With a lot of fanfare, cheering and thunderous applause at the ballroom from her supporters as well as the attendees Amrita Sahni was celebrated as the 2010 Woman of the Year on Monday, June 14 at the Westin Waltham Hotel. The event was organized by India New England News, serving the region’s Indo American community. The award was truly deserved for Amrita Sahni, an assistant principal and director of instruction at Edwards Middle School in Boston. She was awarded for her pioneering work that has led to reform and overall improvement of student standards and test scores in her school. Thirty three of her staff from the school attended the evening’s banquet and were elated at her emerging the winner.

Amrita Sahni is also an entrepreneur and co-founder of Fit In Clouds, which sells portable, comfortable women's slippers. Accepting the award, Sahni said she dedicates the award to her parents, husband Rahul, the students of Charlestown and its faculty. Sahini also said that her passionate belief in ‘education equity’ has always moved her forward in her work.

Subu M. Kota, chairman and CEO of the Boston Group, announced his support for the INDIA New England's Woman of the Year event for the next three years along with Samir and Nilima Desai of the Desai foundation.

The other four semi-finalists were: Attorney Shahana Basu Kanodia, a partner in Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge and chairman of the firm's new South Asia Practice Group, Carolyn Passey, volunteer at India Society of Worcester in Worcester, Mass., and a co-founder of the society's Language and Cultural School. Rita Shah, outreach coordinator at the Burlington Council on Aging in Burlington, Mass.; vice president of the Indian American Forum for Political Education, and a volunteer at SAHELI, a women's support organization, Dr. Manju Sheth, a primary care physician at Northeast Health Systems at Beverly Hospital in Beverly, Mass., and co-chairman of the Indian Medical Association of New England's Indian Women's Physicians Forum.

The five judges were Ramesh Advani, deputy, Gouri Banerjee, Nilendu Srivastava, Dr. Rekha Tadepalli and Sushil Tuli. Bombay Club and  Masala Art in Needham catered the evening dinner and also were sponsors of the evening. Boston Sound & Light Co. provided music for the occasion and announced each winner with a special musical note. Binita Patel Photography was also present.

Shobha Sastry of Alankar provided floral arrangements and décor for the event. She was able supported at each centerpiece by Sreemoti Mukerjee-Roy.  Congratulations go the 20 semi finalists chosen this year:

• Shelley Chhabra, owner of Shelley Chhabra Bridal in Cambridge, Mass.
• Dr. Sangeeta Dey, director and pediatric neuropsychologist at the Center of Excellence in Learning and Development in Lexington, Mass.
• Dr. Shashi Dwarkanath, chief of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Lawrence General Hospital in Lawrence Mass.
• Jayaprada Ganta, Director of Production Systems for the Tribune Co. in Hartford, Conn.
• Neelima Gogumalla, founder and president of NaraStyle in Windham, N.H.
• Gaytri Kachroo, attorney/principal of Kachroo Legal Services in Cambridge, Mass.
• Dr. Hasmeena Kathuria, pulmonary/critical care attending physician and assistant professor of medicine at the Boston University Department of Medicine in Boston
• Durga Krishnan, founder/director of the New England School of Carnatic Music in Marlborough, Mass.
• Anindita Nanda, cultural chairman of the Indian Association of Greater Danbury in Danbury, Conn.
• Dr. Zainab Nawab, medical director, Revive MD in Westborough, Mass.
• Geetha Ramamurthy, founder and managing director of Blue Hills Capital in Brookline, Mass.
• Reena Ruwala, Sovereign Bank branch manager in Methuen, Mass.
• Jasmine Shah, founder/owner of the Angikam Dance Academy in Nashua, N.H.; Chelmsford, Mass.; and Medway, Mass.
• Nikita Shah, president of the Shishu Bharati School in Nashua, N.H.; Lexington, Mass.; and Norwood, Mass.
• Kalpana Shetty, Realtor with Keller Williams Realty in Andover, Mass.

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