Members of District 19, it’s time for me to go. It’s been my honor to be your District Governor – not 
only once, but twice. Many of you have asked me about my term coming to an end these past few weeks. To me, July 1st simply was “parting is such sweet sorrow.” Your new leadership team is the sweet part. You have new leaders who will be able to strengthen talents they already have and to learn new skills. The true reason why we are Toastmasters. I believe in their abilities and am excited to see how they continue to help you grow. Yet, I am sad about the goodbyes. I have been blessed to meet many of you and heard stories of the development the rest of you have made over this last year. I am so proud of all that you have accomplished.
Today I consider myself to be luckiest woman alive. I have been able to attend many Division TLI’s, Area TLI’s, Division Contests and Area Contests over the past 3 years. I have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you. You also had the courage to talk candidly to me about how things affected our members. I cherish these conversations and time spent with you. It was your courage and strength that made D19 stronger. You created a concrete foundation. Keep building on this strong foundation and you will be untouchable. Once you believe in yourself, the future will always be yours.
It’s been quite a journey and in the end, I simply want to say thank you. Thank you for believing in yourself and achieving your goals. Thank you for bringing new members to your clubs. Thank you for your honesty. Thank you for your drive to make D19 strong for its members. Finally, and this means more to me than words can explain, thank you for the belief, confidence and support you have given me over the past few years.
Kelly Nielsen, Immediate Past District Governor