WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Five Indian Americans have been given key administration and board appointments by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin “as we continue to make Virginia the best place to live, work and raise a family.” “Their critical work will provide essential help as we move into my administration’s day two agenda,” he stated announcing a long slate of appointments last week.

Dr, Bimaljit Singh Sandhu, a gastroenterologist at Richmond Gastroenterology Associates, took oath as a board member of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority on Tuesday.

As board member, Sandhu will play a pivotal role in the state’s health education system.

The board’s responsibilities include overseeing the operations of the health system, as well as providing strategic direction to various medical schools and hospitals.

“It’s a lot of responsibility. We provide direction as far as the fundraising, giving strategic direction to the different medical schools and hospitals so that we are at the cutting edge and provide the best care to the Virginians,” Sandhu said after the swearing-in ceremony in Richmond.

Hailing from Faridkot in Punjab, Sandhu migrated to the US in 2004 as a faculty member of Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center.

Harshad Barot, owner of Galaxy Corporation and Kamlesh Dave, President, Heart Care Associates, were named to the Virginia Asian Advisory Board, which serves as a formal liaison between the administration and the diverse and rapidly growing Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in the Commonwealth.

In their new role, Barot and Dave will advise the Governor on ways to improve economic and cultural links between the Commonwealth and Asian nations.

Padmanabhan Seshaiyer, Professor and Director of George Mason University, and Kunal Kumar, President of Pooja Group, were named to the Virginia Board of Workforce Development.

The board acts as the principal advisor to the Governor and provides strategic leadership to the state regarding the workforce development system and its efforts to create a strong workforce aligned with employer needs.