Candidates corner.
This page is dedicated to candidates for next year District Officer Roles. Each candidate was offered to provide a photo and a short presentation text.
You’ll find here under these photos and texts sorted first by position then by family name. We hope that these will help District Council members (Club Presidents, Club VP Education and District Officers).
For District Director
Robert van der MEER
Robert van der Meer is a recruitment consultant at City 360 in Zwolle, the Netherlands. He recruits public enforcement officials for municipalities. Robert also trains young professionals and students to be more confident when they pitch and present their ideas. He has an academic background in journalism and media studies and extensive experience in sales and training.
One of Robert’s strengths is planning and preparation; his social media strategy, division success plan, and marketing plan still serve as inspiration for district leaders worldwide. He prefers to lead from the front, working directly with the teams and committees he is involved in and sharing his experience.
A Toastmaster since 2011, Robert’s current home club is Toastmasters Zwolle, the club he helped found in 2016. He has held a number of club and district leadership positions and has attained the Distinguished Toastmaster designation. He is currently enrolled in the Innovative Planning path.
Robert van der MEER
For Program Quality Director
Arnout NEDERPELT
We live in a time of challenge. Used to live meetings many clubs are temporarily meeting online, sometimes without guests. As we get creative in finding ways to connect socially, if not physically, the quality of our meetings becomes even more important. We all want to be connected, to know we are not alone and, if possible, come out stonger when the Corona measures get lifted. Stronger as individuals, and as clubs. To achieve that we need to work together, and not be hindered by prejudice or preconceptions – accepting each other as we are and taking responsibility for our club meetings together.
As PQD for the coming year, I hope to support you in this. To make sure that the struggles we face do not break us, but instead make us stronger.
Kind regards,
Arnout NEDERPELT
For Club Growth Director
Virginia ANDERSON
Hello, I am Virginia Anderson the Division D Director covering Luxembourg and Alsace Lorraine. I am applying for the Club Growth Director and want to let you know my motivations for applying to this role. For me, Toastmasters has been my partner in my personal growth, I would not be where I am professionally and privately if it was not for the confidence and potential to support others, that Toastmasters has brought me. So why, club growth director? Ironically, before I have joined Toastmasters, I was in the process of setting of the first corporate club in Luxembourg. I really understood the importance of personal development and being able to access a program that is sustainable and creates a positive leadership mentality. I want to ensure everyone can have the same experiences as myself by ensuring growth and support of clubs across the district.
Virginia ANDERSON
Helena RUIZ FABRA
Since 2012, Helena has been inspired by how Toastmasters empowers people to do magical things and how by better expressing ourselves, we can ultimately make the world a better place.
She is a Systems Thinker, EU Project – Process Manager, Trainer-Coach, Facilitator and Strategist for business, operations, digital communication and marketing. Currently, she studies Dutch.
Helena asks you to vote for her as Club Growth Director. She knows the insides out of Toastmasters, it’s branding, how to develop and manage European networks for positive tangible impact.
She will guide us through the co-creation of the Club Growth Plan 2020-21. Her team has already walked the bases using: foresight, experimentation, access to an extensive European network, marketing resources mapping, regular trainings, coaching circles, PR and sponsoring.
Vote for Helena & contact her using Facebook, LinkedIn or WhatsApp to discuss how she can help you and your clubs.
Helena RUIZ FABRA
For Public Relations Manager
Sabrina KECHEROUD
Thanks to the DLC for honoring me with their choice.
About myself it has been a deeply-thought decision. From heart and mind I feel now is the best time.
It is thanks to challenges: Pathways’ complete release, quarantine, Paris Convention. Next year, no option for District 59 but to shine.
We will build 2021 together. Reminding that you, we, members are first. This has been genuinely rooted in my action, this year as A2 Area Director, before as President, VP PR and Membership, with service-leadership spirit.
It is, because indeed making people and organizations shine is something I am passionate about.
I cannot wait to afford quality time to my mission, offering my expertise in all Communications – strategic and operational – domains
Hope to soon have the opportunity to show you the 2021’s many beautiful shapes! Note already that actors are YOU! We will make it. Great. As a team. Together.
Sabrina KECHEROUD
For Division A Director
Colleen SHAUGHNESSY-LARSSON
Serving as Division Director 2020-2021 is the opportunity I am looking for to better serve Division A in District 59.
My fellow Toastmasters describe me as hard working, reliable, trustworthy and a great person to work with on the team or as head of the team. I am passionate about education and hard working.
Youth Leadership Program (YLP) has brought me much pleasure and seeing the results has been rewarding, especially watching it expand and be a continuing program in the Paris community.
Memories as Area Governor and Assistant Division Governor incited me to serve whenever and wherever I can. I saw the benefits of pulling together.
Each experience I have makes me want to do more for our Division A’s success. I have been preparing for this role since 2015.
Serving as Program Quality Director last year, I realized that I want to fill a gap in my leadership experience and knowledge.
Colleen SHAUGHNESSY-LARSSON, DTM
Toastmasters 75, Division A District 59, April 2020
For Division B Director
Valentina CAIMI
If I am elected Division Director, I will be working with my team to support Belgium’s clubs to thrive, by focusing on the quality of the educational programmes and developing club growth programmes.
Valentina CAIMI
Candidate Division Director
For Division C Director
Andy BAKER
Having joined Toastmasters in 2012, I received my DTM last year in Marseille. That was also when I became Division C Director. I have learned a great deal over the past year, leading my team of Area Directors to successfully run two Club Officer Trainings as well this last round of Spring contests. With at least 50% of our division’s clubs qualifying for Distinguished status and the addition of one new club, we qualify for President’s Distinguished Division.
I would like to continue as Division Director so that we can expand on those successes and use the momentum we’ve built in order to start new clubs in Amsterdam in an effort to keep up the demand that we are seeing. Sharing the education and community I have experienced with Toastmasters is my main motivation, and I would be extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue this work for another year.
Andy BAKER
For Division D Director
Sophie CRUSHOVALIEVA
For Division E Director
Shashidar LAKSHMANA
For Division F Director
Carol BAUSOR
Have you ever taken on responsibilities at Toastmasters ? I have been a member for 10 years and .. I always wanted to compete. So I did many things which would not stop me competing. I :
joined 3 Clubs, organised District Conferences (2), became Club Growth Assistant (over 12 new clubs created ), Pathways Ambassador, was elected Toastmaster of the Year (twice!), organised Club Officer Trainings, did workshops all over the District, and .. in other Districts too: even in Denver last year, Oh, and I won a few contests, too …
Today it’s time to devote what I have learned to Division F, so that we can grow even more together!
“Growing” means: better quality meetings, more competent speakers, more powerful leaders, and … having more fun together … as the man said: “We learn (much) better when we are having fun”
Let’s grow this fabulous Division together!
Carol BAUSOR
For Division G Director
Arthur BENNINK
As a Toastmaster I had the opportunity to learn and develop myself on different levels in my life. As Division Director I am able to continue this path but also able to serve others. As Division Director it is my honor to (in)directly help other Toastmasters in the learning path and help them to achieve a steep learning curve with exponential growth! As your DD I want to strengthen our young Division and look after our clubs and members but also establish new horizons (e.g. collaboration with Rotary and TM Youth Program). This I would like to do by giving people the opportunity and responsibility to establish things and develop themselves, where I always be there to support and help them where needed. And with a great division team I look forward to this new chapter in my and our Toastmaster journey!
Arthur BENNINK