District Leadership Committee

What is a District Leadership Committee?

The District Leadership Committee (DLC) evaluates all candidates for District elected positions and nominates the best candidate(s). In order to ensure successful District elections, the District Director appoints the DLC Chair, who is a past District leader, preferably a past District Director, no later than November 1. Remaining committee members shall be appointed no later than December 1.

The DLC Chair then appoints the members of the District Leadership Committee with the approval of the District Director. The committee must be equally represented by each Division in the District. The District Director, Program Quality Director, and Club Growth Director cannot serve as a committee member. The DLC chair does not represent a Division.

The work of the DLC is critical in ensuring long-term District success. They must (1) abide by the timeline provided in Article XI, (2) identify and seek qualified candidates, (3) commit to meet on a regular basis to conduct candidate assessments, (4) confirm that each candidate meets the qualifications, and (5) ensure the minimum number of candidates have been nominated for each of the required elective positions. The DLC report must be presented to the District Director at least six (6) weeks prior to the District's Annual Business Meeting. No DLC member may be nominated or run from the floor for any District office for the program year following the election at which the committee's report is presented.

DLC members with a conflict of interest, such as a business or personal relationship with a candidate, must declare it at the Committee’s first meeting or as soon as the conflict is identified. They must also abstain from the interviews, discussion, and voting regarding that candidate in the context of the Committee.

DLC members serve one (1) year on the DLC and may be reappointed after a one-year absence from the committee. International Director/Officer candidates, Region Advisors, and current members of the Toastmasters International Board of Directors cannot serve on the committee.

Committee Deliberations

Communication may be by conference call, email, or other means when geographic distance and other factors impede in-person participation. The committee may ask to meet personally with candidates. DLC deliberations and votes are confidential and may be shared only with the District Director, World Headquarters, and the Toastmasters International Board of Directors. The DLC interviews and evaluates all known candidates for each elected position. The committee reviews, in detail, the duties of the position, as defined in Article VIII of the District Administrative Bylaws, with each candidate. Candidates are evaluated using the Candidate Evaluation and District Leader Competencies documents. The Chair provides these documents to the DLC members.

Nomination Eligibility The committee must verify that candidates meet the eligibility requirements. No prospective candidate can be nominated until they meet the following eligibility criteria:

• At the time of taking office, the District Director must have served at least six consecutive months as Club President and at least 12 consecutive months as a Program Quality Director, Division Director, or a combination of these.
• At the time of taking office, the Program Quality Director must have served at least six consecutive months as Club President and at least 12 consecutive months as a Program Quality Director, a Division Director, an Area Director, or a combination of these.
• At the time of taking office, the Club Growth Director must have served at least six consecutive months as Club President and at least 12 consecutive months as a Program Quality Director, a Division Director, an Area Director, or a combination of these.
• At the time of taking office, the Division Director must have served at least six consecutive months as a member of a District Council.
• If possible, the Area Director should have served as a member of a District Council.
• To be nominated or elected, all candidates for District Director, Program Quality Director, Club Growth Director, and Division Director must sign the District Leader Agreement and Release Statement published by Toastmasters International, submit a completed Candidate Biography Form and photograph.

Committee Voting Process

All members of the committee have an equal opportunity to express their concerns and opinions in the selection of candidates. The Committee Chair cannot use his/her position to influence the other committee members. Committee members must exercise their independent judgments with respect to all prospective candidates, having in mind the best interests of Toastmasters International and the District, as well as the experience, abilities, and qualifications.

Voting

Committee members cast their votes in written form, and the committee nominates a minimum of one (1) candidate each for the offices of District Director and Program Quality Director, two (2) or more candidates for the office of Club Growth Director, and a minimum of one (1) candidate for all other elective District offices.

Committee Report The DLC Chair reports the committee’s results in writing to the District Director no fewer than six (6) weeks before the District's Annual Business Meeting. The District Director distributes the committee report and the Candidate Biographical Form for each candidate to the District Council at least four (4) weeks before the Annual Business Meeting. This may be done in the District newsletter or on the District website. At the discretion of the District Director, a statement from each nominee outlining their qualifications and abilities to perform the duties of the office may be included with the report. Only candidates nominated by the committee may be included in the report. A District cannot publish the names of floor candidates with the committee report or in any other District publication.

Notifying Candidates The DLC Chair or the District Director notifies candidates nominated for office and reconfirms their willingness to be nominated and their commitment to fulfill the duties of office if elected. The DLC Chair or District Director notifies any candidates who were not nominated and advises them of their eligibility to seek office as floor candidates. Additional qualified candidates may be nominated from the floor at the District’s Annual Business Meeting if they have gone through the District Leadership Committee evaluation process or if the District Leadership Committee work is invalid.