Veteran Indian American Montessori teacher elected as the president of NFIA

iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-

Lavanya Reddy, an Indian American Montessori teacher with more than 40 years of experience, has been appointed as the President of the National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA) for the 2022 board term, on Thursday, February 10.

The appointment of the new board members and their oath ceremony was conducted through virtual video conference by Dr. Thomas Abraham, the founder and past president of NFIA.

After the ceremony, Dr. Hari Har Singh was appointed as the NFIA Executive Director and Babu K. Patel was elected 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, the organization said.

Reddy shared her goals as President saying 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.

A longtime resident of Seattle, Washington, Reddy 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, has 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.

Reddy is a Montessori teacher by profession, teaching for more than 40 years. She is also the founder of the SMR educational and cultural foundation. She 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 friend