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Where future leaders are made

Toastmasters International bills itself as the organization "where leaders are made" and local businesswoman, Dawn Miller couldn't agree more - for the past 30 years she has been an ardent fan of the many skills Toastmasters has given her.

Toastmasters International bills itself as the organization "where leaders are made" and local businesswoman, Dawn Miller couldn't agree more - for the past 30 years she has been an ardent fan of the many skills Toastmasters has given her.

In 1983 Miller, along with many British Columbians, found herself out of a job when the economy took a drastic downturn and her contract with the local college in Prince George ended.

"So I took inventory and with my micro computing and word processing skills I started a business called Heritage Systems Group," Miller said.

She quickly realized, as do most entrepreneurs, that the marketing and sales of the new company would be up to her. Not sure that her communications skills would be up to the new tasks, she took a page out of her husband Bob's book and joined Toastmasters.

"I joined a different club because I thought it might be awkward to evaluate each other," she said.

She found her membership in Toastmasters quickly paid off.

"My work changed in crooked and weird ways and I ended up with a completely different career," Miller remembered.

At the time communications and marketing positions were expanding in the marketplace, and she found herself well suited to these growing fields.

A chance meeting at a California conference with a fellow businessperson left Miller with some advice she took to heart.

"First of all, he told me to name my business after myself, and Dawn Miller and Associates came to be. Otherwise, he said, you're expecting your clients to remember two names. At the time I was planning to open up an office in downtown Prince George, he said, 'don't take in overhead -you're going to your customers, they're not coming to you. Why take on extra expense,'" she recalled.

Over the years Miller worked at various contract positions as well as at her own company.

One contract she found particularly well suited to her interests and talents was with the College of New Caledonia as the executive directory of a new program for women called FutureWork.

"It was a wonderful development program for women," Miller said.

Along with her evolving career, Miller stayed with Toastmasters. She filled many different roles in B.C. over the years, including the top role in the district as governor of the province. After that she went on to serve as international director.

At that point she decided the travel demanded of international board members would take her away from home far more than she or her family would want, so she went back to serving in different roles locally in Prince George and throughout the province.

"Toastmasters has given me so much confidence and network connections," Miller said.

She credits her leadership skills in running on-time, quality meetings directly to her years in Toastmasters. She soon found herself popular in the volunteer world.

"You end up the chair of a number of things because you can run a business meeting," Miller said.

One of the opportunities she had was of special meaning to her.

"Because I could speak and was involved in technology, I was asked to be part of the Regional Science Council. They needed a woman. I was open to opportunities and making a difference," she said.

Since 1996 the Millers have had the H & R Block franchise in Sechelt. They've been here full time since 2005. Prior to that, she commuted in the busy tax time, and a local woman managed the business the rest of the year.

The Millers were soon recruited by various business and charitable organizations on the Coast. Dawn is current chair of the board of Community Futures of the Sunshine Coast and has been for the past three years. She joked it's a one-year position that's been twice renewed.

With local elections looming in 2014, Toastmasters just might be the opportunity many budding politicians are looking for.

Dawn found her Toastmaster training invaluable a few years ago when she ran for MLA for the Liberals.

"I thought I'd spice up my life a bit because I was kind of bored, so I decided to run for MLA. I soon became a flak rod for the Sunshine Coast," she shared.

She relied on her experience of being evaluated for all her roles in Toastmasters invaluable in the political forum. Listening and not reacting are priceless in the political process, other skills developed through Toastmasters.

"People come up to you and just say anything. I'm so glad I had Toastmasters," she said.

Both the Millers are active in the local Beachcombers Toastmaster Club. Started three years ago as an advanced club for people who had completed the first manual of 10 speeches and achieved the status of competent communicators, the club, through a unique mentorship program, also opens its doors to busy people who may not have time for the weekly commitment other Sunshine Coast Toastmaster clubs require. The Beachcomber meetings are held on the third Friday of the month at Sita's Spag Shack in Gibsons at 6 p.m. For more information call Dawn at 604-886-8278 or email croy@coastreporter.net.

If you're able to commit to a weekly meeting, Sunshine Toast-masters meets at the Arts Centre in Sechelt on Tuesdays at 6 p.m., and Morning Stars Toastmasters meets on Wednesdays at 7 a.m. at Harmony Hall in Gibsons.