In my 17 years with Toastmasters International, I progressed from being a very nervous speaker to reaching the pinnacle achievement: Distinguished Toastmaster. Along the way, I’ve discovered that I enjoy mentoring and coaching.

During my ongoing Toastmasters journey, I’ve seen about 1000 speeches and have given evaluations for hundreds of speakers. In my growth from newbie to mentor, I’ve learned that I derive a lot of satisfaction from the achievements of the individuals and clubs I’ve coached.

I’m a chemical engineer by education, and a computational modeler & developer of engineering software by profession. I worked 10 years at IBM, and 30 years at General Electric, most recently as a Principal Engineer.

I’ve leveraged my skills in my volunteer work with  New York for Syrian Refugees, where I’ve spent a great deal of time giving general help and advice, and especially mentoring adults and high school students with academics.

Check out my side project,  TeachCove.com, which combines these interests for a broad community.