President
Neta Glaser

Proudly serving as SmoothTalkers’ President, Neta has been in the club for more than 2 years.
She is a Development (R&D) Engineer at NuVasive where she works with teams of surgeons in and out of the Operating Room to develop and test innovative surgical systems. Neta is passionate about personal growth and development, and is grateful for the opportunities SmoothTalkers presents to practice her public speaking, presentation, and leadership skills.
In her free time, Neta enjoys swing dancing, learning new languages, reading, and learning to play piano.

What are your proudest Toastmasters/Public Speaking moments?

“My proudest moments are winning 2nd place on my first competing in the Toastmasters District 5 Area contest (in 2019) and serving as a panelist in a Young Women in Bio (YWIB) event. In both experiences I was amazed at how calm, prepared, and confident I felt in front of the audience. Moments like these make me realize how much SmoothTalkers helps me maximize my potential, and get me excited to keep coming back!”


Vice President of Education
Brian Atkins

Born in Ridgecrest, CA, Brian says he has always been a self-help addict. He loves learning and growing because he believes it helps us make the most of our precious lives.

Brian first joined Toastmasters in 1992 when he became a member of Spirit Masters. Currently ranked ATM Silver, Brian has a passion for Toastmasters. Today, he is a member of both Smooth Talkers Toastmasters and Hardhats Toastmasters. He has held the position of President, Vice President of Education, Vice President of Public Relations, and Sergeant at Arms.  
In 2005 as VP of PR, Brian served as chief editor for the Hardhats Herald. A monthly Toastmasters newsletter that won an award for Excellence from Toastmasters International.

What attracted you to Toastmasters?

"While in my early thirties, I listened extensively to motivational speakers like Earl Nightingale, Tony Robbins, Brian Tracey, and Zig Ziglar. It was during that time that I discovered Zig Ziglar's 28 Ways to Raise Your Self Esteem. One of Ziglar's top techniques for raising your self-esteem was to join a Toastmasters club. I consider this piece of advice to be one of the most valuable messages I've ever encountered. It has changed my life."
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Vice President of Membership
Litty Geevarughese

Litty joined SmoothTalkers in June 2020 and is currently serving as the Vice President of Membership. She is a software engineer and designs applications to automate business processes. Litty likes to stay driven and strongly believes that there is always something new to learn and constantly develop oneself, and this trait makes her a Jack of all trades, and master of none. She likes to spend her free time honing her culinary skills or taking a long nonchalant stroll. But all said and done, she would never want to miss a chance to shake a leg to Bollywood music.

Why did you join Toastmasters?
 
“I am passionate about self-development and what better way to do it than by meeting new people and hearing different perspectives from people on a myriad of topics along the path. I had heard about Toastmasters long back and have wanted to explore it ever since (true to my personality). I suppose the unprecedented COVID times finally opened this prospect of joining Toastmasters for me. I believe one has to be a strong communicator to showcase their ideas clearly and lead a team, and this is where Toastmasters has been helping me by providing a platform to improve my public speaking skills and meet other self-driven people who have inspired me greatly.”


Vice President of Public Relations 
Sylvia Wrosz 

Sylvia is the oldest of three siblings and a born and raised San Diego native, with a wide variety of interests. She is half Mexican, half Polish and speaks 4 languages (German being the fourth), grew up flying gliders and playing classical piano, always having an interest for music, literature, and anything that involves a creative process. Sylvia works in property management, specializing in condo association management, and oversees 27 communities throughout San Diego. Frequently leading meetings to help clients navigate social and financial difficulties, Sylvia is comfortable in a public speaking role. However, her interest to join Toastmasters in 2020 came due to her interest in improving her communications in interpersonal relationships. With two creative, small businesses (in events and creative directing), a blog, and a desire to become a spin instructor, she has many outlets that demand confident self expression. Toastmasters allows Sylvia to explore the many avenues of communication, refining the skills involved in delivering a message with impact to any audience, in any avenue.
 
Why I try to never miss a meeting?
 
“I believe communication is a fundamental skill that allows us to be the best in our relationships, our professions and beyond. And it is our responsibility to brush up on this skill to understand our fellow man and be better understood. Toastmasters allows you to practice impromptu speaking, speech delivery AND develops your listening skills; which are also essential to great communication. I genuinely try to never miss a Monday, and am a huge advocate for any person in any walk of life trying out SmoothTalkers."


Secretary
​Steve Cicero

Stephen Cicero is a mathematician, software developer, and self-taught economist. He is married and has a son who is currently enrolled at UC Santa Cruz. His primary interests are in economics and its relationship to political issues, fantasy role-playing games, and Toastmasters.
 
He joined Toastmasters in April 1998 and joined SmoothTalkers in February 2014.  Steve is a Distinguished Toastmaster.  He has joined three additional clubs and taken offices in each of them. He also served one and one-half terms as an Area Governor and has been a Club Mentor for a new club. His current clubs include Excelsior, Hi-Fi Speakers, Liberty, and SmoothTalkers.


Treasurer
Cindy Essary

Cindy has been a SmoothTalker since 2012 and became the club's first Distinguished Toastmaster in 2016.  She has served in all the officer positions and as Area Governor.  She has competed in a few Humorous Speech contests up to the Division level. She's also a member of an Advanced Club, Toast of the Coast.  Outside of Toastmasters, Cindy likes to read, attend Improv classes, play in senior women’s sports leagues, hike, backpack and travel.
 
Why did you join Toastmasters?
 
“The club was meeting at my church so I popped in just to see what was happening.  It was so exciting and entertaining I got hooked! I didn't want to speak, just to come and listen.  I was finally encouraged to join and it's been a fabulous ride ever since.  I've learned that through Toastmasters, you can move out of your comfort zone and grow and become absolutely anything you want to become or achieve.  I have so much more confidence now in every area of my life.”


Sergeant at Arms
Tory Morgan

Tory Morgan is a medical software salesperson, who joined SmoothTalkers to improve his presentation skills and challenge himself. Outside of Toastmasters, Tory enjoys spending time with his girlfriend and family, practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, learning new skills, and watching sports.

Why I stay in Toastmasters?
 
“Prior to COVID-19 and social distancing rules, I was a Trade Show Sales Rep. I traveled around the country to various trade shows every other week to exhibit and sell software to healthcare professionals. I noticed that the companies that took advantage of speaking opportunities at these shows tended to have greater brand awareness and sales. I decided that improving in public speaking and presentation would help me sell more and make the trade shows more fun. Now, I stick with SmoothTalkers because the group has many experienced members, we have a great time meeting weekly, and the skills I learn here transfer to communicating with clients.”