| MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF TAMANA |
THE WINDS BENEATH OUR WINGS:
Tamana is fortunate to have people of high calibre, repute and exceptional capabilities to grace its Governing Body. These are multi-faceted personalities who are at the peak in their individual professions but who have a deep-rooted love and concern for children with disabilities. They have all been instrumental in the growth of the association and have made significant contribution to the society in more than one ways. The achievements of Tamana would not have been possible without the active involvement and support from the concerned and motivated members of the body, our educators and other staff members.
Patrons
- Ms. Margaret Alva
Politician
- Dr. Geraldine Dawson
Chief Science Officer, Autism Speaks, USA
- Sir David Goodall
Ex British High Commissioner
Chairperson
- Mrs. Anuradha Kumar
Journalist
President
- Dr. (Mrs.) Shayama Chona
Educationist and Social Activist
Vice President
- Mrs. Urmil Aggarwal
Entrepreneur
General Secretary
- Mr. Vikram Chona
Social Activist
Treasurer
- Mrs. Karuna Shriram
Social Activist
Jt. Secretary
- Mrs. Sangeeta Gupta
Special educator
Members
- Ms. Gauri Chadha
- Mrs. Annie Howard
- Mr. Amit Sundra
- Mrs. A. Bhagwant Singh
- Ms. Ambika Chadha
- Mr. Pawan Jain
- Ms Kavita Chatterjee
- Ms. Vinita Krishna
- Ms. Sarita Goswami
- Ms. Pushpa Aggarwal
- Ms. Abha Chona
- Mr. P. Dasgupta
MRS. MARGARET ALVA:
Margaret Alva (born April 14, 1942) is a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and was the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee. Margaret ALVA was the General Secretary of the Indian National Congress, the oldest political party in India, and a close adviser to the president of the Indian National Congress, Sonia Gandhi. Alva was removed from her position in Congress Party following her allegations on the functioning of the Congress party pertaining to the Cash for votes scandal. A former five-term member of the Indian parliament from 1974 to 2004, she has also been appointed as advisor to the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training, a body set up to improve the standards of legislative functions in the National Parliament and State Assemblies. She has spearheaded four major legislative amendments passed by the Indian parliament involving women's rights, marriage laws, equal remuneration and the reservation of quotas for women in local politics. Ms. Alva also helped draft the blueprint for policies ensuring the empowerment of women, which has been adopted by India's central and state governments. In 2003, she was honored by President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa for playing an important role in garnering support for the people of South Africa during their struggle for freedom and against apartheid. Ms. Alva is a former Minister of Human Resource Development under the government of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, which was responsible for harnessing and promoting the potential of India's massive population. A lawyer by profession, she was conferred an honorary doctorate in literature by the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India.She is the founder President of NGO 'Karuna'. Her last assignment was that of Advisor to the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training, Lok Sabha Secretariat. She was appointed Governor of the State of Uttarakhand in July 2009 for a five year term and took oath on 6th August 2009.
She is reputed for her humanistic approach to issues relating to welfare. She has made valuable contribution to the growth and cause of Tamana and has always been there whenever we required her support.
SIR DAVID GOODALL:
Sir Goodall was British High Commissioner to India from 1987 to 1991. A former Chairman of the Leonard Cheshire Foundation, Britain’s largest disability charity, and of the British-Irish Association, he is a Visiting Professor at Liverpool University’s Institute of Irish Studies and a Fellow of the Irish Genealogical Research Society. A regular contributor to the Tablet, he has published two books: Remembering India (1997) and Ryedale Pilgrimage (2000).
GERALDINE DAWSON:
Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D. is Research Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Chief Science Officer at Autism Speaks. Dawson also holds the positions of Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University and Professor Emeritus of Psychology at University of Washington.
Dawson received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology with a minor in Child Clinical Psychology from the University of Washington and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Neuropsychiatric Institute at UCLA, specializing in neurodevelopmental disorders. She has been licensed as a clinical psychologist since 1980. From 1996-2007, Dawson was Founding Director of the University of Washington Autism Center, designated an NIH Autism Center of Excellence, where she lead a multi-disciplinary autism research program focusing on genetics, neuroimaging, diagnosis, and treatment, and oversaw a treatment center for children and adolescents with autism. Dawson has published extensively on autism spectrum disorders, focusing on early detection and intervention, brain dysfunction (electrophysiology), and genetic studies. In collaboration with Sally Rogers, Dawson developed and empirically-validated the Early Start Denver Model, a comprehensive early intervention program for young children with autism. Dawson has testified before the U.S. Senate on behalf of individuals with autism and played a key role on the Washington State Autism Task Force.
DR. SHAYAMAA CHONA:
"Awarded Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the President of India"
Dr. Shayama Chona, is the Former Principal of Delhi Public School RK Puram, New Delhi - a world class institution. Her efforts to break the barriers of schools to include the poor and the handicapped are unprecedented. She has also launched major initiatives to strengthen teaching of Science, Computers and Information Technology in schools. She has served as a member on 97 Advisory Boards and Committees and has been Trustee of the Nehru Bal Samiti and Special Olympics, Patron of ‘Concerned Action Now’, Vice-Chairman of the Society for Human Development, besides being on the Managing Committee of 46 schools and other educational institutions.
Dr. Chona is founder member of NGO `Tamana’. She has given concrete shape and direction to her transcendent principles, by setting up 3 schools for the mentally challenged: ‘Tamana Special School’, ‘Nai Disha’ and the ‘School of Hope’ at D-6, Vasant Vihar, C-10/8, Vasant Vihar & CPWD Complex Vasant Vihar, New Dellhi-110057 respectively. As their Founder, she has been working for the upliftment of the handicapped children since 1984, and celebrates humanity with the dictum, “Numberless are the world’s wonders, but none more wonderful than man”.
Not only has her contribution been recognized and felicitated time and again, her commitment in the field of education and social welfare for over 4 decades has given concrete shape directly to the nation’s education policies and welfare programmes. She is the proud recipient of 54 awards, the most prestigious being the *Padma Bhushan* in 2008 and *Padma Shri* in 1999 and two National Awards in 1994 and 1997 and one State Award in 1993 for her work in the field of education and social welfare. For over 4 decades, Mrs. Chona has served the society at large, with distinction and timeless dedication. Her mission to educate and empower both the well-to-do and the needy, the abled along with the disabled, and the ‘haves’ with the ‘have-nots’, has never known any boundaries, and has led to the full realization of the human potential. In the sum analysis, Mrs. Chona’s life may be best described as a confluence of deep and abiding compassion for all. She serves humanity with humility. She stands among the very best.
After penning down from DPS RK Puram as Principal on 12th August 2009. Presently Dr Chona is holding the following positions:-
- Member on the Round Table of Ministry of HRD headed by Mr. Kapil Sibal.
- Member of Sub-committee of Planning Commission on Public Private Partnership.
- Member-Education of UNESCO.
- Member of Medanta-The medicity (ethics committee).
- Member - Advisory Board of Meghe Group of Schools, Nagpur
- Independent Director of Educomp Solutions Ltd
|
|