As India continues to gain stature in world power circles-over the past decade, its economy has been one of the fastest-growing, increasing at a rate of about 6 percent a year-the Institute of International Education gave Coloradans an opportunity to learn more about its culture and cuisine by making it the focus of the 2005 Diplomats Ball.
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Stars of India, chaired by Terri Biddinger and Stephanie Foote, was a dinner-and-entertainment spectacular that brought dignitaries from across the country to the Donald R. Seawell Grand Ballroom. Special guests included India’s ambassador to the U.S., Ronen Sen. He was accompanied by his wife, Kaplana.
Honorary chairmen for Stars of India were Colorado College President Richard Celeste; his wife, Jacqueline Lundquist; University of Denver Vice Provost Ved Nanda and his wife, Katharine Nanda.
Celeste, a former governor of Ohio, was the U.S. ambassador to India from 1997 to 2001. He also was director of the United States Peace Corps from 1979-1981.
Nanda is vice provost for internationalization at DU, where he also serves as the
Thompson G. Marsh Professor of Law, director of the International Legal Studies Program and the John Evans University Professor. He has degrees from Punjab University, Delhi University and Northwestern University.
The Nandas’ daughter, Anjali, was on the ball committee with such community leaders as Harry Lewis, vice chair of IIE’s regional advisory board; honorary consuls Rita Ehrmann (Norway), Frieda Sanidas (France), Mark O’Regan (Australia) and Nanna Nielsen Smith (Denmark). Others helping to plan the gala were Vinod Bhasin, Adil Khan, Sandeep Krishnamurthy, Nirav Shah, Sangeeta and Dileep Reddy, Sudhir Verma and Prabhakara Vibhandik.
Some sparkling news
A new grandchild isn’t the only thing that has Arlene Mohler smiling these days. Don Johnson, whose late wife, Kathy Piper Johnson, edited the Denver Social Register and Record, recently popped the question, she said “yes” and he slipped a gorgeous Jay Feder diamond on her third finger, left hand … Managing partner Hector Galice and chef Benji Macias threw quite a shindig last Wednesday night to welcome Kimi Porterfield, the new event coordinator at Il Fornaio in the Denver Tech Center … Cherry Hills Country Club was the setting for a cocktail party honoring Christopher Little, who will serve as president of both the Denver Bar Association and the Colorado Defense Lawyers Association in 2005-06. Little is a fifth-generation lawyer and is a shareholder-director with Montgomery Little and McGrew. He’s 42 years old, married to Christy Jordan, marketing director for the City of Aurora Golf. They have two daughters: 5-year-old Molly and newborn Kate.
Society editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jmdpost@aol.com.
