AVRI Team

AVRI Team
Executive Board
Executive Director, President: Roy Malleappah, BSc Herpetological Field Operations Specialist; Recipient Humanitarian Service Awards, 'Commando Regiment' Sri Lankan Army; Construction Engineer/General Contractor; Wildlife Conservationist.
Director, Secretary Sri Lanka project coordinator: Dr. Anura Samaraweera, MBBS, PhD Experienced frontline battlefield medic who survived several near-misses on his life. He was recommended twice for Military Gallantry Awards by the Field Command. Founding member, Faculty of Occupational Medicine, Ceylon College of Physicians; Former visiting Clinical Assistant, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka; Consultant, Open International University for Complementary Medicine, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Director, Treasurer United States project coordinator: Kimberly McWhorter, BA, MPH, CPH Board Certified in Public Health by the National Board of Public Health Examiners; Program Coordinator/Educator for Riverside County, California Community Health Agency; Program Planner; Grant writer; Recipient California State Association of Counties Merit Award for creation and implementation of an innovative local government program.
Advisors
Overall Liaison for AVRI in Sri Lanka : Muditha Dela A self-effacing committed Naturalist and Philanthropist, during Secondary School days he was responsible for awakening the need to protect endangered wildlife - like turtles - in several schools. He started the first protected Turtle Hatchery on the Southern coast of Sri Lanka. He was one of the youngest to join "Young Zoologists Club" based at the National Zoological Gardens, Dehiwala during its formative stages. At present he plays a very important role in the traditional religio-cultural life of Sabaragamuwa Province as the "Basnayaka Nilame" of Uggal Aluthnuwara Kataragama Devale of Balangoda, Sri Lanka.
Field Operations: Dana Savorelli Founder and President of Midwest Tongs, Inc.; Founder of the United States Snakebite Research Team; Founder and Director of Monkey Island Rescue and Zoological Sanctuary, Inc.
Reptile Husbandry: Jim Harrison and Kristen Wiley Directors, Kentucky Reptile Zoo