Swati Dandekar

Swati Dandekar is a leader and advocate in public service, renewable energy, and international relations. She is Chairperson of Bright Future Iowa, which champions the growth of energy solutions including nuclear power, and founder of Swati Dandekar Consulting, a firm that provides energy solutions across sectors. She supports an all-of-the-above approach to energy for Iowa and the United States.

She served as U.S. Executive Director and Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank, working with 60 countries across Asia and the Pacific on energy, telecommunications, water, and transportation infrastructure, and helping shape the bank's infrastructure strategy for the region. She held the post until 2017, when she was recalled as part of the transition to a new U.S. administration.

Before her ambassadorship, Swati was appointed to the Iowa Utilities Board in 2011, where she focused on rural telecommunications and renewable energy projects, including Smart Grid technology. She was an active member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, serving on its Telecommunications and International Relations committees, and took part in the Mid-American Regulatory Conference and the Advisory Council of Iowa Energy.

In 2002 she was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives, becoming the first Indian-born American to hold a state legislative seat in the United States. She served three terms before her election to the Iowa Senate in 2008, where she chaired the Senate Commerce Committee. In 2011 she was elected President of the National Foundation for Women Legislators, where she focused on STEM education, broadband for economic growth, and support for veterans living with PTSD.

She has led delegations to India and Africa on international trade, women's rights, healthcare, and telecommunications. Born in Nagpur, India, Swati moved to the United States in 1973 and lives in Marion, Iowa.