Downtown Business Associates, better known as DBA Toastmasters, is one of the oldest and most active Toastmasters clubs in Hawaii history. DBA Toastmasters was originally called YBA Toastmasters.
Notable members:
- Wendy McAllaster and Leslie Kurisaki - the club's longest serving active members who date back to the mid-1980s. Wendy is the only remaining active member from YBA Toastmasters, and Leslie originally started as a member with the Tamarind Park Toastmasters before the clubs merged.
- Richard Sullivan (since 1994) and James Donnelly, both have served as DBA President twice.
- Former club president Wen He, who has competed in a number of District 49 speech contests.
- Annabel Chotzen, who was Hawaii Toastmaster of the Year in 1993 and coached Willie Jones to the World Championship of Public Speaking in 1998. Today, she is a professional public speaker.
- Norman Hirohata-Goto, who was a longtime member of YBA and later DBA Toastmasters. Norman joined Toastmasters when he was a UH student because he wanted to improve his speaking and his pidgin accent; he went on to become well known throughout District 49.
- Former Honolulu Police Chief Lee Donohue, who joined the club just prior to his being named Police Chief to improve his public speaking skills.
Today, DBA Toastmasters is a diverse club of business professionals who support and encourage each other on their journey to become better public speakers and leaders. It has been the meeting place of many lifelong friends, and where many excellent speeches have been shared.
