Local Covington resident John Simmons is an excellent example of leadership in our community.  He was recognized for his leadership in Toastmasters at the District 14 Spring Conference in Callaway Gardens on April 24 and 25, 2015.  Toastmaster Simmons is the current Division C Governor and he was honored at Spring Conference as the Division Governor of the Year and the Club Growth Director Elect.  As Division Governor, Toastmaster Simmons is responsible as a liaison between area clubs and the district, besides overseeing Division speech contests.  As Club Growth Director Elect, Toastmaster Simmons will be part of the top District 14 “trio” of officers.  The Club Growth Director’s responsibilities are to increase club growth and membership retention within the entire district.

Toastmasters Simmons brings both leadership experience and success to the table. Besides being awarded as Division Governor of the Year and Club Growth Director Elect, Toastmaster Simmons earned his Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award.  He received his DTM medallion award at a special award ceremony during the District 14 Spring Conference.  The DTM award requires a Toastmaster to complete at least 40 speech projects and multiple leadership projects including serving various officer roles, assisting in the formation and success of clubs, and mentoring.

Toastmaster Simmons said about his leadership philosophy, “We are working together as a team to build long-lasting relationships, partnerships, and alliances which establishes an environment to empower all of us to achieve excellence.”

Every year District 14 Toastmasters holds a Spring Conference with educational workshops, speech contests, awards ceremonies, District elections, and a lot of fun.  District 14 is part of Toastmasters International, a professional organization focused on developing communication and leadership skills.  There are hundreds of Toastmaster members within the District, which covers most of Georgia and has clubs located east and south of I-85 representing it.

If you are interested in being a part of Toastmasters and want to learn more about how you can improve your communication and leadership skills, there are two clubs in Conyers (Toast of Rockdale and Conyers-Rockdale) and a newly chartered club in Covington (5 Star Leaders).  Toast of Rockdale club meets every Tuesday at 12:00pm at St. Simon’s Church at 1522 Highway 138 N, Conyers, Georgia.  Conyers-Rockdale Toastmasters club meets every Monday at 7:15pm at Springfield Baptist Church at 1877 Iris Drive SE, Conyers, Georgia.  5 Star Leaders meets every Monday at 11:00am at American Realty, 1123 Church Street, Suite 103, Covington, Georgia.  You are welcome to visit any of these clubs or go to www.toastmasters.org for more information.