2025 - 2026 District 11 Leadership Candidates
District Leaderships are all volunteer opportunities to get hands on leadership training and practice. Some positions are voted for by the district toastmaster members who are a part of the District Council, and others are appointed by the District Director. It is an honor to serve and lead our District.
The District Council shall consist of the District officers, Immediate Past District Director, and two (2) representatives from each Member Club in the District. The District Council shall serve as the administrative governing body of the District, operating with powers delegated to the District Council by the Toastmasters International Board of Directors and subject at all times to the ultimate direction of the Board of Directors and the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Policies, and decisions of Toastmasters International, and these administrative bylaws.
The District Council shall conduct all business of the district, shall assume responsibility for the payment, with District funds, of all debts incurred in the conduct of authorized District activities, and shall not assess or impose any financial obligation on any Member Club or any individual member of a club. Members of the District Council in attendance at the annual District conference are required to attend the Annual Meeting of the District Council.
District Council members must cast their own votes; no proxies are permitted.
QUALIFICATIONS
The District Director must have been an active member of a Toastmasters club in good standing for the entire preceding 12 months, or have been a member for 12 consecutive months within the past three years, in the District.
The District Director must have served:
- at least six consecutive months as Club President and
- at least 12 consecutive months as a Program Quality Director, Club Growth Director, Division Director, Area Director, or a combination of the preceding.
The District Director may serve in their role for a full year and cannot be re-elected to the same office for a succeeding term
ROLE: The District Director shall work together with the Program Quality Director and the Club Growth Director toward the District mission, while supporting each one in their respective roles and their development as a leader. District Directors are responsible for directly administering and overseeing the District’s day-to-day operations, finances, and human resources. The District Director is the only officer who is authorized to sign off on contracts during the program year.
The District Director must empower the District leadership team members to work together toward the District mission, while supporting each one in their development as a leader. Together with the Program Quality Director and Club Growth Director, they are expected to participate in District Leader Training and Mid-year Training and complete the Pre-District Leader Training modules on the Toastmasters International website.
Candidates
Joseph Phillips – Click Here for Bio
Michael Saine – Click Here for Bio
QUALIFICATIONS
The Program Quality Director must have served:
- at least six consecutive months as Club President and
- at least 12 consecutive months as a Program Quality Director, Club Growth Director, Division Director, Area Director, or a combination of the preceding.
ROLE: The Program Quality Director shall work together with the District Director and the Club Growth Director toward the District mission, while supporting each one in their respective roles and their development as a leader.
The Program Quality Director is responsible for all aspects of education and training within the District. This includes supporting quality club programming efforts, promoting the Distinguished Club Program, and planning, organizing, and executing the District Conference.
The Program Quality Director is responsible for promoting and supporting club quality and member retention.
Candidates
Jane Croft – Click Here for Bio
Amy Poole – Click Here for Bio
QUALIFICATIONS
The Club Growth Director must have served:
- at least six consecutive months as Club President and
- at least 12 consecutive months as a Program Quality Director, Club Growth Director, Division Director, Area Director, or a combination of the preceding.
The Club Growth Director may serve in their role for a full year and cannot be re-elected to the same office for a succeeding term.
ROLE: The Club Growth Director shall work together with the District Director and the Program Quality Director toward the District mission, while supporting each one in their respective roles and their development as a leader. The Club Growth Director is responsible for all aspects of marketing, club-building, and club-retention efforts within the District. This includes defining an overall marketing strategy for the District, developing outreach and club retention efforts with existing community and corporate clubs, and penetrating new markets. Additionally, the Club Growth Director supports challenged clubs and helps them to become Distinguished.
Candidates
LaDonna Hacker – Click Here for Bio
QUALIFICATIONS
The Division Director must have served at least six consecutive months as a member of a District Council. The Division Director may be re-elected to one succeeding term.
ROLE: The Division Director will lead and support the Division through the support of the Area Directors.
One of the primary goals as Division Director is to ensure that each club achieves its mission and fulfills its responsibilities to its members.
To achieve this, the Division Director will coordinate Division activities, set Division goals, and assist in the training of Area Directors and club officers.
Candidates
(vote for one in each Division)
Division A – Dawn McCrory – Click Here for Bio
Division C – Linda Hendrickson – Click Here for Bio
Division E – LaDonna Hacker – Click Here for Bio
Ruth Schmidt – Click Here for Bio
Division F – Jude Gallagher – Click Here for Bio
Amy Poole – Click Here for Bio
Division H – Crenel Francis – Click Here for Bio
District 11 Elections are coming up!
The next meeting of the District Council will be May 4 at 2:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time 1:00 PM Central Time on Zoom and in-person at La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Indianapolis South, 5120 Victory Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46203.
Click link for Agenda: District Council Agenda
Who Can Vote
The District Council shall consist of the District Executive Committee and the representatives from each Member-Club in good standing in the District, who are the Club President and Vice President Education. Each Member Club is entitled to two (2) votes, and the club can determine whether the Club President or Vice President Education, holding two (2) votes, or both representatives, with one (1) vote each, will act as voting members of the District Council. These shall be the only voting members of the District Council.
Each Club has 2 votes
When the voting process is conducted only the Club President and/or Vice President Education of any Member Club may vote on behalf of the club as its representative. Either club officer may carry the club’s two (2) votes or each of these club officers may carry one (1) vote, as determined by the club membership. The representative (President, VPE or their Proxy) from any Member-Club-in-good-standing is entitled to a maximum of two (2) votes.
Registration and Attendance = Quorum
On the basis of two (2) votes per club, one-third of the Member Clubs in good standing in the District shall constitute a quorum for all District Council meetings. The continued presence of a quorum is presumed unless the chair declares otherwise.
In the event that any business is transacted at any District Council meeting at which a quorum is not present, the action shall be deemed as valid as if a quorum were present if it thereafter is expressly approved by electronic transmission or other reasonable means by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Member Clubs in the District on the basis of two (2) votes per club.
Registration will be completed electronically. The meeting to elect our candidates will be a hybrid meeting.
The District 11 2025-2026 Alignment Proposal in both ppt and pdf format are available in the links below. The only changes since this proposal was presented to the District Executive Committee on March 8, 2025, were notational in nature. Since then, there were no changes in the composition of Divisions or Areas. I have highlighted the notational changes in yellow.
Please be prepared to vote on this proposal at the Annual Business Meeting on May 4, 2025.
Rick Holtmeier, DTM
Immediate Past District 11 Director