Press Release: Seventeenth TANA Conference

The meeting in preparation to organize the Seventeenth TANA Conference in Chicago was held on Saturday, July 26, 2008 in Downers Grove, IL. Around 80 participants from the Telugu community across the nation were in attendance to discuss the plans for the conference and to get acquainted with the other conference committee members. Mr. Yugandhar Yadlapati, Conference Coordinator, welcomed all attendees. “Working together for a common goal we will have an excellent conference. We will aim to have an even better show than in 1995 when TANA last held a conference in Chicago. We have put together an excellent team to organize the conference at the Rosemont Convention Center in July 2009. I will assure you that we will host a TANA conference the Telugu community of North America will be proud of”, said Mr. Yugandhar. In his remarks Mr. Prabhakar Choudary Kakarala, TANA President, said “I appreciate the Telugu community around the country coming together to coordinate a national TANA conference. I will extend my full support to the conference team.”

Mr.Ravi Madala was introduced as the Conference Chairman. Dr. Ranakumar Nadella, Dr. Sudarsanarao Akkineni, and Mr. Mahipal Kakarala were announced as members of the Conference Advisory Board. Mr. Yugandhar also announced and introduced other conference committee members. Various committee members expressed their views and plans for the conference as they pledged their full support and commitment to work hard for the success of the conference. Mr. Ravi Madala, Conference Chairman, said “We will unite to conduct the best conference ever and strengthen our beloved organization – TANA. This is the first time in the history of TANA we will have a Global Telugu Conference with active participation of the Telugu community across the nation in the organizing committee. We appreciate the warmth and comfort the Chicago Telugu community is showing to unite and strengthen TANA. Under the leadership of Mr. Prabhakar Kakarala and Mr. Yugandhar Yadlapati we will have a grand success. We welcome all Telugus across the globe to take part in the conference in July 2009.”

“We need to give the most importance to programs that support the goals and objectives of our organization. Let us conduct the conference business in a transparent way and communicate with our members about our plans so that they can provide their comments as we progress. Let us focus on programs that are generally appreciated and enjoyed by our members. It is also very important to keep in mind the needs of all members – old timers, new comers, and the second generation youth”, said Dr. Ranakumar Nadella, Conference Advisor.

A website for the conference will be established soon and TANA members can learn about the plans, programs, and events through this site.