MBCC employee: Montaque-Dwyer heads Western Knights Toastmasters

Ten years after joining the 11-year-old Western Knights Toastmasters Club in Montego Bay and serving in various offices, Synandre Montaque-Dyer has been entrusted with leading the club through its next admin­istrative year, effective July 1, 2020.

The new president and her slate of officers were entrusted with their portfolio responsibilities in a virtual Installation and Award Cer­emony recently.

Montaque-Dyer is an As­sociate Dean of the Work­force Division and a Com­puter Studies Lecturer at the Montego Bay Community College and she says, “I’m looking forward to a great year despite the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown us.”

She says her executive will continue to meet the needs of members in a changing world, building resilient lead­ers and effective communica­tors. She reminds members that “Toastmasters’ self-paced personal growth and development programme is like no other programme you will encounter. This is backed by an exceptional curriculum that is so diverse that it meets and satisfies members at all levels of the communication and leader­ship spectrum. These ben­efits I have been able to and continue to tap into.”

Other members of the 2020-2021 executive are Hor­ace Watson, Vice President Education; Martini Henry, Vice President Membership; Distinguished Toastmaster Marline Stephenson Dailey, VP Public Relations, Densoia Stephenson, Secretary and Marcia Bailey, Treasurer. Curley Roberts, Sergeant­at-Arms and Marva Senior, Immediate Past President, complete the slate of officers.

Online guest presenter for the installation ceremony^. was Past International Director; Distinguished Toast­master Eileen Wolfe who encouraged members and their guests to be “a humble authentic expression of your­self not so much in words as in actions. Be part of the so­lution. Help others to achieve the impossible.”

She stressed that leaders must bring out the best in people by building consensus and working toward a corn-

mon goal, by listening and inspiring through trust and collaboration.

Awards for performance over the 2019-2020 Toast­masters’ year were made to Martini Henry, Marline Stephenson Dailey, Marva Senior Curley Roberts, Sa­choy Ellis Tate and Horace Watson. Tania Barnes Brown received the Advanced Lead­er Bronze award and spe­cial awards went to Mikhail McLeod and Domaine Gor­don. Watson also earned the President’s Knight Award and the club awarded outgo­ing Distinguished President Marva Senior for her sterling service over the past year.

The Western Toastmas­ters Club has received the President’s Distinguished Award for nine consecutive years and is open to anyone who is desirous of improving his/her communication and leadership skills. – CWP