Toastmasters club members win series of speech contests

YOUNGSTOWN -- Mike Gerrick of Warren and Miki Thomas of Youngstown, members of Youngstown Executive Toastmasters Club, Chapter 408, have distinguished themselves in a number of speech contests held recently.
Culminating the series of competitions was a Northeastern Ohio, District 10 Level, contest held April 26 and 27 at the Holiday Inn Belden Village, Canton, where Gerrick won the first prize in motivational speaking.
As a prelude to the District 10 Level event, Youngstown State University Penguin Toastmasters Club was the host group for the Area 4 Level contest March 28.
First-place winners at the event were Thomas, who took top honors for her evaluation of a target speech delivered by Al Brown of Warren Fire Department, and Gerrick, who won the International Motivational Speech Contest for his speech on "Freedom."
Second-place winners were Brenda Chadambura of Zimbabwe and Kirk Hough of Youngstown.
Thomas and Gerrick moved to the next level, which was a Northeastern Ohio, Division A, contest held April 4 at Akron City Hospital, where he was a first-place winner and she took second-place honors.