Joan Wallace-Benjamin, the president and chief executive officer of The Home for Little Wanderers and former chief of staff for Governor Deval Patrick, has been selected as an outstanding leader and will be presented with a Communication and Leadership award by District 31 of Toastmasters International.
The award is presented annually to a non-Toastmaster who has demonstrated outstanding communication and leadership skills in the District 31 community as defined by over 160 Toastmaster Clubs in Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Wallace-Benjamin will receive her award at lunch during the Toastmasters District 31 Fall Conference scheduled for Saturday, Nov.7, at the Hilton Boston/Dedham in Dedham.
Toastmasters District 31 Governor Sherri Raftery, Distinguished Toastmaster, cited Wallace-Benjamin for her strong commitment to The Home for Little Wanderers and her outstanding service to her community and family.
In May 2007, Wallace-Benjamin returned to The Home for Little Wanderers (www.thehome.org) as the President and Chief Executive Officer to continue the work she began when she originally assumed leadership of the agency in 2003. Under her guidance, the agency has gained prominence in the field of child and family service providers. November 2006 brought an exciting new professional opportunity for Dr. Wallace-Benjamin when Governor-Elect Deval Patrick named her his Chief of Staff. In this role, she helped the Governor to move the Administration’s policy, legislative, and political agenda forward. Her previous experience in management and organizational effectiveness in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors prepared her to assume this important responsibility.
Toastmasters International is a worldwide nonprofit organization that encourages and helps members become more experienced and comfortable in front of an audience. Organization members generally meet weekly, where participants learn and practice public speaking skills, such as delivering a prepared speech or demonstrating an impromptu performance. Developed members often utilize the skills learned from Toastmasters to make significant contributions in their careers, in their churches and communities, and indeed contribute to nation building, and the development of humanity.
More information is available at www.toastmasters.org or at www.district31.org.
