Kerala Center to honor 8 Indian American Malayalees

The Indian American Kerala Cultural and Civic Center will honor eight Indian American Malayalees for their outstanding achievements in their field of specialization and for their service to the society.

Public officials and leaders from the USA and India are expected to attend the 32nd Annual Awards Dinner on Oct 19, at the Kerala Center, 1824 Fairfax St., Elmont, New York, according to a press release.

“The Kerala Center has been honoring outstanding achievers since 1992. Every year we invite nominations and the Award Committee has to make a unanimous choice for a candidate in a category to receive the award, and this year is no different from previous years in terms of their achievements,” said Dr. Thomas Abraham, Kerala Center’s TrusteeBoard Chairman and Award Committee Member.

“Kerala Center is very happy to honor American Malayalees who excel in their professions and who work for social progress — their examples should be an inspiration for others,” said Dr. Madhu Bhaskaran, Chairman of the Board and Award Committee.

This year’s honorees are:

Johnson Samuel, Founder of Life and Limb, an organization dedicated to serving the needs of amputees throughout Kerala (Long Island, NY), Humanitarian and SocialService;

READ: Dr. Shyam Kottilil gets Kerala Center’s lifetime achievement award (November 1, 2023)

Suja Thomas, President of the National Association of Indian Nurses of America (NAINA)(Albany, NY), Nursing Leadership;

Wesley Mathews, President & Chief Executive Officer of Choose New Jersey,  (Trenton, NJ), Public Service;

Dr. Sunanda Nair, distinguished Mohiniattam dancer, teacher, and choreographer (Houston, TX), Performing Arts;

Hashim Mooppan, leading appellate litigator and legal strategist is currently a partner at the law firm of Jones Day (Washington, DC), Legal Services;

Samcy Kodumon, American Malayalee writer actively involved with LANA (Literary Association of North America) and KCANA (Kerala Cultural Association of North America).(Long Island, NY), Pravasi Malayalam Literature;

Sibu Nair, Deputy Director of Asian Affairs for New York State in Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration (Buffalo, NY), Community Service; and

Varkey Abraham, Founding Director of Hanover Bank USA, Abraham is also the CEO of the A and S Leather Company and V A Smith Shoe Company International (Long Island, NY), Business Leadership.