Melitta J. Cutright
Michelle Blomeke
630-571-5466 x363

For Immediate Release

Business Leader from Sri Lanka Elected
President of Lions Clubs International

OAK BROOK, IL, USA, July 6, 2007—Mahendra Amarasuriya of Colombo, Sri Lanka, was elected president of The International Association of Lions Clubs at the association’s 90th International Convention, held July 2-6, 2007, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is a business leader with 40 years of experience in management as chairperson and a director of many prestigious companies and organizations in Sri Lanka.

President Amarasuriya will lead the world’s largest international service club organization, which has 1.3 million members in 45,000 clubs in 200 countries and geographic areas around the world. He will also help set the direction for Lions Clubs International Foundation and the foundation’s SightFirst Program, a US$202 million effort to rid the world of preventable and reversible blindness.
 
President Amarasuriya has been active in numerous professional and community organizations. He has served as chairperson of the Commercial Bank of Ceylon Limited and three other blue chip companies, as well as a board member of many other companies in Sri Lanka. He is also a past chairperson of the International Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka, Employers’ Federation of Ceylon, the Employees’ Trust Fund Board, the Institute of Management of Sri Lanka and the National Agribusiness Council of Sri Lanka.

A member of the Lions Club of Galle since 1967, President Amarasuriya has held many positions in Lions Clubs International at the local, district and international levels. Additionally he has received numerous awards from Lions Clubs International, including the Ambassador of Good Will Award, the highest honor bestowed upon association members.

President Amarasuriya holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Ceylon. He has also participated in the Top Management Course at the International Institute of Management in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Lions clubs are known for their efforts to preserve sight and eradicate blindness, as well as their commitment to community service and helping youth. To learn more about Lions Clubs International, visit www.lionsclubs.org.

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