MONTPELIER — VTDigger.org, the daily, online state news source for Vermont politics and public policy issues, today announced that Phayvanh Luekhamhan of Barre has joined the VTDigger team as associate publisher.
Luekhamhan comes to VTDigger after serving as Montpelier Alive’s executive director for the past three years. During her tenure, she raised the profile of the organization, led successful annual fundraising drives and implemented innovative programming. Her leadership on Montpelier Art Walk, PoemCity, and Capital City Cash earned awards from the Vermont Downtown and Village Centers Program.
She is co-founder of PoemCity, a community celebration of National Poetry Month, and serves as its Vermont state coordinator. Now in its fifth year, she and co-founder Rachel Senechal, are expanding the program across other Vermont communities. Luekhamhan’s own poetry has been featured in classrooms and performance halls across New England through the support of the Vermont Arts Council and the Vermont Folklife Center. She is a past writing fellow of Kundiman, Soul Mountain, and the Vermont Studio Center. Her poetry was recently published in Troubling Borders (University of Washington, 2013).
Luekhamhan will work closely with publisher Diane Zeigler on underwriting, strategic partnerships and VTDigger’s overall operations.
“VTDigger is a leader in delivering Vermont’s news content. It’s at a critical growth point right now, and I am thrilled to be a part of the team leading it forward,” Luekhamhan said.
Born in Laos, Luekhamhan was raised in Brattleboro after her family resettled there in 1979. She moved to Montpelier in 2007, and recently purchased a home in Barre where she lives with her partner, Daniel Barlow, public policy manager for Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.
“I’ve always had a deep respect for journalism and its role in a democratic society. VTDigger, as a mission-driven organization, has earned a huge amount of trust in a short amount of time,” Luekhamhan said. “I believe we fill a very necessary role in the media landscape.”
“Phayvanh brings enthusiasm, intellectual curiosity and valuable experience in nonprofit fundraising to the VTDigger business team,” VTDigger executive director and editor Anne Galloway said. “We are delighted that she is joining us.”
