HAWORTH, N.J.—Valley Toastmasters, founded in 1988 to help members improve their communication and leadership skills, installed its new slate of officers for 2019–2020.
They are President Sharon Grosso; Vice President of Education Joseph Padilla; Vice President of Publicity and Public Relations Meina “May” Zhu-Chhimi; Treasurer Richard Paterson; Vice President of Technology Madeline Ward; advisors Henry Pruitt, Jim Tosone, Jane Paterson, and Greg Holden; sergeants-at-arms Fitz Read and Richard Sunden; and Secretary Maxine Kaufman.
Outgoing officers are President Nandita Dsouza, Vice President of Education Miriam Miller, and Vice President of Publicity and Public Relations Kalsoom Kazmi.
Members thanked Dsouza particularly, saying her leadership was extraordinary.
“Thanks to her efforts and guidance we have achieved select distinguished status for our club,” Kaufman told Northern Valley Press.
Dsouza also won first place at the division humorous speech contest held in November 2018.
Headquartered in Englewood, Colo., Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network.
Members report Toastmasters is great training for job interviews, accepting awards, delivering eulogies, delivering technical briefings, giving sales pitches, introducing speakers, speaking to diverse audiences, helping to lead events, and giving feedback.
Meetings run the first and third Monday of each month from 8 to 10 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 276 Haworth Ave. Due to the July 4 holiday break the next meeting is Monday, July 15.
Meet the members
According to the club’s website, Grosso is originally from New Rochelle, N.Y. and lives in Haworth with her husband Robert and golden retriever Stella. Their two children have recently moved out West—one to wander; the other to work. She has completed her initial leadership manual in the club and is making her way through the club’s starter speech manual.
Padilla, of Teaneck, has been a member since 2015. He says he finds the meetings are “an opportunity to challenge, expand, and grow in public speaking and conversation.”
Zhu-Chhimi, a physical therapist who recently started her own practice, joined Valley Toastmasters in 2018 to improve her ability to communicate to her patients. She is focusing on materials in the club on effective coaching.
Kaufman says her husband, Don, was one of the four original founders of Valley Toastmasters.
“As a stutterer who became an accomplished public speaker he credited Toastmasters with changing his life. My goal is to carry on his legacy because he loved the club so much and inspired so many,” she adds.
Paterson, originally from Cape Town, South Africa and now living in Westwood with his wife, Jane, joined Valley Toastmasters in 2011 and has earned his Competent Communicator and Competent Leader accreditations.
An executive in the financial services industry, he manages technology project delivery. He adds that he is “the marketing strategist, publishing magnate, social media maven and web guru” for his wife’s writing and speaking business.
Read, originally from Boston, lives in Tenafly with his wife, Joan. He had a 34-year career with Macy’s and recently received an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. The adjunct professor says he joined Toastmasters because he views public speaking as an important skill.
Dsouza is a certified math and science teacher and Delta Air Lines flight attendant from New Milford. As part of her interests in global diversity she spends her free time learning German, Arabic, Hindi, and various Indian languages. She says Toastmasters has helped her tremendously throughout her flying career, polishing her abilities to effectively deliver valuable information to friends, colleagues, and passengers.
Tosone, of the Township of Washington, joined Valley Toastmasters in 1994 and has earned his Advanced Communicator Gold and Competent Leader certifications. He has served as vice president of education and president. The managing director of Tosone Associates, he is a former Pfizer executive. He also wrote the book “Classical Guitarists: Conversations” and contributed to “The Idiot’s Guide: The U.S. Constitution.”
Sunden was raised in Old Tappan. He lived nine years in Norwood then 12 years in Northvale, and then moved back to Old Tappan. He has been married to his wife Barbara for the past 49 years. An active member of Valley Toastmasters since May 2013, he says he believes Toastmasters is one of the finest self-improvement courses a person can take.
Kazmi lives in Oradell with her husband and three children. She has an M.S. in political science and is a volunteer educator. She has worked as a certified manager and Realtor with Coldwell Banker, and now is a professional life coach.
Miriam Miller, originally from Washington, D.C. and now residing in Haworth, is a custom floral designer and event planner with M. Miller Designs Inc. She says she joined Valley Toastmasters to learn how to become a clear and effective communicator in a friendly supportive environment.
For more member profiles and club resources visit http://3181.toastmastersclubs.org.