Assemblyman
Upendra Chivukula
Upendra Chivukula is the first Asian Indian American elected to the New Jersey State Assembly and the fourth Indian American in the US to be elected to state office. He is currently serving his second term in the State Assembly representing the 17th district. The district encompasses Highland Park, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Piscataway, Milltown, and Franklin Township.
Assemblyman Chivukula serves as Vice Chair for the Commerce and Economic Development and as a member of the Telecommunications and Utilities, and Transportation Committees. He is also a member of the Science and Technology and Commerce and Business Expansion commissions.
In Franklin Township, Assemblyman Chivukula is a councilman and has served as Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Franklin Township Community Foundation, Finance Oversight Committee, Traffic Management Committee, Fire Prevention Board, Emergency Life Support Delivery, Integrated Communications Committee, Emergency Management, Franklin Township Planning Board, Economic Development Committee, Community/Senior Center Steering Committee, Bicentennial Celebration Committee.
In Somerset County and Middlesex County, he serves on the Somerset County Affordable Housing Board of Trustees, Somerset and Middlesex Counties Cultural and Historic Commissions.
In addition, he was appointed to be a Public Member, New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners, a regulatory body. He served on the board from 1994 to 1997, New Jersey State Cross-Acceptance Committee. He is also a member of Delegation to Democratic National Convention in 1996 and 2000.
He is a Leadership New Jersey Fellow (1998), Flemming Institute Fellow (2003), Past President of Franklin Township Lions Club and Zone 2 Chairman in District 16-D. He is National Committee Member of the Association of Indians in America, Past Secretary of NJ Chapter of Indian American Forum for Political Education and Past President of Asian American Political Coalition.
He is Managing Director – Antarctica Group, New York, NY; Upendra has drawn extensive technical and business experience working at AT&T Bell Laboratories.
Upendra has a B.E.E. from Guindy’s Engineering College, India and Masters in Electrical Engineering from City College of the City University of New York.
Upendra Chivukula is a longtime resident of Franklin Township. He has been married to Dayci Chivukula for 26 years. Together they have raised two children, a son, Suraj and daughter, Damianty.