David Woodcock, DTM

Relevant work experience and how it relates to Toastmasters and your role as a Board Member:

As a Nuclear Researcher and Specialist with the Canadian Federal Government for 36.5 years, I have had the opportunity to work in multicultural, multidisciplined teams across the globe. As a team member, in multimillion dollar projects, I helped contribute to developing a geological site model for our spent nuclear fuel repository vault located 1400 feet below ground at the Underground Research Laboratory. This information was incorporated into the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to the Government of Canada. Our work environment was regulated for compliance by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Austria. I believe this experience, coupled with my extensive volunteer Board, and volunteer committee work and overseeing a $14M Employee Benefits Plan, uniquely provided me with the necessary skills to effectively participate on the Toastmasters Board of Directors. Two years as a Region Advisor helped me to understand the Operations side of our business.

What experience do you have in strategic planning?

I have extensive strategic planning experience. Outside of Toastmasters, as the Security/ Safety Coordinator, I wrote a strategic plan to have a large volunteer base trained preparing them for their duties. A budget was required by the organization for all aspects of operations; materials costs, equipment, for example. I wrote a strategic plan for my Toastmasters corporate club and secured $1500 yearly from my employer Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. As a district leader, I helped to lead transition planning into a Covid-19 world.

What experience do you have in the area of finance?

My Non-profit finance experience includes preparing and approving (100K): Corporate budgets, Profit and Loss Statements, Income Statements, Balance Sheets, and Event Budgets. In addition, District Budgets, Event Budgets, Production/ Materials and Training Budgets (volunteer). Work experience- Income and expense (spends) for Company-wide Benefits Review Committee (14M). Various budgets for work projects including contingency. Also, with the non-profit marketing corporation it included fundraising and lobbying municipal governments for financial support. Some budget planning as a Region Advisor.

What experience do you have in developing policies?

Policies keep us true to the organization and each other. Without policies, the Mission, Vision and Values can be compromised. They are the the "guardrails" within which we work. In my volunteer organization, as Chairman of the Board, I helped set out policies pertaining to non-profit corporate taxes, Goods and Services Tax (GST), and non-charity status, for example. I also contributed to volunteer criteria policies for another non-profit. In the work environment, I helped to set policies and procedures pertaining to an employee Health Benefits Plan working with Human Resources personnel.

What lessons did you learn from previous leadership positions?

I have always been open to the ideas and opinions of others. I have learned many things in leadership. We do not think the same or do the same when given the opportunity. Creating high functioning teams requires communication, clear understanding, leadership, compromise and empathy. Always provide opportunities for other leaders to grow. Guiding and overseeing is paramount (not micro-managing and interfering). Don't wait too long to communicate "bad" news. As a leader, I continuously show I care before they (guests, new members) show they care. Seek at least one (1) Mentor and one (1) Mentee (Protege).

What experience and key strengths would you bring to the Board of Directors?

I have over ten (10) years working in a Board environment for The Lockport Community Marketing Corporation; a non-profit corporation. I have effective organizational skills. I have a questioning attitude and understand the importance of being a good team member. I see and understand the big picture while not losing sight of the details. My technical skills (scientific and operational) combined with my Business and Administration acumen would help understand and navigate complex ideas and decisions placed in front of the Board. I was recognized by the University of Manitoba (UoM) and Canadian Institute of Management (CIM) as the first recipient of the "Professor George Smith Communications Award" in Managerial Communications with the highest mark of 98 students.

Why do you want to serve as an International Officer/Director?

As an International Director, the opportunity exists for personal growth. I bring knowledge, non-profit Board experience and passion for our organization. Toastmasters has changed my life for the better. At the Board level, giving back at all levels of our organization is key. As a team member, making important and often bold decisions (unpopular) comes with the knowledge shared between Board members. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion throughout our organization is dear to me and our Board represents the best from around the globe. Working with amazing Toastmasters to set the direction of our organization is important. I also want to represent all Toastmasters in understanding anything is possible in leadership with our Core Values and Strategic Plan in mind.

What volunteer experience do you have outside of Toastmasters?

My volunteer experience is vast. I have run a very large volunteer team (220) for the Winnipeg Folk Festival for many years. I also volunteered in my community as a non-profit corporation Executive Director (then Board Chairman). I volunteered to sit on a Company-wide Benefits Review Committee handling about a $14M health benefits portfolio. President of the Technical Staff Association with 375+ members. To me, it is all about Service and helping others to reach their full potential. I have a passion for serving others.

Have you worked with other Boards of Directors outside of Toastmasters? If so, describe your experience.

I was the Chairman of the Board of the Lockport Community Marketing Corporation; a non-profit organization from 2009-2018. The experience was transformational in many ways. With my Toastmasters experience, I was able to create a Mission, Vision and Values. The Board of ten (10) members approved these important corporate changes. Throughout my experience I was the spokesperson to lobby for funding from two municipalities for capital projects to enhance residence lives in our community. As a team, we ensured everything we did aligned with our Mission, Vision and Values. I also worked closely with another non-profit Board called The Winnipeg Folk Festival where I was a coordinator of a very large volunteer team for thirteen years. This team was responsible to perform a security/ safety function during a major 5-day festival.

In your opinion, what are Toastmasters International’s major objectives and how would you work to achieve them?

I believe our major objectives are: ensuring our member and leader experiences are positive (engagement); celebrating successes; fiscal responsibility to deliver effective and easy-to-use programs; partnerships with other organizations synergizing their strengths with ours, finally upholding our Core Values. The member is our greatest asset. As a Board member I believe transparency builds the trust necessary to keep and grow our organization. Celebrating successes is something I have seen grow from an operational perspective (at the grass roots level). This should also be recognized more across all parts of our organization. Our programs help to keep us connected, purposeful and relevant. I would help to see these programs continue with improvements to match our fast-paced learning environment. Partnerships, leveraging our strengths, needs to grow beyond Rotary so we can deliver life-changing skills to more corporate employees.

Additional information about candidate:

I was the District 64 Director when Covid-19 came into all our lives (March 2020). I viewed this as an opportunity (challenge) to keep all our members connected and engaged. We learned "new" skills that kept us all excited, curious and moving forward to achieve personal and club/member goals. Our team also learned the importance of change management. We embraced it and had our leaders and members engaged. I helped lead a Toastmasters Listening Group with an International Director in May 2022 (5 sessions). Following the sessions, I reported the findings from each session back to Toastmasters International.

Accomplishments:
Toastmasters International Ambassador and Guide for the Pathways Program (2013- 2017).
District 64 Area Governor of the Year in 2009.
Professor George Smith Managerial Communications Award (1st ever) with the highest achievement among 98 students.
University of Manitoba- Business and Administration- 4.20 Grade Point Average (GPA).
"Celebration of Stars" Award recipient from the Interlake Tourism Association (ITA) for Event of the Year.
J.S. Hewitt Team Award for the Tunnel Sealing Experiment at the Underground Research Laboratory in Pinawa, Manitoba, Canada.
Voyegeur Award for the successful movement of contaminate lead offsite- AECL/ Canadian Nuclear Labs (heavily regulated by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).