Long time leader, Teach For America teacher, Federal Reserve employee, and Solo-Practice attorney, Vivek Bavda hosted a Gala Fundraiser to raise money for his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives (District 10) on Saturday, January 14, 2012 at India House restaurant at 1521 W. Schaumburg Rd. Schaumburg, IL 60173.  Harish Bhatt was the keynote speaker.  As a long time leader in health care and the Indian community, Bhatt spoke about the road to leadership and Bavda’s emergence as a leader.  Bhatt said, “Vivek has a genuine heart and will make a difference in Congress.  To get there, he is going to need your vote, time, and contribution”  
 
Bavda is a pragmatic progressive, an education advocate, and a job creation warrior, who will take a high profile stand for the middle-class, working citizens of the 10th District.

Bavda spoke at the event.  He said, “When people say , ‘Let’s take our country back,’ it strikes me as the fundamentally wrong way to think.  What makes America great, what drew countless people here, is that America always move forward, leading the way.  We can lead the world out of this recession.  We can invest in our kids’ education to continue to another American century.  Let’s get started.”
 
When asked, if elected, how he would represent the citizens differently from his incumbent and primary opponents, Bavda replied:
“Unlike Bob Dold, I am a staunch believer that we have to use the government to create jobs.  My regional jobs plan, which includes doubling the number of lanes on I-94 and I-90 from the Loop to Tower Rd and the airport, respectively, would bring unemployment in the 10th District and Chicagoland down to 2004 levels.” 

Bavda went on, “Unlike my primary opponents’ boilerplate, I have practical, specific, and innovative ideas to positively affect the district and the country in every issue area from education to financial reform to health care.  As a former Teach For America teacher, I know we have to create tests worth teaching to if we’re going to get results for our kids.  As a student of financial crises, I know we have to break apart too big to fail banks like we break apart monopolies.  As a staunch believer in Medicare and the President’s signature health care reform, I know we can lower health care costs using a reverse Dutch auction system for payments without cutting Medicare benefits.” 

When asked how his campaign would be different, Bavda replied:
“I’m an unconventional, mature candidate of substance.  I take political risks, offer solutions, and don’t rely on a group of cynical political consultants.  I will demand debates for two reasons.  First, I want to ensure an informed choice on election day, and second, the more people learn about the candidates, the more likely they will vote for me.  I will win because the citizens of the 10th District value substance over style.”
 
Bavda is a son of immigrants from India and was born in Columbus, Ohio.  His family moved to the district in 1982, attending Winkleman Elementary School in Glenview.  In 1987, the Bavda family moved to Mundelein where he enrolled at Hawthorn schools and Libertyville High School.

It was then on to Northwestern University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics.  While at Northwestern, Bavda was recruited to work for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.  He implemented the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act to prevent discrimination by banks against middle class loan applicants.  He also worked in the statistics department, reducing the reporting and regulatory burden on banks.  These jobs gave him a first-hand understanding of the financial challenges working families and community banks face.  Later, Bavda worked for Munifinancial, a public finance consulting firm in Oakland, CA.  He worked directly with local government officials to promote economic growth.

Bavda has a long history of involvement with Democratic politics and progressive issues.  These include volunteering for events like the 1996 Democratic National Convention, Senator Dick Durbin’s Senate campaign in 1996, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s Congressional bid in 1998, as well as Vice President Gore’s Presidential effort in 2000.  He worked for the Indo-American Democratic Organization, registering voters on Devon Avenue for the New Americans Democracy Project.   He also completed an internship for U. S. Senator Barack Obama in Chicago.

As an educator with Teach For America in Compton, CA, Bavda saw firsthand the challenges our students face.  He knows the education challenges we face in the nation, and believes that excellence can only be attained if it is demanded by well funded, well trained, and accountable teachers.

After graduating from University of Wisconsin-Madison with a MPA, Vivek worked in public affairs with Coro in St. Louis, Missouri, crafting reforms to the Family Focus program to help reunite broken families. With the ARCHS program, he sought to increase investment in communities and create jobs.  He helped create the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures and built coalitions to prevent a ban on stem cell research in Missouri.  This ban would have slowed the research to find cures for cancer. Parkinson’s Disease, and Type 1 Diabetes. He also worked on arbitration and workman’s compensation cases for the National Letter Carriers Union.

Bavda is currently an attorney and holds a JD from The John Marshall Law School. He maintains a general private law practice, working on cases ranging from labor law, real estate, business, to estate law.   He is a member of the American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, Lake County Bar Association, and the Chicago Bar Association.

Bavda lives in Mundelein and is a fan of Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs, and Chicago Bulls.  He enjoys golf, softball, and taking classes for personal enrichment.

To find out more about Vivek Bavda’s campaign, go to www.bavdaforcongress.com, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vivek-Bavda/227003527355967, or call  (847) 471-2144.

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