Community Conversation
with Farooq Mitha
NEHA DEWAN
Neha has long been active in both local and national politics. Most recently, she founded and served as the National Director for South Asians for Biden, an organization dedicated to engaging, educating, and mobilizing the South Asian community to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. In 2016, Neha served as the National Co-Chair for South Asians for Hillary and was appointed by Hillary Clinton to the National AAPI Leadership Council.
Previously, in 2015, Neha was appointed as a guest of honor by the Consulate General of India in New York City where she was selected to speak about gender equality for International Women's Day. During the 2012 presidential campaign, Neha chaired the New York Chapter of South Asians for Obama and also served on the steering committee for Lawyers for Obama in New York. For several years, Neha served as an Officer of the New York Democratic Lawyers Council, an organization affiliated with the National Lawyers Council of the Democratic National Committee and comprised of Democratic lawyers and voting rights activists. Similarly, for many years, Neha served as an advisory board member of New Leaders Council, a national organization focused on training and supporting progressive political entrepreneurs. She has also been active in her local community board and political clubs. Neha served as the President of the South Asian Bar Association of New York in 2012, and now sits on the organization’s Board of Directors.
Mobilizing the South Asian Community & Building Political Power
SENATOR JAY CHAUDHURI
Senator Jay Chaudhuri has spent his career fighting for and working on behalf of the people of North Carolina. For two decades, he has worked at the highest levels of all three branches in state government.
Born in Chattanooga, Senator Chaudhuri is the son of immigrants. His father left India to come to America more than fifty years ago. His parents settled in Fayetteville, where his father worked at the Veteran Administration Hospital before entering private practice. Senator Chaudhuri attended Fayetteville public schools. He graduated from Davidson College, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, and North Carolina Central University School of Law with honors.
As Special Counsel to Attorney General Roy Cooper, Senator Chaudhuri helped lead an investigation by all 50 Attorneys General that resulted in a landmark agreement with the two leading social networking sites, MySpace and Facebook, to better protect children from Internet predators. For his efforts, the National Association of Attorneys General honored him with the Marvin Award, given to an individual who furthers that association’s goals.
As General Counsel & Senior Policy Advisory to State Treasurer Janet Cowell, Senator Chaudhuri helped recover almost $100 million back to the pension and escheat funds. He also led the effort to establish the first ever Innovation Fund, a $230 million fund dedicated to support and invest in businesses with significant operations in North Carolina.
As a State Senator representing District 15 (Raleigh, Cary, and Garner), led the fight on funding class sizes from kindergarten to third grade. He also led the fight on reducing gun violence in our schools. Finally, Senator Chaudhuri played the lead role in recruiting a global information technology company to establish an Innovation Hub that will create 2,000 new jobs and pay $72,000 a year, above the Wake County median salary. That recruitment was one of the largest job announcements in the state this past decade.
This 2019-2020 session, Senate Democrats elected Senator Chaudhuri as Minority Whip, the second-highest ranking position in the State Senate.
He lives in the Cameron Village neighborhood with his wife, their two children, who both attend Wake County public schools. They also have a black lab.
