As we near the end of yet another outstanding year, the time has come to elect next year's NetSAP DC Executive Board. On behalf of the 2007 Executive Board, we invite you to participate in selecting the organization's leaders for the coming year by submitting your vote via email to elections@netsap.org . Please take a moment to review the candidates' statements below – if you have any questions about the requirements of each position, please visit http://www.netsap.org/election.htm.
All current, paid members of NetSAP DC are eligible to vote. If you have questions about your membership status please email president@netsap.org . Polls will be open through Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 5:00 PM. Please send in your vote as soon as possible.
To vote, please select ONE candidate for each position listed below and email your vote to elections@netsap.org.
All voting information is kept strictly confidential, and is not viewed by the sitting NetSAP DC Executive Board or the incoming Executive Board, nor is it shared with any third party.
Thank you,
The NetSAP DC Elections Committee
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President –
Candidate: Suchin Adlakha
I have had the honor of being affiliated with the DC Chapter of NetSAP for over 2 years. During this time, I have continuously made a commitment to support the organization’s efforts and outstanding activities, most recently attending FUSION and this month’s Networking Event with Mayor Adrian Fenty. This involvement has provided me with the inspiration and desire to support NetSAP and its goals in the local South Asian community. To the credit of NetSAP, I have built many strong relationships with members that I hope to maintain and develop into the future. This is an incredibly talented organization, poised for greatness which I would like to continue.
I can say with absolute confidence that the experience I have gained from my past positions have provided me with a well-established foundation to lead NetSAP in the following year. I am requesting that you give strong consideration to my candidacy as President of NetSAP.
My professional experience is categorized primarily as entrepreneurial and managerial. Beginning at Indiana University, where I received my Bachelors Degree in Business, I founded 2 profitable businesses and held the position as President for the International Business Association, an incredibly active organization whose mission is to provide outlets for international business students to increase exposure to professional, cultural, and social opportunities, a mission similar to that of NetSAP. The two businesses I started while in school, Coral Culture and AMC Marketing Concepts were consistent with lasting interests of mine, Marketing and marine aquaria. After graduation, I accepted a full-time Business Analyst position at Overture Technologies, a Financial Software start-up located in Bethesda, MD. This is where I currently work and occupy multiple roles, most recently focusing on sales administration and new business development.
As president of NetSAP, I will commit to work diligently with the Executive Board in achieving the shared missions of the organization and continue to expand the presence of NetSAP in the Greater DC community. I plan to increase membership, leverage technology resources for greater NetSAP exposure, and strengthen social and professional ties in the greater DC area.
Thank you for considering me for President in the upcoming election.
Committees Director -
Candidate: Ajay Ojha
I humbly accept the nomination for the position of Committees Director, NetSAP DC. If I win the position as the Committees Director, I will represent NetSAP DC at all meetings of the NetIP-NA Board of Directors. Second, I will attend and represent NetSAP DC at any meetings organized by the NetIP-NA at all levels including local, regional, and national. Third, I will prepare all required documentation as needed for the NetIP-NA on behalf of NetSAP-DC. Finally, I will perform duties as assigned by the President and/or Board of NetSAP-DC.
I feel that I am duly qualified for this position based on my previous experience from my undergraduate career onwards. I have worked with and continue to work with numerous national and local organizations and always work to the best of my ability. If I win, I will concentrate all of my efforts as the Committees Director. Please see the attached curriculum vitae describing my qualifications for service with NetSAP-DC.
Thank you.
Secretary –
Candidate: Akta Patel
(no letter received as of yet)
Special Events Coordinator –
Candidate: Purti Bali
As a new member of NetSAP DC, I am very interested in running for the position of Special Events Director. My desire to run is based on the DC NetSAP events and the 2007 NetIP North America Conference in Miami I have attended. I joined NetSAP DC based on its values of promoting professional development, participating in community service, increasing awareness of our culture, and discussing issues our society currently faces. I believe that a majority of our membership becomes active by attending the events organized by NetSAP whether it be the Fusion culture show celebrating the richness of our dance and culture, or a happy hour with Mayor Fenton to demonstrate the strength and political awareness of South Asian district residents.
Through out my academic and professional career I have always been active in and responsible for events planned by my organizations. As an undergraduate at American University, I held the positions of Secretary, Co-President, President, and Senior Advisor for the South Asian Student Association (SASA) over four years. Holding this variety of positions not only gave me experience supporting senior leaders with our annual Diwali service and culture show, it also let me be a leader and taught me how to manage and work with others. As a SASA e-board member, I was given the responsibilities of securing vendors and sponsors, finding a location, recruiting participants and volunteers, working with a budget, marketing and advertising, and often even participating as a dancer. In addition to SASA, I was one of the founding members of American University’s Aag Bhangra Dance Team, which involved introducing the campus community to not only a new form of dance, but also a new type of culture. As a dance team we had to work hard to promote ourselves, get sponsorship for costumes, and find places to perform. This was sometimes a struggle as it is hard to gain recognition as a small and new group on a large campus such as American. I was personally responsible for marketing and promoting our team’s upcoming performances which often included working with other student organizations and associations in the DC area.
Professionally I have pursued a career in event management and currently am the Membership and Meetings Manager for the United States chapter of the International Real Estate Federation. This involves producing national and international conferences for a membership of about 700 real estate professionals. Our meetings focus on education, networking, and securing future business transactions. This position has given me the experience of working intimately with a group of members with specific interests and often a limited budget.
Lastly, I was the assistant to the Director of Operations for the 2007 NetIP North America Conference in Miami. Working with the executive board helped me better understand NetIP’s values and vision as an organization. I could see how each event tried to education, entertain, or motivate the conference attendees and always had a focus on our South Asian culture and role as Americans. My role as assistant to the Director of Operations included participating in the negotiations and setup of the venue, leading other volunteers, interior design, assisting special guests and speakers, and overseeing the conference in general. Working with the conference board motivated me to come back to the DC chapter with my experiences and interests to not only continue to organize NetSAP DC’s flagship events, but also assist the members in creating special events that help promote NetSAP DC’s goals.
National Liaison –
Candidate #1: Sonya Mazumdar
My name is Sonya Mazumdar, and I accept the nomination for the position of National Liaison on the 2008 Executive Board of the Network of South Asian Professionals of Washington D.C. (NetSAP-DC).
I am a Class of 2005 graduate in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY and although my background is in engineering, I have vast amount of experience as a student leader on campus. Throughout my academic career, I was heavily involved in the Indian Students Association (ISA), as a member and as a Public Relations officer in my final year. As a Public Relations officer, I assisted in planning the first intercollegiate banquet and boat cruise event with several colleges from the Boston-metropolitan area, including Harvard University and Brandeis University, which the ISA still participates in annually. Other important events I helped organize, as well as participate in, were the productions of the annual Diwali show, on-campus “restoration” and community service projects, and dance competitions with local colleges from the New York Capital Region . Aside from my involvement in the ISA, I held student leadership roles as a Resident Assistant and Membership Coordinator for the Society of Women Engineers, where along with the Executive Board, I helped raise student membership by 150%. Additionally, in my coursework and extra-curricular activities, I soon became accustomed to public speaking and networking in various settings.
With my background and experience, I have learned very important lessons and values in what it takes to effectively lead an organization. Time management and strategic planning are two obvious factors; however, it is vital to keep open communication and free exchange of ideas between the Executive Board and whomever the board is working with.
I currently serve as the Secretary of the organization. In this position, my tasks have ranged from utilizing my organizational skills weekly, in assembling the electronic newsletter and maintaining the NetSAP website’s calendar, to assisting committees in planning their respective events. I also attended this year’s National Conference held in Southern Florida, where I had the chance to meet many other leaders from Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP) chapters across the nation, as well as the primary board members of NetIP North America (NetIP-NA). While NetSAP-DC is well-known in the South Asian community of D.C. and was recently recognized as one of the best large chapters in the nation, in terms of membership and amount of events, I realized how much potential there is to learn from other chapters and put this knowledge into use to continually improve our own chapter.
As National Liaison, I will work with and report to NetIP-NA in a timely and organized manner to achieve the goals for the entire organization. Furthermore, I will make a sound effort in taking initiative to network with other chapters, by inviting them to NetSAP-DC’s events, planning events together, and ultimately, developing relationships with other chapters based more on camaraderie, not competition. I believe that my competency in networking with others coupled with my organizational skills will prove to be very beneficial in representing NetSAP-DC at a local, regional, and national level.
In conclusion, I am highly confident that I will be able to serve as National Liaison, in every capacity that is required of me. I look forward to collaborating with the 2008 Executive Board and committees to uphold the prosperity of NetSAP-DC and continually work towards becoming an even more successful organization.
Thank you for your cooperation.
