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THE COACHNG MAVEN

Interview with Cathey Armillas, DTM

by Phyllis Harmon, DTM

Wikipedia says a maven is someone who is a trusted expert in a particular field,
who seeks to pass knowledge on to others. This definition describes Cathey Armillas,
DTM perfectly. The following interview gives us a look behind the smile and
vivacious personalty of one of the most successful members of District 7 Toastmasters.
Who is Cathey Armillas off stage? Why Toastmasters?

I was born into a Italian Mafioso family in I joined Toastmasters in October 2003. The
Chicago. We moved to Los Angeles when I was Human Resources Manager invited me and the
7. Within a month of being there, our house very first speech I ever heard was from an
was robbed and my parents filed for divorce. I executive at a large corporation. She talked
attended Lady of Lourdes, a Catholic school about about canning peaches. It was funny because I
1.5 miles from where we lived. I used to walk over didn’t care about canning peaches at all but was
3 miles, round trip, every day to go to school. I mesmerized by her ability to deliver an amazing
started playing fast-pitch softball in my preteens speech that kept my interest the entire time. At
to escape the burdens of my broken family. I that moment, I knew I had to join Toastmasters. I
ended up being pretty good at it, and played at could see the value, and even though I didn’t have
the national level as a pitcher. I was Olympic- much time to invest, I realized that any time I
bound when I got pregnant with my daughter. I spent in Toastmasters would have a great return.
gave up a shot at the Olympics for an
early start on motherhood.
I began playing competitive soccer
as an adult. That, along with tennis,
snowboarding, and shuffleboard are
all the sports I engage in today.
I am unique in many senses but
I’m probably most known for being
one of the few teetotalers in this world.
I have never had a sip of alcohol in
my life.
I am known to be a pretty
spontaneous person. I’m always
creating adventures and doing things
like walking bridges all over the world 2012 District 7 Networkng Event
or sometimes bungee jumping off
bridges. I love to read psychology What brought you to Toastmasters?
books. It’s very fascinating to learn why people do I was working as the Director of Marketing
what they do. I always credit a psychology class at an industrial shredder manufacturer. The
I took as a junior in high school for getting me Human Resources Manager invited me to
interested in marketing and, ultimately, to writing go to Toastmasters with her. She was a fairly
my first book. I’m a total OG (original gangster) new member but was very excited about the
as I love to listen to old school rap. Pair that with possibilities that Toastmasters held. She was
my love for ‘70s lite rock and you’ve got yourself trying to invite everyone at the company. I
one hell of a combination. I spend a lot of time was one of the few people that accepted her
in and out of Portland. I do a lot of traveling with invitation. I joined in October of 2003. I‘m
my work—it takes me all over the world. currently a member of TV Toastmasters.

Cathey Armillas, DTM—2016 Washington DC

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 10 APRIL, 2017 7