Regine Desulmé Polynice, Board Chair

Co-founder, Caribbean Job Bank; Founder and Managing Partner, Dev Collective Consulting, Haiti

Régine Desulmé Polynice is the Co-founder of the Caribbean Job Bank, a women-led technology company, and the founder and managing partner of Dev Collective Consulting, a management consulting firm. With a wealth of experience over two decades working in the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa, Régine has made a significant impact in the fields of international development and humanitarian aid. Her expertise lies in collaborating with organizations and small businesses to enhance their capacity to meet the diverse needs of their internal and external stakeholders. 

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Régine is deeply passionate about creating sustainable and impactful programs that empower communities. Her management experience in the private sector has provided her with invaluable insights into building programs that drive lasting change. Régine's commitment to community development extends to her involvement in several key organizations. In addition to her role at HDI, she sits on the boards  or serves as an advisor to Lakou Lapè, GSCC and the Caribbean American Alliance Foundation where she lends her expertise in organizational structure, fundraising, marketing, and strategic business development to further their missions.

Regine holds a BA from The George Washington University in International Affairs and Public Health. She earned a Strategic Management Certificate from Harvard University Extension School and a Change Management Certificate, Cornell University, SC Johnson College of Business. She is a certified life coach and meditation practitioner. Regine is fluent in English, French, Haitian Creole and has working knowledge of  Spanish.


 

Harry Dumay, Treasurer

President, Elms College, Massachusetts

Dr. Harry Dumay is President of the College of Our Lady of the Elms. Prior to joining Elms College, Dr. Dumay was Senior Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Saint Anselm College; Chief Financial Officer, Associate Dean for Finance and Information Technology at the Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University; and has also held leadership positions in finance and administration at Boston College and Boston University. Dr. Dumay received a BS degree magna cum laude in Mechanical Technology from Lincoln University, Missouri; a MA degree in Public Administration from Framingham State University; a MBA and graduate certificate in Corporate Finance from Boston University; and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Boston College.

Dr. Dumay has consulted internationally on projects related to international higher education and economic development with organizations in Europe and in the Caribbean. Dr. Dumay is a Board member for the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). He is a past Commissioner and Treasurer for the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE) and a member of NECHE’s Annual Report on Finance and Enrollment committee. Dr. Dumay also serves as a Board member, Treasurer, and Member of the Executive Committee for the Association of Colleges of St. Joseph. He serves on several other boards including Endicott College, the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, the Pope Francis Preparatory School, Build Health International, Health Equity International, and the Haiti Development Institute at the Boston Foundation.


 

Chelinde Edouard, Chair, Program Committee

Principal, CME Consulting (retired), Massachusetts

Chelinde Edouard is the founder of CME Consulting, an independent employee benefits consulting practice. Prior experience in the group insurance business includes Senior Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (1997-2009); Director/Vice President of National Underwriting, Healthsource, Inc. (1996-1997); and Director of Underwriting, Tufts Health Plans (1995-1996). Chelinde is certified as a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) by the American College of Financial Services.

Chelinde holds a BS in Economics from Boston University and studied at the Faculté de Droit et des Sciences Économiques, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He serves on the board of Empower Success Corps and is a former Trustee, Catholic Charitable Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston, Inc. and former Chair of the Haitian Multi Service Center Board in Boston, MA.


 

April Freitag, Chair, Fundraising Committee

April Freitag is a philanthropist, advisor, and development strategist who actively supports international issues in education, poverty alleviation, sustainability, and human rights. She has served on the boards of Go Campaign, Leading through Reading, and Land is Life, contributing to their missions and impact. Additionally, she has provided advisory services to organizations including the UN Ethical Fashion Initiative, Kigali Genocide Memorial, BodyNext Collective, and Dr Brandt Foundation. Through her insights and recommendations, she has played a crucial role in advancing their goals, raising awareness, identifying programs in need of support, establishing community-based centers, conducting site visits, and contributing to fundraising goals. April also serves on the NYU Gallatin Dean's Council and actively supports the Gallatin Global Fellowship in Human Rights. She is a member of The Philanthropy Workshop and New England International Donors.


 

Kate Guedj, Board Member Ex-Officio

Senior VP and Chief Philanthropy Officer, The Boston Foundation, Massachusetts

Kate Guedj joined The Boston Foundation as Director of Philanthropic Services in 2000. In 2005 she was made Vice President for Philanthropic and Donor Services, in 2013, her role was expanded to Vice President for Development and Donor Services; in 2015, it was expanded again to Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer and in 2018 she was made Senior Vice President. In this capacity, she oversees the Foundation's development efforts and works with the Foundation’s donors to help them achieve their charitable and philanthropic goals.  In addition, she provides management oversight to the Equality Fund, the Asian Community Fund and the Haiti Development Institute.

Before coming to the Foundation, Kate was a senior executive with the Massachusetts Bar Association, overseeing their programs and services. She has also served as Director of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation, and its grant-making program providing legal services to the poor. She began her career at the Council on Foundations in Washington D.C. as a researcher, and eventually became Membership Director.

Kate is on the governing boards of the Bruce J. Anderson Foundation, the Deshpande Foundation, the Haiti Development Institute, and the BASE.  She holds a B.A. with honors in the division of the humanities from Swarthmore College.


 

Clarence Mevs

Project Engineer, John Moriarty & Associates, Massachusetts

Clarence has worked as a real estate professional for 20 years, including as project engineer, facility manager and senior advisor, and development associate on the development, operation and construction of large complex projects in the Boston metro area. His portfolio of projects encompasses multi family, academic, office, medical and life science facilities. Clarence is currently a project engineer with John Moriarty & Associates. Clarence earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Middlebury College and an MBA from Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business.

 

 

Albert Pierre Paul Joseph

Executive Director, Collectif de Lutte Contre l’Exclusion Sociale (CLES), Haiti

Albert Pierre Paul Joseph has worked in the field of development for more than twenty years with a diverse group of institutions and donors. For 12 years, he has devoted his skills to developing the agricultural sector in the North-East department as the Executive Director of CLES and manager of Production Sans Frontieres, a for-profit rice mill CLES operates. CLES works with a network of private, public and community actors to guarantee economic opportunities in strategic subsectors, notably rice, which is currently experiencing significant productive and economic growth.

Albert has been an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Professions of Northeast (CCIPNE) for six years and is currently its President, with the aim of promoting a new vision of entrepreneurship and fostering constructive and productive leadership capable of supporting economic development that benefits everyone in the greater northern region. He firmly believes that by acting together, through the convergence of our ideas and our resources, with clear and shared objectives, our efforts will produce better results and the country will experience transformation and inclusive economic growth for millions of Haitians trapped in poverty.

Albert earned a bachelor’s degree from the State University of Haiti in Sociology.


 

Delleperche Joseph, Chair, Kolektif Committee

Southeast Regional Managing Director of Public Finance, TD Bank, Washington, DC

Delle Joseph has 25 years of banking experience and is a licensed CPA in the State of Florida. Delle immigrated to the US from Haiti at the age of 18 and has since obtained a Business Bachelor's degree from Boston University and a Master's in Finance degree from Florida International University. His entire professional career has been focused on helping businesses grow across all industries in the private and public sector. Delle is the immediate past Chairman of the Board of the Haiti Development Institute (HDI) and past Chairman of the Haitian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida (HACCOF). In addition to HDI, Delle currently serves on several other boards in Washington, DC and in Florida including the Children's National Hospital Foundation Advisory Council, College Success Foundation DC, HACCOF Foundation and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami. 


 

Louise Pascale Toyo

Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant, Haiti

Louise Pascale Toyo has worked in the fields of development and agriculture for more than 15 years with a diverse group of national and international institutions in Haiti. Her experiences give her expertise in Project Management, Training and Monitoring & Evaluation. She is currently working as an independent consultant.

Louise has a bachelor's degree in Agronomy and a master's in Geography from Universite Paris 8. She earned a Monitoring and Evaluation Certificate from Illinois State University.

Louise is dedicated to advancing grassroots community development. Over a decade, she has devoted her skills to enhancing the capacity of KOFAKAD, a women's organization in Ducis, South department in Haiti as coach and volunteer.


 

Emie Michaud Weinstock, Chair, Governance Committee

Founder and Principal, ReveledUp, Massachusetts

Emie Michaud Weinstock (she/her) is a dedicated professional rooted in her deep commitment to the well-being and advancement of women and people of color. With over two decades of cross-sector experience, Emie specializes in program and organizational development, systems assessment, community and client engagement, and capacity building.

She is the founder and principal of ReveledUp, an innovative event marketing boutique that connects social impact companies with their target audiences through immersive events and compelling brand storytelling. Prior to founding ReveledUp, Emie’s diverse background included practicing holistic human rights and social corporate responsibility law in domestic and international jurisdictions.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Emie is dedicated to advancing grassroots community development. Her executive volunteering efforts focus on supporting early to mid-level nonprofit organizations. She has served on the boards of Jean Appolon Expressions, Prosperity Catalyst, the Cambridge Community Television, and co-founded the Cambridge Families of Color Coalition.


 

Karen Keating Ansara, HDI Co-Founder, Board Member Emerita

Founder, Ansara Family Fund, Network of Engaged International Donors, Massachusetts

In 2010, Karen co-founded The Haiti Fund at the Boston Foundation, now the Haiti Development Institute. In 2008, she founded and continues to serve as Board Chair of Network of Engaged International Donors (NEID Global), a learning network for philanthropists and institutional funders from across the US.  A member of the boards of Women Moving Millions, MCE Social Capital, Groundswell International, and Build Health International (BHI), Karen is also a member of the Leadership Council of Oxfam America. Karen and her husband Jim Ansara (founder of BHI) make grants to end poverty in Haiti and promote health access and health justice around the world.  Karen is currently a Fellow at the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative.


 

Herby Duverné | Board member Emeritus

President and CEO, Windwalker Group, Inc.; Co-Founder, RISE Together, Massachusetts

Herby Duverné is the Principal and CEO of Windwalker Group LLC, an award-winning, 8(a) small business that provides physical and cybersecurity solutions that protect and prepare, delivers custom learning and training solutions that guide teams to success, and offers professional services solutions that help customers meet a variety of business objectives.

Herby is also the Co-Founder of RISE Together, a certified MBE development and investment company working to ensure that development projects bring equitable growth opportunities to everyone. It’s a process that proactively brings people together, giving everyone a seat at the table, and working as one toward a common cause: a thriving, diverse, and healthy neighborhood.

Herby was previously the Deputy Director of Aviation Security and Director of Emergency Management, respectively, for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which oversees Logan International Airport. Under Herby’s leadership, Massport’s security team pursued innovative strategies for implementing cutting edge security systems and processes.

Herby is deeply involved in social and economic justice issues. He recently kick-started the Greenwood Challenge in Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA) with a $100,000 donation to support black small business in Boston and the surrounding communities. He is the recipient of multiple awards and recognitions such as the 2005 YMCA’s Black Achievers Award, the 2016 Boston’s GK25, the 2016 ILC’s Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Business Growth and the 2018 NAACP Kenneth I. Guscott Legacy Business Award.

Herby earned both Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Northeastern University.