Dr Nirmal De Silva elected President of St. Peter’s College Old Boys’ Union as the institution approaches its centenary
The St. Peter’s College Old Boys’ Union (SPCOBU) has unanimously elected distinguished corporate leader, academic, and alumnus Dr. Nirmal De Silva as its new President. The election took place during the Union’s 97th Annual General Meeting on June 28, 2026. Dr. De Silva succeeds Mr. Roshan Fernando, who successfully led and strengthened the institution over the past two years.
Dr. De Silva’s election marks a historic milestone as the SPCOBU approaches its Centenary celebrations, which are scheduled to commence at the College premises on October 18. Under his leadership, the Union is poised to honor nearly a century of traditions and fellowship among Peterites while charting a progressive vision for its second century.
Founded in 1927, the SPCOBU has grown alongside St. Peter’s College, which originally traced its roots back to its origins as St. Joseph’s College South. The Union’s first President was its founding Rector, Rev. Fr. Nicholas Perera OMI. For exactly fifty years, the presidency remained tied to the office of the sitting Rector.
A landmark shift occurred in 1977 following a proposal by Rev. Fr. Francis Madiwela, which paved the way for the appointment of the Union’s first lay President, Mr. J.A.R. Felix. Since that structural transition, nineteen distinguished alumni have held the position. Dr. De Silva now steps in as the 21st lay President to lead the institution at this highly significant, historic juncture.
To ensure organizational continuity during this critical centenary period, Mr. Dastaquir Ismail and Mr. Roshan Abeygoonewardena will continue to serve in their respective roles as Honorary General Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, following a distinguished preceding term.
The newly constituted Committee of Management for the 2026/27 term includes:
President: Dr. Nirmal de Silva
Immediate Past President: Roshan Fernando
Nominated Past President(s): Romeish de Mel, Asela Lihinikaduwa, Sanjeeva Abeygoonawardena
Vice President(s): Jude Fernando, AVM Roshan Biyanwila, Suren Perera, Eroshan Mallawarachchi, Anil Philips, Kanishka Hewage
Hony. General Secretary: Dastaquir Ismail
Hony. Treasurer: Roshan Abeygoonawardena
Hony. Assistant General Secretary: Anushka Mendis
Hony. Assistant Treasurer: Irfan Amirdeen
Hony. Editor: Sanjeew Perera
Assistant Editor: Yohan Dalpatadu
Centenary Committee Chair: Shawn Adams
General Committee Members:
Algi Wjiewickrema, Hiran Fernando, Fabian Angunawela, Sujeeva Dahanayake, Malcolm Mattheisz, Angelo Wickramasekara, Asela Perera, Vinoshan Richard, Mario Louis, Dhanushka Wijesekara, Ashan Alles, Shihan Gunawardena, Stephan Costa, Malith Kulasinghe, Malkan Cader, Rashen Perera, Dinuk Ranasinghe, Aadhil Izzeth, Suresh Thiviyan, Qadheer Rawoof, Enosh Mishal Aponsu, Maleesha Nisharaka Perera, Nalin Jayasundara, Prasad Manage, Haariz Rahman, Rukmal Goonathiliake, and Shiyan Jayaweera.
As the Centenary milestone draws near, the newly appointed Committee of Management takes on the dual responsibility of preserving the Union’s storied heritage while steering the global network of Peterite alumni confidently into the future.
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