Journalist and diplomat Pamela Wallin has been selected as the winner of the 2008 Toastmasters International’s Golden Gavel Award, the organization announced today.

Toastmasters International, an organization devoted to teaching public speaking and leadership skills, chose Wallin as recipient of its highest honour this year. She is the former Ottawa bureau chief for the Toronto Star and co-anchor of the national television newscast “Prime Time News.” She also founded Pamela Wallin Productions, a television company, and hosted the Canadian edition of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”

Wallin is now a senior advisor on Canadian – U.S. relations to the President of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas in New York.

The award will be officially presented on August 14th at the Toastmasters International Convention in Calgary.

Past recipients of the Golden Gavel include Walter Cronkite, Zig Ziglar, Anthony Robbins, Stephen Covey, Deepak Chopra and Tom Peters.