Club Committee

Meet the ladies who are making City Women Speakers the most inclusive, diverse and friendly public speaking club for women.

President – Laura Kane

Welcome to City Women Speakers!!

Before I joined Toastmasters, I lacked confidence, rarely spoke up and avoided giving speeches. Now I enjoy presenting and getting up on stage. I feel brave and optimistic about facing the challenges ahead.

By joining Toastmasters, I have had the opportunity to learn and develop many skills from public speaking to communication to leadership. City Women Speakers has been a safe place for me to grow. The amazing women who are part of our club offer a fabulous support network by providing helpful feedback, offering words of wisdom, and celebrating each other’s success. Together we learn, grow and build confidence.

At City Women Speakers, we look forward to meeting guests and new members, whilst supporting all of our existing members. Whether you are looking for a place to network, fine tune your public speaking skills or practise your elevator pitch, we hope to see you at our next club meeting!

Vice President Mentorship – Carrie Gow

I joined City Women Speakers in October 2015, planning to be a member for just a year but here we are 6 years later and I’m still treasuring my membership; my club and my fellow members. Informal mentoring, by way of the constant support and encouragement we give each other, are “part & parcel” of our club however as VP Mentoring, I look after the formal mentoring programme.

The more I put into CWS, the more I get out of it. I am rewarded regularly as I watch the mentors and mentees experience the same thing – the joy of new friendships, the confidence each woman gains in their role (mentor/mentee) and how they go on to putting more into their membership, their career and their personal life with the skills they learn with us.

Secretary – Liza Navoschik

Hi – I’m Liza, I have recently joined Toastmasters and I’m loving it! Nobody said it would be easy to fight this widely spread virus of public speaking fear (spoiler: it’s not), but the energy, support, dedication of each and every member in City Women Speakers are incredible and inspiring.

My main task as a Secretary is to document the history of City Women Speakers by taking minutes at our committee meetings, record new ideas and keep tabs on achieving our club’s goals and responsibilities. Rest assured, this Toastmasters’ year is going to be breathtaking – do come along to our next club meeting and you will see it with your own eyes!

Vice President Education – Katie Overton

I have been with the club for a couple of years and it’s been a great mix of learning and loving the energy of the regular meetings and being surrounded by a diverse group of women. This is my 2nd year on the committee, this time moving into a joint role with Aga as VPE support for our club as we look for new ways to help our members get the most out of their experience with Toastmasters.

If you have palpatations just at the thought of speaking in groups please come along and join us as a guest. It is the best thing I’ve ever done to grapple with the anxiety!

Vice President Education –Agnieska Rzesniowiecka

Hi, welcome to City Women Speakers – I’m glad you’re here! My goal as the VP Education is to support you with your public speaking, communication, and leadership skills goals as a member.

The things I enjoy most about being part of this club are lovely and inspiring club members, the quality of feedback you receive, and the diversity of backgrounds and speaking styles – I feel like I always learn a few tips or techniques at every meeting.

My personal journey of public speaking started 10 years ago – in that time, I progressed from not being able to speak in front of anyone to regular speaking engagements at top industry events. The City Women Speakers club has been instrumental to this progress – taking on roles, experimenting, safely failing, testing real-life work presentations, and getting lots of encouraging and constructive feedback were all things I took away from meetings and benefitted from in my personal and professional life.

I encourage you to take the first step and visit one of our meetings as a guest – we’d love to see you!

Vice President Membership – Kate McLachlan

Having been a member of City Women Speakers for a couple of years, as a VPM I am looking forward to meeting new members and introducing them to the amazing people in our Toastmasters group.

I joined Toastmasters to gain confidence in public speaking, as part of my role as an events manager I’m more behind the scenes so I didn’t have many opportunities to practice speaking in front of a group of people. It’s not just about getting up on a stage to speak – I’ve gained confidence with speaking up in meetings and dealing with virtual meetings and having a positive presence during those.

Vice President Public Relations – Veronica Bogdacenco

I’ve been a member of City Women Speakers for more than two years, and I am still impressed with the fantastic development opportunities it offers. City Women Speakers is not some silver bullet for public speaking phobia. It’s not about paying a lot of money and expecting quick results. Just like you cannot lose weight overnight, you need time and practice to become a confident and eloquent public speaker.

My primary role as a VP of Public Relations is to improve and promote the club’s online presence. I am the geek of the team, the one-person band that built and manages this website.

Treasurer – Rowena Griffiths

Rowena joined the precursor to CWS in 2013 (WIBF Speakers City Club) and was appointed as SAA in her first year. She then became Treasurer and has been enjoying the post ever since. Rowena joined in order to improve her speaking skills prior to delivering a series of seminars on Financial Planning.

However, she now gets more out of the social and networking side of things. She says this is a great club to develop skills in a supportive and fun environment.