#293: Personal Experience: Toastmasters, Rotary & the Alliance – Stephanie Steckel

With more than 30 years in Rotary, Stephanie was deeply engaged in community service long before Toastmasters entered the picture. When she later discovered Toastmasters through Rotary, she found a safe environment to practice speaking, calm presentation anxiety, and strengthen skills she could immediately apply back in Rotary meetings and projects.That experience turned Stephanie into an advocate for Toastmasters—so much so that her letter to the editor was published in Rotary magazine. She also shares how communication training, mental preparation, and listening skills from Toastmasters strengthened her work in Rotary.Listeners will hear:Why Stephanie views Toastmasters as a form of “personal service” for RotariansHow a four-line mental reset helped her manage nerves before speakingWhat Rotary’s Four-Way Test teaches about leadership and ethical decision-makingHow Toastmasters skills improve introductions, meetings, and member engagementReal examples of the Rotary–Toastmasters alliance in action internationallyWhy Rotary’s project management strengths benefit Toastmasters membersHow service projects create meaningful, real-world leadership opportunitiesThe Rotary–Toastmasters alliance isn’t about replacing what either organization does well. As Stephanie explains, it’s about learning from each other—and bringing those strengths back to the people and communities both groups serve. About Stephanie SteckelStephanie Steckel, DDS, MS, is an orthodontist, author, and community leader. She has been a Rotarian for more than 30 years and is a charter member and past president of the Dover Downtown Rotary Club in Delaware. A Toastmaster for three years, she is a member of Freespeakers Toastmasters in Dover, Delaware, and Northrop Grumman Toastmasters in Linthicum, Maryland, and is working toward her Distinguished Toastmaster designation.Stephanie lives in Smyrna, Delaware, and can be reached through Freespeakers Toastmasters. References mentioned in this episodeRotary–Toastmasters Alliance overview — Toastmasters InternationalToastmasters and Rotary: An Exciting Alliance — Toastmasters Magazine, February 2020Toastmasters and Rotary Team Up — Toastmasters Magazine, May 2020Reap the Rewards of the Rotary–Toastmasters Alliance — Toastmasters Magazine, November 2020Toastmasters and Rotary: Stronger Together — Toastmasters Magazine, March 2022The Alliance: What’s in It for Me? — Toastmasters Magazine (sidebar), December 2023Podcast episodes#201: Powerful Outcomes from the Toastmasters and Rotary Alliance — Kate McClareAdditional referencesRotary forms alliance with Toastmasters — Rotary Magazine, February 2020Speak for Yourself, Stephanie's Letter to the Editor, Rotary Magazine, December 2025World Map, Rotary/Toastmasters Collaboration: Examples