Canadian entrepreneur named Toastmasters International President

Jim Kokocki becomes leader of global educational organization

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Aug 26, 2015, 08:14 ET

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., Aug. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Jim Kokocki of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, is the new International President of Toastmasters International, the world's leading organization devoted to communication and leadership skills development. Kokocki assumed the one-year term during the organization's 84^th annual International Convention, held Aug. 12-15 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Toastmasters International President Jim Kokocki

Kokocki is an entrepreneur and business consultant residing in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. As a volunteer, he is a member of the board at L'Arche Saint John, part of a worldwide network of communities for people with intellectual disabilities. He also serves as Director of Business Development for Mudge Engineering Associates. Kokocki previously worked at telecommunications provider Bell Aliant and its related companies for 30 years. He recently completed a master's degree in business administration at the University of New Brunswick, Saint John.

Kokocki has also worked with other volunteer organizations, including the Saint John Board of Trade where he served as co-chair of its Business Education Committee. For other organizations, he delivers presentations on leadership, protecting self-esteem, managing conflict, business modeling, and public relations and marketing.

A dedicated Toastmaster for 27 years, Kokocki served on the Board of Directors from 2002 to 2004. In addition to having held a number of high-profile leadership positions within Toastmasters, Kokocki also attained the Distinguished Toastmaster designation—the highest level of achievement in the organization.

"Over the years, I've met many people who tell me that their Toastmasters membership enabled them to hone skills that were important to their success personally and professionally. I look forward to serving and leading the organization's efforts to extend our reach and provide communication and leadership skills to even more people around the world," he says.

As International President, Kokocki is the highest ranked officer on the Toastmasters Board of Directors. He joins the following newly elected officers on the Toastmasters International 2015-2016 Executive Committee:

Mike Storkey of Queensland, Australia—International President-elect
Balraj Arunasalam of Western Province, Sri Lanka—First Vice President
Lark Doley of Jonestown, Texas—Second Vice President

For more information about Toastmasters, visit http://mediacenter.toastmasters.org.

About Toastmasters International
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations. Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, the organization's membership exceeds 332,000 in more than 15,400 clubs in 135 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds become more confident in front of an audience. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org. Follow @Toastmasters on Twitter.

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SOURCE Toastmasters International