District Council – District 53 Toastmasters

Spring Blooms

Posted on April 25, 2024 | by Andrew Watt, DTM

Hello Division C Toastmasters,

I hope your Toastmasters spring is going well!

I have a few updates and reminders of now, there is no successor for the Division C Director for the 2024-2025 Toastmasters’ year. The incoming District Director will appoint someone, and indeed already has a candidate in mind! Please let me know if you would like to be an Area Director next year so I can pass it on to my successor to-be and the District Director-elect.

Division C will have its own gathering in early June. Save the date for a social and educational event for all our members to celebrate this year. Come and relax, eat, mingle with others and bring your questions about Pathways or anything else. Please let me know you’re coming!

Date: Saturday, June 1, 2024, from 12pm – 3pm
Location: D’marie’s Pizza in Plainville, CT (D’ Marie’s Pizza)
17 Whiting St, Plainville, CT, United States
RSVP: divcdir@d53tm.org

If you haven’t made plans yet, you should plan to attend the District Conference on Saturday May 11. We have a great range of speakers and workshop presenters, including Accredited Speaker Sheryl Roush DTM! I’ll be there and hope to see you — if you see me, come say hi. I also hope your club will be represented to cheer on the Division champions in the contests: the Evaluation contest is Friday night, and the International Contest is on Saturday. Cheer on your fellow Division members!

Your club should also be deep in planning for next year’s officer slate. By the Club constitution, nominations for incoming Club Officers are due by the last meeting in April, and the election takes place by the first meeting in June — with the new officers reported on the Toastmasters.org website by the current secretary or other club officer no later than June 30.

To help prepare next year’s club officer teams, Club Officer Training events are starting to be scheduled. Please let Bettyann Peck and Mohan Padamati know if you’d like to be involved in facilitating those events — and add the first two events, June 20 and June 22, to your own schedules!

As your Division C Director this year, I’ve learned a lot, especially how important it is to collaborate with others in events such as the Area and Division Contests, while trying to complete my own Pathways projects. I hope you continue to grow as speakers and leaders. Lastly, remember that the DCP (Distinguished Club Program) year ends on June 30, so get those education credits in!

Sincerely,
Selina Tourjee
Division C Director 2023-2024

First Summer 2024 Club Officer Trainings announced

Posted on April 20, 2024 | by Andrew Watt, DTM

Program Quality Directors Bettyann Peck (2023-2024), and Mohan Padamati (2024-2025) invite you to Summer Club Officer Training (COT)!

All District 53 COT events are online via Zoom!

Please see more information and register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/D53COT-Registration

Summer Club Officer Training is targeted for incoming club officers for the 2024-2025 program year, but all club members are welcome to attend.

The June COT dates have been scheduled, as listed below. July and August dates will be announced soon.

Join Us for the District 53 Toastmasters Annual Conference – May 10-11!

Posted on April 19, 2024 | by Zachary Fisk

Dear Fellow District 53 Toastmaster,

As Program Quality Director for District 53, I’d like to extend a personal invitation for you to attend this year’s District 53 Toastmasters Annual Conference on May 10-11 at the Heritage Inn & Conference Center in Southbury, CT. The Conference Committee has put together an amazing program and the theme “Breaking Barriers” is something we can all relate to, whether it is a barrier in the way we network with others or a barrier to our own personal growth.

You will have the opportunity to experience two special workshops with a world-class Toastmaster and Accredited Speaker, Sheryl Roush. Her engaging, heart-centered keynote message will make you feel re-energized and inspire you even beyond your Toastmasters journey.

There will also be two additional morning breakout sessions led by outstanding District 53 Toastmasters. These interactive sessions will provide great tips on how to take your presentations to the next level as well as more advanced and cutting-edge topics. Plus, celebrate this year’s Communication & Leadership Award winner Alisa Klein with an all-inclusive luncheon. We close the conference with the fourth level of competition in the International Speech Contest – come see some of the best speakers in the District!

As Cathy K., a 2023 conference attendee, said “At first, I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend a whole day, traveling to another state for the District conference but I’m SO glad I did! It gave me an opportunity to enhance my Toastmasters experience, and meet cool, new people, and I was blown away by the speech contest participants. It was a fun day- well worth it!”

Ticket prices go up on April 27th to the At Door rate, so please register to join us for this exciting opportunity to meet new people and invest in your own personal and professional development. Looking forward to seeing you there! There is a club rate, three or more people from the same club get a 10% rebate. Bring your fellow members and share this experience!

Additionally, don’t miss out on the FREE Friday night District Evaluation Speech Contest and socializing gathering on, May 10th at 7 pm. Click here for directions.

Yours in Toastmasters Service,

Bettyann Peck, DTM
Program Quality Director 2023-2024

Toastmasters District 53 | Region 9
Serving Connecticut, Western Massachusetts, and Eastern New York
“We build new clubs and support all clubs in achieving excellence”

2024-2025 District Officers Elected

Posted on April 12, 2024 | by Andrew Watt, DTM

On Thursday 11 April 2024 by unanimous ballot, District 53 elected its slate of officers for the 2024-2025 program year during the spring business meeting of the District Council.

Serving in the District Leadership Trio are:

Bettyann Peck, DTM, District Director 2024-2025
Mohan Padamati, DTM, District Program Quality Director 2024-2025
Jackie Kessler, DTM, District Club Growth Director 2024-2025

Mohan Padamati, Program Quality Director 2024-2025 — **District Director**
***Bettyann Peck***

Bettyann Peck joined Toastmasters in 2016 as a member of Park City Toastmasters in Division B and is a veteran of the U.S. Navy. Her proudest achievements in Toastmasters is seeing members she has mentored grow in their communication and leadership skills beyond anything ever expected to achieve. Her professional career spans over 40 years; as the owner of a renovation company, she enjoys designing and installing her clients’ visions of the perfect kitchen, bath or living space. She lives in Seymour, CT with her husband Richard (also an active Toastmaster) and their dog Indi. Bettyann loves being mom to three amazing children and spends time with 5 grandchildren. In her spare time when she’s not renovating her own vintage home, she serves her town as an elected member on the Board of Finance, an active Lions Club member, World Vision International Board Member and an officer at various Veteran posts.
Mohan Padamati joined Talk It Up Toastmasters in Windsor, Connecticut in 2011. He is also a member of Screaming Eagles Toastmasters club & Talking Tomorrow Together Toastmasters club in Division C. He has completed the Distinguished Toastmaster award twice and he was a Division Director of the year in 2021. He is currently working for Cyient Incorporated as an Associate Vice President (AVP). He collaborates with multiple leaders on daily basis and works with very diversified human capital. He lives with his wife Madhu and their two boys in Glastonbury, CT. His hobbies are Toastmasters, reading the books and watching Bollywood & Tollywood movies.
Jackie Kessler joined Bethlehem Toastmasters in 2016. Her journey has included completing five paths in Pathways; serving in nearly all club officer positions in her home club; being a charter member of New York State Forum Toastmasters; serving District 53 as an Area Director, Division Director, and Club New Source Research Chair; taking first place in two District-level speech contests; and receiving the District 53 Toastmaster of the Year Award for 2021-2022. For more than 20 years, Jackie has worked in marketing and communications, with skills including strategic communications, content development, and editorial. She lives with her husband Brett (also a member of Bethlehem Toastmasters) in Delmar, NY, along with their recent college graduate son, currently matriculating son, and two cats.

Elected alongside them are four of the five Division Directors. Due to a last-minute withdrawal from the campaign, District Director-elect Bettyann Peck will appoint a suitable Toastmaster to the role of Division C Director, who will then be confirmed by majority vote at the fall business meeting of the District Council.

Serving for the Divisions are:

Melanie Lee, Division A Director 2024-2025 — Division A Director
Melanie Lee

Scott R. Davis, Division B Director 2024-2025 — Division A Director
Melanie Lee

For Division A: Melanie Lee
For Division B: Scott R. Davis
For Division C:
For Division D: Stephanie Roy
For Division E: Elizabeth Keeling

Melanie Lee joined Toastmasters in December of 2020 as a member of Greater Stamford Toastmasters in Division A. She is most proud of being able to serve the membership of Area 11 as the Area Director from 2022 to 2024. Melanie is a retired NYC certified English teacher having served for 25 years in Brooklyn and the Bronx. She lives in Stamford with her husband Michael and their canine companion, Blue. In her spare time, she talks up Toastmasters at her current place of employment, The Ferguson Library, church-Union Baptist Church and, as a member of the board of directors of C.O.N.E.C.T. (Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut).
Scott R. Davis joined Toastmasters in 2011 as a member of Greater Bridgeport Toastmasters in Division B, and is also a member of Park City Toastmasters. The first time he passed through District leadership roles, he received Area Governor of the Year in 2015 and the U-Rock Award in 2016. Professionally, he holds the unique role of being the Chief Encouraging Officer of Life (CEOOL). In his free time, he loves write, taking photos, solving puzzles and being surrounded by his faith community.
Stephanie Roy joined Toastmasters in November 2020 as a member of Talk It Up Toastmasters (2020-present) and Nathan Hale Toastmasters (2020-2023). She immediately fell in love with the opportunities for growth and D53 community. In April 2024, will also earne the distinction of Distinguished Toastmaster. Stephanie is a seasoned entrepreneur and a dedicated coach and consultant for entrepreneurs, helping them design businesses that align with their passion for making a positive impact. She owns a martial arts school and has a passion for building empowering, community-focused villages within brick-and-mortar businesses. She balances her professional pursuits with homeschooling her son, nerding out on Zettelkasten, and playing way too much Dungeons and Dragons.
Elizabeth Keeling joined NYISO Toastmasters in Rensselaer, NY in 2017. She is also a dual member of Capital Advanced Toastmasters in Division E. She was awarded District 53 Toastmaster of the year for 2022-2023 at the District 53 Annual Conference. She is currently working as a Project Manager for the New York ISO (NYISO) and brings experience from the healthcare and energy/utility industries. Elizabeth lives with her husband, Grant, and their two cats in Rensselaer, NY. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, playing video games, and reading.

The new District Trio and Division Directors will make their promises and be formally installed at the District 53 Annual Conference on May 11, 2024 in the afternoon; and take office on July 1, 2024 at midnight.

The whole volunteer staff of District 53, and all the Toastmasters membership of the District and beyond, wish them great success in 2024-2025!

Communication & Leadership Award 2024

Posted on April 7, 2024 | by Andrew Watt, DTM

For immediate release —

District 53 is pleased to announce the 2024 recipient of its Communication and Leadership Award. The Communication and Leadership Award is presented by the District to a non-Toastmaster in the community who is an outstanding communicator or leader. The recipient will have distinguished himself/herself as a leader or spokesperson for a worthy cause or purpose, especially as it exemplified their communication and leadership skills.

Alisa Klein, Executive Director of Grow Food Northampton (GFN), manages and stewards access to farmland and healthy food to create what they call a “local food system” in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. The organization:

Offers 320 organic community garden plots on six acres to provide gardening space to 400 community members;
Leases prime farmland and provides infrastructure and resources to ten small farms on the 121-acre Grow Food Northampton Community Farm;
Manages year-long weekly farmers markets to connect local farms directly with customers;
Runs a free mobile farmers market that, weekly, delivers fresh local produce and other quality ingredients to hundreds of individuals and families grappling with food insecurity and hunger;
Operates a Giving Garden that grows and donates thousands of pounds of organic produce annually to local food pantries and community meal sites; and
Conducts collaborative research projects with academics and others on sustainable and climate resilience-enhancing agricultural practices.

Alisa Klein,
executive director
Grow Food Northampton

On the Community Farm, GFN leases land to farmers who have traditionally been denied access to farmland, including refugees from war-torn places like Somalia, women farmers, and others. In addition to its farm-based Community Garden, GFN has established community gardens at nine public housing communities to enable low-income families to have access to green spaces and grow their own food. Working together with local business sponsors, Grow Food Northampton doubles the purchasing power of low-income individuals so they can afford more healthy local foods at GFN’s farmers markets. The organization also collaborates with the local school system to deliver hands-on education about nutrition, cooking with locally grown food, and gardening to all K-12 students, while also offering workshops to adults on a variety of local food system-related topics.

Ms. Klein is a long-time activist and community organizer working on issues as diverse, yet interconnected, as the climate emergency and peace and justice in Palestine and Israel. She has been deeply involved in bringing restorative and transformative justice models to addressing harm in communities. Between 2014 and 2020, Alisa served as a Northampton, Massachusetts, city councilor where she established a Select Committee on Pesticide Reduction and wrote and sponsored legislation to prohibit the use of pesticides in municipal spaces. She has a bachelor’s degree from Smith College and a Master’s in International Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

Alisa Klein will receive the award at the District 53 Annual Conference in Southbury, CT, on May 11, 2024.

District 53 Toastmasters is an administrative unit of Toastmasters International that supports the Toastmasters clubs in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, and the Albany, Hudson Valley and upper triangle of New York State. Clubs are open to all adults 18 years of age and older through the payment of membership fees; all members of clubs are members of District 53 Toastmasters. You can find a club near you through the Find a Club feature, or learn how to Start a Club in your community or in your corporate or government environment.

2023-2024 Candidate Showcase Agenda

Posted on April 6, 2024 | by Andrew Watt, DTM

Candidate Showcase

9 April 2024 – 7:00 pm

Chair: Andrew B. Watt, DTM
Past District Director
Co-Chair: Jeff Sobel, DTM
Past International Director
Functionaries
- Sergeant at Arms: John J. Hogan, DTM Immediate Past District Director
- Zoom Master: Norm Thibodeau, DTM
  District Administration Manager
- Zoom Master: Zachary Fisk, PM4
  District Public Relations Manager
- Timer #1: Tom Farrelly, DTM
  District Parliamentarian
- Timer #2: Steve Lanning, DTM
  Area 43 Director, Club Coach Chair

Candidates

District Director: Bettyann Peck
Program Quality Director: Mohan Padamati
Club Growth Director: Jackie Kessler
Division A Director: Melanie Lee
Division B Director: Scott R. Davis
Division C Director:
Division D Director: Stephanie Roy
Division E Director: Elizabeth Keeling

Candidate Biographical Forms can be found on the web at https://d53tm.org/district-officer-candidates/

Presenters:

Morag Mathieson, DTM
- International President 2023-2024
Angela Chute, DTM
- District Director of District 45 2023-2024
Laura St. Louis, DTM
- District Director of District 62 2023-2024
Matthew Storms, IP3
- Club President of West-Conn Toastmasters 2023-2024
- President’s Distinguished Club
Mary Angel, PM3
- Club President of Dutchess County Toastmasters
- Select Distinguished Club

Agenda

Time	Event	Speakers
6:30 pm	Room Opens to All Participants
7:00 pm	Call To Order & Welcome	John J. Hogan
7:02 pm	Opening Remarks by Co-Chairs	Andrew B. Watt Jeff Sobel
7:08 pm	Interviews with Candidates
	District Director candidate	Bettyann Peck – Morag Mathieson, interviewer
	Program Quality Director candidates	Rick May – Angela Chute, interviewer Mohan Padamati – Angela Chute interviewer
	Club Growth Director candidate	Jackie Kessler – Laura St. Louis, interviewer
	Division A Director candidate	Melanie Lee – Mary Angel, interviewer
	Division B Director candidate	Scott E. Davis – Matthew Storms, interviewer
	Division C Director candidate	Rick May – Mary Angel, announcer
	Division D Director candidate	Stephanie Roy – Matthew Storms, interviewer
	Division E Director candidate	Elizabeth Keeling – Mary Angel, announcer
	Including equipment tests and transitions, each candidate should take approximately 5-6 minutes including 4 minutes of timed responses.
8:05 pm	Concluding Remarks by the Co-Chairs	Andrew B. Watt Jeff Sobel
8:15 pm	Adjournment
	Candidate Corner to follow for approximately a half hour, ending no later than 9:00 pm

The Candidate Showcase is a formal annual event at which candidates for District office have an opportunity to show themselves and answer curated questions before an audience.

The Candidate Corner which follows is an informal event at which candidates for District office may meet one-on-one or meet in small groups with interested Toastmasters and engage in dialogue.

Both the Candidate Showcase and Candidate Corner are governed by rules laid down in Protocol 9.0 of the Toastmasters Governing Documents.

Realignment Plan for 2024-2025 Posted

Posted on March 19, 2024 | by Webmaster

The draft Realignment Plan for 2024-2025 has been posted. You can find it here.

Voting to accept this plan will form part of the District 53 Business Meeting on April 11, 2024.

There will be a Zoom meeting to discuss this plan and meet with members of the District Realignment committee on April 4, 2024. Please come and share your thoughts with District leaders. If there are local conditions the committee needs to know, this is the forum to explain them, so adjustments can be made.

Division C Results 2023-2024

Posted on March 12, 2024 | by Webmaster

Fellow Toastmasters,

I’m pleased to report the results of the Division C Contest, held on 9 March 2024. Thank you to the contestants, functionaries and audience members who all helped to make the contest a great success. Go Division C!!

Evaluation:

Linkesh Diwan
Aimee Soucy

International:

Jerry Aiyathurai
Kevin Finn
Silva Abadjian
Satish Sangappa

See the photos from the contest below:

First place winners (Linkesh Diwan and Jerry Aiyathurai) will now advance to the District Contests on May 10 (Evaluation) and May 11 (International) at the District Conference in Southbury, Connecticut.

District 53 Conference:

Sign up to attend the conference to listen to great speeches and cheer on your club/division contestants: District Conference 2024! – District 53 Toastmasters (d53tm.org). Also catch all the great workshops, and the keynote speaker Sheryl Roush! Remember, if 3 members from your club register to attend, you’ll get 10% off later.

Club Member Dues: Renew your membership by March 31, 2024. If a minimum of 8 members from your club renew by March 15^th, the club will get a $25 gift card to the Toastmasters International store.

Area Director Visits: Please plan for the 2^nd round of visits from your Area Directors, reports due by May 31, 2024.

Yours in Toastmasters service,
Selina Tourjee
Division C Director 2023-2024

Results of Division E Contest

Posted on March 10, 2024 | by Webmaster

Fellow Toastmasters,

Division E held its speech contests on Saturday, March 2, in Colonie, NY. I am pleased to report the results to you all here:

International

1st Place: Brandon Eastman
2nd Place: Jim Brooks
3rd Place: Barry Koblenz

Evaluation

**Division E Contest 2024** dignitaries: Jeff Sobel, Past International Director; Jennifer DeMarco, *Area 52 Director*; Patti Walter, *District Director*; Bettyann Peck, Program Quality Director; Elizabeth Keeling, *Division E Director*; Mohan Padamati, *Club Growth Director*; Terry Goodemote, *Contest Toastmaster*

1st Place: Megan Long
2nd Place: Bill Daisak
3rd Place: Marsha Pritchard

First place winners Brandon Eastman and Megan Long will now advance to the District level speech contests on May 10 and 11 at the District 53 Annual Conference in Southbury, CT. Attend the conference to cheer on our Division winners!

Let me remind you that Spring renewals are happening this month. Membership dues for the April 2024 to September 2024 are now being accepted. Please submit all payments on or before April 1. Area Directors will also be reaching out to plan their Spring club visits, please help make arrangements for their visits!

Yours in Service,
Elizabeth Keeling
Division E Director 2023-2024

Report of the District Leadership Committee

Posted on March 9, 2024 | by Andrew Watt, DTM

Dear Patti Walter, DTM, District Director, and to the District —

The District Leadership Committee has completed its work. I would like to thank the committee members — Richard Frantz, Jr, Steve Lanning, Sharon Mercado, Dave Pelland, Beth Van Kempen —for their dedication and serious attention to the work at hand.

Each year, the District Leadership Committee’s members, representing each of District 53’s Divisions, evaluate the qualifications and interview candidates for the elected roles for the coming program year. As committee chair, I am expected to moderate deliberations and debate, and call a vote on each candidate who is presented — but not to influence the committee’s decision.

The District Leadership Committee interviewed the following candidates, and qualified them to run immediately for these roles as Nominated Candidates (links to their photos and biographical forms here):

for District Director
- Bettyann Peck
for Program Quality Director
- Rick May
- Mohan Padamati
For Club Growth Director
- Jackie Kessler
for Division A Director
- Melanie Lee
for Division B Director
- Scott Davis
for Division C Director
- Rick May
for Division D Director
- Stephanie Roy
for Division E Director
- Elizabeth (Liz) Keeling

The committee met all its deadlines and requirements, with the exception of nominating two (2) candidates for the Club Growth Director role; this makes the report valid but incomplete. As a result, interested floor candidates who meet the requirements of the role, may present their paperwork to the District Director for the role of Club Growth Director in 2024-2025, provided that they do so prior to April 4, 2024 at noon.

All nominated candidates listed in the previous section will be listed on the District website at https://d53tm.org/district-officer-candidates/ by March 10, 2024, along with their photographs and Biographical Information forms.

Respectfully submitted,
Andrew B. Watt, DTM, PDD
interim chair DLC 2023-2024