Swati Dandekar
For State Senate
Press Releases
-
White House State Dinner
November 24, 2009
Arvind and I were honored to receive an invitation from the White House to attend the State Dinner hosted by President and Mrs. Obama in honor of the Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh and his wife Mrs. Kaur on November 24, 2009. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed the evening in the White House. The State Dinner was fabulous. We had a chance to meet several members of the Senate and House, cabinet members, governors, celebrities, government officials and other invited guests.
The highlight of the event for us was meeting President and Mrs. Obama and Prime Minister and Mrs. Singh. President Obama asked me to convey his greetings to all Iowans. Dr. Singh remembered my meeting with him two years ago when I visited India at the request of the Indian government.
President Obama and Prime Minister Singh were most gracious and upbeat in their remarks. Both leaders agreed that it was critical that the world’s old and largest democracies will have to work together to advance the cause of world peace and economic growth.
We saw fusion of American and Indian culture and traditions in the State dinner. This could be seen in beautiful decorations in the tent that was set for the State Dinner in the White House lawn. The choice of menu was outstanding and featured both American and Indian cuisine. The food was delicious and well presented. The entertainment was a mixture of Hollywood and Bollywood and the program clearly captivated the audience.
The White House staff made everyone feel at home and their attention to detail was superb. It was a memorable evening for both Arvind and I.
-
Dandekar to be President-elect for NFWL
Here is the press release from when I became president elect for the National Foundation for Women Legislators
