Eng. (Mrs.) Kamala Gunawardena

Bio-Data as submitted & certified by the candidate

Eng. (Mrs.) Kamala Gunawardena holds a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering (1984) from the University of Peradeniya and a PG Diploma in Construction Management (1994) from the University of Moratuwa.  She is a Fellow Member (2007) and an International Professional Engineer (2020) of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL).

She has been a Council Member of the IESL since 2020, holding positions as a Fellow Representative for two sessions, Chairman of CESC for one session, Vice President as two sessions chairing CPDC, and LPPCC Standing Committees.

As the Chairman of CESC, she had organized 27 knowledge-sharing sessions, 03 CPDs, 02 workshops, 04 Field visits, and several interactive sessions in engineering & general.

As a Vice President and the Chairman/CPDC, she had enabled members to develop career opportunities to enhance knowledge through CPDs, generating a remarkable revenue of 37 million LKR from 25 CPDs for the session.

The “Shaping the Future: CPD Road Map for the Next Decade” workshop, designed to provide a strategic roadmap for CPD for the next decade, was a success, identifying industry trends, skill gaps, and ensuring CPDs align with international standards and future job opportunities.

She pioneered the following key digital initiatives.

• Web portal for member engagement and CPD proposals.
• QR code-based attendance to streamline participation.
• E-verified certificates for digital verification of CPD credentials, credibility, and administration efficiency.

As a Vice President and the Chairman/Library Publications, Publicity and Conferences Committee (LPPCC) during the current session, organizing lectures, publishing monographs, and holding the Annual Conference are regular activities she has initiated.

There were no e-resources in the digital library framework powered by the Koha system when she assumed duties as the Chairman of LPPCC. She succeeded the project in providing e-access for research papers published in transactions since 1906 and “ENGINEER” Journal since 1973 to date. Making it a reality, now the members can access those resources at their convenience.

She proposed linking library membership with IESL annual registration to boost usage and updated the book inventory for easier identification by discipline.

ChatGPT Pro; an addition to the Library with advanced Artificial Intelligence tools, and is a highly important matter that has been initiated. 

Her contribution to ‘techno2023’ and ‘techno2024’ and the commitment for ‘techno2025’ to come, are noteworthy.

Functioning as the Co-chairman/IESL Transport Sector Committee for the session 2023/2024 and 2024/2025, a Forum Member of the Organization of Professional Association (OPA) & a Council member of the Chamber of Construction Industry (CCI) since 2023, are some other commitments she made to IESL.

Being a member of The Association of Consulting Engineers Sri Lanka (ACESL) and its Council since 2017, she served as the President during 2018/2019. She represented ACESL at the FIDIC International Infrastructure Conference in Berlin, Germany, in 2018.

She is a Member of the Alumni Association/Colombo Chapter of the University of Peradeniya and a life member of the Highway Engineering Society since 2019. Further, her international exposure gained by attending seminars, courses, and workshops in Singapore, Sweden, India, and Bangladesh as a Highway Engineer, gave a valuable experience and acquaintance to serve the engineering fraternity.

Election Statement as submitted & certified by the candidate

I obtained my Charter and the Fellow memberships of the IESL in 1991 and 2007 respectively. With nearly four decades of experience in the Construction and Highway Sectors, I have developed strong leadership, communication, and team management skills that have shaped me into an effective decision-maker.

I firmly believe that professional engineers have a critical responsibility to uphold and promote high standards in engineering practice and to support the continuous professional development of their peers. This commitment is essential not only for individual growth but also for the advancement of the nation.

Having served in numerous roles throughout my career, ranging from project leadership to institutional representation, I am eager to contribute by sharing the knowledge and insights I have gained, meaningfully to the IESL and help foster a vibrant, supportive environment for engineers at all stages of their careers.

Once I am elected to the Council as the President Elect, I will focus on;

1. Enhancing the collaboration between the IESL and the Industry
2. Establishing a committee exclusively to find out what the members’ expectations are from the IESL and working towards to meet the said expectations.
3. Instituting a sustainable methodology to facilitate Associate Members to obtain their Charter status