CHOL Dhoor
Company: Sudanese Foundation of Vermont Inc
Title: Founder and Executive Director
Age: 38
Career Highlights: The career highlights I'm most proud of are:
1.Founding the Sudanese Foundation of Vermont Inc and www.sudfundvt.org
2.Working as a Programs and Community Outreach Manager at the Clemmons Family Farm
3.Accepting 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Award for Civil Rights in the State of Vermont from the Greater Burlington Multicultural Resource Center (GBMRC)
4. Appointment by the Mayor of Burlington, Miro Weinberger, to serve on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Advisory board
5.Serving on the board of Spectrum Youth and Family Services
6. Serving as Trustee at Fletcher Free Library
7. Working for the Community Health Centers of Burlington
8.Serving as a member of the Discernment Committee at the Cathedral Church of St Paul
Community Involvement: Being active in the community is the most fulfilling personal experience. I work for the Clemmons Family Farm as a Programs and Community Outreach Manager and the Community Health Centers of Burlington. I founded a nonprofit organization called the Sudanese Foundation of Vermont Inc. with the members of the Sudanese Community in 2016 as a primary tool to identify unique challenges facing New Americans communities and explore new opportunities to invest in children to succeed in Vermont.
I have been serving on the numerous boards of Community Development Block Grants with the City of Burlington, Spectrum Youth and Family Services and as a Trustee at Fletcher Free Library. I’m also serving as the President of Sudanese ( South Sudan and Sudan) Community in Vermont and a member of the Discernment Committee at the Cathedral Church of St Paul.
My experience through these community engagements gave me a deep sense of appreciation for the great work and resources many organizations mobilized to meet various needs in our state.
What motivated you to live and work in Vermont? I have been fortunate to meet with incredible Vermonters from of all walks of life. There is also something unique about the size of our state population and the kind of government - we have as Vermonter's. These characteristics of our state helps me to understand what goes on at the State House in Montpellier, local schools, public meetings, the dynamics of workplace, community engagement initiatives and common struggles of Vermonters. Finally, our state is notoriously beautiful, especially our green hills, the mountains, clean public parks and the meandering Lake Champlain are some of the few things that keep me around in Vermont.
Favorite part of your job? My favorite part of the job is when there is a time to look within at work. That moment where people make it their mission to empower each other, being respectful and innovative in everything that comes with a task in a self-guided or supervised process carries the day for me. Having that space promotes creativity, the will to review what has worked and explore where challenges are within the framework of measurable objectives
Most inspiring mentor and why: This is going to be a tough question. I have many mentors in my life. I have to pick my wife. She is a wonderful mother to my sons and one of the most hardworking and loving person I know. She worked hard to be a Registered Nurse. She is currently pursuing a Nurse Practitioner degree. Saving a life is a responsibility, she doesn’t take it lightly.
What is the best career advice you have received? One advice I received was to work hard, contribute to a greater good and learn as much as possible, especially on the things I can’t change.
Tell us something fun about yourself that few people know: I’m an observer, creative, positive, goals-driven, resilient and an innovative thinker. I'm a constant chaser of greater good in everything I do, say and support. I’m a gentle force that yearns for something better for all, not when it’s needed but all the time.
What three words best describe you? Mission-driven. Creative reader. Hardworker.
Favorite Vermont escape: My favorite Vermont escapes are Burlington Waterfront, Mt. Philo, Charlotte Beach and going for a work at the Clemmons Family Farm. It's easy to find a stone to sit on if you don't have a chair at those places and have the beauty of the universe for a view.
Favorite downtime activity: I love to spend time with my family and friends. I can also be found reading a lot and taking pictures.
Favorite super hero: My favorite Super Hero is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He is a constant guardian and apostle for a better world that should be for everyone regardless of wealth, power, gender and race.
Favorite social media: Twitter is my favorite Social Media platform. The characters are limited. It has the power to call for precision on messaging. You can hashtag any particular news item of the day and get the latest information on it. It’s powerful.
Person you would most like to share a Vermont beverage with: I would most likely share a Vermont beverage with my parents, and a choice for the location must be near the lake with mountains in the distant.
If you had unlimited access to funds which cause(s) would you support: If I had an unlimited source of funds, I will join the fight to end homelessness around the world. I will ensure every graduate, not just the gifted, but everyone, leaves college without student debt. I provide enough funding to support targeted skills training for the incarcerated, protect the lakes and streams as well as expanded access to quality childcare, refugees protection and launch new initiatives for wounded veterans and their families across the globe.
Where do you see yourself professionally in the next 5-10 years? I see myself working for a great, vision and mission-minded organization in the next five to ten years. My preference would be with an organization which provides specific programs for the local communities served as well as the ability for it to be continually investing, retaining a competitive workforce and innovating, while relying on the community as a great asset for its existence and growth.
