Do Great Things

Welcome to District 15’s 2024 Annual Conference in Twin Falls, Idaho!  Our Theme is “Do Great Things”.  We are happy to have you join us on this journey of exploration and empowerment, delving into how greatness can be achieved in various aspects of our lives, particularly in the realms of communication, leadership, public speaking, and community engagement.  We have a spectacular cast of presenters that we believe will excite you and inspire you to “Do Great Things”.  Take a look at what’s in store! 

Second Vice President

Stefano McGhee, DTM

Stefano S. McGhee, DTM, of Weymouth, Massachusetts, works as the Director of DevOps and Infrastructure for Harvard Business Publishing. He leads a team of engineers in ensuring the availability and stability of the organization’s most critical applications, including Harvard Business Review.

McGhee earned a master’s degree in military operational arts and sciences from the United States Air Force’s higher education organization. During his time in school, McGhee earned the International Security Studies Research Award for his work that was of interest to national security. He is a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, where he shares the wonder of flying with children and young adults.

A Toastmaster since 2005, McGhee’s home club is Network Voice Toastmasters in Weymouth. He has held a number of high-profile leadership positions within Toastmasters and has attained the Distinguished Toastmaster designation-the highest level of educational achievement in the organization.

“Toastmasters gives those willing to put the time in the critical skills to be a better version of themselves,” he said. “From there, you can confidently take on more challenges at work and life and become the sought-after leader needed in today’s world.”

As an officer of the Toastmasters International Board of Directors, McGhee is a “working ambassador” for the organization. He works with the Board to develop, support, and modify the policies and procedures that quide Toastmasters International in fulfilling its mission.

Friday – May 17th

Reception Welcome Keynote at 6:30 PM, “Do Great Things”

Saturday – May 18th

Keynote Speech at 8:35 AM, “Why Are We Here?” Featured Workshop at 3:15 PM, “Adaptive Leadership”

Dinner Keynote at 7:30 PM, “Unleashing Your Potential for Greatness”

Workshop Session Presenters

Sue Ann Kern, DTM

Workshop Session 1 at 9:35 AM

Speakers Lead and Leaders Speak

Sue Ann Kern earned her Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Missouri during the time when computer-generated graphics and desktop computing were in their infancy.  The term “website” had not yet been used and the majority of the world had never heard of the word “internet.”  Believe it or not, it really wasn’t that long ago! Her early career as a digital designer and programmer led her to technical sales support and gave her opportunities to work with dynamic companies such as Intel, Motorola, Texas Instruments, and unknown startups such as Qualcomm.  She kept her technical edge while honing her business skills during the 13 years when she managed a tri-state, cosmetic dermatology practice. Her technical background blended with her business management experience has led her to embrace Social Media, which is a perfect mix of business and technology.

Over the past several years, Sue Ann has trained hundreds of businesses and individuals to understand social media and to implement this powerful marketing tool.  She is the author of “Facebook for Smart People,” a detailed step-by-step guide to using Facebook as a marketing tool for businesses. After 6 major re-writes in the first 5 years after publication, she finally decided that it is impossible to keep up with all of the changes!

In 2017, Sue Ann earned her Distinguished Toastmaster Award, the highest award given by Toastmasters International. During her 10 years as a Toastmaster, Sue Ann has held offices at the club and district level, worked as a Club Coach, organized several public speaking workshops and events, and is an award-winning speaker and evaluator.

As a trainer, workshop facilitator, consultant, community manager, professional speaker, speaking coach, and Distinguished Toastmaster, Sue Ann helps businesses and individuals to present themselves professionally in person, on the podium and on the web.

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) James A. Johnson

Workshop Session 3 at 11:20 AM

Strategies for Inspiring and Empowering Leadership

After receiving his commission as Second Lieutenant (2LT) in 2001, LTC Johnson served three combat tours in Iraq (2003, 2006 and 2011) and a tour in Kuwait (2021).  In addition, he served in Honduras, Czech Republic, Germany, Jordan, Saudia Arabia, and multiple locations in the United States while rising through the ranks from 2LT to LTC over his 20+ years military career.  He is also the senior pastor at Mustang Baptist Church in Prairie Hill, TX.

Leadership is a subject near and dear to his heart. He will draw on his military and civilian experience to share strategies and stories for leadership development in your clubs, organizations and within yourself.  His presentation will cover three strategies for inspiring and empowering leadership: 1) Lead from the Front (lead by example), 2) Communicate Effectively (foster a culture of collaboration), and 3) Empower Decision-Making (provide mentorship and development opportunities).

LTC Johnson is married to his wife, Damita, and together they have a blended family of seven children.  The middle sibling between two sisters, he enjoys reading, working on cars, attending to the family ranch, and spending time with family and friends.  LTC Johnson earned an AAS degree from Cedar Valley College, a BA degree from Prairie View A&M University, and an MBA from University of Phoenix.

LTC Johnson joined Toastmasters in June of 2020 and is a member of Image Masters Toastmasters in Salt Lake City, UT.

Richard Garber, Ph.D.

Workshop Session 6 at 2:35 PM

Creating or Finding Great Table Topics Questions

Richard will guide us through choosing a good table topics question stumping your participants and having everyone asking you to be the Table Topics Master.

Richard I. Garber is a retired Materials and Processes Engineer. He received a PhD in Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science from Carnegie Mellon University in 1981.

Richard worked for a decade in applied research and over two decades in engineering consulting. Much of his consulting was on failure analysis – figuring out why products or components busted or rusted. He has testified as an expert witness in civil court depositions and trials. Richard joined Toastmasters in 2007. Since mid 2008 he has been writing the Joyful Public Speaking blog, which has over 2,660 posts and 2,266,000 page views.

Workshop Session 5 at 2:00 PM Panel Discussion

Are You Captivating Your Audience or Holding Them Captive?

(Definition of captivating: holding attention by being extremely interesting, exciting, pleasant or appealing)

(Definition of captive: to keep someone as a prisoner or make someone a prisoner)

This workshop will explore the following discussion points:

• What role storytelling and narrative techniques play in captivating your audience and how to incorporate them into your presentation.
• How to tailor your presentation approach to different audience demographics or cultural backgrounds to ensure maximum captivation and resonance.
• Common pitfalls or mistakes that speakers make that inadvertently lead to losing their audience attention, and how these can be avoided.

Panelists will answer such questions as:

• Can you share an example of a time when you successfully captivated your audience, and what elements or techniques contributed to that success?
• Can you discuss the importance of audience interaction and participation in keeping them captivated, and what methods do you use to encourage active engagement during your presentations?
• What advice would you give to someone looking to improve their ability to captivate and engage an audience, regardless of their level of experience or expertise in public speaking?

Conference Menu

View Conference Menu here

Time

3:30-4:30pm 

4:30-6pm

6:30-8:30pm 

9:00pm 

Agenda

Saturday

Time

7:00-8:00am 

8:00-9:30am

9:35-10:15 am

10:15-10:30 am

10:30-11:15am

11:20-12:00pm

12:00-1:15pm

1:15-1:55pm

2:00-2:30pm

2:35-3:00pm

3:00-3:15pm

3:15-4:00pm

4:00-4:15pm

4:15-6:00pm

6:00pm

7:30pm