Executive Board
Jana Nakamura - President
Jana joined Toastmasters in 2018 to become more comfortable with public speaking and presenting. Jana was first introduced to Toastmasters when a friend invited her to a club meeting, and with her interest in continuous self-improvement, decided to join. Jana currently works in project management and also enjoys planning events as well as going to them.
Connect with Jana on LinkedIn.
Jana joined Toastmasters in 2018 to become more comfortable with public speaking and presenting. Jana was first introduced to Toastmasters when a friend invited her to a club meeting, and with her interest in continuous self-improvement, decided to join. Jana currently works in project management and also enjoys planning events as well as going to them.
Connect with Jana on LinkedIn.
Jennifer Gaughran - Vice President of Education
Jennifer works as the Marketing Lead at centrexIT. She joined Toastmasters in 2017 to develop better communication skills, with the belief that excellent communication skills extend the possibilities of a person's professional and personal life. She is interested in Permaculture, personal growth through imagination, constantly working outside on one's comfort zones, and how a city's infrastructure affects the happiness levels of people. She and her family live near Downtown San Diego and run an adventure story podcast for kids called The Adventures of Red Knight.
LinkedIn Profile | Portfolio Website | The Adventures of Red Knight
Jennifer works as the Marketing Lead at centrexIT. She joined Toastmasters in 2017 to develop better communication skills, with the belief that excellent communication skills extend the possibilities of a person's professional and personal life. She is interested in Permaculture, personal growth through imagination, constantly working outside on one's comfort zones, and how a city's infrastructure affects the happiness levels of people. She and her family live near Downtown San Diego and run an adventure story podcast for kids called The Adventures of Red Knight.
LinkedIn Profile | Portfolio Website | The Adventures of Red Knight
Laila Koebke - Vice President of Membership
Laila joined Toastmasters in November 2019 with the goal to develop professional-level public speaking skills to advocate for at-risk populations. She started with working at a veterinary hospital at 14, and built her own business of dog walking, pet sitting, babysitting and finally personal assistance.
Connect with Laila on LinkedIn
Laila joined Toastmasters in November 2019 with the goal to develop professional-level public speaking skills to advocate for at-risk populations. She started with working at a veterinary hospital at 14, and built her own business of dog walking, pet sitting, babysitting and finally personal assistance.
Connect with Laila on LinkedIn
Johanna Pfeiffer - Vice President of Public Relations
Johanna joined Toastmasters in November 2017 with the goal to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Speaking publicly, either prepared or extemporaneously, is a skill that she wants to improve on professionally and personally. As a former Division I student-athlete, she has a true commitment to a career in intercollegiate athletics. Johanna has worked at San Diego State University as an athletic administrator since 2014. Her passion for this profession comes from a dedication to assist and encourage student-athletes in their efforts towards excellence in the classroom, in competition, and eventually in life.
Connect with Johanna on LinkedIn.
Johanna joined Toastmasters in November 2017 with the goal to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Speaking publicly, either prepared or extemporaneously, is a skill that she wants to improve on professionally and personally. As a former Division I student-athlete, she has a true commitment to a career in intercollegiate athletics. Johanna has worked at San Diego State University as an athletic administrator since 2014. Her passion for this profession comes from a dedication to assist and encourage student-athletes in their efforts towards excellence in the classroom, in competition, and eventually in life.
Connect with Johanna on LinkedIn.
David Gao - Treasurer
David is a real estate attorney whose interests include baseball, travel and wine. He joined Toastmasters to hone his professional speaking skills. He stuck around for the consistent dose of new information (both practical and trivial) and moments of humor (both intentional and unintentional).
Connect with David on LinkedIn.
David is a real estate attorney whose interests include baseball, travel and wine. He joined Toastmasters to hone his professional speaking skills. He stuck around for the consistent dose of new information (both practical and trivial) and moments of humor (both intentional and unintentional).
Connect with David on LinkedIn.
Alan Berlin - Secretary
Alan joined Toastmasters in June of 2013 with the goal of expanding his speaking skills both professionally and in social situations. He is now retired from a career that spanned cable TV, television home shopping and the document imaging and management service industry. Alan enjoys Toastmasters and can often be seen participating in a variety of roles during meetings.
Alan joined Toastmasters in June of 2013 with the goal of expanding his speaking skills both professionally and in social situations. He is now retired from a career that spanned cable TV, television home shopping and the document imaging and management service industry. Alan enjoys Toastmasters and can often be seen participating in a variety of roles during meetings.
Anne Shaw-Hanson - Sergeant at Arms
Originally from the Washington DC area, Anne has lived in the Southwest since college.
She moved to San Diego in 1991 with her husband and raised 2 children while working full time as a local outside sales representative for packaging distributor companies. She looks forward to earning her Competent Communication and Competent Leader awards and applying these new skills to elevate her career in sales. She is also open to continuing on with Toastmasters beyond these initial achievements. She has been a member since September 2015 and has served numerous officer roles, most recently becoming President in July 2018.
Connect with Annie on LinkedIn.
Originally from the Washington DC area, Anne has lived in the Southwest since college.
She moved to San Diego in 1991 with her husband and raised 2 children while working full time as a local outside sales representative for packaging distributor companies. She looks forward to earning her Competent Communication and Competent Leader awards and applying these new skills to elevate her career in sales. She is also open to continuing on with Toastmasters beyond these initial achievements. She has been a member since September 2015 and has served numerous officer roles, most recently becoming President in July 2018.
Connect with Annie on LinkedIn.
Featured Members
Landon Alchikh - Area 14 Director
Landon is a Marine Corps veteran who joined Toastmasters in July 2018. He has been very active in several clubs, including Creatively Speaking and Uptown Professionals, where he was able to gain Toastmaster experience in VPE and VPPR officer positions and participate in the International Speech contest at the Division Level. He currently serves as the Area 14 Director for District 5 under the philosophy "Lead by Example" and has mentored numerous clubs during their transition to the Pathways Educational program. Creative and driven, Landon is a three-times published author and is working on a forth book. He is inspired by academic research and studies the fields of kinesiology, nutrition, philosophy and psychology. You can find Landon enjoying any highly active physical activities, from the gym to hikes to martial arts.
Connect with Landon on LinkedIn
Landon is a Marine Corps veteran who joined Toastmasters in July 2018. He has been very active in several clubs, including Creatively Speaking and Uptown Professionals, where he was able to gain Toastmaster experience in VPE and VPPR officer positions and participate in the International Speech contest at the Division Level. He currently serves as the Area 14 Director for District 5 under the philosophy "Lead by Example" and has mentored numerous clubs during their transition to the Pathways Educational program. Creative and driven, Landon is a three-times published author and is working on a forth book. He is inspired by academic research and studies the fields of kinesiology, nutrition, philosophy and psychology. You can find Landon enjoying any highly active physical activities, from the gym to hikes to martial arts.
Connect with Landon on LinkedIn
Peter Shin
Peter is an entrepreneur in the hospitality industry and co-founder of a start-up that provides revenue management solutions for vacation rentals. While developing analytical & writing skills over the course of his education and professional career, it took only one visit to a Toastmasters meeting in 2018 to quickly realize that he needed to develop his verbal communication skills as well. When he's not working or crafting a speech, you can probably find Peter traveling, golfing or catching a ball game.
Connect with Peter on LinkedIn.
Past Members
Jonny Valamehr - Former President
Jonny is an entrepreneur in the cybersecurity software space. He joined Toastmasters because he believes that the ability to communicate ideas is the most important skill anybody can possess. Because he loves to both teach and learn, Toastmasters gives him the unique ability to engage in both activities simultaneously. Jonny has always been a man of many interests and hobbies, including magic, nutritional biochemistry, business, cooking, video games, philosophy, and the mechanisms behind human aging. He attended UC Santa Barbara, where he received his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. degrees, all in Computer Engineering. He joined us in November 2016 and became President of the club in July 2017-June 2018, and then as the VP of Mentorship in July 2018-December 2018. Connect with Jonny on LinkedIn
Jonny is an entrepreneur in the cybersecurity software space. He joined Toastmasters because he believes that the ability to communicate ideas is the most important skill anybody can possess. Because he loves to both teach and learn, Toastmasters gives him the unique ability to engage in both activities simultaneously. Jonny has always been a man of many interests and hobbies, including magic, nutritional biochemistry, business, cooking, video games, philosophy, and the mechanisms behind human aging. He attended UC Santa Barbara, where he received his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. degrees, all in Computer Engineering. He joined us in November 2016 and became President of the club in July 2017-June 2018, and then as the VP of Mentorship in July 2018-December 2018. Connect with Jonny on LinkedIn
Johanna Pfeiffer - Past Vice President of Public Relations
Johanna joined Toastmasters in November 2017 with the goal to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Speaking publicly, either prepared or extemporaneously, is a skill that she wants to improve on professionally and personally. As a former Division I student-athlete, she has a true commitment to a career in intercollegiate athletics. Johanna has worked at San Diego State University as an athletic administrator since 2014. Her passion for this profession comes from a dedication to assist and encourage student-athletes in their efforts towards excellence in the classroom, in competition, and eventually in life.
Connect with Johanna on LinkedIn.
Johanna joined Toastmasters in November 2017 with the goal to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Speaking publicly, either prepared or extemporaneously, is a skill that she wants to improve on professionally and personally. As a former Division I student-athlete, she has a true commitment to a career in intercollegiate athletics. Johanna has worked at San Diego State University as an athletic administrator since 2014. Her passion for this profession comes from a dedication to assist and encourage student-athletes in their efforts towards excellence in the classroom, in competition, and eventually in life.
Connect with Johanna on LinkedIn.
Dana Terrell, LCSW, AC
Dana is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice in North Park. She has specialized in Bowen theory for emotional maturity in relationships for 40 years, and in EMDR therapy for overcoming bad experiences for over 20 years. Additionally, she has integrated the two into her own integrative Bowen and EMDR, or iBE therapy. She's the author of a self-help book about iBE, called "When I Do Relationships SO RIGHT How Do They Go SO WRONG." Jack Canfield endorsed her book!
Dana is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice in North Park. She has specialized in Bowen theory for emotional maturity in relationships for 40 years, and in EMDR therapy for overcoming bad experiences for over 20 years. Additionally, she has integrated the two into her own integrative Bowen and EMDR, or iBE therapy. She's the author of a self-help book about iBE, called "When I Do Relationships SO RIGHT How Do They Go SO WRONG." Jack Canfield endorsed her book!
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We would love to have you join our club and have your image grace our website.
We would love to have you join our club and have your image grace our website.