Celebrating Dominic Surya’s seven years on staff
If you worked with Dominic, eg, as a member in an action or committee, please join him for a little celebration with Thai food this Friday, 6/27, 5-7pm, at 606A 61st St. RSVP isn’t required, but it helps us make sure we have enough food. Sorry for the late notice: this website is maintained by Dominic, who has been busy handing off so many aspects of his work!
The first action Dominic helped organize, “Sing for a Trauma Center,” in 2014. Dominic isn’t in most of our photos because he was the one taking them!
Dominic got involved with us via our trauma-center campaign in his first year as a UChicago college student. The student and faith ally group he co-founded still exists today, in its evolved form: UChicago Against Displacement, which is part of our CBA coalition.
Dominic, right, with some of “my beloved colleagues” (from left: Alex, Anna, and Savannah) at the fourth gala he led, in 2024.
Dominic started writing grants for us in early 2018. He became our first full-time employee whose role wasn’t in organizing or other programming. Thus he has grown to also do (or supervise) our online communications, employee benefits, technology and data, and office management. He more than doubled STOP’s budget and he helped set it up to grow significantly more since the merger.
Dominic steps down from his role as Development Director at the end of this month.
Dominic shares:
I will take a break and then I will find another job. I will continue to live in Woodlawn. Southside Together has been my political home, so I am not disappearing!
Although I have not been an organizer in terms of my staff role, I am privileged to have learned deeply about organizing here. From so many brilliant colleagues and members, I have absorbed an understanding of how to build shared power. This has proven more useful than I could have imagined, in diverse parts of my life — for instance, in my participation in housing co-ops.
I am sad to be leaving Southside Together’s staff, but I believe the time is right. And more than sad, I feel grateful and lucky to have been a non-Black person on the inside of this vital Black group. I have felt accepted here, and I am forever indebted to so many Souths Siders who have trusted me in our work together.
I’ll see you around, and never hesitate to get in touch with me! If you want my personal email address or other contact info, just request it via info@southsidetogether.org. Or to see and contact the new staff bravely picking up my areas of work, go here.
Oh, and once more… thank you thank you thank you for your grants and donations!
Again, if you worked or volunteered with Dominic, please join him for a celebration with Thai food this Friday, 6/27. See details at the top of this page.