Siamoi Ahmadi

Siamoi Ahmadi was born in Baghlan province in central Afghanistan. Siamoi attended high school in Kabul and matriculated at ETRAK University, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Dari language Literature in 2021. Siamoi Speaks three languages: Pashto, Dari and English. Previously Siamoi worked as a security guard in the US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan from March 2018 to August 2021. She is currently employed by True North Granola located in Brattleboro, VT.

Siamoi and her nine year old daughter arrived in Vermont in February 2021, settling shortly after in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Dan Barkhuff

Dan serves as a Co-Founder of the VAA and Vice President of the Board. He was born in Maine and grew up in New England. Dan attended the United States Naval Academy and graduated in 2001. He served seven years on active duty as a member of Naval Special Warfare and completed multiple combat tours.

Upon leaving active duty he attended Harvard Medical School and then completed an Emergency Medicine Residency training program at the University of New Mexico. He is now a faculty member at the University of Vermont and an Emergency Medicine doctor at the University of Vermont Medical Center.

Dan is also the Founder and President of the Board of Veterans for Responsible Leadership.

Dan lives with his wife and four kids in South Burlington.

Andy Crossman

Andy Crossman of St. Albans Town is a seventh generation Vermonter originally from Southern Vermont (born in Brattleboro, raised in Rutland) who went on to Norwich University and then earned Master’s Degrees in International Relations and Business Management. He recently retired from Pfizer where he was Global Director Learning & Development. He has a consulting business in Strategic Planning, Operational Excellence, and Training & Development.  Andy is on the Franklin County Industrial Development Board - leading its Workforce Development and Strategy committees. He is also President of the Franklin County Trails Alliance, and an active member of the St. Albans Area Rotary. He is married to Heidi Crossman an immigrant to Vermont from Austria, and has two adult children with diversified family farms/orchards in Vermont and eight grandchildren all thriving in Vermont. His son served in Afghanistan and his family has hosted Afghans coming to Vermont. Andy has a passion for the mutual learning and enrichment from relationships as our different cultures and customs come together to make Vermont a better place for all.

Wazir Hashimi

Wazir Hashimi serves as a Co-Founder of the VAA and President of the Board. He was born and raised in Bamyan Province in Central Afghanistan. Wazir attended high school in Vermont graduating from The Long Trail School in Manchester, Vermont in 2017. He attended Castleton University graduating with a bachelor's degree in Political Science in 2021. Wazir was a member of the Pi Gamma Mu, an International Honor Society in Social Services. Wazir's passion for entrepreneurship and commitment to community development, led him to found the Equinox Transportation Agency in Manchester, Vermont. In 2022, together with his brother Auran, Wazir opened Bamyan Kebab House in Winooski - the first Afghan restaurant in Vermont. In 2023, Wazir opened Ariana Market - an Afghan foods market in Essex Junction. Wazir lives with his wife and two sons in Colchester.

Dr. Adrie Kusserow

Professor Kusserow currently serves as a Department Chair and Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont. Professor Kusserow is a distinguished cultural anthropologist and an ethnographic poet with a focus on refugees, social inequalities, poverty, anthropology of religion, culture, illness and healing, social class, ethnographic poetry, and anthropology of the child. Her work extends beyond borders encompassing communities in India, Bhutan, Uganda, South Sudan, and the United States. She has worked with Buddhist refugees in Nepal, spreading awareness about human trafficking in India, building schools in war-worn South Sudan by working with the Africa Education and Leadership Initiative, and hosting Sudanese refugees in Vermont. Now residing in Underhill with her husband, Professor Kusserow continues to inspire and educate the next generation of anthropologists.

Satar Leyaqat

Satar has born and raised in Bamyan province in central Afghanistan. Satar attended high school in Bamyan graduating from Bamyan Center High School in 1994. He attended Bamica University and studied two years law and Political Science. Satar has worked as a Supervisor for the UN Project (Habitat) in Afghanistan from 1997 to 2005. He has also been the Director of Bamyan Football Federation and Bamyan women soccer coach from 2006 to 2021.

Owen Milne

Owen is passionate about community service and civic engagement and has a long-standing history of non-profit work through volunteerism and board leadership. He has served on the board of directors for VT State Employees Credit Union, Spectrum Youth and Family Services, United Way of Northwest Vermont, Generator, Leadership Champlain, Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, SerVermont, VT Green Building Network, Partnership for Change, Governors Committee for Employment of People with Disabilities and Northeast Disabled Athletics Association.  Prior to the Community Sailing Center, Owen was a workplace consultant for Red Thread and had previously worked as the Development Director for VT Businesses for Social Responsibility. Owen resides in Burlington and is a two-time graduate of Champlain College with both undergraduate and masters degrees in Business Management. 

Vince Mazzucca

Vince grew up in Vermont and enlisted in the U.S. Army immediately after high school in 2004. He served 3 years on active duty as an Airborne Combat Engineer, completing one combat tour in Afghanistan. After leaving active duty, Vince earned a BS from Champlain College at which point he relocated to Boston to start his career. During his time in Boston, Vince earned an MBA from Suffolk University. Vince’s post-military career has focused on Financial Planning and Analysis and supporting operational excellence. Since moving back to Vermont in 2017 he has been working for Dealer.com (Cox Automotive) in Burlington. Vince lives with his wife, daughter and growing family in Burlington.

Amin Sahil

Amin was born and raised in Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan, graduating from Ikra  high school in 2011. He attended Kabul University graduating with a bachelor's degree in BBA in 2015. Amin Speaks five languages: Pashto, Dari, English, Urdu, and Hindi. Previously Amin  worked as a decorated senior translator in the US army in Khost, Kandahar, Herat and Kabul  provinces in Afghanistan from  2008  to  2011.  Amin  arrived in Vermont in November 2018 and is currently working in Perrigo Company as a supervisor of operations. Amin lives in Burlington with much of his family still in Afghanistan. He looks forward to the day they will be reunited in the United States.

Amir Samar

Amir serves as a Projects Manager for the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC). After earning his bachelor in business administration, with major practices in “Strategic Management” in 2013, Amir worked for non-profit international organizations in his home country, Afghanistan, for seven years. Most of his duties involved developing migrant-related projects, executing and managing the processes. After arriving in Brattleboro, Vermont in January, 2022 Amir joined BDCC as part of a regional partnership to resettle refugees in southern Vermont, along with the Ethiopian Community Development Corporation. At BDCC, Amir works directly with refugees helping them to access employment and training. Amir manages trainings and workforce partnerships relating to refugees, and is currently assisting with job placement for new Vermonters.