Dwayne G. Smith
2002 World Champion of Public Speaking

Though Dwayne led a comfortable life as an information technology professional, he couldn’t escape the feeling that his real talent was inspiring others to achieve success. Once he decided to embark on a career as a professional speaker, he applied a philosophy that has worked for him in the past: set a goal, do the work and stay the course.

Dwayne attended speakers’ school and became an active member of Toastmasters. He soon became a star pupil, entering and winning numerous Toastmaster contests. In 2002 he reached the top and was crowned the World Champion of Public Speaking.

Dietmar Wagenknecht
Toastmasters District 40 Regional Advisor

As a Toastmaster for over thirty years Dietmar has served in many capacities at the club, district & international level, serving on the Board of Directors from 2006 to 2008 and as Region Advisor from 2011 to 2013.

Professionally he is a research scientist where his career spanned from laboratory chemist to vice-president of pharmaceutical sciences. Dietmar has many scientific publications and several patents and specialized primarily in the development of sterile pharmaceuticals in the cardiovascular and organ transplant areas.

Paul Daugherty
Communication & Leadership Award Winner

Paul Daugherty has been a Cincinnati Enquirer Sports Columnist since 1994 and has been chronicling Cincinnati sports since 1988. He has covered almost every major sporting event in America, as well as five Summer Olympics. Along the way, he has been named one of the country’s top-5 sports columnists four times, and Ohio columnist of the year on seven different occasions.

District 40 is honored to recognize Paul for his leadership in communication as the 2012 Communication & Leadership Award winner.

Jim Simek
NASA Facilities Operations Specialist

Jim provides oversight of facilities operations at the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, OH where he is involved with task management and quality assurance of contractor work efforts for maintenance and repair activities.

He joined the staff of the Research Center in January 1977 as an apprentice electronics technician. He became a journeyman electronics systems mechanic, where he worked in several propulsion systems laboratories, wind tunnels and engine research facilities.

Jim served in the U. S. Air Force as a Radio Maintenance Technician. He was a member of the Air Force Reserve for 30 years as a supervisor, superintendent and was a Configuration Control Manager for the Air Intelligence Agency as a Chief Master Sergeant. He assisted in the development and implementation of intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance Maintenance Management policy. This involved clarifying guidance for over 1,500 technicians at 71 locations worldwide.

Linda Swink
Author, Professional Speaker and Veteran

Linda D. Swink is an author, professional speaker, and an Air Force veteran.

As a member of the United States Air Force for fifteen years and an Army wife for ten, Linda learned to appreciate the sacrifice those in uniform made for this country. With a deep understanding and respect for military veterans, she honored those who fought and died for our county in her book, In Their Honor: The Men Behind the Names of Our Military Installations.

Her latest book: Life on a $5 Bet: Major General Edward J. Mechenbier, recounts the story of an amazing man who suffered nearly six years as a prisoner of war in the infamous Hotel Hilton in North Vietnam. In addition to her books, she has written a wide variety of articles for consumer and trade magazines and military and community newspapers.
Linda holds a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at El Paso and lives in Hamilton, Ohio.