HILLSIDE, NJ – The National Alliance for the Advancement of Haitian Professionals (NAAHP), in partnership with the Joseph Denis Thomas (JDT) Foundation announced on Wednesday that the Fourth Annual Conference will be held on November 12-14, 2015 at the Biscayne Bay campus of Florida International University in Miami, FL.

Hundreds of Haitian professionals, students, and influential leaders are expected to attend the Conference themed, “Elevating Haiti and its Diaspora: Building Results-Driven Road Maps, Developing Leaders & Creating Opportunities” at the Kovens Conference Center.

“As the leading networking organization for professionals and students interested in career advancement and leveraging the transformative power of collective action to create solid partnerships that use advocacy, catalytic philanthropy and social entrepreneurship to promote inclusive, effective and lasting socio-economic progress in Haiti; the annual NAAHP Conference becomes the preferred platform where policy makers, politicians, professionals, students, government officials, leaders, and stakeholders committed to Haiti come together to discuss and find solutions on issues related to Haiti and its Diaspora,” said Serge Renaud, Co-Founder and Executive Vice-President of the National Alliance for the Advancement of Haitian Professionals (NAAHP).

In the past three years, the NAAHP Annual Conference has been held on college campuses and universities along the East Coast with a large or growing population of Haitian-Americans, including Columbia University in New York, NY and Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. The inaugural Conference was held at the Newark Museum in Newark, NJ.

South Florida, more specifically Miami-Dade, has been an incubator for the economic and political success of Haitians and Haitian-Americans. With the largest population of Haitian-Americans in the United States and its proximity to Haiti’s shoreline, the City of Miami was the ideal host city for the 2015 Conference. Given its longstanding commitment and support of the Haitian Diaspora, Florida International University was selected as the backdrop for such a forward-thinking event.

“We are elated to partner with the NAAHP to bring the 4th Annual Conference to the FIU campus and Miami area,” said Dr. Jaffus Hardrick, Vice President of Human Resources and Vice Provost for Student Access & Success at Florida International University (FIU). “NAAHP’s mission closely aligns with FIU’s in that we both seek to develop initiatives focused on the successful recruitment, retention and development underrepresented audiences in both educational and professional circles,” he concluded.

Though in its fourth year, this will be the first year that the Conference will span three days to ensure participants have ample time to engage in thought-provoking workshops but also network with other like-minded individuals.

“Last year, I was impressed by the commitment of more than 300 participants to the NAAHP annual conference to create positive, political and economic change in Haiti. I am looking forward to fully participating to next conference in November 2015, in Florida closer to home. I am encouraging Government officials, women business leaders and social entrepreneurs from Haiti to attend this amazing annual networking event. Smart partnership between Haitians living abroad and women political and business leaders in Haiti will reinforce the vibrant role that Diaspora communities play in the development of Haiti beyond remittances in the form of investments, tourism and trade, volunteerism, innovation and information and knowledge transfer to name a few,” said Danielle Saint-Lot, Ambassador at Large of the Republic of Haiti and President of the Danielle Saint-Lot Haiti Women’s Foundation, who chairs the Conference Host Committee.

The 2015 Conference will focus on the interrelated themes of advocacy, philanthropy and social entrepreneurship in the context of uniting and strengthening Haiti and its Diaspora. The dominant thinkers on Haiti government development and civil society will come together to discuss effective collaboration between governments and their diaspora. Panel discussions, debates and workshops will focus on the following: professional advancement strategies that prepare students and professionals for a competitive global workforce; forging a viable advocacy framework for governments from origin and destination countries to effectively collaborate with the Haitian Diaspora and NGOs for the improvement of Haiti’s social and economic development; and share knowledge of philanthropic and social entrepreneurship opportunities related to improved social and economic success in Haiti.

Each year, NAAHP’s core objective is to keep Haitian communities updated and informed through constant communication and collaboration in order to achieve a positive, collective and sustained impact. During the conference, NAAHP holds interactive workshops, seminars, panel discussions and debates to provide professionals with the guidance and tools they need to successfully navigate their field. NAAHP invites expert speakers from their respective fields, both the in the U.S and in Haiti, to impart their knowledge and engage in a vital discussion with conference attendees.

Registration for the 4^th Annual NAAHP Conference will open on May 1 at https://naahpusa.org/conferences/2015/. The early bird registration deadline is June 30. Opportunities for sponsorship and vendors are also available online.

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Founded in 2011, the National Alliance for the Advancement of Haitian Professionals (NAAHP) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established by a diverse group of forward-thinking industry experts, youth leaders, faculty, public and nonprofit sector professionals from Haiti and its global diaspora. NAAHP is focused on connecting a global community of peers with career advancement resources as well as fostering transformative relationships between NAAHP members and committed stakeholders to rebuild Haiti through philanthropy and social entrepreneurship.