Statement from Ian Chalmers, candidate for 2021–2022 Division I Director:

I have been a Toastmaster and active member of the LaSalle club in Ontario for 9 years, since moving with my Canadian wife from my native England to Canada in February 2012. To date I’ve undertaken the club roles of SAA, Secretary and President together with Area 41 and Area 42 Director, my current position. I have visited all clubs in Division I plus a number in Michigan, Ohio, Florida and even Tokyo, Japan in 2019 – where I won the TT contest, the evening I attended.

Zoom has also enabled me to visit clubs in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, together with many contests throughout District 28 in 2021. I have attended every D28 Conference since 2013, twice giving the ‘Toast to the USA’ most recently at the Windsor Conference, in May 2016. In 2018 I visited the TI Convention in Chicago, to cheer on our D28 champion in the IS contest. Prior to taking on an Area role, I was a keen contestant in all competitions and placed 3 rd in D28 TT in 2019 at the Toledo Conference.

I have really enjoyed attending the monthly DEC meetings for the last 20 months and consider myself very fortunate, that D28 crosses an international boundary. This has given me a unique opportunity to meet and get to know TM’s from the US, who have proved very knowledgeable, most helpful and totally welcoming. I would now like to step up to the challenge of Division I Director and would be very grateful for your support, at the forthcoming election.

Many thanks and best

Ian

Since we won’t be holding an in-person conference this year, we’ve created a virtual Candidates’ Corner on our District Council meeting event page, where we’ll be publishing statements from each of our candidates as we receive them.