District 19 Management

We are setting DISTRICT 19 ABLAZE with members lighting up our District with Dynamic Leadership, Effective Coaching, Engaging Humor, Innovative Planning, Leadership Development, Motivational Strategies, Persuasive Influence, Presentation Mastery, Strategic Relationships, Team Collaboration, and Visionary Communication.

You are part of our team! Be sure you have autographed the banner floating around our District.  We will carry it across the Paris Toastmasters International stage in 2020 to claim our Distinguished District Title!! Let’s add 2019.2020 to our Distinguished years (2010.2011, 2004.2005 & 1998.1999).

We have incredible positive momentum with our incoming team, leaders and members. Connect with fellow members throughout D19 on our district-wide conference call via Zoom the 1^st Monday of the Month – Link to join below.

DISTRICT 19 HOT TOPICS – https://zoom.us/j/320238162

I am so grateful to be amidst our leadership, especially the last few years, as we have been pursuing EXCELLENCE, Integrity, Respect and Service (our Core Values).  We have been leading as ONE TEAM, ONE DREAM. We are achieving EXCELLENCE as ONE DISTINGUISHED TEAM as we partner with one another adding continued value to our programs and meeting expectations set forth by Toastmasters International!

Bring along your Toastmaster friends for this incredible journey.  Map out how you will grow, develop, lead and inspire and when you look back over the year, imagine where we will be as we SET DISTRICT 19 ABLAZE TOGETHER!!

Thanks to the persistence of my vocal teacher, I found Toastmasters!  I began my journey June, 2014 and here I am today.  I am your Program Quality Director.

How did I make this journey of giant steps?  After completing three different series of speech therapy for damaged vocal function and throat muscular abuse, I was in need of another approach to healing.  Goals included being able to sing again, provide staff development sessions, project my voice and be able to speak more than a sentence with one breath of air.

Toastmasters and I were made for each other.  My mentor (also my vocal teacher) encouraged me to quickly give my Ice Breaker; more speeches in the Competent Communication and oh, don’t forget the Competent Leadership.  The more I did the more I wanted.  I needed to continually enrich my experience ..the ME.

The call to Excellence is strong! I continue to practice, to learn.  Providing the opportunity for others to have a successful experience is important.  The benefits are enormous…Join me..Join ME!

And by the way, I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education, a Masters Degree in Special Education; a career in education and administration for 40+ years; two married sons and six grandchildren who keep me very busy, 46 years of marriage under my belt and still trying to get comfortable with retirement….

It really is all about the experience……

I am honored to be serving District 19 as this year’s Club Growth Director.

The last four years I have been on the Club Growth Team.  First as a Club Coach, then a Club coach Chair for two years and most recently as the Club Extension Chair.  I know where we are, I know where we can be and I am a woman on a mission to get us there.

After serving over 25 years as the Head of Technology for the Legal Department at one of the country’s largest insurance companies, I took early retirement in 2018.   I was in a field that was constantly changing, leading a  group of people who were used to long standing traditions.

I live in Cedar Rapids with my husband and our two cats.  All of them are resistant to change of any sort.

Change is inevitable.  How we chose to handle change is up to each person.

Pathways, the program that will market Toastmasters to those who have recently started their careers, is like a swimming hole.  Some jumped right in, others entered cautiously, dipping in a toe to test the water.  Still others stand on the shore.   Whether afraid of sinking or maybe just not wanting to learn how to swim, the water can be intimidating.

Looking back upon my career, I became aware I never really worked a day of my life – it was all fun.  Ralph Smedley said it best “We learn in times of enjoyment”.  Let’s have some fun with the changes we currently have.

I challenge you to take a step closer to the water.  If you’re in the water, go in deeper.

Game On!