R. Pooh Vongkhamdy
Asian American and Pacific Islander Month is celebrated in May. This is an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States.
Pooh Vongkhamdy has served as the Rhode Island State Conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) since February 2009. Before coming to the Ocean State, he held numerous positions with NRCS including Acting State Conservationist in Iowa.
Pooh earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Soil Science from the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point. He began his federal career as a Soil Conservationist student trainee in Minnesota. During his time in Minnesota, he worked in eight different field offices as a Soil Conservationist, a District Conservationist and as State Outreach Coordinator. He then became Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations (ASTC-FO) in Stillwater, Oklahoma where he supervised 19 field offices. During the time he served as ASTC-FO in OK, Pooh was awarded the Secretary of Agriculture’s Honor Award for supporting the President’s Management Agenda and Civil Rights which due to his efforts providing outstanding outreach in conservation to traditional and nontraditional underserved, and limited resource customers including Native Americans and Asians.
Pooh was born and raised on a family farm in Laos where his family grew rice paddy, tobacco, and raised silkworm. They used water buffalo to plow and rake for seedbed preparation for planting rice. Rice seedlings were planted by hand. During the rainy season Pooh’s family also raised silkworms. Mulberry trees were planted so that their leaves could feed the silkworms. Besides planting rice and silkworm, the family had other plantings of sugar cane and vegetables.
In September 1980, he left Laos and lived in a refugee camp in Thailand before immigrating to St. Cloud, Minnesota where he was sponsored by the Catholic Church and lived with a foster family.
He and his wife Souksady have two children: Abraham and Angela.
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