Krishna Vavilala Honored with 2022 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award
HOUSTON: On December 4, 2022, United States President Joe Biden honored Krishna Vavilala, with he Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award.
AmeriCorps honored Krishna Vavilala on December 4,2022 with the prestigious Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for being a Change Maker and Global Humanitarian. AmeriCorps, is an agency of the United States government that engages more than five million Americans in service through a variety of
volunteer work programs in many sectors.. The event has applauded the lifetime service and achievements of the Indian-American Mr. Krishna Vavilala, who is a Houstonian for the past four decades, calling him a “Change Maker and Global Humanitarian”.
AmeriCorps certifier, Dr. Sonia R. White has presented the official Presidential Award to Vavilala which contained a framed proclamation from the White House, signed by President Biden. The Awards ceremony was held at the Za Za hotel located in the museum district on December 4th,2022 to a packed audience.
In the year 2003, the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation founded the President’s Volunteer Service Awards program to honor outstanding citizens giving their time to volunteer and help their communities. This program is administered
The Presidential Lifetime Achievement Awards are presented annually to honor those in our nation who exhibit outstanding character,work ethic, and dedication to their communities. The Presidential Lifetime Achievement Awards has rapidly become recognized as an immense honor and highly anticipated annual event in America.
Krishna Vavilala,is a retired Electrical Engineer, originally from the state of Andhra Pradesh,India and now a naturalized American citizen settled in Houston, Texas with his wife of 61 years, Prabhat Lakshmi and their two married daughters Monica and Amanda and four grandchildren.
Vavilala, 86, has been a community worker having served the Houston community in various 501(c3) non-profit organizations. As a 9-year old boy,Vavilala experienced the aura of Mahatma Gandhi in person when the Mahatma visited his hometown, Rajahmundry. It was Vavilala’s suggestion that resulted in installation of a Gandhi statue in Houston’s Hermann park. He said, it will serve as a constant reminder of Peace and Non-violence to all Texans. Vavilala raised the funds required for the project and also served as the Project Chairman.
A strong believer in promoting peace and racial harmony, Vavilala participated in several MLK Jr. Grande Parades, himself dressed and walked as Mahatma Gandhi with the sole purpose of bringing the Indian community closer to the Black community, based on the principles of non-violence, which both Gandhi ji and MLK Jr. had followed.
Mr. Vavilala is the founder and Chairman of the Foundation for India studies (FIS), a 16-year old non-profit 501(c3) organization. Its signature project called “the Indo-American Oral History Project’’ won the 2019 Mary Fay Barnes Award for Excellence awarded by the Texas Oral History Association (TOHA) located in Baylor University, Waco, Texas.
In 2006, Mr. Vavilala was instrumental in establishing the India studies program in University of Houston, He was also responsible for initiating the India Studies program at Texas Southern University in May 2022.
Krishna Vavilala also served as a President of the American Society of Indian Engineers, Telugu Cultural Association, Houston and Telugu Literary and Cultural Association, York.