Esther “EJ” Dupervil, MA

Vice President of Programming of the National Alliance for the Advancement of Haitian Professionals (NAAHP)

Esther “EJ” Dupervil is a native of Atlanta, GA. She is an International Policy Professional with a focus on Human Rights and Social Justice. She received her undergraduate from Paine College, a private liberal arts college located in Augusta GA. She received her B.A in History and French. Her area of specialization include Caribbean, Middle East, and Africa.

She received her graduate degree from the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS), a graduate school of Middlebury College located in Monterey CA. She studied International Policy with a focus on Human Security & Development. She completed both degrees with distinction.

EJ has lived and extensively studied in Rabat Morocco, Rennes France, and Port-au-Prince Haiti.

EJ is an International Institute of Public Policy (IIPP) fellow which is a fellowship geared towards developing leaders in the field of international development. She is an Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship Awardee, and Clinton Hunger Leadership Award Finalist. EJ has published and has been featured in several articles.

EJ has worked in the field of conflict management, international development, education, and advocacy.

She earned a law degree from Emory University School of Law with a focus in International Humanitarian Law. EJ serves as Vice-President of Programming at NAAHP.

Anide Jean, MBA

Member of the Board of Directors of the National Alliance for the Advancement of Haitian Professionals (NAAHP)

Anide Jean is a marketing and communications professional with over 12+ years experience working in various capacities including: media relations, public relations, promotions, creative development, event management, training and marketing communications. She has worked across a variety of industries among them not-for-profit, theater, media/entertainment, sports, publishing, advertising and higher education. She has worked with companies such as: Crossroads Theater, National Basketball Association, the New York Times, Digitas (clients included: American Express, Pfizer, Kraft and Samsung) and is currently the Associate Director, Outreach & Communications for Stevens Institute of Technology.

Anide is also a public speaker and volunteers with several organizations. As a public speaker she teaches in the areas of: Purpose, Empowerment, Setting Goals, Vision and Career Coaching and Lay Leader Training for churches. She is a mentor and has served with various groups among them: Eben-Ezer New Generation Ministry, NBMBAA, NY Chapter, CASH/LOT program and Digitas, Perspectives Group and currently mentors early to mid-career level professional women. She also works very closely with Foundation for Peace as a volunteer and group leader organizing missions’ trips and teams to work in Haiti. She holds an MBA, in Marketing & Media Management from Fordham Graduate School of Business; a B.A. in Communications & Journalism, from Rutgers University, Douglass College; and a Certificate in Sports, Entertainment & Events Marketing from NYU’s School of Continuing & Professional Studies.

Marie Myka Texas, MS

Director of Member Services of the National Alliance for the Advancement of Haitian Professionals (NAAHP)

Marie Myka Texas is a healthcare IT professional currently working in the specialized field of electronic health records and practice management technology. She serves as a Designer/Sr. Business Analyst charged with crafting software/product requirements from conception to life. She has worked on health innovative software for companies such as GE Healthcare, Microsoft, and Partners Healthcare System in Boston. She holds a bachelor in Economics from UMASS Amherst, studied abroad at the University of Grenoble in France, holds a Masters in Software Engineering from Brandeis University and is currently working on a Healthcare MBA from George Washington University. Marie is an advocate at heart and believes in the power of the diaspora to lead her native country of Haiti into a state of restoration. She has served as a board member of FATEM (Foundation for the Technological and Economic Advancement of Mirebalais), which is a non-profit organization that works to increase educational opportunities for the people of Mirebalais Haiti. Marie seeks opportunities where she can contribute on initiatives aimed at the development of Haiti through raising consciousness of Haitians abroad to recognize their pivotal role as the pillars of hope.

Newton B. Sanon, MA

President/CEO

OIC of South Florida

As a proud Haitian American – both of Mr. Sanon’s parents were born and raised in Haiti (mother, Angeline Sanon from St. Louis Du Nord and father, Fatil Sanon from La To Ti) – he yearns for an opportunity use his executive talents to improve the condition of Haiti within economic development and workforce context.

Mr. Newton Sanon obtained a BA in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Stout; he continued his studies at UW-Stout and obtained a Master’s Degree in Training in Human Resources Development.

After leaving the University, Mr. Sanon worked with the Minnesota Vikings as a youth counselor; he coached inner city youth on the fundamentals of football, life skills, and decision-making. In 1998, Mr. Sanon returned to his hometown of Miami, Florida, where he joined the Miami Dolphins as an operations assistant, supporting football operations and working with the NFL Youth Challenge program, which provides youth development programming to kids of all ages.

In 2000, Mr. Sanon moved on to Broward Community College (BCC), where he became Project Director for the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs Project (also known as the G.E.A.R U.P. Project). This project provided tutoring, mentoring, homework assistance and interactive college tours for middle school youth residing in the housing developments. Under Mr. Sanon’s leadership, participating students saw significant academic improvement, with several students more than doubling their GPA (1.5 to 3.0+). Mr. Sanon’s emphasis on contextual based learning, as well as help from a few NFL friends, was key to this marked improvement.

Mr. Sanon ran the Gear Up Project for two and a half years, leaving BCC in 2002 to join Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) of Broward County originally as Project Director and was promoted to head the agency as the Executive Director within two years of service and now as President and CEO. Mr. Sanon has greatly expanded services to the Ft. Lauderdale area; OIC of Broward County’s annual budget has increased from $125,000 to now $5 million under Mr. Sanon’s stewardship and notably $33 million to date in state, local, federal and private dollars since his arrival. Under Mr. Sanon’s leadership, OIC of Broward County has now expanded its service offering perimeters to Miami Dade and progressively to Palm Beach County and has since changed its name to OIC of South Florida.

OIC’s work has been highlighted on CNN and was instrumental in securing the “Honor of Hope” award from the White House office of Faith and Community based initiatives. This prestigious recognition is given to only one faith or community based organization per State annually. Most notably, OIC of South Florida won the Reintegration of Ex Offenders or (REXO) Reentry solicitation award put out by the Department of Labor (DOL). According to DOL, this was the most competitive solicitation in the department’s history, with only 10 awards for over 600 hundred applications. OIC of South Florida not only received the only award in the State of Florida but the only award in the entire southeast region. OIC has been awarded over $5 million to date over the past ten years to serve ex-offenders successfully reintegrate into society and get jobs.

Under Mr. Sanon’s leadership, OIC also currently provides programming to youth by way of its Teen Pregnancy Prevention initiative which is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This initiative aims to protect youth from risky behaviors that may derail their academic and vocational potential and in turn their becoming productive members of society. OIC also provides programming to youth providing academic tutoring and career awareness and planning made possible by the Florida Department of Education via the 21 Century learning initiative.

OIC continues to broaden its scope of program offerings to the community, in order to empower those served through training, education and jobs. Today OIC of Broward County offers programming with an expanded partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, via three Green Jobs training awards under the Path Ways out of Poverty and the Energy Training Partnership initiatives. OIC also offers substance abuse treatment services having adopted the Therapeutic Community Model via the Offender Reentry Program (ORP) funded by SAMSHA and the United Way of Broward County Substance Abuse Division.

A proud member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc, Mr. Sanon has also been selected as one of ‘The 40 Most Influential & Prominent Black Professionals of South Florida Under the Age of 40’ by Success South Florida Magazine and was selected during the BankAtlantic Non-profit Academy Awards as one of the Broward College Non-Profit Leaders of the Year and JM Family Enterprises annual African American Achievers Award for Community Service.

Myriam Paul

Membership Coordinator of the National Alliance for the Advancement of Haitian Professionals (NAAHP)

Project Manager/Special Assistant to the Conference Event Chairs

My bi-cultural (Haitian-American) background and sensibility to the community have led me into a number of volunteer opportunities and community roles in the Boston area and in Haiti. These past experiences have helped me grow in cultural diversity, understanding and seeing different team dynamics, and given me invaluable opportunities to work amongst people of various backgrounds within and outside of my community.

Born in raised in Haiti, moved to the U.S in 1997; I hold a B.S In Finance and Accounting, and three classes away from my master in Leadership/Project management at Northeastern University.

My passion is to give: whether it is my time or words of wisdom, I always make sure that people’s needs are met around me. I am currently a Clerk and a board member of CHES Inc., and Chair of Fundraising Committee for United Sisters of Color.