May You Live In Interesting Times" - I do not think any of us thought in our lifetime that we will experience what we have in 2020. IMANE members, friends and their families have shown us resilience and perseverance in these difficult times. I would like to show my sincere gratitude and thank you all for your dedication in helping our communities. We have amazing stories to be proud of, thanks to many IMANE members rising to the challenge as we started our fight against this global pandemic. From providing care on front lines, engaging & educating communities virtually, supporting social & humanitarian endeavors to becoming the voice inspiring many of us, this year we have seen the best out of the IMANE community - Dr Dhrumil Shah, President, IMANE  

 During the Virtual General Body meeting on December 12, 2020, IMANE General Body Members unanimously voted to declare 2020 to be a â€˜non year’ & elected current year Executive Committee and 2020 election slate to continue to serve IMANE one more year in 2021. This truly reflects how accommodative IMANE is as an organization and trying to move everyone together with our goals and mission collectively. 

Most important highlight of the evening was the KeyNote topic by Raj Sharma, CIMA 

"Reboot & Refresh - Investing In Uncertain Times"

It was great to see an interactive session between IMANE President Dhrumil Shah & Raj Sharma, where Raj shared his perspectives on topics like Current state of economy and future outlook, Dynamic relationship between economy & markets, and Re-engineering allocation strategies and how to re-invest in spite of uncertainties. It was refreshing to learn and experience Raj’s optimistic outlook towards the next decade especially in times like this where pandemic has been devastating for the world economy in every dimension. Above all of these great insights from Raj, it was truly humbling to hear and learn about philanthropy & giving back as Raj shared his work as part of American India Foundation (AIF) disrupting poverty in India through programs in education, public health and entrepreneurship.

Raj is Managing Director – Wealth Management and Head of The Sharma Group, a high end boutique within Merrill Lynch’s Private Banking and Investment Group and has over three decades of experience in customized investment and wealth management for entrepreneurs, corporate executives, families and institutions. 

 Honoring Achievers for 2020 

 "Leadership in Women Empowerment Award” 

IMANE showcased the work of three women in our community, two of them being IMANE leaders. Dr Manju Sheth, Dr Deepa Jhaveri and Shaleen Shah who have done extraordinary work to empower women globally in tough times. Women Who Win, #Dreamcatchers is a global media platform for women’s empowerment conceptualized this year to bring positivity and inspiration, sharing the dreams and passions of many. It has becomes a powerful platform full of inspirational stories, lifes lessons of women’s journeys and tackling many humanitarian, social, entrepreneurial and health related topis. Women Who Win was honored during Virtual 42^nd Annual Gala with thePresident’s award for Leadership in Women’s empowerment.

"Leadership in Crisis Award”

IMANE showcased the work of Immediate Past President Dr. Saraswathi Muppana. Dr. Muppana with her clinical background in Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine became a crucial leader for our community. She has represented IMANE at numerous national and regional forums in 2020 spreading education and awareness around Coronavirus pandemic and continues to do so tirelessly as a true public servant. Dr. Muppana was honored during Virtual 42nd Annual Gala with the President’s award for “Leadership in Crisis”.

IMANE also showcased the work of Dr. Sapna Agarwal & Dr. Mohini Malhotra both of whom have reignited IMANE Women's Forum in 2020. They organized multiple zoom events including Virtual Zumba, Cook-in Lesson and Health & Wellness Talk this year. They also launched the Facebook Women's Forum group to expand IMANE’s reach. These forums were organized to engage and educate members and their friends & families. Both Drs. Sapna Agarwal & Mohini Malhotra were honored during Virtual 42nd Annual Gala with the President’s award for â€œLeadership in Crisis”.

Commitment For 2021 

Annual meeting concluded with an excellent presentation on COVID-19 updates & Closing Remarks given by Dr. Saraswathi Muppana. As much as I feel honored to be continuing my position as the IMANE President in 2021, I feel we have much more work still left to do before we can celebrate our ongoing recovery and collective success. Purpose of IMANE is not only to organize and support various professional and social activities within the region we serve, but also to create a dynamic environment for future generations to get inspired and promote our values of inclusivity, diversity and collaboration. My commitment to pursue this mission has only strengthened this year as many of you and your great work in the community continues to be an inspiration to myself and the rest of the IMANE leadership team. We hope to see you all engaged and involved as we all re-build the future together in 2021. 

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