human Needs puts what Toastmasters offers right at the top “Self-actualization, achieving one’s self-potential, including creative activities.” Self-betterment is what Toastmasters does best. And it works! Whereas corporate programs cost 20 times more and do not stick because there is no practice and most participants revert to previous habits, falling into their former lifestyle, Toastmasters offers a self-paced and safe environment where members can grow.
Toastmaster’s challenge is to make it known who we are and what we do. A prominent volunteer in my community met with me today and asked, “What does Toastmasters do?” We have to promote the benefits of Toastmasters and where to find us.
“Where Leaders Are Made” is a true byline but most people just want to be more comfortable speaking in front of peers. Toastmasters has the ultimate potential to make people become public speakers and leaders.
Meet The 2022 Club President of the Year Recipient—Dr. Hind Mirza Gautam
In 2021-2022 Toastmasters year, we recognized for the very first time a Club President of a club in Good Standing and working on the Distinguished Club Program that was nominated by fellow club officers. This year’s Club President of the Year recipient is Dr. Hind Mirza Gautam, Club Sponsor and Club President of A Stately Discourse Toastmasters.
Over the years, Dr. Gautam realized that her skills in public speaking had eroded. The pandemic lockdown gave her the opportunity to take up an online course in public speaking, which introduced her to Toastmasters International. She researched several area toastmaster’s clubs. Unable to find one that was a good fit, she made the bold decision to charter one within a few months of joining Toastmasters in October 2021. It was during this process that she met Jennifer Kibicho, then District 35 Program Quality Director and now District 35 Director for District 35. Jennifer and her team helped her immensely during the extraordinary journey, from the initial paperwork, the club sponsorship, the inaugural meeting, club officer training and eventually, the assignment of club mentors, to form a unique club with members from around the globe.
As Dr. Gautam continues to grow with toastmasters, she has come to realize that toastmasters is much more than a platform to deliver speeches. It is a place to improve speaking and communication skills, to build leadership skills, to receive feedback and to connect and establish networks in a safe, nurturing, and positive environment.
In support of Dr. Gautam’s nomination for the Club President of the Year Award, one club officer noted “Hind was instrumental in chartering, sponsoring, maintaining and mentoring this club. Her hard work, determination and dedication has led to this high functioning club which is a joy for its members. Without her this club would not exist.”
Dr. Gautam was the Club Sponsor and President for A Stately Discourse Toastmasters, a club that was chartered in January 2022. A Stately Discourse Toastmasters is an online club with members from 4 different countries in three continents—US, India and Europe.
Hind is a physician, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a marathon runner, a yoga practitioner and now a proud toastmaster. She currently serves as the Area B1 Director.
Congratulations Dr. Gautam on your major accomplishment!
Molson Coors Corporate Recognition Award
Toastmasters International recognized Molson Coors Beverage Company for enhancing employee engagement through continuing support of the Toastmasters program. Molson Coors Beverage Company sponsors Toast on Tap in Milwaukee where its employees meet to develop and strengthen their communication and leadership skills in a supportive setting with their coworkers.
The award was announced by Matt Kinsey, DTM, President-elect of Toastmasters International on (May 14) at (1:15pm CDT) at the Annual District Conference at Hotel Marshfield in Marshfield, Wisconsin.
“For the past 12 years, Molson Coors and Toastmasters have partnered to offer the Toastmasters program as an integral part of their development programs. We are proud to recognize them this year for their ongoing commitment to developing employees’ communication and leadership skills” says Matt Kinsey, Toastmasters International President-Elect (2021-2022).
Mona Fowler, Director for People Development—Leadership accepted the Corporate Recognition Award on behalf of the Molson Coors.
“A leader’s ability to clearly communicate fosters engagement and enables positive influence which is paramount to a high-performance culture. Throughout my career I have seen Toastmasters clubs champion the development of communication capability and leadership presence of current and future leaders” says Mona Fowler, Molson-Coors, Director People Development – Leadership.
The award was presented by District 35 Director Jennifer Kibicho, DTM, at a ceremony in the company premises on August 4, 2022. President-Elect Matt Kinsey, DTM, joined the ceremony virtually. Also in virtual attendance was Program Quality Director Jason Feucht, DTM and Club Growth Director Robert Wall, DTM.
Jennifer Kibicho thanked the Immediate Past District 35 Director, Teri McGregor, VC5, IP3, under whose leadership the Corporate Recognition Award was awarded. Many thanks go to the visionaries, Club Coaches—Michele Runte, DTM, and Stephan Church, DTM—who saw the potential of a powerful partnership between Toastmasters and Molson Coors Human Resources and worked tirelessly to promote the Toast on Tap Toastmasters from a single digit member club to the current thriving club with 56 members. A special mention and vote of thanks go to Immediate Past Club President of Toast on Tap Tom Tryon who carried the torch and generated momentum within the organization, and to Pathways Coordinator Lindsey Wondolkowski, People Development Specialist—Leadership.
Molson Coors is the eighth company to receive this highly distinguished award in our 70-year history as a District, which was first awarded in 2013, and last awarded in 2019.
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