The District Executive Committee, also known as DEC, is the group of leaders within the Toastmasters organization responsible for overseeing and managing the day-to-day operations of the district. The DEC comprises the District Director, Program Quality Director, Club Growth Director, Public Relations Manager, Administration Manager, Finance Manager, Division Dirctors and Area Directors.
Furthermore, the DEC is responsible for various tasks such as reviewing and approving the District Success Plan, approving the budget, managing the District’s financial operations, realigning clubs’ assignments to Areas and Divisions, and reviewing recommendations or reports from district committees, including the audit committee. In particular, the DEC plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth functioning of the district by providing leadership and guidance to its members.
Moreover, a smaller group within the DEC is known as the Core Team. Therefore, they are responsible for supporting and assisting the District Director in fulfilling their responsibilities. Finally, the Core Team includes the District Director, Program Quality Director, Club Growth Director, and Administration Manager.
District 109 Board 2025-2026 (Core Team)
Katia Burdet, DTM – District Director
Katia Burdet has been a dedicated Toastmaster since 2012, starting with Toastmasters Torino. She has served in all key roles across several clubs.
Katia has achieved multiple successes in Toastmasters competitions, including winning the Evaluation Contest and placing second in the Italian Speech Contest at the Division Conference in Athens in 2017.
She holds a degree in Management Engineering, an MBA, and has over 15 years of experience as a Purchasing Manager in international companies. Currently, she is the Head of Purchasing and Supply Chain at SSI-SCHAEFER International, certified in Project Management, and a professional coach since 2023. She has also been a TEDx coach in Torino and Spoleto.
Outside her career and Toastmasters, Katia is a mother of two daughters and enjoys skating and swimming. She is inspired by Don Bosco and believes in the importance of fun for success, echoing Ralph Smedley, the founder of Toastmasters.
Laor Glukhovsky, DTM – Program Quality Director
Laor has been a member of Toastmasters since 2019. Laor served as the Club Growth Director 2024-2025, Area Director of Area B3 (now G4) during 2022-2023. He is a member of Haifa Toastmasters, Modi’in Toastmasters, and Whirlpool Toastmasters (located in Michigan, USA).
Laor is Israeli-American, with roots from the USSR, and as such is fluent in English, Hebrew, and Russian.
He is a professional with vast expertise in commercialization and business planning for high-impact startups entering the European and American markets. He believes in teaching and working with all levels in the District with tools that work both for Toastmasters and in the workplace.
Laor holds an MBA with a specialization in Strategy and Business Development. In his free time he organizes swing and blues dancing festivals, as well as performing in the bands in the festivals. When he is truly free, he enjoys skiing and exploring new ideas in all facets of life.
Meltem Altinay, DTM – Club Growth Director
She was President of Bosphorus, Anadolu, and Anatolia clubs, and also sponsored and mentored the newly chartered Anatolia Toastmasters. She went on to serve as Area H2 Director, Division H Director, and in 2023, as D109 Administration Manager. She has expanded the reach of Toastmasters through Speechcraft and Youth Leadership programs and was awarded Division Director of the Year in 2021–22. Most recently, her contribution to the Region 10 Parliamentary Procedures Training team was recognized by the R10 Advisor during the Region 10 Celebration Evening. Meltem’s Toastmasters journey reflects her passion for growth through service and excellence.
Beyond Toastmasters, M. Altinay is an Environmental Engineer, works as a Sales and Marketing Executive.
She was recently elected as a member of the D109 Trio as the Club Growth Director in 2025-26. Meltem is currently the D109 Club Growth Director leading a team of engaged and enthusiastic members working to achieve Smedley Distinguished District for a third year in a row.
Hasan Yasar – Public Relations Manager
Hasan Yasar brings over 15 years of experience in business development, SaaS solutions, and construction technology. He is a Growth Partner at PlanRadar and General Manager at Fibro Teknoloji. As Division Director in Toastmasters District 109, Hasan uses his entrepreneurial spirit and international experience to help clubs grow with innovation and resilience. His leadership is rooted in strategic thinking and human connection—qualities that inspire those around him to act boldly and lead with confidence.
Damien Gautier – Finance Manager
Past Division Director Suisse Romandie 2024–2025
Past Club President, UN Geneva Toastmasters 2024–2025
Damien joined Toastmasters in 2019 and has since held multiple leadership roles, from Sergeant-at-Arms to Area Director, Club President, and Division Director. In every position, he has demonstrated a gift for revitalizing clubs and connecting people. He relaunched Richemont Club, coached Verbissimo to Distinguished status in six months, and brought UN Geneva Toastmasters from 4 to 27 members, achieving President’s Distinguished in 2025.
Now District Finance Manager, Damien applies his deep experience as an IT Project and Service Manager, PMP-certified, across sectors like telecom, NGOs, banking, and consulting. Known for his strategic thinking and multicultural approach, Damien leads with clarity, purpose, and heart.
His financial leadership is grounded in:
- Integrity – full compliance and honest handling of funds
- Transparency – open, accessible budgets
- Flexibility – planning that adapts to members’ evolving needs
“Money can be funny—as long as we keep the value of integrity.”
Franceska Davidhi – Administration Manager
Franceska Davidhi is passionate Toastmaster since 3 years and part of clubs in two districts: D109 and D59. She has held different officers roles from Vice President Education in Toastmasters Tirana and Albanian Speakers Abroad, to Vice President Membership in Toastmasters Maastricht.
Franceska has led impactful initiatives such as mentorship programs, educational workshops, Membership Orientation program in helping members grow in confidence and leadership.
Outside of Toastmaster’s world, Franceska is an Electrical Engineer with over 9 years of experience in electrical design, project coordination, and sustainable energy solutions. She has led major projects in Albania, Italy, and The Netherlands.
Outside of work, Franceska is a world traveller, sport lover, and Theatre is her drive. She speaks Albanian, Italian, English and Spanish fluently, altogether with general knowledge of German and Dutch.
Franceska believes in the power of people, connection, and continuous growth. Her passion to empower others through mentorship, public speaking, and leadership development brings her values of authenticity, connection, and growth into every endeavor.
Francesca Gammicchia, DTM – Immediate Past District Director
Francesca Gammicchia, DTM has been a dedicated Toastmaster for a decade. She has served the organization as Division Director, Area Director and all the Club roles, multiple times.
She has lived in Germany for 10 years and has a family spread between Romania and Italy. Moreover, Francesca knows the importance of diversity and inclusion in personal growth.
Francesca has received tremendous support, training, & inspiration from this community, and she believes she can give back this support, training, and love to help our district become a lighthouse for clubs in the stormy sea.
Additional District Roles: Extended core team members
| District Parliamentarian | Gitel Hesselberg |
| Credential Chair | Valentina Mileto |
| Alignment Committee Chair | Margherita Brodbeck Roth, DTM |
| DLC Chair | Francesca Gammicchia, DTM |
| District Web Master | Harry Loots, DTM |
| Audit Chair | Metaxia Kritsidima , DTM |
| Harmony Team Chair | Petra Salmutter |
| Harmony Team Trainer | Yafit Gabai, DTM |
| Club New Source Research Chair | Evrim Sengules |
| Club Extension Chair | Karina Castella |
| Web Content Manager | Giannis Kanlis |
| Newsletter Chair | Nestor A. Bartolomei |
| District Assistant | Meltem Sahin |
THE DIVISION AND AREA DIRECTORS
Division A
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicola | Di Grazia | Division Director | Division A |
| Roberto | Franchini | Area Director | Area A1 |
| Elia | Zuccaro | Area Director | Area A2 |
| Caterina | Marconi | Area Director | Area A3 |
| Claudio | Russo | Area Director | Area A4 |
| Cristina | Guglielmini | Area Director | Area A5 |
| Stefano Maria | Caterino | Area Director | Area A6 |
Division B
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aikaterini | Ioannidou | Division Director | Division B |
| Panagiotis | Karanikas, DTM | Area Director | Area B1 |
| Christos | Psyllias | Area Director | Area B2 |
| Maria | Athanasiou | Area Director | Area B3 |
| Stephanie | Kable | Area Director | Area B4 |
| Serkan | Kayhan | Area Director | Area B5 |
| Ebru | Barut | Area Director | Area B6 |
| Hasan | Vural | Area Director | Area B7 |
Division C
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harshita | Mistry | Division Director | Division C |
| Laurie | Phelan | Area Director | Area C1 |
| Virginie | Rusyn | Area Director | Area C2 |
| Arthur | Krause | Area Director | Area C3 |
| Kristina | Protuseviciute | Area Director | Area C4 |
Division D
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pietro | Ferrario | Division Director | Division D |
| Magdalena | Bednarek | Area Director | Area D1 |
| Franklin | Javier | Area Director | Area D2 |
| Franciska | Grappi | Area Director | Area D3 |
| Alexia | Fortez | Area Director | Area D4 |
Division E
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cristina | Gomez Robles | Division Director | Division E |
| Beatrice | Anton | Area Director | Area E1 |
| Rudolf | Debelak | Area Director | Area E2 |
| Vanessa | Stournari | Area Director | Area E3 |
| Vadim | Shupak | Area Director | Area E4 |
Division F
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pascal | Dricot | Division Director | Division F |
| Eneda | Pjetri | Area Director | Area F1 |
| Sonja | Schumacher | Area Director | Area F2 |
| Sabine | Holzer | Area Director | Area F3 |
| Zhanna | Fulga | Area Director | Area F4 |