A Brief Profile

Avinder Chawla, Civil Engineer by profession, in public service for 30 years, is the Founder/President of “Asian Americans for Biden in Orange County”, with more than 2000 plus followers, a group of South Asian Americans with a population of more than 23 million and representing 12 percent of the country’s population, the fastest-growing minority group in the US, hence playing an important role in the US elections.

In addition, He is a member of “Democratic National Committee’s Finance Council” which raises funds at a national level for Honorable President Joe Biden and Honorable Vice President Kamala Harris. His efforts ensured 1.5 million-plus votes from South Asian Americans including Indian-Americans for the Biden campaign. “We celebrated and sighed as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris swore in as our elected leaders,” he says satisfied.

He kickstarted his career as a politician in 2019 when the slate represented more than half a million people as a delegate for 68th District for the California Democratic Party. After winning rejection for the second time in as delegate in 2021, he was appointed as a member by the Resolution Committee which is one of the most powerful committee under the California Democratic party, representing 10 million Democrats — a feat no other Indian has achieved in the last 100 years!

Since April 2012, Avinder has also been a board member at Newport Mesa Interfaith Council (NMIC) as representative of the Asian American/Indian/Sikh community. In addition, He is also a member of Orange County Advisory Sheriff Interfaith Council under Sheriff Don Barnes representing the Indo-American community. Lately, he was the first Sikh to be appointed as the Chaplain in Orange County Sheriff’s Department. He is the advisor for CA Chapter, South Asians for America (SAFA).

Avinder is currently blessed with the the Sewa( Helping) as the President of the Gurudwara of Sikh Center in Orange County. “I’ll be doing my sewa for the next two years. If we have moved to this country and are doing good in our career, it is a God’s plan as everything happens for a reason. The almighty is sovereign and in control of all things. What He orchestrates and allows is meaningful, significant and purposeful. I don’t know what success means but nothing happens outside of God’s knowledge and permission. We are just messengers.”

Career wise, he served as Vice Chair of Transportation Commission, City of Irvine from Jan 19 to December 2021. He is known for assisting City of Irvine with the City’s focus on improving traffic management, transit planning, and traffic safety. He also enhanced community access avenues to a policy advisory body dedicated exclusively to transportation.

As a Sign Coordinator, working for the California Department of Transportation( Caltrans) for 28 years, he oversees the design, maintenance, and installation of new signs on the Caltrans 250 miles plus of traveled freeways and confers with contractors regarding compliance with plans and quality of work and construction activity.

He also served in Caltrans as Assistant Project Manager of I-5 freeway widening project, oversaw the construction and widening of 6 miles of I-5 freeway in Orange County from 3 to 6 lanes in each direction with a budget of over 6 Billion Dollars!

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