I have been in Toastmasters since the first Tuesday in 2004. Easy to remember since it was election day.

I’m in three clubs. The club culture in each is fun!

I just retired this Fall from 54 years of involvement in rugby. My wife says, “Don’t you dare get involved in something new!” I’m involved in Celtic things locally, both Scottish and Irish. I still work (if you call love of your career as work). I’m a Media Strategist with the Global Media Team of Beyond, a ministry out of Texas. With the word Global in my title, I travel the globe, mostly Asia and some Europe. When overseas, I always try to attend a club and also get my photo taken in front of something interesting while holding an old Toastmasters Magazine. I’ve submitted many shots over the past dozen years (and still have many more that I never got around to submit), but have been twice published in the Traveling Toastmaster page of TM Magazine.

I started teaching Public Speaking as an adjunct at TCC in 2003. I had heard about TM, but only knew that it had to do something with speaking, so in the Fall of 2004 I invited the Division Governor to come speak to my class. She brought along Dick Biondo (oh boy!!). On his way out after speaking, Dick asked me what TM club I was with. My answer: “I’m not.” Dick’s reply: “How in the world can you teach Public Speaking and not be a Toastmaster???” Good question! Now see Question one’s answer above. 😊 My teaching Public Speaking abilities soared and so did my leadership qualities! Toastmasters has opened doors for me to speak in many states and churches, especially the church that I attend in Chesapeake.

A quote from John Adams: Commitment!! Don’t just give Toastmasters a try; give it a commitment! You will find it to be a large world-wide family, making you many new friends wherever you go! You will also find it to be a key…THE key…to unlocking your full potential!

The culture of our Club is having a friendly warm inviting atmosphere that makes people feel very welcome. We take great interest in our guests and members making sure they feel truly valued and that they are introduced to other members in the Club. It’s vital to the Club Culture that our meetings are very well organized and run as seamlessly as possible. We ensure that there is open communication, that our members are always kept well informed, and that we are all there to help. We encourage and support the members by coming alongside them through guidance and mentorship to help them move into their full potential to reach their desired goals and outcomes. We also offer ongoing educational training so that our members are exposed to ALL that Toastmasters has to offer them. We strive to make every meeting an unforgettable experience!!

I work for a small family business but I am also a John Maxwell Certified Leadership Coach helping bring transformation to others so they can launch to impact their families, workplace and communities around them.

One of the reasons i joined Toastmasters was that I had lost most of my confidence when i moved from South Africa to Virginia Beach in 2017. TM helped me to regain my confidence in so many areas. It created a safe place for me to rediscover who I was and to truly see my strengths and value. The team has been a huge encouragement to me to step up, last year into the VPM role and now into taking on the role as Club President. I have done and achieved more than i could have imagined in the last 4 years and I am so thankful that Toastmasters has been the catalyst to help me to achieve this.

My advice to new members would be to believe in yourself, you are so worth it! Don’t give Up! Take the courage and step out as it is only when you do this that you realize your value and true gifted potential. I encourage you to “Dream Big!” and as Jim Kennedy says “Be Unstoppable!!”