VMO & Leadership
Burmese American Community Institute (BACI) is a non-profit organization founded in 2011 that provides human services and social services and educational and vocational support to the Burmese and newcomer community in greater Indianapolis. BACI supports community members regionally, nationally, and globally through strategic partnerships and advocacy. Since its inception, the BACI has assisted over 30,000+ individuals.
With a strong conviction of the founding leaders of the need for investing in people and education, the birth of the organization is a result of many years of consultations and deliberation with community leaders and stakeholders, with the following vision and mission:
Vision of Education for all, a stronger community
Mission to build a thriving, self-sufficient, and sustainable, integrated Community through advocacy, education, and employment.
Our Core Value: As an ethnically and linguistically diverse group, BACI emphasizes on the inclusiveness and openness across the lines of different ethnic groups in its organizational development and providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services to the community it serves.
Our Approach: Everything we do is educational, and for the long-term development of our community.
Since its inception, BACI has assisted more than 30,000 individuals through its various programs the Upward College Program (UCP) for High School students that helps the students with college preparedness linguistically and academically, as well as for their future success, including intensive policy solution oriented PAR summer research and leadership development programs, the Civic and Cultural Education program (CCEP) that empowers new Americans with security in their rights and liberties, and Employment and Microenterprise Development (EMED), which assists newcomers to be self-sufficient economically and allows them to give back to their communities and contribute to economic growth.
Responding to the call, we also provided COVID-19 response services, assisted Afghan refugee/parolees, Ukrainians, as well as refugees from countries around the world with their economic self-sufficiency.
Special projects implemented in collaborative partnership with various partners included PhotoVoice, Community health, Health Fair, Mental Health First Aid Training, Financial Literacy Classes, Nutrition Classes, and annual PAR research that attempts to address the pressing issues facing the community by producing findings and action solution recommendations.
BACI Leadership:
As ethnically diverse people, BACI’s Board of Directors reflects its original philosophy, values, and efforts to ensure the organization’s leadership is inclusive of different groups within the incoming community from Myanmar (Burma) as well as from the mainstream community. The Board consists of individuals from diverse backgrounds intellectually, professionally and personally, who are passionate about assisting the incoming individuals with their long-term integration and sustained development by investing in people and education so that they become productive and contributing citizens of society.
Elaisa Vahnie, MPA, President & CEO
Elaisa Vahnie is President and CEO of Burmese American Community Institute. He has over two decades of active engagement and experience working on issues related to Myanmar, international and global affairs. A dedicated individual for the greater good, Mr. Vahnie has devoted much of his work for community development, education, peace, and democracy.
Mr. Vahnie has been recognized with numerous awards for his dedication and service, including his most recent honor of being named one of Indiana’s 50 Global Leaders in the past 50 years by the International Center for his leadership and contributions to elevating the State of Indiana on the global stage. Very recently Elaisa Vahnie was honored with the Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award for his humanitarian work and for creating education and economic opportunities for others.
A recipient of a scholarship funded by the U.S. Department of State, Mr. Vahnie holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s of Public Affairs (MPA) degree from Indiana University Bloomington, where he dual specialized in Comparative International Affairs and Policy Analysis. He has also received executive education in public leadership from John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and from Stanford University.
Lian Sang, MPH, Director of Service and Operation
Board of Directors
Dr. Ro Dinga (Chairman) President, Mizo Society of America/Indiana Branch, VP, Chin Community of Indiana
San Hlei Thang (Vice-Chairman), State Eligibility Manager, Division of Family Resources, Family and Social Services Administration
Rev. Robert Biak Cung (Treasurer), Senior Pastor, Living Chin Christian Church
Dr. Bruce Ray, Scientist at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis
Elly Kreutzer, Branch Manager, VP, PNC Bank
Rev. Dr. Zozum Kuihon, Senior Pastor, Professional Interpreter
Board of Advisors
Rev. Dr. Stephen Kio, Senior Pastor, Indiana Chin Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Val Thang, Senior Pastor, North America Matu Christian Church
Lian Cin, Former Chairman, and Vice-Chairman, Indiana Chin Baptist Church
Zapeng Sakhong, Former Chairman, Chin Evangelical Baptist Church
U Jeru, Teaching Aid at Southport High School
Nguncer Bualteng, Managing Broker, Mang Tha Real Estate
Bonnie Kane, Retired Teacher, and the Burmese-American advocate
Matthew P. Schomburg, Indiana State Refugee Coordinator, and Executive Outreach Director
Dr. Fengyi Kuo, Professor at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis
Leslie Lenkowsky, Clinical Professor of Public Affairs and Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University
David Williams, John S. Hastings Professor of Law and Director, Center for Constitutional Democracy, Indiana University Bloomington