JUDITE BLANC
Judite Blanc, Ph.D., is a Haitian daughter who traveled to three countries & five cities, with her baby girl, in pursuit of knowledge. A sister, aunt, scientist, teacher, and knowledge seeker. An African and Indigenous epistemology lover and promoter of culturally tailored mind-body interventions to tackle intersectional stress responses among people of the global majority.Notable accomplishments in 10 bullet points! *Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and founding director of the newly created Holistic Families Program at the same university. HFL goals are to leverage innovative ethnographical and integrative medicine tools to investigate and tackle intersectional stressors (intergenerational trauma, racial trauma, gender discrimination, caregiver burden, acculturation stress, and minority stress) responses among marginalized families, women, and children;to transform the lives of families, women, and children through science, education/training, community services, and advocacy in the US and globally.*Principal Investigator of the Haitian Well-Being Study (first longitudinal and cohort study to investigate long term biopsychosocial effects of socio-political instability on Haitian mental health among Haitian in the United States and Haiti). A multisite study at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, and University of Massachusetts.*Co-Principal Investigator of the Nurturing Moms Study at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The Nurturing Mom’s Project is being conducted in partnership with the Miller School’s Media and Innovation Lab and the Holistic Families Lab and uses virtual reality to reduce stress among Black and Latina expectant and postpartum mothers in South Florida.*Her academic work, research and initiatives have led to approximately 70 publications. Her work advanced knowledge on specific risk and protective factors of mental health among adults, children, and mother-offspring dyads survivors of the Haiti 2010 earthquake. Most importantly, her findings underline the need to implement trauma-focused and holistic programs for pregnant women survivors of traumatic events. Her work highlights the need for culturally tailored mental health programs and initiatives for trauma survivors. Findings from her studies led to unique perspectives on the role of stress and trauma on poor health outcomes among immigrants and how psychological resilience may buffer and protect against poor sleep health outcomes.*Her work was featured on prestigious international and regional media such as Slate, Medpage, USA Today, Ici-Radio Canada, Lapresse.ca, The Miller School Magazine, Inventum and Haitian Times.*She is a promoter of the use of peace psychology tools for the resolution of the Haitian crisis. She is part of the scientific committee member and guest speaker of the first Haitian peace psychology summit held in Cap Haitien, Haiti in January 2023. A partnership between Haitian Psychological Association (Association Haitienne de Psychologie-AHPsy) and Rebati Sante Mantal.*An international Intergenerational trauma and intersectional stress expert, she is among the contributors to the collective book titled “Psychological Legacy of Slavery: Essays on Traumas, Healing and The Living Past” which was selected as one of the best academic books in 2022 by Choice, a publishing unit of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association.*The Lead author of the 2021 call to action titled, To Save Haitian Lives, Global Health Leaders Call for Solidarity published in The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA. In this article, she called for support from global health leaders to support Haitian Healthcare professionals and sponsor the organization of a culturally tailored peace-building program that brings together Haitian scientists, academics, scholars, intellectuals, professionals, grassroots leaders, human rights advocates, political activists, religious leaders, and a council of elders. A paper that largely inspired the organization of the first Haitian peace Psychology summit in January 2023 in Haiti.*In 2017: Editor of the first trilingual (Haitian Creole, French and English) collective book on the legacy of psychological trauma in Afro-Caribbean thought. *She is the Founder of the first International Africana Psychology Festival in the Caribbean that was created in 2015. Two international editions were organized.
GERARD CADET
Mr. Gerard Cadet is a passionate community organizer whose lifelong dedication to improving the plight of the working class and fighting for the voiceless is unquestionable.
His leadership ability has been demonstrated through over two decades of service in the United States Armed Forces (Army) ultimately serving as a Platoon Sergeant (Sergeant First Class) training and leading troops in peace and combat theater, which earned him several recognitions, accommodations, and medals. During his service he discovered his passion for Food Science and Culinary Arts, and pursued a Nutrition/Culinary Arts education at Central Texas College, represented the Army internationally competitions, and received Gold medals and Best in Show. One of his centerpieces is still on display in the Army Quartermaster Museum in Fort Lee Virginia. Upon completion of his military contract, Mr. Cadet continued his service to the country as a Reservist and served as appointee to the position of Trainer for his entire Battalion.
In his civilian life he became a Catering Chef responsible for special events at Down State Medical Center (Down State) in New York City. Down State is where he witnessed gross unacceptable behaviors from management towards vulnerable workers, which catapulted his drive to cease the injustices of his peers. He had to right them being wronged, and challenged the employer as he joined employees in their struggles and organized them into proper self representation and unionization with 1199SEIU. Leaving union leadership overly impressed they asked him to join their rank to organize the Ditmas Park Care Center (formerly known as Flatbush Manor) another troublesome workplace, where his presence led to 1199SEIU's victory and ended a 7 year battle in just few months.
His noted philanthropy, acts of civil disobedience and protest are all historical. From the sweatshops in New York City's China Town, to Rockbottom Pharmacy, to the murders of Amadu Dialo and Patrick Dorismond, and the brutal beating of Abner Louima, he has led with others and stood strongly on the side of fairness and justice. Today one cannot differentiate the Union person from the community person in Mr. Cadet. In his tenor he has led many contract negotiations which substantially improved the quality of life of 1199SEIU's members and their families, providing leadership from New York to Florida on all fronts. Leading him to his current and long standing position as Vice President at Large with 1199SEIU.
His passion for politics has been an integral part of his public persona. Since 1992 Mr. Cadet has been part of every National and Local election. He pioneered the now recognized need of politicians seeking the Haitian American vote as a group activity; and demanded they presented on Haitian radio stations to speak to the needs of the Haitian Communities. He has insurmountably successfully created coalitions that empowered and supported candidates that ran on platforms of the causes of the people, and they have won their elections.
Raised by his Grandmother whom fought for the rights of the poor, he was indelibly ingrained with a social conscience. He has bought together community leaders, politicians, professionals, and workers to have respect delivered to their causes as one voice. When Cipha Sounds of Hot 97 disrespected Haitian Women, Mr. Cadet, was a member of the powerful 1804 Coalition that forced the radio station to play Haitian history on the sound waves for months, in addition to formal and informal public apologies from both the station and the DJ. Being a loving father to his five daughters (Grandfather to three grandsons and two granddaughters) he needed little motivation to demand respect for them, and stand by them in their fight for justice.
His humility doesn't allow him to stand in front of a microphone, but rather is his brilliance forces him to lead from behind, which brings his passions and the best out of others.
After 3decades of service to the Members of 1199 SEIU, Mr Cadet retired from his Union, but not from his lifetime commitement to his community.
Living by the credo, to whom much is given, much is expected.
His leadership ability has been demonstrated through over two decades of service in the United States Armed Forces (Army) ultimately serving as a Platoon Sergeant (Sergeant First Class) training and leading troops in peace and combat theater, which earned him several recognitions, accommodations, and medals. During his service he discovered his passion for Food Science and Culinary Arts, and pursued a Nutrition/Culinary Arts education at Central Texas College, represented the Army internationally competitions, and received Gold medals and Best in Show. One of his centerpieces is still on display in the Army Quartermaster Museum in Fort Lee Virginia. Upon completion of his military contract, Mr. Cadet continued his service to the country as a Reservist and served as appointee to the position of Trainer for his entire Battalion.
In his civilian life he became a Catering Chef responsible for special events at Down State Medical Center (Down State) in New York City. Down State is where he witnessed gross unacceptable behaviors from management towards vulnerable workers, which catapulted his drive to cease the injustices of his peers. He had to right them being wronged, and challenged the employer as he joined employees in their struggles and organized them into proper self representation and unionization with 1199SEIU. Leaving union leadership overly impressed they asked him to join their rank to organize the Ditmas Park Care Center (formerly known as Flatbush Manor) another troublesome workplace, where his presence led to 1199SEIU's victory and ended a 7 year battle in just few months.
His noted philanthropy, acts of civil disobedience and protest are all historical. From the sweatshops in New York City's China Town, to Rockbottom Pharmacy, to the murders of Amadu Dialo and Patrick Dorismond, and the brutal beating of Abner Louima, he has led with others and stood strongly on the side of fairness and justice. Today one cannot differentiate the Union person from the community person in Mr. Cadet. In his tenor he has led many contract negotiations which substantially improved the quality of life of 1199SEIU's members and their families, providing leadership from New York to Florida on all fronts. Leading him to his current and long standing position as Vice President at Large with 1199SEIU.
His passion for politics has been an integral part of his public persona. Since 1992 Mr. Cadet has been part of every National and Local election. He pioneered the now recognized need of politicians seeking the Haitian American vote as a group activity; and demanded they presented on Haitian radio stations to speak to the needs of the Haitian Communities. He has insurmountably successfully created coalitions that empowered and supported candidates that ran on platforms of the causes of the people, and they have won their elections.
Raised by his Grandmother whom fought for the rights of the poor, he was indelibly ingrained with a social conscience. He has bought together community leaders, politicians, professionals, and workers to have respect delivered to their causes as one voice. When Cipha Sounds of Hot 97 disrespected Haitian Women, Mr. Cadet, was a member of the powerful 1804 Coalition that forced the radio station to play Haitian history on the sound waves for months, in addition to formal and informal public apologies from both the station and the DJ. Being a loving father to his five daughters (Grandfather to three grandsons and two granddaughters) he needed little motivation to demand respect for them, and stand by them in their fight for justice.
His humility doesn't allow him to stand in front of a microphone, but rather is his brilliance forces him to lead from behind, which brings his passions and the best out of others.
After 3decades of service to the Members of 1199 SEIU, Mr Cadet retired from his Union, but not from his lifetime commitement to his community.
Living by the credo, to whom much is given, much is expected.
MARIE LILY CERAT
Marie Lily Cerat has a Ph.D. in Urban Education and a Certificate in Africana Studies from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). Dr. Cerat is Associate Director of the CUNY Haitian Studies Institute at Brooklyn College and teaches with Africana Studies Department. Prior to her career in higher education, Dr. Cerat served as a Bilingual Haitian Creole educator with the New York City Department of Education and a Resource Specialist with the Haitian Bilingual/ESL Technical Assistance Center (HABETAC) of the New York State Education Department Office of Bilingual Education.
A post-colonial scholar and culturally responsive pedagogue, Dr. Cerat’s research examines the effects of the exclusion of Haitian language, culture, and history in the education of Haitian learners. Her research articles have appeared in Rethinking Schools, the Journal of Haitian Studies, and the International Journal of the Sociology of Language. Her book chapter “Tell All the Others Our Story” is included in the Beacon Press upcoming publication: Education Across Borders: Immigration, Race and Identity in the Classroom (February 2022).
In addition to her scholarly activities, Dr. Cerat has a long history of organizing within the New York Haitian community. She is the co-founder of Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, which was established in 1992 to provide ESL and adult literacy instruction to Haitian immigrants and refugees. Today, the organization also offers leadership training to help community members develop the necessary skills to advocate on their own behalf for civil, educational, social, labor/economic, and immigrant justice.
A post-colonial scholar and culturally responsive pedagogue, Dr. Cerat’s research examines the effects of the exclusion of Haitian language, culture, and history in the education of Haitian learners. Her research articles have appeared in Rethinking Schools, the Journal of Haitian Studies, and the International Journal of the Sociology of Language. Her book chapter “Tell All the Others Our Story” is included in the Beacon Press upcoming publication: Education Across Borders: Immigration, Race and Identity in the Classroom (February 2022).
In addition to her scholarly activities, Dr. Cerat has a long history of organizing within the New York Haitian community. She is the co-founder of Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, which was established in 1992 to provide ESL and adult literacy instruction to Haitian immigrants and refugees. Today, the organization also offers leadership training to help community members develop the necessary skills to advocate on their own behalf for civil, educational, social, labor/economic, and immigrant justice.
STEPHANIE DELIA
Founder, Haitian Legal Network Inc., (HLN)Legal Consultant, Haitian Response Initiative (HRI) Catholic Charities Community Services- New York, Immigration & Refugee Services, Owner and managing attorney, law office of Stephanie D. DeliaCorresponding Secretary & Chair of Immigration committee, Haitian American Lawyers Association, NY (HALA-NY)Board member, Queens Community Board 13
GEORGES EUGENE FOURON
Georges Eugene Fouron, a native of Les Cayes, Haiti, is a Distinguished SUNY Teaching Professor of Education and Social Sciences at the State University of New York at Stony Brook where he has been teaching for the past 38 years. He holds a Doctor of Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
DR. SAUDI GARCIA
Dr. Saudi Garcia is a queer Dominican immigrant and the Executive Director of In Cultured Company. She is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology who investigates the synergy between industrial pollution and climate change in the Dominican Republic to better understand the shape of environmental and medical injustice in the Caribbean region. At the age of nineteen, Dr. Garcia began her training as a facilitator and social transformation practitioner with the Minority Peer Counseling program at her alma mater, Brown University. Between 2015 and 2018, she volunteered for the collective We are All Dominican, an organization working to secure the citizenship of persons impacted by the TC-168-13 denationalization sentence in the Dominican Republic. She also formed part of La Sala, a collective of Dominican women using arts, cultural activism and healing methodologies to decolonize Dominican identity. This work led her to join In Cultured Company in 2018. Dr. Garcia has written about the early years of In Cultured Company, the lessons learned from this transnational, transcultural activism, and the potential pathways ahead for Dominicans and Haitians seeking reconciliation and reparations. She enjoys exercise, yoga, surfing and spending time with her extended family (especially her young nieces and nephews).
rODNEYSE BICHOTTE HERMELYN
Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn represents the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn encompassing Ditmas Park, Flatbush, East Flatbush and Midwood. She is also the Chair the Chair of the Kings County Democratic Committee
She is currently the New York State Assembly Majority Whip, Chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) and serves on the following committees: Housing, Government Operations, Education, Governmental Operations, Health, Higher Education, Housing, and Ways and Means.She also sits on Governor Hochul's Domestic Violence Advisory Council and Mayor Adams’ MWBE Task Force.
Born and raised in Flatbush Brooklyn as a daughter of Haitian immigrants, heir to Haiti’s Slave abolitionist Jean Jacques Desssaline, Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn is the first Haitian American woman elected in New York City; the first Engineer elected to the New York State Legislature; and the first woman to chair the Democratic County Party in Brooklyn.
Since Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn became a legislator in 2015, she has introduced over 200 pieces of Legislation, 34 of which became law, and has co-sponsored over 250 others.
As an Assemblymember and District Leader, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn has been an outspoken and ardent advocate on issues concerning her Assembly District and all New Yorkers, including (but not limited to) immigration, education, economic development, unemployment, education reform, healthcare access, senior citizen centers, affordable housing, school safety, women’s and LGBTQ rights, as well as other issues affecting the quality of life in the community.
As the Chair of the MWBE Subcommittee, Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn has been instrumental in the passage of laws she sponsored to help MWBEs thrive and succeed. Just some of the Assemblymember's sponsored MWBE-related bills signed into law in 2022 include legislation to: prevent fraud and abuse within the MWBE Program (A9259); allow businesses to use MWBE Development and Lending Program funds to refinance existing debts (A6420); and doubling the discretionary spend threshold on state contracts to $1M without a need for competitive bidding (A10459).
As a new mother to a healthy baby boy, who previously lost a son in 2016 after being turned away from a hospital in a high-risk situation, Bichotte Hermelyn is committed to ending the maternal healthcare crisis and addressing maternal mortality disparities disproportionately affecting Black and minority women. The Assemblymember sponsored The Jonah Bichotte Cowan Law (named after her late son), which establishes requirements for treatment when a mother comes to a hospital with concerns about being in pre-term labor. She is currently sponsoring/co-sponsoring several bills to ensure all women receive the high-quality maternal healthcare they deserve, including Mickie’s Law (A10659) which would ensure mothers who encounter fetal deaths get treatment and remove a dead fetus, especially in the event of an emergency.
In 2022, some legislative highlights on those fronts included her introducing and co-sponsoring Sedrick’s Law (A7016), a bill passed into law to require the MTA to maintain cameras on our train platforms; sponsoring the enacted Carlos’ Law, which prevents unscrupulous construction firms from taking advantage of the working-class, especially immigrant workers, by increasing the penalties for criminal corporate liability for the death or serious physical injury of an employee, a felony or misdemeanor, by a fine of up to $500,000 while expanding the definition and protections of “employees” (A4947B).
Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn also introduced several international civil rights resolutions. A crowning achievement of her first term and a dream come true has been the establishment of the Haitian Studies Institute, at Brooklyn College, making it a historic win for the state of New York.
In 2018, Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn debuted on CNN addressing former President Trump’s disparaging remarks about Haitians and Africans. Working with community organizations and fellow elected officials, Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn helped established the Little Haiti Cultural and Business District in Flatbush, Brooklyn and the unveiling of a street co-naming of Rogers Avenue to Jean-Jacques Dessalines Blvd and rededication of the co-naming of Nostrand Avenue at Newkirk Avenue to Toussaint L’Ouverture Blvd. She recently funded and re-named an MTA station to Little Haiti Newkirk Ave. Train Station. She also introduced a resolution to exclaim May as Haitian Heritage Month.
She earned and holds an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, an MS in Electrical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, a BS in Electrical Engineering from SUNY Buffalo, a BS in Mathematics in Secondary Education, and a BT in Electrical Engineering both from Buffalo State College. She is an alumnus of the famed performing arts school, LaGuardia School of Music and Performing Arts. She is attending Brooklyn Law School as a juris doctorate candidate and is expected to receive her law degree in 2024.
Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn lives in Brooklyn where she is happily married to her husband Edu Hermelyn and enjoying motherhood with their son Daniel Jean Jacques Hermelyn.
She is currently the New York State Assembly Majority Whip, Chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) and serves on the following committees: Housing, Government Operations, Education, Governmental Operations, Health, Higher Education, Housing, and Ways and Means.She also sits on Governor Hochul's Domestic Violence Advisory Council and Mayor Adams’ MWBE Task Force.
Born and raised in Flatbush Brooklyn as a daughter of Haitian immigrants, heir to Haiti’s Slave abolitionist Jean Jacques Desssaline, Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn is the first Haitian American woman elected in New York City; the first Engineer elected to the New York State Legislature; and the first woman to chair the Democratic County Party in Brooklyn.
Since Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn became a legislator in 2015, she has introduced over 200 pieces of Legislation, 34 of which became law, and has co-sponsored over 250 others.
As an Assemblymember and District Leader, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn has been an outspoken and ardent advocate on issues concerning her Assembly District and all New Yorkers, including (but not limited to) immigration, education, economic development, unemployment, education reform, healthcare access, senior citizen centers, affordable housing, school safety, women’s and LGBTQ rights, as well as other issues affecting the quality of life in the community.
As the Chair of the MWBE Subcommittee, Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn has been instrumental in the passage of laws she sponsored to help MWBEs thrive and succeed. Just some of the Assemblymember's sponsored MWBE-related bills signed into law in 2022 include legislation to: prevent fraud and abuse within the MWBE Program (A9259); allow businesses to use MWBE Development and Lending Program funds to refinance existing debts (A6420); and doubling the discretionary spend threshold on state contracts to $1M without a need for competitive bidding (A10459).
As a new mother to a healthy baby boy, who previously lost a son in 2016 after being turned away from a hospital in a high-risk situation, Bichotte Hermelyn is committed to ending the maternal healthcare crisis and addressing maternal mortality disparities disproportionately affecting Black and minority women. The Assemblymember sponsored The Jonah Bichotte Cowan Law (named after her late son), which establishes requirements for treatment when a mother comes to a hospital with concerns about being in pre-term labor. She is currently sponsoring/co-sponsoring several bills to ensure all women receive the high-quality maternal healthcare they deserve, including Mickie’s Law (A10659) which would ensure mothers who encounter fetal deaths get treatment and remove a dead fetus, especially in the event of an emergency.
In 2022, some legislative highlights on those fronts included her introducing and co-sponsoring Sedrick’s Law (A7016), a bill passed into law to require the MTA to maintain cameras on our train platforms; sponsoring the enacted Carlos’ Law, which prevents unscrupulous construction firms from taking advantage of the working-class, especially immigrant workers, by increasing the penalties for criminal corporate liability for the death or serious physical injury of an employee, a felony or misdemeanor, by a fine of up to $500,000 while expanding the definition and protections of “employees” (A4947B).
Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn also introduced several international civil rights resolutions. A crowning achievement of her first term and a dream come true has been the establishment of the Haitian Studies Institute, at Brooklyn College, making it a historic win for the state of New York.
In 2018, Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn debuted on CNN addressing former President Trump’s disparaging remarks about Haitians and Africans. Working with community organizations and fellow elected officials, Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn helped established the Little Haiti Cultural and Business District in Flatbush, Brooklyn and the unveiling of a street co-naming of Rogers Avenue to Jean-Jacques Dessalines Blvd and rededication of the co-naming of Nostrand Avenue at Newkirk Avenue to Toussaint L’Ouverture Blvd. She recently funded and re-named an MTA station to Little Haiti Newkirk Ave. Train Station. She also introduced a resolution to exclaim May as Haitian Heritage Month.
She earned and holds an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, an MS in Electrical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, a BS in Electrical Engineering from SUNY Buffalo, a BS in Mathematics in Secondary Education, and a BT in Electrical Engineering both from Buffalo State College. She is an alumnus of the famed performing arts school, LaGuardia School of Music and Performing Arts. She is attending Brooklyn Law School as a juris doctorate candidate and is expected to receive her law degree in 2024.
Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn lives in Brooklyn where she is happily married to her husband Edu Hermelyn and enjoying motherhood with their son Daniel Jean Jacques Hermelyn.
ELSIE HECTOR HERNANDEZ
The Haitian American Museum of Chicago was founded by Elsie Hector Hernandez in 2012. A native of Haiti, she came to the United States at a young age and settled in New York City. She did much of her schooling in the city, later working as a nurse, and was involved in the local community with her husband. After traveling to Chicago, the couple decided to make the big move from the Big Apple to the Windy City and have remained there since. Elsie shared that although Chicago was founded by a Haitian settler, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the city doesn’t offer much dedicated to DuSable’s heritage and the sizable Haitian community that thrives in the city. After a trip to Haiti to support the medical relief efforts as a nurse after the 2010 earthquake, Elsie became inspired to create a museum to focus on the beauty, history, and strength of the Haitian people. As a lover of museums, she knows museums have a way of impacting learning without imposing on individuals. When you go to a museum, you learn at your own pace, decide what you want to get out of it, and nobody is telling you what to learn.
Since the media is concentrating too much on the negative side of Haiti because they are always saying that Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, but they never tell us why. They never really highlight anything else, she decided that instead of concentrating on poverty, she would concentrate on the beauty and other positive aspects of Haiti. Elsie currently lives in Chicago’s South Side, which is home to the largest concentration of Haitian Chicagoans in the city.
Since the media is concentrating too much on the negative side of Haiti because they are always saying that Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, but they never tell us why. They never really highlight anything else, she decided that instead of concentrating on poverty, she would concentrate on the beauty and other positive aspects of Haiti. Elsie currently lives in Chicago’s South Side, which is home to the largest concentration of Haitian Chicagoans in the city.
LIONEL JEAN-BAPTISTE, JUDGE
As a lawyer he worked on special cases such as the major African American reparations case against 17 U.S. corporations in federal court, Walker’s application noted. In 2001 when he joined the Evanston City Council, he became the first Haitian-American electedin the state of Illinois to that type of municipal position. He won two other terms of office, including an election where he was forced to wage a write-in campaign after a ballot challenge.
In March of 2011, he became the first Haitian-American to be sworn in as a Cook County Circuit judge. Beyond his career, “Jean-Baptiste has always maintained his activism,” the application continued. His service in support of Haiti included “a seven-year internationalcampaign to amend the Haitian Constitution to secure dual citizenship for all Haitians born, anywhere in the world, to a Haitian mother or a Haitian father,” she noted. He is dedicated to mobilizing Haitians in the Diaspora, helping our brothers and sisters develop the nationEvanston City Council members approved on Dec. 13, 2021 an honorary street name, a portion of McDaniel Avenue between Crain Street and Dempster Street as “Honorable Lionel Jean-Baptiste Way, for Cook County Circuit Court Judge Lionel Jean-Baptiste, recognizinghis contributions as the City’s first Haitian-American alderman, as well as the early light he shined on the issue of reparations.
In March of 2011, he became the first Haitian-American to be sworn in as a Cook County Circuit judge. Beyond his career, “Jean-Baptiste has always maintained his activism,” the application continued. His service in support of Haiti included “a seven-year internationalcampaign to amend the Haitian Constitution to secure dual citizenship for all Haitians born, anywhere in the world, to a Haitian mother or a Haitian father,” she noted. He is dedicated to mobilizing Haitians in the Diaspora, helping our brothers and sisters develop the nationEvanston City Council members approved on Dec. 13, 2021 an honorary street name, a portion of McDaniel Avenue between Crain Street and Dempster Street as “Honorable Lionel Jean-Baptiste Way, for Cook County Circuit Court Judge Lionel Jean-Baptiste, recognizinghis contributions as the City’s first Haitian-American alderman, as well as the early light he shined on the issue of reparations.
JACQUES JIHA
Jacques Jiha, Ph.D., serves as Director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB). In this role, he oversees New York City’s fiscal policy, including the development of the Expense and Capital Budgets, the City’s bond and borrowing program, and the budgets of more than 90 City agencies and entities. He is also responsible for evaluating the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of City services and proposals, and providing vital information to government officials on the local, national, and world economies.Dr. Jiha has served as the city’s Budget Director since October 2020. Previously he served as Commissioner of the Department of Finance, responsible for leading an agency that collects more than $40 billion annually in revenue for the city and assesses over 1.1 million properties with a total combined value of $1.3 trillion. He led the transformation of the Department of Finance into a dynamic, forward-looking, and customer-centric agency, and under his leadership the City reformed and modernized its corporate tax laws, reducing taxes for many small businesses, and introduced many new services for its customers.Prior to becoming Commissioner of the Department of Finance, Director Jiha was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Earl G. Graves, Ltd., a multi-media company with properties in print and digital media. Previously, he served as Deputy Comptroller for Pension Investment and Public Finance. As the state’s chief investment officer, he oversaw the New York State Common Retirement Fund, the New York’s College Savings Program and the state’s short-term investment pool. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Comptroller for Nassau County, Deputy Comptroller for Budget and Chief Economist for the New York City Office of the Comptroller, Executive Director of the New York State Legislative Tax Study Commission, and Principal Economist for the New York State Assembly Committee on Ways and Means.A staunch advocate of public service, Director Jiha has served on a number of government and not-for-profit boards, including the Ronald McDonald House of New York, the Public Health Solutions, and the Dormitory Authority of New York State.He has had a long record of service within the Haitian community including serving on the boards of Haitian Americans United for Progress (HAUP), the National Coalition for Haitian Refugees (NCHR), and the Haitian Roundtable. Further, he was a founding member of the Haitian Times.
Director Jiha holds a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in economics from the New School for Social Research and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Fordham University.
Director Jiha holds a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in economics from the New School for Social Research and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Fordham University.
rITA JOSEPH
New York City Council Member Rita Joseph was elected in 2021 to represent Flatbush, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Kensington, Ditmas Park, and Southern Crown Heights. Before serving in the City Council, Ms. Joseph was a public school teacher, a community activist, and a proud union member.
After immigrating to the U.S. from Haiti in her youth, Ms. Joseph began her life of advocacy. At just 19 years old, she organized her first rally with a group she founded, Haitian Enforcement Against Racism, in order to protest the FDA’s discriminatory “bad blood” rules that prevented people of Haitian descent from donating blood. The rally succeeded in its mission, and the FDA rescinded the racist rule.
Since organizing the rally, which had more than 150,000 people participate, Ms. Joseph hasn’t looked back with her activism. Despite being a teen mom who was only able to attend college because of a full tuition scholarship, Ms. Joseph spent her twenties raising her children while organizing protests against police brutality and cuts to student transit discounts, even while working a full-time job. Since then, she hasn’t stopped working for her neighbors, both as a teacher at PS6 and as a community activist. Among many other successes, Ms. Joseph was able to provide for her school financially, securing hundreds of thousands of dollars for technological improvements that help thousands of children receive a better education, including funding from then-Borough President Eric Adams, Senator Kevin Parker, Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte, and then-Council Member Matthieu Eugene. Additionally, Ms. Joseph was appointed by State Senator Kevin Parker to serve as Chair of the Neighborhood Advisory Board and has been a part of the Citywide Participatory Budgeting Committee, thanks to an appointment by then-Council Speaker Corey Johnson. Council Member Joseph is focused on improving public schools, fighting for affordable housing, combatting the climate crisis, and achieving real criminal and social justice reform for New Yorkers.
Since organizing the rally, which had more than 150,000 people participate, Ms. Joseph hasn’t looked back with her activism. Despite being a teen mom who was only able to attend college because of a full tuition scholarship, Ms. Joseph spent her twenties raising her children while organizing protests against police brutality and cuts to student transit discounts, even while working a full-time job. Since then, she hasn’t stopped working for her neighbors, both as a teacher at PS6 and as a community activist. Among many other successes, Ms. Joseph was able to provide for her school financially, securing hundreds of thousands of dollars for technological improvements that help thousands of children receive a better education, including funding from then-Borough President Eric Adams, Senator Kevin Parker, Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte, and then-Council Member Matthieu Eugene. Additionally, Ms. Joseph was appointed by State Senator Kevin Parker to serve as Chair of the Neighborhood Advisory Board and has been a part of the Citywide Participatory Budgeting Committee, thanks to an appointment by then-Council Speaker Corey Johnson. Council Member Joseph is focused on improving public schools, fighting for affordable housing, combatting the climate crisis, and achieving real criminal and social justice reform for New Yorkers.
GARRY PIERRE-PIERRE
Garry Pierre-Pierre is a Pulitzer-prize winning, multimedia and entrepreneurial journalist. In 1999, he left the New York Times to launch the Haitian Times, a New York-based English-language publication serving the Haitian Diaspora. He is also the co-founder of the City University Graduate School of Journalism‘s Center for Community and Ethnic Media and a senior producer at CUNY TV.He is a leading voice on Haiti, the Haitian diaspora and community media whose perspectives are often featured in multi-national media outlets. Connect with Garry on Twitter @Pierre2Garry.
MARC PONGNON
As an IT Manager at Landmark Worldwide, Marc has been integral to Landmark moving it’s programs from being delivered In Person to an Online environment. With a results-driven mindset, Marc has excelled in various roles, including Program Manager at Landmark Worldwide, where he managed the firm's largest revenue generation division in New York and trained over 1,200 participants in the flagship leadership course. As a seminar leader and staff member with nine years of experience in personal and professional training and development, Marc is passionate about helping individuals leave past trauma behind and achieve transformational learning. Having grown up in Haiti, Marc has witnessed first hand the devastating impact of trauma on individuals and communities, and is committed to empowering people to overcome their experiences and create a brighter future. Through coaching, group workshops, and larger-scale seminars, Marc has helped countless individuals break free from the cycle of trauma and develop the skills and tools they need to live fulfilling lives. As a speaker at the upcoming Haitian conference, Marc is eager to share his insights and experiences with others who are also on the path to personal transformation.Prior to his work at Landmark, served as an IT Program Manager at the Emerging Markets Investors Alliance, bringing over two decades of leadership experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Marc also served as Deputy Director of Data and Accountability at the New York City Department of Education, where he implemented critical data procedures resulting in multi-million dollar increases in funding and exceeding federal educational targets. Additionally, as Assistant Director at Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, Marc managed data collection, tracking, and reporting, authored reports, and helped redesign the recruitment process to increase applicants by over 300 percent.With his extensive background in workforce development and data analysis, Marc has also worked as a consultant for the Haitian American Alliance, researching strategies to create an effective program for Haitian youth aged 18 to 25. Marc holds a Bachelor's of Business Administration from Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business and a Master's degree in Urban Policy Analysis and Management from the Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy at the New School University.
SAUREL QUETTAN
Saurel Quettan is a Human Behavior and Transformation Expert, Creator of “Launching You” – Access to Being the Leader You Most Respect. He is the Founder & CEO of exeQfit, a business consulting firm.
Saurel has helped entrepreneurs, CEOs, founders, and owners of small to medium-sized businesses improve their effectiveness, grow their businesses, and enhance their lives. As a leadership coach, with 20+ years in the field of human growth and development, Saurel doesn’t teach leadership! Instead, he helps clients focus on the distinction between achievement and success, assisting as they create and embrace something bigger than themselves. In the process, they become The Leader They Most Respect, leaders who make the very best decisions possible when facing big challenges such as:• Paralyzed by the complexity of developing and executing business growth strategies• Fear of change and uncertainty in their industry• Struggling to build a unified culture with a shared vision• Blind to the barriers to high performance in business and in life• Consistently playing small instead of taking steps to realize a bold, new future• Yearning to make a greater impact for their families, companies, and communities
Connect with Saurel Quettan:Email: squettan@exeqfit.comWebsite: https://exeqfit.com/Facebook: @saurelquettan | https://www.facebook.com/saurelquettanLinkedIn: @saurelquettan | https://www.linkedin.com/in/saurelquettan/Twitter: @saurelquettan | https://twitter.com/saurelquettanInstagram: @quettan | https://www.instagram.com/quettan/
GUITHELE RUIZ-NICOLAS
Inspir, LLC is a communications, media and community building company led by Guithele Ruiz-Nicolas, the firm’s CEO and President. Its mission is: “ to be a positive influence for individuals and entities to reach greater heights through dialogues, connections, and resolve.” The firm offers comprehensive consulting services, Inspir, LLC partners with experts and organizations to best meet the diverse needs of its clients. Aside from outreach, areas of specialization include community surveys, focus groups management, public relations, government affairs, and diversity training.
As a proven leader, Guithele’s diverse background can be attested through her work and by the imprints she left in her 25 years of managerial experience in the public, non-profit and private sectors. she has been recognized for her expertise in building, organizing, managing, and improving programs and legislation for children, families, the elderly, veterans, immigrants, and communities as well as bringing diverse groups together. She instituted and fostered economic development programs for small businesses, managed diversity, trained and developed the workforce to meet today’s strategic needs of organizations.
SARAH WEISER
Sarah Weiser is a Producer and photographer at Retro Report. Previously, she worked as a photojournalist and reporter across the country, at newspapers in Washington, Illinois, and Utah.@sarahwweiser
Founded in 2012, The Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC)'s mission is to promote and preserve Haitian art, culture, history and community in Chicago and beyond. As an epicenter for Haitian culture and community in Chicago and throughout the Midwest, the museum holds programs and exhibits that contribute to the rich multicultural tapestry that is Chicago, showcasing Haiti's rich culture and art as well as its complex history. In 2022, HAMOC moved from a less than 500 sq. ft. space to a brand new museum of over 2,500 sq. ft. The museum is a proactive community member that provides resources to the Haitian and non-Haitian community in order to educate about the vibrant culture that is Haiti.
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Donate or volunteer to help our Haitian community; please call or email today!
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Contact
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486 Lincoln PlaceBrooklyn, NY, 11238
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