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SLHGA President Asela Wavita
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The 51st Annual General Meeting of the Ceylon Hotel School Graduates’ Association took place on 22 October 2022 at the Shangri-la, Colombo. The occasion, a much-anticipated event of the association’s annual calendar, was attended by approximately 200 members, including leading hoteliers and members of business.
The key highlight of the event was the official launch of its new identity as ‘Sri Lanka Hospitality Graduates Association’ (SLHGA) while unveiling its new logo. The main reason behind this re-branding; “50 years on and going forth to another 50 years in shaping the future.” The re-branding plan was mooted to increase the association’s reach to its graduates and to provide a unified platform for hospitality professionals.
Established in 1971, the Ceylon Hotel School Graduates Association, the alumni of Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management, has gained the trust of the hospitality industry not only as an association of eminent hospitality professionals, but also as a body that has contributed back to society with its CSR initiatives through the years.
With a membership of over 1500 individuals who hold influential positions both locally and internationally, the CHSGA has worked effectively to build a closer community that continues to promote unity, dedication and networking in the hospitality sector.
The Chief Guest gracing the occasion was Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM) Chairman Shirantha Pieris. The main highlight was the appointment of the new Executive Committee for the year 2022/2023.
Asela Wavita was re-elected as the Association’s President for the second tenure for 2022-2023. He is a graduate of the Ceylon Hotel School and School of Tourism (currently known as the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management), a seasoned member of the hospitality industry, and the General Manager of Heritance Kandalama in Dambulla. He is the first person to be appointed as the president from SLITHM/CHS Kandy Campus.
Gitanjali Chakravarty and Patrick Pereira were elected as Vice Presidents, whilst Dinesh Hettiarachchi and Irandi Wijegunawardane were elected as General Secretary and Treasurer. This year’s Executive Committee consists of individuals holding prominent managerial positions in the hotel business from a variety of disciplines.
Commending the past Presidents and past committees over the last 50 years for their hard work and dedication in bringing the Association to the level it is today, Wavita stated: “Our new logo and the re-branding is part of our symbol of the modernity and dynamism and the direction that the association aims to take over the next 50 years.
“Shaping the future is the perfect platform for us to detail our plans on how we will champion our engagement in the industry, especially in meeting the workforce of the industry and mitigating the talent drain. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am proud that SLHGA has emerged from a tough year and is building on our commitment to doing the right thing to support the industry.”
He highlighted the need for all stakeholders in the industry to rally together to revive the industry and that SLHGA is a major party in this revival.
