Nov 07, Kathmandu - Bidya Gurung has been elected as the president of the Nepalese Association in Southeast America (NASA). She was elected as the president for a four-year term at the 34th conference held in Atlanta, USA.

The conference was attended by Nepalese living in Georgia, Seattle, Chicago, Colorado, Maryland, Alabama, North and South Carolina, Florida and Washington DC.

NASA has its first female president in three decades since its establishment. Newly elected president Gurung has previously served two terms as board director and women's committee leader.

Gurung, a social worker living in the US, has been playing a significant role in the rights, interests of the Nepalese community and the promotion of Nepali art and culture for 25 years. Gurung, who has been involved in NASA since 1999, has been continuously meeting with the Nepali community, providing support and assistance in good times and bad, informed social worker Raja Ghale.

It is said that she was elected to the prestigious position of president because of his active role in preserving Nepali literature, culture and tradition.

Similarly, Dr. Dilip Panthi (North Carolina) was elected as the executive vice-president of NASA, Pranay Lama as the vice-president, Shikshya Gautam (Georgia) as the general secretary, Bimala Adhikari as the joint secretary and Puranraj Khatiwada (North Carolina) as the treasurer, informed social worker Ghale.

The other 15 members of the executive board are Rajendra Neupane (South Carolina), Subash Pokharel (Maryland), Dr. Shankar Parajuli (Massachusetts), Hom Lamsal (North Carolina), Kalpana Bhattarai (Georgia), Kusum Baral (South Carolina), Guru Prasad Dhungel (South Carolina), Rama Pahari (Florida), Ruby Baral (Georgia), Pratibha Khadka (Virginia), Abhiraj Rajbanshi (South Carolina), Nishant Aryal (Georgia), Jaya Narayan Shah (Louisiana), Sangita Malla and Parbati Timalsina (North Carolina), informed Election Commissioner and former NASA Chairman Bimal Nepal.

The 34th NASA conference was inaugurated by US Ambassador to Nepal Lokdarshan Regmi.