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Area Director Corner

Shine as an Area Director.

 

 

Benefits and Expectations

  • Watch this short video to learn more
  • Receive LinkedIn recommendation from the District Director
  • Be recognized as the Area Director of the Year. Check out the criteria.
 

Minimum Requirements to be an Area Director

  • Completion of Pathways Level 1
  • Club officer experience
 

How to Apply

Area Director commitment is for a full, 1-year term. Applications are accepted every year starting February, with interviews in May.

Helpful Videos

Shine as an Area Director

Panel discussion “Shine as an Area Director” with Div E Director Jaymol George, Chie Kawahara, Dennis Dawson DTM2, Abhijeet Joshi DTM, Ashutosh Tadkase
Event date:
Friday, April 21, 6-7pm PDT

Testimonials

As an Area Director in Division A, I have the opportunity to visit clubs and meet members. I also collaborate with other Area Directors in my Division and in other Divisions to plan workshops and contests. The most rewarding part of the position is attending club meetings in my area where I observed supportive and caring environments that encourage member growth and achievement.

~ Helen Josephine, Area A4 2022-2023 

I did not want to be an Area Director and wanted to focus on the speaking. But Dennis said you will get a chance to serve and contribute the lives of 100 members. It truly helped me to grow as a leader and make a difference. It boosted my confidence. The more I served the more I grew. It helped me understand how to build connections, how to keep everyone informed and grow together. It prepared me to get my dream job as a Program Manager.

~ Abhijeet Joshi, DTM, Area B3 2020-21

Becoming an Area Director was very much a process of self-discovery. I learned far more about myself and about others than I did remaining an officer in my own club.

~ Valerie Bostrom, Area D1 2022-23

Two things I learned:

  1. Club officers matter. They are the only ones who can bring change. They know better about their clubs than you as AD. As AD, you are just a conduit between the district/division and the clubs.
  2. In area council meetings, bring up and discuss the common problems. Most of the problems are common to all the clubs. Do not discuss information that is already available like Club Performance reports etc. Do them over the emails or google docs.

~ Jay Mojnidar, Area E6 2021-22

I joined Toastmasters for the express purpose of becoming better at public speaking and leverage those skills in my professional career. However, when I served as AD, it was clear that ADs do not have control over their area clubs. Rather, I was reminded that the influencing skills that we learn and exercise as an AD are incredibly valuable in the complex professional worlds we inhabit. Influencing skills are also transferrable to the ‘real world’ and are very valuable both socially and professionally.

~ Declan Shalvey, DTM2, Area B1 2019-2020 

When you step into a district role your reach extends exponentially. One can influence lot more people and bring out the best in them. The greatest satisfaction for me was seeing my clubs grow and take on Leadership roles.

~ Priya Shastri, Area C2 2021-22

It’s been an interesting and rewarding journey for me as AD, where I visited the clubs, established rapport with the club leaders, facilitated sharing within the area council, and most recently produced the area contests. It’s a journey of listening, learning, and guiding. It’s a journey of faking it until making it.

~ Ray Liu, Area E2 2022-23

As an AD, I was privileged to support and mentor multiple clubs. This experience has taught me how to influence without authority and apply learning to my workplace. I also witnessed the transformative power of Toastmasters in helping individuals improve communication and leadership skills and develop self-confidence. I encourage anyone seeking personal and professional growth to take up the challenge.

~ Daniel Qiu, Area G1 2021-22