Yuma man earns Toastmaster's highest honor

Jessie Jones, a Yuma man, has been awarded Toastmaster International’s highest achievement, Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM). The award is the culmination of his three and half years of participation as a member of the Yuma Sunsetters Toastmasters club.

Jessie is one of three active Toastmasters, out of approximately 115 members, to have completed the numerous speeches and leadership activities, including a High Performance Leadership Project.

"He demonstrated proficiency not only as a public speaker, but as a leader as well," said Christopher Lee, vice president of public relations for Yuma Sunsetters Club No. 936781.

Jones said his successful completion of the daunting process came through determination.

“One can only successfully endure the process with a healthy dose of persistence — do your speeches, work to improve your skills, do the best you can with what you are dealt in the process.”

Achieving the distinction of Distinguished Toastmaster not only involves active participation at the local club level, but also participation in a leadership role at the District level, Lee said.

Yuma is included in Toastmaster’s International District 5 which encompasses Area 2, including Yuma, El Centro and numerous areas in San Diego.

 Jones emphasizes the successful completion of achievements in Toastmasters is not an individual effort.

“Only through serving the membership and building good relationships with others can one work through the communication and leadership programs, learning how to work on a team, to compromise, to generate ideas, to improve communication on all levels,” he said.

Jones is also involved in other community programs. He recently completed a run as the Tin Man in the Yuma Community Theater production of “The Wizard of Oz.”

According to Lee, one of the challenges to completing Distinguished Toastmaster is balancing work, social life and commitments to Toastmasters International.

"Having completed the DTM, Jessie has more time for theater, though he still contributes to the club and Area 2 in many ways," Lee said.

"Many of the communication and leadership skills Toastmaster’s encourages contributed to the successful communication and management of boundaries that provide the balance in Jessie’s life. Congratulations Jessie Jones."

According to their official Web site, Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. The organization currently has 250,000 members in 12,000 clubs in 106 countries.

Since its founding 85 years ago in October 1924, the organization has worked with more than 4 million men and women on how to give presentations with poise and confidence.

For more information about Toastmasters International, go to www.toastmasters.org. For information about Area 2 Clubs contact the Area 2 governor, June Wolfe, at sunsetterjune@yahoo.com or 928-210-7770 or Christopher Lee with Area 2 public relations at chris.yumasunsetter@gmail.com.


Chris McDaniel can be reached at cmcdaniel@yumasun.com or 539-6849.