Lavanya Reddy elected President of NFIA new board committee sworn in

Vandana Jhingan

CHICAGO: The National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA) has elected Lavanya Reddy as President for the 2022. All board members were elected unopposed except for two positions, Treasurer & RVP (South Pacific). The oath ceremony of the newly elected board members was conducted via virtual video Conference by Dr. Thomas Abraham, the founder and past president of NFIA.

A motion was tabled and passed to appoint Dr. Hari Har Singh as the NFIA Executive Director, Admin  – carried without any objection.  Babu Patel was elected as Chairman of the board. The newly elected team will focus on being truly representative of the entire Indian American community, working alongside members to learn more about how NFIA can better serve them – including their communities and businesses.

During her oath ceremony, Lavanya shared her goals as President – stating that she wants to provide local NFIA leaders with the support and tools to revitalize their communities. Setting up new committees for various demographics is a large component of the action plan. Through the creation of groups for youth, women, business owners, technology innovators and politicians, she believes NFIA can create better opportunities to network while also providing opportunities for mentorship, particularly important for younger generations.

Lavanya Reddy is no stranger to community organizing. A longtime resident of Seattle, Lavanya has been an active member of the Indian community for decades; she is the founder and former President of the Federations of Indian American organizations of Washington, served as President of Washington Telugu Samithi for two consecutive years, and is an active board member of many local organizations including NW Share, Women of Wisdom and Ambassadors of Peace Washington.

Outside of her active involvement within her community, Lavanya is a Montessori Teacher by profession, teaching for over 40 years. She is also the founder of the SMR educational and cultural foundation. Lavanya and her husband Dr. Raghava Reddy have two children, Rama and Mayuri, and a grandchild named Rumi. In her spare time she loves to cook, travel, meditate, and spend time with family and friends.

The list of board members elected:

(NFIA) is the umbrella organization for Indian associations in the United States established in 1980. The goal of NFIA is to unify the diverse Indian American community by coordinating and promoting the activities of its member associations. It also aims to foster strong ties between India and the United States, and through the encouragement of community, social and political engagement of members – hopes to fortify Indian-Americans as leaders within the country.

For more information on NFIA, visit website at: nfiaweb.org.