WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor-Elect Tim Kaine of Virginia has appointed Mr. Aneesh Chopra, a leader of the Indian American community and an active member of the USINPAC Leadership Committee, as the first Indian American Secretary of Technology for the Commonwealth of Virginia. USINPAC congratulates Mr. Chopra on his appointment.

Governor-Elect Tim Kaine commenting on his appointment of Aneesh Chopra as Secretary of Technology said, "I am proud to appoint Aneesh Chopra as Secretary of Technology. The opportunity to make an appointment with the historic distinction this one holds is truly an honor. I look forward to working with Aneesh and know that the people of the Commonwealth will be well- served by his inclusion in my cabinet."

"The appointment of Aneesh Chopra as Secretary of Technology is a milestone achievement for the Indian American community," said Sanjay Puri, Chairman of USINPAC and a member of the Governor-Elect's Transition Team which recommends individuals to serve in the Kaine administration.

"Mr. Chopra's appointment is a direct result of the Indian American community being actively involved in local Virginia politics," Mr. Puri continued, "and this is one of the missions of USINPAC and a model that USINPAC will follow in order to urge the appointment of Indian Americans throughout the country."

In fact, USINPAC successfully used this model in 2004 for Steve Rao, Information Technology Advisory Board for the State of North Carolina. As Mr. Rao said, "USINPAC is an outstanding organization which helped me reach out and share my vision with leaders in North Carolina. My appointment was a result of the hard work and efforts of USINPAC, an outstanding organization."

About his new appointment, Mr. Chopra said, "I am honored to serve Governor-Elect Tim Kaine as his Secretary of Technology. In addition, I thank Mr. Puri and USINPAC for working tirelessly to bring about my appointment, and I commend them for the work they are doing on behalf of the Indian American community."

Mr. Chopra is currently the Managing Director of the Advisory Board Company which advises 2,500 health systems and medical centers. Mr. Chopra graduated with a BA from Johns Hopkins University and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University. Mr. Chopra was also appointed by Governor Warner to serve on Virginia's Board of Medical Regents.

About USINPAC

USINPAC is a united, strong and clear voice representing the Indian American community on Capitol Hill, the White House and the State Capitols. We promote issues that are shaped by the emerging concerns of our community. Our mission is to ensure effective representation on issues of concern to Indian Americans. To that end, we provide bipartisan support to candidates for public office who address the community's concerns. For additional information about USINPAC please visit the website at http://www.usinpac.com/.

CONTACT: USINPAC Media: +1-703-587-4156, media@usinpac.com

Web site: http://www.usinpac.com/