Meet Our New Direct Services Coordinator – Isabelle Tibi
CVRAN assists many people each year. Settling into a new country means you need to learn how things work here in every aspect of life. You probably don’t speak English and won’t have a car to get around. Finding a doctor, getting your children into school, grocery shopping – it can be overwhelming. That’s where CVRAN teams come in. They help new Vermonters figure out how to navigate daily life and settle into to a new place.
The Direct Services Coordinator assists the teams in this work, keeping track of the big picture, especially legal processes, and helps the team leaders with anything else that come up. Important things don’t get overlooked and team leaders don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Hope Crifo, who has coordinated direct services for many years, is stepping down. Thank you so much, Hope, not only for your past work as Coordinator but for your continued involvement in CVRAN operations going forward.
We are very excited to welcome Isabelle Tibi as our new Direct Services Coordinator. She is already hard at work, meeting the people we serve and learning how things operate at CVRAN. Below, is a short letter from Isabelle, introducing herself to you.
My name is Isabelle Tibi and I am honored to serve as CVRAN’s Direct Services Coordinator. I will be working closely with our volunteer teams to address the needs of some of our community’s newest members, and to assist them in building their life and a sense of belonging in Central Vermont.
Committed to a world in which human differences are valued, I have dedicated most of my professional life to working on initiatives that promoted meaningful exchange and collaboration among people of different cultures and faiths, as well as initiatives that fostered peaceful, inclusive societies. I am therefore thrilled to join CVRAN and the critical work it does to that effect. I believe that diversity is an asset, and that inclusive societies are not only fair, but they also thrive.
Early in my life, I developed a curiosity and passion for languages and for understanding different cultures. This led me to become fluent in Italian and Spanish, in addition to French and English. I am originally from Canada, and I have lived in the United States for nearly 15 years. I first moved to New York City to complete my Master’s Degree in International Educational Development at Columbia University’s Teachers College, and I then worked there as an international consultant. In 2021, I moved to Moretown, Vermont with my husband and daughter and we feel very lucky to live in this beautiful and vibrant community.
Since 2006, I have managed and designed educational and grant programs with universities, the United Nations, and nongovernmental organizations in Canada, the United States, Peru, Colombia, and on assignments in Africa and Asia. From welcoming international students on a Canadian university campus, to supporting female students in gaining competences and experience to launch a career in international affairs, or championing the work of young peacebuilders across the world, I have always applied one common approach: the importance of working with people, meeting them where they are, listening to their aspirations, experience and expertise, and recognizing the contributions they bring to our society.
I look forward to highlighting with CVRAN what New Vermonters bring to our community, and working with this community to support New Vermonters in achieving their hopes and dreams here.
Welcome to CVRAN, Isabelle!