The District Executive Committee, also known as DEC, is a group of leaders within the Toastmasters organization. They are responsible for overseeing and managing the day-to-day operations of the district. The DEC comprises the District Director, Program Quality Director, Club Growth Director, Public Relations Manager, Administration Manager, Finance Manager, and Area Directors.
Furthermore, the DEC is responsible for various tasks such as reviewing and approving the District Success Plan, approving the budget, managing the District’s financial operations, realigning clubs’ assignments to Areas and Divisions, and reviewing recommendations or reports from district committees, including the audit committee. In particular, the DEC plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth functioning of the district by providing leadership and guidance to its members.
Moreover, a smaller group within the DEC is known as the Core Team. Therefore, they are responsible for supporting and assisting the District Director in fulfilling their responsibilities. Finally, the Core Team includes the District Director, Program Quality Director, Club Growth Director, and Administration Manager.
District 109 Board 2023-2024 (Core Team)
Margherita Brodbeck Roth, DTM, District Director
Margherita holds an MSc UZH in geography, political sciences and history and an MBA. She works as a data quality program manager and is fluent in five languages. A Toastmaster since 2016, she has served as Area Director, Club President, VPE, VPM, VPPR, Secretary and SAA, and as a mentor and trainer. In conclusion, Margherita loves travelling around the world virtually and, time permitting, in person to experience the many vibrant and diverse Toastmasters communities.
Elena Grammenou – Program Quality Director
Elena Grammenou is a strategy & marketing consultant with strong experience across marketing, communications, strategy, project management, property management and audit. Elena is an Economist and holds a Postgraduate Degree in Marketing, an MBA and an MSc in Banking. She has served in NGO’s more than 25 years and loves to contribute her time and skills to good causes. Elena loves hiking/trekking in nature and meeting people and experiencing new cultures. She is a proud Toastmaster, enjoys every moment of it and promotes Toastmasters, at any chance.
Francesca Gammicchia, DTM – Club Growth Director
Francesca Gammicchia, DTM has been a dedicated Toastmaster for nearly a decade. She has served the organization as Division Director, Area Director and all the Club roles, multiple times. She has lived in Germany for 10 years and has a family spread between Romania and Italy. Moreover, Francesca knows the importance of diversity and inclusion in personal growth. In conclusion, she has received tremendous support, training, & inspiration from this community, and she believes she can give back this support, training, and love to help our district become a lighthouse for clubs in the stormy sea.
Tarek Desir – Public Relations Manager
Tarek Desir has had a long journey with Toastmasters in Greece, after coming to us from Miami, FL, known as the Magic City. Having lived in Greece for over 10 years, he uses the skills he learned in Toastmasters to represent his multinational construction company, lead teams, and explain complex systems in an open and understandable manner. As a long-time Toastmaster, he has held various positions, including Club Secretary, Sergeant at Arms, VP of PR, and President of the HAU Toastmasters Club. He also served as an Area Director and is now the 2-time Public Relations Manager for District 109. Finally, Tarek goal for the District is to promote and collaborate with different areas to showcase the incredible talent it offers.
Bill Vardas – Finance Manager
Bill Vardas has been a Toastmaster since 2016 and has enjoyed every single minute of his Toastmaster experience! The positions he held are Club President and Area Director. Additional Toastmasters experiences include co-chairing the International President’s Virtual Visit to Greece in 2021 and frequently chairing speech contests at the Division and Area levels. His experiences outside of Toastmasters include Secretary General of the Canadian Hellenic Congress 2008-09. He knows how to draft annual budgets, developing procedures, and implementing strategic plans for non-profit organizations. Bill enjoys music, movies, public speaking, current affairs, yoga, and traveling.
Burcu Ünal Erdoğan – Administration Manager
Burcu Ünal Erdoğan is from Istanbul, Türkiye. She is mother of a teenage boy, and has a dog. Burcu loves running and participating in charity runs, supporting several NGOs. Professionally, she has worked for Shell since 2003 and currently is Finance Manager. She studied Economics & Human Resources Management. She joined Toastmasters in 2019, as Treasurer of My Shell Turkey Toastmasters. Since then, she has served as President of My Shell, Area Director of H3 and now as Administration Manager for 2023-2024. Besides her native language Turkish, she speaks English and German.
Turan Tanin – Immediate Past District Director
Turan is not only an engineer by training, but also a passionate public speaker. Since 2017, he has been actively involved with Toastmasters, holding various leadership positions such as Club President, Division Project Manager, Area Director, Division Director, and Club Growth Director. Currently, Turan holds the position of District Director for District 109 for the term 2022-2023. Throughout his journey with Toastmasters, he has discovered a wonderful world filled with diverse people who come together to improve themselves and the world around them.
Additional District Roles
The District Alignment Committee plays a crucial role in ensuring that the clubs, Areas, and Divisions within the District are well-coordinated and organized. To achieve this, the committee is composed of District members appointed by the District Director, with the alignment chair serving as the leader. In particular, the alignment chair is tasked with overseeing the committee’s efforts to develop an alignment proposal and present it to the District Executive Committee ahead of the District Council meeting. This ensures that the alignment process is efficient and effective.
THE DIVISION AND AREA DIRECTORS
Division A
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cristina | Francolini | Division Director | Division A | divd.a@district109.org |
| Chiara | Ruggeri | Area Director | Area A1 | ad.a1@district109.org |
| Darine | Aboulezz | Area Director | Area A2 | ad.a2@district109.org |
| Joseph | Galea | Area Director | Area A3 | ad.a3@district109.org |
| Marco | Ambrogio | Area Director | Area A4 | ad.a4@district109.org |
| David | Crosby | Area Director | Area A5 | ad.a5@district109.org |
| Laura | Filippi | Area Director | Area A6 | ad.a6@district109.org |
Division C
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Godela | Bittcher | Division Director | Division C | divd.c@district109.org |
| Christine | Hueber | Area Director | Area C1 | ad.c1@district109.org |
| Sydne | Saccone | Area Director | Area C2 | ad.c2@district109.org |
| Iulia | Dragan | Area Director | Area C3 | ad.c3@district109.org |
Division D
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nigel | Thew | Division Director | Division D | divd.d@district109.org |
| Pietro | Ferrario | Area Director | Area D1 | ad.d1@district109.org |
| Damien | Gautier | Area Director | Area D2 | ad.d2@district109.org |
| Néstor A. | Bartolomei | Area Director | Area D3 | ad.d3@district109.org |
Division E
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christoph | Aublinger | Division Director | Division E | divd.e@district109.org |
| Aline | Schillig | Area Director | Area E1 | ad.e1@district109.org |
| Allison | Turner | Area Director | Area E2 | ad.e2@district109.org |
| Christian | Eggenberger | Area Director | Area E3 | ad.e3@district109.org |
| Santhiago | Alves Vieira | Area Director | Area E4 | ad.e4@district109.org |
| Harry | Loots | Area Director | Area E5 | ad.e5@district109.org |
Division F
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvicley | Figueira da Silva | Division Director | Division F | divd.f@district109.org |
| Petra | Salmutter | Area Director | Area F1 | ad.f1@district109.org |
| Monika | Gradl | Area Director | Area F2 | ad.f2@district109.org |
| Mateja | Lumpert | Area Director | Area F3 | ad.f3@district109.org |
Division G
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panagiotis | Karanikas | Division Director | Division G | divd.g@district109.org |
| Anastasia | Salichou | Area Director | Area G1 | ad.g1@district109.org |
| Vasiliki | Xyfteri | Area Director | Area G2 | ad.g2@district109.org |
| Vacant | Area Director | Area G3 | ad.g3@district109.org | |
| Yafit | Gabai | Area Director | Area G4 | ad.g4@district109.org |
Division H
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deniz | Şenelt Kalelioğlu | Division Director | Division H | divd.h@district109.org |
| Banu Sara | Akkaş | Area Director | Area H1 | ad.h1@district109.org |
| Nurbanu | Şahan | Area Director | Area H2 | ad.h2@district109.org |
| Neslihan | Özer | Area Director | Area H3 | ad.h3@district109.org |