BURLINGTON, MA-Saheli, a non-profit organization dedicated to survivors of domestic abuse in Massachusetts, recently held its bi-annual election for its board members, electing eight new members and nine returning.
Kaplesh Kumar, Rita Shah, and Anil Saigal served as election commissioners.
Saheli re-elected Neelam Wali as President of the Saheli board. Along with Ms. Wali, other members of the Saheli executive committee and returning board members are: Vice President Aditi Soni, Treasurer Ruchika Yadav, Secretary Tanu Phoenix. The following will continue to serve as board members: Shweta Agarwal, Meenakshi Garodia, Shehla Gul, Sumathi Madhure and Usha Vakil.
Newly-elected members of the Saheli board are: Reena Patel, Anushka Patel, Aruna Krishnamurthy, Luluah Safri, Sangeet Srikanth, Anita Lavakumar, Sowmini Sampath, and Ritu Kapur.
“Thanks to our continuing members who have added to our vision and mission and have stayed on the Saheli board, their contribution in the last 2 years have been enormous,” said Ms. Wali. “My heartfelt thanks to their unconditional service to the cause of Saheli.”
Here are brief bios of newly-elected board members:
Reena Patel
Ms. Patel is a writer, poet, and feminist activist. She has dedicated her life to social justice and is an avid DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) promoter. Ms. Patel is a board member of the Hingham Unity Council and also a local Human Rights Commission member. She also dedicates her time to promoting equity in her local school system through volunteering. She received her undergraduate degrees from University of Texas at Austin and DeSales University. In her time there, Ms. Patel wrote for several South Asian publications, advocating for educational conversations in South Asian communities surrounding sexual assault and consent. She is currently pursuing her master’s in educational leadership and policy at Boston College.
Anushka Patel
Ms. Patel is a clinical psychologist currently completing her postdoctoral training at Harvard University. Her professional interests include the convergence of trauma, culture, and psychosocial care. She has received a Global Mental Health fellowship from the World Health Organization. She has conducted original research focusing on assessing and treating impoverished women in India exposed to gender-based violence. Additionally, she leads systematic reviews and treatment outcome research. Ms. Patel earned her bachelor’s from Carleton College (MN), completed her doctoral studies at The University of Tulsa (OK), and her clinical internship at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).
Aruna Krishnamurthy
Ms. Krishnamurthy is a professor and chair of the English Studies Department at Fitchburg State University. She also served as President of the Faculty and Librarians Union (MSCA) at Fitchburg State for four years. Ms. Krishnamurthy has been an active volunteer with Saheli, organizing and running workshops on issues affecting the South Asian community. As a board member, she looks forward to using her writing skills and literary background to help further the mission and vision of Saheli and shape new initiatives for the organization.
Luluah Safri
Ms. Safri currently works at Northeastern University as the Senior Director of Global Mobility & amp; HR Integrations. In her role, she oversees the Global Mobility Program, mergers and acquisition, and manages HR programs across all departments to enhance operational efficiency. Prior to her HR career, she was a committed Social Worker, leading the Foster Care and Adoption program at Catholic Charities in Chicago. Ms. Safri possesses a bachelor’s in psychology, a masters in psychiatric social work, and an MBA. She lives with her husband and son and enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, reading, being outdoors and occasionally binge-watching shows.
Sangeet Srikanth
Ms. Srikanth is a passionate chemistry teacher at Newton North High School. 10 out of the 30 years she has been teaching were spent in her home city of Mumbai. She has received a B.Sc & B.Ed in chemistry and holds a masters in sociology and a master’s in education from BU. She enjoys being a scoutmaster for a local Girls & Boys BSA troop as well as serving on the board for the Mayflower council as a Diversity Chair. Ms. Srikanth takes pride in building a fulfilling life in the US despite the adversity she had to overcome. She strongly believes that empowering girls & women to be strong leaders is the only way to revolutionize a patriarchal society.
Anita Lavakumar
Ms. Lavakumar is the Program Director for Computer Science at Boston Public Schools. She is responsible for managing the district’s computer science curriculum. It is her goal to support and inspire teachers, students, and families across the district. She holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Tufts University, a master’s degree in education for Mathematics from UMass Lowell, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Regis College. Ms. Lavakumar prioritizes her community by remaining active in the education system Framingham, MA, where she lives. She actively volunteers for Indian Family Network, with the hope of keeping her children connected to their Indian heritage. She is also on the board of directors for the Jewish Family Services of Metrowest.
Sowmini Sampath
Ms. Sampath is the Senior Director of Documentation and User Experience at MathWorks, a leading developer of mathematical computing software for engineers and scientists. She is grateful to lead and be a part of talented, collaborative, global teams at MathWorks. Her prior board and leadership positions have provided valuable lessons and experience in strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and consensus building. She is committed to serving as an ambassador and steward of Saheli Boston’s mission and strategic growth.
Ritu Kapur
Ms. Kapur has her master’s in occupational therapy from Boston University and has worked as an occupational therapist for over 25 years. She is currently teaching yoga and meditation to people of all ages and abilities. After managing her yoga studio in the Boston Suburbs for seven years, she is teaching and leading online yoga, meditation, and trekking Retreats worldwide.
Saheli’s Wali welcomed the eight new board members, who will “bring new expertise and experiences needed for future growth of Saheli services.”
This board will work closely with staff to ensure the growth and development of Saheli as the non-profit strengthens service to South Asian and Arab women. Their aim is to develop new fundraising strategies and foster relationships within the community to increase awareness surrounding domestic and sexual violence.
