Page 6 - November 2019

COVER STORY

Michelle Alba Lim, DTM
Toastmasters Changes Lives

Phyllis Harmon, DTM

Continuing this year’s focus on the District Executive
Committee, November highlights past District Director and
current Division A Director, Michelle Alba Lim.

Why did you join Toastmasters?

I first heard of Toastmasters in 1991, when Timex
Toastmasters invited me while I was visiting Cebu. I didn’t
join because my job required extensive travel. I heard

of Toastmasters again in 1994, when an event emcee
announced that he was a Distinguished Toastmaster.
Imagine my chagrin when he murdered my name,
PJ Kleffner, DTM messed up my talk title, and spoke about himself instead
Program Quality Director of introducing me! I might never have joined Toastmasters
Service with a Smile had it not been for fellow training consultant Dina

Loomis. In 1996, she urged me to visit her club, Molave

Erik Bergman, DTM Toastmasters. I attended, enjoyed the friendly supportive
environment, and loved the evaluations. I joined right after
the meeting and have been with Toastmasters ever since.

What has been your greatest Aha! Moment in
your Toastmasters journey so far? Why?

One of my greatest Aha! Moments was the realization
that we can never NOT communicate. When we don’t say
anything, we are communicating by our silence. When

we don’t respond to email, calls, or messages, we are
communicating. Often, people will remember what we

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