BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Sunitha Raj, President: is a well known exponent of Indian classical dance who received her training in the Vazhuvoor style of Bharatanatyam from world renowned Guru Sri Padmashree Vazhuvoor Ramaiyya Pillai and his son Sri Kalaimamani Vazhuvoor R.Samaraj. 

She began dancing at the tender age of 3 and did her arangetram at the age of 11. She has had the privilege of experiencing the age old tradition of 'Gurukul'. To date, she has given more than 200 dance recitals all over the world. She has enriched the cultural life of the Carolinas by dedicating herself to teaching and performing classical dance  over the past 15 years. She has also choreographed and produced 3 major productions with over 40 dancers in each of her shows that ran to packed houses at McAllister auditorium in Furman University.

Apart from her passion for dance, she was also a well known movie star in South India and earned the love and devotion of her fans. To date, she has acted in over 60 movies with leading stars from Southern India.

Emy Chester, Secretary: is an Independent Contractor Destination Services Consultant, with Dwellworks, LLC and Cultural Awareness International where her focus is assisting domestic and international transferees and their families in getting settled into their new community. Emy has been a long time community volunteer throughout the upstate. She is the former Production Manager for Carolina Ballet Theatre. Emy is often seen volunteering at the Artisphere Festival in Greenville. In 2011 Emy directed the entertainment segment of the American Red Cross’ Annual Wine Auction at the Peace Center for the Performing Arts. For two seasons she served on the board of the Greenville County Youth Orchestras as their publicity liaison in 2011-2013. Emy is a Living Your Strengths Facilitator and Stephen Minister at her church in Simpsonville and serves on the Outreach Tithing Committee there. Most recently, Emy is spearheading the development of non- profit group, International Classical Art Connections ICAC, to promote the diversity of cultures in the Upstate through music, dance and song  - Emy is passionate about the value of cultural arts within our community and its positive impact on the Upstate of South Carolina.

Raj Sundaram, Treasurer: is a Senior Project Lead at Metlife based in Greenville, SC. His passion for arts led him to manage several productions making him quite adept at managing and organizing the finances. He strongly believes that arts from various countries needs to be propogated in the Upstate so that people understand and appreciate the different cultures and their nuances.

Bill Reynolds, Board Member: is EVP, Executive Director, Media and Analytics at Erwin Penland, LLC, a marketing communications firm based in Greenville and New York. He is a founding member of the ICAC board. He’s lived in Greenville since 1981, where he and his wife Yvonne have raised 3 children. Bill’s interest in supporting the arts began as a “ballet dad” working backstage at performances for his youngest daughter, who’s now a professional dancer.

Steve Chester, Board Member:  is currently the Technical Service and Development Manager for Fitesa, a global manufacturer of nonwoven products. Steve graduated from West Virginia University with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and holds several patents related to nonwoven technology. Steve has always been an enthusiastic supporter of the arts and has extensive volunteer experience.

Dr. Rusty Godfrey, Board Member: is a native of Greenville, SC, and happily married to Melonee for twenty-plus years. He have been blessed with two wonderful sons, Benjamin and Louis. He is a full-time social studies teacher at the SC Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, and has taught in the SC public schools for over twenty years.

He graduated with a B.A. in History in 1991 from Furman University and a M.Ed. in Secondary Education in 1998 from Clemson University. He also obtained National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification in 2004 and renewed successfully in 2014. His passion for International Arts led him to join ICAC to help the cause further.

Rakesh Agarwal, Advisory Board Member: is the founder and CEO of a leading, multi-million dollar chain of retail rugs and home furnishings stores in the Carolinas called Rug & Home.  He was a Government of India Merit Scholarship recipient at the Punjab Public School in India and graduated from IIT Kharagpur in 1979.  In 1985, he was chosen as one of six people globally for the Wool Foundation’s Young Scientist Traveling Fellowship.  Rakesh also led two companies, including Rug & Home, to win three National Rug Retailer of the Year Awards.

Always humbled and deeply affected by the challenges and strife of those less fortunate, and having grown up with very little himself, Rakesh has a deep commitment to giving back to his surrounding communities and those he comes from.  He and his family have donated cash and hundreds of rugs to various charities including the American Cancer Society, Meals on Wheels, Tsunami Relief, Katrina Relief, the Dadawas Project, and the Robin Raina Foundation. Apart from this, Rakesh and his family established the Rug & Home Foundation, furthering their commitment to philanthropic causes, and set up a $100,000 endowment fund to a cause very dear to them – the Four Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care in Hendersonville, NC.  He also established Vision Express to help eradicate cataract blindness for underprivileged Indian women.  In 2013, Rakesh was chosen by North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory to be on the Governor’s Advisory Council for Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB), which serves to promote economic opportunities for women and minorities in government contracting and procurement.

We are blessed to have a wonderful person with extensive experience in philanthropic causes to be an advisory member on the board.