MEET OUR LEADERSHIP
Debadutta Dash
President
Debadutta Dash has worked with the Departments of Commerce, Agriculture, and Co-operatives for the Government of India. He is the former President of the India Association of Western Washington, and he is an alumnus of the United Way of King County Project LEAD Program and the ACLF Leadership Program. He served two full terms as the Commissioner of the State Commission on Asian and Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA), appointed by both Christine Gregoire and Jay Inslee. He also served as the Chair of the Economic Development committee for CAPAA for both the terms. He also co-chairs the Washington State and India Trade Relations Action Committee.
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Dash has been honored by the Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation, the International Examiner, and former Seattle Congressman Jim McDermott for his dedication and contribution to community service. He is currently a board member of the Asian Counseling Referral Service (ACRS), Tasveer, and the CIBER Advisory Board for the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington.
Huda Giddens
Board Member
Huda Giddens is a Palestinian American, an educator of long standing, with an MSc in Early Education, and the founder of the Giddens School, a preschool through primary levels. As an educator, Huda is very supportive of the current Sukarya educational effort which makes a very strong statement to parents and children that the school comes to them.
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Huda Giddens, a young mother and educator, founded the school in 1972 as a half-day preschool. She named it The Happy Medium School in an effort to capture the spirit of the unique combination of educational philosophies and environment dedicated to educating the whole child.​ For over 40 years, Giddens School has been dedicated to teaching an academically excellent, developmentally appropriate curriculum that stretches critical thinking, and encourages social responsibility.
Meera Satpathy
Chair of the Advisory Board
As founder and Managing Director of Pearl Advertising Agency, Meera spent many years in Delhi witnessing that people in slums struggled accessing basic health care services. They were denied their basic right to good health because they did not have the means to access it. With the support of a few friends, she set up Sukarya in 1998 to empower the underprivileged people in the slums and villages of Delhi and Haryana so that they could access to health services.​
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Meera's leadership turned Sukarya from just focusing on health, into an organization dealing with maternal and child health, basic healthcare, and women's empowerment. Her dedication has inspired volunteers, reaching 750,000 people in 504 villages and 34 slums. As Chairperson, Meera guides Sukarya strategically and stays active in the field. She also chairs Sukarya USA's Advisory Committee.
Dr. Sonja Ronning
Board Member
Dr. Sonja Ronning is a family physician. After first training and working as a high school science teacher, she went on to the University of Washington school of Medicine, in her father’s footsteps.
She has done medical volunteering in Tanzania and Haiti, and knows the great need and impact of helping women create healthier communities. She lives in Olympia with Her husband, an Indian-American native of Bangalore, and two children. Naturally, then, she feels a kinship to the goals and values of Sukarya - reaching out to Indian women and children for education, health, and empowerment.
Ekta Saini
Board Member
Ekta Saini, a trailblazer in the world of pageantry, is the national director and owner of Miss World America. Alongside her husband, Sanjay Saini, she made history as the first South Asian to lead this prestigious organization. Ekta is deeply committed to philanthropy and community service, embodying the "Beauty with a Purpose" ethos of Miss World. She is also an avid supporter of Sukarya, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving maternal and child health in underserved communities. Through her leadership and advocacy, Ekta continues to inspire transformation and empowerment on both local and global scales.
Varun Gupta
Board Member
Varun Gupta grew up in India with a strong commitment to education and community service. His dedication led him to become a leading technology leader in the USA, making significant contributions to both technology and education.
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With over 25 years of experience, Varun has focused on improving access to learning for underprivileged children. He has been with the non-profit Sukarya for over 8 years and is a founding member of the “Education on Wheels” program, bringing education to underserved communities.
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Varun coordinates Sukarya’s activities with technology sector volunteers, including those from Microsoft USA, and has led initiatives to support seniors in navigating technology. As a board member of Sukarya USA, he continues to influence the organization’s direction and impact.
