Vongkhamdy, Phoukham
R. Phou Vongkhamdy
Phou Vongkhamdy is a State Conservationist in Rhode Island with the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service (NCRS). He started as an intern with the NCRS in 1989 and has remained with the organization since. Vongkhamdy has a lifelong passion for the environment that he is pleased to share with the farmers and environmentalists he works with daily. He grew up on his family’s farm in Laos, and his Laotian heritage and environmental interests continue to shape him.
Phoukham “Pooh” Vongkhamdy was born and raised on a family farm in Laos that produced rice for sustenance. The family grew other crops, such as mango, papaya, coconut, chili pepper, yam, sugarcane, and tobacco. His family raised silkworms for silk production and owned livestock, including water buffaloes, chickens, and pigs. In the fall of 1980, when he was 16, Vongkhamdy fled from the Laotian regime and lived in a refugee camp in Thailand for five months before immigrating to the United States in February of 1981. He lived with a foster family in St. Cloud, Minnesota, for five years before starting out independently. One of the eldest of seven children, his early farming experiences instilled in him a love of the outdoors, which led him to pursue a career in the environmental field.
Vongkhamdy attended the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. In 1989, he began an internship with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Minnesota, where he was able to increase and demonstrate his knowledge. In 1991, Vongkhamdy graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Soil Science.
Vongkhamdy’s dedication and hard work at his internship with the NRCS earned him a full-time job as a soil conservationist after graduation. He has stayed with the organization and held many positions, including as a Soil Conservationist, State Outreach Coordinator, District Conservationist, and State Conservationist. Vongkhamdy work with the NRCS has also allowed him to travel the country and live in different states and climates. He started as a conservationist in Minnesota before moving to Oklahoma. In 2006, the state of Oklahoma recognized Vongkhamdy and his team with Governors Commendations. He and his team, the Poteau River Watershed Conservation Security Program, conducted the best community outreach to limited resource, Native, and Asian customers in their district, helping their customers access resources for conservation and agricultural projects. Since 2009, he has been the State Conservationist in Rhode Island.
His work and responsibilities include providing technical assistance to landowners applying conservation measures to their property. These measures intend to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and improve environmental quality. In 2009, Rhode Island received $4.2 million in funding to support farmers in the state and prevent farmland from being converted to non-agricultural purposes. As a soil conservationist, Vongkhamdy’s work also includes contributions to state and local climate mitigation plans.
The NRCS provided Vongkhamdy with a career coach to offer advice on job-related and career development matters. The advice from the career coach was incredibly helpful in enabling him to grow with the agency. He suggests that students and individuals starting their careers take advantage of any mentoring opportunities that may be available. The combination of having a support system in the workplace and working with people to conserve natural resources makes the NRCS an excellent fit for Vongkhamdy. He considers working with others and being able to protect the environment as highlights of his career. The opportunity to work with people and the land motivates him to continue working in the field. His job allows him to fulfill his passion for helping people. Having grown up on a small farm, he relates to the farmers he works with.
In addition to his work in conservation, Vongkhamdy has worked as the Asian and Pacific Islander Program Manager to recruit minorities to work for the NRCS. He serves in an advisory role for recruitment and as a cultural and ethnic bridge between the Asian Pacific Islander communities and the agency.
As he recruits minorities, he suggests that individuals interested in the field, especially with NRCS, work hard and take their education seriously. He recommends that students take the required soil and plant courses and stresses the importance of having a positive attitude. Vongkhamdy demonstrates this by combining technical knowledge with interpersonal skills and a willingness to work hard.
Governor Henry and Oklahoma Conservation Commission Commend the Poteau River Watershed CSP Team. Resources – Oklahoma Conservation Commission. November 28, 2006. https://conservation.ok.gov/governor-henry-and-oklahoma-conservation-com…
R. Phou Vongkhamdy. LinkedIn. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/in/r-phou-vongkhamdy-079a8814/
R. Phou Vongkhamdy [Photo]. LinkedIn. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/in/r-phou-vongkhamdy-079a8814/
Taylor, Dorceta (Ed.). 2005. The Paths We Thread: Profiles of the Careers of Minority Environmental Professionals. Minority Environmental Leadership Development Initiative, University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment.
R. Phou Vongkhamdy [Photo]. LinkedIn. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/in/r-phou-vongkhamdy-079a8814/