Page 16 - 2016 September Voices!
P. 16
JOURNEYS
Eric Winger, DTM—Coach—
Mentor—Speech Champion
by Brinn Hemmingson, ACG, CL
Those Toastmasters lucky enough to know me to grow every day.” His appreciation of
Eric know he is a man of warm, easy humor feedback echoes other Toastmasters who feel
who enjoys talking about family. And ironically they grew most
enough, it is that very subject that brought him in their ability
to listen which
to Toastmasters. In 2009, Eric was going to improved their
be the President of his children’s elementary performance
school PTO—and he did not know how to run at work.
an organization. A friend suggested he attend
a Toastmaster meeting, saying how they ran Eric won
meetings and had fun, neither of which sounded the District
like fun to Eric! Yet, fortunately for all of us, he 7 Humorous
went anyway. Contest in
2012, and the
Eric is a member of Silicon Forest Evaluation
Toastmasters and Feedbackers. Like many contest in 2014. He says, “I’m happy to say that
Toastmasters, he’s served in most if not all the I’ve lost far more contest that I’ve won. I say
officer roles. He was president of Feedbackers I’m happy because in spite of the gut-punch
four times in the past and an Area Governor. that losing gives you, losing is the place where
He is the VP of Membership for Silicon Forest. one grows.”
In his “other life” Eric said that his best Toastmaster moments
Eric is a software don’t come from the contests or his recent DTM,
engineer for but rather from coaching students at Future Stars
GemTalk Systems. and mentoring fellow Toastmasters with speeches
He says, “I thank or speaking techniques. These are the moments
Toastmasters for when he is given the opportunity to give back
helping me improve to the community that has been “so gracious
my listening and and kind.” As he puts it, “More importantly, it’s
feedback skills. I a chance to make small difference in someone’s
often took criticism poorly, sometimes reacting life. I can’t think of anything better than that.”
angrily to even helpful advice. Today, I view a
lot of that criticism as coaching. That has helped
16 Volume 3 Issue 3 - SEPTEMBER 2016
