Who We Are
VNAAC is made up of an ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse group of New American leaders who work in many sectors across Vermont. Members include but are not limited to city councilors, program managers, health providers, educators, and business owners.
VNAAC Leadership
President: Sandrine Kibuey
Vice-President: Mohamed Jafar
Treasurer: Virginie Diambou
Secretary:
Sandrine, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been in the USA since 1997 and Vermont since 2006. She is currently presiding the VT New American Advisory Council (VNAAC) and is also the Director of the Housing Advocacy Programs Team, a program of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO). For the last 10 years, she has been working at CVOEO managing rapid rehousing housing, advocacy and support services to vulnerable communities including asylum seekers and mobile home park residents. Prior to her position at CVOEO, Sandrine was a Project Manager in Cameroon for VSO International where she provided project turn-around expertise, monitored project activities and daily operations focused on the health improvement and development of rural communities of the North region of Cameroon. Sandrine graduated in International Relations from the University of Kinshasa-Democratic Republic of Congo, and holds a MS in International Community Economic of Development and MS in Organizational Leadership from the Southern New Hampshire University. She is a Board member at CVOEO and Northgate Residents Ownership Corporation (NROC).
Sandrine Kibuey, President
Goma Mabika, DATA COMMITTEE CHAIR
Goma is from the Republic of the Congo (Congo Brazzaville). He came to the USA in 2010 and to Vermont in 2012. He currently works as State Coordinator for NAEP (The National Assessment of Educational Progress) and International Assessments, part of the Data Management Division at the Vermont Agency of Education (AOE). Before that, he worked as a behavior specialist in different schools and programs across Chittenden County. He also worked as consultant to the World Bank at the Washington DC headquarters . He advised education officials in Francophone African countries on policy, funding models and assessments under the World Bank's Global Partnership for Education program. In Congo Brazzaville , Mabika worked as a High school teacher and chairperson of a teachers' union. Mabika holds a Masters of Education from Université Marie Ngouabi of the Republic of the Congo. He holds another Masters of Arts in Comparative and International Education from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. He is currently working on his PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Vermont. Mabika is an engaged member of the New American Community and Vermont at large. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors at the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO). He also serves as a member of the Funding program at United Way Vermont.
Mohamed Jafar and his family settled in Burlington, Vermont when he was 7 years old. Born in Kenya, he is the oldest of 11 children. Mr. Jafar works with the City of Burlington as a Court Diversion Coordinator, as a Tamarack and Pretrial Services Coordinator, where they provide services to individuals at the intersection of mental health struggles, substance abuse, and the criminal justice system. From his office in the Vermont Chittenden County Superior Court, Mohamed works closely with the state Attorney’s office, the public defender's office, private attorneys, and the court to identify vulnerable individuals that may benefit from the program, while also exploring restorative approaches to addressing harm.
Beyond Mohamed’s professional career, he is invested in community activism. In 2018, He worked with Senator Sanders’ office to organize a town hall event aiming to assist resettled Americans in registering to vote and getting to know Bernie Sanders and other legislators. In 2019, spearheaded a project with the Secretary of State’s office focused on making voting more accessible and welcoming for resettled Americans. This effort unfolded into a three-part project which culminated with the production of videos on how to vote in six languages, translated sample ballots, and two town hall meetings to help New Americans register to vote and become familiar with the civic process. This partnership is ongoing and they now work to produce translated information on mail-in voting, in light of the pandemic. Mr. Jafar currently sits on the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) Vermont branch. He is co-founder of the Vermont New American Advisory Council (VNAAC). He is a Steering Committee member of the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance and serves on several other local boards. He has worked closely with both the City of Burlington and with stakeholders at the state level as a bridge to the resettled American community. Mohamed feels incredibly fortunate to have grown up in Burlington, Vermont and is humbled everyday by the opportunity to give back to it.
LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE
Finance Committee: Virginie Diambou (Chair), Mohamed Jafar and Sandrine Kibuey
Executive Committee: Sandrine Kibuey (Chair), Goma Mabika, Virginie Diambou, Jeetan Khadka, Aden Haji.
OPERATION COMMITTEE
Development Committee: Jeetan Khadka (Chair) and Mohamed Jafar
Community Programs and Projects Committee: Aden Hadji (Chair), Jeetan Khadka, Goma Mabika
Data Collection Committee: Goma Mabika (Chair), Mohamed Jafar and Aden Hadji
Membership
Chol Dhoor
Mohamad Jafar, VICE-PRESIDENT
Jeetan works as an Employment & Training Counselor with the Association of Africans living in Vermont ( AALV, Inc). AALV is one of the leading Nonprofits in Vermont, that works with the Refugee & Immigrant community. In his role as a counselor Jeetan helps refugees & immigrants find jobs; builds relationships with employers; acts as a cultural broker, and provides the support employees need to have successful employment. Jeetan has also worked with many nonprofits locally and Internationally. He served as Youth Ambassador to the UN sustainable development goals project, Young Adult Navigator at Spectrum Youth & Family Services, AmeriCorps State Team Leader with Burlington Community & Economic Development Office, and the Commissioner of Burlington’s Parks & Recreation Department. Jeetan recently joined the Board of Vermont & New Hampshire’s largest progressive political movement organizations Rights & Democracy. Working with people and building community is Jeetan’'s number one priority and he doesn’t hesitate to have difficult conversations to help us rise above all the odds.
Jeetan Khadka, DEVELOPMENT cOMMITTEE cHAIR
Ali Dieng, Former Member
Ali Dieng is a passionate and dedicated community leader. He is family Outreach Coordinator and Parent University Manager at the Burlington School District.Ali is a motivational speaker; cultural competency trainer community and family engagement in education across the school district and national conferences and summits. As Parent University founder and manager, Ali coordinates with a multitude of community partners to create engaging classes and workshops for parents and families of children in the district that encourage parents to engage in the school and community and provide them with concrete knowledge and skills to improve their quality of life and ultimately their children’s success. Ali has worked for the school district in various roles for the past 13 years, since moving to Burlington in 2008, including CEDO AmeriCorps Member at J.J. Flynn Elementary and as the Afterschool Site Director, French and Percussion teacher. He is also a 2016 graduate of the Snelling Center for Government Early Childhood Leadership Institute. Ali loves being involved in the community in various capacities: as a former member of Rights & Democracy, a current board member at the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, a former board member at Vermont Council on Worlds Affairs, a representative on the Head Start Policy Council, and a co-founder and manager of Africa Jamono, a West African drumming and dance association. Ali attended the University of Mauritania in Africa, where he studied international law. In 2017, he was elected to Burlington, Vermont's City Council, being the first African immigrant at Burlington City Council. As a City Councilor representing Ward-7, Ali is the Chair of the Racial Equity Inclusion and Belonging for the City of Burlington and a member of the Board of Finance
MEET OUR TEAM
MALIMU chol dhoor
Chol is the founder and Executive Director of the Sudanese Foundation of Vermont (SUDFUND VERMONT) Inc. SUDFUND VERMONT is a nonprofit organization founded in 2016 with a mission of investing in and supporting families and their children to succeed academically and athletically in Vermont. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Vermont where he was a McNair Scholar and a recipient of the Merage Foundation Scholarship for the American Dream in honor of Vermont’s former governor Madeleine Kunin. Chol is currently pursuing Masters of Public Health at Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. As an active community leader, he works with new immigrants and their communities to identify unique challenges facing them in Vermont. As a result of his work, he was awarded the 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Award for Civil Rights in the State of Vermont by the Burlington Multicultural Resource Center. He was recognized in 2019 as one of the Vermont Rising Stars by the Vermont Business Magazine. He was also a fellow at the Vermont New Leaders Council.
He serves on a number of boards and committees at different organizations and state levels. He served on the Community Development and Block Grant as an advisory board where he was involved in making funding recommendations to different organizations in Burlington, Vermont. He was also a member of the Vermont State Health Assessment team which led to the development of the State Health Improvement Plan. He currently serves on the following boards:
Board member, Spectrum Family and Youth Services,
Advisory board member, Vermont New Leaders Council
Trustee, Fletcher Free Library
Aden Haji, ComMUNITY pROJECTS & pROGRAMMING cHAIR
Aden Haji is a long term Burlington, Vermont resident. His family migrated from Kenya in 2003 as part of the first Somali Bantus to re-settle in Burlington, Vermont. He went through the Burlington School District and graduated from High School in 2014. He then went to pursue an undergraduate degree and later graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology in 2019. He brings a unique perspective on student issues and concerns as an active commissioner on the Burlington School Board. As commissioner, some of his focus includes mental health and wellbeing for students, breaking down institutional racism rooted in education, and making the district more inclusive for New American families. He has been actively involved in the Burlington community ever since he was in high school.
Aden strongly believes in the power of community organizing and coming together in efforts to bring change. Aden is currently the Youth Coordinator at the Spectrum Multicultural Youth Program. He is part of a culturally diverse team that works to empower youth who identify as multicultural in Chittenden County through various programs, case management, and advocacy. Aden is proud to be a part of a coalition of leaders striving to make changes for New Americans to thrive in Vermont.
Patrick Brown, Former Member
Active for many years as a partner in programming at Burlington’s Howard Center and a longtime lecturer at the University of Vermont, Patrick Brown also has been one of the most active members of the greater Burlington community as an advocate and educator on diversity issues and initiatives.
Brown came from his native Jamaica decades ago to study at Concordia University in Montreal, graduating in 1982 before coming to Saint Michael’s for his education master’s. He liked the community so much, he stayed in the area after exploring many other regions that never quite measured up. He has been honored with the Burlington Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award, United Way Community Impact Award, Antonio B. Pomerleau Medal of Honor, City of Burlington Lifetime Achievement Award and many other awards for his service. He also is deeply involved in the arts and culture scene in Burlington and has been the Executive Director of the Greater Burlington Multicultural Resource Center for many years and served on many non-profit Boards. A major accomplishment in his life and career was planning and executing the historic visit of Archbishop Desmond Tutu to Vermont in 2005. Brown is the external community liaison to Howard Center and serves on the Turning Point Board and as a Trustee of St. Michael's College.