D66 Toastmasters Times | Issue 10 | January 2026

Editor’s Note
Happy New Year Fellow Toastmasters!
Welcome to the January issue of the D66 Toastmasters Times. We are now at the halfway point of the 2025-2026 Toastmasters Year.
Read on for:

• Messages from our Trio.
• A report from the Winter Leadership Institute held in 3 locations in December
• The “Club Corner”, which includes valuable information for Clubs
• It’s time for clubs to be holding contests, resources are available!
• The regular features include tips for improving your speeches, meet a member and celebrating our clubs and members.
• At the very end of the newsletter, there is a list of all of the roles & volunteers that support the District. I hope you find this information helpful. If you have any topics you’d like included in the March D66 Toastmasters Times, please let me know.

Until next time,

Kristine Vey, DTM, editor
d66news@tmdistrict66.org

MESSAGES FROM THE TRIO

District Director – Doretha Pair, DTM

Greetings from the District Director

District 66,

We made it through the first half of the year and the holidays. We are about to begin the sprint to Distinguished. We can do it if we work together to build our membership, earn educational awards, and work on the plan. I would like to see the District Distinguished as of April 1st. It has been many years since we were Distinguished, but this is our last year as District 66, and we want to go out with a bang. We want to make this the best year ever.

If you know of groups that would like to start a club, let us know, and we will assist you in chartering the club. This could help you become a Distinguished Toastmaster.

I continue to challenge each member to strive to earn a Triple Crown. A Triple Crown is earned when you earn at least three educational awards in a program year. Reach your goals and your highest potential in Toastmasters this year.

Our theme this year is Together, we are stronger.

Doretha A Pair, DTM
2025-2026 District Director
director@tmdistrict66.org

Program Quality Director, Marilynn Vaughan
“SAVE THE DATE” – District 66 Conference will be held May 1 – 2nd in Charlottesville. It will include Keynote speakers & Workshops to Build Momentum.

Momentum Matters: Let’s Cross the Finish Line—Together

As we enter the final six months of the Toastmasters program year, one word rises above the rest: momentum.

Momentum is built one speech at a time. One Pathways project completed. One member encouraged. One guest welcomed. When clubs sustain momentum, something powerful happens—goals become reality.

This season is about crossing the finish line strong. For many clubs, that means becoming Distinguished or higher. For others, it means strengthening meeting quality, completing educational goals, or rediscovering the joy of learning and leadership. Every step forward matters.

“Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.” — Robert Collier

The next six months offer tremendous opportunity. Speech contests—at the club, area, and division levels—are not only showcases of excellence, but they are also powerful recruitment moments. When clubs publicize their contests, invite guests, and engage their communities, contests become living demonstrations of Toastmasters in action.

“People don’t just join clubs—they join experiences.”

In my role as Program Quality Director, I am personally committed to designing and delivering high-quality speech contests and a District Conference experience that strategically fuels momentum, showcases excellence, and helps clubs and members finish the program year strong.

📍 Mark your calendar for May 1–2, 2026, when we gather for the District 66 Annual Conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton Charlottesville. The conference will feature inspiring speakers, exciting speech contests, leadership learning, and meaningful connections—all designed to support your growth as a communicator and leader.

“Excellence is not an act. It’s a habit.” — Aristotle

Whether your club is working toward Distinguished, Select Distinguished, or President’s Distinguished, or your goal is personal growth that doesn’t fit neatly on a dashboard, you matter. Your progress matters. Your voice matters.

Let’s use the next six months to build momentum, celebrate growth, invite others into the experience, and cross the finish line—together.

Together We Are Stronger. Together We Are District 66.

With heart, purpose, and vision,
Dr. Marilynn Vaughan, DL5, TC4
Program Quality Director 2025-2026
pqdirector@tmdistrict66.org
“Let’s grow together—on purpose.”

Club Growth Director, Jacqueline Harrison, DTM
Wanted: Toastmasters interested in becoming Mentors & Sponsors
A training class coming soon

Start Recruiting New Members Now to Reach Distinguished Status by June 30

Clubs need to begin recruiting new members now to meet the Distinguished Club Program membership goals by June 30. Waiting until late spring makes it much harder to reach the required numbers, especially with vacations, holidays, and busy schedules.

Early recruiting allows clubs to:
Build momentum throughout the year
Onboard and mentor new members successfully
Avoid last-minute pressure
Strengthen meeting energy and engagement

Consistent, intentional recruiting—through open houses, guest invitations, Speechcraft programs, and corporate or community outreach—puts clubs in the best position to achieve Distinguished or higher.
The clubs that start now are the ones celebrating in June. Let’s make it happen! 🚀

🌟 District Club Growth Support 🌟
Together, we build stronger clubs, stronger leaders, and stronger voices.

📬 Contact: Jacquie Harrison, DTM
📧 ClubGrowthDirector@aol.com | 📱 (757) 651-9055

Report from the Winter Leadership Institute (WLI)
December 6, 2025 in Lynchburg, Glen Allen, Virginia Beach, VA

In early December, Club Officers and members gathered at three different locations to learn and network. The day featured three keynote speakers from around the Globe.

Verity Price, DTM, 2021 World Champion of Public Speaking from South Africa. Verity’s key message was to say “yes to the stretch.” Unexpected opportunities often arise as a Member of Toastmasters.

Violetta Rios, DTM, International Director from Mexico. Violetta’s key message was to join “operation little bit”. Members can focus on finishing a speech or a level in Pathways. They can consider serving as a club officer or support the District outside of the club. Small, repeated actions can lead to big changes!

Cindy Laatsch, DTM. Regional Advisor from Florida. Did you know about 2/3 of new members report that they joined because someone invited them to visit?
Cindy’s key message was focus on the VALUE of Toastmasters when you invite someone to visit your club.Create your own value statement to share with prospective members. It might include ideas like Learning, confidence, practice, less anxiety, improved engagement with an audience. Join Perry Neal at Momentum Monday on Feb. 2 to learn more!

After lunch, our outgoing District Director, Jim Kennedy was roasted by various other leaders, a call was made for future District leaders, and the value of contests was highlighted. Successful contests involve EVERYONE. Speech Contest Training will be offered by the Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. Check the calendar for details.

A big thank you to the members who helped plan and organize the WLI at the 3 locations. The trio, Venus Wilmer, Karen Huffman, Vicky Lyle, Angela Johnson, Robin Jenkins, Kitty Boitnott, Jovan Adams, Rhonda Brown, Linda Kennedy, Anthony Smart and Shary Raxe.

District Director Doretha Pair spoke at the Legacy Celebration at the
Fieldhouse in Newport News

Club Corner – Information & Updates for Clubs

Make up Club Officer Training is still available through other Districts! Use this LINK to find other training and how to register. If you attend officer training through a different district, please ask their PQD to provide documentation of your attendance to Marilynn Vaughn and yourself. To earn the Goal in the Distinguished Club Program, at least 4 club officers must be trained twice a year.

Club Contests Start Now!

Each year, Toastmasters throughout District 66 & the world participate in speech contests. The competition begins at the club level and culminates with the International World Championship of Public Speaking.
Whether you are planning a speech contest or competing in one, it may be challenging to know where to begin. The District has put together this resource guide to help you understand speech contest fundamentals and get organized.

For additional assistance, please email Marilynn Vaughan, Program Quality Director

Clubs should hold their contests by the end of February.

We all have the opportunity to step outside our club and even our Areas or Divisions by supporting other contests. Here are the dates, visit the calendar or ask your Division Director for more details.

Division A Area 11 March 14 – Lynchburg

Division A Areas 12 & 14 March 28 – Salem

Division A Area 18 March 7 – Charlottesville

All Division B Areas (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27) Feb. 28 – Glen Allen

All Division D Areas (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46) Feb, 28 – Virginia Beach
______________________________________________________________________

Division A – April 11 – Lynchburg

Division B – March 28 – Glen Allen

Division D – March 14 – Virginia Beach

Enhanced Pathways

Are your members a little confused about the recent changes to Pathways?

Helpful information is in this graphic! The newly required presentations are available through these links (you will need to log in to access them). These presentations have been prepared by Toastmasters International for our use at our clubs. They include slides which we can download and personalize and a manual with a script we can personalize.

Successful Club Series
Better Speaker Series
Leadership Excellence Series

Word of the Day: Tenacity

Tenacity – Noun

the quality or fact of being very determined; determination.
“you have to admire the tenacity of these two people”

the quality or fact of continuing to exist; persistence.
“the tenacity of certain myths within the historical record”

Speakers Corner

Marathon, Mt. Everest, or Laundry. You Decide.

Why haven’t we seen you give a speech in a while? You can’t think of a topic. You’re having trouble thinking of something that will resonate with an audience. You’re thinking you haven’t climbed Mt. Everest or run in a Marathon or played in the NFL, so you don’t have a story to motivate or inspire others. The truth is that climbing Mt. Everest or running a marathon may be fantastic physical accomplishments and the result of hard work; these solo accomplishments may not inspire or motivate many as extreme athletics are too far from an audience’s reality in life. Topics like these can be alienating for people making them feel inadequate because they just need a little rest between dropping kids off at daycare and making a paycheck stretch to the next paycheck.

Erma Bombeck wrote a syndicated column and 15 best-selling books. Her subjects were suburban life, laundry, motherhood, children, and husbands. She had a wonderful sense of humor and everyday people, especially women felt seen. You might have a special way of seeing life or laundry or work that will resonate with people. People like to hear everyday people’s struggle or the way they can laugh at it. You have your own viewpoint, and it may be worth sharing in a speech. What if your laundry day could be a hilarious adventure? People will relate to the adventure of laundry much more than a climb up Mt. Everest because they will be doing laundry a lot sooner than they will be climbing Everest.

Mike Etchemendy, DTM

Meet a Member – where we introduce you to other Toastmasters throughout the District.

They were all asked: How would you describe the culture of your club? What do you do outside of Toastmasters? How has being a TM affected your personal or professional life? What advice would you give to a new member as they begin their membership?

Division A

Cassandra Sabo

Toast of the Burgs
Blue Ridge Toastmasters

Toastmaster for 11 years

2025-2026 District 66 Public Relations Manager

I have been in Toastmasters since July 2015. When I first joined, I belonged to a local club, Toast of the Burgs (Blacksburg, VA). Unfortunately, we weren’t able to survive the pandemic, so when that club folded I joined the Blue Ridge Toastmasters club in Charlottesville. Since I don’t live in Charlottesville, I Zoom into the meetings every Tuesday.

BRTM is an open and supportive club. The members have been very welcoming and friendly. I have learned so much. Even though I don’t live in Charlottesville, I have felt truly included by the members. The club occasionally hosts events on Saturdays (e.g., international speech contest viewing party, club dinners) and if the weather is good and my car is willing, I drive up to join them. Sometimes, on Zoom, you can feel excluded from the local portion, but I’ve never felt that way.

I am an administration operations manager for a Japanese-owned company. I oversee the accounting, human resources, IT, and quality departments. For over 70 years, the company was known as Nippon Pulse. We were recently acquired by another Japanese company, so we are preparing to go through some growing pains and changes. It’s going to be interesting. When I’m not working on Toastmasters or at work, I enjoy movies, books, and traveling.

I joined Toastmasters to improve my one-to-one communication skills. I’ve never been afraid to speak to a large group. While large groups make me nervous, they don’t scare me because it’s a one-to-many “conversation”. But the smaller groups and the one-to-one conversations always intimidated me. Toastmasters has helped to build my self-confidence and improve my ability to organize my thoughts. Both of which have made me less intimidated by small-group or one-to-one conversations and helped me improve my work trajectory.

New members – Speak often. The more often you take on a speaking role, the more comfortable you become doing it. Remember that giving a speech is not the only major speaking role to take on, and all those speaking opportunities will keep you comfortable and growing.

Say yes when asked. Saying yes when asked can lead to great experiences, new knowledge and skills, and the expansion of your comfort zone.

Division B

Meenakshi Panda

Innsbrook Toastmasters

Toastmaster for 5 years

Our club culture is built on accountability, collaboration, and mutual respect. Members take ownership not only of their own growth but also of others’ success. Meetings are highly engaging, well-structured, and driven by a shared goal: helping every speaker improve. The atmosphere is professional yet welcoming, assertive yet supportive. By working together and consistently showing up, we create high-quality meetings that reflect our collective commitment to excellence.

Outside of the club, I work at Capital One as part of the Software Engineering organization, where I focus on building and leading technology solutions.

Being a Toastmaster has positively shaped both my personal and professional life by strengthening my confidence, sharpening my communication and leadership skills, and enabling me to express ideas with clarity and impact; during COVID, it was truly a lifesaver, helping me stay connected with people, regain a sense of purpose, and find the right direction during a challenging time.

Based on my experience, my advice to new members is to stay consistent, say yes to roles even when you feel uncertain, and truly listen to the feedback you receive.

Division D

Mia Wang

V.O.I.C.E.S of Williamsburg Club

Toastmaster for just over one year

My club is always filled with love, laughter, excitement, and cake. It is a warm and supportive environment that encourages growth in both personal and professional life.

I am a Technical Project Manager at a nonprofit organization. In addition, I volunteer as the Director of Programs for the Central Virginia PMI Chapter and serve as an AI Solutions Architect for a startup.

Toastmasters has had one of the most significant impacts on both my personal and professional life. So far, I completed the Presentation Mastery Path.

It helped me build confidence and overcome communication barriers, especially since English is my second language. While adapting to a new culture and communication style was challenging at first, I have grown tremendously. I now deliver presentations and speeches with much greater confidence and clarity, even outperforming native speakers at times, accent included.

Do not hesitate to ask for help when you need it. Give speeches fearlessly, embrace every opportunity to speak, and actively seek feedback. That is where the real growth happens.

SAVE the DATES

Watch the D66 website calendar for details & Registration links

Jan 26 – Come to this training to learn more about the roles in the contest – led by Charles Gates

Feb 2 – 7:00 p.m. – Momentum Mondays – Features, Values, Benefits – led by Perry Neal Register here

Feb 5 – 7:00 p.m. – First Thursday – Free Toast Host Training – led by Robin Jenkins Register here

Feb 16 – Training on using Canva – led by Michael Pope

Feb 28 – Area Speech Contests for Division B (All Areas) – Glen Allen

Feb 28 – Area Speech Contests for Division D (All Areas) – Virginia Beach

Mar 2 – Momentum Mondays Register here

Mar 5 – First Thursdays Register here

Mar 7 – Area 18 Speech Contests – Charlottesville

Mar 14 – Area 11 Speech Contests – Lynchburg

Mar 14 – Division D Speech Contests – Virginia Beach

Mar 28 – Area 12 & 14 (Combined) Speech Contests – Salem

Mar 28 – Division B Speech Contests – Glen Allen

March 30 – Deadline for clubs to have 8 paid members and be in good standing for upcoming contests

April 2 – First Thursdays

April 6 – Momentum Mondays

April 11 – Division A Speech Contests – Lynchburg, VA.

April 30 – 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm – District 66 Annual Business meeting (Pres., VPEs, DEC) on Zoom

May 1-2 – District 66 Conference in Charlottesville.

June 4 – Momentum Mondays

June 7 – First Thursdays

June 30 – END of Toastmasters Year

*3 Education Awards in the Toastmasters Year

As of 1/16/2026

DISTRICT LEADERSHIP:

Immediate Past District Director Jim Kennedy ipdd@tmdistrict66.org

Administration Manager Sandra Davis admin@tmdistrict66.org

Financial Manager LaTanya Hicks finance@tmdistrict66.org

Public Relations Manager (PRM) Cassandra Sabo pr@tmdistrict66.org

Logistics Manager Linda Kennedy logistics@tmdistrict66.org

Parliamentarian Tishaun Ugworji parliamentarian@tmdistrict66.org

Data Analyst Teresa Chambers data@tmdistrict66.org

Division A Director Tanya White-Deyo, DTM diva@tmdistrict66.org

Area 11 Director Venus Wilmer, DTM area11@tmdistrict66.org

Area 12 Director Susan Mathias area12@tmdistrict66.org

Area 14 Director Rich Coleman, DTM area14@tmdistrict66.org

Area 18 Director Bei Chen area18@tmdistrict66.org

Division B Director Carla Davis divb@tmdistrict66.org

Area 21 Director Frederica Ricks area21@tmdistrict66.org

Area 22 Director open area22@tmdistrict66.org

Area 23 Director Michelle Evans area23@tmdistrict66.org

Area 24 Director Jessica Nowlin area24@tmdistrict66.org

Area 25 Director Ina Brown Mitchell area25@tmdistrict66.org

Area 26 Director Wes Bonafe area26@tmdistrict66.org

Area 27 Director Gayle Turner area27@tmdistrict66.org

Division D Director Michelle Willke divd@tmdistrict66.org

Assistant Division D Director Trevina Jefferson area42@tmdistrict66.org

Area 41 Director Lemika Early area41@tmdistrict66.org

Area 42 Director Trevina Jefferson area42@tmdistrict66.org

Area 43 Director Drusilla Pair area43@tmdistrict66.org

Area 44 Director Amanda Albright area44@tmdistrict66.org

Area 45 Director Anita Jennings area45@tmdistrict66.org

Area 46 Director Myra Alcorn area46@tmdistrict66.org

PQD Support Roles:

SLI/WLI Co-Deans and DTM Coordinators Kitty Boitnott, DTM & Vicky Lyle, DTM  education@tmdistrict66.org

Education and Training Co-Chair (PQD) Robin Jenkins education@tmdistrict66.org

Pathways Chair Lynne Claiborne, DTM pathways@tmdistrict66.org

D66 Speech Contest Chair Charles Gates, DTM contestchair@tmdistrict66.org

District 66 Conference Chair Maggie Ruth

CGD Support Roles:

Club Extension Chair Allan Pedin extension@tmdistrict66.org

Club Quality Chair TBA

Club Retention Chair Tanya White – Deyo retention@tmdistrict66.org

Club New Source Research Chair TBA

PRM Team

Webmaster Jovan Adams webmaster@tmdistrict66.org

Newsletter Editor Kristine Vey, DTM d66news@tmdistrict66.org

Social Media Tiffany Tracey

Celebration Committee Chair Jim Kennedy, DTM ipdd@tmdistrict66.org

There is a LOT going on in District 66! Stay “in the know”

Link to D66 website: https://tmdistrict66.org/
Link to D66 Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tmdistrict66
Link to the Region 6 FB page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/973067051493465