Dr. Archana Kattel, President FNA

Dear Nepali community and Friends,

Namaste!

October 30, 2010 was a historic day for the Nepalese community in Florida because the first woman president was elected in the 18-year history of the Florida Nepal Association. As the president-elect, I was very pleased to see so much enthusiasm among most of community people. I was pleasantly surprised to see the spirit of democracy and the letter of the law prevailed in the election process.

The 2010 October election also provides us with an opportunity to engage in a community discussion about FNA’s present and future course.

I was so pleased to present the team of executive committee members who are working hard to unite and move our community forward. I, along with all executive committee members, am here to listen to all constructive voices; I will try to put those in action that stand for the betterment of the organization. The entire executive committee will try to fulfill the needs of our Nepali community in the State of Florida with a positive spirit. Now I am asking each of you to support our FNA. We can work together to make our organization grow. Please note that in the FNA, your voices have already been heard. A by-laws amendment committee has been formed and that committee will contact all of you for your input to update the organization’s by-laws, and your participation in that matter is highly appreciated. I will work my hardest to keep our Nepali community informed and take the outreach to a new level in the State of Florida. We are here as a team to move the entire community forward.

There are few things I would like to highlight:
• The FNA By-laws amendment committee has been formed to look at all aspects of the FNA by-laws to make them more inclusive to allow for maximum participation for everyone in the Florida Nepal Association activities, including but not limited to choosing a leader by voting. This may be done by establishing regional voting, electronic voting, or any other means that would allow people to participate in choosing a leader.
• We are expanding the programs/activities that will benefit our community through the Nepal Study Forum.
• We will work to include everyone in the community, regardless of age, sex and background. We will also extend our reach to all Nepali people in Florida, both the established ones and the newcomers; we want to create activities that will benefit both groups.
• We will work to organize programs that will be chosen by and beneficial to the youth; we will do that through survey.
• A Nepalese networking site will be developed (as part of the FNA website) for our community. Here, FNA members can interact with one another for their needs and obtain advice.
• We will continue FNA’s strong commitment to community involvement to raise funds and support educational programs in Nepal

At this time, I am asking all of you for your ideas and support to take our organization ahead and introduce it to the broader spectrum. I am just a way to implement strategies and goals. It is our community that will push this organization forward. Throughout my tenure, I will continue to provide essential information to help build a better future for our FNA community. The entire executive committee intends to be a valuable resource for concerned FNA members across the state of Florida.

In this year of momentous decisions, please visit our website often to explore our current improvements and helpful features. As always, I welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions about the work we are doing to put FNA on the right path.
Wish you all a wonderful Holiday Season.

Archana Kattel, Ph.D.
President
Florida-Nepal Association