News Room

SAINT PAUL — On Saturday, November 11, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon presented the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) Medallion Award to the Indian Cultural Association of Minnesota (ICAM). The award recognizes the group’s innovative and successful efforts to expand voter education and participation. It was presented to ICAM president Ajay Singh who accepted this on behalf of the board during the Diwali celebration at the Festival of Lights Cultural Show.

ICAM is a volunteer-run organization that serves the Asian Indian community in Rochester. They promoted voter engagement through a digital and on-the-ground campaign, creating voter materials including videos in English, Hindi and other Indian regional languages, hosting community events to reach voters, and partnering with the Office of the Secretary of State to bring Voter 101 meetings to their members.

“We are grateful for the commitment of ICAM to empowering their community in an engaging and authentic way,” said Secretary Simon. “ICAM members have gone above and beyond to foster meaningful civic engagement through voter outreach.”

PHOTO: Sec. Simon awarding NASS Medallion to ICAM president Ajay Singh

About ICAM

Indian Cultural Association of Minnesota (ICAM) is a not-profit organization formed in 2020 promoting the multi-cultural heritage of the Indian diaspora of Rochester, Minnesota. Its purpose is to connect, communicate, collaborate, and create a platform to serve and support the cultural and educational needs of the Asian Indian community.

About the NASS Medallion Award

The NASS Medallion Award was created to honor individuals, groups, or organizations with an established record of promoting the goals of NASS in one or more of the following areas:

• Elections, with special emphasis on voter education and participation
• Civic education, including the teaching, promotion, and study of this subject
• Service to state government, specifically as it relates to the duties of the office of the Secretary of State
• A commitment to giving – a business or individual whose philanthropic contributions have significantly enhanced the quality of life in a local or regional area within a state, or within an entire state

Award recipients should reflect the mission, purposes, and objectives of NASS as outlined in the NASS Constitution, Bylaws, and other relevant NASS policies. They should also promote the same dignity, ideals, and stature that NASS has come to represent over the years.