Richard Perkins DTM, District Director
With a background as a teacher, and my involvement in a senior role for a nationwide community-based organisation, I have dedicated myself to fostering knowledge and growth in others. I have gained invaluable experience and leadership skills in a volunteering world over many years of service to Toastmasters across three districts while serving in various District Officer roles. The recent experience of both the Club Growth Director and currently Program Quality Director roles have prepared me for the role of District Director. The knowledge gained of Pathways with personal experience, and recently gaining my fourth DTM, add to the experience one expects a District Leader to have. In planning for what we as a District want to achieve this year, my primary focus will be on growing our membership and enhancing the club experience. This will be guided by innovative initiatives while infusing fun and motivation into our goal achievement. A great deal of planning has already been completed which is a step closer to our success. By working collaboratively with club and district officer, I am committed to cultivating a thriving Toastmasters district in our organisation’s 100th year.Marlene Krone DTM, Program Quality Director
I am standing for the role of Programme Quality Director for 2024-2025. With nearly a year of dedicated service on the district leadership team as Club Growth Director, I am compelled to extend my commitment to advancing the organisation’s mission in this new capacity. The role of Programme Quality Director is responsible for all aspects of education and training within the District, as well as being responsible for promoting and supporting club quality and member retention. My decision to pursue this leadership role is underpinned by a profound dedication to facilitating growth and success among individuals, aligning with the overarching objectives of our district. Throughout the previous term, I had the privilege of spearheading a dynamic club growth team, catalysing the establishment of new clubs and facilitating the journey of existing ones towards excellence. This experience reaffirmed my belief that by nurturing individual achievements, we collectively contribute to a more fulfilling and prosperous community. In my extensive 24-year tenure with Toastmasters, I have had the privilege of serving in various capacities within the district, including as an Area Governor/Director, Division Governor, Public Relations Manager, and Administration Manager. My journey has been enriched by assuming all club officer roles and culminated in the prestigious recognition of a Distinguished Toastmaster Award in 2012. Complementing my Toastmasters journey is a 45-year career as an executive assistant across diverse industry sectors. This professional trajectory has endowed me with robust organisational acumen, effective communication prowess, and adept managerial skills, all of which I am eager to leverage in advancing the district’s goals. Driven by Toastmasters International’s core values and guided by my personal principles of empathy, courage, and fairness, I envision a district characterised by dedicated leadership and unwavering commitment to excellence. Together, we can empower members to navigate their leadership journeys with confidence.Mark Tweedale ACB ALB VC5 LD5, Club Growth Director
I have been a Toastmaster in our District since 2012. For the first 2/3 of those 12 years, I was very much Club focused, which continues – being an active member at Pakuranga & Botany Toastmasters. In the last few years, I have discovered there is so much more on offer outside my own clubs, as well as inside, through leadership roles -first as an Area Director, then this year as a Division Director. I really enjoy encouraging, supporting and guiding members and clubs in achieving their full potential. So far in my toastmasters journey I have completed the ACB & ALB in the Legacy program and the Visionary Communication & Leadership Development Pathways in the current system, as well as working on my DTM, which should be complete by July. This experience enables me to incorporate the old & new systems together so members from both journeys can achieve positive outcomes. I am confident that I can effectively fulfil the role of Club Growth Director. My vision for the coming year is reestablishing and growing our clubs. The foundations are there we just need to build on these and to give our members the encouragement and support that they deserve. I love a challenge and my challenge for this coming year is to take every member on this shared journey to make our organisation stronger and better than it already is.Public Relations Manager – Kenneth Gustilo
Biography will be published when available
James Hippolite DTM, Immediate Past District Director
Biography will be published when available
Toni Sharp QSM DTM, District Admin Manager
Biography will be published when available
District Finance Manager – TBA
Biography will be published when available
Murray Coutts DTM, District Parliamentarian
Biography will be published when available
John “BJ” O’Leary DTM, Logistics Manager
Biography will be published when available
Helen Madden, Division K Director
When I joined Toastmasters back in 2007, my reasons for doing so were twofold:
- to overcome my fear of public speaking and
- to forge a sense of connection within the local community.
However, it wasn’t long after joining that I began to realise how much Toastmasters also offered in terms of Leadership development. And it was when I took up the role of Club President in 2010 that I felt a major shift of focus – away from what I could get out of Toastmasters for myself and towards a greater concern for the Club and each of our members; my desire being for members to get the most out of their Toastmasters experience and to feel supported and encouraged as they learnt and developed.
After rejoining the East Coast Bays Club committee in 2020, I moved up to become Club President for the second time in 2022-2023. And in my desire to contribute more, I then took the opportunity to move into an Area Director role.
Becoming an Area Director really increased my understanding of Toastmasters as an organisation and provided me with insight into how Toastmasters operates at a District level. I have now experienced firsthand the level of support and guidance which emanates from the top-down and would like to contribute to the organisation and its members to a greater degree.
In the coming year, I’m delighted to be stepping into the Division K Director role and my focus will be on ensuring that Area Directors, club Presidents and club members in the Division feel connected, supported and encouraged to continue their own personal growth. I also hope to motivate Area and Club leaders to continue to develop their leadership skills further, thus ensuring the continuity of a strong District 112 Leadership team and infrastructure.
Division L Director – Position Vacant
Biography will be published when available
Division M Director – Position Vacant
Biography will be published when available
Division N Director – Position Vacant
Biography will be published when available
Sandeep Kinge DTM, Division O Director
Sandeep Kinge joined Toastmasters International in March 2013 in Navi Mumbai,
India. Later that year, he moved to Qatar for better career opportunities and joined
Doha Toastmasters Club. In his time at the Doha Toastmasters Club, he served as
Sergeant At Arms, Vice President of Public Relations, and Vice President
Education.
After four years in Qatar, Sandeep moved to the United Arab Emirates
(UAE) and joined the UAE Advanced Toastmasters Club. He began his journey as
Vice President Education again and played the role of Club President the
following year. While in the UAE, Sandeep also took up the role of Area Director
and a club coach.
Recently, after five years in the UAE, Sandeep moved to New Zealand and joined
Botany Toastmasters Club. He currently serves as the Vice President of
Membership. Sandeep has completed Competent Communicator, Competent
Leader, and Advanced Competent Leader from the old manuals. He has also
completed three pathways from the new manual: Motivational Strategies,
Dynamic Leadership, and Presentation Mastery. Earlier this year, Sandeep
achieved his Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Award after successfully
completing a Speechcraft programme in Auckland. Although it took him 11 years
to achieve this accomplishment, Sandeep remains motivated to pursue his
second DTM award in a shorter period of time. Learning from Toastmasters has
helped him shape his career as well as improve his personal life. Sandeep is
eager to learn more and more from the Toastmasters fraternity.
Division P Director – Position Vacant
Biography will be published when available
Division Q Director – Position Vacant
Biography will be published when available
Meegan Herewini, Division R Director
Tēnā koutou. Ko Meegan Herewini toku ingoa. Greetings. My name is Meegan
Herewini.
I began my journey in 2019, in Auckland, in a small club by the name of
Sunnynook Toastmasters. There I was lucky enough to be mentored by several
passionate, caring, and experienced members.
I have been a member of MITe Speakers Toastmasters, the Training & Coaching
Online Club and Papakura Toastmasters Club. Each club has added to my Kete
of knowledge, or basket of knowledge.
Within these clubs I have taken on
Executive Committee roles.
In the 2021-2022 Toastmasters Year, I became the Area O4 Director. I loved my
role, as it allowed me to meet so many members, and I was able to see how each
Committee supported their clubs and its members. This role also gave me a taste
for how the District, itself operates outside of club level.
In the 2022-2023 Toastmasters Year, I became the Division L Director. I found
this role challenging, because it involved leading, and not doing, which is not an
easy concept for someone who is more hands on. However, with my team of
Area Directors, and my fellow Division Director’s, I came to understand what this
role needed from me.
Looking to my future in Toastmasters, I have come to realise that I need to take on
another role to grow my knowledge further. I hail from the Horowhenua District,
Levin to be more precise. For this reason, I chose to run for the Division R
Directors role.
Being a remote Division Director, will have its own set of challenges. However,
being outside Auckland, is the challenge that most excites me. I am looking
forward to learning a different way to be.
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa