NEW YORK: Kamlesh C. Mehta and Aashmeeta Yogiraj have become the new chairman of the board of directors and president respectively of the Indo-American Press Club (IAPC), the largest organization of Indian descent journalists.

Mehta and Yogiraj were sworn in at a ceremony at the Indian Consulate in New York on May 21 to inaugurate the new team of office bearers, while IAPC general secretary CG Daniel and several others were given the oath virtually, according to a press release. Mehta was administered the oath of office by Randhir Jaiswal, Consul General of India in New York, while Yogiraj was administered the oath by Ginsmon Zachariah, Founding Chairman of IAPC.

Four distinguished community leaders/professionals were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Awards for their and contributions to the larger society.

Special Guest of Honor, former New York Mayor Bill De Blasio presented the award to Pamela Kwatra, a trailblazer and the only Indian American woman recipient of the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor award in 2008.

Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, only the fourth woman elected as president of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin in its nearly four decades-long history was honored for her visionary leadership of AAPI.

Also honored was Dr. Thomas Abraham, who has been serving the community for the last 49 years since he moved to New York as a graduate student at Columbia University.

Sudhir M. Parikh, a physician by profession and currently the chairman and publisher of Parikh Worldwide Media Inc, the largest Indian-American publishing group in the United States, and chairman of ITV Gold, a 24×7 TV news channel, was also recognized. Jaiswal, Blasio, Dr. Prabhakar Kore, member of Indian parliament, and Kevin Thomas, New York state were given special recognition at the event.

Jaiswal praised IAPC for its “significant contribution to promoting India-US friendship and the welfare of Indian diaspora in the United States.”

Blasio described Kwatra as a trailblazing businesswoman, a community leader, and a political force with executive chops, who worked with elan on important projects.

Mehta vowed to “work together with dedication to enhance the working conditions of our journalists, exchanging ideas and offering educational and training opportunities to our members, aspiring young journalists and media professionals around the globe.”

In her presidential address, Yogiraj, Director – Programming & Marketing, JUS Broadcasting Corporation, said, “While media as an entity has certainly evolved to fit modern times, its invaluable service to society persists.”

A souvenir with colorfully designed pages, depicting the history and objectives of IAPC, edited by Parveen Chopra, past president of IAPC, and Dr. Mathew Joys was released.

A visual presentation of the Nine Years of IAPC history presented by Dr. Mathew Joys, IAPC BOD member from Las Vegas and Shan Justus from Texas provided a glimpse of the trajectory of IAPC’s growth since its inception in 2013.

The closing ceremony included scintillating dances traditional folk and Bollywood dances by The Arya School of Dance. The hybrid event was also streamed simultaneously on social media platforms and watched live on YouTube by several members and supporters of IAPC.

(Press Release)