Candidates Corner

Jim Kennedy, DTM

Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Jim Kennedy is an international best-selling author, speaker, and podcaster on the topic of Leadership Development. In his first book Discerning God’s Purpose: A Father’s Journey from Tragedy to Triumph, he shares how he used his faith to lead him in the direction of his calling and how he came to rely on the words: “With God, all things are possible.” In his latest book, an anthology collaboration called Step Into Leadership Greatness: Leadership Isn’t Just A Title, Jim writes a chapter titled “Parent Leadership: Preparing the Leaders of Tomorrow.” In addition to his books, Jim has written articles on Leadership Development for publications such as The Huffington Post and The Good Men Project.

Jim has been a member of Toastmasters since December 2018 and earned his DTM designation in November 2022. He is a member of the Advanced Leadership Club. He has served as Vice President Education (2019- 2020) and Club President (2020-2021) for Five Rings Financial and Friends, Area Director for Area 55 (2020- 2021) , Division Director for Division E (2021-2022), District 66 Club Growth Director (2022-2023) and is currently serving as the Program Quality Director for District 66. In addition, he has worked on District level projects such as a blog for the District 66 website and the creator and former host of The Toastmaster Leader, the official leadership development podcast for District 66.

Before becoming a writer and a speaker, Jim served in leadership and management positions for over 28 years within the federal government and private sector. Jim began his career as a US Army Officer and has gone on to serve as a program executive, program manager, administrative manager, project manager, and Information Technology Consultant. He has formally managed organizations consisting of over 200 people and has informally influenced multiple organizations at the agency level. Jim has worked with Presidential and Congressional offices as a leadership change agent.

Jim holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Howard University, a Master of Business Administration degree from Webster University (St. Louis, MO), and a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University. He has also participated in Leadership Development programs with the Department of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) and the Urban League of Cincinnati (African American Leadership Development Program of Greater Cincinnati). Jim currently lives with his family in Chesapeake, VA

Doretha Pair, EH5

My name is Doretha Pair and I am the current Club Growth Director.  I am running for Program Quality Director for the 2024-2025 Toastmasters year because ensure our clubs remain strong through training, having quality contests and other special events. 

My home club is SPEAKDOT Toastmaster Club which I joined in November 2017.   I served as the President and Vice President Education and led my club to President’s Distinguished. I currently serve as the Vice President Membership and Vice President Education.

My desire to share what I have learned in my Toastmasters experience with our members led me to become a Trainer for the District.

In 2021-2022, I served as the Area 33 Director for District 66 and led Area 33 to Distinguished status.

The leadership track in Toastmasters has been very rewarding, leading me to serve as the Division D Director for the current Toastmaster year.

My background includes two undergraduate degrees: Computer Science degree from American National University and Bachelor of Science degree from Liberty University. I currently work at the Virginia Department of Transportation as a certified Emergency Manger.

My experience in my job, and as a leader in my club and District 66, will assist me with the duties of Club Growth Director.

Marilynn Vaughn, 

Education

Doctorate Strategic Leadership, concentration Strategic Foresight, Regent University 2012

Masters – Theology, Life Christian University 2012

Bachelors – Theology, Life Christian University 2010

MBA, concentration in Information Technology, Virginia Commonwealth University

BA Economics, minor in English – College of William & Mary

Relevant work experience and how it relates to Toastmasters and your role as a District leader:

I have served in roles at the community, church, statewide, and global levels requiring the following soft skills: leadership, collaboration, extensive communication, building influence and social capital, and team building and coaching. I would bring this vigor, passion, accountability, creativity, and success mindset to a district role:

1. I am a long-term substitute teacher at Bell Creek Middle School teaching students assigned to the Project Literacy Program.

2. I serve as the Education Chair for District 66 and designed and implemented the Road to Success” training vision and the District’s Leadership Institute curriculum by customizing Toastmaster’s International training materials and adding new creative content.

3. I served as the Community Liaison and Program Coordinator for Hope Giver USA, Inc., the Community Development Corporation of Speaking Spirit Ministries International. In this role, I coordinated and collaborated with community-based nonprofit organizations, businesses, donors, and local, state, and federal government agencies. This role required extensive teamwork, organization, and communication (both presentations and impromptu speaking).

4. As the Manager of Effectiveness and Special Projects for ChildFund International, I led teams in a matrix environment. I coordinated functions, projects, and meetings across 25 country offices in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and ten (10) alliance members.

5. I organized and managed the monthly meetings for the second-tier leadership team, the Global Operations Leadership Team. I led a seven -member team that organized and hosted a Global Innovation Fair at the Richmond Convention Center in 2018 that showcased close to 90 innovations in international development from 38 countries. Also, I was the editor for the Annual Country Field Reports for the 25 country offices. These reports were used by the 10 ChildFund Alliance Members in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Japan, Korea, Canada, and Sweden to report to their donors and to share on their websites.

What experience do you have in strategic planning?

I have extensive experience in strategic planning and professionally I am a Strategist. Currently I am launching a consulting practice, focusing on helping social entrepreneurs and education and training organizations build strategic influence, develop and execute strategic plans of varying timeframes and scope, and acquire and manage grant funding. In my previous position with ChildFund, I was a member of the four-member organization-wide Strategy Integration Team. This team coordinated ChildFund’s global five-year strategy. During District 66’s Winter Leadership Institute in December 2023 through February 2024, I led the SWOT initiative (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats), that was presented at the in-person and virtual club officer training sessions.

What experience do you have in the area of finance?

I have extensive experience in finance, including business planning and growth, revenue generation and diversification, and budget development and management (tracking and fiscal strategies). As an example, in my last position at ChildFund, I assisted the Executive Vice President with developing and managing a budget of $149 million. Currently, I assist nonprofits with developing operation and program budgets and diversify funding to support their strategic directions. I also co-created a methodology for ChildFund’s Global Operations Leadership team to do a quantitative and qualitative analysis of its global footprint. During COVID, I served as the Project Coordinator for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the Department of Health’s Virginia Partners in Prayer and Prevention Program in the Office of Health Equity, I served at the front line cultivating the relationship with the four (4) HBCUs and managing the Center for Disease Control (CDC) COVID-19 Health Disparities $1.5M grants portfolio.

What experience do you have in developing procedures?

I have experience in process mapping and developing policies and procedures, individually and as a team member. For example, I have developed procedures for volunteer management for churches (including youth ministry) and nonprofits; policies and procedures for government agencies, e.g., Department of Information Technology and the Governor’s Council for Employment and Training; and policies and procedures for ChildFund, an international nongovernmental organization. During COVID, I developed a Parent Handbook for an after-school program.

What lessons did you learn from previous leadership positions?

As a Doctor of Strategic Leadership, at my Commissioning Ceremony the day before my graduation ceremony, I took an oath “To do the greatest good.” First, I have a definition of leadership: Leadership is relationship. For me, it is my relationship with God, myself and others. Second, I have a strategy that I execute daily. My faith is important to me and that involves prioritizing my spiritual development and growth, serving others, doing the greatest good, and managing polarities. Third, doing the greatest good and managing polarities requires a positive attitude, “seeing the glass as half full rather than half empty,” and integrative and critical thinking – approaching issues not as either/or (unless of course it involves the wrong thing or something illegal) but both/and. This approach creates synergy and productive tension rather than polarization. 

Why do you want to serve as a District leader?

Since joining Toastmasters I have expanded my network with friendships and mentors that have helped me go to the next level professionally, and personally, and sharpen and develop new skills. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Because I have gained so much from my Toastmasters journey, I want to give back and help District 66 Toastmasters have a greater impact.

 In your opinion, what are the District mission’s major objectives and how would you work to achieve them?

The District’s mission in the 5-Year Strategic Plan (2020-2025) is: “We build new clubs and support all clubs in achieving excellence.” Three areas of focus are highlighted in the strategic plan: (1) Club Excellence; (2) Member Achievement; and (3) Awareness, Engagement and Participation. This past year, I organized and served as a trainer for District 66’s “From Speaker to Trainer” course. In 2021-2022 I completed the Train the Trainer courses, as well as most of the other courses that were offered in the Marketing and Membership series. I am also an avid reader, and I read each issue of the Toastmaster’s monthly magazine to learn from the experience of other clubs. I currently use this information as the Education Chair to help achieve the district’s major objectives. I am also a lifelong learner and “networker” and would use these social skills to continue adding value to District 66. Further, as a strategic foresight professional, I have a growth mindset and balance evidence-based practices with innovation to help organizations build their capacity for greater impact.

 Melvin Carter, DTM

Education and watching personal growth in members really makes my heart sing, but I realize that we can’t do that successfully without members.  I want to constantly encourage members to excel in their own personal growth and learning as well as constantly embrace new ways to elevate existing members and bring in new members.

Toastmasters has helped me find again the enjoyment of public speaking and helped me expand on that joy by sharing with others and helping others find their strengths and successes. I am excited to continue on that journey!

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