LEXINGTON, MA–Indian Americans continue to step up to serve in Lexington. In the municipal elections scheduled for March 1st 2021, sixteen Indian Americans are running for various positions and have been campaigning for the votes of their constituents.
“As iGIG we continue to encourage and enable Indian Americans to get and stay involved in whatever way they can and are excited that over 25 Indian Americans are engaged in elected roles and several others are in appointed positions,” said iGIG President Vineeta Kumar. “The desire to serve and bring their perspective to the table are two broad reasons that motivate them. It’s exciting to see Indian Americans playing a role in the ecosystem, trying to find solutions to our most pressing problems.”
Election date is March 1. For detailed instructions constituents can go to the town website.
Here are the short bios of the candidates running for election this year:
Sandhya Beebee- TMM, Precinct 1 (Incumbent)
Sandhya Beebee is running for re-election to Town Meeting for Precinct 1 in order to contribute to this amazing, vibrant, and diverse community. “I have lived in town for almost 8 years with my husband and two sons. My skills and experience will enable Lexington to meet our most pressing challenges, including building a new high school, at a time of intense budgetary pressures. In the past, I worked tirelessly as Harrington Elementary’s PTA president to build a strong and caring community and advocate for the school’s interests. As a member of the Capital Expenditures Committee I help set Lexington’s priorities and serve(d) as liaisons to the Recreation Committee, ad hoc School Master Planning Committee and ad hoc Crematory Committee. I have a strong public service record and fifteen years of expertise in finance. I ask for your vote so I can fight for a better Lexington.”
Rita Vachani- TMM, Precinct 2
Rita, and her husband Sushil Vachani, have lived in Lexington for over 30 years. They have two daughters, both of whom studied at Lexington Public Schools. Rita has been a member of the Communications Advisory Committee, of the Town of Lexington, since
2016. The Committee advises the Select Board and other Town officials on wired and wireless communications services, including cable service. Rita has 24 years of technology leadership experience in the telecommunications industry. She retired from Verizon as Vice President of Information Technology. She volunteers with organizations focused on education of underserved and under-privileged populations. She is a Member of the Board of Vision-Aid, a non-profit devoted to empowering and educating the visually impaired. Rita holds a PhD in Operations Research from MIT, and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Rita enjoys reading, bridge, pickleball and travelling.
Syed Ali Rizvi- TMM, Precinct 2 (Incumbent)
The Town of Lexington is full of highly qualified residents and vibrant with people of diverse backgrounds, says Rizvi. “We all chose Lexington for the many excellent benefits that it offers – an awesome school system; a safe town, caring neighbors, a professionally run township, a remarkably diverse community and above all a wonderful set of residents. Our families are enjoying the richness of this historic town. I have served as a town meeting member for two terms and have enjoyed working with everyone. I humbly present myself yet once again to serve on the Lexington Town Committee from precinct 2. My wife Deeba and I moved to Lexington from Cambridge in 2005 with two small girls, Alia and Asrah (5 & 3 respectively) and since then we have enjoyed every single day. Our daughters Alia and Asrah have tremendously benefited from the Lexington Public School System. For the last 20 years I have continued to volunteer in various non-profit organizations with a focus on Social Equity, Affordable Housing, Fiscal Governance, Green Lexington, and Diversity,” says Rizvi. More on him:
• President (Volunteer): www.visionaid.org, (Empowering the visually impaired to live with
Independence and dignity)
• President (Volunteer): www.omane.us, (My School Alumni Association)
• President: Resolv Education & Training programs (Offer mentorship and guidance to underprivileged and needy students.)
Amit Srivastava- TMM, Precinct 3 (Incumbent)
Amit has lived in Lexington for nine years, along with his wife Shilpi and son Ayush who Graduated from Lexington High School in 2018. Amit has been working with software technology for 30 years of which he has spent the last 21 years in the Financial Technology space. He loves to play table tennis and will resume coaching at the sport at The Academy of Creative Arts in Burlington once life returns to normal. He loves the town of Lexington for its rich history and culture and would like your support for this opportunity to give back to the community.
Prashant Singh- TMM, Precinct 3
Prashant Singh is an accomplished gardener, and a software engineer with over 35 patents. With an education in Computer Science, he has a creative mind and is always seeking ways to help people work better, save time and accomplish their tasks more efficiently.
He fell in love with community service when he was tasked to raise funds for a new Sikh House of Worship. He finds interacting with people very satisfying. He learnt quite early that if you find a problem, you will often have to step up to fix it! He created social awareness campaigns, designed & built a complete audio system and took on modernizing the accounting system because he loves numbers. He also signed up for the Lexington Garden club one year and helped out with a traffic island in the center of town. One day he hopes to get his own traffic island. Pre-covid, he helped out as a class parent at each of his kids schools in Lexington. When he isn’t working or digging up his backyard, he is driving his kids to help them pursue their passion for sports; often driving 200 miles on weekends and is a very active team manager for multiple hockey teams. He is happy hiking and biking through numerous trails around Lexington or just hanging out with his wife, kids and nieces around town.
Aneesha Karody- TMM, Precinct 5 (Incumbent)
Aneesh Karody is an Entrepreneur. Her venture stems from her passion for various Art forms. She has worked as a Director/ Product Manager for a reputed Finance
Company in the IT Industry for over two decades before she decided to follow her passion and make it the way of her life. She has been a resident of Lexington for over 17 years with her husband and two kids who attend Lexington Public schools. She has volunteered in school activities including Big-back yard, Library coordination, class activities, science fair, an active member of the IAL org participating in numerous town activities. She believes being a part of the community is key to help improve our schools, create better opportunities for our kids, as they will provide a strong future to the community and help improve our standards of living. She is a self-motivated individual and is excited to give back to the community by representing the town in matters that impact residents individually and as a community to ensure continued success to the town.
Anil Ahuja- TMM, Precinct 5 (Incumbent)
Anil Ahuja has been a Town Meeting Member for the past 5 years and is running for reelection from Precinct 5. He is the Town Liaison for the Indian Americans of
Lexington (IAL) and is on the Organizing Committee of “Festival of Colors” and “Navratri”. Anil and his wife Lata, along with their 2 kids, have lived in Lexington since 2006. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, an MBA in Information Systems, and an MS in Computer Information Systems. He is an avid Chess player. Anil is interested in ensuring that taxpayer money is utilized effectively while keeping taxpayer burden at a minimum. He is interested in increasing the commercial footprint in Town to help alleviate residential tax burden. He is cognizant of the challenges faced by Lexington and wants to make a difference.
Rita Pandey- TMM, Precinct 5 (Incumbent)
“I am a Lexington resident since 1988 and my 3 children are successful products of the Lexington Public Schools. I am invested in serving Lexington. As a Town Meeting Member, I have never missed any session and I always respond to constituents immediately,” says Rita Pandey. “I have also served as an officer in the TMMA Executive Committee. I am passionate about the environment, committed to the aging population, and dedicated to community and diversity. Although we have conservation lands, we can do more by having pollinator gardens, planting trees, and avoiding harmful chemicals. I am a board member for both “Lexington Living Landscapes” and “Citizens for Lexington Conservation”.
Volunteering as an Ombudsman made me acutely aware of the condition of our seniors. Our Community Center organizes wonderful workshops and trips for seniors. I was able to lead many of them before the pandemic. I believe there should be more opportunities to share and understand different cultures. I co-chaired “Dance Around the World” which brought many different cultures together. In Town Celebrations Committee, we are trying to create more such events. To share the language and culture of India, I have also been teaching at Lexington Community Education. Recently, I retired as the Assistant Director of the Harvard Secondary School Program after 26 years.”
Deepika Sawhney- TMM, Precinct 6 and School Committee (Incumbent)
Deepika Sawhney is a candidate for re-election for the School Committee and Precinct 6. She has volunteered in many roles within Lexington Public Schools including PTO Chair and Site Council member. She continues to volunteer as a STEM afterschool club coach at Diamond. She has a management and technology background and is currently studying for an ED.M at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is a busy mom with two teenagers at Lexington High School and many pets (2 cats and a dog) at home. Deepika is passionate about education and believes that public school education provides a sound foundation for character, citizenship, career and college.
Jyotsna Kakullavarapu- TMM, Precinct 6 (Incumbent)
She is a volunteer as Town Meeting Member, Council on aging board, community liaison at Vision 20/20 committee, Mental Health Task force, and Medical Reserve Corps. VP at Indian
Americans Getting Involved group (iGIG). Represented Precinct 6 at fall 2020 Special
Town Meeting.
• COVID-19 Frontline work, serving patients in unprecedented times with health Care and
Senior care as my passion.
• Public Health service to Public Service, and public health education, home care as local
business owner of Interim HealthCare of Lexington MA.
• Initiatives to improve quality of life for residents with no new taxes, less spending, school
issues, social justice, affordable housing, climate change and supporting local businesses
to cut further increase in residential taxes.
• Proud parent of 2 LHS graduates now attending college.
Ramesh Nallavolu- TMM, Precinct 6
“I moved to Lexington 3 years ago and am living with my wife and our two children. I work in the IT field. I am an active volunteer and organized community events. I am a member of multiple Nonprofit organizations like American Telugu Association, Rural Library Foundation and Dial Your Village serving community,” says Nallavolu. “I am running for Town Meeting Member because I believe in giving back to society as a gratitude. I will bring my passion and ideas to the Lexington community and will hear and voice for all
Precinct 6 diversified residents. I want to improve pedestrian crossings, bring more diverse
housing options, defense against climate change and build better society. While advocating on existing and future issues, I will live up to goals set by the city. By listening to all issues, I will bring balance to needs that result in a better future for our beloved Lexington town. I am ready to serve Precinct 6 and Lexington. I request for your vote on March 1st, so I can share your voice in the Town Meeting.”
Taylor Singh- TMM, Precinct 6 (Incumbent)
“I have relished the past four years serving as an elected Town Meeting member. I am passionate about our town and actively engage with residents to represent their voices in our town’s legislative body. His relevant Community Experience:
• Graduate of Lexington Citizens Academy
• Estabrook Parent and Volunteer
• Active and outspoken board member of LexFUN! (previously the Lexington Pre-School
PTA) for the past seven years and have served as its Vice President of Community
Service and Scholarship Chair.
• Served on the Yes for Lexington Debt Exclusion campaign advocating for funding to
build the new Lexington Fire Headquarters, new Lexington Children’s Place and Maria
Hastings Elementary School.
• Worked with LHS students to curb gun violence as a Lexington Says #ENOUGH Board
Member.
• Worked on multiple town wide office campaigns, as well as State Representative
Michelle Ciccolo’s campaign.
• Board Secretary of the Lexington League of Women Voters, a national nonpartisan
organization dedicated to voter registration and education.
• Appointed by Lexington’s Select Board as a voting member of the Special Permit
Residential Development Zoning Bylaw Amendment Committee.
• Volunteered as part of the Mock Town Meeting civics curriculum at Diamond Middle
School.
• Sponsored by State Senator Cindy Friedman, attended the Massachusetts Citizens
Legislative Seminar, a citizen program that educates the public on the functions and
processes of the Massachusetts State Legislature.
• Achieved the Harvard Kennedy School Public Leadership Credential, gaining skills and
knowledge necessary to advance the public good.
• Lexington Kids PMC Ride Board Member
• Merriam Hill Association Member
• Coach of Moms on the Mound’s Royals Softball Team.
Vinita Verma- TMM, Precinct 6 (Incumbent)
Vinita Verma is re-running for Town Meeting Member from Precinct 6. She and her husband Amit, along with their two children have been living in Lexington for over 10 years. Vinita is also a member of the Transportation Advisory Committee. Vinita has been quite involved in the Lexington community having volunteered in Big-backyard outings, science and art related school activities. She has been the lead coach for Science Olympiad teams at Diamond Middle School and her teams have consistently placed first in various competitions. She has a MS in Bioinformatics from Boston University and works in the healthcare industry. She is motivated to give back to the community by representing the town in matters that impact residents individually by fighting for issues that provide for continued improvement in quality of living for Lexington residents, and as a community staying focused on enriching children’s lives through cutting edge academic and
extracurricular activities. She has initiated the effort to build sidewalks in a Lexington
neighborhood for the safety of pedestrians.
Ravish Kumar- TMM, Precinct 7 (Incumbent)
Ravish Kumar has been a Town Meeting Member for Precinct 7 since 2015. Ravish is a mission driven volunteer with a focus on driving diversity, equity, and inclusion within the town.
• Town Meeting Member- Precinct 7 for Town of Lexington since 2015
• Lexington Lions Board of Director since 2020,
• 2019 White Tricorne Hat Selection Committee
• Past Co-president and current volunteer of IAL (Indian Americans of Lexington)
• Past First Vice- President of iGIG.
Ravish has also been actively involved with structuring and strengthening iGIG (Indian Americans Getting Involved Group) Experienced Business Executive works for a Healthcare organization. “I moved to Lexington in 2011 and fell in love with this town. Lexington has the strongest foundation for school education and is one of the most desirable communities for families in Massachusetts. I believe that with more efficient government we can improve our schools, create stronger foundations for our kids and preserve our town’s historical elements. By doing so, our children will prosper, property values will increase, and our standards of living will continue to improve,” he says. Ravish is an experienced Finance Leader and works in the Oil and Gas domain. He completed his MBA.
Sanjay Padaki- TMM, Precinct 8 (Incumbent)
Sanjay has been a Town Meeting Member since 2015, representing Precinct 8 and is running as an incumbent for a third term. He is currently the vice-chair of the
Appropriation Committee which oversees all the Town’s finances. In addition to being involved in many civic activities of the town, he was the first President of iGIG (Indian Americans Getting Involved Group) and has recently stepped down after completing a two year term. Sanjay holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and is currently employed in the biopharmaceutical industry. He has resided in Lexington for over 15 years.
Hema Bhatt – TMM, Precinct 9 (Incumbent)
Hema Bhatt is current Town Meeting Member from Precinct 9 and candidate for re-election. She and her husband Prashant are residents of Lexington for over 21 years. Her daughter did her study in the Lexington school system and Hema was involved with volunteering in elementary, middle and high school and many other cultural and sports events in and around the town. She is also a member of Lexington Comprehensive Plan Advisory committee. She serves on the committee of a non-profit organization to help organize charity events. She believes in selfless action, working towards solving the problems and serving the community that has given us all so much. She is actively involved in professional organizations and helps to coordinate many seminars, sessions for professional development. She holds a degree in Civil Engineering and has good experience in the private and public sector. Her personal perspective as a working parent and technical professional will greatly benefit the Town Government.
