Page 35 - 2018 July Voices

Leadership Project. Both DTMs are in the bag. Ronda: It’s being able to have the skills to teach

- Leanna) classes effectively. For example, I teach real estate
agents the foreclosure process. The real estate
Leanna: Ronda, what do you think is the most world can be confusing. Before Toastmasters I
value you receive from Toastmasters? didn’t know how to put an effective class together.

Now that I have those skills I get inspired when
Ronda: For me it’s the confidence. I could not I see somebody listening intently and all of a
do my job at Ticor if I didn’t have the confidence sudden I see their face light up and they have
to get up and speak and the ability to think on their aha moment.

my feet. To be able to do my job is so much easier
on a daily basis. Leanna: Dennis what word do people use to describe you?

Leanna: What about you Dennis? Dennis: Open and honest.

Dennis: Leadership. For both my careers, I Leanna: Ronda what one word do people use to
was a printer and a firefighter; I was always in describe you?
leadership positions. In Toastmasters we learn

how not only to be a leader, but how to be an Ronda: Go getter type. If someone was to say,
effective leader. I realized after Toastmasters “you can’t accomplish this,” watch me.
that I didn’t have the skills that I thought I
had. Anybody can talk. To be an effective Dennis: What I see is people see you as a “friend.”

communicator takes training and Toastmasters They see you as somebody who they want to
provided that training. I wish I’d had that skill know.
set a long time ago. I helped start Colombian
Toastmasters in 1982. My schedule didn’t Leanna: Dennis what did your father teach you.

allow me to continue. I wish I had stayed with
Toastmasters. I learned so much the last few Dennis: My dad taught me the value of hard
years. work. He taught me that whatever you do, you
do it to the best of your ability because whether

Leanna: Dennis what inspires you? it’s right or wrong no one can fault you for not
doing your best. To have respect for people and
Dennis: I’m on the board of directors of a accept them for who they are.
recovery club. I work with people who are addicts.

What really inspires me is to watch people do Ronda: My dad taught me the value of a sense of
what they need to do to change their lives. humor. Life deals you some pretty crappy cards
sometimes. To be able to laugh definitely helped
Leanna: Ronda what inspires you? lighten the mood in so many situations. You can

VOICES! | JULY, 2018 35