News and Events

Presidents Distinguished for 18 Straight Years!

A great 18th Presidents Distinguished Club party was held at our usual meeting place on July 21, 2026. There was a buffet catered by Tacos for Life followed by a brief recognition of those who contributed to the club’s achievement. Receiving Presidents Distinguished for 18 straight years puts Will Rogers into a category achieved by just few clubs in the world. Congratulations to the Will Rogers Club. All of this means that members are receiving great benefits in their goals to achieve more confidence and skills in leadership and public speaking.

President Dwight Dauben praised Past President LiChing Hickey for an outstanding job in leading the club during the 2025-2026 Toastmaster year. He also commended Barbara Crockett for her role in arranging the successful event.

Sue Warwick’s New Book

Sue Warwick recently published a new book entitled “Winning Women: Becoming a Woman of Resilience”, available in paper back on Amazon. The book discusses why some women have a difficult time surviving while others seem to overcome and end up thriving.

Andy Craig earlier published a book entitled “Passion Power: Discover the 3 Indispensable Keys to Success!” Andy walks you through the three key areas in creating the success you seek in life. The book is also available on Amazon.

Jon Dan also earlier published a book entitled “Faith, Family, Country & Friends: My 15 Minutes To Escape Vietnam”. He describes his harrowing journey to the United States and how he achieved success in his new country that he calls home. The book is also available at Amazon.

It is remarkable to have three authors in our club who have achieved success in their careers. Congratulations to all three.

Chris Hickey Toastmaster of the Year

The Will Rogers Club is proud to announce that our own Chris Hickey as been awarded “Outstanding Toastmaster of the Year” for District 16 for the 2024-2025 year. Chris is our Sergeant-at-Arms, Zoom Master, an outstanding speaker, a member of more than one club, and active in District activities. Congratulations to Chris!

Joe Charleston Selected as Top 100 Speaker

Joe Charleston has been selected as a Top 100 speaker at the Top Speaker Tournament held on September 6, 2025. This is indeed a great honor considering that there were over 3000 applications for the event originating from Sydney, Australia. Congratulations to Joe.

Andy Craig Receives Ziglar Master Coach Certification

Andy Craig was one of four persons that was recently honored for receiving the “Ziglar Master Coach Certification”. Will Rogers is honored to have a professional public speaker in its ranks. Congratulations to Andy!

The Will Rogers Club is also proud of our own member Andy Craig for placing 3rd at the Oklahoma Toastmasters District Conference held on April 20, 2024. He did the very best he has ever done…& now is more than ever ready to continue winning with more competitions and speeches and events…international is still in his sight!

Easter at the Piano

Sandy Knox, professional pianist, and 18-year member of Will Rogers Toastmasters performed her “Easter at the Piano” program 17 places this year. She performs regularly at various venues around the Tulsa area. Toastmasters has helped her tremendously when speaking with her audiences. Attending weekly Toastmasters meeting has also increased her confidence in all aspects of her life, including performance.

75th Anniversary Party a Huge Success!

Around 50 people met at Golden Corral on August 22, 2023 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Will Rogers Toastmasters Club on August 20, 1948. The event was attended by current members, past members, District 16 officials and Channel 6 news. The party was an epic event, and a considerable amount of credit goes to Sandy Knox who was the principal organizer of the event. There were many photos taken and a few will be shared below.

Past President Sandy Bach, DTM, presents a special gift to Sandy Knox who organized the event.

Attendees meeting in a decorated room with a patriotic theme.

District Director Ray Willis, DTM, congratulates The Will Rogers Club for its success.

Congratulations to Chandra Nandikolla

Congratulations to Chandra Nandikolla, DTM, for recently receiving an MBA degree from the University of Oklahoma. He has worked hard over the past four years and his dream for receiving an MBA has been achieved. Chandra credits Will Rogers members for their encouragement and for the high standards promoted by the club. Chandra is the past Program Quality Director for District 16.

Meet the Most Patriotic and Enthusiastic Member!

President Andy Craig said it so well at our July 6 meeting when introducing Jon Danh as the Toastmaster for the evening. Jon is an immigrant to this country from Viet Nam and has become a proud citizen of the United States.

Andy Craig Joins Professional Speakers Bureau International

The Will Rogers Club is proud to announce that Andy Craig has joined Professional Speakers Bureau International as one of its elite speakers. Andy is an international keynote speaker and trainer. This is indeed a true honor for Andy and our congratulations! The link below provides additional details.

Www.TerrificSpeakers.com/andy-craig

New Members

The Will Rogers Club welcomes several new members to the club. These include: Hayden Ellis, Sue Warwick, Alexandra Paredes, Frank Nguimya and Cesar Galvan.

Hayden Ellis. Hayden joins Toastmasters to gain confidence as a public speaker. He joined Will Rogers on the first night as a visitor, enrolled in the Pathways program, and has already begun giving speeches. He comes from Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Sue Warwick. Sue is a licensed social worker and has just written a book entitled “Winning Women, Becoming a Woman of Resilience”, available at Amazon. Sue joins Toastmasters will a goal of developing greater confidence in the promotion of her new book. She is a friend of long-term member, Michelle Craig, DTM.

Alexandra Paredes. Alexandra joins Toastmasters to improve her confidence as a public speaker. She works as a speech therapist at Ascension St. John Encompass Rehabilitation Health. She is also involved in marketing. Alexandra comes from San Antonio, Texas, and originally from Lima, Peru. She enjoys traveling and dining in the restaurants in Tulsa.

Frank Desailly Nguimya. Frank joins as a new member with a goal of improving his speaking skills. He attends Oral Roberts University and is originally from Cameron, Africa. He is also fluent in the French language.

Cesar Galvan. Cesar is joining Toastmasters to develop confidence as a public speaker. He currently works at Aaon Inc. in Tulsa as a system engineer in commercial air conditioning. He is a long-term resident in the Tulsa area and originally from central Mexico. Welcome to Cesar!