Thomians receive gift of books
View(s):S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia has received a gift of over 500 books and magazines from a distinguished alumnus, Emeritus President & CEO of PATA, Lakshman Ratnapala, currently Chairman of Enelar International based in San Francisco. The collection, a part of the donor’s extensive library ,comprises rare “coffee table” publications and elite hard cover editions on tourist destinations around the world, fiction and non-fiction works by several international and Sri Lankan authors on a variety of subjects ranging from Art and Culture to Politics and War.
Ratnapala, a former journalist, later served in several Ministries, and was appointed Sri Lanka’s Tourism Director for the Americas, based in New York. In 1980 he was recruited to San Francisco based PATA,– the multi-national corporation for the development of global tourism — as the Director of its global network of Chapters and rose to be PATA’s President & Chief Executive Officer. Currently he helms Enelar International in San Francisco.
Prof. Indra De Soysa, Warden of S. Thomas’ received the gift from Ravi Ratnapala, a nephew of Lakshman. The Warden announced that the donated publications will be added to the College library in a special display titled the “Lakshman Ratnapala Collection”. The Sub-Warden, Rev. Marc Billimoria was also in attendance at the presentation.
Picture shows, from left, the Librarian of STC Mrs. K. Panditharatne, Ravi Ratnapala, the Warden STC Prof. Indra De Soysa and the Head Prefect of STC, S.Jayasuriya.