The Vermont Afghan Alliance has hired former Vermont Lt. Gov. Molly Gray as the nonprofit agency's inaugural executive director. Gray will serve in an interim role for the time being, working to grow the alliance’s capacity in meeting the needs of Afghans resettled in Vermont.
The alliance was formally launched in April 2022 by co-founder and board president Wazir Hashimi and co-founder and board vice president Dan Barkhuff with the sole mission of assisting Afghans in obtaining access to basic services and successfully resettling in the Green Mountain State. Today, the VAA’s signature offerings include a driving program, support with employment access and translation, and the hosting of cultural events and celebrations.
“As a veteran, I believe we owe it to those who believed in American promises to welcome them with open arms as fellow Vermonters,” Barkhuff said. “I know Lt. Gov. Gray shares this sense of responsibility as a lifelong Vermonter and as someone who has firsthand experience working with those impacted by conflict and in promoting human rights.”
Gray served as Vermont's 82nd lieutenant governor from 2021 to 2023. From 2018 to 2021, she was the state's assistant attorney general while also teaching international human rights law as an adjunct professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School.
Gray is a graduate of the University of Vermont and holds a Master of Laws in international law from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and a law degree from Vermont Law School.