Dr. Janaka Hemathilaka
– CEO / Executive Director –
Dr. Janaka Hemathilaka, CEO of Janathakshan, brings over 30 years of extensive experience in community development, participatory governance, and social inclusion, particularly among persons with disabilities, indigenous populations, women and marginalized communities. He holds a PhD. in Sociology, along with advanced degrees in Sociology and Community Development, and Climate Change from leading Sri Lankan institutions. His academic background is complemented by deep field-level engagement and practical application of social and environmental safeguards. As a recognized expert in Gender, Indigenous Peoples (including tribe communities in India and Pakistan) and Local Communities (IPLCs), and Social and Environmental Safeguards, Dr. Hemathilaka brings a unique blend of sociological insight and operational leadership. Dr. Hemathilaka is well-versed in leading sustainable development projects assessing and reporting national progress in biodiversity, disaster management, climate change and developing community action plans with his proven leadership and field experience, deep engagement with community development and collaboration. He respects equality and diversity, advocating strong policy and advocacy on cross-cultural and regional and institutional collaboration for sustainable development. With a robust academic foundation and decades of applied expertise, Dr. Hemathilaka is exceptionally well positioned to lead teams and any complex assignment. His continuous learning to stay relevant is evident with his qualification as a climate change expert recently finishing a MSc. in Climate Change from University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Sasika Konara is a seasoned development professional with over 12 years of experience working with individuals, communities, and organizations across the development sector. He possesses strong expertise in integrating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into development planning, ensuring alignment with national and global frameworks. He has demonstrated his skills in program and project planning, design, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, and fundraising and as a collaborative team player with excellent analytical, coordination, and rapport-building skills, and a strong attention to detail. He is committed to needs-based, participatory approaches that drive integrated and sustainable development initiatives in partnership with diverse stakeholders, including women, farmers, community leaders, and both state and non-state actors. He is specialized in the thematic areas including Social Work Practice with Specialization in Community Development and Social Work Management; Poverty alleviation, Rural Economic Advancement and Regional Development; Program/Project Design, Management and Monitoring and Evaluation. He has experience working with development partners including target groups across 18+ donor-funded programs/projects, focusing on climate change adaptation, integrated water management, sustainable agriculture and climate smart agriculture development, livelihood development, small and medium enterprise development, and capacity building. He has a strong hold in advocating policy formulation, with hand-on-experience organizational development, design and implement frameworks that drive in organizational growth, efficiency, and sustainability. He possesses a Master of Regional Development and Planning, from University of Colombo and a Bachelor of Social Work from National Institute of Social Development, Sri Lanka with his wealth of professional experience.
Sharon De Alwis is a highly accomplished Human Resources and Administration leader with over three decades of progressive experience spanning development, corporate finance, and organizational management. Her career reflects extensive expertise in HRM, administration, labor relations, performance management, financial coordination, and high-level executive support, strengthened by hands-on experience in managing complex organizational transitions, including redundancy processes, restructuring, and cross organizational workflow management. Sharon’s professional foundation combines strong financial and administrative acumen, built through senior roles at international non-government organizations and reputed private sector companies with advanced academic credentials including a Postgraduate Diploma in Labor Relations and HRM from the University of Colombo and multiple international qualifications. Recognized for her strategic mindset, operational excellence, and ability to align people processes with institutional goals, she maintains professional memberships with the Institute of Financial Accountants (UK) and the Institute of Public Accountants (Australia). As the current Head of HR & Administration at Janathakshan, she spearheads strategic HR planning, organizational development, and governance aligned people’s practices
Ms. Koshali Ekanayake
– Head of Finance –
Koshalie Ekanayake is a seasoned finance focal person who is well-versed in project finance management and organizational finance management. Working in numerous capacities in Janathakshan projects, she has demonstrated the skill to learn quickly new financial formats, apps and accounting systems. She has worked in the projects and overall organization of finance management in senior positions, effectively giving finance and accounts advice to project staff and the CEO. She has been managing finance of the projects from United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, Asia Development Bank, Coca-Cola Foundation, Green Climate Fund, GGGI, and many other donors with agility and great numeral and financial accuracy. A BA degree holder, Koshalie transitioned to finance with Charted Accountant qualification in 2002, now with mastery in accounting packages including QB, MYOB ,SAGE line 50, FINAC ERP system. As the Head of Finance at Janathakshan, she is committed to ensuring funds are managed transparently, effectively and efficiently reaping the maximum benefit to the beneficiaries of the projects.
Nandana Sumedha Mohottige is a seasoned project manager with over 20 years of experience in community-based resilience, disaster risk reduction (DRR), and climate change adaptation initiatives in Sri Lanka and a thorough knowledge on operations of high impact projects, the operational and programmatic aspects including documentation. Holding a BSc. in Agriculture (Hons) from the University of Peradeniya and a Diploma in Management from the Open University of Sri Lanka, he brings a strong foundation in agricultural and environmental sciences, complemented by specialized trainings in community-based Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), advocacy, and training of trainers from organizations like the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center. Currently serving as Senior Manager for Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience, and Programme Manager for DRR and Climate Action since 2024, Nandana has led multifaceted projects that integrate environmental sustainability, livelihood enhancement, and community participation, skills that are directly transferable to specialized thematic projects. Nandana excels in end-to-end program management, including planning, execution, monitoring, and reporting, while building linkages with local authorities and communities. His expertise in climate-smart programming and community-driven approaches positions him ideally to manage any thematic projects in Sri Lanka, ensuring success in realizing the end goals and targets.
