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Nomination of Indian Americans to presidential panel welcomed
The Indian American Republican Council (IARC) has welcomed the nomination of two Indian Americans to a US presidential panel as a sign of the community's growing representation in the Bush administration.
The Indian American Republican Council (IARC) has welcomed the nomination of two Indian Americans to a US presidential panel as a sign of the community's growing representation in the Bush administration.
Welcoming the appointments of Joseph Melookaran of Kansas and Akshay Desai of Florida to the president's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, IARC Chairman R. Vijayanagar said: "President Bush has acknowledged the importance of the Indian American community by appointing these two highly qualified individuals to serve on this commission.
"I know they will serve as ambassadors for the community in their new capacity and I am pleased to see that the number of Indian Americans serving in President Bush's administration continues to increase," Vijayanagar said.
Joseph Melookaran serves as chairman of the Indian American Republican Council of Kansas, chairman of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City and national co-chair of the Indian Americans for Bush-Cheney.
He is active in the Republican politics in Kansas.
Melookaran is an accountant and president of an accounting and information technology company that has won numerous awards in the Midwest.
Desai is a physician and serves as president of the American Family and Geriatric Care, CEO and president of Universal Health Care, president of American Managed Care, LLC, and president of Courtesy Healthcare.
He is vice president of the American Association of Physicians of Indian origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic medical association in America.
Desai is also chairman of the Council for Education Policy, Research and Improvement for the state of Florida and was appointed to this position by Governor Jeb Bush. He is on the Board of Directors of the Indian American Republican Council.
The president's commission consists of 15 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, who have a history of involvement with the communities they come from.
The commission members will primarily advise the president on improving Asian American participation in the economic and community development of Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses. They serve a two-year term without compensation.
Prominent Florida physician Zach P. Zachariah was the Indian American appointed to the previous commission.
