New York: Dr Sunil Kaza, an eminent cardiologist who has served in leadership roles in AAPI and elsewhere, and is currently on its Board of Trustees (BOT), was duly elected as the BOT Chair for the year 2024-25 on June 8, 2024.
The election took place at a properly convened meeting of the Spring Governing Body of AAPI (American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin), at Mint restaurant in Garden City, NY with a full quorum. According to Dr. Kaza, 24 of the 25 who voted “in person” in the secret ballot endorsed his candidature.
“The election was conducted transparently by the sitting BOT Chair, Dr. Lokesh Edara, and intimated to the AAPI office,” Nashville, Tennessee-based Dr Kaza says in a press release.
Dr. Edara has confirmed that Dr Kaza was declared elected beating two other candidates. The election was “further ratified” on June 19 by a majority of the BOT.
The majority of the Board stands by the results of the BOT Chair election conducted on June 8.
Yet, controversy has erupted. Says Dr Kaza, “A second, unconventional, alternate/duplicate election was conducted by the AAPI President who typically is not supposed to get involved in the BOT Chair election. It was done via Election Buddy software in an “extremely cryptic” manner without declaring who received the ballots and who voted.”
Dr. Kaza argues that many legitimate Governing Body members did not get the ballot in the second election. Several discrepancies were also found and have been reported to all concerned.
Some Indian community papers have published misleading press releases based on the alternate election result. This may be premature because AAPI traditionally announces its new Chair of the Board of Trustees during its annual convention, which has been renamed World Health Congress and will take place July 18-22 in New York.
Dr Kaza is still hopeful of a resolution to the contested election. “The senior leaders in AAPI can initiate a dialogue with the parties involved to reach a compromise.”
“I would like to work with everybody, the Executive Committee and Board and continue to do the right thing for the organization and move it forward,” he says.
As BOT Chair, Dr Kaza wants to implement AAPI's ongoing projects in India, such as promoting the HPV vaccine, growing CPR awareness and strengthening free health clinics nationwide.
Dr Kaza has served in many leadership roles in AAPI, the largest ethnic medical organization, including on its Board of Trustees (2022-25).
He has practiced as an interventional cardiologist for 23 years in Nashville and is currently serving veterans.
With his motto of ‘Manava Seve, Madhava Seva’, Dr. Kaza’s charitable and philanthropic activities have spanned many years in America and India. He has personally donated over $500,000 to various causes.
Dr Kaza can be contacted by email at: [email protected]
