"Helping YOU Take Center Stage"!

  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

 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 o...

  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 ...

  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.

  The District 31 Toastmasters - Division A-Team!  Area A-11 Jennifer Curcuru , Area A-12 Karthik Yajurvedi ,  Area A-13 Bethany Hashway , DTM, Area A-14 Bob Moran , Division A Director Dr. Sherri Raftery, DTM4 PDG . hashtag # D31DeliverResults www.district31.org This Toastmasters 2025-2026 Year I was elected to serve as the District 31 Division A Director on Saturday April 26, 2025.  I have a team of 4 Area Directors that I was able to seek out, contact, and ask if they would like to serve on my team. And they said "YES"!     and what a blessing it is witnessing as  learn how to navigate leadership,  and I get to help guide and direct them on their journey.  More as the year goes along and as our first female International President Helen Blanchard said: "If you can get all there is to get out of Toastmasters,  you will never get out of Toastmasters."   - Helen Blanchard, DTM, PIP 1985-1986 (L-R) Helen Blanchard, DTM, PID...

Happy 17th Birthday Shane! I remember when we first "adopted" you! We drove to Hull, MA from the Salem, MA to pick out a white cat with blue eyes from my District 31 Toastmaster friend Sheila Sullivan. Her bf's cat had a litter, and we planned on the white one. BUT...Shane crawled up on my daughter's leg and she looked up at me and said "Mommy, can we get him instead?" I replied "Of course, it's your cat".  We drove back with Shane, and he has been a part of our family for 17-years. He started off being her buddy but since she moved out 10-years ago he has become my therapeutic fur-baby. Always by my side, by my feet, sleeping on my bet, purring next to me. My study-buddy follows me around like a little puppy. I am blessed to have him, and I am so grateful that he chose us. Best personality, docile, calm, cute, and mellow. My vanilla Zebra  Happy 17 Years - SHANEYYYY!