NOTE: 2nd VP Arunasalam will be attending our District 19 Conference in Waterloo next month!
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., Sept. 11, 2014—Balraj Arunasalam , of Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka, has been elected Second Vice President of Toastmasters International, the world’s leading organization devoted to communication and leadership skills development. Arunasalam was elected to the one-year term at the organization’s 83rd annual International Convention, held Aug. 20-23 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
As a member of the Toastmasters International Board of Directors, Arunasalam is a “working ambassador” for the organization. He works with the Board to develop and support the policies and procedures that guide Toastmasters International in fulfilling its mission.
Arunasalam is founder and chief executive of Gemtrans Engineering Company, a maker of industrial belts. He also serves as President of the Iyyappan Temple management board and as Vice President of the Aarunadu Velalar Society of Sri Lanka. He also belongs to the local Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club.
A dedicated Toastmaster for 25 years, Arunasalam is a member of three clubs, including the Colombo Toastmasters club. He served on the Toastmasters Board of Directors from 2011 to 2013. He has held a number of distinguished leadership positions within the organization and has attained the Distinguished Toastmaster designation—the highest level of achievement in Toastmasters.
“Toastmasters is a way of life,” he says. “It helped me understand the philosophy of leadership, to give and receive respect, and to be humble.”
In 2011, Arunasalam helped establish an English course titled Rural Voices Unlimited, a project designed to educate youth in rural Sri Lanka. His work earned him an award from the U.S. Embassy in Colombo. Arunasalam holds an advanced level General Certificate of Education from Trinity College in Kandy, Sri Lanka, and is earning a master’s degree through the Australian Institute of Business Administration.
Sri Lanka is home to 92 Toastmasters clubs. To learn more about local Toastmasters activities, visit www.d82.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 313,000 in more than 14,650 clubs in 126 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.