District Leadership Committee

What is a District Leadership Committee?

The District Leadership Committee (DLC) evaluates all candidates for District elected roles and nominates the best candidate(s). 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.

The DLC Chair appoints the members of the DLC subject to the approval of the District Director. The remaining committee members shall be appointed no later than December 1. Each Division in the District must be equally represented on the DLC. The District Director, Program Quality Director, and Club Growth Director cannot serve as a committee member. The DLC chair is a non-voting member of the committee and cannot 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 and to complete the selection process, (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 District offices. The DLC report must be presented to the District Director at least six (6) weeks prior to the Annual Meeting of the District Council. No DLC member may be nominated or run from the floor for any District role for the program year following the election in 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 conducted by conference call, email, or other means when geographic distance or other factors impede in-person participation. 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 role. The committee reviews, in detail, the duties of each role, 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 DLC chair provides these documents to the DLC members.

Nomination Eligibility The committee must verify that candidates meet the eligibility requirements as outlined in the District Administrative Bylaws. All candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• At the time of taking office
• District Director must have served at least six (6) consecutive months as Club President and at least 12 consecutive months as a Program Quality Director, Club Growth Director, Division Director, or a combination of these.
• Program Quality Director and Club Growth Director must have served at least six (6) consecutive months as Club President and at least 12 consecutive months as a Program Quality Director, a Club Growth Director, a Division Director, an Area Director, or a combination of these.
• Division Director must have served at least six (6) consecutive months as a member of a District Council.
• An elective officer must have been an active member of a Toastmasters club in good standing for the entire preceding 12 months, or a member for 12 consecutive months within the past three (3) years within the District the officer shall serve.
• A member may only be a candidate for elective office in one (1) District at any given time.
• A member may only serve in one (1) position within any District Executive Committee at any given time.

Committee Voting Process

All members of the committee have an equal opportunity to express their concerns and opinions in the selection of candidates. The DLC chair cannot use their position to influence other committee members. Committee members must exercise their independent judgments keeping in mind the best interests of Toastmasters International, the District, as well as the experience, abilities, and qualifications of each prospective candidate.

Voting

The voting members of the DLC cast their votes in written form to nominate a minimum of one (1) candidate each for the offices of District Director, Program Quality Director, each Division Director role, and two (2) or more candidates for Club Growth Director.