New Year! New Family! New Goals! As your 2026–2027 District Director, I begin this year with a humble heart and immense pride in leading such a remarkable district. District 83 has always been a place where leaders rise, clubs thrive, and members push beyond their comfort zones. This year, we are ready more than ever for our theme: Scaling New Heights.
New Family This year our family has grown. Please join me in welcoming our Fairfield County, CT and Westchester County, NY clubs and Cre-Art into District 83. Their arrival strengthens our community and expands the reach of our mission.
Scaling New Heights is more than a theme; it’s a commitment. A commitment to growth, to excellence, and to supporting one another as we climb towards new horizons. Every club, every officer, and every member contributes to the momentum that will carry us upward. Together, we will build a district defined not only by success, but by unity, courage, and the willingness to reach higher than ever before.
New Leadership Introducing our new, powerhouse 2026–2027 leadership team to spearhead our quest toward elevated standards of club quality, club excellence and club growth: Annette De Mendonca, DTM Program Quality Director Anne Golden, DTM Club Growth Director Their dedication and clear vision for the path ahead will help guide District 83 to greater achievements.
We are Scaling New Heights in the New Year with a New Family and together, we’ll surpass New Goals. This year is about rising higher, supporting one another, and stepping boldly into new opportunities for growth, leadership, and excellence.
Here’s to a powerful year ahead, District 83.
Kadian Grant, DTM
District Director, 2026–2027
A new year begins with a new celebration. We are thrilled to start the year with outstanding news. A huge congratulations to Queena Bergen for winning the Toastmasters International Speech Contest Quarterfinals and advancing to the Semifinals. We are proud of her achievement and excited to cheer her on as she represents our district on the international stage at the Toastmasters International Convention in Vancouver, Canada.
Welcome All New Leaders, New Positions, New Candidates
Immediate Past President:
The Unsung Hero of ToastmastersEvery July, our clubs welcome a new slate of officers. We celebrate the incoming presidents, the new VPs, the first-time treasurers stepping up to serve. But there is one role that almost never gets the spotlight, and it might be the most important one during this season of transition: the Immediate Past President.
In the July issue of Toastmaster magazine, António Mendes, DTM, makes the case that the IPP is the quiet force that keeps a club steady while new leaders find their footing. He describes the role as a bridge between past and future leadership and even compares a good IPP to an airbag. You forget it is there until the moment you need it.
Mendes walks through what a real handover meeting looks like and why it sets new officers up to succeed. He also gets into something clubs wrestle with every July: how to keep your traditions without closing the door on new ideas. If your club just elected new officers, this is the most useful ten minutes you will spend this month. The magazine lands in your inbox every month, but this is one piece worth opening on purpose.
Read it here: The Unsung Hero of Toastmasters
You can also hear António go deeper on the role in his conversation with host Greg Gazin on The Toastmasters Podcast, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or at toastmasterspodcast.com.
New Recognition, New Awards
New Speech Contest for 2026-2027
New Year, New Goals:
Why Your Club Success Plan
Matters NowJuly gives Toastmasters clubs something rare: a true fresh start. New officers, new energy, and a blank scoreboard. It is also when your club takes on one of the most valuable exercises of the entire year: the Club Success Plan.
Before we talk about the club, let's talk about you. Most of us joined Toastmasters with a goal in mind. Maybe it was a promotion, or maybe it was just getting through a speech without your notes shaking in your hands. Whatever brought you here, one thing is true across the board. Goals that live only in your head rarely survive the year. The ones we write down, break into steps, and revisit regularly are the ones that actually happen. That is exactly what the Club Success Plan does for your club. It takes the big picture, things like membership growth, education awards, and officer training, and turns it into a clear roadmap with real targets and real deadlines. It is the difference between a club that hopes to have a good year and a club that plans for one.
Here is the part I would encourage every member to think about this month: your personal goals and your club's goals are connected. When you commit to finishing your next Pathways level, your club moves closer to Distinguished. When you invite a coworker to a meeting, you are not just helping the club grow, you are practicing the kind of outreach that builds careers. The CSP only works if members treat it as theirs too, not something the officers fill out once and file away.
So as your club sits down to build its plan this month, show up for that conversation. Share what you want out of this year. Ask how you can contribute to the club's targets. And take a page from the CSP for your own life while you are at it. Write your goals down, put dates on them, and actually look at them again in October when the excitement has worn off.
A new program year does not stay new for long. Decide what you want from this one while the calendar is still on your side.
We are already in motion with our mission. We are excited to welcome newly forming clubs that will add energy, diversity, and momentum to District 83. Learn more about these emerging clubs below.
Did you know you can turn your passion or specialty into a Toastmasters club. Our Club Growth Team is ready to help you transform your idea into a thriving new club. District 83 • Scaling New Heights |
