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 Directors 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 2026-2027 (Core Team)
Laor Glukhovsky, DTM – District 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 spare 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.
Deniz Senelt Kalelioglu, DTM – Program Quality Director
A Distinguished Toastmaster since 2014 and a three-time DTM recipient, Deniz joined Toastmasters in 2007 as the founding Secretary of Istanbul Toastmasters and has since helped charter 15 clubs. She has served in numerous leadership roles, including Club President, Club Coach, Mentor, Sponsor, Trainer, and Division H Director. In 2018, she received the Toastmasters Presidential Citation Award in recognition of her outstanding leadership.
Professionally, Deniz is an international speaker, master trainer, executive coach, and learning & development consultant. She has delivered more than 10,000 hours of training and speaking across over 35 countries, working with professionals from more than 100 nationalities.
A PhD candidate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology with a Master’s degree in Cognitive Psychology, Deniz is the founder of ProAkademi Consulting. Her research focuses on multicultural team leadership. She is the coauthor of Destination Facilitation, published by the Association for Talent Development (ATD), and the author of Club Success Stories. Her contributions have also been recognized with the Most Outstanding Trainer Award from JCI and the Lifetime Achievement Award from IUPT.
Deniz values the friendships and opportunities Toastmasters has brought into her life and enjoys sharing this journey with her daughter, Denise Zeyno. A passionate traveler who has visited 95 countries, she embraces diversity and global fellowship—values reflected in District 109’s international community. Guided by her leadership motto, Timely & Together, she is committed to supporting club officers, strengthening clubs, and empowering members to succeed.
Sylvicley Figueira da Silva – Club Growth Director
Sylvicley Figueira da Silva has been a dedicated Toastmaster since 2018, when he joined as a charter member of Toastmasters Villach. Since then, he has served in multiple leadership roles, including Club President, Area Director, and Division Director, gaining a deep understanding of the dynamics, opportunities, and challenges within District 109. His experience also includes supporting district teams as Mentor Chair for the PQD team and Coaching Chair for the CGD team.
With nearly 20 years of professional experience as a Senior Project Manager and over 16 years as a lecturer, Sylvicley brings strong expertise in leadership, communication, mentorship, and strategic execution. He has successfully led multicultural teams across Austria, Germany, the United States, Malaysia, and China, building collaboration across diverse environments.
Sylvicley is passionate about creating a thriving district where clubs feel supported, members are engaged, and cross-country collaboration drives inspiration and growth. He is committed to strengthening existing clubs, supporting the creation of new ones, and helping every member benefit from a vibrant and sustainable Toastmasters experience.
Yannis Kanlis – Public Relations Manager
Yannis Kanlis is a senior Finance Navy Officer, award winning speaker, and communication consultant. With a strong background in economics and financial management, he combines strategic thinking with a deep passion for leadership and personal development.
Known for his dynamic speaking style and practical approach to communication, Yannis enjoys helping individuals and teams grow in confidence, clarity, and leadership. He speaks Greek as his native language, and is fluent in English and German.
In Toastmasters, Yannis has served as Vice President Education and Vice President Public Relations in multiple clubs, as well as District 109 Finance Manager. His commitment to excellence and service was recognised when he received the prestigious Toastmaster of the Year award in the Founder’s District.
Beyond his professional work, he is a world traveller, a committed reader, and a practitioner of Stoic philosophy.
Stephanie Kable – Finance Manager
Stephanie Kable is an entrepreneur in the online language education industry, working to make languages a bridge between people. A Toastmaster for the past three years, she has served as Club President, Area Director, and currently holds the role of District Finance Manager. Stephanie values connecting with fellow Toastmasters around the globe and continues to sharpen her public speaking. She believes effective communication drives both personal and professional growth.
Olga Kutsche, DTM – Administration Manager
Olga Kutsche has been a passionate Toastmaster for many years and is an active member of several Toastmasters clubs. Throughout her Toastmasters journey, she has served in a wide range of leadership roles, including Club President, Area Director, Division Director, District Administrative Manager, and Club Growth Director in District 95. Currectly she combines two roles, Executive Producer of Region 10 LiveNews, which she continues currently, and Administrative Manager in District 109.
Olga has led numerous initiatives supporting club growth, leadership development, and member engagement. She is passionate about coaching, mentoring, strategic planning, and creating educational opportunities that help Toastmasters discover their potential and achieve their goals.
Outside the Toastmasters world, Olga leads a double life as a literary detective. As a PhD candidate in American Cultural Studies at FAU Erlangen–Nürnberg, she explores contemporary American poetry, investigating how today’s poets reshape voice, identity, and poetic form.
Outside of work and research, Olga enjoys traveling, learning languages, reading, and bringing people together through meaningful conversations and international collaboration.
Olga believes that leadership is about empowering others to grow. Through coaching, public speaking, education, and service, she strives to create environments where people feel inspired, supported, and confident to reach their full potential.
Katia Burdet, DTM – Immediate Past 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.
Additional District Roles: Extended core team members
| District Parliamentarian | TBA |
| Credential Chair | Stefano Maria Caterino |
| Alignment Committee Chair | Margherita Brodbeck Roth, DTM |
| DLC Chair | Francesca Gammicchia, DTM |
| District Web Master | Harry Loots, DTM |
| Audit Chair | |
| Harmony Team Chair | Yafit Gabai, DTM |
| Harmony Team Trainer | Matt Podgorski |
| Club New Source Research Chair | |
| Club Extension Chair | |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cristina | Guglielmini | Division Director | Division A |
| Lorena | Belli | Area Director | Area A1 |
| Valentina | Fatiguso | Area Director | Area A2 |
| Sile | O’Broin | Area Director | Area A3 |
| Franceska | Davidhi | Area Director | Area A4 |
| Fiore | Lux | Area Director | Area A5 |
| Claudia | Sartori | Area Director | Area A6 |
| Fabrizio | Moscati | Area Director | Area A7 |
Division B
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gitel | IHesselberg | Division Director | Division B |
| Sofia | Karapouloutidou | Area Director | Area B1 |
| Effi | Giannari | Area Director | Area B2 |
| Elena | Constantinou | Area Director | Area B3 |
| Yafit | Gabai, DTM | Area Director | Area B4 |
Division C
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ninamaria | Kuentz | Division Director | Division C |
| Christian | Meier | Area Director | Area C1 |
| Laurie | Phelan | Area Director | Area C2 |
| Sven | Hosemann | Area Director | Area C3 |
| Benedikt | Heinen | Area Director | Area C4 |
Division D
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Godela | Bittcher | Division Director | Division D |
| Priyanka | Dasgupta | Area Director | Area D1 |
| Julien | Desjobert | Area Director | Area D2 |
| Ana | Gavin | Area Director | Area D3 |
| Luis | Loredo | Area Director | Area D4 |
Division E
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanessa | Stournari | Division Director | Division E |
| Neda | Derlokova | Area Director | Area E1 |
| John | Garbarino | Area Director | Area E2 |
| Markus | Zhilmann | Area Director | Area E3 |
| Thomas | Muhlegger | Area Director | Area E4 |
| Jason | Ho | Area Director | Area E5 |
Division F
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabine | Holzer | Division Director | Division F |
| Luis | Aguilar | Area Director | Area F1 |
| Niklas | Baumgärtler | Area Director | Area F2 |
| Nevenka | Ribinkar | Area Director | Area F3 |
| Maria | Golubits | Area Director | Area F4 |
| Endri | Ndoni | Area Director | Area F5 |
Division H
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hasan | Vural | Division Director | Division H |
| Hasan | Utku Sezer | Area Director | Area H1 |
| Carina | Munguambe | Area Director | Area H2 |
| Emre | Kayali | Area Director | Area H3 |