Toastmasters’ International President to address ‘Ovation 2012’

International President of Toastmasters International Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Michael Notaro will be the Chief Guest at Ovation 2012, the Annual Conference of District 82 scheduled to be held from 25 to 27 May in Colombo. Toastmasters International is the world’s largest non profit organisation devoted to communication and leadership training.

DTM Notaro was elected as the President at the organisation’s 80th annual International Convention held in August 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Within the organisation, DTM Notaro has assumed several leadership positions before becoming the organisation’s International President. He earned his law degree from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco. He has been involved in community service, volunteering with the United States Coast Guard Reserve, Kiwanis International and Alameda Hope of America. He is an Attorney, member of the Italian American Bar Association, Principal of the Notaro Law Group and a licensed real estate broker. Before opening his law practice, he was the President of Phoenix Commercial Realty – one of the top tier real estate brokering firms in USA.

Communication and leadership are two vital skills in this day and age. Having identified the importance of developing these skills, all leading professional institutes in Sri Lanka and several corporates have charted Toastmasters clubs in their organisations. At present there are 70 Toastmasters clubs in Sri Lanka and few more are in the pipeline to be charted in the near future. DTM Notaro will also be addressing the local media and visiting some of the leading corporates in the country during his visit.

The District 82 of Toastmasters which consists of South India and Sri Lanka serves a membership of over 8,000. The Toastmasters movement has achieved a rapid growth in Sri Lanka and India due to the effectiveness of its communication and leadership programme. The District 82 was singled out for the distinguished Best District Award presented by Toastmasters International for four consecutive years beating over 19 Districts spread across USA, Europe, Africa, Middle East Asia etc.

Founded in October 1924 in California USA, Toastmasters International currently has more than 270,000 members in 13,000 clubs in over 116 countries worldwide. Each week, Toastmasters helps more than a quarter million people of every ethnicity, education level and profession to build their competence in communication so they can gain the confidence to lead others. The overall focus of Toastmasters International is encapsulated in its theme: Toastmasters – Where Leaders are Made.