Wimberley Toastmasters elect new leadership

Wimberley Toastmasters swore in a slate of officers for the new fiscal year who will begin serving this month. The officers will guide the club on its mission to provide a supportive and positive experience in which members learn communication and leadership skills. The club, which meets the second and fourth Thursdays at First Baptist Church Wimberley, 15951 Winters Mill Parkway, at 7:00 PM, is also known to help members develop greater self-confidence and personal growth.

Michael Cooper, accepting his roles as Club President, admitted that when he joined four years ago it was just because he was “looking for something to do.” He found more than that.

He explained, “I was surprised most by the genuine feedback and sincere desire of the members to help me.”

Cooper has big plans for the coming year. “I hope to reinvigorate the club,” he said, “by adding members and reaching out to existing and former members. I plan to use various media to add a shine and polish to our message. Potential members can expect to see a professional yet relaxed dedication to excellence in an atmosphere of genuine friendliness.”

He added, “What is most important about the Toastmasters experience is that mistakes are just stepping stones. We learn from them and use that knowledge to further ourselves and others, and have fun doing it.”

Amy O’Neil accepted a challenge, with a dual role of Vice President of Education and Vice President of Membership. This compliments her professional goals, as O’Neil, a local real estate broker and native of Wimberley, joined Toastmasters in 2011 to develop better communication skills. She considers the leadership skills she has been learning as a valuable bonus of her Toastmasters experience.

Leo Sopicki becomes Vice President of Public Relations. He currently writes about movies, music and technology, but his first career was in public relations. In that profession he primarily worked as a Public Information Officer for cities, so this should be a good fit. He just completed a year in a similar position for his college alumni group.

Nanette Mackenroth takes on the critical and detail-oriented job of Secretary/Treasurer. Mackenroth is a Family Health Coach on a mission to help moms raise kids who choose to live healthy, gain spouse support, and weed through the “wild wild west” of health advice. She joined Toastmasters last year and has been sharpening her presentation and speaking skills.

Dan Matz has been a pillar of the organization the last two years, serving as President and Vice President of Education. This year he has decided to step into a supporting role as Sergeant-at-Arms. This position ensures the meeting place is ready and greets new guests. Matz will also share lessons he learned with the new officers.

The club welcomes guests, so it’s totally acceptable to drop in to see what Toastmasters is about. You can find out more at the club’s website (https://wimberley.toastmastersclubs.org/ ) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/wimberley.toastmasters/ ) or contact Vice President of Membership Amy o’Neil at [email protected].