2023 District 15 Conference
People, Purpose and Passion; the Pathway to Excellence
Key Note
Dr. Yelena Balabanova, DTM, Accredited Speaker
Since joining the Toastmasters Mill Creek community club near Seattle, WA, in January of 2009, Dr.Balabanova took a long road to become a DTM and one of 89 Accredited Speakers in the world.
Yelena Balabanova is one of only 6 Steinway Piano Classical Artists in WA state. She is a sought-after clinician on healthy technique and artistry, presenting numerous workshops and masterclasses every year. Among Yelena’s many credentials, she holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from CU-Boulder, received a Recognition Certificate from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, VIP from National Federation of Music Clubs, Teacher of Distinction from the Royal Conservatory of Music of Canada and Certificate of Appreciation for Teaching Mastery from the World Piano teachers Association in Singapore.
While being an expert in her field, Yelena expanded her understanding of effective communication, how to engage the audience and speak with precision and clarity through her Toastmasters experience. She learned how to be a leader that people will support without a doubt.
Yelena served in numerous leadership roles in her home District 20 and multiple non-profit organizations and spoke twice at the Toastmasters International Conventions in 2018 and 2019.
In her keynote titled ” The Triangle”, Dr.Balabanova will share the 3 points of Toastmasters experience that changed her life. She will share how you can build your own Tripod of Success and limitless growth.
Breakout Session Presenters
Dr. Vladimir Balabanov
Dr. Vladimir Balabanov is a Technical Fellow at Boeing company. He has been an invited keynote speaker and presented technical papers at multitude of international professional conferences. Vladimir started his public speaking endeavors 14 years ago. He has placed among top 3 competitors on Toastmasters District stage 14 times. Among them, he has been District champion in Humorous speech contest, District champion in Evaluation contest (twice), and District Champion in International Speech contest. Vladimir placed among top 20 at the 2016 World Championship of public speaking.
Vladimir enjoys running and spending time with his wife and daughter. He makes them run too. In spite of being an engineer, Vladimir enjoys speaking and presenting on various occasions at all possible venues. Vladimir’s passion is to help others improve their public speaking and presentation skills on their pathway to success.
Session Title
You can be funny 2!
2016 District 2 Humorous speech champion Vladimir Balabanov has been an engineer much longer than a Toastmaster. Vladimir works on speeches and presentations from the Engineering perspective: at first learn the approach, then apply it everywhere you are supposed to. And most importantly – where you are NOT supposed to.
In this workshop Vladimir will share techniques that helped him to incorporate humor into his own speeches and presentations. These techniques helped Vladimir to become award-winning speaker, become District Champion in Humorous speech competition, place among top 20 at the World Championship of public speaking, and be invited as key-note speaker at professional conferences.
Audience members will actively participate in the workshop, uncover humor in everyday situations, and practice applying it. This workshop will encourage audience members to see and apply humor with purpose and passion on their pathway to success!
Key Take aways:
| The audience members will learn: • Why be funny? • Why people laugh? • Many practical approaches to create laughs and smiles • What NOT to do when creating laughs and smiles • Practice applying the approaches |
Ken Jenkins, DTM
Our presenter is two-time Distinguished Toastmaster Ken Jenkins. Ken is a 27-year Toastmaster, and he is currently a member of Pioneer Toastmasters Club and serves as a Club Sponsor for the new Well Said Toastmasters, both in Boise. He earned his first Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award in 2004 and his second DTM in 2014, and he is working on his third DTM. During his career, Ken has coached, mentored and supported fellow Toastmasters of every generation, from Silents to Millennials. In addition, he has held numerous club offices and twice served as an Area Governor. He is currently Area Director for Area 3, Division A.
Beyond Toastmasters, Ken recently retired from full-time employment. Ken served the US Army (infantry officer) and the Boise Police Department as a Training Coordinator for many years. His final stint of public service was as the Training Manager for Ada County Juvenile Court Services in Boise. Over his 38-year adult education career, Ken taught courses in areas such as coaching, mentoring, generational team building, meeting management, and instructor development. His wife Kari is a longtime member of Boise Club 61.
Session Title
The Hidden Gem: How serving as a club or district officer benefits you and others
Ken’s presentation at the District 15 conference focuses on the importance of serving as a Club or District Officers in Toastmasters – a subject of passionate interest for him for over two decades.
Louisa Davis, International Director, Region 1
When Toastmasters find their voice and gain the confidence to express themselves without fear or doubt, it transforms them. This goes well beyond our organization—it empowers people to make a difference in their lives and to, ultimately, change the world.
A Toastmaster since 2002, she has held a number of high-profile leadership positions within Toastmasters and has achieved her DTM designation three times. She was the District 96 Toastmaster of the Year in 2018-2019 and served as District 96 Director when the pandemic hit.
Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Louisa handles change management for Best Buy Canada’s merchandising team, providing communications and training on systems, tools, best practices, and leadership development. She has an MBA from University of Guelph and is a chartered professional in human resources (CPHR) and a certified in meeting manager (CMM).
As a member of the Toastmasters International Board of Directors, Louisa is a “working ambassador” for the organization. She works with the Board to develop, support, and modify the policies and procedures that guide Toastmasters International in fulfilling its mission.
Session Title
Agenda
Friday, May 5, 2023 3:00 – 6:30 PM MST
Activity
Registration 3:00 PM MST
Description
- Members register for the conference (Lanyard/ID Badge pickup)
Time
30 Min
Introduction and Opening 3:30 PM MST
- Welcome Address – District Director
- Introduction to Conference Agenda
- Introduction of International Director
15 Min
Keynote Address 3:45 PM MST
- Keynote by International Director
(Speech Title TBD)
45 Min
Reception & Networking
- Appetizers
- Meet the International Director
- Networking
90 Min
Closing
- Members may adjourn for individual dinner arrangements
- Hospitality Suite Open – Silent Auction ( 7:00 PM – 12:00 AM MST)
90 Min
Agenda
Saturday, May 6, 2023 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM MST
Activity
Registration 8:00 AM MST
Description
- Members register for the conference (Lanyard/ID Badge pickup)
Time
45 Min
Introduction and Opening
9:00 AM MST
Keynote Address
9:15 AM MST
- Welcome to Day Two of Conference
- Keynote address by Toastmasters Accredited Speaker – Dr. Yelena Balabanova, DTM
15 Min
Contestant/Judges Briefing and Contest Setup
10:00 AM MST
- Briefing for International Speech Contest
- Contestants, Judges, & Functuonaries
30 Min
Tall Tales Speech Contest
10:35 AM MST
- Winners from Division Contests compete
90 Min
Lunch
12:00 PM MST
- Buffet Lunch
45 Min
Education Workshop
12:45 PM MST
- Session A1
- Session A2
30 Min
Education Workshop
1:20 PM MST
- Session B1
- Session B2
30 Min
Education Workshop
1:25 PM MST
- Session C1
- Session C2
30 Min
Break
2:45 PM MST
- Break before International Contest
15 Min
Contestant/Judges Briefing and Contest Setup
3:00 PM MST
- Briefing for International Speech Contest
- Contestants, Judges, & Functuonaries
30 Min
International Speech Contest
3:35 PM MST
- Winners from Division Contests compete
90 Min
Recess
5:00 PM MST
- Attendees recess for evening activities
60 Min
Dinner
6:00 PM MST
- Buffet Dinner
60 Min
Keynote Speech
7:00 PM MST
- International Director
45 Min
Celebration & Recognition
7:45 PM MST
- Awards Presentations
- Gifts to Presenters/Speakers
60 Min
Closing
8:45 PM MST
- Members may adjourn for individual activities
- Hospitatlity Suite Open – Silent Auction (8:00 PM – 12:00 AM)
60 Min