You’ve stepped up and held officer roles for your club. But what’s next? Yes, you can continue with another club officer role, but have you considered stepping up into District Leadership? Or holding club and district roles concurrently? There are many opportunities to hone your leadership skills outside your club. As a District leader, you are part of Toastmasters International, an organization with a noble mission: to empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders.

Encouraging educational excellence in each club is fundamental in accomplishing this mission. Members receive the full benefits of their membership through the Toastmasters education program. Serving as a District leader is a great responsibility and an exciting opportunity. Your term of office is filled with chances for you to renew your perspective, practice teamwork, and develop your capacity to translate values and strategies into productive actions. Members of your District team depend on you to help them develop their own goals and achievements. Clubs see you as a facilitator to their success. You instill a sense of enthusiasm, fidelity, and responsibility throughout your District.

A District’s success depends on the quality of its leadership. It is up to you to create and maintain an atmosphere of enjoyment, teamwork, and dedication. You are responsible for fulfilling the District mission and achieving recognition in the Distinguished District Program.

Listen to past Area Director Jeff Werwie, Current Area Director Susan Brushafer, past Division Director Karen Polege, and past District Director (and past Region Advisor and past International Director) Jim Kohli as they share their experiences with district leadership and why you should consider stepping up this coming year.

Elected Positions in District 35:

           1. District Directors (DD)

                      a. As the District’s chief officer, the District Director assists all members of the District Executive Committee in their roles. The role involves                                        planning a District Success Plan with the team, help create a strong Leadership team. Some of the goals include achieving the mission of the                                district in a manner that motivates volunteer leaders and promotes a standard of excellence in all district activities.

           2. Program Quality Director (PQD)

                      a. Works on helping Clubs and members achieve their goals. The Program Quality Director also leads efforts in designing District Trainings,                                        Contests, Conferences, and other special events.

           3. Club Growth Director (CGD)

                       a. Makes the benefits of Toastmasters membership available to greater numbers of people. The role involves planning, developing, and                                               implementing District Club Growth objectives. The Club Growth Director leads the District’s efforts to build new clubs and to work on                                               strengthening existing membership.

            4. Division Director (7 openings – A, B, Central, D, Eastern, F, Northern) (DivD)

                        a. Provides support to Area Directors (typically 3-5 Areas per Division). A Division Director term is one year (July 1st to June 30th). This role will                                    provide you an opportunity to foster leadership skills in Area Directors and a chance to sharpen your leadership skills.

Appointed Positions in District 35:

             1. Area Director (approximately 27 positions – number can change annually) (AD)

                         a. An Area Director provides District contact, support and assistance to the clubs in an Area (typically 4-6 Clubs). An Area Director term is one                                   year (July 1st to June 30th). This role will provide you a great opportunity to hone your leadership and communication skills.

             2. Public Relations Manager (PRM)

                        a. The Public Relations Manager focusses on internal and external publicity. The position will give you an opportunity to work on your creative                                  side. The PR Manager plays a critical role in ensuring District Success through a detailed planning and execution.

             3. Administrative Manager (AM)

                        a. The Administration Manager helps the district function effectively and achieve its mission by recording and maintaining accurate minutes of                                district council, executive committee, and other meetings. The Administration Manager serves as upholder of the District Administrative                                        Bylaws and policies.

              4. Finance Manager (FM)

                         a. The Finance Manager establishes and maintains effective fiscal management of the district, promotes the growth of Toastmasters by                                             providing sound fiscal guidance to the district. The Finance Manager is also responsible to produce monthly reports reflecting the district’s                                   financial status and ensure that expenditures remain within the budget approved by the district council.