Abha Pandya has served as Executive Director of Asian Human Services (AHS) in Chicago since 1994. Under her direction AHS has grown into the Midwest’s largest pan-Asian comprehensive social service agency. AHS provides programming for all ages, with professional staff possessing fluency in 20 languages and has Chicago’s only nationally accredited mental health program targeting Asian Americans.

Under Ms. Pandya’s leadership AHS started a Passages Charter School in 2001. It is a pre-K to Grade 5 elementary school targeting immigrant and refugee children and has an enrollment of 215 students for the 2005 school year. With three years of effort, Ms. Pandya also secured a grant from the Federal Health and Human Services Administration to open the first primary care community health center targeting the Asian community in Chicago. The clinic opened its doors on March 1, 2004.

Ms. Pandya has served on the Board of the United Way/Crusade of Mercy and on the Chicago Council of the United Way. She was also a member of the Governor’s Multicultural Services Committee and the board of the Chicago Council on Urban Affairs.

She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Bombay, a Master of Arts from the University of Delhi and a Master of Sciences from Boston University.

Ms. Pandya is currently Chief Executive Officer of Asian Human Services, a position she was promoted to in 2004.

Additional Resources: http://www.asianhumanservices.org/our_agency.htm