Panelists

Cleve Mesidor

Global Solutions Consultant

Raben Group

Cleve Mesidor is a Global Solutions Consultant at the Raben Group. Her portfolio targets emerging markets, with a focus on Haiti and the Caribbean. She recently spent six months on the ground in Haiti focused on capacity building and job growth.

Cleve is a former Obama Presidential Appointee, with over 15 years of public affairs, policy, and economic development experience. As Director of Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, she was charged with promoting national economic programs and high profile public-private partnerships. Prior to that, Cleve served as Communications Director for U.S. Representatives Betty McCollum and Barbara Lee, coordinating with Congressional leadership, Committees, Member offices, and third party groups to launch major legislative initiatives.

She holds a Master of Arts degree from Howard University and was recently named one of MSNBC’s Grio 100 and profiled by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In Foundation.


Florence Saint-Jean

Florence Saint-Jean

Founder, Global Trauma Research

Florence Saint-Jean is the founder of Global Trauma Research and specializes in psychological trauma issues. Florence, a second generation Haitian is passionate about underrepresented groups and achieving best possible outcomes for them. Florence started Global Trauma Research because she believes her purpose is to be used by God and through leadership, help people attain their goals by means of prayer, education, counseling, and support. Florence trust that anyone can get through a traumatic event with the right support.

Florence earned a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and English, and Masters of Science Degree in Mental Health Counseling. Florence has over a decades worth of experience in social services, counseling, and trauma. During her time in community organizations, Florence has done extensive work with Haitian-Immigrant and Haitian-American populations.

Florence is currently in pursuit of a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Executive Counselor Education and Supervision at Duquesne University, and researches psychological trauma in developing countries, such as Haiti. Florence's primary research interest is trauma, broadly defined. More specifically, she is interested in treatment efficacy for post-traumatic stress, as well as incorporating alternative techniques such as play, music, art, and massage therapy in counseling. Florence's clinical interests are in areas of illness and domestic/ child abuse.

Florence is best known for her community work in the United States. Since 2007 she has coordinated with numerous organizations to facilitate free community events such as kids holiday parties, toy drives, book drives, baby showers, mothers day events, and so much more. Florence also runs free groups such as female empowerment and parenting skills.

Florence is also known for her passionate work in Haiti, where she provides free trainings like, "The Haiti Trauma Project," a training program geared towards professionals such as teachers, doctors, nurses, and religious leaders.

Teaching Philosophy
"Teaching and learning go hand in hand," says Florence. Florence’s ultimate mission as a Counselor Educator is to create an interactive and interesting classroom, while incorporating adult learners different styles of learning. She does this by addressing the visual, auditory, read-write, and kinesthetic learner in her lessons.

As a counselor she resonates with cognitive behavioral therapy, which addresses the way humans think, which fosters the way humans feel, and consequently the way they act. Florence believes that this theory is embedded in her teaching. If her students care for the classroom, then this will affect the way they feel about the lesson, and hence how motivated they are to learn.


Bruno Surpris

Bruno Surpris

Assistant Vice President - Manager, IT Department

Moody’s Corporation

Mr. Surpris has over 16 years of experience in the Information Technology field. He is an Assistant Vice President - Manager in the IT Department of Moody’s Corporation, a major credit rating agency. He currently manages a global team of technology support professionals where he continuously strives to improve IT customer service. He has held various roles in the IT field such as systems implementation consulting, application support, application development, and application support management. He began his career at Deloitte & Touche where he implemented customized system solutions for various clients. He subsequently held various technical and leadership roles at McKinsey & Company, AIG, Fortress Investment Group, Barclays Capital, and JP Morgan where he was the Vice President of Private Equity Technology. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and mentoring college students to help them achieve their full potentials. He regularly volunteers his time to give back to the community.

Mr. Surpris received his Bachelor of Science and MBA degrees from the Stern School of Business at New York University. He is a PMP and ITIL v3 certified professional. Mr. Surpris was born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He previously attended the Anthony Robbins “Unleashed The Power From Within” workshop where he literally walked on fire!


Jean G. Orelien, DrPH, MStat

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SciMetrika, LLC

Dr. Jean Orelien is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of SciMetrika, LLC, a leading population health research company headquartered in Durham, N.C. with offices in Atlanta, Ga and Silver Spring, Md.

Dr. Orelien, a distinguished public health researcher, built the company with a singular focus on public health research with the goal of improving health, and has guided it through periods of rapid growth, resulting in the SciMetrika's annual inclusion on lists such as the Inc 500|5000, Triangle Business Journal Fast 50, and NC Companies to Watch. Dr. Orelien has also been recognized for his entrepreneurial accomplishments, including being honored as one of Inc. magazine's Top 10 Black Entrepreneurs in 2010 and 2011, receiving the James E. Grizzle Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Department of Biostatistics in 2011, and being named a Global Gateway Mentor by the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in 2014.

Dr. Orelien's technical background includes more than ten years of experience as a senior statistician and project manager on projects funded by agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services, and he has particular expertise in the development of sophisticated statistical programs, the utilization of statistical methods to analyze epidemiological data, survey analysis, and the use of SUDAAN and SAS software. Dr. Orelien earned his doctorate of public health in biostatistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his master's degree in statistics from North Carolina State University. He has authored a number of technical and scientific papers and presentations and is a member of the American Statistical Association and the American Public Health Association.


Eveline Pierre

Eveline Pierre

Founder & Executive Director

Haitian Heritage Museum

Eveline Pierre is the Founder, Executive Director of the 1st Haitian Heritage Museum, outside of Haiti and a best selling author. As the Executive Director Ms. Pierre’s primary focus is to create a legacy for the future generation while educating the world about the many contributions by the Haitian people. Ms. Pierre’s expertise is in the field of Arts & Entertainment.

Pierre has been active in the field of Arts & Entertainment for more than 10 yrs. She serves on several advisory bodies like Art Basel, Brickell Avenue Literary Society, Design Miami, North Miami Middle Museum Magnet Advisory Board, Miami Dade County Commission for Women, Institute of Museum and Library Services she is a member of Women In Technology International and Miami Dade County Women’s Chamber.

Pierre has serve as a mentor with Miami Dade Big Brother Big Sister, volunteers with Florida Department of Cultural Affairs as a grant panelist, Miami Rescue Mission, and Camilus House.

Pierre earned her bachelors degree from the prestigious Howard University with a major in Political Science and a minor in History, focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean.

Recently, under Ms. Pierre’s leadership the Haitian Heritage Museum was voted Miami News Times Best Museum of Miami. In 2014 Ms. Pierre was one of the nominees for the African American Achievers. Pierre was also given congressional honor for International women Day and was nominated for President’s Obama Arts & Humanities Council. Ms. Pierre also received Miami Dade County “In the Company of Women” Arts & Entertainment Woman of the year. Pierre has also received from The Florida House Appreciation Award in Recognition of the Service and Dedication to the Community. Pierre was also on the cover of Miami Today as the “Achiever”. Ms. Pierre also received from the Haitian American Chamber member of the Year. Ms. Pierre has also received numerous Proclamations and Resolutions from Miami Dade County School Board, City of North Miami, City of Miami, Miami Dade County and The Florida State Legislature.


Gandy Thomas

Gandy Thomas

Consul General of Haiti

Gandy Thomas was announced as Haiti’s first Consul General in Atlanta by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in December of 2010. He took up office the following month and began the job of establishing Haiti’s first new Consulate in the South East.

Having obtained a Master's degree in International Relations of the Diplomatic Academy Andres Bello of Chili and a Bachelor's in accounting Management at the Institute National of Management, Administration and International Studies, Mr. Thomas joined Haiti’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1991. He has served at the Embassy of Haiti in Chili as an Officer Consular from 1996-1998; at the Haitian Embassy in Cuba (where he had the responsibility for reporting on political developments and bilateral cooperation) from January 1998-December 2000; at the Embassy of Haiti in Colombia as Consul and Politic affairs from January 2001 to March 2002; at the Embassy of Haiti in Venezuela as Chargé d'Affaires from 2023-2005; Chili 2005-2008.

Prior to taking up his post as Consul General, he was based in 2008 at the Consulate of Haiti in Orlando working to establish the Consulate General in Atlanta.

Away from work, Gandy is a fan of most sports; He particularly loves tennis and football (soccer).

Gandy is married to Leslie Gonzalez. They have two children.


Dr. Marjorie P. Brennan, MD

Physician specializing in pediatric anesthesiology at Children National Medical Center

Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine George Washington University

Marjorie P.Brennan, MD is a physician specializing in pediatric anesthesiology at Children’s National Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at George Washington University. Her particular areas of interest have included muscle diseases of children, publishing book chapters in Essence of Anesthesia Practice, and Progress in Anesthesia as well as several peer-reviewed medical journal articles. She has been active in medical missionary work, volunteering for several trips to Vilnius University Children’s Hospital in Lithuania, and to Sacre Coeur Hospital in Haiti. She is the founder and director of the JDT Foundation, aimed at providing higher education opportunities and reclaiming the environment in Haiti. Locally, she serves as team leader of the Children’s Hospital Junior Operating Room at the NBC4 Health and Fitness Expo.

She received her Bachelor of Science and her MD degree from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Marjorie has been an active her local community. She serves on the board of Potomac School, and independent K-12 school in Virginia, and is a Sunday School teacher at her local parish. She resides in Virginia with her husband and three children.


Mirande Valbrune

Mirande Valbrune, Esq.

Vice President, Employee Relations, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.

Mirande Valbrune is a management side labor and employment attorney.  She is a Vice President, Employee Relations at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., the oldest and largest private bank in the United States. As a seasoned professional, she finds solutions to workplace challenges by: providing advice and counsel on Employee Relations issues, conducting investigations, designing and delivering manager and employee trainings, and ensuring that her company continues to develop cutting edge workplace policies.

Ms. Valbrune believes in living life with a purpose. Therefore, she seizes upon multiple opportunities to give back to her community and has engaged in a number of philanthropic efforts. This has ranged from her support of the arts, to her work on various projects and committees in her community, to the foundation of a charity (www.livingmeasure.org) aimed at raising capital through fundraisers for other charities of choice. Beneficiaries of her fundraising efforts have included Edeyo, the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund, Haitian-American Alliance of New York, The Haiti Project, and others.

Ms. Valbrune’s roots are truly Haitian-American. She was born and raised in little Haiti, also known as East Flatbush, Brooklyn. Growing up, her parents taught her a keen sense of Haitian pride, creole language, Haitian culture and a deep connection to all things Haitian and of the diaspora.

Ms. Valbrune is an alumna of Cornell University’s School of Arts and Sciences and the University of Pennsylvania Law School where she focused her study and coursework on Employment Law.


Vladimir Laborde

Director General of Multilink, S.A.

Vladimir Laborde has recently served as the Chief of Staff of Haiti’s Center for the Facilitation of Investments (CFI), Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the Presidential Advisory Board on Economic Growth and Investment (PACEGI), a member of Cabinet of the Ministry of Interior, an Energy Consultant at the IHRC (Interim Haitian Reconstruction Center) and currently serves as Director General of Multilink, S.A., a Haitian Telecommunications Company.

Mr. Laborde started his career as a finance professional and, over time, has developed a strong interest and significant experience in overall business management and development. He has demonstrated a record of high accomplishment as a C-Level Executive, with strong capabilities in organizational management, government and community relations, and enterprise level sales, in the Telecom and Non-Governmental Sectors in Haiti.

Mr. Laborde began his career in Boston, MA, first as a Bond Trader at Fidelity Investments in Boston, MA, and then as an Accountant Administrator at State Street Bank & Trust, all while completing his studies at Boston University with a concentration of studies in Economics and Political Science. He later moved on to Morgan Stanley, where he worked as a Private Wealth Manager in Miami, Florida.

Following his return to Haiti, Mr. Laborde was named as Vice President of Business Development for NETCOM, a Haitian telecommunications carrier. In 2003, he Founded and served as Executive Director of Fondation Avenir, “Foundation FUTURE”, a non-profit Haitian organization. Fondation Avenir was founded to combat poverty by providing youth in marginalized and isolated areas with alternatives to violence and with durable and marketable life skills, to assist them in becoming contributing citizens. Fondation Avenire also worked in capacity building and reinforcement, as well as supporting reorganization and restructuring of municipalities, and development of recreation and waste management resources. Mr. Laborde has been instrumental in providing strong support in projects that are public private partnerships with the Haiti New Orleans Task Force, he has worked close Collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Security
in Establishing a strong accord with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and its Energy Sector that has led to accords in Energy Provision, Infrastructure and Security.


Brian Concannon, Jr., Esq.

Executive Director

Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti

Brian Concannon, Jr., Esq., IJDH Executive Director, co-managed the BAI in Haiti for eight years, from 1996-2004, and worked for the United Nations as a Human Rights Officer in 1995-1996. He founded IJDH, and has been the Director since 2004. He helped prepare the prosecution of the Raboteau Massacre trial in 2000, one of the most significant human rights cases anywhere in the Western Hemisphere. He has represented Haitian political prisoners before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and represented the plaintiff in Yvon Neptune v. Haiti, the first Haiti case ever tried before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Mr. Concannon has received fellowships from Harvard Law School and Brandeis University and has trained international judges, U.S. asylum officers and law students across the U.S. He is a member of the Editorial Board of Health and Human Rights, An International Journal. He speaks and writes frequently about human rights in Haiti. He holds an undergraduate degree from Middlebury College and JD from Georgetown Law. He speaks English, Haitian Creole and French.


Colombe Emilie Jessy Menos

Secretary of State for Tourism and Creative Industries

Mrs Colombe Emilie Jessy Menos was recently appointed Secretary of State for Tourism and Creative Industries in April 2014. She previously fulfilled the role of Director of Public Relations and Promotion at the Ministry of Tourism for the past year.

Mrs Menos who was born and educated in Port au Prince Haiti, graduated from the University of Quisqueya with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Business Administration. She has held several high profile positions within the private and public sector. Prior to joining Tourism in 2013, she worked as a counselor for the Minister of Justice and Public Safety in 2011, and subsequently as the personal assistant of the Minister of Social Affairs and the Minister of Interior. Her 20 years of Career included Director of Customer Care in a private bank, and General Manager in two different fields Communications and Appliances.

By her new assignment, Mrs Menos is responsible for promoting Haitian Arts and Creativity through tourism. Key areas of Focus for Emilie Jessy are on building craft Villages in main tourist attractions areas in different regions of the country, as well as identifying opportunities for new partnership and sales channels, marketing programs and sponsorship to exponentially increase the number of international visitors, private investors and buyers of Haitian arts and crafts.


James B. Fennell

Public Affairs Officer

U.S. Department of State

Office of the Haiti Special Coordinator

James Fennell is a U.S. Foreign Service Officer currently serving as a Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Department of State, Office of the Haiti Special Coordinator, in Washington, D.C. In this capacity he manages the Haiti’ Office’s public diplomacy portfolio, including press and media relations, public outreach, and educational and cultural programming. His career with the Department of State includes prior assignments in Peru, Iraq, Kuwait and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He also has prior overseas experience in France and Haiti. Before to becoming a Foreign Service Officer, Fennell was a writer and public relations manager in New York and Washington, D.C. Originally from New Jersey, he has a B.A. in journalism from Rutgers University and an M.A. in international affairs from The American University. He also studied for one year at the University of London.


Jacques-Philippe Piverger

Co-Founder and CEO of MPOWERED Inc.

Jacques-Philippe Piverger is a social entrepreneur who draws on his business and
philanthropic experience to create positive change for humanity across the globe. As Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of MPOWERD Inc., Jacques-Philippe is
deeply involved in all aspects of the business and tirelessly works to bring innovative solar lighting solutions to the developed and developing world.

In addition to honing his business acumen as a Director at PineBridge Investments
participating in over $10 billion of private equity, hedge and real estate transactions globally, Jacques-Philippe also worked at AIG Investments, Friedman Billings Ramsey and Barclays Capital. He founded The Soleil Group, a strategic marketing firm with a diverse portfolio of clients such as Western Union, Universal Music, New York Public Library, Glaceau Vitamin Water, BMG and Motorola.

Jacques-Philippe is also Chairman of Regenerer Haiti, a 2500-acre quadruple bottom line sustainably designed community, which takes into account people, planet, profit and society. He founded and is Chairman Emeritus of Soleil Global, a nonprofit organization dedicated to using renewable energy solutions to empower people in developing countries. Jacques-Philippe co-founded and is on the board of The Council of Urban Professionals and he is a Term Member of The Council on Foreign Relations, a Young Global Leader (as designated by The World Economic Forum) and an Advisory Board Member of George Clooney’s Hope for Haiti Now Fund. An avid speaker on leadership, impact investing and being a sound global citizen, Jacques-Philippe holds a Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth where he was a Private Equity Research Fellow.


Cedric Chauvet

Société pour la Representation Aérienne S.A.

Cedric Chauvet was born in 1982 and attended the Lycée Alexandre Dumas in Haiti all thru High School until graduation from the French Baccalaureate “Sciences Economiques et Sociales” (SES) with honors in 2001. He went straight to the University of Montreal where he graduated from both a Bachelor in Economics and Politics and a Certificate in Political Science in 2005. He pursued right after at HEC Montreal “Hautes Etudes Commerciales” with a Graduate Diploma in Management “Diplôme d’Etudes Supérieures Spécialisées en Gestion”(DESS).

In 2006-2007 his first job/internship was with the Global Voice Group’s Nopin Long Distance where he traveled to all the major cities where Haitians are concentrated in order to promote pin-less international phone call services to Haiti (MIA-NY-BOS-YUL-SDQ).

In 2008 he started working with the family business: Agence Citadelle S.A (Travel Agency) and Etablissements W. Bondel (Importer Coleman Products).

In April 2009 Delta Airlines signed a General Sales Agent contract with SORA S.A (Société pour la Representation Aérienne S.A) on the territory of Haiti and he has been heading that company ever since.

Delta Air Lines connects Haiti PAP to New York JFK’s International Airport and the world’s biggest and busiest airport: Atlanta.


Uel Davidson A. Olivier

Youth Ambassador, Centre de la Francophonie des Ameriques

Founder and Former General Coordinator, Organisation de la Société Civile de la Jeunesse Haitienne (OSCJH)

After being president of the Association des Futurs Génies in 2006, Uel was secretary of Association des universitaires Capois pour l’avancement et le Progrès in 2009. In 2010, he held the position of Advisor to the Committee of class at the University. In 2011 and 2012, he was successively young Minister for Haitians abroad and minister of Tourism to the youth of Haiti Government. In September 2012, Uel represented Haiti at the World Assembly Of Civicus. He then founded the Organisation de la Société Civile de la Jeunesse Haitienne(OSCJH) where he was the first general Coordinator until October 2014. In December 2013, he was the Best Young of Year at Decouvrir Haiti Inc. Today, Uel holds the honorary title of Youth Ambassador of the Francophonie Of Americas for Haiti.

Uel Olivier-Ma biographie in French >


Chad W. Bissonnette

Co-founder and Executive Director, Roots of Development

Chad W. Bissonnette is Co-founder and Executive Director of the international non-profit organization Roots of Development. Roots of Development’s vision is for a world in which the very communities living in poverty are the ones leading the fight against it; a world in which impoverished communities decide their own future and manage their own development. Mr. Bissonnette holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from American University and was 2014’s School of International Service Alumnus of the Year. Mr. Bissonnette began traveling to Haiti in 2005 and co-founded Roots of Development shortly after. As one of the organization’s co-founders, he is responsible for the creation and development of the organization’s community-driven approach to development, which involves the formation and strengthening of local community groups in remote and underserved locations. When in Haiti, Mr. Bissonnette spends most of his time on the island of La Gonave, which is where Roots of Development does most of its work. Mr. Bissonnette is a blogger on the Huffington Post and speaks regularly on the topics of community-driven development and “doing development differently” at educational institutions across the country. Mr. Bissonnette is originally from Connecticut, and has lived a substantial amount of time overseas in places such as Spain, South Africa, Brazil, and of course Haiti. Mr. Bissonnette currently resides in Washington, DC.


Sandra Lucie Jean

Co-founder and CEO, Georgia Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce

Sandra Lucie Jean is a Co-founder and the current President and CEO of the Georgia Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce. Sandra served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Chamber since its inception in June 2011. She received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, cum laude from Hunter College in New York City and a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School in Boston, MA. Prior to attending law school, Sandra spent several years working as an accountant for various accounting firms, including Ernst & Young in New York City. In her professional life, Sandra has worked as a Federal Prosecutor, Director of Labor and Employee Relations and most recently as an Area Vice President where she managed a portfolio of over eight million dollars a month.

Since her involvement with the Chamber, Sandra dedicates countless volunteer hours to the Georgia Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. Through her unwavering and unconditional support, the Chamber continues to grow and expand to meet its mission, which is to promote the Haitian businesses in Georgia and develop partnership that will improve socio-economic developments in Haiti. Sandra works diligently to ensure that the youth also have the opportunity to benefit from the Chamber through GAHCC’s Youth Financial Literacy & Empowerment summer camp.

In addition to her work at the Chamber, Sandra participates in many leadership roles within her community including with the Junior League of Atlanta, the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys and the city of Brookhaven, GA where she lives.

Sandra is often requested to speak at women’s empowering functions. Her speaking engagements include Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy, Women In Golf Foundation, Inc. and various high schools in her area.


Joanne Thimothe, Ph.D.

Founder, LaSource Food Industry Consulting, LLC

Joanne Thimothe Ph.D., obtained her doctorate degree from the Cornell University Food Science program with a minor in Entrepreneurship. She has over 14 years of experience working in the North American food industry for small companies as well as major global companies. Her expertise covers several areas of the farm to table system including Food Safety and Quality, Research and Development, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. She has worked with small food processing businesses as well as a non-profit organization in Haiti. She has also conducted 2 pilot studies for potential food processing companies in Haiti. She is the author or co-author of many articles on food science published in peer-reviewed journals. Most recently, the company which she founded, LaSource Food Industry Consulting, LLC, has launched Neliquick, a brand that include quick Haitian-style meals (Rice and Beans combo, and Haitian-style “Sos Pwa”) for the diaspora.


Nikson Athis

Youth Ambassador, CARICOM

President, Ajir Paix

I am Nikson ATHIS, I was born in Martissant, a town in Haiti. I am 29 years old; I am from a family with 6 children. I am courageous, sincere, humanist, patriot and dynamic. I study diplomacy and International Relations; study politics and some conferences on leadership, at the end I studied Strategy of Economic Development and Saemaul Undong in South Corea.

My activities: In my fifteen I created an NGO named COFAP, this structure was engaged on cultural and Environnemental sectors; five years later, I participated at the creation of National Youth Council who pledges for youth integration and participation. In this council I was the responsible of foreign Affaires to promote and worth young people talents. After this experience, i was elected the Caricom youth ambassador in 2011 by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action. I have for job to explain to young people what CARICOM a overview is really and promote the CSME (Caribbean Single Market and Economy)

In 2011, on behalf of United Nations at the Circumstance of International Volunteer, we create in Haiti named COHAIV, a structure who pledges for the importance of volunteerism. I was the spokesman.

2013: I create AJIR-Paix, a structure who promotes for young people and preserves peace in the world.

My principal partners in youth sectors: OSCJH, MJSAC, JCI, Fondation Kemland, Fondation Orchidée, konkal, JEZI, RJPDH, CARICOM youth Ambassadors, COHAIV…

Perspectives: I develop the leadership of young people and the youth structures. I am interested on Environnemental and Entrepreneurial Investment of young people in Haiti.

Civic education is my big interest.


Ketsia Saint-Armand

President Emerita, Harvard Haitian Alliance

Former Board Member, National Haitian Student Alliance

Ms. Saint-Armand is a rising senior at Harvard College passionate about public service, nonprofit organization management, and developing and mentoring youth leaders in the Haitian Diaspora. She is a Social Studies concentrator (major) with a focus field in Colonialism and Development in the Caribbean. Born in Haiti and raised in a large immigrant community in New York, she is currently conducting a project on immigrant youth and their experiences of assimilation to understand how media portrayals of immigrants and government policies toward immigrants shape identity choices. This summer, Ketsia will be conducting further research on Haitian immigration to the United States under the guidance of Professor Vincent Brown.

While at Harvard, Ketsia has served on the board of the Harvard Society of Black Scientists and Engineers, the Harvard Haitian Alliance, and on the board of the National Haitian Student Alliance, recently organizing their annual conference in New Orleans. She also took a leave of absence from 2012-3 to work with Haiti Cultural Exchange, a cultural organization that works to promote Haitian culture in New York.


Marie Casimir

Consultant

Consulate of Haiti in Chicago

Marie Casimir is a consultant working with the Consulate of Haiti in Chicago.

She holds a Masters Degree in Nonprofit Administration from North Park University and B.A in Journalism from Ithaca College in NY. She has worked with multiple nonprofits and cultural institutions in Chicago on strategic planning, marketing and public relations, community engagement and fundraising. She is currently the liaison between the Haitian Consulate in Chicago and Haitian Federation of the West and Midwest, a group that aims to unite Haitian Diaspora organizations.

She is the Associate Director at Links Hall (a nonprofit performance space),
a member of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, serves on the Advisory Council of Arts in Scared Spaces, a board member of the Francine Murat Foundation and is currently involved with the Dusable Heritage Association's contribution to the African Diaspora Film Festival (Chicago) and a symposium supported by Northwestern University -  Beyond Coast: Haiti and the Midwest planned for April 2015.


Harold Charles

Founder, CEEPCO Contracting, LLC

Mr. Harold R. Charles founded CEEPCO Contracting, LLC. in 2003 and is the Principal-in-Charge of all aspects of the organization. Under his leadership, CEEPCO has grown steadily in size and scope into the industry leader it is today.

Mr. Charles has his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of the District of Columbia (1986) and a M.S. in Environmental Management from the University of Maryland (1994). Mr. Charles holds the following titles: Registered Professional Engineer in DC, MD, VA and FL; Certified Project Management Professional (PMP); Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP); as well as General Contractor’s Licenses in DC, MD, VA and FL.

CEEPCO’s President also served as a Civil Engineer and Environmental Coordinator for the DC Air National Guard at Andrews Air Force Base from 1987 to 1994; as an Environmental Protection Specialist for the US Army at the Pentagon from 1994 to 1995; as a Civil/Environmental Engineer for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from 1995 to 1998; and as an Environmental Engineer for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 1998 to 2006. 

Awards received:


  • S. Senator Benjamin Cardin issues certificate in July 2014 to recognize CEEPCO for outstanding performance as a small business in Maryland



  • S. Senator Benjamin Cardin recognizes CEEPCO President Harold Charles in July 2014 for his accomplishments as an entrepreneur in Maryland



  • SBA Washington Metropolitan Area District Office Selects Haitian-American Harold Charles as 2014 Small Business Person of the Year representing the State of Maryland



  • CEEPCO Contracting, LLC. receives 2013 Maryland Excellence Award from Small Business Institute of Excellence in Commerce



  • CEEPCO President Harold Charles selected as the Haiti Renewal Alliance 2014 Global Economic Development Change Maker



  • Harold Charles was honored with Digicel's 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Construction Sector in December 2013. He was also named the northern region's Entrepreneur of the Year in construction in October 2013


Darline Augustine, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Saunders College of Business

Rochester Institute of Technology

Darline Augustine is an Assistant Professor in the Management, IB and Entrepreneurship team at the Saunders College of Business at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Her scholarly investigations lie at the intersection of entrepreneurship, strategy, organizational theory and behavioral sciences. Also, Augustine is focused on the relationship between entrepreneurship and sustainable economic development in communities. She has both applied and research expertise in the microfinance industry, a subset of social enterprises. Prior to her academic career, Dr. Augustine worked in Global Equity Sales in the Financial Service Industry. Augustine founded the Haiti Resource Consortium, a non-profit organization that focused on mitigating and reversing environmental degradation in Haiti.

Augustine has MSc and PhD degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom, and a BA from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York.


Marciana L. Popescu, PhD

Fordham University

Graduate School of Social Service

Director of Evaluation, NCTSWEWD

Dr. Popescu is an Associate Professor at Fordham University, Graduate School of Social Service, and a Research Associate and the Center for International Policy Studies (CIPS). She holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Bucharest (with a focus on Comparative Social Policy); a MSW from Tulane University (where she was a Fulbright scholar in 1996-1997); and a Masters in Social Policy from the University of Bucharest, Romania. Her main interests are international social development, women’s rights and gender equality, intimate partner violence, evaluation research, and the effectiveness and impact of income generating programs on women’s development.

For the past 6 years, Dr. Popescu conducted intensive courses and study tours focusing on: (1) The rights of the Haitian population in the Haitian bateyes in the Dominican Republic – with an emphasis on children’s rights; and (2) The link between emergency response, and sustainable post disaster recovery, reconstruction and development in Haiti (2010-present). In 2013, Dr. Popescu conducted a 1-year follow up research study, together with Serge Turin (research consultant in Haiti) and Kara Lightburn (Director, Social Tap – The Haiti Initiative) focusing on the effectiveness of government relocation and housing programs on the displaced population from one large camp in Jacmel, Haiti. This study was used to frame and organize an international conference on recovery, reconstruction and sustainability in Haiti, on November 15-16, 2013 – at the UN and Fordham University, New York. The conference had a wide participation from Haitian organizations, international agencies, and New York Universities as well as donors and advocates. The results of the conference works are compiled in a White Paper that will be published and disseminated in November 2014.

Dr. Popescu designed a course that is part of the Masters required curriculum for the International Humanitarian Affairs program at Fordham University – focusing on community participation in emergency response. She taught the course to 5 cohorts of international humanitarian workers enrolled in this program, at various locations (Berlin, Barcelona, Geneva, and New York). Dr. Popescu was invited to present at multiple international and national conferences, and is currently working on articles that will be submitted to journals such as International Social Work, Gender and Development Journal, and the Violence against Women Journal, further disseminating her work on women’s rights; as well as international interdisciplinary education. The findings of the follow-up relocation study will be submitted for publication to a peer-review journal focusing on sustainable recovery and reconstruction strategies post-disaster.


Myrlande Pierre

Sociologist - Researcher, UQAM

Research Associate at the Centre de recherche en immigration, ethnicité et citoyenneté (CRIEC) of the Faculty of Humanities of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). She is interested in issues related to immigration, citizenship and issues of systemic discrimination. She has conductedseveral studies and work for the Intercultural Relations Council of the Quebec Government on issues of political representation of ethno culturalminorities.

Myrlande Pierre has several years of professional experience in the federal public service in analysis, management and implementation of public policies and government programs. She is presently employed as an expert at Citizenship and Immigration Canada. In 2000, she notably made ​​a submission on the socio-economic inclusion of young graduates from the second generation of Haitian immigration and led a journal on the Newsocial practices of the University of Quebec: Racism and Discrimination: Opportunities and Challenges, published in 2005. Madame Pierre has participated in several national and international conferences between 2003 and 2014 (Milan, Rabat-Morocco, Ponta Delgada, Copenhagen, Geneva, Lisbon, etc.) on topics related to the socio-economic integration of ethnic minorities, discrimination and racism.

Recognized for her community involvement, she was appointed member and Vice-President of the Conseil des Montréalaises by the City Council of the City of Montreal (2004- 2008), Vice-President of the Mouvement pour une démocratie nouvelle (2003-2007- 2012), Regional Representative of the Montreal delegation on the Reform of Democratic Institutions, Government of Quebec (2003). She is currently co-president of the Committee, State, Governance and Justice of the Group for Reflection and Action for a New Haiti (GRAHN). Issues related to social justice, equal opportunityand democracy are at the heart of its concerns. She is a Ph.D Candidate in sociology and author of several publications.


Katleen Felix, M.Sc.

President, Haitian Hometown Associations Resource Group (HHTARG)

International Consultant

Katleen Felix is an International Consultant focusing on research and development of new remittance products or initiatives, migration and development, design of financial inclusion programs for entrepreneurs, training and capacity-building for Haitian Hometown Associations (HHTAs), design of diaspora engagement programs, project reporting and donor relations.

She co-founded Zafèn (www.zafen.org), a program which uses a crowdfunding website to support small growing businesses (SGBs) and social projects in Haiti. FORBES listed Zafèn as one of the top 10 Social Impact crowdfunding platforms. After 4 years of operation, Zafèn has partnered with Kiva.org, and Katleen is leading the business development team supporting the transition and redesign of the program to give more access to loans to SGBs in Haiti. Katleen has 10 years of experience as a senior financial officer for major corporations in North America and over 20 years of experience working with the Haitian community. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in finance and international business from HEC Montreal, an internationally renowned business school (www.hec.ca). She speaks French, English, Creole, Portuguese and basic Spanish.

Katleen is well integrated in the business scene and the Haitian diaspora community, and is the recipient of many awards: The 2006 Young Professional Excellence Award from HEC Montreal for her accomplishments and community involvement, the 2009 Young Professional of the Year Award and the People’s Choice award from the Young Chamber of Commerce of Montreal, the 2009 Community Leadership Award from HABNET, a 2009 Citation from the President of the Brooklyn Borough Hall, a 2010 Pioneers of Prosperity Award from Mattapan Technology in Boston, a 2011 FANM and City of Miami recognition, and in February 2014 she received a Proclamation from the City of New York for accomplishments with the Haitian diaspora and Haitian economic development.

Currently, Katleen is actively serving on 2 boards: The Haitian Hometown Associations Resource group (www.hhtarg.org) and the Haitian Diaspora Federation (HDF). She is also an active member of the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE). Katleen is regularly invited to speak at international conferences around the globe.


Kerline Joseph, Ph.D.

Researcher

Former President of Voix Sans Frontières

Kerline Joseph holds a BA in Criminology, a Masters Degree in International Law and a Doctorate in Law. She gained diverse national and international experiences, among others, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the African Union and the Department of International Relations. She has made a significant socio legal contribution by her books, lectures and academic activities. Her research interests are diverse and affect particularly women's rights, globalization, international law and social justice.

She is an associate researcher at the Chaire de recherche en immigration, ethnicité et citoyenneté (CRIEC) at the University of Quebec in Montreal which recently became the Centre de recherche en immigration, ethnicité et citoyenneté. She is also an Associate Professor at the Institute for Science, Technology and Advanced Studies of Haiti (ISTEAH), an initiative of GRAHN Monde. As a strong advocate for women's development, she has contributed to the integration of a course on Women and Science which should give thought and analysis to stereotypes and contribution of women in the scientific community. She is also an official in the government of Quebec and former president of Voix Sans Frontières, an organization she co-founded.


Kerlande Mibel

Zwart Communication

Kerlande Mibel has done a Bachelor’s degree in Communications at UQAM and holds a specialized graduate diploma (DESS) in Management and Organizational Development from the University of Laval. She currently heads Zwart Communication, an agency that specializes in multicultural marketing in Quebec. As Zwart Communication’s founder, she believes strongly in the power of diversity. Zwart Communication mandate is to work with its clients to strategically tap into that power.

Before launching her own business, Mibel was a political advisor for the Cabinet of Montreal’s Mayor. For over 10 years, she has worked passionately in economic development.  She created several initiatives to promote employability and women’s entrepreneurship.  Mibel is actively involved in the community and, for the past 15 years, has sat on the board of directors of many organizations. She was a member of the Forum jeunesse de l’île de Montréal (Montreal Island Youth Forum [FJIM)), of the Women’s Committee and of the Young Women Leaders Circle at the “Conférence régionale des élus de Montréal”. She was also a member of the Executive Board of a major provincial political party in Quebec. She was part of the steering committee for GRAHN (Groupe de réflexion et d'action pour une Haïti nouvelle), a think-tank and action group for the rebuilding of Haiti. She has been a member of the Board of the Regroupement des jeunes chambres de commerce du Québec (Youth Chamber of Commerce federation) and was twice elected chair of the Board of the Jeune Chambre de commerce haïtienne in Montréal (Montreal’s Haitian youth chamber of commerce). She is currently a Director of the Board for the Fondation de l’office municipal d’Habitation de Montréal (Montreal’s Habitat Municipal Office Foundation [Fondation OMHM]), the Centre d’étude et de coopération internationale (International Cooperation and Study Center [CECI]) and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada.

Born in Haiti, Kerlande Mibel speaks three languages.


Dieula Previlon

Founder and Executive Director, ElevateHer International Ministries

Dieula Previlon is the founder and executive director of ElevateHer International Ministries. A wife and  a mother to three young boys, she is a Life Purpose Coach, Entrepreneur, International Missions Expert, Motivational Speaker and Preacher. Her engaging, honest and contagious sense of humor have allowed her to share the teachings of the word of God to empower and bring healing to the women of God’s kingdom. Her professional career in teaching, counseling, pastoring and international ministry, span over 15 years.

Born in Gonaives, Haiti as the fourth daughter to a strong and resilient woman who barely had a third grade education, Dieula’s ministry today stems from her parents sacrificial act of love. They immigrated to the United States in the late 70s and she and her siblings later joined them in the late 80s. Dieula has always felt a strong sense that the Lord was calling her to minister beyond the local Haitian community. She left the Haitian community and went off to college at Rutgers University. Soon after college, she became a middle school teacher as she simultaneously volunteered in many church ministries; from youth, to choir and prayer. She once again left the Haitian community to attend Dallas Theological Seminary with a Masters in Counseling. She later joined staff at Irving Bible Church as the Mission’s Pastor and Director. She now enjoys ministering to women in one on one life coaching/counseling, in Prison, in Haiti, Africa and wherever the Lord leads her. Her passion is to inspire and help women find life from chaos.


Judge Lionel Jean-Baptiste

Cook County Circuit Court Judge in the State of Illinois

Founder and Former Chairman, Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti

Lionel Jean-Baptiste is a son, a husband, a father of 3, a grandfather of 3, a brother, uncle, cousin, and nephew. Raised in Petionville, Haiti, he came to the United States at the age of 14. Upon graduation from Evanston Township High School in 1970, he attended Princeton University and received a degree in Political Science and a minor/Certificate in African-American History. Compelled to give back to the society which had given him so much, he worked as an elementary school teacher in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, NY and as an adjunct Professor in New Rochelle Community College. He also worked as the Director of the Special Housing Division for the Housing Preservation and Development Department of NYC serving the homeless and providing emergency housing.

He eventually returned to his home town in Evanston, IL and enrolled in Law School in 1986. With a full time job as the Executive Assistant to the President of Malcolm X College, City of Chicago, and an active family, he graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1990. Lionel practiced law for 20 years, primarily in the areas of Immigration, Personal Injury, Probate, Family Law and Real Estate. He also worked on political / legal cases such as the major reparations case against several US corporations. During that period he was elected for 3 consecutive terms and served for 10 years as Alderman of the 2ndWard of the City of Evanston. He was the first Haitian-American elected official in the State of Illinois. As an Alderman, he was recognized as a hard worker, a strong negotiator and a voice of fairness and reason.

Judge Jean-Baptiste is a firm believer in the notion that freedom, justice, and equity are not free; and that one should not in simply observe the world but should engage in the process of changing it for the better. To that end, he has worn many hats. He served as a Civil Service Commissioner for the City of Evanston. He is a member of the NAACP, the Canal Park Neighbors, and the Haitian-American Community Association. He is a founder of the Evanston Youth Initiative. He is the founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti and the Haitian Congress for Civic Engagement PAC and a founding member of the Haitian Relief Fund of Illinois. He is also a founder and past President of the Haitian American Lawyers Association of Illinois. He represents the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti on the Board of the Haitian Diaspora Federation. He worked as a member of the Committee Against Repression in Haiti, as an organizer of workers and unemployed youth, and as an organizer against police brutality. He was a member of the African Liberation Support Committee that struggled against British and Portuguese colonialism and against Apartheid. He was a member of the Durban 400 who went to South Africa to advance the struggle for reparations. He was, also, a member of the National Committee for the Millions For Reparations demonstration held in Washington, D. C. He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Cook County Bar Association, the Illinois Judicial Council and the Illinois Judges Association.

Besides his personal accomplishments, Judge Jean-Baptiste is most proud of his continuing work with the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti. This organization’s central strategy is the reintegration of the Diaspora into the life of Haiti. The "Haitian Congress" has waged an international, non-partisan campaign that spanned 7 years, to secure Dual/Multi-Nationality for Haitians under the Haitian Constitution whereby Haitians who have become citizens of other nations have now regained their Haitian citizenship and their foreign born children have also become Haitians, legally. Simultaneously, the "Haitian Congress" has remained active in crisis relief, debt forgiveness, and Temporary Protective Status (TPS) advocacy, as well, as in promoting Haitian culture to our youth and the community at large in the Chicago area. Today, we say forward to reintegration and forward to the Diaspora Vote!

Lionel Jean-Baptiste is currently serving as a Cook County Circuit Court Judge in the State of Illinois. In March of 2011 he became the first Haitian-American in the State of Illinois to be appointed and sworn in by the Supreme Court. He waged a hard-fought campaign to hold on to his seat on the Bench and was victorious in the Primary Election of March 2012 and, again, in the General Election of November 2012, becoming the first Haitian-American to be elected as a Judge in the State of Illinois. Today, he continues to be passionate about serving others not only as a Circuit Court Judge and strives to live a life worth following.


Arnold Africot

Agronomist

U.S Fulbright Scholar

Arnold Africot is an environmentalist, specializing in land management, reforestation, protection of watershed and biodiversity, and project management and evaluation. Arnold has nearly 7 years of experience in land management, livelihoods support, poverty alleviation, reforestation, and disaster relief with various organizations in Haiti. Arnold played an integral part in his role as Head of Agriculture in USAID’s Watershed Initiative for National Natural Environment Resource (WINNER) program. He also served as Head of Monitoring for 'Action pour un Development Durable' (ACDED) (French for Action for Sustainable Development) in Jacmel, Haiti, where he implemented an agroforestry project in the community of Marigot, developed over 600 woodlots for the protection of the river basins of Marigot, and provided strategy training to farmers to increase collaborative ventures with community partners.

Some of Arnold’s accomplishments include being awarded with the Fulbright Fellowship as well as being recognized as the top performing student by the Ministry of Education in Haiti (MENFP). Arnold finds his passion in accompanying vulnerable communities affected by poverty, food insecurity, resource degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change. Arnold enjoys hiking, talking to people in communities in which he works, and spending time with his family and friends.

He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy from Haitian State University, Haiti, and master’s candidate (2015) in International Environmental Policy, focusing on Natural Resource Management at the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS), a graduate school of the Middlebury College in California.


Johnny Celestin

Johnny Celestin

Deputy Chief of Staff

Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation

Johnny Celestin is a highly qualified Senior Executive with intensive international expertise in Administration and Operations gained in competitive Services Industry, NGO and the public sector. He is sharpened and provened his capabilities in improving and turning-around operations. He is an entrepreneur and self-starter with a proven record in successfully launching, motivating cross-functional teams and operating new initiatives.

He has equal experience in the private sector as well as the Not for Profit. He has worked for firms like Accenture and Empire Blue Cross, and Foundations like Robin Hood and Atlantic Philanthropies. He was the founder of the Haitian Fund for Innovation in NY and the Center for Innovation and Management in Haiti. He is an entrepreneur that has started a number of successful businesses in the US and in Haiti.

Johnny currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation and a member of the Prime Minister’s cabinet and Private Secretariate.


Michele Vlady Boisrond

Founder and Board Member, IEEE Haiti

Born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Michele Boisrond obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering at The City College of New York. Her background in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and commitment to advancing opportunities for women in the Haitian Diaspora and in Haiti led her to become a cofounder and member of the Board of Directors for IEEE Haiti, on which she currently serves. Prior to founding IEEE Haiti, she served as a pre-engineering program instructor through NASA/STEP Proyecto, encouraging students to explore careers in STEM. These experiences, combined with her undergraduate experience in working as a Chief Officer of Operations to develop and reinforce the implementation of policies to increase performance of her IT Department, have provided her with both a background in and a passion for women’s entrepreneurial leadership and program management. She is currently a Facility and Plant Engineering Supervisor at the UPS’s largest data center.


Sandra Marcel

Secretary, IEEE | UEH-FDH

Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sandra Marcel is currently a student in the Electronic Engineering program at the State University of Haiti’s Faculty Of Science. She also works in Sales and Marketing at Eneji Pwop S.A., a distribution network for solar energy systems and improved stoves. In addition, she is completing her term as Secretary at IEEE FDS UEH.

Sandra is committed to promoting respect for the environment and improving her generation’s quality of life. In particular, her experiences at Eneji Pwop S.A., have shaped her interest in the creation and delivery of renewable energy technologies. In the coming years, Sandra hopes to increase the overall use of solar energy in Haiti, which will allow her to make an impact not only on the energy sector, but also on the environment and economy.


Stanley Rigaud

Director of Development and Member of the Advisory Council, Rebâti Santé Mentale (RSM)

Stanley Rigaud is the current Director of Development for Rebâti Santé Mentale (RSM) and a member of their Advisory Council. He is a firm believer that health care is inextricably linked to human rights and the idea that there is no health without mental health as they are mutually interdependent. Stanley has attended Baker Act hearings for several months at the Broward County Courthouse to better understand the process and legal implications for mental health victims in the United States. As Director of Development, he spearheaded RSM’s 3rd Annual Mental Health Summit bringing together a diversified group of 39 mental health experts, to formulate sustainable solutions, foster coordination and collaboration among them, and ultimately lead in building mental health capacity in Haiti.

Stanley has also recently successfully organized a Gala to benefit mental health aimed specifically at raising funds for RSM's three core projects and two partnership initiatives. Stanley has led in the planning and coordinating of two annual walk-a-thons in Miami and Haiti. He’s met with Haiti's Minister of Health, Dr. Florence Guillaume and has been working very closely with the Dean of the School of Medicine in Haiti, Dr. Jean Claude Cadet for over a year, during which he led in negotiating and finalizing official partnership agreements with the Ministry of Public Health, School of Medicine, and CERPA (Center Specializing for the Rehabilitation of People with Amputations).

Before joining Rebâti Santé Mentale, Stanley worked for FedEx for 25 years as an Operations Manager and served in several other leadership positions. He holds a Bachelors in Political Science and International Relations and a Masters in Global Governance from FIU, Florida International University in Miami, FL. In 2013, Stanley became a Silver Legion Member of the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity in recognition of 25 years of his loyal support to the organization.


Audrey D. Nicoleau

Principal

AUDANICO Communications Strategies, LLC

Audrey D. Nicoleau is a results-driven Strategic Communications Specialist with a sharp understanding of the intersection between organizational structures, public policy and media. Audrey has significant experience shaping U.S. domestic and foreign policy, developing and maintaining transnational public-private partnerships, curating content for digital social media/networking platforms and crafting strategic messaging outreach/awareness campaigns for government officials and agencies, non-profits, businesses, foundations and higher learning institutions.

Through her strategies, Audrey has advanced issues that have changed national discourse and effected social and political change. In her capacity as an adviser to senior members of the U.S. Congress, Audrey routinely designed/implemented rapid response media outreach and built strategic partnerships with stakeholders which resulted in high profile visibility for her employers. Audrey has also flexed her journalistic aptitude in several media forums by explaining the median of race, politics, social justice and policies and their impact to targeted stakeholders.

Audrey’s research and publications focus on: democratization and globalization theory, geopolitics, U.S. immigration policy and its impact on diaspora groups, national/international security and cooperation, legislative exchanges, global demographic shifts, conflict resolution, workforce development, recidivism reduction, rule of law, governance and diplomacy.

Audrey holds a M.A. in Government (concentration in Political Communication and International Development) from Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A. in Political Science and History (concentration in International Relations and Organizational Theory) from Florida’s public honors college, New College of Florida. Audrey’s undergraduate and graduate theses both focused on Haiti’s political history and the socio-economic and political dynamics of the Haitian Diaspora, particularly in the U.S.


Lionel Lucien

Manager of the Public/Private Development Unit of the Office of Transportation Planning at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation

Mr. Lionel Lucien, P.E., is the Manager of the Public/Private Development Unit of the Office of Transportation Planning at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) in Boston. His career in engineering spans over a period of 22 years within various sections of MassDOT to include Planning, Highway Design, Construction, and Operations. In his current role, he oversees the environmental approval, planning, permitting, and preliminary design of a number of major transportation infrastructure projects that support economic development. With his unique combination of planning and design experiences, Lucien has spearheaded or participated in a number of policy, regulatory, or design initiatives to improve transportation project planning and delivery in Massachusetts. Lucien is an active member of the Transportation Research Board Access Management Committee and currently serves on several TRB research panels. Lucien received his Bachelor of Sciences in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University and a Master of Sciences in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts in Lowell.


Rudolf J. Gedeon

President/CEO

Gedeon GRC Consulting

Rudolf J. Gedeon, P.E., is the President/CEO of Gedeon GRC Consulting (Gedeon GRC), a multi-disciplinary engineering and construction management firm based on Long Island, New York that provides services in the US, Haiti and the Caribbean to clients in both the public and private sectors. Gedeon GRC prides itself in offering context sensitive, cost-effective and innovative solutions to infrastructure challenges, while preserving and protecting the environment.

Rudolf is a professional civil engineer with 30 years of experience in management, engineering design and construction. He has been responsible for the planning, design and construction of a wide range of infrastructure projects with overall construction costs totaling over $2 billion.

In 2012, he became the 6th President of the Association des Ingénieurs Haitiens et Américains (ADIHA), a Haitian professional engineering organization regrouping engineers, scientists, students and professionals from related fields, primarily throughout the northeastern coast of the US. Under his leadership, ADIHA focuses mainly on creating the engineers and scientists of the future by investing in a significant and sustainable manner in our youth, with an emphasis on independent and long-term community development.

Rudolf holds a Master’s degree in Transportation Engineering and a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering from the City College of the City University of New York.


Mathias Pierre

President and Founder of GaMa Group and Fondation ETRE Ayisyen

A writer, an entrepreneur, a public figure—call it what you may, Mathias Pierre is a role model for Haitian society whose written and spoken word has inspired thousands and served as a source of light, hope, and motivation. Amidst all the misery and poverty, amidst all the darkness, Mathias Pierre has emerged as a kind of savior and played an active role in shifting and shaping the future of a nation whose people have lost all sense of direction. Born and raised in the streets of Haiti under dire economic conditions, Mathias Pierre is a true Haitian who, despite his thriving success, has remained intact with his people and become the key to unlocking the secret that will bring about real change in Haiti: the power of a dream.

Mathias Pierre is a man of vision. Fueled by passion and his need to make a difference, he has touched lives with his golden achievement, The Power of a Dream, set an example as a dynamic entrepreneur who plays an active role in his community, and become a public figure who has broken through barriers of society in order to become the respected man he is today.

President of GaMa Group, Mathias Pierre has received accolades in both national and international media for his success as a Haitian entrepreneur. He received the Role Model Award out of 500 businesses in the Caribbean in the Pioneers of Prosperity program and was hailed as the Digicel Entrepreneur of the Year 2006. He is also the former Vice President of the Western Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the secretary of AMCHAM (American Chamber of Commerce), and the President of AHTIC (Haitian Association of Information Technology and Communication). An exceptional innovator, who is best known for his finesse in fusing entrepreneurship, promoting education, and creating business opportunities, Mathias Pierre has built the Fondation ETRE Ayisyen, whose vision is to take these three main tools and use them to improve social development. Mathias Pierre intends to replicate 200 firms like this foundation—which currently works with more than 1000 young university students—that will teach entrepreneurship and, ultimately, catalyze economic growth.

Mathias Pierre has also emerged as a writer. Among his various works, his most thriving achievement is his book, Le Pouvoir du Reve or The Power of a Dream, which has been published in both English and French. A Haitian bestseller, The Power of the Dream is currently being sold in both Haitian and American markets. This book has been praised by both the national and international press, including Le Nouvelliste in Haiti and Le Figaro in France as well as NPR News, Washinton Post, CS Monitor, and Wall Street Journal in the United States. The book has also been recognized for its remarkable breakthrough in the Haitian society by Michael Fairbanks and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Muhammad Yunus. Following the tragic earthquake of January 12, Mathias Pierre testified in the United States Congress, setting in motion his role as a public figure. The author has made a number of documents public in meetings and conferences regarding the development of Haiti, which have amplified his notoriety among his peers.

Mathias Pierre comes from humble beginnings. Despite the wretchedness of his social and economic origins, however, he graduated from Faculte des Sciences (UEH), where he majored in Electronic Engineering and built his first company, GaMa Consulting S.A. Today he is the President and founder of GaMa Groupe, which consists of four main branches: GaMa Consulting S.A., GaMa Enterprises, Fondation ETRE Ayisyen, and his latest project, KayTek Immobilies S.A. Through KayTek, Mathias Pierre has expounded on his objective of social development. KayTek’s plan mainly encompasses developing the Haitian construction sector by training Haitian engineers, all the while promoting entrepreneurship and addressing the immediate need for housing. KayTek’s business plan has been recognized and funded by the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, which invested 1.1 million dollars into the project, and various other organizations, for its franchise model and its future role in contributing to job creation in Haiti.

In spite of all this success, Mathias Pierre continues to move forward, undaunted by obstacles that come in his way. Driven, by his very nature, he continues to expand his horizons and always has his sights set on something new. Everything that this man touches blossoms, transcending barriers and going above and beyond what anyone could imagine. Mathias Pierre is a true Haitian legend who defies expectations and is on his way to doing but one thing: making history by making his dream of a new Haiti become a real picture. Mathias Pierre may be a writer, an entrepreneur, and a speaker, but his true talent is that of being a teacher. He has taught his people, by example, to stand up tall, to be proud to call themselves Haitian, and to never allow your origins to condemn you.


Luckner Bayas, PE

President

Bayassociates, Inc.

Luckner Bayas began his professional career in 1978 as an intern with a small engineering firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After graduation in 1981 he joined a large corporation in Boston as a structural engineer. For six years he was assigned to the duties of analyzing and designing various structural components of nuclear power plants. He left briefly in late 1985 to work back for the same small engineering firm by assisting in the design of various commercial, institutional and residential buildings. But a year later he rejoined again the same large corporation to assume higher duties.

From 1988 through 1992, Bayas worked in municipal governments rising from Assistant Town Engineer to Town Engineer/Assistant Superintendent of Public Works. In that capacity he was responsible for reviewing proposed subdivision plans including roadway layouts and profiles, utilities and drainage, traffic layouts etc, site plans with subsurface sewerage systems and assisting building department, town commissions on complex technical issues. As Chief Engineer, he oversaw numerous public works infrastructure improvement projects,
including new addition to sewerage treatment plant, waterworks, reconstruction of various town roads, landfill, etc.

In 1993, Bayas took a position as a Senior Civil/Structural engineer with the State University System in the western part of the State. In that capacity, he provided managerial construction oversight for various infrastructure improvement projects on the 116 acre campus. A year later, he returned back to Boston to establish his private engineering practice.

Since founding Bayassociates, Bayas has been providing engineering services to numerous private developers and public sector clients including municipalities and government agencies at the Local, State and Federal levels. His daily activities include supervising, reviewing the work of office personnel and performing administrative, managerial functions.

Mr. Bayas holds a Master of Science in Structural Engineering from the University of Lowell’92, a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University’81, and is a Registered Professional Civil Engineer in the State of Massachusetts. He has been a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers since 1982 and a past Chairman of the Minority Affairs Committee of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers. He was the recipient of the BSCES President’s Award for outstanding outreach achievements in 1998.

Since the devastating January 12, 2010 earthquake, Bayas has participated at manyDiaspora forums and has written extensively about the reconstruction of his motherland. Among his publications are: Focus on Haiti (2010); Essay on the Reconstruction of Port-au-Prince (2010); The Ajoupas (2010); Focus on San Souci (2010); Conjectural Plans for the Redevelopment of the Cities of Cap Haitien, Les Cayes and Gonaives (2011); A 3-Part Series On the Importance of Infrastructure (2012). His call of conscience “The Engineer and his responsibilities”(2011) led to the formation of CIASTH (Congres des Ingenieurs, Architectes, Scientists and Technologues Haitiens) in 2013; an umbrella entity aimed at regrouping all regional Haitian architectural and engineering organizations worldwide to advocate for the same goal and to assume their social responsibility toward the Haitian communities.


Manuel Orozco

Fellow at the Center for International Development, Harvard University

Manuel Orozco is currently a Fellow at the Center for International Development at Harvard University, a Senior Migration and Remittances Advisor for the International Fund for Agricultural Development and Senior fellow and director of remittances and development at the Inter-American Dialogue, president of Migration and Development Group. He has theorized, conducted extensive research, policy analysis and advocacy on issues relating to global flows of remittances, and migration and development worldwide. His work has led to international policy and business initiatives leveraging these flows to build assets among families and migrants, and strengthen market competition. Dr. Orozco is also chair of Central America and the Caribbean at the U.S. Foreign Service Institute at the U.S. Department of State. He also teaches at American University, and George Washington University. He testified every year before Congress and has spoken before the United Nations. Orozco holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Texas at Austin, masters in public administration and Latin American studies, and a BA in international relations from the National University of Costa Rica.

Manuel Orozco has published widely on migration, remittances, Latin America, globalization, democracy, conflict in war torn societies, and minority politics. His publications include studies about the intersection between remittances and finances, financial literacy and development. He has analyzed and designed development strategies in more than 100 countries globally. His books include Migrant remittances and development in the global economy ( Lynne Riener Spring 2013), América Latina y el Caribe: migración, remesas y desarrollo (FLACSO, 2012), Remittances: Global Opportunities for International Person-to-Person Money Transfers (London: Lafferty Group, 2005) and International Norms and Mobilization for Democracy (London: Ashgate Publishers, 2002).

Journal and report publications include the following, Economic Status and Remittance Behavior among Latin American and Caribbean Migrants in the Post-Recession Period, Migration & Development in Central America: Perceptions and Policies, Is Legalization Possible? Trends and Political Mapping of Immigration in the House of Representatives, Keeping the Lifeline Open: Remittances and Markets in Somalia. Future Trends in Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean, 2012, Hacia un modelo de Alianzas por el desarrollo con la diáspora y el sector privado: la experiencia en educación, 2012; Remittance Recipients and the Present and Future of Micro-Entrepreneurship Activities in Cuba, (2011); A Commitment Amidst Shared Hardship: Haitian Transnational Migrants and Remittances, Journal of Black Studies, March 2011. “A Scorecard in the Market for Money Transfers: Trends in Competition in Latin America and the Caribbean (2010).” “Migration, Remittances and Assets in Bangladesh (2010). “Toward financial independence: Financial literacy for remittance senders and recipients” (June 2010), “Remittances and development: financial literacy in an international perspective,” (May 2010), Remittances and Microfinance in Latin America and the Caribbean: Steps Forward on a Long Road Ahead, (September 2008), “Planting the seeds of financial inclusion: financial literacy for remittance recipients in Moldova (June 2008):“Making the Most of Family Remittances.” Second Report of the Inter-American Dialogue Task Force on Remittances. May 2007; “Migrant Foreign Savings and Asset Accumulation.” in Reducing Global Poverty: The Case for Asset Accumulation, edited by Caroline O.N. Moser. Washington, DC: Brookings, 2007; “Central American Diasporas and Hometown Associations.” Diasporas and Development, edited by Barbara J. Merz, Lincoln C. Chen, and Peter F. Geithner. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2007; with Katy Jacob and Jennifer Tescher “Card-Based Remittances: A Closer Look at Supply and Demand.” The Center for Financial Services Innovation, Chicago, IL: February 2007; “Global Remittances and the Law – A Review of Regional Trends and Regulatory Issues.” inInternational Migration Law: Developing Paradigms and Key Challenges, edited by Ryszard Cholewinkski, Richard Perruchoud and Euan Macdonald. Cambridge University Press: January 2007; “International Flows of Remittances: Cost, competition and financial access in Latin America and the Caribbean- toward an industry scorecard.” Inter-American Development Bank: Washington DC, May 12, 2006; “Markets and Financial Democracy: The Case for Remittance Transfers.” Journal of Payment Systems Law, Vol. 1 No. 2, March/April 2005, International Norms and Mobilization for Democracy London: Ashgate Publishers, 2002, The Remittance Marketplace: Prices, Policy and Financial Institutions Washington, Pew Hispanic Center, June 2004, “Mexican hometown associations and development opportunities”, in Journal of International Affairs, Spring 2004, vol. 57, no. 2. Worker remittances in international Scope March 2003, “Globalization and Migration” in Latin American Politics and Society Summer 2002,The Impact of Migration in the Caribbean and Central American Region FOCAL, Canada, 2003, “The marketplace of remittances and its changing dynamics” and “Latino Hometown Associations as Agents of Development in Latin America” in Sending Money Home: Hispanic Remittances and Community Development, De la Garza, Rodolfo, Lindsay Lowell. Rowman and Littlefield, 2002.


Newton B. Sanon

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.


Max Everett Massac, P.E.

Founding member and current Chairman of the Board of the Haitian-American Association of Engineers and Scientists, Inc

Max Everett Massac is a Professional Engineer licensed in the state of Florida, with over 25 years experience in engineering and project management involved in the establishment and maintenance of physical and organizational infrastructures and systems required for industrial and technical enterprises. He is currently a Senior Engineer at the Dometic Group, manufacturer of the CleanCook ethanol fueled stove, where he develops new climate control products for the marine and automotive industries.

He holds a Master’s degree in Ocean Engineering and Business Administration from FAU, Florida Atlantic University, and is a Mechanical Engineering graduate with honors from FIU, Florida International University. He has also received specialized training in using Geographic Information Systems, GIS applications for storm water management and drainage systems design.

Engineer Massac is a founding member and current Chairman of the Board of the Haitian-American Association of Engineers and Scientists, Inc., HAES, a non-profit membership based organization that promotes opportunities in engineering, science, and technology for the betterment of communities in the USA and in Haiti. Engineer Massac has been a Project Manager/Engineer for humanitarian projects involving HAES in collaboration with other organizations, to undertake activities such as potable water and electricity development projects in remote towns in Haiti such as Pointe-a-Raquette on the island of La Gonave.

Mr. Massac has also been the Chairman of the Board of the Haitian Task Force, Inc., HTF, a Community Economic Development Corporation which conceived and developed the Caribbean Marketplace cultural center/business incubator in Miami’s Little Haiti area, established a revolving loan fund and technical assistance program that helped many to start and grow businesses in the Miami Haitian community, and provided training and job placement services to many in the community.

Engineer Massac was also a Site Developer with the 482nd Civil Engineering Squadron, United States Air Force Reserves, where he accomplished various missions involving the surveying and rapid construction and repair of aircraft landing strips and related facilities, as well as various other airbase facilities renovation projects.

He is a consistent advocate for the development of sustainable renewable energy alternatives involving combinations of hydroelectricity, solar, wind, geothermal, ocean, and bio energy along with conventional power generation systems on a global basis, but especially in Haiti in order to improve energy availability and reverse the deforestation that results from the cutting of trees for energy. He has written articles and made many presentations on these subjects. For the past 6 years Engineer Massac has spearheaded the HAES’ participation in partnership with Project Gaia, LLC, Dometic Group, and other organizations to work to introduce and establish the infrastructure for cooking with ethanol in Haiti.


Maybelle Jadotte, MPA EDM

Acting Director, Haitian Hometown Associations Resource Group (HHTARG)

Associate Professor, Metropolitan College of New York

Maybelle Jadotte is a crisis management expert. She serves as Business Continuity Manager for Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. In this role, Mrs. Jadotte is responsible for the management and administrative oversight for identifying the organization's risk of exposure to internal and external threats. Her current focus is on the development, implementation and ongoing administration of a corporate wide business continuity program, to ensure that organizational resilience is met and that the continuity of agency operations in the event of any major crisis or disruption are well planned. Her role is primarily centered on promoting a cooperative partnership between the public and private sectors in order to meet the needs of the nation in this critical area.

Maybelle strongly believes that building coalitions and partnerships are an integral part of the success of programs and projects. Prior to this role, Maybelle served as a Private Sector Liaison for the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security & Preparedness. In that role, she supported the State of New Jersey and community resilience to all hazards through public private partnerships and development of education and awareness programs. The program focused on supporting and advocating for the community building organizations and business owners in particular small and mid-tier businesses. Maybelle worked in coordination with federal, state and regional actors involved in emergency management and homeland security.

Maybelle’s expertise stems from not only holding a Master degree in Public Administration (MPA) in Emergency & Disaster Management but also developed a strong knowledge base with the previous professional and community leadership posts she has held over the years.

Aside from Mrs. Jadotte’s current position, she also finds time to serve on multiple boards. She serves as Acting Executive Director of Haitian Hometown Associations Resource Group (HHTARG aka RG). She is an active member of OLVE, Organization des Leoganais Vivant A L'etranger), an economic development organization in Leogane, Haiti. She also supports entrepreneurship and education initiatives through her work as advisory board member of CODESOL, a local Haitian based nonprofit focused on rebuilding and transformative community building programs in areas affected by the 2010 earthquake. Maybelle is a Professor at Metropolitan College of New York teaching and spearheading discussions on the true costs of disasters and the nexus to homeland security. Maybelle speaks nationally and abroad on resilience, preparedness, economic security and homeland security. She is a member of several professional organizations including IAEM, ASPA and ACP.


Nadia Cherrouk

Country Director, Haiti PADF

Program Director, LEAD a USAID funded program

Ms. Cherrouk is a senior international financial and program management professional with over 20 year experience and leadership in the international development field. Ms. Cherrouk has extensive experience in multi-sectorial rural and urban programming, financial management and institutional administration and has developed strong partnerships and working relationships with local government institutions and multilateral donor agencies such as the World Bank, USAID, the American Red Cross, the Un agencies, DFID and other multilateral organizations and corporate donors.

Ms. Cherrouk holds a masters and bachelors in Business Administration, with a specialization in the not-for-profit sector, organizational strategic management, grant management, including federally funded grants, and multilateral funding. She currently serves as country director for the Pan American Development Foundations (PADF) in Haiti, where she oversees all in-country operations and is PADF’s official representative in country. She also serves as the Chief of Party of the Leveraging Effective Application of Direct Investment (LEAD) program, PADF’s small and medium enterprise development project. She served previously as PADF’s Director of Administration and Finance in Haiti, overseeing a $24 million dollar portfolio targeting over 1.5 million direct and indirect beneficiaries. Prior to her tenure at PADF, Ms. Cherrouk was Director of Finance and Administration at International Center for Research on Women. Ms. Cherrouk is fluent in French, English and Arabic.


Dr. Magalie Emile-Backer

Drug Development Researcher

Professionally, Dr. Magalie Emile-Backer is a Drug Development Researcher with 13 years of experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry in the areas of clinical research, drug safety, and risk management. She currently supports large NIH contracts for the development of new research of cancer therapies. She holds a doctorate in pharmaceutics and bachelors in Biology. Passionately, she has been actively engaging the Diaspora for over 15 years and co-founded the Haiti Renewal Alliance with her husband in 2010 to promote business and investment for economic development of Haiti.


Henry Noel, Jr.

Managing Partner

As a generalist focused on deal origination, business plan review and the evaluation and

execution of new client opportunities, Henry specializes in raising capital, and financing

business growth for promising companies. Through the various stages of development Henry provides clients with advice and access to the most appropriate sources of capital.


Henry describes himself as being passionate about financial markets and has over 15 years of experience evaluating investment opportunities, structuring securities, raising capital,

financing business growth and implementing M&A strategies. His background has included work with domestic and international securities in both traditional and alternative investment classes through varying market conditions. As a Manager with experience in investment management and strategic corporate consultancy, Henry brings tremendous insight and value to clients ranging from early-stage private ventures to public micro/mid cap companies. Possessing extensive and varied transaction experience, he has closed in excess of $500 million of private placements in a variety of industry sectors and company stages.


Mr. Noel began his career as a Bond Analyst with TIAA-CREF, a large Asset Management firm. In that capacity he assisted Senior Portfolio Managers in the selection, evaluation and overall management of securities in a Fixed Income portfolio. He then went on to work with other top-tier firms such as Nile Capital, MCC Securities and Merrill Lynch & Co.


Mr. Noel has a BA in Business Administration from Atlantic Union College and an MBA from the Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University. In addition he holds the Series 7, 24, 66, 79 & 99 FINRA licenses.


Henry currently serves as a board member for the National Association of Securities

Professionals (Boston Chapter) www.nasphq.org, Nexus Alliance www.nxsalliance,org;

(member of Finance Committee) and Sigma’s for Education & Economic Empowerment and Development (affiliated with the Boston Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.) www.pbs1914.org; (Chair of Finance Committee).


Emmanuel Coffy

Managing Member

Chair, IP Group

Mr. Coffy is a registered Patent Attorney. His practice emphasizes patent application preparation, prosecution and enforcement in the electronic arts including Business Methods Patents and Design Patents. Mr. Coffy has extensive experience in digital technologies, computer networks and information technologies as well as device physics, which includes semiconductor applications. Mr. Coffy co-invented a device called the “Low Friction Apparatus” which currently has a patent application on file with the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). He also has experience in re-examination, litigation support, patent infringement assessment, patentability opinion letters, cease-and-desist letters, demand letters and due diligence. Mr. Coffy also advises clients on intellectual property licensing, trademark, trade secret, copyright and related unfair competition/deceptive advertising issues.


Tatiana Nazon

Senior Manager

Talent Acquisition at Bell Canada

Tatiana is a seasoned professional with 19 years experience in the Telecom and IT industry. During her tenure at Bell Canada, she has held various roles; Recruiter, Trainer, Manager and now Senior Manager. She leads an HR – Talent Acquisition Team at Bell Canada and she brings Top Talent Professionals & Managers to the different business units’ across to the company.

Her academic studies are in Human Resource Management and she is currently pursuing a Certificate in Mastering in Management at Université du Quebec à Montréal.


Marie Chantale Pierre-Louis

Chantale Pierre-Louis is a Haitian national with over twenty years of experience in the Haitian private sector, including key roles in major businesses. She is widely respected for successful efforts building the capacity of Haitian small and medium sized enterprises to achieve profitability and competitiveness. Ms. Pierre-Louis brings strong hands-on business acumen and deep relationships with key public and private sector actors based on successful facilitation of public/private alliances in Haiti. She has proven expertise in working with local entities to develop business clusters, supporting product development, and to provide training based on a market-driven approach. Chantale Pierre-Louis, throughout her career as a senior manager and consultant, has developed expertise in designing, implementing and managing projects in the private sector or international institutions.

Ms. Pierre-Louis currently serves as Senior Technical and Value Chain Advisor for the USAID LEAD program in Haiti, where she is responsible for assuring the effective implementation of approved grants by ensuring sub-grantees receive adequate technical assistance in order to efficiently manage the proposed projects and meet set objectives. She has deep relationships with local financial institutions, and has a successful record of facilitating capital access for Haitian SMEs. Ms. Pierre Louis works closely with chambers of commerce, trade associations, producer groups, other USAID projects and Haitian NGOs to build businesses and entrepreneurial capacity.

Ms Pierre-Louis is also an active lecturer at universities and professional schools across the country. A major component of her work with community outreach involves public speaking at youth fairs where she offers guidance on professional development including work ethics.

Ms Pierre-Louis holds a bachelor of Sciences from Florida International University in Miami. She speaks Haitian Creole, French , English and is conversant in Spanish.


Nathalie Liautaud

Senior Program Advisor

Nathalie Liautaud is the Senior Program Advisor at the Pan American Development Foundation, working on external relations and resource development opportunities for the Caribbean, moving from her tenure as Manager for Diaspora and Investment Outreach for the Leveraging Effective Application of Direct Investments (LEAD) a USD 12 Million USAID-funded project supporting investment opportunities and small and medium enterprise development in Haiti, as well as increasing the involvement of the Diaspora participation in Haiti’s development. Ms. Liautaud was previously the Senior Program Manager for the Caribbean and Mexico for the Institution.

Prior to joining PADF, Ms. Liautaud was Program Director at Caribbean Central American Action (C-CAA), focusing on maritime and port security issues, working with the National Port Authority in Haiti, to improve the capacity of the port authority to be compliant with international maritime security rules and best practices. Ms. Liautaud worked in Haiti for several years as Chief of Party for the Centre pour la Libre Entreprise et la Democratie (CLED)’s media and civil society outreach policy and discussion program focusing on raising awareness on competitiveness issues, and served as Technical Advisor at the Associations des Industries d’Haiti (ADIH), focusing on labor issues.

Ms. Liautaud has over 14 years’ experience working on building public/private partnerships, management of human rights and civil society strengthening projects, economic development, policy, and job creation in the region. Ms. Liautaud has also experience in organizing logistics in post disaster situations, and worked in coordinating donations and human resources, in post –earthquake and post-hurricane environments, working both in Haiti and in the Dominican Republic, and in Washington, D.C., as well as experience in the design and implementation of research and evaluations of behavioral risk factors and other topics, working with the Office of Survey Research at the University of Texas, Austin.

Ms. Liautaud completed the Joint Master Program in Communications at the University of Texas, Austin, receiving a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies from the Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS) and a Master of Arts in International Communications from the College of Communications. Ms. Liautaud graduated as a Senior Fellow at the College of Communications, with a Bachelor of Science in Radio-Television and Film, also from the University of Texas at Austin.

Ms. Liautaud is Haitian American-Mexican, grew up in Haiti, and is fluent in French, English, Spanish and Haitian Creole, and conversant in Portuguese.


Emmanuella Cherismé, MD, FACOG

Amme Obstetrics and Gynecology Associates, LLC

When I tell my story, people call me a cat because cats have nine lives. I tell them, I am no cat. I am a lion not a lioness but a lion because I have more than nine lives. My grandmother, who was a lay midwife, delivered me at home in Desdunes, Haiti. I am told that it was a very difficult birth because I was “stuck for hours.” My father attempted to take my mother to Deschappelles, Haiti (Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti) on a donkey to have me delivered when my grandmother placed my mom on all fours and delivered me. The amazing, Ti Cherie, my grandmother, delivered a great number of Desdunians before her death at the age of 93 years old. In fact, when I was three years old, she took me with her on a donkey and guided me in doing my first delivery.

I started school at the age of 3 at the suggestions of my grandfather, Ti Bete, who did not believe in educating women when I told him that I will not let him die from cancer because “I am going to be a doctor and cure him.” Later, after his death, I was sent to Port-au-Prince to live. Finally, at the age of 11 years old in 1983, I moved to New Jersey from Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

I graduated from Drew University with a BA in Chemistry in 1995. I obtained my medical degree from Penn State College of Medicine in 1999. I graduated as an Obstetrician and Gynecologist from Nassau University Medical Center in 2006. I am currently a board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist.

Helping others have been ingrained in me since birth. I have been called as a missioner to help those in need since 1989, when I first returned to Haiti. Today, I dedicate four weeks per year to travel internationally for medical missions. Since I am educating my boys to be stewards of the earth and responsible citizens of the world, I also take my children with me to many mission trips. My goal is an AIDS-free world.


Jacques M. Jean

Business Relationship Manager (BRM) for Industry at Schneider Electric

Jacques Medina Jean is the Business Relationship Manager for Industry, the second largest business units of Schneider Electric $35B Corporation. Jacques joined the company through the acquisition of Invensys in 2014. Schneider Electric is the global specialist in energy management with operations in over 100 countries, leverages its portfolio to make energy safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green. It is headquartered in Rueil-Malmaison, France. In this role, Jacques is responsible for the overall IT strategy, operating plan, and the IT budget that support the business across its global footprint.

Prior to Schneider Electric, Jacques worked for Invensys, a London based technology manufacturing company. He joined the company in 2009 as Director of Global Service Effectiveness where he led the PMO, M&A, Architecture, and Continuous Improvement organizations, which provide end-to-end management enabling all IT Infrastructure project pipelines and line of Service Delivery to operate as an integrated service portfolio. In 2011 he was promoted to Senior Director and Corporate IT Lead, responsible for developing and maintaining corporate business applications that support Invensys Finance, Legal, Human Resources, M&A, and Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability as well as the company IT PMO organization. In 2013 Jacques was promoted to Senior Director and IT Business Partner where he was charged with supporting the growth of Invensys largest division, Industrial Automation’s $2B business units by partnering with the business on IT related revenue generating programs and with overseeing all aspects of Information Technology across Industrial Automation global reach.

Before joining Invensys, Jacques spent 10 years with Honeywell. During his tenure, he held several positions including senior manager and interim Product Management Director. At Honeywell, he held positions focused on Product Management, Six Sigma, and led IT for the Honeywell Consumer Product Group in Europe, Latin America and Asia. His major contributions were focused on driving IT programs to optimize overall processes and cost across IT and M&A.

In his spare time, Jacques is a social entrepreneur. He is the founder of Universal Learning Centre (www.universallearningcentre.org), a US based not-for-profit organization focused on providing educational resources and learning opportunities for people living in developing countries. To date, he has built a portfolio of three public libraries across Haiti with a catalogue of fifty thousand books and a computer lab of 17 workstations serving a population of half a million. The libraries are the first and only of their type in the regions they serve. Currently, Jacques is planning to open the largest library yet in Cap-Haitian in 2015, the second largest city of Haiti.

Jacques earned a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, and went on to complete an Executive Program in Business Marketing Strategy from the Harvard Business School in Boston, MA, a Bachelor of Science in Economics from la Universidad De Guadalajara, in Mexico. He is also a Black Belt Certified and Design for Six Sigma (DFSS). Jacques speaks Creole, French, Spanish, English and some Portuguese. Jacques worked and lived extensively in several countries. He currently resides in Allen, TX with his family.