John M Guthrie, currently club president of 1100 Toastmasters in Des Moines, Iowa, has been a member of Toastmasters since 2024. Professionally, he is a managing trial attorney with 24 years of experience representing clients, directing litigation teams, and negotiating complex resolutions across several states. While he has tried dozens of cases before courts and juries in many jurisdictions, he joined Toastmasters to become a better communicator and leader, build on his prior experience, and achieve the Distinguished Toastmaster designation.
Both inside and outside Toastmasters, John views himself as a servant leader and looks at his roles as an empowerment resource to help others achieve their goals. He has utilized his past roles as Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Public Relations, and mentor to support club and individual member success.
Outside of work and Toastmasters, John is an avid lifelong learner, an occasional distance runner, a woodworker as well as a husband and a dad to two adult children and three cats.