Originally published on July 03, 2020.
Daniel Rex is among the most globally active of SUU graduates, parlaying a 1988 degree in Spanish to a career leading one of the world’s foremost organizations in communication and leadership education.
Now in his 11th year as chief executive officer of Toastmasters International, he appreciates the success of his nonprofit educational association in improving the lives of millions of individuals, their families, co-workers and communities around the world. He frequently travels to Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, and occasionally to Africa and South America to aid others, largely in the greatly beneficial art of public speaking.
He finds his work highly rewarding and proudly relates an abundantly common message from his group’s members and customers: “Toastmasters changed my life for the better.”
The 1982 graduate of Parowan High School chose SUU for his education due to its proximity, legacy connections, and the uncommonly strong benefit of an excellent faculty and smaller class sizes. His expectation was that he would go on to work in a global business environment, and the institution helped make that possible.
“My time at SUU provided a foundation in terms of academic learning, habits, and interaction with professors and faculty,” he says. “I recall solid values combined with academic inquiry and questioning. All these helped create and support who I am today.”
Among the important lessons he learned at the University, he relates, is that persistent effort is required to reach goals, and “shortcuts are temporary and give a false sense of accomplishment.” And, at SUU, he says, “I needed guidance and a positive, supportive environment and I was fortunate to be surrounded by those who genuinely cared about me and my future.”
In 2018, he led his growing organization’s world headquarters relocation from Southern California to the Denver area, and is now a Coloradoan with wife Lauri.
