Picture albums from 2008 are now posted on our website

Picture albums from our events in 2008 are now posted on our website at www.netsapboston.org/photos. Do check them out!

Network of South Asian Professionals of Boston (NetSAP Boston) celebrates their successful year and picks new leaders

December 25th, 2008, Boston, MA - The Boston Chapter of the Network of South Asian Professionals (NetSAP-Boston) held its annual holiday gala celebration and Executive Board Election at Tantric India Bistro in the heart of Boston's Downtown on Saturday, December 13th. The event featuring a delicious Indian buffet, standup comedy by Corey Manning, music by DJ OM and an awards ceremony was attended by over 106 people.

As people decked up in their best formals and Indian ethnic wear mingled and networked with each other, Corey Manning performed Standup Comedy to entertain the audience. This was followed by dinner and an awards ceremony where NetSAP Boston recognized all their Board members and volunteers for their leadership, most of whom played dual roles in 2008 helping organize the regular local NetSAP events in addition to the National Conference.

The Awards were followed by DJ OM who entertained the audience with some lively dance music.

NetSAP Boston had many achievements in 2008 and the gala marked the culmination of a much successful year. The organization hosted the best NetIP National Conference ever in the recent history. NetSAP also increased its membership by over 51%, organized over 30 events and also increased its financial status by 115% year over year. The Alliance partner program at NetSAP Boston also grew a lot in 2008. NetSAP Boston supported 7 charities by raising over $3,500, members donated their time to 5 soup kitchens locally, and more importantly NetSAP Boston was able to create awareness about different causes among their membership and encouraged them to give back to the community. The partnerships that NetSAP builds allows it to give more value and a wide choice of events to members in areas such as professional development & networking, political awareness, community service and socio-cultural awareness.

The new Executive Board is looking forward to continuing the traditions and chapter legacy of NetSAP Boston as one of the premier professional networking organizations in the New England area. This year, the Board brings in many new faces into the team along with a few experienced officers from the past.

Comments Yash Chitre, Former President of NetSAP Boston and Advisor about new faces on the Board - "I have always found, that the key to NetSAP’s success and the reason why it is so popular and brings in big numbers for events is because of the fact that the board turns over every few years completely. The organization encourages new energy and expansion. Other organizations have lifetime executives that do indeed provide good strategic direction—but it gets old and boring very quick. The whole reason new board members get involved is because they can play a responsible role right out of the gate without creative limitation. They also have a chance to mold the organization and meet other like minded people such as themselves. That’s exciting!"

The group's 2009 officers include: Pallavi Chhabra, President; Chaitali Thakar, Vice President; Swarupa Purandare, Treasurer; Gayathri Arumugham, Secretary; Kunal Mishra, National Liaison; Sanjay Tamhane & Sonia Rai, Membership Chairs; Manoshi Vin & Harish Gulati as Social Chairs; Sonit Seth & Kalyan Bemalkhedkar as Professional Chairs; Rishi Popat & Michael Dwan Singh as Cultural/Theatrics Chairs; Saru Mahajan, Community Service Chair; Rashi Mittal as Sponsorship Chair and Shiva Pattamadai, Website Director.

Outgoing President Tushneem Dharmagadda will continue to serve on the Advisory Board for the organization along with Past Presidents Nishith Acharya, Yash Chitre and Kas Sharma. The creation of a more formal Advisory structure in 2009 intends to help the Executive Board to continue the enormous growth that the organization achieved in the past 4 years. Other longtime Board members such as Usha Govindarajulu, Theatrics Chair (2005 - 2008), Vijay Daryanani, Treasurer & Social Chair (2000 - 2008) and Sheila Rajan, Secretary (2006 - 2008) also intend to help the Board in advisory roles.

President for last 2 years, Tushneem Dharmagadda said, "Serving NetSAP Boston for the last 5 years in various capacities has been a great experience. During my leadership roles NetSAP Boston has grown at an amazing pace. We introduced several unique events catering to Theater, Cultural Awareness, Social and Professional Networking. We were also voted as the Best Chapter 3 times in a row. NetSAP commands respect today and every organization in New England looks upto us including other NetIP chapters. Today, NetSAP Boston is also very strong financially than it ever was in its entire history, thus being in position to support smaller non-profits and charities. I wish the new team luck in carrying this forward and growing the organization further."

Incoming President, Pallavi Chhabra who most recently served as the Vice President of NetSAP Boston remarked "I am excited to lead NetSAP in 2009. It is definitely challenging because of where the organization is today. We need to perform much better and live up to the high expectations of our members that we set in the prior years. I am looking forward to everyone's support next year."

Holiday Gala set the trend for a successful year ahead for NetSAP Boston. The party and socializing continued till late in the night. For more pictures from the event which will be posted soon, visit the NetSAP-Boston website. Promotions for 2009 membership are open and NetSAP encourages people to take advantage of it.

About NetSAP Boston: The Network of South Asian professionals of Boston (NetSAP Boston),which is the leading chapter of NetIP, includes professionals from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other regions of South Asia. NetSAP is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving the professional, political, cultural and civic needs of the South Asian community in the Greater Boston and New England area. NetSAP Boston promotes diversity that is unrivaled by most organizations. For three consecutive years (including 2008), NetSAP Boston has been awarded the "Best Large Chapter Award" by NetIP North America in recognition for its outstanding initiatives.

The leadership of Mr. T

This article is inspired by the leadership and dedication of Tushneem Dharmagadda, outgoing Netsap-Boston President. Having served two terms as president and five years all together on the board, Tushneem is bound for even bigger and greater opportunities. During his term, Tushneem worked to change the image of Netsap from one of just a mere social organization to one that promotes all the pillars of Netsap: community service, cultural activities, and professional development. Tushneem sought to strengthen each area in its own right with no area left untouched. In addition, his hard work at obtaining sponsorship allowed the organization to put on bigger and better events than ever imagined before.



During his term on the board, Netsap-Boston won the Best Chapter award from NetIP three years in a row, including this year. In addition, Tushneem worked relentessly to organize the annual NetIP conference to be held in Boston this year. It is largely through his tireless efforts, support of all volunteers, and vision that this conference was well-attended and a huge success. The last night of the conference, other chapter leaders sought out Tushneem's advice for their future events as they realize Tushneem's success comes from his foresight to plan and execute great events.



Every event is put on with a sense of passion and meaning as guided through Tushneem. The chapter has evolved greatly during his last five years. Tushneem's dedicated work of operating almost single-handedly without other support was truly his greatest endeavor for the organization. Many board members and volunteers appreciated serving with a strong leader who worked for them to bring all events to full potential. It would be difficult to replace Tushneem, but it will be easy to pickup where he left off since he has set Netsap-Boston in a great place from which to start.



Congratulations to Tushneem for all his hard work and dedication to the board and to the members of Netsap-Boston as well as to the community. We wish him all the best of luck!



Sincerely,



Usha Govindarajulu

outgoing Cultural/Theatrics Chair of Netsap-Boston

Press Coverage of the Candlelight vigil for victims of terrorism

NetSAP Boston would like to thank all those who came for the Candlelight vigil on Thursday, 4th December, 2008. By coming together as one, we were showed that we were all united against acts of terrorism everywhere. It also meant a lot for the people affected by the recent attack in Mumbai. NetSAP Boston was one of the Sponsoring Organizations' for this event which was also supported by over two dozen other organizations from across the spectrum. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and several other religious leaders from all faiths spoke at the Vigil in Boston.

Message by Congressman Barney Frank supporting the Vigil

Congressman Barney Frank recommended the insertion of the statement drafted by the Asian American Commission on behalf of all participating organizations into the Congressional Record.

Click here to read the recommendation.

For pictures from the event held at Boston, Providence and Worcester click here

The candlelight vigil was covered by the press in Boston and here are the links:

WBZ TV Video of the Vigil
http://wbztv.com/video/?id=69930@wbz.dayport.com

Worcester Telegram Story
http://www.telegram.com/article/20081205/NEWS/812050715/1116

Providence Journal
http://www.projo.com/news/content/INDIAN_MEMORIAL_12-05-08_FBCHHQL_v12.3bc43fc.html

WBZ TV Article
http://wbztv.com/local/mumbai.candlelight.vigil.2.880287.html

The Boston Herald
http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1136978

Also read NetSAP Boston condemns Terror in India & sends its condolences

Candle light vigil to show unity and remember victims of terrorism - 6pm on December 4th

A Candlelight Vigil

Remembering Friends, Family and all those lost and hurt in the Terrorist Attacks in Mumbai, India November 26-29, 2008

NetSAP Boston, The Asian American Commission of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and 15 other organizations invite Americans of all faiths to join in a Candlelight Vigil on December 4, 6 PM at City Hall Plaza, Boston, Massachusetts

Click here for the program outline

Many South Asian and American organizations from the region will be joining us in this vigil

Simultaneous events are being held at City Hall in Worcester and on the State House steps in Providence, RI

Statement:

We are saddened by the loss of so many in Mumbai, India this past week because of the actions of a few terrorists. We offer our deepest condolences to their families and pray for the speedy recovery of those who were hurt. We applaud the heroic actions of the police, firefighters, armed forces and the staff of the hotels, restaurants, train stations and hospitals and all concerned citizens who helped to stop the terrorists and rescue and guide people to safety.

In this global village, like the United States, India is a democracy with rights for every man, woman and child, regardless of religious or ethnic origin; a secular country with tolerance for many faiths; and a strong tradition of cooperation among its many ethnic, religious, and linguistic communities. India also serves as a positive influence for many people here and in countries around the world through its strong traditions, contributions to culture, political leadership, trade and world economic development.

As the world’s largest democracy, India's represents a religious cross-section of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jews, Buddhists and people of every faith that have traditionally lived in harmony. Unfortunately, there are a few who seek to sow divisions and cause harm to its people, its economy, to all those who visit or wish to do business with India. We believe that terrorism affects us all and we must all unite and act to defeat this common enemy.

As Asians and Americans we are all part of a global village and strongly condemn these heinous acts. No matter where terror raises its ugly head, it impacts all the citizens of the world. We believe that by coming together as a community to show support to the bereaved and by fostering greater bonds between all peoples and faiths here at home and across the globe that we will be able to stop such hate .

Also read NetSAP Boston condemns Terror in India & sends its condolences

NetSAP Boston condemns Terror in India & sends its condolences

Boston, Sunday 29th November 2008: Network of South Asian Professionals of Boston (NetSAP Boston) strongly condemns the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the financial capital of India. The organization also expresses condolences to all the families of innocent victims who lost their lives in this attack including the officials who laid down their life fighting the terrorists.

NetSAP Boston executive board and its members who are first and second generation Indians have strong ties back to the country. What angers and frustrates many is the magnitude and the type of attack in Mumbai. Moreover, this event which was preceded by terror attacks in other prominent cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi, and Ahmedabad over last two years, seemed like a nail in the coffin. Many have in fact lost patience with the political establishment in India which despite the several recent attacks failed to prevent or move in quickly to mitigate the loss.

While political awareness has been a pillar that NetSAP Boston focuses on, this incident highlights an important issue that many other non-profits and NGOs should focus on in addition to their other developmental activities. What good is development and growth without peace. Indian politicians are bent upon dividing people on race, region, caste, and language hardly focusing on the important issues that matter to the people including security. Since years NetSAP Boston has worked with several alliance partners and helped them with fundraising and other developmental initiatives. Today, NetSAP Boston pledges its support to Indian NGOs and non-profits here in Boston to help create non-partisan political awareness in India about these issues. It is also time that the young Indian generation who are against terror and want to bring about change in India joined our organization and made their voices heard.

Our hearts and prayers are with all the people and families in India who are undergoing this trauma.

NetSAP Boston is also planning to hold a candle light vigil to show the support of the strong Indian American community to the people in India. We are talking to many of our partner organizations to join us in this effort. If you are a representative of an organization and want to support this cause with us please email Tushneem Dharmagadda, President, NetSAP Boston or Chindu Satheesh, Community Chair. Details will be posted on our website soon.

Update: Candle light vigil to show unity and remember victims of terrorism - 6pm on December 4th

Meanwhile NetSAP encourages its members to use its forums at www.netsapboston.org/forums to discuss more about this issue and to send in their comments. We believe that Mumbai is resilient and will spring back to normalcy soon. A tribute to Mumbai is this old song from CID - "Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan"



On behalf of NetSAP Boston Team
Tushneem Dharmagadda

Vote for the 2009 NetSAP Boston Executive Board

Dear NetSAP Members,

The final nominations for the NetSAP Boston 2008 Executive Board are in. Click on the names of the candidates to view their letters of intent.

Process for voting: All 2008 and 2009 NetSAP Members are eligible to vote in the elections. Voting will be carried out for the positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and National Liaison which makes up the Board of Directors for the organization.  The BoD will then finalize the nominations of the other chair positions on the Board.

For uncontested positions, members will have an option to challenge the candidate and voice any issues they may have. If not the candidates will be considered unanimously elected.

Each candidate brings lot of passion, commitment and energy to the NetSAP board. When deciding to vote make sure to read their letters of intent to learn about their strengths. While new candidates may bring fresh ideas to the table, candidates with prior stint with NetSAP will bring in enormous experience. It is this mix that has helped NetSAP Boston grow tremendously over last few years. How can you vote: This year members will have two options for voting. You can vote in person at our holiday party and elections event on Saturday, December 13th, 2008. Alternately, you can vote online through the voting link that will be sent out to your email in the next week or so. The voting process will end on 13th December and all votes will be anonymous. Lastly, we'd like to thank the candidates for stepping forward and volunteering to take NetSAP Boston to the next level. We'd also like to thank you for taking the time to choose the next leadership. If you have any questions feel free to email Tushneem Dharmagadda, President, NetSAP Boston 2008 and elections officer at tushneem.dharmagadda@netsapboston.org

Position Responsibilities & Duties The following positions on the 2009 Executive Board are contested (Click on the names below to view the candidate's letter of intent) President Provide leadership, vision and guidance to the team in all areas.Manage the overall flow of activities and events. Nominees: Kunal Mishra,    Pallavi Chhabra Vice President Responsible for creating alliance partner relationships, external communications and building the NetSAP-Boston brand. Coordinate all teams (social, professional, community, cultural, membership and sponsorship). Work hand-in-glove with the President in all these activities Nominees: Chaitali Thakar Treasurer Oversee and manage finance for NetSAP-Boston, including generating periodical reports. Maintains all financial records. Work hand-in-glove with Sponsorship Chair in building the financial status of NetSAP-Boston Nominees: Swarupa Purandare Secretary Responsible for, managing internal communications, board meetings and newsletter. Keep an on-going record of all activities and events. Help President and Vice-President coordinate all teams. Nominees: Gayathri Arumugham National Liaison Coordinate communication between NetIP-NA and NetSAP-Boston. Attend all meetings and conference calls and represent NetSAP-Boston in the National organization. Work with respective Chairs and develop initiatives at NetSAP-Boston with National significance. This includes membership incentives and sponsorship opportunities. Nominees: Manoshi Vin The following positions on the 2009 Executive Board are finalized by the President & Board of Directors (Vice President, Treasurer, & Secretary) Website Director Multiple Openings Maintain, update and develop the NetSAP Boston website; Assist with all web-related NetSAP activities including forums. Requires knowledge of basic HTML and JavaScript. Knowledge of PHP scripting language preferred. Nominees: Sivashankar Pattamadai Membership / Marketing Chair  Multiple Openings Take a proactive role in constantly increasing membership base by devising new strategies; Manage all marketing-related activities for the organization and Alliance partner relationships. Nominees: Sonia Rai,    Sanjay Tamhane Sponsorship Chair Multiple Openings Responsible for securing sponsors for NetSAP-Boston. This key position involves building relationships and securing sponsorships from corporations and other potential local organizations to achieve annual sponsorship goals to support NetSAP-Boston Nominee: Rashi Mittal Social / Networking Events Chairs Multiple Openings Develop and manage all social & networking events; Organize all monthly social events; Organize an additional 4 to 6 networking events per year. Nominees: Harish Gulati Professional Development Chairs Multiple Openings Develop and manage all professional development events which include panel discussions, speaker series, and mentoring events; Organize 6 to 8 professional events per year. Nominees: Sonit Seth, Kalyan Bemalkhedkar Cultural/Theatrics Chair Multiple Openings Develop and manage all cultural/theatrics events which include Gala events, celebration of festivals, Chai chats and plays; Organize 3 to 4 cultural events per year. Nominees: Rishi Popat,  Michael Dwan Singh Community Service Events Chair Multiple Openings Develop and manage all community service initiatives which include volunteering events, fund-raising initiatives and social entrepreneurship panels; Organize 3 to 4 community events per year. Nominees: Saru Mahajan NetSAP Forum Moderators Multiple Openings Moderate and maintiain User-Forum on the NetSAP website. Open

For further questions and clarifications feel free to email Tushneem Dharmagadda, President, NetSAP Boston 2008 and elections officer at tushneem.dharmagadda@netsapboston.org

Thank you

NetSAP Boston Executive Board 2008