Patron Trustee Ballot Package - Sri Venkateswara Temple

HINDU TEMPLE AND CULTURAL SOCIETY OF USA, INC.
SRI VENKATESWARA TEMPLE (BALAJI MANDIR) AND COMMUNITY CENTER
1075 Route 202/206, Bridgewater, NJ 08807; Tel # (908) 725-4477; Non-Profit tax exempt organization: ID#22-3003436
October 25, 2010
PATRON MEMBER CATEGORY TRUSTEE ELECTION
Dear Member,
This election is to fill three vacancies on Board of Trustees that will be created in December 2010.
Enclosed are two ballots (both printed on page 2) for voting for Trustee candidates in Patron Membership
category and a stamped and addressed ballot envelope to place your ballots and mail. Also enclosed are the
statements from the candidates. The statements and photos are also posted on the Temple bulletin board and the
web site http://www.venkateswara.org/electionsfiles/index.htm .
Please read the detailed voting and mailing instructions below. It is important that each member uses the
ballots and envelopes received for his/her particular membership. If you have multiple memberships, please
do not combine ballots with other membership ballots or do not use another mailing envelope because the
envelope that was supplied contains information to verify your membership. Ballots will be disqualified
if there are more than two ballots in an envelope.
Resending Ballots: Even with our best efforts in mailing the ballots, the ballots may not be delivered
and you may request the ballot to be resent. You must do so by sending an email to bhavaraju@optonline.net
after November 1 to allow time for mail delivery, informing the correct address in the email. If the address is
the same as in our records we will immediately resend the duplicate ballot. In case your address in the Temple
records is different from the address you provided, the replacement ballot will be sent after you make the
address change on the Temple web site http://www.venkateswara.org/addr_change.doc and the change is
approved by Membership Committee. Duplicate ballots will not be sent after November 11 (within one week
the ballots are due). The due date to receive ballots including those resent is November 18, 2010.
Revised Schedule:
November 18, 2008 (Thursday): Last day to receive the ballots in the PO Box.
November 20, 2010 (Saturday): Counting of ballots in the Life member category
November 21, 2010 (Sunday): Counting of ballots in the Patron member category
PLEASE EXERCISE YOUR VOTING PREVILEGE JUDICIOUSLY!
PLEASE MAIL YOUR BALLOTS EARLY!
Nominations/Elections Committee
Murty Bhavaraju, Chair (bhavaraju@optonline.net), Vadali Sastry, Rao Potharlanka, Prasad Wunnava,
Rangaswamy Seshadri.
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INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTE
(1) TWO ballots on the same page (do not separate) containing alphabetical listing of the candidates
contesting for three trusteeships in the Patron Member category, an envelope with postage are provided.
(2) Do not sign your name on the ballots or on the envelope.
(3) Vote by marking “X“ on the lines in front of the names of ONLY THREE candidates on each ballot.
(4) Insert the sheet with two marked ballots in the envelope with your “From” address and “To” address
as Murty P. Bhavaraju, HTCS Nominations/Election Committee, P.O. Box # 6583, Bridgewater, NJ 08807-
0583. (Families with more than one member: Note that more than two ballots in one envelope are NOT
permitted. Each member should use his/her own envelope provided as the process verifies your
membership.)
(5) MAIL THE ENVELOPE EARLY SO THAT IT REACHES THE NOMINATIONS/ELECTIONS
COMMITTEE BY THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2010.
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HINDU TEMPLE AND CULTURAL SOCIETY OF USA, INC.
PATRON MEMBER CATEGORY TRUSTEE BALLOT
BALLOT 1 OF 2
For each ballot: Vote only for three candidates by marking “X” on the line.
Voting for more than three candidates will make your ballot invalid.
_____ 1. Bikkina, Mahesh
_____ 2. Das, Kiron M.
_____ 3. Kakarla, Sreenath
_____ 4. Tummala, Hari
_____ 5. Vallabhaneni, Jainag
_____ 6. Vallabhaneni, Subbarao
************************************************************
HINDU TEMPLE AND CULTURAL SOCIETY OF USA, INC.
PATRON MEMBER CATEGORY TRUSTEE BALLOT
BALLOT 2 OF 2
For each ballot: Vote only for three candidates by marking “X” on the line.
Voting for more than three candidates will make your ballot invalid.
_____ 1. Bikkina, Mahesh
_____ 2. Das, Kiron M.
_____ 3. Kakarla, Sreenath
_____ 4. Tummala, Hari
_____ 5. Vallabhaneni, Jainag
_____ 6. Vallabhaneni, Subbarao
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Patron Member Category Trustee Candidate Statements
Mahesh Bikkina MD, MPH, FACC
I have been a part of the HTCS community for many years and have been privileged to participate in a
variety of volunteering opportunities. I have volunteered in the parking lots during festivals and special events
to control the traffic and even assisted in the front office. I have participated in the HTCS Health Camp as a
volunteer physician.
My Wife Venkatalakshmi (Vicky), is a long time volunteer at the Gift Shop.
I am seeking your support to be elected as a trustee and I will work to improve the standing of HTCS in the
community.
Kiron M. Das, M.D., Ph.D., F.R.C.P., F.A.C.P.
I, Kironmoy Das, live in Basking Ridge, New Jersey with my wife, Dr. Kamala Das. My three children Sangeeta,
Kavita, and Koushik all grew up in New Jersey. Kamala is a practicing Obstetrician and Gynecologist in Central New
Jersey. I am a physician, Chief, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson
Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ for the last 22 years As a specialist, the “Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of North
America” in 1991 honored me with a “Distinguished Service Award” for “dedicated service to the patients”. As an
educator, the American Gastroenterological Association in 2007 honored me with a lifetime achievement award,
“Mentors Research Scholar Award” for “dedication to the highest standards of education to the next generation of
gastroenterologists”.
The year we moved to Basking Ridge is the same year the Hindu Temple and Cultural Society of USA project
Temple was started. Both Kamala and I feel truly fortunate for this coincidence and we have been involved with various
Temple projects since its inception. Thus both of us have become grand patrons right from the beginning and I am one of
three devotees who were entrusted in formulating the original constitution for the Temple. Both Kamala and I have
been involved with various religious, cultural and fundraising activities for the Temple. Our son Koushik, who learned
violin (karnatic style), volunteered in many cultural activities of the Temple.
I have a long time interest and experience in community activities across many Indian organizations. I served as the
Vice President of the Cultural Association of Bengal many years ago and I was the President of the Heart and Hands for
the Handicapped (H, H&H).
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My focus as a trustee member of the Temple will be to try to broaden the base of our membership in the community,
advance educational activities, particularly in the area of Vedic teachings for the younger generation, and to establish
various community health improvement programs.
Sreenath Kakarla
By the Grace of Lord Sri Venkateswara and support of my family, I have been blessed to be able to serve
the Temple and the Hindu community as a volunteer since its inception. I am currently a member of the Board
of trustees of the HTCS, NJ and also Treasurer and chairperson of the facility management committee. As
treasurer, I make sure the Temple funds are fully accounted for, submit monthly income/expense statements to
the board and maintain inventory of all valuable donations. In the facility management role, it is my
responsibility to make sure the Temple premises are clean and safe for all devotees visiting the Temple, provide
housing to priests and supervise the office staff.
Since the inception, I volunteered my time in the parking lot for traffic control working with the devotees
and bus drivers for all major Temple events including New Years day and Indian American Festival. I have also
been blessed with an opportunity to serve the Temple as Joint Treasurer, Joint Secretary in the past.
With the Blessing s of the God and your support, if I get elected, I will
1.) Streamline and establish robust financial policies and procedures including auditing and inventory
controls.
2.) Work closely with the construction committee to provide financial discipline so we will not have
overruns with projected cost estimates for all our construction projects.
3.) Work always in the best interest of the Temple and community and pass it on to our children and grand
children a Temple that they should be proud of.
4.) Work with the board of trustees to provide safe, clean and serene premises for all devotees and priests.
I respectfully request you for your support. God Bless us all.
Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavanthu.
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Hari Tummala
I am volunteering my services since the inception of our temple in 1990. I worked in the parking lot several
years for all major functions. I took active participation during the Kumbhabhishekam of 1998.
I served as Facility Management Committee chairman for 6 years (1995 to 2000). During that period, I was
responsible for bringing temple supplies (including fruits and coconuts), coordinate the front office help and
stay late hours to close the auditorium if it is needed.
I also served as Fund Raising Committee Chairman for 4 years (2005 to 2008). As Fund Raising
Committee Chairman, I was responsible for raising funds through donations, enrollment of new members and
conducting annual fund raising dinner.
I am currently serving in the board from Patron category and seeking your support in getting re elected.
Here are some of my objectives if I get re elected:
Bring more transparency and accountability in temple administration.
Make sure all members are treated equally and represent their voice in the board.
Work as a team player, keeping in mind the best interest of the temple.
Bring the By Law changes that are needed.
Encourage next generation to take active participation in temple affairs.
I kindly request you for a favorable consideration.
God Bless All.
Jainag Vallabhaneni
My family and I have been associated with the Bridgewater Venkateswara Temple for over 10 years. I have
worked as a volunteer over these years arranging for off-site parking for special occasions like the New Year,
Indo -American Festival, etc, directing traffic parking and other general volunteer activities. From 1984, I have
worked as a Trustee for the Temple and also as the Chairman of the Membership Sub-Committee. In the
Membership sub-committee, I have been responsible for compiling the membership lists and the donations to
the various Temple projects. For the last few years, I have also been responsible for maintaining and updating
the Temple website. I am now seeking your vote to be re-elected as a Trustee of the Temple. If re-elected as a
Trustee, I will continue to actively work as a volunteer to help improve the Temple during its upcoming
expansion.
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Subbarao Vallabhaneni, MD
Namaste. I have been a volunteer of HTCS from the beginning. I am one of the founding trustees. My wife
Uma has been active with the gift shop from the time it was started. I have served the organization in various
capacities, as a Volunteer, as a Trustee, as Secretary from 1992-1998 and as Facilities Management committee
Chairperson for many years and as Chairman of the Board from 1999-2004. I have been involved with the
publications of the Quarterly flier and the Annual Calendars, as part of my commitment to the Religious
committee for the past 10 plus years. Since May 2010, I have helped Mrs. Naga Yasoda Dasika, to start the
cafeteria services by the temple.
Our Temple has a very good reputation as one of the best run temples in USA. I am proud to be part of it
and instrumental as a trustee and officer over the years. I am committed to see that the best practices are
followed in running our temple.
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