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LEANNA LISTENS

Meet Mitch Priestley . . .

Leanna Lindquist, DTM

Mitch grew up in Southeast Portland. He has lived in Portland his entire life
except for two stints living in Los Angeles and Burbank while he built his computer
training business.

When and why did you join Toastmasters? accounting.
I joined Toastmasters in 2011 to round out My business won awards, including being

my speaking skills. My experience had been named twice to the Inc 500 list of 500 fastest-
in training and making professional training growing, privately-held companies in America,
presentations in a corporate environment, the Oregon Quality Award Certificate of Quality
teaching negotiating skills, accounting, and Commitment, and Oregon Business magazine’s

financial statement analysis. I wanted to learn a list of 100 Best Companies to Work for in Oregon,
fuller bevy of speaking and presentation skills. among others.
When I discovered that Toastmasters was a
leadership development program, I found the What prompted your interest in TV

organization and the experience to be even Toastmasters?
richer and more rewarding than I had expected. I think that learning to host and to interview
is the next logical step for Toastmasters who want
Tell us about your education and career to extend their speaking skills and their comfort

background in front of an audience. Adapting skills to video
I built a computer training business from 1980 is timelier now in the 2018-19 fiscal years than
to 2009; then went back to college. I graduated it was when community television was invented
with a Bachelor’s degree in Leadership in 2012 in the 1980s. People who join TV Toastmasters

and am now attending Portland State University to edit programs, run the control room, and/or
to complete a second Bachelor’s degree in interview guests are developing a skill set they
Economics with possible minors in mathematics can use to expand their personal brand.
and computer science. I currently freelance as
a business consultant and trainer, specializing How has the format of the program
in desktop computer skills and business skills, changed?

including sales and negotiating. I also tutor The TV Toastmasters club, club #7512, is
college students in statistics, economics, and in its 30th year. Our 30th anniversary will

34 ONE COMMUNITY