Board Members

Ajay Singh - President

I work in US Bank as Assistant Vice President, Technology Portfolio Management. My wife, Shailaza works in IBM, son in college and daughter working in Minneapolis. I have lived in Rochester, MN since 2005 and have volunteered in various organizations and served as board member in Hindu Samaj Temple and past president of Project Management Institute, Rochester Chapter. My passion is volunteerism and helping the community in the best possible way. My role as President will be setting the strategy and direction of the Association to help meet organization goals to connect, collaborate and educate people on cultural values India brings to the greater Rochester area.

Suresh Kotagal - Vice President

I am a consultant in Neurology, Pediatrics and Sleep Medicine at Mayo Clinic, and a professor in its Department of Neurology. My wife, Nirmala and our three children came from St. Louis to Rochester in 2000. We have been actively involved in community affairs since our arrival. I started the North-South Foundation’s Spelling Bee in Rochester in 2000, was subsequently involved in the launch of the Hindu Samaj Temple, and several other non-profit activities in Rochester community. We have a vibrant Asian Indian community here in Rochester. I see my role as helping our youth, adults and seniors in connecting and communicating better within the Indian community, and also with Rochester community. In the organization my role will be to assist President in setting the strategy and direction of the Association.

Alka Mehra- General Secretary

Indian Cultural Association of Minnesota’s purpose is to connect, educate and celebrate. Rochester is a culturally diverse community and I look forward to collaborating with other organizations to celebrate the uniqueness of each culture. I am excited to be on the board as the General secretary. I am passionate about serving the community and look forward to connecting ICAM with other organizations. I like to read, sing and enjoy walking. I love to travel and have been to many countries. I live in Rochester with my husband. We have one daughter who lives in Minneapolis with her husband.

Verna Simon - Treasurer

I am excited to be the treasurer of ICAM. At this moment in America, it is extremely important for us to appreciate all the ways we contribute to this country. We should simultaneously celebrate our cultural heritage even as we connect with friends and neighbors from various other backgrounds. ICAM was created to facilitate these celebrations and these connections. I am thankful to be a part of this endeavor. I am a Genomics Researcher at Mayo Clinic and I serve as the President of the People’s Food Co-op. I am a vegetarian who enjoys cooking and entertaining. I love classic cars and can be seen driving my 1966 Pontiac LeMans around town. I also regularly do Pilates, Yoga, Middle Eastern dance, and Classical Indian dance.

Nisha Kurup - Director (Outreach)

I am originally from Kerala, a tiny State in the Southern part of India. Social worker by profession, I am currently employed as Victim Services Program Manager at the Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association (IMAA). As a resident of Rochester, I have been involved with the functioning of various nonprofit organizations and have collaborated with interdisciplinary teams for community projects. My husband Unni and our three boys enjoy being part of the Rochester fabric. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be part of the ICAM Board of Directors.

Shounak Majumder - Director (Cultural Events)

I was born in Kolkata, India and moved to the United States to pursue a career in medicine. The inherent variation in landscape, cuisine, religion and language across the country has shaped the culture of India to be regionally diverse and globally inclusive at the same time. My interest in this uniquely vibrant cultural heritage led me to actively seek opportunities for participating in and organizing cultural events initially in my local neighborhood in Kolkata, subsequently as a member of the Bengali Association of Greater Hartford, Connecticut and most recently in Rochester, Minnesota. As a board member of ICAM, I will primarily be focusing on organizing and promoting events that showcase the culture of India. I welcome those familiar with our culture to unite with us in this celebration of joy. We will strive to provide an inclusive environment to individuals from all over the world seeking to explore the culture of India.

Ankit Sabharwal - Director (Communication)

I come from Delhi, India, and am presently working as a postdoctoral fellow in Mayo Clinic. A researcher by profession and stand-up comedian, theatre artist by passion is what I will define myself as. Rochester has been super sweet to me since my arrival here in 2018 fall and I am excited to join this wonderful initiative happening in the city. ICAM provides me a wonderful opportunity to serve the community, igniting the cultural streak, engaging thoughtful minds, and connecting with the residents. Acknowledging my hopeless efforts to make everyone smile through my social media posts, I have been handed the responsibility to streamline the communication between ICAM and the community via different platforms such as website and social media. Identify me from the pic (left or right)?

Savita Katarya - Director (Education & Languages)

Every individual, every culture has a story that needs a platform to share and develop inter-connectivity with each other. Rajesh and I moved to Rochester, MN in 1993 and have raised our three kids with help of our wonderful friends and community members. Over the last 20 years I have served on various local and state-wide task forces and educational initiatives, including a Hindi language program for youth. Currently, I work as the Senior Organizational Equity Strategist at the Diversity Council. I am excited about continuing to serve our community through ICAM and expand educational opportunities to not only share the richness of our diverse culture, heritage, and language programs with the larger community, but also to promote intercultural dialogue and learning.

Santhi Subramanium - Director at Large

I am proud to be on the ICAM board as Member at large, where I will collaborate with other directors to promote the organization. I am currently the President of Hindu Samaj Temple in Rochester, MN. My hopes are for the Organization to grow exponentially in the various arts and culture that holds the Indian Subcontinent together while uniting similar organizations in SE Minnesota. I am passionate about service and being involved in diverse community activities. I am a Physician by Profession and work at MCHS- Cannon Falls as a Hospitalist. I volunteer at the Temple and am involved in actively trying to build a New Temple. My husband and I live in Zumbrota. My daughter is an Internal Medicine Resident at Gundersen Health System, La Crosse, WI and my son is doing his final year of engineering at Madison.