Based upon our review, the DLC makes the following recommendations for the elected District Officer roles for the 2025-2026 Toastmaster year:
We are still accepting nominations for appointed roles (Area Directors, Administration Manager, Logistics Manager, Public Relations Manager, Webmaster, Parliamentarian).
Nominated Candidate for District Director
CURIOUS, FLEXIBLE, ENGAGED
As we begin preparing for 2025-2026, we will be focused on keeping our District 13 strong and building new clubs. As District Director, I look forward to working with our district leadership to strengthen District 13, build unity and prepare for the future. I am curious about your ideas for how we can make our existing clubs even better. I will be flexible as we approach changes in how we connect and how we move forward through change. I am excited about this opportunity to grow my leadership skills and share with all of District 13. I will be engaged in transforming our leadership experience for all district leaders where we grow together, expand our leadership skills together, and serve the District together.
Nominated Candidate for Program Quality Director
STRONG WILLED – HARDWORKING – ENTHUSIASTIC
I am honored to be nominated for District 13 Program Quality Director 2025-2026. Toastmasters have been my secret weapon throughout my career on Wall Street and beyond. Toastmasters helped me overcome a debilitating speech impediment, to become a confident leader and communicator.
I currently serve as the President of two history-making Clubs in our District: Laurel Highlands, Downtown Connellsville, Pennsylvania and Western Maryland, LaVale, Maryland. Both clubs celebrated their charter / officer induction with formal red-carpet events. As of March 2025, both clubs are TI Distinguished. I have served as Area and Division Governor (Director) in New York, District 46, planned conferences nationally, including a District 46 Conference.
My goals for PQD are:
My recent Toastmasters leadership roles:
Some fun facts:
I lived most of my life in New York City, then moved to a farm in Bedford, PA when I got married, and bailed hay for the first time in my life. I am a wife, Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Chief Training Director of Breakthrough Leadership Institute International. As a Toastmaster, I am currently working towards my second DTM designation. I enjoy cooking, shopping, traveling, writing, Kayaking, learning and spending time with my hubby.
To sum up, I am a strong visionary leader, who sets goals and accomplishes them. I am not afraid to work hard. I live my life based on my CIA principles of Character, Integrity, and an amazing Attitude. I genuinely love and honor people. People are our greatest asset; and to change any situation, we must first change our minds to a growth mindset and believe in the people who can help us!
I have over 20 years of solid expertise in leading, training, coaching, event planning and operations management. I am qualified to be your next Program Quality Director, and I will be honored to have your vote. I look forward to collaborating with you to achieve your goals, because we cannot succeed as a district until you accomplish your personal goals as a member.
Nominated Candidate for Club Growth Director
ASTUTE – PASSIONATE – ADAPTABLE
I truly believe in the power of Toastmasters, both for leadership and speaking development. The system works for those who apply it. I have seen it work in club after club with novice and experienced speakers alike. However, I also believe that in many ways, Toastmasters remains a diamond in the rough with its full potential not yet realized.
Civic and religious organizations throughout the United States have suffered a decline in membership. Toastmasters is no different. However, Toastmasters offers skill development in areas that are valuable to business, social, civic groups alike. Few people can make it through life without needing to speak publicly or lead. Whether it’s Rotary, Lions, the church down the street, or the business downtown, they are all made stronger from their membership developing speaking and leadership skills.
Let’s face it, by the time most adults reach 25, their schedules are already packed to the top. Career and life events pile on responsibilities. Asking the average 25-45 yr old to add a weekly, or even bi-weekly meeting to their schedule, no matter what the benefits, is a significant ask.
I think we need to help folks get invested in the power of Toastmasters before they hit the busyness of their mid-twenties. We need to reach out to college campuses…especially the first- and second-year students. This is the time when they are still figuring everything out. Most of them have to take a public speaking class and are getting involved in student groups. This is an untapped market for us. As your District 13 Club Growth Director, I will make getting a foothold in the colleges and universities a priority!
Corporate clubs are a great place to develop clubs, but they leave out small businesses. To start a club, you need 20 members and what small business has 20 employees? Very few. I think reaching out to a consortium of small businesses or perhaps the Chamber of Commerce might be a way to approach the challenge of small business participation. As your Club Growth Director, I will work to develop a program that can be packaged to small businesses!
I am new to District 13, but I am a veteran of developing clubs and civic groups. I have been a Toastmaster for over 10 years, and I am NOT afraid to roll my sleeves up and get to work (Anyone who saw me at the D13 conference last year already knows that)! I became a club president and area director three weeks after getting involved in District 13. I have completed all but 1 requirement for my DTM this year alone. I will bring that drive and determination to move District 13 forward into a bright future!
Nominated Candidate for Club Growth Director
THOUGHTFUL – CURIOUS – FLEXIBLE
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Nominated Candidate for Finance Manager
ANALYTICAL – CALM – FRIENDLY
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Nominated Candidate for Division A Director
ENGAGING – INTUITIVE – DILIGENT
Thank you for nominating me for Division A Director. It is an honor I do not intend to take for granted. Those who nominated and are voting for me must understand my leadership and life perspectives. Therefore, I would like to be bold and brave and propose a redesign of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity into an equation for emotional intelligence, for your consideration.
E (Energy) = m(mindfulness)c(compassion)^2
Our energy is a direct product of how mindful we are of ourselves and those around us, multiplied by the compassion we show to them, squared. This is the very definition of relativity: the state of being dependent for existence on or determined in nature, value, or quality by relation to something (or someone) else.
Understanding that the effort is circular, it’s crucial to consider the kind and amount of energy we choose to put into the world. This circularity means that the energy we put out is the same energy we receive, creating a continuous loop of influence, especially in speaking.
When we deliver a speech, what are we intending to give our audience? How much of our heart and creativity do we allow to shine through our words, movements, and tone? We often forget that we ought not match energy but rather set the tone. We must move our audience toward our intended goal. In the same respect, as servant leaders, we must consider the needs of our charges and provide what they need for success. While they may need materials, I believe the most critical need is that of self-confidence and self-worth. These two elements can be effortlessly applied through compassion and a genuine concern for their success.
Let’s remain mindful of our relativity and remind each other of our relevance in fostering a season of change, thereby enhancing our interactions with one another and the world around us.
Nominated Candidate for Division B Director
CHAMPION OF TEAMWORK – APPRECIATES A GOOD LAUGH – THOUGHTFUL
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Nominated Candidate for Division C Director
RESILIENT – HUNGRY FOR KNOWLEDGE – OPEN & RESPONSIVE
My Respected and Distinguished Fellow Toastmasters of District 13, It is a privilege and an honor to be considered for the position of the Division C Director role. My message to the Division and the wider District is that I want to emphasize and promote a culture of builders and the act of building. Building effective networks of idea sharing across clubs, building committees, building teams, new clubs and new leaders. I look forward, if I am fortunate enough to assume this role, to working with my fellow District leaders in service of our clubs.
Nominated Candidate for Division D Director
DILIGENCE– DYNAMIC – DIVERSITY
It is a true honor and privilege to be nominated for the Division D Director role. Since joining Toastmasters in 2021, I have been fortunate to serve in various roles across three Clubs, including President, Vice President Membership, and Area Director. I’ve also had the pleasure of working with the Summer TLI committee in 2023 and participating in Speech Contests, all of which have strengthened my commitment to Toastmasters and our shared mission.
Looking ahead, I’m excited to build on the momentum within Division D and focus on increasing inter-Club and Area communication. I believe that clear and open communication is the foundation for a thriving division, and my goal is to foster an environment where every member feels supported, every Club achieves its goals, and every Area improves.
Together, we can continue to strengthen our Division, ensuring that each member’s journey is empowered, and every club’s success plan is realized. I look forward to the opportunity to work with all of you in the coming year!
The purpose of the district is to enhance the quality and performance and extend the network of member clubs of Toastmasters International within the boundaries of this district, thereby offering greater numbers of people the opportunity to benefit from Toastmasters educational program by:
Talking Toastmasters
