Page 10 - july 2019

COVER STORY

leaders support one another in learning these encouraged me to keep coming back without

skills and that we find meaningful ways to use making a high-pressured sales pitch to join. I
our skills to strengthen our clubs. As PQD, I am joined after my second meeting with them.
responsible for ensuring that we have formal
training through TLIs and that we conduct our What has been your greatest Aha! moment
Annual District conference next spring. Beyond in your Toastmasters journey so far? Why?

that, I hope to support ongoing learning efforts The greatest Aha! moment was the night
with additional training and mastermind groups that Jerry Kleffner recommended that I pursue
to help our leaders develop the soft skills needed the role of Area Governor. I had never thought

to inspire, support, and guide their teams and of myself as a leader, and my short time as a
clubs. non-commissioned officer (NCO) in the Marine
Corps made me question whether I really had
What incentives and recognition are you the personality to be a leader. I had been to a few
planning for the year? District 7 events and was better known outside my

The biggest incentive/recognition is already club than most, so I guess Jerry saw something
defined by Toastmasters International: to be in me that I hadn’t seen yet. I enjoyed my two
Distinguished Clubs, Areas, Divisions, and years as an Area Governor so much that I ran for

District. The incentive to be Distinguished Downtown Division Governor and got elected.
is that if we are using the program correctly,
our clubs will get stronger, be fun, successful, What is your vision for the District as the
and sustainable with dynamic meetings where Club Growth Director during 2019-2020?

members grow and recognize it, which is the I plan to expand the Toastmasters
greatest outcome we could have. organization by building new clubs in areas
underserved by Toastmasters, especially the
Eldred Brown, DTM - Club Growth Director Metro area business community, central and

southern Oregon.
Why did you join Toastmasters? I plan to strengthen our process of building

I joined Toastmasters in May of 2009. I was new clubs and rebuilding struggling clubs by
unemployed at the time and regularly attending building up our teams of club sponsors, mentors,

Cleon Cox’s Job Finders Support Group. At a and coaches. I also want to offer our sponsors,
few of these meetings, Cleon recommended mentors, and coaches the training and ongoing
Toastmasters to me as a way to improve my support they need to be most effective in their
ability to ace the job interview. After checking service.

out three Monday night clubs, I chose the I plan to revive the Club Fitness Program for
Toastmasters club At the River’s Edge. Though clubs with 13-19 members, smaller clubs often
the club was small, I was impressed with the not given the support they need because they’re
warm welcome they gave me and with how they not eligible for a club coach.

10 ONE COMMUNITY