District 19 Management

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 District 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……

Carrie Dostal joined Toastmasters in 1998 because I wanted to be a more effective communicator. As an extrovert, I have always been comfortable talking, but I needed a place to obtain feedback and practice. Personal situations led me to step away from Toastmasters for a while, but I realized that speaking skills deteriorate without practice and I missed the members of District 19!

Over the years, I’ve served the District in a number of ways including Area Director, Finance Manager and now Program Quality Director.  As an accountant, serving as Finance Manager (previously Treasurer and Audit Committee) is well within my comfort zone.  My new role will be a stretch, but I’m super excited to serve in this way and to learn and serve along with my fellow district officers.

On a personal level, I have been happily married to my husband Craig for 32 years and have an “adult” son, Josh (age 20). I enjoy my role as pit crew for all the things my big boys love to do including dirt bike racing and golfing. As an Iowa State graduate and CPA, FBL Financial Group, Inc. had paid my salary for 30 years where I have worked most of my career in statutory and GAAP financial reporting for its main subsidiary, Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company. In addition to Toastmasters, I volunteer with FBL Women’s Inclusive Network, Accounting and Finance Women’s Alliance and as a barista at my church.

When I walked into the Eagle’s Voice Toastmasters fall open house in 2015, I had no clue what I was getting myself into. To be honest, I did not even believe the demonstration meeting I witnessed was for me. It took another three months and a coworker who would not give up getting me to join. I never imagined after the final “dude, you really need to join” conversation that I would end up here, your Club Growth Director.

By nature, I am an early adapter. I love to say I tried it first, I owned it first or just in general I was first. Which is why when the call for Pathways Guides in the district came up, I jumped on the opportunity. That chance to be first into Pathways would ultimately be the first of many opportunities that has brought me to leadership today.

If there is one thing that I am continually reminded along my leadership journey, it is that I have not done this alone. I have had so many people help me along the way. That is the focus that I want us all to have throughout our next year. While we are all have different destinations, our journeys are best travelled together. Working together is what will give us the best club and member experience.

Outside of my Toastmasters time I enjoy spending time biking and, near, in or on the water (fresh, salt or frozen).  I spent 12 years in the television news industry as a photojournalist and producer before making the transition to a corporate communications role five years ago. While there are plenty of days that I miss news, I can say with certainty I do not miss the 2:00 AM house fire calls. I currently reside in Des Moines with my wife Mackenzie and son Graham.