Press Release

September 10, 2004
Toastmasters International

Dilip Abaysekara elected Senior Vice President of Toastmasters International

RANCHO SANTA MARGARTIA, CA – Dilip Abayasekara of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, was elected to the position of Senior Vice President of Toastmasters International during the organization’s recent 73rd annual International Convention in Reno, Nevada.

As Senior Vice President, Abayasekara will be the second-ranked officer in this nonprofit organization, which is dedicated to teaching skills in public speaking and leadership. Toastmasters members from around the world elected him to the one-year volunteer office.

An active member for more than 17 years, Abayasekara has held leadership positions within Toastmasters ranging from club president to international director. He is the president of Speaker Services Unlimited, a company that provides coaching and keynote speeches to organizations and individuals, as well as providing training in areas such as leadership, presentation skills and problem solving. “My Toastmasters experience has given me greater knowledge, leadership and communication skills and a clear vision of how to achieve my goals,” he says.

Since its founding in 1924, Toastmasters International has helped four million men and women develop their communication and leadership skills. Because a growing number of people realize the importance of communication skills for career advancement, Toastmasters International has doubled its membership in the last 10 years. The organization now has approximately 200,000 members and 10,000 clubs in 80 countries.