Proposed Timeline 2025-2026
Success comes with clear vision
🔁 June (2025) — ONBOARDING & HANDOVER
Smooth transition with past leaders to ensure continuity, learnings, and shared vision.
💡 July — STRATEGIC PLAN & DISTRICT CALENDAR
Define key priorities. Develop the district’s strategic plan and official calendar to align efforts, events, and initiatives across all levels.
🧭 August — IDEAS INTO PROJECTS
Turn ideas into concrete, high-impact district projects by incorporating the insights, feedback, and aspirations of Division Directors and local leaders.
🤝 September — PROJECT LEADERSHIP & MENTORING
Recruitment of passionate leaders to coordinate each project and assignment of experienced mentors to guide them.
🚀 October to May — EXECUTION & EMPOWERMENT
Projects in motion: leaders supported, clubs engaged, members empowered.
🔥 June (2026) — THE LAST KICK
Final boost to help clubs and members reach their goals before the end of the Toastmasters year.
🎖️ July — CELEBRATION & HALL OF FAME
Recognizing outstanding achievements and celebrating the impact of our journey together with the District 109 Hall of Fame (online).
As 2024 – 2025 Program Quality Director, I committed to listening to members’ needs—integrating additional training based on their requests alongside the official educational offering. I also focused on creating space for leaders to coordinate their own innovative initiatives, and offered opportunities for those who wanted to lead by taking ownership of district-level projects I designed.
Membership orientation
An initiative from the Program Quality Director Team to support new members in gaining confidence, navigating the Toastmasters environment, and taking their first steps toward becoming active and independent participants.
Led by Francescka Davidhi (DivA)
TLIx – by Toastmasters Leadership Institute
20 Weeks – 40 Days – 80 Hours
20 Speakers – + of 100 members
The TLX was created to offer additional opportunities to all members who couldn’t attend the Club Officer Trainings organized in their area, ensuring everyone had access to essential leadership development.
Led by Harry Loots, DTM (DivD)
On-demand Webinar
We launched dedicated interviews, panels, and workshops for all members interested in becoming TEDx speakers or coaches. The initiative began in January with an insightful online panel discussion featuring three experienced TEDx coaches and organizers, who shared valuable tips and advice on the journey and key elements of becoming a successful TEDx speaker.
Peer To Peer Mentors Community
12 Months – 11 VIPs – 12 Hours
1 Community of + of 100 members around the World
Network of members who support and learn from each other through mentoring. In this community, members share experiences and skills, and address questions and curiosities. Each participant can be both a mentor and a mentee, fostering a continuous exchange of knowledge and collective growth within the Toastmasters organization.
Initiated and Led by Meltem Altinay (Div.H)
D109 District Incentives
District 109 is committed to recognizing the efforts of both clubs and individuals through a robust incentives program. As Program Quality Director, I am dedicated to continuing and expanding the initiative launched last year by my predecessor. By integrating the insights gathered from interviews I conducted with club officers, the new incentive plan is already achieving spectacular results—for example:
97% attendance at District Officer Training
69% attendance at Club Officer Training
WinTIR
We finally brought back a beloved District 109 tradition: the Winter Event.
By trusting and supporting a country that recently joined the district to organize a District Event, 110 Toastmasters members were able to experience an amazing time of learning and fun in Tirana.
Reviving the spirit of the 2019 Winter Summit held in Borovets, Bulgaria, this year’s WinTIR focused on Debate and Storytelling—both essential skills for leadership and communication.
Conference Chair: Endri Ndoni (Division A)
Debate Competition Chair: Christoph Aublinger (Division E)
Storytelling Event Chair: Zukhra Abdumalikova, DTM (Division E)
Find more by visiting our District Web Page https://district109.org/
key projects I have led throughout my Toastmasters journey
2 time Division Conference Chair
Torino
Pisa
District Officer Training Host
Torino
Crescita Collaborativa
Metodi per costruire collaborazioni durature e solide.
Gestione del Cambiamento
Strategie per affrontare e guidare il cambiamento con successo.
Testimonials from supporters
I’m really gratefull for people that
Excellence is, of course, one of Toastmaster’s four values. It is always a pleasure to encounter a person who exemplifies that value, and this is most certainly the case with the most excellent Katia Burdet.
Carol Bausor
Company owner, Coach & Confrence Chair, Speaker and
Enthusiastic Toastmaster!
I have known Katia since 2017, she was my first mentor and during these 6 years we have shared so many experiences and events in Toastmasters for which I feel much gratitude.
What I most appreciate in Katia is her inexhaustible enthusiasm and contagious energy, combined with a strong sense of responsibility that leads her to be a leader and a communicator of the highest value, always striving for excellence.
Annalisa Librè
AD A1 2021-22; Civil lawyer, Professional Coach
The first time I saw Katia Burdet, she was just a tuft of blonde hair pixelated on a monitor that was otherwise rather dark in tone.
Sure, she knew how to speak, and precisely because she was evidently capable, she seemed distant, as if she belonged to another world. However, her gaze was direct and deep, managing to penetrate even through the screen, nullifying the distance.
Alberto Ferretti
Pisa SAA 2023-25; Entrepreneur
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Katia for being an incredible mentor. She has played a pivotal role in helping me achieve my Pathway goals in Toastmasters by guiding me through the process of delivering speeches and completing related projects. One of the most valuable experiences was preparing for the Panel Discussion, which required a great deal of organizational skills and the ability to consider multiple perspectives. Thanks to Katia’s support, everything was thoroughly discussed, and the Panel Discussion was organized and executed at a high level, on time.
Ainur Shamkelova
Odissey Ambassador 2024-2025