District Leadership

Renee Mitchell is the current Director of District 215. She has been a member of Toastmasters since June 2018 as part of the S&P Global BarSetters Club in Charlottesville, Virginia. She joined the Mason Speech Weavers Toastmaster Club in April 2020 following her husband's job relocation to Mason, Ohio. She is also a charter member of the CinToast 2.0 club in Mason, Ohio. Renee received her Distinguished Toastmaster award in January 2025 and has held multiple club positions, including President, VP of Membership, and VP of Public Relations.

In her spare time, Renee enjoys golfing with her husband, DTM John Mitchell, supporting her daughter, Madison, as a competitive swimmer, and reading. She is a 20-year veteran of the US Air Force and actively leads the Women's Ministry (The Devotional Divas) at Spring Hill Church of Christ in Middletown, Ohio.

David S. Hill, DTM, PDD, is a dedicated leader, mentor, and advocate for personal and professional growth. A proud Toastmaster for 11 years, David has served in numerous leadership roles at the club, area, division, and district levels. He currently serves as Program Quality Director for District 215, where he focuses on strengthening clubs, enhancing the member experience, and helping members achieve their educational and leadership goals.

Throughout his Toastmasters journey, David has earned several prestigious honors, including Division Director of the Year (2016-2017) and District 40 Toastmaster of the Year (2018-2019). His passion for Toastmasters comes from seeing members overcome challenges, build confidence, and grow into effective communicators and leaders.

Outside of Toastmasters, David is a proud U.S. Army veteran, former law enforcement officer, and Licensed Financial Professional dedicated to financial education and helping families build generational wealth.

David believes that true leadership is about serving others, creating opportunities, and inspiring individuals to reach beyond their perceived limitations. His commitment to Toastmasters stems from a simple belief: When we invest in others, we build stronger leaders, stronger communities, and a lasting legacy.

Judi Kinney, DTM, is currently serving as your Club Growth Director for the 2026-2027 term. She has been a member of Toastmasters since April 2015, when she joined the Downtown Morning Toasters, where she has held the President and Vice President Education roles several times each. She joined Dayton Top Mentors, an advanced club, in July 2023. Judi has completed 3 paths and the Club Mentor and Club Coach programs, and earned her DTM on August 11, 2025. Currently, she is working on 8 other paths. Yes, there were 11 paths at one time!

Dr. Russell E. Whitney II, DBA-GBL, serves as District 215 Public Relations Manager, helping amplify the stories, achievements, and opportunities that make Toastmasters a place to grow. A Toastmaster for two years, he also serves as founding president of Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio Toastmasters, where he encourages members to elevate their voices and their leadership.

Professionally, Russell leads people operations (HR) and entrepreneurship special programs at the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio. He is also the founder of REW II Global, where he helps professionals strengthen their executive presence, build confidence, and prepare for their next level of leadership while advising organizations on how to build what's next.

Outside of Toastmasters, Russell's world includes ministry, mentoring emerging leaders, and serving as Board Chair of Forever Kings. He is pursuing a legal education with the goal of becoming a global attorney practicing employment law and sports and entertainment law, while also serving as general counsel. He especially enjoys spending time with his 21-year-old son, Noah Whitney, a junior at Morehouse College. As a featured speaker and panelist, Russell also enjoys helping others explore how artificial intelligence can simplify everyday work and turn big ideas into meaningful action. Whether coaching a leader or cheering someone through their first speech, Russell finds purpose in helping people recognize and use the power of their voice.

Elizabeth (Betsy) Ervin, PhD, DTM, is a dynamic leader and technical expert with a proven track record of driving excellence. A Toastmasters member since 2016, she serves as the District 215 Finance Manager and was formerly the District 40 Division D Director (2024-2025) as well as the District 40 Finance Manager (2025-2026). Her extensive leadership portfolio includes serving as President of TV Toastmasters, acting VPE for Wright Way, and SAA for Springboro. Notably, she earned Distinguished Area Director and Club President of the Year honors during the challenging 2021-2022 term. A passionate educator, Betsy has been a featured Wednesday Webinars guest speaker for two years, successfully implementing Speechcraft across the district.

Betsy's leadership is backed by an elite academic and professional foundation. She holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toledo and a PhD from the University of Michigan. Her distinguished 25-year engineering career includes designing aircraft components and leading reliability initiatives at GE Aerospace and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, alongside mentoring the next generation of engineers. She currently shares her expertise as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Dayton. Dedicated to sustainable growth, Betsy focuses on empowering others through strategic delegation, elevating meeting quality to boost retention, and leveraging public relations surveys to drive membership. As a 2025 Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM), she remains fiercely committed to accelerating Pathways adoption to help clubs and individuals reach their highest potential. Beyond her professional endeavors, Betsy resides in Ohio with her husband and two sons. She has also dedicated 18 years to volunteering with dog rescue groups.

Colleen is a Florida native and has been a happy Ohio transplant since 2017, when she moved here to begin working at McGraw Hill. She joined MH's Podium Pros in 2017 and has filled numerous officer roles, rising in district leadership to serve as club coach, Area Director and now Division B Director for District 215. She has completed the heritage Competent Communicators and Advanced Communicators programs, as well as Presentation Mastery. She is hoping to achieve her DTM this spring. In her spare time, Colleen is a knitter, cat lover, and Jane Austen and travel enthusiast.

I am Ric Willer. I joined Toastmasters in 1994, left in 2002, and returned in 2011. For the past 15 years, I have been a proud member of Cincinnati Toastmasters, serving in almost every officer position. This year, I also became a member of Toast of the Town in Kenwood.

Last year, I was an Area Director along with being a Club Sponsor and Club Mentor Coordinator. This is now my 3rd year in this coordinator role as a member of the Club Growth Team. I became Cincinnati Division Director in July, overseeing over 30 Toastmaster clubs. I achieved my Distinguished Toastmaster status this year.

I'm retired from a career in Human Resources. I now love playing golf and I also do a lot of volunteer work, particularly with the Hearing, Speech and Deaf Center. For the past 3 years, I have led the major fundraising effort at the Hearing, Speech and Deaf Center Gala. I am dedicated to their mission because they provided life-changing speech therapy for me 50 years ago. Before then, for the first third of my life, I couldn't even say my own name.

I have been married to my wife, Sally, for 45 years. We have 5 grown children, the last 3 being triplets.

Coach Amber Ablaza is an award-winning motivational speaker, author, entrepreneur, and branding strategist who is passionate about empowering others to discover their potential and activate their greatness.

In just two years as a Toastmasters member, Amber has made a remarkable impact through her dedication to leadership and service. As the 2025-2026 Area Director of the Year, ranking #1 among 24 Area Directors, she demonstrated her commitment to servant leadership by helping clubs and members grow, achieve excellence, and develop stronger communication and leadership skills.

She now proudly serves as Division A Director for District 215 Toastmasters, leading with the inspiring Division A theme, "Activate Your Greatness: One Decision. One Speech. One Leader at a Time." Her mission is to empower members to recognize their potential, embrace leadership opportunities, and confidently use their voices to make a difference.

Outside of Toastmasters, Amber is the CEO of Pink Collar Brands, a branding and marketing agency helping entrepreneurs build impactful businesses. She also serves as Creative Director for WRCX TV, combining her passion for storytelling, media, and community impact.

As a proud mother of three, Amber enjoys spending time with her children, inspiring others, and creating opportunities for people to pursue their dreams.

Her personal philosophy is simple: "I can, I will, I must!" She believes greatness begins with one decision and that everyone has a voice worth hearing.

Deanna Rhodes is the Division D Director for Toastmasters District 215. She joined Toastmasters in 2016 and served two consecutive terms as president of Kentuckiana Women in Leadership before stepping into her division role. She completed the Teamwork Collaboration path and is currently working on Engaging Humor. She's especially passionate about helping women find their voice, step into leadership, and build momentum in their lives and careers.

Outside Toastmasters, Deanna is the Director of Development and Engagement at CFLeads. She has led fundraising and donor engagement efforts that have helped raise millions of dollars for community priorities. She holds an MBA from Western Governors University, lives in southwestern Indiana, and has written for Mountain magazine for more than a decade.

I am Linda J. Hendrickson, EC5, Division E Director. I have been a member of Toastmasters and one club for over 20 years. Just a few years ago, with the encouragement of the Area Director and later the Division Director, I ventured forth into leadership outside the club level. I am enjoying it! I have worked in sales, both retail and professional. I am very active in my church. My longest-serving ministry has been serving as an usher. Serving as an usher has been a family act. My mother, sisters, and niece have all served. I am honored to be considered as a leader, coach, and mentor at work and church. My most honorable position was being a caretaker for my mother. A retired school teacher shared with me a simple piece of advice. She said, "How can you teach when you don't know? How can you lead when you don't go?" Be the example.

A Toastmaster since 1998, I have served in various Toastmaster positions at the club level (President, Vice President Education and Membership, Secretary, Treasurer and Sergeant at Arms, multiple times) and as an Area and Division Director, District Public Relations Officer and District Director. Currently, I am serving as the Division F Director, District 215. In my off time, I enjoy traveling, spending time with family, gardening and serving as a senior tax preparer.