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Renate Schneider is the President and Founder of Haitian Connection. She has spent the last 17 years living and working in Haiti. Renate holds an MA degree in Clinical Psychology with specialization in cross-cultural psychology as well as an MA in Pastoral Studies. She founded the University of the Nouvelle Grand’Anse which in August of 2014 graduated its first class of students. She currently serves at the university as Vice Rectrice. While in Jeremie she opened her own private psychology practice, trained 20 community people as mental health agents, and worked as the school counselor in a number of high school and elementary schools in the Jeremie area. She is also trained as an HIV counselor and is certified in Mental Health First Aid.
Her NGO Haitian Connection has so far built 97 houses for women and their children in three communities close to Jeremie. She has been instrumental in establishing the Jeremie Breadfruit Flour and Nursery business. She also runs a microcredit program in those three communities as well as literacy center in another outlying community.
Norma Toussaint is certified Project Manager with over 10 years of experience providing project oversight for US Government-supported projects in both not-for-profit and for-profit global environments. Currently, Norma works a program/technical specialist at Counterpart International (CPI) and she leads the food security and agricultural portfolio, managing the McGovern Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition project and the Local and Regional Procurement Aid project. Before joining CPI in 2016, Norma was a visiting lecturer at the University of Nouvelle Grand’Anse, in Jeremie, Haiti, teaching a course on international organizations. Her work experience includes food security and agriculture, international exchange programs, and adult education. She has a BA in political science from the University of Central Florida and a MA in international relations from American University. Born in Miami, Florida to parents of Haitian descent, she currently resides in Washington, DC with her husband Lawrence and daughter Zara. When she’s not busy working, Norma enjoys traveling and dancing.
Robert Boeke
Academics: U. of Dayton. BS in Physics. Northwestern U. M.A.T. plus Advanced Study in Science Education.
Now retired, Robert Boeke was a professor at William Rainey Harper College, Palatine, IL teaching physics, physical science and mathematics as well as chairing faculty/administrative committees and as department chair. He has experience in curriculum development and report writing.
Bob was a consultant to business and industry in the fields of energy management and computer programming.
He has taught mathematics at the University of the Novelle Grand Anse in Jeremie, Haiti and conceived, co-authored and taught the Divergent Haiti seminar. The seminar continues to be presented in Haiti by Haitians he trained in the United States and is administered by the Divergent Thinking Foundation in Haiti.
In retirement, Bob .spent three years teaching courses on Catholic Church and Ethics and Morality at Saint Viator High School in Arlington Heights, IL.
Bob and his wife, Rita Boeke have long experience in leadership and presenting weekend retreats with Worldwide Marriage Encounter and other programs that they created for couples. They are co-authors of the book: Forever and a Day: An Invitation to Create a Marriage that Lasts a Lifetime
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Imelde Adjaffon
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Imelde Adjaffon is a finance professional with over six (06) years of work experience which spans accounting, credit analysis, economic analysis, treasury management, financial analysis/modeling and project management. Currently, Imelde is a Senior Analyst in the impact investment advisory practice at Financial Access. Before joining the company, he worked at BIO (Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries) as investment consultant and at Triple Jump as summer associate. Prior to this, Imelde worked in the financial sector in Benin, respectively at Diamond Bank, the Ministry of Finance and Ecobank Group for over four (04) years. Imelde holds a Bachelor's degree in Finance and Accounting from University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin, an MBA in Banking and Finance from CESAG Business School in Senegal, and an advanced Master in Microfinance from Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management. He also has a legal background with a Bachelor's degree in Business Law earned at University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin. Imelde is a CFA charterholder and a regular member of CFA Institute.
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Michele V. Sare
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Michele V. Sare DNP (C), MSN, RN is an author, trainer, speaker, educator, activist, founder & CEO of Nurses for Nurses International Foundation, Inc. (NFNIF). Her purpose is to advance health systems and leadership in-order to create health equity and social justice in our world’s most disparate areas. Michele is an author of and contributor to international texts, Today, Léogâne (NFNI Pub., 2011), Strategic Planning: Change Management for Nurses (Jones & Bartlett, 2010), contributing author (C 21 & 26, 4th Ed.) Rural Nursing Concepts Theory and Practice, (Winters, 2013), and Elephant on a String: What’s Holding You Back? (Hazen St. Publisher, 2016). She is the Executive Director of Nurses for Nurses International, is a speaker and trainer, university professor, staunch advocate and activist for human rights, and a consultant for rural and frontier public health. Michele has dedicated the majority of her professional life – spanning 44 years – to advance health equity and social justice in rural and resource poor settings across the globe (nfnif.org)