Club Committee

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

President – Lynn Thomasson

This year, I’ve embraced the role of president with enthusiasm, driven by my love for public speaking and my aspiration to support others in honing their abilities.

In this role, I’m genuinely excited to shape the club’s path, create a significant influence, and nurture both personal and professional growth in communication and leadership. Integrating my drama training into our public speaking approach is something I can’t wait to do – it will undoubtedly enhance our skills and delivery.

My primary goal is to amplify the voices of women, offering inspiration and empowerment. As I progress, I’m eager to refine my leadership style and lead by example.

Vice President of Education –Agnieszka Rzesniowiecka

I’ve been a member of the club for 7 years now. Having joined the club at the beginning of my career, I wanted to work on anxiety related to work presentations. Having achieved this, I’m now working on finding my voice and refining my delivery style.

One of the things that makes me come back to the club year after year is that the members are encouraging, non-judgemental, and give specific, actionable points I can use to improve my public speaking right away.

CWS helped me on my journey to being a paid public speaker, but more importantly, to not losing my sleep over an upcoming speech!

Treasurer – Sadiqa Esmail

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.

As club Treasurer this year, I aim to support both new and existing members, and keep the on top of the club’s financial health.

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 of Public Relations – Ciara O’Flynn

After months of dodging speaking opportunities, and feeling that familiar anxious dread right before speaking up in meetings, I thought enough was enough and decided to join City Women Speakers at the beginning of 2023. From my first meeting, I immediately felt supported and welcomed into the club. Being in an environment where it is okay to make mistakes, or sound a bit nervous giving a speech, took a lot of the pressure out of public speaking for me. Since joining the club, I have built my confidence, one speech and role at a time, slowly laying the foundations of becoming a confident speaker. And while I’m still a relatively new member of the club, I’m excited to see how my journey at City Women Speakers shapes and strengthens my public speaking, leadership and communications skills.

This year, I’m the club’s Vice President of Public Relations. In this role, I hope to encourage and motivate members in the club by recounting all the fantastic successes that we achieved as individuals and together as a collective.

Vice President of Membership – Hellena Crompton

In 2023, I became a member of City Women Speakers. Since joining and with the club’s supportive atmosphere, I’ve steadily been building my confidence and becoming a more poised and skilled speaker.

This year, I’ve taken on the role of the club’s Vice President of Membership. In this role, I’ve had the privilege of meeting and welcoming future club members. I provide them with valuable tips and guidance on their journey within the club. It’s a role that allows me to combine my love for connecting with people and supporting their growth.