Carolyn Peeler, DTM
To paraphrase an old TV commercial – when DTM Carolyn Peeler talks, people listen. As a management consultant at Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo, Carolyn dispenses advice that the senior levels do well to listen to. Of course, it’s not just the words she says that demand respect. Her credibility is also due to many years of military service, before retiring and embarking on a career in civil service.
Carolyn says she was introduced to Toastmasters in 1980, at a meeting for the Federally Employed Women’s program. She was impressed by how good the speaker was, and “Toastmasters” was the phrase that caught her attention. She finally joined the organization in 1993 while still in the military, and since 1999 has called the Desert Basin Club in Alamogordo her home.
One thing to be said for Carolyn – she believes in being involved. She’s a lead mentor and the Treasurer for her club, has served as President in the past, as well as serving as an Area Governor. She was also co-chair of the District 23 Fall Conference in Mescalero in 2011. She recently served as the Hospitality Chair for the 2015 Fall Conference in Ruisodo on October 9-11, 2015.
And that’s just Toastmasters.
Carolyn is also president of the Tuskegee Airmen chapter at Holloman; president of Holloman African American Heritage Association; treasurer of the Otero County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); a member of the organization Blacks in Government (BIG); and is involved in the Air Force Sergeants Association.
Additionally, Carolyn is serving as co-chair of the NAACP New Mexico state conference of branches in October.
Clearly, Carolyn puts her Toastmasters training to good use. She says that one of the main things that Toastmasters has done for her is to help her find her voice. “At times someone may be hesitant to speak in front of a group, or even one-on-one with another person. Toastmasters has provided me with the tools and techniques so that I can say what I mean.”
Carolyn believes in the power of evaluations. “Feedback is vital. You may have done everything to ensure precision in your speech, but you also want someone to dissect what you said and make sure you said what you meant to say.”
When asked about a specific Toastmasters moment that she’s proud of, Carolyn talked about her club. “For the first time in a long time, we’ve built our club to 18 members.” After many years of peaks and valleys, the Desert Basin Club recently achieved Distinguished Club status for the first time since 2007.
Carolyn is also making sure that she’s considering the future. She speaks with pride of another Toastmasters achievement: “My son is a member of this club. I mentored him in taking care of that legacy.”
