Lt. Gov. of Maryland Anthony Brown feted at gala meet.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: The Asian American Retailers Association (AARA) of Maryland hosted its 3rd Annual Gala Dinner at the Best Western Plus Hotel and Conference Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
The purpose of the February 16th meet was to “celebrate the achievements and success of two vital bodies of retail business: Retailers and Vendors,” said a press release issued by the organization. Roughly 400 invitees were in attendance at the function, including AARA members who own retail outlets as diverse as Liquor Stores, C-stores, Gas Station, 7-Eleven, Dunkin Donuts, and Subway restaurants.
Additionally, members of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) were present, as well as Gujarati Samaaj DC and Baltimore branches’ representatives, India Samaaj associates, associates of the Maryland State Licensed Beverage Association, and vendors such as Reliable Churchill, Republic National, and Southern Wine & Spirits.
Honorees at the event this year were Lieutenant Governor of Maryland Anthony Brown, Howard Count Executive Ken Ulman, and Maryland Deputy Secretary of State Dr. Rajan Natarajan. Brown thanked AARA of Maryland for their continued service to the state, and commended them on following through on their motto: “Coming together is Beginning, Staying together is Progress, and Working together is Success”
Brown also voiced his support of small business, saying that he will do whatever he can to make sure that such establishments continue to grow and contribute to the Maryland economy. He echoed a sentiment shared by AARA – “Together, we can grow.” The honorees were given plaques in recognition of their support of AARA of Maryland.
Several in-house promotions were announced at the event, too: Bimal Katwala announced that Ashish Parikh will be AARA of Maryland’s new Chairman, Doulat Kapoor the new Vice-Chairman, Katwala the new Vice-President, and Hardik Mehta the new Secretary. Brijesh Shah will stay on as Treasurer, and Manish Desai, Shreenath Desai and Dinesh Patel as County Delegates.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com