Don Franceschi

Don is the author of two books on presentation skills--the Amazon Best Seller, FROM AWFUL TO AWESOME: 9 ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS, and the 2025 International Impact Book Awards winning book, FROM AWFUL TO AWESOME: SPEAKING SAFETY SUCCESSFULLY!  Before becoming an independent speaker and consultant, Don spent 29 years with the State of California, with his last position as Regional Loss Prevention Manager for all of Northern California.  He has been a Santa Rosa Junior College Community Education instructor, a frequent guest speaker for the Sonoma State University Hybrid Saturday BA Program, and a former TEDx Sonoma County speaker coach and Organizing Committee member. Don was an active Toastmaster for several years, including serving as the President of an advanced Toastmasters Club, and also earned a Toastmasters Advanced Communicator Gold award. 

Don’s Amazon book links: www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWPK8YJN and  www.amazon.com/dp/B01GFJNZBK

Don’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCVsuyRmD9OXbVqKAOQ4yTPA/videos

Don’s Website:   www.FromAwfulToAwesome.com/safety

Leslie Neal

As Co-founders, Sue Haun and I organized Next Level Toastmasters in January, 2015, and it has been thriving ever since. I first joined Toastmasters in July 2010 at Santa Rosa Club 182 where I'm a past President. As a speaker coach I work with individuals as well as teaching workshops and group trainings. Frequently using EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) as a tool to implement change, my clients get fast, easy and lasting results to maximize their speaking and presentation skills.

Tony Navarra

Exuberance, excitement, and enthusiasm are what Tony Navarra brings to the table. Whether selling fireplaces to homeowners, speaking to large audiences at trade conventions or managing multi-million-dollar railcar repair budgets, Tony gives it his all with zing and pizzazz!

He has many years of success in working for corporations and small businesses, always increasing sales, and improving the internal workings of the organization. Also, a true entrepreneur, he has had several successful ventures of his own along the way.

You will love Tony’s perspective on the art and science of selling.

Tony’s Amazon Book Link: www.amazon.com/Killer-Sales-Solutions-Tony-Navarra/dp/B0C8XZMXQ8/

Tony’s Website: www.TonyNavarra.com

Dennis Mangan

Dennis has a PhD in microbiology/immunology, is a retired science administrator and enjoys talking about science. He loves helping people explain complex things in ways that are interesting, informative and even entertaining. He started the Chalk Talk Science Project in 2012 to integrate communication training into the careers of all scientists/engineers/technicians. The Project introduces storytelling as a fun, yet powerful tool to use for science presentations.

Dennis walks through creeks, bushes and heavily wooded areas looking for his lost golf balls. He lives in Santa Rosa CA with his wife and cockapoo dog.

Contact: chalktalkscience@gmail.com

Marie O’Neill

A Distinguished Toastmaster, Marie O’Neill, MBA, is a dynamic coach, author, and speaker dedicated to helping people find their voice. She honed this expertise as a speaker coach and previously served for seven years on the Board of Directors for TEDx Sonoma County, where she helped bring transformative ideas to the stage.

As the founder of Padma Life Coaching, Marie draws from over 20 years of experience helping individuals heal from trauma and achieve their goals. Her groundbreaking memoir, 'And The Lotus Opened,' chronicles her own path to healing and forms the foundation for her powerful talks on resilience, transformation, and post-traumatic growth. An accomplished lecturer, she frequently shares her wisdom as a featured speaker at conferences across the United States.

KEYNOTE & WORKSHOP TOPICS:

• And The Lotus Opened: A Roadmap to Healing Trauma: A powerful keynote based on her memoir, offering actionable steps for turning adversity into strength and finding your voice after trauma.

• From Trauma to Triumph: Learn the essential tools for navigating the path of post-traumatic growth and building a life of purpose and resilience.

• The Power of Your Story: A workshop designed to help attendees own their personal narrative and develop the confidence to share it effectively, whether on stage or in life.

Connect with Marie to book her for your next event:

• Website: www.andthelotusopened.com

• Email: info@andthelotusopened.com

• Phone: 1-800-337-7682

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marieoneill

• Facebook: @padmalc / @marieoneillauthor

• YouTube: @padmalifecoaching

Nancy Woltering

I am thrilled to be part of our very dynamic and advanced Next Level Toastmasters Club. We are all working together to create an environment that supports our continued growth, so that we can all utilize our speaking skills in new and exciting ways. I work as an Associate Planner at the Town of Woodside. I have spent my career working in areas of land use and environmental planning, focusing on the challenges we face as a region, State, country, and world. Making a positive difference requires taking my own speaking skills to the Next Level!!

David Woltering

David has spent the last 35+ years working as a City Planner, sharing his passion to create more livable, diverse, and inclusive communities, balancing the needs and interests of economic development, downtown revitalization, appropriate levels of growth, and environmental protection. He has been the Planning Director or the Community Development Director for various northern California communities including the Town of Windsor, the City of Cotati, the City of Clayton, and the City of San Bruno. He retired from direct public sector work in October of 2018 to start his own consulting firm, Woltering Community Planning, LLC. In this capacity, David offers services to local governments in the areas of Community Development, Downtown Revitalization, Economic Development, and Local Government Administration/Management. Since transitioning to consulting, David has provided Interim Planning and Building Director and Interim Community Development Director services to several northern California communities. David is a long-standing member of the American Planning Association (APA) and the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Additionally, David has presented professional papers at International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conferences on various topics including, “The Explosive Economic Growth in the San Francisco Bay Area After the Great Recession of 2007-2009”, in Rome, Italy; “Integrating High Technology Work Environments into Local Communities through Purposeful Design,” in Santa Fe, New Mexico; “Creating a Vision for Bay Area Urban Livability While Maintaining Economic, Social, and Cultural Diversity,” in Ottawa, Canada; “Windsor, California’s Remarkable Transformation from Sprawling Suburbs to a Beloved Town with a Vibrant, Mixed-Use Town Center,” and “Maintaining a Livable Community While Adapting to COVID-19 Protocols – Perspectives and Experiences from Healdsburg, California,” both in Carmel, Indiana; “A Downtown Reimagined: Visions and Strategies to Restore Vibrant, Safe, and Memorable Connections to Historic Squares, Districts, and Public Spaces of Downtown Santa Rosa, California,” in Le Plessis-Robinson (Paris), France; and a follow-up paper on Downtown Santa Rosa in Poundbury/Dorchester, England. David thoroughly enjoys the camaraderie and passion for public speaking he shares with his Wine Country Speakers colleagues.

Contact: www.linkedin.com/in/davidwoltering/ ; dwoltering@aol.com ; WolteringCommunityPlanning@gmail.com

Sue Minahan

Sue Minahan, host and founder of Talk Cosmos ignites a dynamic season 8 in 2025 delivering insightful conversations to awaken heart and soul-growth consciousness. Contemplating potent subjects, Sue engages six weekly teams unveiling our roots in the sky revealing how astrology’s eternal cycles support evolving development woven into the orchestra of life. Presented on YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, SoundCloud, Radio, Podcasts.

An astrology consultant, Sue embraces an eclectic form of Evolutionary Astrology and  pursues studies in Vibrational Astrology. Driven with an avid interest in untangling mythology’s archetypal messages for today, Sue holds a certification in Dwarf Planet Astrology.  Her focused consultations serve as a catalyst to validate individuals in determining their path they envision that serves to unify their mind, heart and spirit.

​As a vibrant speaker, Sue uplifts an audience by engaging their sense of possibility and awareness. Sue engages warmth and vitality translating purposeful connections. She participates in Wine Country Speakers in Santa Rosa, CA, is involved as a charter member of Kepler Astrology Toastmasters Club, tutors for Dwarf Planet Astrology, and facilitates workshops.

Sue’s academic credentials include holding an Associate of Fine Arts in Music, a Certificate of Fine Arts in Jazz, and an Associate of Arts Degree. As a visual artist and writer, Sue creates poetry, short stories, a one-act play, and currently pens a teaching memoir.  Having spent years in California, Washington, Arizona and even Mazatlán, Mexico, Sue currently resides with her husband on the Big Island of Hawaii in Kailua Kona.

Talk Cosmos Website: www.talkcosmos.com

Talk Cosmos YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@talkcosmos

Talk Cosmos Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/TalkCosmos

Substack: minahan.substack.com

BluSky:  sueminahan.bsky.social

Email: info@talkcosmos.com