NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Atlanta, GA: Two Indian-Americans are in the fray for Johns Creek City Council open seats. Arun Misra, Ph.D, a former college professor and retired businessman, and Dr. Nazeera Dawood, Health Promotion Division Manager at Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness announced their candidacy for post 2 and 5 respectively.
Dr Arun Misra
A former professor and research scientist, Dr Misra is well-known in the community as a real estate, investments and mortgage agent. Dr Misra was a candidate in May 2014 for post 4. He got 700 votes that forced a runoff in July 2014. “Being a proud citizen of Johns Creek, and one who was very involved for years in the establishment of the city, it is painful to see the slow progress on several fronts,” said Dr Misra. “Johns Creekwas once considered one of the 25 best places to live in the entire USA, but has now slipped to number 10, while neighboring cities like Alpharetta and Milton have been moving up in the rankings.”
“Some of the reasons I ran in 2014 and am running again are: Participation of minorities in the city government and the social fabric; creation of parks and recreation areas; development of commercial spaces, a city center, a mall, a post office and college; senior centers with facilities for badminton, yoga and meditation; and to make Johns Creek a business friendly city,” Misra adds.
Dr Misra taught and did research in biology, microbiology and genetic engineering at Atlanta University Center,University of Mississippi,Washington University and at educational institutions in Australia and India. He has published over 75 research papers, 100 abstracts, over 200 popular articles on molecular biology, virology, pathology and related fields. He is also the author of several books.
Dr Misra has been active in community organizations like the Rotary Club, chambers of commerce,Atlanta Botanical Garden, Indian business associations, Indian associations, literary and photographic societies and wild life organizations.
Dr Nazeera Dawood
“I have been a leader all my life and have a true passion for our community,” said Dr. Dawood in a press release. “As a graduate of the Johns Creek Citizens Police Academy and Johns Creek Leadership Program and an active Rotarian I have a proven dedication to our area.”
“As a fiscal conservative I will work to ensure that your tax dollars are spent wisely. I will oppose all tax increases and work to be your voice on the City Council,” she added. “As our next city council member I proposed working collaboratively with key stakeholders to address our transportation needs. I will support new technologies to keep our traffic flowing efficiently.”
Dr. Nazeera Dawood has been a leader all her life. After graduating from medical school, Dr. Dawood earned her Masters in Public Health at UNC in Chapel Hill. She worked at Emory School of Medicine in Atlanta and today works as an advisor on preventative medicine for Fulton County.
Dr. Dawood received her medical doctor degree from Bangalore University in India and master’s degree in public health from the University of North Carolina,Chapel Hill. She worked as a research project manager atEmoryUniversityfor over five years and was recognized as the 2010-2011 ‘We are Emory, 100 Community Builders’. Under her leadership, the collaborative partnerships have grown to over 400 businesses, organization and individuals through the six coalitions and secured $9,000,000 project funding for a period of three years. Oct 1 2014 was proclaimed as ‘Dr. Nazeera Dawood Appreciation Day’ sponsored by Fulton Board of Commissioners. She is a Johns Creek resident and a recent graduate of Leadership JohnsCreekandJohns Creek Community Police Academy. Dr Dawood recently received a Public Service Award from American Tamil Medical Association (ATMA).
