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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline NOVEMBER 24, 2023 | The Indian Eye 33

ANUSHA SHAH

ICE, UK, has its first

Indian-origin president

The Mayor also referred to the special place Mahatma Gandhi had in
the civil rights movement. He concluded, “So just as Gandhi was a guiding
light to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I wish you all a bright evening of festivi-
ties and a wonderful Diwali celebration.”
The new Consul general of India in Atlanta, Sri Ramesh Babu thanked
the Mayor for the first-of-its-kind event to celebrate Diwali in Atlanta while
highlighting the close ties between the two countries. He described Diwali
as an occasion to strengthen the contact between the various cultures that
enrich Atlanta.
he Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE), UK, an independent professional “We all know that India and the United States enjoy a comprehensive
association for civil engineers and a charitable body representing 95,000 global strategic partnership covering almost all areas of cooperation in hu-
Tmembers, has elected the first Indian-origin president in its 205-year his- man endeavor. So, it is driven by shared democratic values between India
tory in Professor Anusha Shah. and USA and convergence of all the issues. And one of the most important
As the institution’s 159th president, Shah took charge of her new role part of the India-US relationship is a vibrant people-to-people contact,” he
with a presidential address on the theme of nature-positive civil engineering added.
at ICE’s London headquarters recently. KATHY HOCHUL
Shah has great ambitions for the coming year. Her focus will be on the
need to work collaboratively to create more a sustainable, equitable and re- NY Governor to make Diwali a
silient future.
During her presidential year, Shah wants to shift focus to ensure that the
civil and infrastructure engineering community work collaboratively across school holiday
sectors, geographies, and generations to deliver sustainable, resilient solu-
tions that create a net positive for people and planet.
Shah specialises in water and environmental engineering, with over
22 years’ experience in designing, managing and leading projects and pro-
grammes in the UK and internationally.
Shah is a member of the ICE Fairness, Inclusion and Respect Commit-
tee and was the co-chair of ICE London and the South East Diversity Task
Force.
She has received several awards including the 2020 Top 50 UK Women En-
gineers Sustainability Award and CECA FIR Inspiring Engineers Award 2019.

ANDRE DICKENS

Atlanta Mayor lights up Diwali

tlanta’s Mayor Andre Dickens in a historic, first-of-its-kind event, joined
the Hindu American community in a Diwali celebration and dinner.
AThe event brought together a veritable who’s who of the Atlanta Hindu
Community along with the Consul general of India, L Ramesh Babu.
The event organized by CoHNA, also marked the culmination of the
various Hindu Heritage Month celebrations in the state, following Governor n a historic move, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed legis-
Kemp’s early proclamation. Mayor of Atlanta addressed the gathering and lation making Diwali a school holiday for New York City public schools.
recognized the role played by the Indian community. I “New York City is rich in different religions and cultures, and we’re taking
“It is undeniable that Atlanta is stronger and better thanks to the many an important step to recognize and celebrate this diversity in the school calen-
international communities that we have here and that individuals have made dar,” Hochul said.
Atlanta their home. The South Asian and Indian communities make an in- The legislation requires that all public schools in New York City be
credible impact on Atlanta’s culture, and Atlanta’s economy,” He said. Continued on next page... >>

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