The highest award presented by Toastmasters International is the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award. Hours, weeks, and even months can be required just to complete one of the steps in this daunting process. But for those Toastmasters with the drive to accomplish it, all the work is worth it to receive the bronze medallion, the admiration of their peers, and the skills gained.
For the 2019-2020 year (July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020), the following District 23 Toastmasters have earned the Distinguished Toastmaster Award:
Stephen Ralph
July 1. 2019
Club: Taylor Ranch Toastmasters
City: Albuquerque, New Mexico
District Office: Area Director (2018-19)
Club Coached:
HPL Project:
jan grams
August 7,2019
Club: WWJS Toastmasters
City: Lubbock, Texas
District Office: Area 63 Director (2018-19)
Club Coached: WWJS Toastmasters
HPL Project:
Jeff Miller
August 15, 2019
City: Albuquerque, New Mexico
District Office: Area 21 Director (2016-17)
Club Coached: Journal Center Toastmasters (2017-2018)
HPL Project: I managed a team to do conference outreach to club officers and first time attendees. We called and emailed club Presidents and Vice Presidents of Education, and matched all first time attendees with mentors. It was a blast!
Lorraine Sachs Garcia
August 27, 2019
Club: Valencia Voices Toastmasters
City: Belen, New Mexico
District Office: Area 34 Director (2018-19)
Club Coached: Albuquerque Hispano Chamber to President’s Distinguished (2018-2019)
HPL Project: As Area 34 Director 2018-2019, my HPL Project was to help all four of my Clubs achieve the personal goals of each of their Club’s members. I visited every Club consistently every four to six weeks. I also offered to fill in as a speaker when needed. I also co-chaired the Division C Area Speech Contests. I sent out a personal email to every member of each Club in Division C inviting them to participate in the Speech Contests in their Club and Area. We had one of the largest number of participants in the Area Speech Contests. We received many compliments on the smooth organization of the Contests. Ultimately, my Area 34 was Select Distinguished with two Clubs achieving President’s Distinguished Status. One Club achieving Distinguished Status. The fourth Club was saved from being terminated and is now thriving on its way to Distinguished Status this coming year. All of my four Clubs were very respectful and endearing to me. They referred to me as Ms. Lorraine.
Sarah Addison
September 18, 2019
Club: Gene’s Gesters Toastmasters Club
City: Las Cruces, New Mexico
District Office:
Club Mentored:
HPL Project:
marie dosanjh
September 19, 2019
Club: Speak With Distinction Toastmasters
City: Albuquerque, New Mexico
District Office: Area 22 Director, 2015-16
Club Mentored:
HPL Project:
Nancy S. Risenhoover
December 2, 2019
City: Albuquerque, New Mexico
District Office: Area 32 Director, 2018-19 (President’s Distinguished Area)
Club Sponsored: AQ G-Masters (October 2019)
HPL Project: My HPL project was chairing the Education Program Committee for the Fall 2017 District Conference in Albuquerque, under the erudite tutelage of Conference Chair Lynn Fugelso. We set both and attendance record and a fundraising record that year! It was also the district’s swan song for fall district conferences.
Barbara Brodmerkle
December 13, 2019
City: Albuquerque, New Mexico
District Office: Area 35 Director, 2017-18
Club Sponsored:
HPL Project:
Analisa Martinez
January 7, 2020
Club: Duke City Club
City: Kirtland Air Force Base (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
District Office: Division B Director (2015 -2016) – Division Director of the Year
Club Coached: Speak with Distinction ( July 2017 – June 2019)
HPL Project: Encourage Division B Area Directors to complete their HPLs during their AD term (Sept 2015 – June 2016). The HPL is one of Toastmasters’ best tools for helping members cultivate and strengthen their leadership skills. It’s particularly applicable for district officers. Encouraging Division B area directors to complete their HPL served a dual purpose: 1. Be better area directors & leaders, and 2. Utilitze their position as AD to complete their HPL and get them one step closer to DTM.
Ken Adams
May 19, 2020
Club: Amarillo Coffee Weekenders
City: Amarillo, Texas
District Office: Area 52 Director (2016-17)
Club Coached:
HPL Project:
Karen Fausnaugh
June 2, 2020
City: Cedar Crest, New Mexico
District Office: Area 34 Director (2016-17)
Club Sponsored: East Mountain Toastmasters (2017-2019)
HPL Project: It has been my pride and joy to create and lead a team that brought back the East Mountain Toastmasters, my home club. With a lot of support from the district, we chartered in March 2019. It was a great team, and now we have a great club!
Tim Evans
June 5, 2020
Club: WWJS Toastmasters
City: Lubbock, Texas
District Office: Area 62 Governor (2008-09)
Club Mentored: Speaking the Plains Truth (2016)
HPL Project: Created and implemented a four-part teaching program for Bible class teachers.
Cecilia Garcia
June 5, 2020
Club: Duke City Club
City: Albuquerque, New Mexico
District Office: Division Governor (2009-2010)
Club Mentored: Albuquerque Hispano Chamber (September 2011)
HPL Project: A successful club membership drive.
William Moffatt
June 14, 2020
Club: DTM Think Tank
City: Lubbock, Texas
District Office: Area 23 Governor (2014-15)
Club Mentored: DTM Think Tank (2016)
HPL Project: My HPL project was leadership of development of a high-visibility annual presentation at work. This involved several team meetings, extensive delegation of tasks to qualified peers, coordination of their contributions, and resolution of issues as they arose. The final presentation was well-received by the customers.
Karan Heffelfinger
June 16, 2020
City: Fort Stockton, Texas
District Office: Area 36 Governor (2019-20)
Club Sponsored: Toast to the Master (November 2019)
HPL Project:
Linda Jones
June 17, 2020
Club: Toasters Club
City: Lubbock, Texas
District Office: Area 61 Director (2018-19)
Club Coached: Articulate (2018)
HPL Project:
Yoh Yamamoto
June 18, 2020
Club: AS We Speak
City: Albuquerque, New Mexico
District Office: Area 42 Director (2017-18)
Club Coached:
HPL Project:
Nelson Spear
June 20, 2020
City: Midland, Texas
District Office: Area 63 Director (2018-19)
Club Sponsored: Toast to the Master (November 2019)
HPL Project: Organized and implemented the Division F contest held in Andrews, Texas on April 27, 2019.
MyChelle Andrews
June 24, 2020
City: Albuquerque, New Mexico
District Office: Division C Director (2018-19)
Club Mentored: East Mountain (2019)
HPL Project: I conducted a speachcraft for 16 Pre-Management Development Program students for employees at the City of Albuquerque. I lead a team of three. We adapted the 6 week program into a 16 week program to allow for the students to complete the program together.
This is MyChelle’s 2nd Distinguished Toastmaster Award.
Mark Edgar
June 26, 2020
City: Midland, Texas
District Office: Area 63 Director (2016-17)
Club Mentored: Toast to the Master (November 2019)
HPL Project: My HPL project was to organize the Fall 2018 officer training session for Area 63. The goal was to exceed the training requirements of the district and to be engaging and varied by including Toastmasters from clubs outside the Midland/Odessa area, including district leaders, to provide different perspectives.
Jacqueline Leonard
June 29, 2020
City: Albuquerque, New Mexico
District Office: Area 2 Governor in District 9 (2010-11)
Club Coached: Albuquerque Challenge (2019-20)
HPL Project: My church in Belen, NM had a minimal music program. I love music. My goal was to build up the Music Program, Identify talent, Schedule opportunities for talent to be used in a variety of church settings. I was assigned the role of music chair for the church, Initiated a musical talent show, ran the event, scheduled each sub-organization a time to perform on an annual basis, set up a choir with regular practices, recruited members and kept it running for over a year.
Andy Gerron
June 30, 2020
Club: Downtown Club
City: Lubbock, Texas
District Office:
Club Mentored:
HPL Project:
Scott Sharot
June 30, 2020
City: Albuquerque, New Mexico
District Office: Area 31 Director (2018-19)
Club Coached: Off-the-Cuff Albuquerque
HPL Project: My HPL project was a collaboration with Palo Duro Senior Center, several Albuquerque Garden Clubs, Wholesale and retail floral supply sources and a great committee to teach senior citizens how to do beautiful floral arrangements on a budget (under fifteen dollars) and encouraged the donation of the finished flower arrangements to hospitals and assisted living centers.
Oscar Gonzalez
June 30, 2020
Club: Pecos County Toastmasters
City: Fort Stockton, Texas
District Office:
Club Coached:
HPL Project:
