A Reflection on My Tenure as Toastmasters Area Director.
For the last year, I have been fortunate enough to serve as the Director for Toastmasters Area B1. The four public speaking clubs in my Area were Ventura Toastmasters, Ventura Chamber Toastmasters, Ojai Valley Toastmasters, and Avocado Toastmasters. As part of my official duties, I visited each club in person twice, held regular Zoom meetings with club leaders, and helped my friends Aram Dakessian and Paul Kistler organize the Area Speech Contest in February. Serving my Area in this way was one of the most rewarding tasks that I have ever accomplished in my thirty-three years of life. I poured everything I had into this position, and I like to believe that the results continue to show to this day.
My home group, Ventura Toastmasters, recently qualified as a President’s Distinguished Club. This is the highest honor that can ever be bestowed on an individual club. Ventura Chamber Toastmasters has all five of the check marks needed to qualify as a Distinguished Club. Ojai Valley had enough members to qualify for the Distinguished Club Program, and Avocado Toastmasters produced a very winning speaker who advanced through multiple demanding and competitive speech contests.
I cannot, however, claim to have achieved this all by myself. I was, and am, incredibly fortunate to have a lifelong mentor in Debbie Allmon, who took me under her wing from the very beginning, when I was applying for this prestigious position. My best friend Koda Delgado has been excellent as my Area Director Assistant. My successor, Justin Soenke, has been incredibly on top of things, and I am greatly looking forward to seeing where he will take this Area. It has been a total joy working under Tim Mullins, our outgoing Division B Director. Finally, I am incredibly grateful to have worked with the Presidents of all the clubs in B1.
Going in, I had no idea what to expect from this position. But what ended up occurring was beyond even my wildest imagination. To best describe my trajectory, I will liken it to a flight. You choose the destination. There is a steep and powerful takeoff in the beginning. For me, this was the learning curve, at which I excelled. During my ascent, I learned everything I could, as fast as I could. Then, when the plane leveled out, I became even more accustomed to the position, and was incredibly comfortable and in my element being in charge of the Area. Finally, on the 30th of last month, as my tenure ended, my plane came in for a gentle landing, and I like to think that all the passengers were so proud of me that they clapped in unison.
A few weeks ago, Tim personally handed me my Area Director badge, and it has a lucrative future tacked onto my bulletin board, along with my other certificates and accolades acquired over the years. I wish to end this post like I recently ended my tenure, by thanking everyone who was involved in supporting me during this journey. Justin, Area B1 is yours!
My Area Director badge.