Tibetan origin Tenzin Dolkar is named as Minnesota’s new state rail director according to the appointment made by the state Governor Dayton earlier this month. The Tibetan origin young lady has been appoint to take the place of the US State’s new Rail Director while she had been the chief policy advisor on transportation and agriculture.
Tenzin Dolkar has been serving as the chief Policy Advisor on Transportation and Agriculture for the last two years to Governor Mark Dayton and now she has been appointed to take the charge as the Minnesota State Rail Director.
“Tenzin Dolkar has done tremendous work as my Chief Policy Advisor on Transportation and Agriculture during the past two years. Her experience working with Minnesota’s rail companies and with farmers, who need to get their commodities to market, has prepared her very well to serve as the State of Minnesota’s Rail Director.” said Governor Dayton in the appointment statement.
With this announcement, the Tibetan origin leader will be responsible to lead the Dayton-Smith Administration’s efforts to enhance railway safety, pursue needed infrastructure improvements, continue training and support for first responders, closely monitor rail movements, and coordinate with communities and railroad companies to ensure the safe and efficient operation of rail systems across Minnesota.
Following the appointment, Dolkar thanked the Governor and expressed her hope of leading the Governor’s Freight Rail Council.
“I thank Governor Dayton for the opportunity to serve Minnesotans as State Rail Director,” said Tenzin Dolkar. “Minnesota communities face challenges and opportunities as we work to ensure that our state rail systems are safe, efficient, and effective for our businesses, citizens, local governments, and railroad companies. I am honored by Governor Dayton’s appointment and look forward to leading the Governor’s Freight Rail Council”
Prior to joining the Governor’s Office, Dolkar served as the legislative liaison and public affairs specialist for the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans. In this role, she represented the Asian Minnesotan community at the Legislature and advanced the first comprehensive study of gender-based violence in the Asian Pacific Islander (API) community on a state level. Previously, Dolkar worked at Asian Women United of Minnesota as a domestic violence advocate, as a research assistant for the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse (MINCAVA), and has conducted program evaluation for the Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES).
Dolkar was born in Orissa Phuntsokling, a Tibetan Refugee Settlement in Eastern India, and moved to the United States when she was 17 years old. She has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies/Social Work from the University of Saint Thomas. Dolkar is fluent in Tibetan and Hindi, and conversational in Oriya.
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