About IACPA | Staff

Anita Banerji

Community Relations Associate

Anita Banerji joined the India Abroad Center for Political Awareness (IACPA) in May of 2000, after serving in the Office of Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) for 14 months. Banerji worked as a Legislative Correspondent, focusing on social policy issues, such as health care and education.

Banerji is an alumna of the IACPA internship program. As an intern of the program in 1996, she worked in the Office of Representative Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and had the opportunity to work with the Communications Director, writing press releases, attending hearings, briefings and mark up sessions.

She is a 1998 graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she obtained a bachelor's degree in print journalism. She was a student reporter for the campus newspaper, the Daily Illini, and covered issues regarding student government.

Banerji currently freelances for Asian Fortune, a monthly publication covering the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. She is also a member of the DC chapter of the Network of South Asian Professionals (NetSAP). She sits on the NetSAP-DC board. Banerji joined Prem Shunmugavelu at IACPA to help promote political awareness within the Indian American community.

Prem Shunmugavelu
Political Associate

Prem Shunmugavelu joined the India Abroad Center for Political Awareness in February, 2000 after serving in the office of U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), as a Mailroom Supervisor, Legislative Correspondent, and Intern Coordinator. Previously, he served as Deputy Finance Director to the Lydia Spottswood for Congress campaign, and the Rick Phelps for Congress campaign in Wisconsin.

Shunmugavelu is a 1997 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelors degree in History and a Certificate in Business.

He is an active member of the Network of South Asian Professionals-DC Chapter (NetSAP-DC) and served as the Chairman of the Political Committee and the 1999 co-host of NetSAP-DC's annual cultural show, Mehfil.

Currently, he is running one of the most prestigious internship programs in the Asian American community the IACPA Washington Leadership Program. He also works on the policy and political issues in the office including hate crimes and immigration, and works as the organization's liaison to the Asian Pacific American community and to Capitol Hill.