Optimist Indiana South District
Conferences, Convention and Events
39th Annual Convention
Come Join us for our 39th Annual Convention to be held at Terre Haute Convention Center in Downtown Terre Haute. The convention will kick of with a tour of the Larry Bird Museum inside the Convention Center at 2:00 pm EST or you can take the tour on Saturday at the close of the afternoon session at 3:00 pm EST. Admission is free! The executive board meeting will be held after that. We will meet as a group at the Terminal Public House at 6:00 pm EST.(Dinner will be on your own.) After dinner will be the 1st session of the convention followed by a hospitality room hosted by the Terre Haute area Optimist Clubs at the Hilton Garden Inn. Saturday will Kick off with our tradional Old Timers/New Timers Breakfast where we will be welcomed by the city of Terre Haute Mayor Brandon Sakbun. The rest of the day will be filled with fun, training and sharing of Ideas. We will end the evening with the Governor’s Banquet with the instalation of new officers. Rooms are available at the Hilton Garden Inn Terre Haute, 750 Wabash Ave, Terre Haute, IN 47807. Reservations must be made by August 1st.
Early Bird Package rate is $60. Register online and we waive the registration fee. (must register by August 1st)
Ohio Boulevard Breakfast Buffet:
Mixed Salad Greens topped with Black Bean Corn Salsa, Crispy Tortilla Strips, Chipotle Ranch Dressing, and Cheddar Cheese. Served with Chicken Fajitas with Bell Peppers. $30.00
Grilled Salmon, Almond Crusted Chicken; Au Gratin Potatoes; Green Beans; Strawberry Shortcake or Cheesecake. $39.00
Rooms are available at the Hilton Garden Inn, Terre Haute for $172 plus tax. Cut off date isAugust 1,, 2025. Phone number is 812 234 8900 . Block name is IN South District Optimist
Agenda Overview (Friday August 22 – Saturday August 23)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 22
4:00 p.m. Joint Executive Committee (Willms & Wallace)
Ballroom B
5:30 p.m. Dinner-The Terminal
7:30 p.m. 1st General Session-Room Ballroom C
• Open Convention Governor Walt
• Invocation Chaplain Tony Trimble
• Pledge of Allegiance Veterans
• Welcome & Introductions Governor Walt
• Conference Overview LDC Committee
District Board Meeting Governor Walt
• Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes DST Kent Reyling
• Finance/Budget Report DST Kent Reyling
• Policy and Zoning Tony Trimble
• Candidate Qualifications IPG Greg Kuhn
• Adjourn Governor Walt
SATURDAY, AUGUST 23
7:00-7:45 Past Governor’s Meeting-Ballroom B
7:30 a.m. Old Timers/New Timers Breakfast-Ballroom D
• Welcome Governor Walt
• Invocation Tony Trimble
• Pledge of Allegiance Veterans
• Guest Speaker Mayor Brandon Sakbun
• Breakfast
• Introductions-1st Timers Governor Walt
• Countdown Dave Osborne
• Adjourn-Optimist Creed Gov.-Elect Monica
BREAK (15 MINUTES)
9:30 a.m. Joint Officer Training
Lt. Governors & Presidents-Wallace Team-Ballroom C
Club Secretaries/Treasurers-Wallace Team-Ballroom B
ALL OTHER ATTENDEES-Ballroom D
Club Showcases
Expanding Optimism in your Club Paula Reyling
BREAK 15 MINUTES
10:45 a.m. Joint Officer Training
Lt. Governors & Presidents-Wallace Team-Ballroom C
Club Secretaries/Treasurers-Wallace Team-Ballroom B
ALL OTHER ATTENDEES-Ballroom D
Hands-on Community Service Activity
BREAK 15 MINUTES
12:00 a.m. Luncheon Meeting-Ballroom D
• Welcome Governor-Elect Monica
• Invocation Chaplain Tony Trimble
• Pledge of Allegiance Veterans
• Lunch
• Committee Reports CCDHH, RFL, Golf Chair
• OI Convention Report Paula Reyling
• OI Vice-President Sandy Doyle
• Adjourn with Optimist Creed Governor-Elect Monica
BREAK 15 MINUTES
1:40 p.m. 2nd General Session Room-Ballroom C
• Call to Order Governor Walt
• Governor-Elect Election IPG Greg Kuhn
• Gov.-Elect Election Results IPG Greg Kuhn
• NCB & Membership Update Jim Tribble
• Keynote Speaker Bill Myers
• Follow-up Discussion
Governor’s Awards Governor Walt
• OI Foundation DFR Mike Novak
• Happy Dollars Kent Reyling
• Memorial Service Gov. Walt & Kent
• Resolutions Tony Trimble
• Darrel’s Digital Diary Darrel Paul
• LDC Debrief LDC Committee
• Final Comments Governor Walt
• Adjourn with Optimist Creed
*Larry Bird Museum Tour Open from 3:00-5:30
Hospitality Room 520 (Open until 6:00 p.m.)
6:30 p.m. Governor’s Banquet-Ballroom D
• Welcome & Introductions Kent Reyling
• Invocation Tony Trimble
• Pledge of Allegiance Veterans
• Boo-Boo Award
• Humanitarian of the Year
• Distinguished Optimist of the Year
• Dinner
• 2025-26 Officer Installation OI VP Sandy Doyle
• Remarks from Gov.-Elect
• Remarks from Gov. Designate Monica Wallace
• Governor’s Message Gov. Walt
• Adjourn-Optimist Creed Monica Wallace
Sandy Doyle, Optimist International Vice-President, Middle America Region
Sandra K. Doyle (Sandy) is a mother of seven, grandmother of nineteen, and great-grandmother of three. She has been a member of the Optimist organization for over 26 years. Sandy loves spending time with her family, friends, traveling, and coming up with great ideas to help enrich the lives of children in her community. She has served as the Optimist, having been the Charter President of the West Jay club, Lieutenant Governor of Zone 5, and Governor of Indiana North for the 2018-19 term. She is currently Vice-President for Middle America. On top of all her pursuits, Sandy is a storyteller. Her book, “My Life at the Cemetery: It’s Not as Dead as You Think: My Spiritual Journey through Life and Death,” details the events of her 12-year career in the deathcare industry and how her encounters made her rethink her relationships, life, and spirituality. Optimism, spirituality, and gratitude are at the core of her story, and sharing this message has become her passion.
Terre Haute Mayor
Brandon Sakbun – Mayor of Terre Haute Brandon Sakbun is a lifelong Terre Haute native and currently serves as the 43rd Mayor of the city, making history as its youngest mayor. Born and raised in Terre Haute, he graduated from Terre Haute South Vigo High School and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in finance from Indiana University. During his time at IU, he was a distinguished graduate of the Army ROTC program. He also holds a master’s degree in public affairs from IU’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. In 2018, Brandon joined the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant and eventually rose to the rank of Captain in the Army Rangers. He continues to serve as a member of the Indiana National Guard. As mayor, Brandon focuses on growth, economic development, and improving the quality of life in Terre Haute. His leadership reflects a commitment to moving the city forward while honoring its history.
Bill C. Myers
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Bill C. Myers is an Emmy-winning author and filmmaker from Indiana. Known for the Bloodhounds Inc. series and inspirational novels, he writes about resilience, faith, and purpose. His work motivates audiences to grow compassion, creativity, and connection. He is also a former president of the Indianapolis Downtown Optimist Club.
Governor Walt Willms
Governor Elect Monica Wallace
T H Convention Center
Optimist Indiana South District
39th Annual Convention
SHARING AND CELEBRATING OPTIMISM
Friday night and Saturday August 22- 23 – Terre Haute Convention Center 800Wabash Ave Terre Haute IN 47807
Message from Governor …
We had a great 3 rd Quarter Conference in Jasper, IN on April 26, 2025. My thanks to those who diligently
planned and organized the conference. Also thanks to the Jasper Optimist Club who hosted us. Winner
of the oratorical contest was the speaker from the Avon club again. “Hats off” to Avon. Hopefully our
winner will go on to win the Optimist International Conference again. Between now and our District
Convention on August 22-23 our clubs have time for great club meetings and summer activities for the
youth in our communities. Let’s make the most of this opportunity.
TheTerre Haute Convention Center is a very good venue for our convention. Their facilities provide
good meeting places for training as well as a large meeting area for members of our district to
congregate for general meetings. I encourage the Lieutenant Governors, District Staff and Club
Presidents to start “beating the drums” to encourage representatives from each of our clubs to attend –
the more the better. The District Convention is a great opportunity for optimists throughout the district
to get to know each other and to learn from our collective successes. There is also an opportunity to
tour the Larry Bird Museum. Larry Bird is an Indiana success story. Take some time to learn about his
amazing story.
I also encourage all of us to get our registrations at the earliest opportunity. When you register, please
do it on line to make it easier for our registrar.
Walt Willms
Indiana South Optimist Indiana Governor
Message from Governor Elect Monica Wallace…
Hello fellow Optimists, I am Monica Wallace, your current Governor Elect for our Indiana South District. I just returned from my training in St. Louis and I will have to say it was very enlightening. I am looking forward to the continual learning and collaborating with our clubs so we can become stronger in our continual support we provide to youth. Having the ability to grow in leadership, confidence, and learn from each of you will only make me a stronger individual, club member, professional, mother, etc. I come into this position with the courage to ask questions, listen with intent to learn, and be the support each of our Lt. Governors and their Zones deserve. Being an Optimist, doesn’t mean we don’t see or deal with struggles. But, it does mean that when the struggles occur we have the mindset to say, “How can I fix this?” or “How can our club support this need?” Just like the story of throwing a pebble in the water or skipping it across the water we see the ripples. This is the same concept we can put into play within our clubs, working with the children, their families, or our communities. As we continue to throw out our pebbles of Optimism we will be creating ripples of change as we take action by providing hope when our youth feel like there is no hope to have. We will be diving into this concept more as we go into the new year of Optimism. As for now, I look forward to meeting everyone in August at the Terre Haute Convention Center.