District 47 includes more than 190 Toastmasters clubs throughout the southern half of Florida and the Islands of the Bahamas. Our northern boundary includes Pinellas, Hillsborough, Hardee, Highlands, Okechobee, and St. Lucie counties. All Florida counties south of these are included in District 47.

Fellow Toastmasters,

I am elated to have been given the opportunity to serve the new District 47 for the 2008/2009 Toastmasters Year. I am indeed humbled and wish to thank all of your for your support and confidence in me, to elect me to serve you the members of this great district. I know that only with a Team we will achieve success “Together Everyone Achieves More” and I know that we will as a team work together to achieve the goals that are set out before us. I have chosen as a theme for the year “United…We learn with Toastmasters.” Remembering that we are a part of one organization, united as one we will learn from each other and achieve our goals. 

Commitment, dedication and the willingness to succeed is the order in which we will operate for the new Toastmasters Year, being aware that Toastmasters in a voluntary non-profit organization, the members have all joined with a goal in mind to achieve and the District leadership is here to serve you and help you map out a plan to achieve that goal. We want to equip you to lead from a position of strength and knowledge. My expectations are great and I will hold each and everyone, elected or appointed accountable to report on their specific roles and tasks. We plan to keep the entire District informed of all the happenings throughout the District as a whole and reward as necessary our high achievers. 

As a team, which includes each member of District 47, going forward we want you to focus on the four critical success factors to making a district successful, achieving Competent Communicators, Advanced Communicators, Membership payments and Paid Clubs at Toastmasters International. Keeping in mind the Competent leaders, Advanced leaders and Distinguished Toastmasters awards. We are seeking to achieve excellence in district 47, to surpass the goals given to us by Toastmasters International. To meet this challenge, as a team we must all work together towards one common goal. It all stems from the membership, when a member is successful, the club, the area, the division and by extension the district will ultimately be successful.  

District 47 will no longer be the District 47 that we all knew as of July 1, 2008; this by no means should deter our vision and the mission of the Toastmasters Program. We are privileged to have this awesome opportunity as the first team and membership to take a newly realigned District 47 through a successful year beginning July 1, 2008. I look forward to serving you.