LEONHARDT, David W. J. 1962-

PERSONAL: Born December 18, 1962, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; son of William (a teacher) and Susan (a nurse; maiden name, Szold) Leonhardt; married September 4, 1999; wife's name, Chantal; children: Chantalyne Anne Killarney. Education: Carleton University, B.A. (political science), 1988. Hobbies and other interests: Camping, hiking, drawing.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Writer's Showcase Press, 5220 South 16th St., Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68512. E-mail—dleonhardt@attglobal. net.

CAREER: Consumer advocate and author. Gerry Weiner, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, constituency assistant, 1984-89; Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), Ottawa, consumer advocate, 1989-98, CAA Ontario, Toronto, consumer advocate, 1998—. Member of board, Better Roads Coalition board member, 1998—, and Ontario Traffic Conference, 1999—. Ottawa Greenprint, committee member. Instructor for Learning Library (online); producer of educational videos.

MEMBER: Toastmasters International (local club executive and area governor, 1997-98, 2000-01), Publishers Marketing Association, Public Affairs Association of Canada.

WRITINGS:

Climb Your Stairway to Heaven: The Nine Habits ofMaximum Happiness, Writer's Showcase Press (Lincoln, NE), 2001.

Speeches published in Canadian Speeches, 2000, and Vital Speeches of the Day, 2000. Contributor of article "A Plan to Keep Ontario Moving" to various newspapers, 2001.

SIDELIGHTS: David W. J. Leonhardt told CA: "I am one of North America's most vocal consumer advocates. Conducting over 600 media interviews a year, I have been instrumental in shaping public policy for the benefit of consumers. Instead of greeting me with 'Hi, how are you?,' friends greet me with 'Hey, I saw you on TV again.' I am an Advanced Toastmaster (Gold), and have been published in Vital Speeches of the Day and Canadian Speeches. I teach media relations at the Learning Library (www.learninglibrary.com) online and live at the Learning Annex. My father was a teacher, my brother is a teacher, and my other brother has taught a college course, too. My latest writing project is Climb Your Stairway to Heaven. I call it a 'fortune cookie' that teaches while it entertains. I have also produced a media relations training video, It's Your Message. That's What Counts.

"I am a lover of nature. My favorite activities take place far from the towers of the city: hiking, camping, canoeing, wildlife spotting. I've lunched with moose, snacked with ducks, shared a camp site with a black bear, and served as a snack for countless mosquitoes."