Latha Mangipudi has been a resident of Nashua, NH for over 24 years. In November 2013, Latha was elected to the New Hampshire State House, in highly contested election, as a State Representative from Ward 8 in Nashua. She is the first person of Asian Indian origin to be elected to this position in NH.
Prior to this, she served as an elected member on the Board of Education, in the Nashua school district. "Education is the biggest asset we can give our children," she said, explaining why she sought the school board seat. Before that, Latha served as president of the Bicentennial Elementary School PTO. Latha was also a Member of New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.
Latha is the NH Chair of US India Political Action Committee - a national, bipartisan political action committee representing over 2 million Indian-Americans. The mission of USINPAC is to impact policy on issues of concern to the Indian American community in the US and to encourage them to participate in the political process. She has represented USINPAC in meetings with Hillary Clinton, President Obama, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Senator Kerry, Vice President Joe Biden and several other political luminaries at the local and national level.
Latha taught Balavihar classes at Chimaya Mission and served on the board in Andover. She also heads the NH Chapter of Akshaya Patra, and helps in creating awareness and fund raising for this organization. Latha has worked in health care and human services at various hospitals and health care providers in Nashua. She is a trained Speech Language Pathologist, and practices this profession for the last 25 years.
What motivated you to take on the difficult task of running for office?
The run for an office of State Rep has been a journey that started years ago when I was the PTO president at the elementary school, after this I served as an elected member of the Nashua School Board. It was when I was on the School Board that I realized that to make an impact, you have to be engaged in the policy making process.
Could you tell us a little about what a state representative does on a day to day basis?
State Reps are responsible for legislating, that is formulate laws, pass laws and enact laws, on behalf of the citizens that they represent. This is an onerous responsibility, and you realize this when you consider the issues that are currently in front of us – bill to Expand Medicare, bill to repeal the Death Penalty, bills to decriminalize and legalize Marijuana, bill to allow Casinos, bill to enforce background checks before allowing you to purchase a gun, etc.
A day in the life of a freshman State Rep involves listening carefully to deliberations on the bills, asking questions, recommending changes and finally voting on the bill. As you gain more experience, you can introduce a bill on issues that you may come across.
Why did you choose the Democratic Party?
My initial involvement was non-partisan, I was the NH Chair of the US India Political Action Committee, and the mission of this PAC is to provide bipartisan support to candidates for federal, state and local office who support the issues that are important to the Indian American community. In this capacity I had close interactions with candidates of both political parties. As I interacted with presidential candidates, senators and candidates for congress I became more and more aligned with the Democratic Party as the party philosophy and is closer to my outlook.
While you entered politics recently you are a Speech Therapist. Why did you choose that as a career?
I have always been a people person, and naturally I was drawn to a field that involves working closely with people. When I graduated from high school and preuniversity I was drawn to Speech Pathology as it was a new and emerging field.
Politics or Speech Therapy, you have excelled in your work. What are the personal /environmental attributes that have helped you succeed in your career?
I firmly believe that a strong work ethic will get you through the toughest of jobs. You must apply yourself and embrace the career of your choice. It is this passion for what you do that will help you succeed.
What challenges if any have you faced in your career path?
When you work in health care, and are providing service, often times the business goals and the policies dictated by the job interfere with your ability to provide the best service for your patients. This has always been an issue for me.
What advice would you give women trying to follow your career path?
Be passionate about what you do, and do not be deterred by anything that you might encounter as you pursue your passion.
What lasting impact do you expect your work to have on the world?
If I can make a small difference in the lives of my patients, and keep them comfortable, I will have achieved my goal. In my political career, I will let posterity judge me for what I have done and hope that I have made a difference in the lives of my constituents.
It was interesting to see Silva accuse you that you won because of Indian support. It was amusing to see this comment in a very white New Hampshire. How important was the Indian support for victory ?
The support that I received from the Indian community certainly helped me in the closely contested primary election. I’m very thankful for their participation. The participation from the Indian community helped me widen the margin in the general election.
I was happy to see the large turn out by the community. During my USINPAC days, one common refrain that I heard from several candidates was that the Indian American community was very generous with their support, but seldom asked for anything once the election was over. The candidates also said that the turnout of Indians on election day was generally very low. My goal was to change both these, and I’m happy to say that I succeeded in doing so.
You and your husband have extremely busy lives. What is the secret to your maintaining a work -life balance ?
We have always made time for each other, we start the day with a ritual conversation over breakfast and coffee and end the day with a dinner together. This is something that we have always done, and it gives us a chance to connect with each other and catch up on the day’s events.
What is your approach to parenting?
My husband and I have always maintained that we have a democratic household. We have had open honest conversations about everything with our children. They have been partners in decision making. This openness had made us very approachable to them, and them to us. It has helped us bring them up as confident and well balanced individuals.
What do you do for fun?
We love to travel, and have travelled in India, US and Europe. During summer, we love to walk, and hike. If they see that I’m down or low, my children know that it is time to go to the beach – there is nothing like a visit to the beach that perks me up. I also love to read, and discuss the books with my friends at the book club.
Could you tell us about your charitable interests?
Service and charity have been innate part of my upbringing.
I’m involved with Akshaya Patra, and have worked closely with them to create awareness and raise funds in the US. I’m also actively involved in a project to help mainstream handicapped children in a school at Mayasandra, near Bangalore in India, and I have attended a camp to kick this off. I’m working with my husband who is a Rotarian, to raise funds for this organization.
What impact would you like to create in this space?
The community is best served if we can choose causes that have a lasting impact. To this end, I think that working with organizations such as Akshya Patra will make a big difference in a child’s life.
Who are the people who you admire/ inspired /emulate?
I did not have look far for inspiration and guidance, I have always admired my father’s open mindedness and his progressive thinking. My mother’s inventiveness in managing a household in bringing up seven children, keeping us focused on education and inculcating self confidence and strong moral values.
What kind of support have you valued most from your husband?
I feel very fortunate that I am married to my best friend, I value his trust and respect and whole hearted support in perusing my passion. He has been my ardent supporter during my bid, and my technical support.
What support from you has your husband valued the most?
We have been a good team, be it parenting or when we have worked together on community service projects. He has valued my support.
What is you personal philosophy of living life?
Each day is a gift and how we unwrap that gift, and embrace it is our choice and decision.
What was your happiest moment in life?
As a mother my precious moments have been watching my children grow and discover simple things with amazement.
When there were low points in your life what advice did you value the most to pull through?
Reading and reaching into my spiritual core, spirituality has been a guiding light for me.
Do you have a fitness routine that you would like to share?
I try to integrate my workout routine into my everyday activities - I walk 1 mile or take 10,000 steps. Swimming is another favorite work out for me.
Do you have a spiritual routine that you would like to share?
Meditation, self reiki and prayer are an integral part of my daily routine.
Do you have favorite book/author?
• Gandhi The Man and his Transformation by Eknatha Eswaran
• Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Album.
I have several books that I have shared with my family and friends. I love sitting down and reading a good book.
Do you have a favorite song/ musician?
I enjoy Indian classical music, and also listen to old Hindi songs. I also enjoy listening to James Taylor and Billy Joel.
Do you like to cook? What is your favorite dish to make?
Cooking is my relaxation. I love to cook vegetarian dishes and share my love of cooking with my family and friends. I have introduced Indian cooking and conducted cooking classes for my friends.
Any fun facts about you that you would like to share?
I love to play with my two little dogs.
Any words of wisdom for our Lokvani readers?
We only have control over our thoughts and actions, so do the best with good intention everyday.
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