Welcome To Our New Executive Director – Ali Zenie!
My name is Ali Zenie and I am very excited to join the Montpelier community as Executive Director of CVRAN. I come from a family of educators and knew early on that I wanted to work with kids and families. At age 18, I took my first opportunity to jump into a classroom, which was in an adult literacy program primarily for immigrants and refugees learning English. My world was immediately opened up by meeting people from all over the globe with incredibly varied languages, cultures, and experiences.
I went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Massachusetts and a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from St. Michael’s College. My career has taken me to boarding schools, nonprofits, and teaching from kindergarteners to senior citizens. Most recently, I have been working as a teacher of multilingual learners in the South Burlington School District where I have supported students, families, and the district to meet the complex needs of refugees and immigrants in our community. Building bridges between schools, families, and state and local organizations like the Association of Africans Living in Vermont (AALV) and the US Committee on Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) Vermont office, I have worked with staff and administrators to provide new funding and programming focused on increasing outcomes for multilingual students as well as supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion across the district. I have convened committees and led professional development on trauma-informed practices and our legal responsibilities toward immigrant students and families. My passion extends to work beyond the classroom to build broader communities that welcome new Vermonters and provide a sense of safety, care, and belonging for all.
I volunteer in my local community to this end by engaging in mutual aid work that fundraises and distributes money, food, and personal items across the Old North End of Burlington, where I live with my husband, Matt, and our dog, Lou. We love this vibrant and tight-knit neighborhood and feel inspired by building connections with all kinds of neighbors across our city. We host a community fridge and pantry in our front yard and care for a growing kitchen garden in the backyard. I am a collector of houseplants (close to 100 different varieties) and an avid reader of science fiction and poetry. Our family loves to travel all over Vermont for hiking, camping, skiing, and kayaking trips. I am eager to spend more time in Washington County and get to know your beautiful, active communities.
Thanks to everyone who donated to our Fall Fundraiser, part of what makes hiring an Executive Director, and so much else, possible!
Don’t forget to renew your annual membership which helps CVRAN keep going.