2026 - 2027 Executive Team
Leadership Team
PRESIDENT
SINDHU SYLACE
Sindhu Sylace is excited and honored to serve as the President of GPTM for the 2026–2027 term. She has been an active GPTM member and volunteer for several years. Professionally, she works in the healthcare industry and is passionate about community service, event planning, dancing, and bringing people together.
Over the years, Sindhu has coordinated numerous cultural, corporate, and community events through both her workplace and local non-profit organizations. She believes in teamwork, inclusivity, and creating opportunities for people of all ages.
She lives in Tualatin, Oregon, with her husband, Sylace Srinivasan, who has been her pillar of support in embracing and celebrating Tamil culture, their children Sid and Shruthi, and their fur baby, Sammi.
Sindhu looks forward to serving the community, creating memorable events, and encouraging greater youth participation in GPTM's activities. 
VICE PRESIDENT
VENKATARAMANAN SEKAR
Venkataramanan Sekar (Venkat) is from mango city Salem, Tamilnadu, India, and works at Nike. Since 2016 he has been living in Hillsboro, Oregon with his wife Sasikala, daughter Venmathi, and son Cheliyan. He served as GPTM executive committee member for 4 years in the food team.
SECRETARY
SHIVA SRINIVASAN
Shiva Srinivasan is a Principal Engineer who balances a successful professional career with a deep passion for Tamil culture and community. Outside of work, he enjoys playing and following cricket, reading the works of renowned Tamil writers such as Jeyakanthan and Na. Muthukumar, watching films featuring Rajinikanth (Thalaivar), and spending quality time with his wife, Premi, and their sons, Dhruv and Vidhur, in Portland. Known for his straightforward nature and sense of humor, he strongly believes that meaningful experiences and strong community bonds are among life's greatest treasures. He is enthusiastic about contributing to the growth and success of the Mandram by strengthening connections, celebrating Tamil heritage, and serving the Tamil community in Portland. He looks forward to working alongside fellow members to make a positive and lasting impact.
TREASURER
RAMKUMAR RENGARAJAN
Ramkumar Rengarajan (Ram) hails from Srirangam, Trichy. He has been living in Portland for around 22 years and has volunteered with GPTM for 10 years. He has been working for General Motors for almost the past 3 years. Although he comes from the accounting world, he has been given the Treasurer role. He promises to serve with integrity and put in the necessary hard work to help make things better with the new team in charge. He is married to his better half, Ethaya Rani Sarangapany, and they have just completed 23 years of marriage. They have two boys, Yanish (17) and Krish (15), who will be moving on to their senior and sophomore years, respectively.
FOOD COMMITEE
ARUMUGACHAMY GURUVAIAH
Arumugachamy Guruvaiah Arumugachamy Guruvaiah is originally from Sivakasi and has been residing in Portland since 2019. He currently works at Intel and is also actively involved in the community as a teacher at Tamil Arambappalli.
He is married to Revathi, and has two children, Vishakh and Pravin Krithick.
Roles:
Food Coordinator
Tamil Theni Coordinator
SUBRAMANIAM MADHESU
Subramaniam Madhesu has been living in Portland for the last 12 years. He was born and raised in Chennai. He likes to volunteer in Tamil School in the weekends.
Roles:
Food Coordinator
Tamil Theni Coordinator
RAJPRETHEV SUGUMAR
Rajprethev Sugumar, originally from Rajapalayam, Tamil Nadu, has been residing in Portland, Oregon since 2024. He is passionate about technology and continuous learning, with a keen interest in personal growth. In his free time, he enjoys exploring new places, watching movies and staying active. Rajprethev values meaningful connections and is excited to be part of Portland Tamil Mandram, embracing opportunities to stay connected with Tamil culture and traditions.
Roles:
Food Coordinator
Social Media Coordinator
CULTURAL COMMITEE
ARUNA PALANIAPPAN
Aruna Palaniappan has lived in the Portland for the past decade. Aruna works as a process engineer at Intel foundry. She lives in Tigard with her husband Sid Gandhinathan and their young daughter & son - Nila & Ilan. In her free time she enjoys playing badminton and spending time outdoors & traveling.
Roles:
Cultural Coordinator
Website Coordinator
REGINA ANANTHAN
Regina Ananthan is a licensed real estate agent in Oregon and manages PDX Prime Realty.
Regina lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, Ananthan Ayyasamy, and their children, Adhithya and Asmitha. Beyond her professional career, she enjoys volunteering and actively contributing to community initiatives. Her creative interests include cooking, crafting, and painting, which allow her to express her artistic side.
In her free time, Regina values spending quality time with family and friends, creating meaningful memories and nurturing strong personal connections.
Roles:
Cultural Coordinator
PREETHI SUBRAMANIAN
Preethi Subramanian lives in Portland with her husband and son.
She enjoys being part of culture teams, bringing people together and creating fun, happy moments.
She wants to use this opportunity to give back to the community, bring people together, and make meaningful connections while spreading positive vibes.
Roles:
Cultural Coordinator
REKHA SHRINI
Rekha Shrini, Originally from Chennai, Rekha has called Portland home for the past 15 years, where she lives with her husband, Shrini, and their two boys. She works at Epiq Global in project management and class action services.
A longtime GPTM volunteer, Rekha has contributed to both the Décor and Food Committees over the years. She enjoys cooking, singing, visiting temples, and spending time with family and friends. She loves entertaining and finds joy in bringing people together over good food and warm conversations.
Roles:
Cultural Coordinator
COMMUNITY & ENGAGEMENT REPRESENTIVE
ASHOK SWAMINATHAN
Ashok Swaminathan is from mango city Salem, Tamil Nadu, India, and lives in Vancouver. Since 2008 he has been living in Pacific Northwest with his Parents, wife & kids.
Role:
Community and Engagement Representive
EVENT COORDINATOR
ANBARASU CHELLAKANNU
Anbarasu Chellakannu is from Saligramam, Chennai. He is living in Portland with his wife Hema and two daughters Krishita & Thashvika. He was a member and active volunteer in Bay area Tamil Mandram before he relocated from California. He always feels proud to serve the Tamil community and wants to use this opportunity to develop our Tamil community as much as possible. He loves spending time with family and friends, volunteering, Outdoor games, adventure, Travelling, etc.,
Roles:
Event and
Sponsorship Coordinator
YOUTH AMBASSADOR
Gayathri Vimalan
Gayathri Vimalan has been living in NW Portland since 2011 with her husband, Vimalan, and their two lovely children, Nihitha and Prasanna. Hailing from the famous biryani city of Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, she loves dancing, cooking, and experimenting with a variety of dishes from different cuisines. She is passionate about bringing people together through community events and actively volunteers at school and social events whenever time permits.
ROLES:
Youth Ambassador
Tamil Theni
SADHEESH KUMAR
Sadheesh Kumar is originally from Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu and relocated to Portland in 2024 with his wife, Sivasankari, and daughters, Akshara and Akshaya, after spending 14 years in Singapore. He is a family-oriented and community-minded individual who enjoys serving and supporting the Tamil community through cultural and social activities. Sadheesh values spending quality time with his family and, in his free time, enjoys watching television and staying connected with friends and the community.
Roles:
Youth Coordinator
Food Coordinator
ADUTHA THALAMURAI
SANTHOSH RAMESH
Santosh Ramesh is a Portland native who grew up immersed in the local Tamil Indian community. Inspired by his parents, Ramesh and Uma, Santosh joined the GPTM board with a strong desire to give back and help create meaningful events. A passionate entrepreneur, he
currently runs two ventures -- Ka Chai & Coffee and Ka Technology. Santosh is always happy to connect with others, whether to talk business or enjoy a good conversation over chai.
ROLES:
Youth Coordinator
MEENA LAKSHMAN
Jothimeena Muthukumaran lives in Portland with her husband Lakshman, and their two children, Anish and Sidhu. As Director at Safari Kid Beaverton, she combines her passion for early childhood education with her love for art and working with children. Beyond her professional role, Jothimeena is dedicated to community service and cherishes time spent with her family, making a positive impact in both her professional and personal communities.
ROLES:
Youth Coordinator
MEDIA COMMITTEE
KUMAR PONNAIYAN
Kumar Ponnaiyan lives in North Plains with his wife, Reka, and their two daughters, Harshini and Mithra. He is currently working at Epson Portland Inc. He has always been proud to serve and contribute to the Tamil community. In addition, he has a strong passion for photography and videography, which allows him to capture meaningful moments and create lasting memories.
Roles:
Media & Visual Coordinator
VINAITHEERTHAL RAMASAMY
Vinaitheerthal Ramasamy also known as Maha, originally from Karaikudi, has been residing in Portland, Oregon since 2019. She is a Quilling artist (paper craft) and has expertise in quilling jewelleries & home decors. Maha also loves playing chess, carrom, and various board games.
Roles:
Website Coordinator
SUSMITHA MURUGAN
Susmitha Murugan is from the small village of Bogalur in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu. She moved to Portland four years ago and lives here with her husband, Partha. She is passionate about the Tamil language, culture, and community, and enjoys being actively involved in the Tamil community in Portland. She works as an AI Engineer and also teaches Tamil to children at the Tamil school.
Roles:
Social Media Coordinator
Decor Coordinator
Decor Committee
RAJESWARI SANTOSH
Rajeswari Santosh is an intelligent and dedicated professional with over 13 years of experience in tailoring and custom alterations. She truly enjoys alteration work and takes pride in delivering quality and precision in everything she does. She has completed D.T.Ed. and is a proud mother of two. She has a strong desire to help the community and naturally enjoys supporting others whenever she can. She loves making new friends and always strives to maintain healthy, positive relationships. She is excited to be here and looks forward to working with everyone.
Board of Directors
ANUPA KUPPUSWAMY - LIASON OFFICER
Anupa Kuppuswamy served as the President for the GPTM 2023-24 committee. She hails from Chennai India. Settled in US for the past 26 years been a Portlander for the last 10 years. Lives in North Bethany with husband Sathyan Kuppuswamy and 2 handsome boys Neranjan and Neshanth.
LALITHA VEERAPPAN
Lalitha Veerappan lives in Camas, WA with her husband Ravi and kids Neha, Pranay, fur baby Mocha and she works at HP as a Procurement Manager. She enjoys spending time with her family and is passionate about music, likes to organize concerts and community events. Her other interests are socializing, long drives and shopping. She believes in giving back to the community and served as Vice President of GPTM for 2 years and as President for the year 2024-2025.
MANICKAM ANNAMALAI
Manickam Annamalai served as GPTM President for 2022–23 and Treasurer for 2021–22. He has also been serving on the GPTM Board since 2024. A long-time volunteer, he is passionate about serving the community and supporting GPTM’s mission. Originally from Nattarasankottai, Sivaganga District, Tamil Nadu, Manickam has lived in the U.S. since 2005 and moved to Portland in 2018. He works at Allstate and lives in North Bethany with his wife, Jayalakshmi, and their two sons, Lakshman and Ashwin. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, volunteering, and giving back to the community.
Honorary Board of Directors
Swa Gandhinathan
Swa Gandhinathan (Gandhi), is a Director, co-founder and life time member of GPTM. Gandhi with his wife Seetha and children Suganya & Siddharth have been an integral part of GPTM since its inception. Gandhi’s family has volunteered, mentored and nurtured the GPTM’s growth to its present status. When vacationing Gandhi and Seetha love going on cruises. Gandhi works for Wells Fargo Bank - Wells Fargo has been the major sponsor of GPTM for several years since 2003.
Gidu Sriram
Gidu Sriram is a director of the GPTM organization and together with Gandhi has been a guiding force for every GPTM committee that has donned office. Sriram is passionate about all forms of fine arts and has been an avid supporter of many cultural forums that exist in Portland today.