Community Conversation
with Farooq Mitha
NEHA DEWAN
Neha has long been active in both local and national politics. Most recently, she founded and served as the National Director for South Asians for Biden, an organization dedicated to engaging, educating, and mobilizing the South Asian community to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. In 2016, Neha served as the National Co-Chair for South Asians for Hillary and was appointed by Hillary Clinton to the National AAPI Leadership Council.
Previously, in 2015, Neha was appointed as a guest of honor by the Consulate General of India in New York City where she was selected to speak about gender equality for International Women's Day. During the 2012 presidential campaign, Neha chaired the New York Chapter of South Asians for Obama and also served on the steering committee for Lawyers for Obama in New York. For several years, Neha served as an Officer of the New York Democratic Lawyers Council, an organization affiliated with the National Lawyers Council of the Democratic National Committee and comprised of Democratic lawyers and voting rights activists. Similarly, for many years, Neha served as an advisory board member of New Leaders Council, a national organization focused on training and supporting progressive political entrepreneurs. She has also been active in her local community board and political clubs. Neha served as the President of the South Asian Bar Association of New York in 2012, and now sits on the organization’s Board of Directors.
Mobilizing the South Asian Community & Building Political Power
DR. ANITA SOMANI
Dr. Anita Somani is delighted to join South Asians for America as state director of Ohio chapter. She currently serves as the Vice Chair of the API Caucus of the Ohio Democratic Party. Previously, she served as the Chairperson of the Ohio Chapter of Doctors for Biden.
Dr. Somani is a highly respected and talented healthcare professional with 28 years of medical and academic experience in OBGYN. She is a past President of the Columbus Medical Association. She is actively involved in organized medicine as an OSMA Delegate and a graduate of the Physician's Leadership Academy.
Dr. Somani is currently a co-chair of the Physicians Action Network which is a statewide advocacy organization for physicians and medical students. She has lectured extensively on contraception, minimally invasive surgery and endometriosis.
Dr. Somani is married and has 2 children, a son who is an engineer and a daughter who is a 3rd year OBGYN Resident.