THE GREATER CAROLINA KERALA ASSOCIATION

Dear friends and families,

I am humbled and honored to have been nominated for a position on the GCKA board of directors and to serve as the President for the year 2022-23. I am truly inspired by the previous BOD members, Nomination Committees as well as all the volunteers for their relentless work over the past few years.

We are still living in a pandemic affected world, and everyone is adjusting to the new normal, whether at work, school or in our day to day activities. While the previous BODs navigated us through all the ups and downs of the pandemic and brought the community back together, it's now upon us to take the lead and move the organization forward. Our motto for this year is “Reconnecting Hearts; Reviving Roots”.  It's my hope and request to all GCKA families to participate and provide us all the support that we need for the upcoming year as well as in the years to come!

My family moved to the Triangle area in the summer of 2014, and we were welcomed by the Malayalee community with open arms. You wouldn’t believe that all four of us were on stage for various events within a couple of months of moving here, during the GCKA Onam program. We never felt so connected with our motherland in any of our previous stops at Florida, California or New Jersey.

GCKA has a rich history of diversity and inclusion. With the focused leadership of this organization, we have been able to affirm these important values in our everyday lives. As Keralites, we are proud of our culture and traditions. GCKA will continue to serve as a platform that provides our members with opportunities to spend time with one another, share our thoughts and views, and pass on our culture to the future generations.

“Someone will declare, “I am the Leader!” and expect everyone to get in the line and follow him or her to the gates of heaven or hell. My experience is that it doesn’t happen that way. Others follow you based on the quality of your actions rather than the magnitude of your declarations.”  - Bill Walsh

I, along with a very energetic and motivated group of board members, have planned a fun filled set of activities for the upcoming year. Please keep an eye out for our emails as well as our social media (Facebook & Instagram) for updates. We are so grateful to all of our sponsors and volunteers in helping us execute the events successfully.

Please send improvement recommendations and ideas to president@gcka.com or contact any of our board members. 

Once again, thank you for all your contributions and support. I am looking forward to working with you all!

Sincerely,

Manoj Chonat

GCKA President