The Toastmasters Biography of Dana LaMon

TOASTMASTERS BIOGRAPHY
(The following biographical sketch provides information regarding Dana LaMon's membership and achievements in Toastmasters International.)

Dana LaMon is a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) and member of four Toastmasters clubs in Lancaster, California--Talents Unlimited Club #4177, Advanced Toastmasters Platinum Club #8243, Citywide Word Wizards Club #720901, and Eye Opener Club #1675. His membership in Toastmasters International commenced in April 1988 and continues to the present. Dana served as the Division A Governor of District 33 from July 2004 through June 2006. His territory of responsibility extended from PalmDale to Bishop and from Mojave to Bakersfield. Under his leadership, Division A achieved the distinction of Select Distinguish in 2004-05 and President's Distinguished in 2005-06. All four of the Areas of Division A were Distinguished in Dana's second year of Division governor. Having had experience speaking in churches and at schools, Dana joined Toastmasters with the goal of improving his ability to use humor and gestures in his public speaking. His goals were soon revised when he witnessed District 33's International Speech Contest in 1989. Though he set a goal to compete in five years, he entered the contest in 1990. In that year he placed third in the District with his speech, "Just the Facts, Ma'am." It was a speech that poked fun at prejudice. In 1991 Dana placed second in the World Championship of Public Speaking, held in Atlanta, Georgia. His speech was titled, "The Secret Ingredient." In it, he encouraged the listener to enhance one's self image by having a complete identity, making a realistic assessment of one's abilities, and having a positive view of one's worth. Dana LaMon earned the distinction of World Champion of Public Speaking in 1992. The following year Toastmasters added to his honors the Accredited Speaker designation, an accolade given to a Toastmaster who demonstrates professionalism in speaking. In the 29-year history of the Accredited Speaker program, fewer than sixty Toastmasters have earned the award. Dana is the only Toastmaster who has become both World Champion of Public Speaking and Accredited Speaker. Participating in the World Championship of Public speaking led Dana into a business as a professional speaker. For seventeen years he has given motivational speeches for meaningful living, specifically on performance excellence, personal development, overcoming challenges, and diversity and inclusion. His business has taken him to twenty-nine states of the United States and to South Africa and Botswana. Sharing his skills and inspiration with Toastmasters, he has had the opportunity to travel to Penang, Malaysia, in 2004 and Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2005 to speak to District 51 (now Districts 51 and 80) Toastmasters, including members from Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Brunei, and Thailand, as well as Malaysia and Indonesia. Dana LaMon is the author of the motivational books THE SOUL'S MIRROR: Reflections on the Fullness of Life, published in 1997, and THE EXCELLENCE BOOK: 104 Principles for Living and Working, published in 2000. In 2004 he published MASTER THE CEREMONIES: The Emcee's Handbook for Excellence. In August 2006 the President of Toastmasters International, Dilip Abayasekara, presented Dana with the Presidential Citation "for outstanding contributions to Toastmasters International and its program of communication and leadership."

TOASTMASTERS BIOGRAPHY

(The following biographical sketch provides information regarding Dana LaMon's membership and achievements in Toastmasters International.)

Dana LaMon is a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) and member of four Toastmasters clubs in Lancaster, California--Talents Unlimited Club #4177, Advanced Toastmasters Platinum Club #8243, Citywide Word Wizards Club #720901, and Eye Opener Club #1675. His membership in Toastmasters International commenced in April 1988 and continues to the present.

Dana served as the Division A Governor of District 33 from July 2004 through June 2006. His territory of responsibility extended from PalmDale to Bishop and from Mojave to Bakersfield. Under his leadership, Division A achieved the distinction of Select Distinguish in 2004-05 and President's Distinguished in 2005-06. All four of the Areas of Division A were Distinguished in Dana's second year of Division governor.

Having had experience speaking in churches and at schools, Dana joined Toastmasters with the goal of improving his ability to use humor and gestures in his public speaking. His goals were soon revised when he witnessed District 33's International Speech Contest in 1989. Though he set a goal to compete in five years, he entered the contest in 1990. In that year he placed third in the District with his speech, "Just the Facts, Ma'am." It was a speech that poked fun at prejudice. In 1991 Dana placed second in the World Championship of Public Speaking, held in Atlanta, Georgia. His speech was titled, "The Secret Ingredient." In it, he encouraged the listener to enhance one's self image by having a complete identity, making a realistic assessment of one's abilities, and having a positive view of one's worth.

Dana LaMon earned the distinction of World Champion of Public Speaking in 1992. The following year Toastmasters added to his honors the Accredited Speaker designation, an accolade given to a Toastmaster who demonstrates professionalism in speaking. In the 29-year history of the Accredited Speaker program, fewer than sixty Toastmasters have earned the award. Dana is the only Toastmaster who has become both World Champion of Public Speaking and Accredited Speaker.

Participating in the World Championship of Public speaking led Dana into a business as a professional speaker. For seventeen years he has given motivational speeches for meaningful living, specifically on performance excellence, personal development, overcoming challenges, and diversity and inclusion. His business has taken him to twenty-nine states of the United States and to South Africa and Botswana. Sharing his skills and inspiration with Toastmasters, he has had the opportunity to travel to Penang, Malaysia, in 2004 and Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2005 to speak to District 51 (now Districts 51 and 80) Toastmasters, including members from Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Brunei, and Thailand, as well as Malaysia and Indonesia.

Dana LaMon is the author of the motivational books THE SOUL'S MIRROR: Reflections on the Fullness of Life, published in 1997, and THE EXCELLENCE BOOK: 104 Principles for Living and Working, published in 2000. In 2004 he published MASTER THE CEREMONIES: The Emcee's Handbook for Excellence.

In August 2006 the President of Toastmasters International, Dilip Abayasekara, presented Dana with the Presidential Citation "for outstanding contributions to Toastmasters International and its program of communication and leadership."

All About Motivational Speaker and Author Dana LaMon