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COVER STORY

District 7 Toastmasters Champions

Phyllis Harmon, DTM, PDG

District Speech Champions, Jeff Spitzer, EC2 and Lachlan Croteau, EH1, answer questions about themselves,
contests, and life.

Who is Jeff Spitzer? was doing. . . and set on a path to brighten our
Life for me began in the back of my future by going back to school with a single
grandfather’s Studebaker. . . allegedly anyway. purpose—to learn enough to get a job where I

(Oh—you probably didn’t want that much could take a shower before work, instead of after.
history!) There were hardly early signs that I By July of 1999, I had achieved just that by
would amount to much of anything (not that I landing a job as a programmer with a local market
have), having scraped by in school most of my research company. I’ve worked in market research

youth and dropping out of community college ever since, though I now work with clients and
at age 19 when my girlfriend became pregnant. haven’t programmed in nearly 20 years.
To support my young family, I took a job as
a trash collector—yes, I was literally a garbage What does the title of District 7 International
man. And yes, it is fun to drive a garbage truck. Speech champion mean to you?

Fast forward 7 years, with two kids and in It’s really kind of nuts. I don’t consider myself
the middle of the divorce process, I moved the best public speaker in my own house, let alone
to Portland, Oregon from my hometown of my Club or the entire District!

Stockton, California with my kids and soon-to-be I entered the International Speech competition
ex-wife in tow. this year because I felt that I had a good message
There I was in 1997, age 26 and a divorced to share. I was just hoping to make it as far as I
college dropout! I moved my kids 600 miles from could to spread the message as widely as possible.

their next closest relative to a new city where we Honestly, at the time, I was thrilled just to advance
knew nobody except my ex-witch, er, wife. past the Club level and never thought I’d go as
After about 6 months of picking up trash in far as I did.
Oregon, I started to ask myself what the heck I To this point, I’ve performed the same

VOICES! | JUNE 2022 7