Page 36 - 2016 December Voices
P. 36
JOURNEYS
Karen O’Keefe – Bravo for Toastmasters!
by Brinn Hemmingson, ACG, CL
Like many individ- (now director). Currently she’s Club President
uals, Karen did not seek out Toastmasters. Rather, for Competitive Speakers PDX, an advanced club
she found it. As she put it, “When I first moved where we are both members. Karen’s advice to
to Oregon (from Ohio), I got a job at a company all club officers is to attend every conference/
that had a Toastmasters meeting at work. I had training available. As she noted, the clubs with
been meaning to go to a Toastmasters meeting trained officers consistently serve their members
for 20 years and never did it (fear of speaking). better.
While that meeting was awful, the club coach Toastmasters hopefully impacts our “other
(Cathey Armillas) encouraged me to go visit lives, too. For Karen, “It gave me confidence;
other clubs and invited me to an area humorous the importance of which I cannot overstate.
speech contest. Cathey then sought my help for My Toastmasters high-performance leadership
doing a write-up for the fall conference. She project helped me be promoted into leadership
also encouraged me to take a leadership role in positions at work.”
my office club, which I did. That club ultimately She says, “I’m grateful to have found
failed, but I was hooked! I’m grateful to Cathey Toastmasters and wish I had gone to a meeting
for encouraging me and showing me the way.” when I was younger. I firmly believe that there is
Many people who fall in love with no dream you can dream, no goal you can have,
Toastmasters go the extra mile – and Karen did no job you can aspire to that Toastmasters can’t
(and does!) She has served in numerous officer help you with. Make sure you get everything you
roles (President, VP of Ed and PR) and district can out of your Toastmasters experience! Mentor
leadership roles. She said, “ I’ve learned a lot someone and be mentored (yes, experienced
from the experience: a) you may not be great members can be mentored too). You will expe-
the first time at something, but each time you rience the most growth from that experience.”
serve you do a better job (and it gets easier).” Karen inspires a lot of people, myself among
Her “best” roles were as VP of Education, Area them. I see her and I think Bravo, Toastmaster.
Governor (now director) and Division Governor
Karen O’Keefe (recipient of the 2015 Herbert C. Stude
Educational Service Award) presented by Phyllis Harmon
36 VOLUME 3 ISSUE 6 DECEMBER, 2016
