Upendra J. Chivukula
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Upendra J. Chivukula (born October 8, 1950) is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2002, where he represents the 17th legislative district. Assemblyman Chivukula is the first Asian Indian American elected to the New Jersey General Assembly and the fourth Indian American in the United States to be elected to state office.
Chivukula serves in the Assembly on the Commerce and Economic Development Committee (as Vice Chair), the Telecommunications and Utilities Committee and the Transportation Committee.
Assemblyman Chivukula has served on the Franklin Township Council since 1997, serving as its Mayor in 2000 and its Deputy Mayor in 1998. In Franklin Township, he has also served on the Franklin Township Community Foundation, Finance Oversight Committee, Traffic Management Committee, Fire Prevention Board, Emergency Life Support Delivery, Integrated Communications Committee, Emergency Management, Franklin Township Planning Board, Economic Development Committee, Community / Senior Center Steering Committee and the Bicentennial Celebration Committee. Chivukula has served on the Somerset County Affordable Housing Board of Trustees and the Middlesex County Cultural and Historic Commission. He was appointed by then Governor of New Jersey James Florio to be a Public Member of the New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners, where he served from 1994 to 1997.
He was a Member of Delegation to the Democratic National Convention in 1996 and 2000.
Chivukula was one of New Jersey's presidential electors casting the state's Electoral College votes after the 2004 presidential election.[1] New Jersey's electors cast their ballots on December 13, 2004 in the State House Annex, in Trenton, where all 15 votes were cast for the Democratic Party candidate John Kerry.
Chivukula received a B.E.E. from Guindy Engineering College (now part of Anna University) in Electrical Engineering and was awarded an M.E.E. degree from City College of New York in Electrical Engineering.
[edit] District 17
Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 17th Legislative District are:
- Assemblyman Joseph V. Egan, and
- Senator Bob Smith
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Assemblyman Chivukula's Legislative Website
- New Jersey Voter Information Website 2003
- High Tech Hall of Fame Biography
- Indian American Leadership Incubator Profile
- Chief Guest
- New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure form for 2005 (PDF)
- New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure form for 2004 (PDF)
Categories: 1950 births | Living people | Mayors of places in New Jersey | Members of the New Jersey General Assembly | Indian Americans | Hindu politicians | American Hindus | 2004 United States presidential electors | City University of New York people | Asian American politicians | New Jersey politicians