District 56 Toastmasters, serving the Greater Houston area and Southeast Texas, announced its new officers for 2024-2025. Elizabeth Ruiz of League City will head the nonprofit educational organization as District Director with Jocelyn Williams of Katy as Program Quality Director and Kathleen Washington of Sugar Land as Club Growth Director. The one-year term begins July 1.
“It is a privilege to serve District 56 as District Director,” said Ruiz. “Our District mission is to build new clubs and support all clubs in achieving excellence. We do this by providing members the tools they need to develop and hone their communication and leadership skills. I, along with the entire leadership team, welcome the opportunity to guide the District this year.”
Ruiz holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Concordia University Chicago. Additionally, she obtained a Master of Science in Strategic Communication from Columbia University in the City of New York, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Texas Permian Basin, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Houston-Downtown, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Elizabeth serves on the boards of three nonprofits focused on animal welfare and community development.
Even though Ruiz has been a member of Toastmasters for only four and a half years, she has spearheaded several impactful initiatives during her tenure. As Program Quality Director, she orchestrated a dynamic 2-day Spring Conference, drawing over 200 enthusiastic participants; curated an enriching all-day District Fall Education Summit featuring 23 skilled facilitators and engaged over 80 attendees. She also led over 20 club officer training sessions, equipping more than 400 officers from 25 diverse districts worldwide with valuable skills. Moreover, she conducted numerous education sessions tailored to meet specific training needs.
As Club Growth Director, Ruiz has pioneered 37 Marketing Monday sessions, delivering concise 30-minute live micro-marketing programs to empower clubs to enhance membership retention and growth. She has achieved significant milestones within Toastmasters, completing all eleven Pathways Programs and earning six Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Awards, with an ongoing pursuit of her seventh. Ruiz’s dedication and contributions have been recognized through various accolades, including Division Director of the Year and Distinguished Division Director (2021-2022), President’s Distinguished Area Director and Toastmaster of the Year (2020-2021), Club President of the Year and Club Sponsor of the Year (2019-2020), and multiple President’s Distinguished Club awards.
Ruiz has consistently demonstrated excellence, receiving recognition such as the Triple Crown and the Super Seven Award for five consecutive years, multiple Plan for Success Awards, and numerous individual sponsorship and club-building awards from World Headquarters. Additionally, she has fostered leadership development through roles like Certified Youth Leadership Coordinator and Certified Speechcraft Coordinator for 27 Speechcrafts.
“Our focus for the coming year is on members: retaining members, recruiting new members and engaging members,” said Ruiz. “Our greatest resources in Toastmasters are our Toastmasters members! We encourage members to get the most out of their dues payments by going beyond the club to attend events outside the club to learn from other members.”
The Toastmasters District 56 District Director is responsible for directly overseeing and managing the District’s day-to-day operations, finances, and human resources with a team of District leaders, including a Program Quality Director, Club Growth Director, Finance Manager, Administration Manager, Public Relations Manager, Division Directors, and Area Directors.
