Getting to know Sanjita Pradhan: Newly appointed Commissioner by President Obama to the President’s Advisory Commission for Asian and Pacific Islanders

The Public Relations Committee of Nepalese Association in Southeast America (NASeA)

Extends a cordial invitation to the interactive program with: Commissioner of Asian and Pacific Islanders Ms. Sanjita Pradhan

Sunday, June 14, 2015  

Time: 11:00 AM EST

Conference Call Phone No. (605) 562-0020; ID: 122-152-689.

Theme: Getting to know Sanjita Pradhan: Newly appointed Commissioner by President Obama to the President’s Advisory Commission for Asian and Pacific Islanders

A native of Nepal, Sanjita has worked with refugees and immigrants in Iowa for the last eight years in many different capacities. Sanjita was the Resettlement Director at Catholic Charities where she helped resettle and integrate thousands of refugees from Nepal, Iraq, Burma, Eritrean, Sudan, Liberia, Tunisia, Pakistan and many other countries.

Sanjita joined the Department of Human Rights, Office of Asian and Pacific Islander affairs in 2013 to explore looking at these system issues from a macro level and advocate for appropriate services for the underrepresented.

As the Executive Officer of the Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs, Sanjita strives to be the voice of these many underrepresented refugees and immigrants who have high barriers such as language, transportation, cultural knowledge and ability to navigate the new system they are in. Having served them at the grass roots level and encountered numerous system issues, Sanjita’s goals are to find ways to bridge those gaps in existing services in our community, to enable our community become more welcoming and inclusive.

Sanjita’s role at the Department of Human Rights is to serve as the central permanent agency to advocate for Asian and Pacific Islanders (API) in the state, coordinate and cooperate with the efforts of the state departments and agencies to serve the needs of API persons in participating fully in the economic, social, and cultural life of the state, and to provide direct assistance to those who request it.

On May 8, 2015 Sanjita was appointed by President Obama to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. In this role, Sanjita is expected to be the eyes and ears of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities on the ground and provide input and feedback on policies and programs that affect the population. In this role she is also expected to help the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities to bridge the gap between federal government programs and help improve the quality of life of AAPI’s through increased participation in Federal programs. We, Nepalese community, take great pride in her nomination.

Civic Engagements:

• Elected Council Member, Iowa State University Extension Council
• Council Member, Diversity Council, Greater Des Moines Partnership
• Advisory Board Member, English as a Second Language (ESL) Programs, DMACC Urban Campus
• Advisory Board Member, Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Research Center
• Commissioner, West Des Moines Human Rights Commission

Please do not miss out this important interactive session with Ms. Pradhan. Following her talk, she will take questions.

Moderator:

Nar Kaji Gurung, Ph.D., PAS, Dipl. ACAN

Chair, Public Relations Committee, NASeA; Associate Professor at Tuskegee University, and Affiliate Professor at Auburn University, Alabama

Phone: 334-421-8620

Email: nkgurung2002@yahoo.ca