Dorchester resident Khoa Pham, 33, has recently been appointed to serve as Mayor Marty Walsh’s liaison to the Vietnamese community and the Fields Corner village of Dorchester. Pham’s family immigrated to Boston in 1994 from Vietnam.

“I’ve been a proud resident of Dorchester ever since,” said Pham.

The Reporter interviewed Pham about his background and his job this week.

Reporter: Tell us more about your background.

Pham: I attended the Gavin Middle School and John D. O’Bryant for High School, and had a really great experience at both. After high school I went on to pursue a degree in Finance from UMass Boston. I began working for the Boston Transportation Department as a parking enforcer where I worked for three years. Working for the BTD was a great introduction to City government, and it led me to my current role as Vietnamese and Fields Corner liaison for Mayor Walsh. I’ve served as the Mayor’s liaison to the Vietnamese community since November 2016 and as the liaison for Fields Corner since December 2016.

 
Reporter: What has Mayor Walsh instructed you to do in your role as Vietnamese liaison?

Pham: As the Vietnamese liaison and also as the Fields Corner liaison, my primary roles and responsibilities are to serve as the Mayor’s eyes and ears in the community, help residents resolve issues they’re facing and serve as a resource to those who are looking for help with city services. What I’ve learned so far is that it is important to be active and engaged in the neighborhood, and listen to people. The Vietnamese community has a growing presence in Dorchester, and I’m excited to continue serving them as both the Vietnamese and now Fields Corner liaison. 

Reporter: What drew you to public service?

Pham: I find it incredibly rewarding to serve in this capacity and be able to give back to the community by helping the people who are my neighbors, who I see at the store, who are from my church, etc. Dorchester is a great neighborhood and the Vietnamese population are an important part of that neighborhood. I’m honored to be able to serve both under the leadership of Mayor Walsh. 

Reporter: Do you have any role models in government that you look to as inspirations?

Pham: One of my role models is my pastor (Rev. Linh Nguyen) at Saint Ambrose Church in Dorchester, where I have taught CCD for the past 10 years. He’s a great mentor who leads by example in the way he treats each person with dignity and respect, listens carefully and helps people however possible. 

Reporter: Do you have any early observations about what the community expects to get in terms of service from city government?

Pham: I’ve found that one of the biggest opportunities for me as a neighborhood liaison is to make sure residents are aware of the services and resources available to them. 

Every semester I visit EOSL classes at St. Mark’s Community Education Program to meet with people who are new immigrants to this country. Oftentimes they are unaware of the many resources provided by the city that are in place to help them. I make sure to leave my business card with them so they can get in touch with questions — and many times I do hear back from people. 

Reporter: Tell us about a few of your favorite places to eat/drink/have meetings in Dorchester?

Pham: Although, many places in Fields Corner serve Vietnamese iced coffee also known as Ca Phe Sua Da, my go to spot is Dot Café on Dorchester Ave. What makes it a different than other coffee is instead if sugar, sweetened condensed milk is added into the slow-drip coffee, stir, and then poured over ice.

While there are many great Vietnamese restaurants in the area offering Vietnamese cuisines, each is known for their specialty. For example, I go to Pho Le for Bun Bo Hue (Vietnamese spicy noodle soup), Anh Hong for their Bo Bay Mon (7 courses of beef), and Bun Mam (Vietnamese Gumbo) at My Sister’s Crawfish.

I’m also very excited about the many great additions to the neighborhood in the past year such as Homestead Bakery, Churrascaria Vulcao, Reign Drink Lab, Antonio’s Pizzeria, and Coco Leaf. Chill on Park is also a great place for a meeting and delicious ice cream as well.