Mission

The DIAL Program identifies, trains, and promotes placement of Indian-Americans in leadership and policymaking positions of community organizations across Monroe County and the Finger Lakes region.

Vision

The Development of Indian-American Leaders (DIAL) Program was created on the belief that far too many highly-skilled, Indian-American professionals are overlooked and underutilized by community groups across Monroe County and the Finger Lakes region.  Our aim is two-fold:

1. Ensure community organizations are tapping into the full potential of the Indian-American community.
2. Provide Indian-American professionals opportunities to give back to the communities in which we work and live.

Indian-Americans value education, hard work, collaboration, and results; and are uniquely skilled to affect positive changes within our community.   But many lack the network, or understanding of how community organizations operate, to get involved in philanthropic work. DIAL will identify, cultivate and promote these Indian-American leaders and create opportunities for them to serve their communities.

History

Indo-Americans have settled in the Rochester, NY community for many generations. It is painfully obvious that in spite of the economic and professional success of the Indo-American community, our presence and influence in the community at large is very limited. In early 2006, a group of dedicated members of our community initiated an effort to start a civic leadership training program for Indo-Americans. The program’s goal is to cultivate, train and place talented professionals of Indian origin in our community in the positions of policymaking decisions of civic organizations throughout the Monroe County.

The program is called “DIAL” – Development of Indo-American Leaders. DIAL aims to ensure that community and civic organizations are tapping the full potential of the Indo-American community, and at the same time ensure that the Indo-American community assimilates with the community at large. DIAL was incorporated in Rochester, NY on March 9, 2006 with its first board meeting held on April 26, 2006.

2016 will be the 11^th year of Annual Training.