Meet the Team

Arn Chorn-Pond, Founder and Spokesperson

Arn Chorn Pond grew up in Phnom Penh during the Khmer Rouge’s reign. As a child, he worked in forced labor camps and later was forced to become a soldier. As a teenager Arn was adpoted by Revernd Peter Pond and moved to Vermont. After attending Brown University and graduating from Providence College, Arn returned to Cambodia on a mission to find the legacy of his family who were involved in the Cambodian Opera, his music teacher from the time of the Khmer Rouge and the stars of his early childhood. On this trip the Cambodian Masters Performers Project (CMPP), now CLA, was born. Now Arn lives outside of Phnom Penh and continues to work part-time on projects for Cambodian Living Arts.

Phloeun Prim, Executive Director

info@cambodianlivingarts.org

Phloeun was born in Cambodia and raised in Canada since the age of three. He returned to Cambodia in 1998 and joined a European Union Program that later became a self sustainable company, which is now Artisans d’Angkor. From his debut, the group of 50 artisans has now turned into a company employing over a 1000 artisans and staff that distribute high quality crafts in Cambodia and around the world. Pursuing his interest on social entrepreneurship, he was appointed as the first Director of Cambodian Living Arts in 2010.

Frances Rudgard, Program Director

frances@cambodianlivingarts.org

Frances was born in England, and has been living in Cambodia since 2010. She graduated from the University of Leeds, receiving a degree in Cultural Studies. Prior to joining the CLA team, she has worked as a fundraising and organizational development consultant through the Pari Project – a Phnom Penh based social enterprise. Her work there had her working with numerous arts organizations, reinforcing her lifelong love of the arts – specifically dance and theater. She began working as CLA’s Program Director in February of 2012. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and rummaging for second-hand clothes in the Phnom Penh market.

Seng Song, Program Manager

seng@cambodianlivingarts.org

Seng grew up in Cambodia’s Kandal Province. He earned an accounting degree from the National University of Management. Prior to joining CLA in 2003, Seng was Project Director of English and Computer Training at Cambodian Volunteers for Community Development (CVCD), a local NGO. A year after Seng started working with Cambodian Living Arts as the Assistant Project Coordinator, he was promoted Project Coordinator and then later to his current position, Program Manager. In his free time Seng likes reading books and visiting his parents in his hometown.

Michelle Prevost, Development Coordinator

michelle@cambodianlivingarts.org

Michelle grew up in Southeastern Massachusetts. She has been the Development Coordinator for Cambodian Living Arts since 2009. Based at the Marion Institute office in Marion, MA, Michelle’s primary responsibilities are to support the program's development related activities and serve as on-site liaison for all administrative matters between Cambodian Living Arts and the Marion Institute. Before coming to the Marion Institute, Michelle taught English in Miyakaki, Japan with the JET Programme. She has her B.A. from Colorado College in Environmental Policy and Economics. Michelle is passionate about helping to transfrom Cambodia through the arts. Outside of the office she is a potter, martial artist, hiker, runner and enjoys cooking with fresh, local foods.

Rotanak Ros, Finance and Administrative Manager

ratanak@cambodianlivingarts.org

Rotanak was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She started working for Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) in 2005 as an Assistant Project Coordinator, working closely with masters and students in order to support CLA’s teaching and performing programs. In early 2008, she received financial management training through World Education and became CLA’s Finance and Administrative Manager in 2009. In her current role Rotanak oversees all financial and human resource needs for CLA in Cambodia. Before working for CLA Rotanak worked as a receptionist at the City Villa Hotel and Apartments and after this as an Assistant to the Human Resources Manager at the Phnom Penh Hotel. Ratanak grew up in a “foodie” family and loves to spend hours in the kitchen.

Marion Gommard, Communications and Marketing Manager

marion@cambodianlivingarts.org

Marion is from France and is working at the CLA office in Phnom Penh. She studied management in the French Audencia Business School, majoring in cultural management. Before arriving at CLA, she worked as a junior consultant for a French theater, a Paris jazz festival, and a regional institution for popular music. She started working with CLA 2011 as the first Communications and Marketing Manager to improve CLA’s communications and to help launch and grow new programs. During her free time Marion enjoys playing saxophone, traveling and walking in nature.
 

Manith Kuon, Finance and Administration Assistant

manith@cambodianlivingarts.org

Manith was born in Cambodia in 1985. She graduated with her bachelor degree in Accounting and Finance at Vanda Accounting Institute, after which she got her first job as a Finance and Administration assistant with the World Rehabilitation Fund and worked there for three years. She has also worked as an accountant for the Real Estate and Land Development Company. She started working with CLA in April 2010 as a Finance and Administration Assistant.

Sambor Om, Project Coordinator, Siem Reap

sambor@cambodianlivingarts.org

Sambor grew up in Cambodia’s Takeo province. He graduated high school in 1997 and a year later went to pursue his studies at Phnom Penh’s Pagoda. While he was working at the upper-class hotel Raffle, he attended service excellence and English and computer classes provided by international participants. In 2002, he completed a two-year study program in English academic literature and in 2004 he completed his accounting and finance degree at the Build Bright University. He joined CLA in 2006 as a House manager and Student counselor, after that he was promoted to Project Coordinator for all of CLA’s Siem Reap activities. Sambor likes learning new things about computers, reading books and practicing sports.

Solinda Eam, Project Coordinator

solinda@cambodianlivingarts.org

Solinda is from Cambodia’s Kandal Province. She started working for CLA in 2011 as a Project Coordinator. She focuses on managing and developing the Arn Chorn- Pond Living Arts Scholarship, Capacity Building and Community Arts Outreach Program. Before working for CLA she taught English at the Methodist School of Cambodia. She has her Bachelors of Education from Institute of Foreign Languages and is pursuing her degree in Business Management at Norton University. In her free time she likes reading books, writing in a diary, and listening to music.
 

Sokhorn Yon, Project coordinator

sokhorn@cambodianlivingarts.org

Sokhorn was born and grew up in Phnom Penh. In 2011 she graduated both Institute of Foreign Languages, where she learnt to teach English, and University of Cambodia majoring in Finance and Banking. Sokhorn used to be a tacher of English and also a volunteer translator for an NGO. She began working as Cambodian Living Arts’ Project Coordinator in February of 2012, with a strong focus on the Masters Teaching Program and the Performing Program. In her free time she likes listening to music, reading books and hanging out with friends.
 

Sineath Ket, Office Assistant

sineath@cambodianlivingarts.org

Sineath was born in Cambodia’s Mondulkiri province. She graduated high school in 1997 and then worked in a garment company based in Phnom Penh. She was an Administrative clerk for the World Fund Program and the United Nations Development Program for four years. In 2007, she joined Cambodian Living Arts as Studio CLA’s cleaner and later was promoted to her current position. She is now working towards a Bachelor of Business administration at the National University of Management during the evenings. She particularly likes reading and cooking.

Sarin Chuon, Studio Manager

sarin@cambodianlivingarts.org

Sarin Chhuon, was born in Cambodian on January 7, 1979, the day Phnom Penh was liberated from the Khmer Rouge. Sarin works for CLA as the Managing Sound Engineer of Studio CLA. Sarin started working for the Studio since it was founded by Scot Stafford in 2002. Before working for CLA, he studied Business Management for his degree at university, but found that his unexpected talent was in recording music, mixing sound and making documentaries. Over the past nine years working with CLA Sarin has recorded many hundred of Cambodian Traditional songs and many documentaries for Cambodian's younger generation.

Sophie Mensdorff-Pouilly, tourism program officer

Sophie comes from Austria. She studied Theater, film and media, and Comparative literature in Vienna (Austria) and Pisa (Italy). After completing her masters she worked in the Media Management of the Tourism Board of Vienna. Before coming to Cambodia, her passion for travelling took her to South America and she spent 3 months in Singapore from where she explored Southeast Asia. In November 2010, she moved to Phnom Penh where she started working as an English teacher. Looking for cultural activities in town, she went to see a Children of Bassac show in 2010 and was so impressed that she decided to volunteer for this cause.

Thanks to her passion for theater and dance and her background in tourism she helps to promote the Performing and Living Arts Tours programs.

Gne Kong, intern

Gne is from the Cambodia's Svay Rieng Province and has worked for CLA since January 2012 as an Intern. He is currently studying Tourism at the National University of Management in Phnom Penh. Gne is also studying Chapei Dang Weng (2 strings long- neck instrument) with CLA. He likes learning about tourism and art because it allows him to share his feelings about Cambodia with the world. During his free time, he likes reading, writing poems, and singing with Chapei Dang Weng.

Azéliz MARY, Communication Assistant intern

Originally from France, Azéliz has been working at Cambodian Living Arts as a Communication Assistant intern since the end of March. She studies communication and strategy at the Communication School Sciencescom, and specializes herself in communications and development, with several work placements in France as well as abroad. In her free time she likes traveling, theatre, photography, reading, and writing.