Toastmasters International 5 Member Sponsor Pin

 

Toastmasters International 5 Member Sponsor Pin

I earned the Toastmasters International “5-Member” Sponsor pin! Last year at the 2025 International Convention CEO Dan Rex gave us a challenge and asked us to write on the wall how many new or existing members we would have join our clubs. I wrote “5” and sponsored “5” — was rewarded with this Member Sponsor Pin.

How many members will YOU Sponsor for the 2026-2027 year?

#ToastmastersInternational : www.toastmasters.org

#District31:  www.district31.org

David Allen George! "Good Night Sweet Prince"! (Sept 2026)

David Allen George -- Good Night Sweet Prince!

Dr. Sherri Raftery & David Allen George (DAG) 

September 2026

This week, one of my former Theatre professors, White (Whizz) from Salem State University (SSU), posted:

“The world just lost another Brilliant Light!”

As soon as I saw the photo, my heart skipped a beat. I gasped.

I typed: “Not Fair!”

I have known David most of my life—41 years (this month!)—since enrolling as a Theatre major at Salem State University in 1985.

I attended Salem State for two years before transferring to Emerson in 1987, but those two years were incredibly impactful.

I learned so many aspects of Theatre as a student in David’s Directing course and as his Assistant to the Director when he directed Lysistrata.

David would often say: 

“Less is More.” 

Three simple words.

Yet somehow, David could say so much with so little—and make it so impactful.

After all, as Shakespeare reminds us: “All the world’s a stage.”

And DAG, Whizz, and numerous others in the Theatre Department helped build an incredible legacy with the Theatre and Musical Theatre Program at Salem State, including the state-of-the-art Sophia Gordon Theatre.

In 2018, I was hired as a professor to teach three Public Speaking courses at SSU.

I remember walking into the faculty office, and David hugged me and simply said: 

“Welcome Home.”

Those two words said so much.

That was David. Few words. Big impact. And bright blue eyes.

Over the years, I enjoyed attending numerous SSU productions in the Main Stage and Callahan Studio, as well as SSU Theatre & Speech Alumni events, and reconnecting with DAG.

I am especially grateful that SSU hosted a gathering in May 2026 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the SSU Theatre Department.

Seeing DAG and Whizz together, sharing stories—always a treat with these two masterpieces! ❤️

And now, looking back, I am incredibly grateful that I got to see David one more time—and he met my grandson.

Shakespeare said it best:

“Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

I imagine your late wife, Pam, with open arms saying:

“Welcome Home.”

After 41 years, I bid you farewell—as my professor, mentor, colleague, and friend.

“Good night, sweet prince.”

🎭❤️

"Are You Guys Ready? Let's Roll" - Todd Beamer --(911) September 11, 2001 Flight 93 (September 11, 2026)

 "Are You Guys Ready? Let's Roll" 

-- Todd Beamer -- Flight 93 - (Sept 11, 2001)

It is September 11, 2026 and today the world remembers the tremendous losses of lives, destruction of property, and the world changed when 4 commercial planes were high-jacked during their flights.

• American Airlines Flight 11 (AA11) - leaving Boston - heading to Los Angles
• United Airlines Flight 175 (UA175) - leaving Boston - heading to Los Angles 
• American Airlines Flight 77 (AA77) - leaving Washington - heading to Los Angles
• United Airlines Flight 93 (UA93) - leaving New Jersey - heading to San Francisco 

Bravery, tragedy, and so many amazing stories that were pieced together from phone calls and voice messages. Thank you, First responders, Police, Firefighters, Ambulances, Doctors, Nurses, Medical Personal, Military, Soooo many were actively coming together to help those in need.  

Sending thoughts, prayers to so many who passed, survived, and families who lost loved one. 

Let's Continue to Roll...

TOASTMASTER MAGAZINE -- Dr. Sherri - Member Spotlight (September 2026 - Page 9)

 

202609-toastmaster.Dr.Sherri.2026.Sept.pdf

Honored and excited to be featured in the Toastmasters International September 2026 "TOASTMASTER MAGAZINE" - Member Spotlight (Page 9). Highlighting my Doctoral Dissertation "Foster Youth Mentorship Programs in Higher Education" that will finally be published 2026.

Thank you to the Toastmasters clubs and members that allowed me to practice, gave me feedback and support.

Very grateful to those who attended my Dissertation Defense on November 29, 2021, and heard my

Dissertation Chair Dr. Aubry Threlkeld announce

that I passed was officially "Dr. Sherri Raftery,"!

THANK YOU,

#TOASTMASTERS!

#FormerFosterYouth #Dissertation #Doctorate #Mentorship

Speaker for Women Insurance Producers Unfiltered (WIPU)™️2026 Conference

 It was an honor to speak at the 2026 Conference of 

 Women Insurance Producers Unfiltered (WIPU)™️

What an amazing group of women!

Being good at your job is one thing...

Being able to communicate clearly, set boundaries, lead people, navigate difficult conversations, and still maintain good relationships?

That's a whole different skill set. 

And that's exactly why we're so excited to have Dr. Sherri Raftery joining us at WIPU Salem!!

Dr. Sherri is a leadership educator, speaker, author, performer, photographer, and artist whose work focuses on communication, leadership, boundaries, resilience, and human connection.

She has a way of combining research and real-life experience with storytelling to make the things she's teaching actually stick.

And in an industry built almost entirely on relationships, learning to communicate better isn't exactly a "nice to have." It affects how we lead, how we work with clients, how we handle conflict, and how we build our businesses.

Come learn from Dr. Sherri and the rest of our incredible lineup on Friday, August 28 in Salem. 

 https://wipunation.com/wipusalem

Closing my Fifth Decade: Letting Go, Leveling Up, and Looking Ahead

 

Closing My Fifth Decade: Letting Go, Leveling Up, and Looking Ahead

From January 2025 to December 2025, I had the privilege of beginning—and completing—the final year of my fifth decade. It was a year of release, resilience, and realignment.

One of the biggest lessons came through letting go—literally. I moved out of two storage lockers, a process that depleted my savings and tested my resolve. I released many items… and brought many home. At times, it feels like I’m living inside a storage locker. And yet, this experience clarified something important: I will be downsizing again. With relocation on the horizon, I know it will require bravery—and a willingness to truly “let it go, let it go” (yes, like Frozen 🎶).

This year also brought joy and accomplishment. I enjoyed attending theatre productions, returned to the pool for lap swimming, and said yes to leadership by serving as a Division Director in Toastmasters. I competed in a Table Topics Contest, earned my fifth Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award, and—perhaps most meaningfully—wrote a book that will be published in 2026.

I closed the year with gratitude: seeing The Nutcracker (thank you, Elizabeth), watching my grandson open his Christmas gifts, and spending New Year’s with him. These moments matter. So does my team—and I am deeply proud of them.

I lost my beautiful cat Shane - who was by my side for 18 years! My vanilla zebra. I am sad without him and realize he was a blessing and offered comfort. My therapeutic little guy.  

On January 9, I enter my sixth decade with intention. In 2026, I plan to continue writing, speaking, creating, and exploring art projects—not just to produce, but to enjoy the journey.

This chapter taught me that alignment isn’t about having less—it’s about keeping what truly fits.

Mentor of the 4th Quarter Award

 

Mentor of the 4th Quarter Award!

Happy to share I was nominated as the District 31 Toastmasters - Mentor of the 4th Quarter for the 2024-2025 year!

I have been nominated each quarter in several categories and am happy that I was finally chosen.  I am super proud of this one because it shows that the person took actions and is bettering their speaking, leading, and Toastmasters experiences. I am looking forward to witnessing my mentees progress.