Hutchinson Center offers online public speaking, virtual presentations course

Distinguished Toastmaster Tom Dowd will lead a two-part professional development program, “Practical Public Speaking & Virtual Presentations,” 1–4 p.m. April 30 and May 7 through the University of Maine Hutchinson Center.

Synchronous Zoom sessions will help participants gain the confidence and the skills needed to conduct business virtually with the workshop’s new emphasis on speaking and presenting via online platforms. Participants will learn to overcome the anxiety associated with public speaking and will become skilled in speaking with or without notes and presenting their message efficiently. Additional objectives include learning to think quickly and speak logically to engage an audience, and using personalized storytelling to increase audience attention.

Instructor “Transformation” Tom Dowd is a prize-winning speaker, an award-winning and Amazon best-selling author, a trainer and coach. Dowd, who received a communications degree from the University of Delaware, achieved Distinguished Toastmaster status from Toastmasters International in 2015. He owns Thomas Dowd Professional Development and Coaching, LLC, where he focuses on helping people find their own paths to success. 

The course fee is $125; a limited number of need-based scholarships are available to those who live or work in Knox or Waldo counties. Register and find more information online.

To request a reasonable accommodation or a need-based scholarship application, contact Michelle Patten, 207.338.8002; um.fhc.pd@maine.edu.