25 years of striving for excellence

For the last 25 years, a group of Pantexans have met during lunch to improve their communication and leadership skills. The Pantex Lunch Bunch Toastmasters Club recently celebrated the club’s silver anniversary with a special meeting.

“The Lunch Bunch is one of 15 clubs in the Amarillo area and one of 16,400 clubs around the world, “ said Pantexan Natalie Waters, Toastmasters immediate past District 23 director. “In the past decade, members of club number 9440 have received approximately 111 Toastmasters awards and the club has been designated as Distinguished in eight of the past 10 years.”

Waters, whose term ends June 30, recognized visiting Toastmasters dignitaries and shared the organization’s background and values for visitors and potential members during the event.

Dennis Williams, a Pantex laboratory technician and founding club member, shared how membership has impacted his career, and guest speaker Alonzo Everhart, a Pantex senior operations advisor, shared his tips for communicating in stressful situations. NPO Facility Representative Jessie Phifer acknowledged how far she’s come since her first speech full of fidgeting and filler words.

“I may not have been the ‘um’ queen, but I was the queen of other things such as ‘like’ and ‘you know’,” admitted Phifer.

Keynote speaker Deputy Site Manager Corey Strickland stressed the importance of building a solid communication pipeline and how active listening has helped in his nearly 25-year career at Pantex.

“Effective communication is the cornerstone of being a good leader,” said Strickland.

The 25th anniversary celebration also included door prizes, a club president “changing of the guard”, and a reception for members and guests.

The Pantex Lunch Bunch Toastmasters Club meets Thursdays in the JCDC S1.C102 conference room from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Guests are always welcome.