Vinai K. Thummalapally (born 1954) was the U.S. Ambassador to Belize. He is the first Indian American ambassador in U.S. history.
Early life Thummalapally is the son of T. Dharma Reddy, a retired scientist who worked for Andhra Pradesh Forensic Sciences Laboratory, and T. Padmaja.
He came to America in 1974, and attended Occidental College in Los Angeles, where he spent a summer as Barack Obama's roommate.http://www.amritt.com/india-business-guide/barack-obama-vinai-thummalapally-india/ Vinai and ""Barry" as Obama was known would often get together with other college friends watching basketball games, discussing foreign politics and eating South Indian food cooked by Thummalapally and a cousin. In the summer of 1980, the two friends became college roommates.
Prior to his appointment as Ambassador Thummalapally was CEO of MAM-A Inc (formerly known as Mitsui Advanced Media). He has two patents in optical disc manufacturing design. Thummalapally has a B.S. degree from California State University and took graduate classes in business administration from both CSU and the University of Tennessee.U.S. State Department bio of Thummalapally
References
External links U.S. Embassy Belmopan: Biography of the ambassador U.S. Department of State: Biography of Vinai K. Thummalapally