Andrews and Ralph Elected

MyChelle Andrews and Stephen Ralph, both of Albuquerque, were elected to district-level offices on May 18, 2019, during the District 23 Toastmasters 2019 conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

MyChelle Andrews

The members of District 23 Toastmasters elected Andrews, a data architect for the City of Albuquerque, to the role of Program Quality Director for the 2019-2020 Toastmasters year. Andrews has previously served as an Area and Division Director. In addition to helping found the CitySpeakers club at the City of Albuquerque offices, she frequently guides the Toastmasters club officer training programs for Albuquerque and northern New Mexico. The latter feeds directly into her role as Program Quality Director where she will be leading the training efforts across the district.

"I am so excited, but more importantly honored, to serve the district as the 2019-2020 Program Quality Director," said Andrews. "This year my focus is on the members. How can Toastmasters help our members have success in their personal and professional lives, as well as, in Toastmasters?"

She believes the approach to achieve this goal can be accomplished through three steps:

1. Ask the members what their goals are and why they joined Toastmasters. When a club understands what it’s members need, they are better equipped to help them achieve their goals.
2. Provide educational opportunities to ensure club officers and district leaders have the skills necessary to fully their obligations to the club and it’s members. And that all members who attend educational events take away something that will help them move closer to their goals.
3. Encourage members to “Do one task and do it well." When members focus on one role, one office, one leadership opportunity, the organization will thrive. So often we think, well no one else will want to do it, or no one else has volunteered so I will just go ahead and take on yet another task. 

"I know I am guilty of this, but what I have found is, when members understand what the task is, that they will have guidance from a mentor, and are allowed to think about it, they are very likely to step up. We have to allow members the opportunity to grow."

Stephen Ralph

Ralph, an assistant District Attorney with the Bernalillo County District Attorney's office, received the nomination and was elected to the position of Division Director for the northern division of District 23. 

Ralph began membership in Toastmasters in the Hi-Plains club in Clovis, New Mexico. Upon moving to Albuquerque, he stepped into an Area Director role for the district. In this position, he worked directly with four clubs - Marketing Masters, Off-the-Cuff, Sandia Lite, and Tumbleweeds - to help ensure their success. He also assisted with officer training and the running of contests. 

Graduating from the University of New Mexico with both a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Juris Doctorate of Law, Ralph brings a wealth of knowledge to the role of Division Director.