About Us
The name, HavServe, comes from the understanding that if you have, you serve. If you have time, you serve. If you have compassion, you serve. If you have resources, you serve. If you have the knowledge, you serve.
Our Vision
HavServe aims to facilitate knowledge transfer between global volunteers and villagers in isolated and hard to reach communities in order to effect lasting, sustainable development.
Our Mission
To provide opportunities for local and international volunteers to share knowledge
and skills as they work together for sustainable community
development.
Our Story
HavServe Volunteer Service Network was founded in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12, 2010. We are a volunteer-driven not-for-profit organization that supports community-led development through volunteerism, by empowering villagers with the education, training, and basic services necessary for them to play an ever-increasing role in determining their own future.
HavServe’s life-changing programs and activities are creating healthier schools and communities, providing foundations starts for kids and families, generating new economic opportunities, and engaging the next generation of leaders in volunteering activities, community and service learning.
HavServe is recognized as a national and international leader in the promotion of volunteerism and the sustainable development goals.
- 2017 National Caribbean American Heritage Month Non-profit of the Year Award
- 2017 Community Service Award from the Association Of Haitian Professionals
- 2016 Outstanding Community Service Award for Global Impact from the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Theta Omega Chapter in conjunction with Ivy Vine Charities, Montgomery County, Maryland.
- Maryland Governor’s Declaration Award on Volunteerism
What differentiates HavServe from other non-profit organizations that are engaged in community development work is our lean organizational structure, supported by a team of 100% pro-bono technical experts, thus minimizing overhead and operational costs. Our network of pro bono consultants, local and international volunteers is our greatest asset.
How have we made an impact
Created a platform to easily engage a diverse range of volunteers and pro bono consultants for community service and service learning.
Equipped, connected and positioned volunteers to strengthen communities.
Created a platform where volunteers from diverse backgrounds are able to access a wide range of virtual, pro bono, and on-site volunteer opportunities.
Key players in various sectors of our volunteer network are working together to make a difference among communities in need within the United States and in Haiti.
Established lasting partnerships with governments leaders to provide input on public policy on volunteerism and the Sustainable Development Goals
Be a part of what we do.
Board of Directors
Sandra Fathi
Sandra Fathi, Board Chair
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Sandra Fathi - Board Chair
Sandra Fathi is the Founder and President of Affect, a public relations and social media agency. She is also a wife, mother of two children and avid volunteer. She has been involved in charity work, primarily for children’s charities, as well as women’s issues, for all of her adult life. Sandra volunteered for HavServe in 2015 in the Summer Camp and Women’s Entrepreneurship & Microfinance program . She felt compelled to come and volunteer in Haiti following the tragic events of the earthquake in January 2010. Although she initially thought that volunteering in Haiti would be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, it turned into a life-altering event. Seeing the incredible spirit and passion of the Haitian people in spite of the hardships and injustices they endure ignited a desire in Sandra to make a long-term commitment to HavServe and help the organization continue to make a positive impact on the daily lives of the people of Lebrun. Although she felt that volunteering in Haiti was important, she also understood that in order to achieve lasting change for the Haitian people, it will take much more than a few hours a year of well-intentioned labor. Since her return, Sandra has already conducted additional fundraising efforts, gathered technology donations for improving education, and is working on securing corporate sponsors and identifying sustainable job and revenue opportunities to continue to support the people of Lebrun and the work of HavServe.
Solomon Luke
Treasurer
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Solomon Luke - Treasurer
Solomon holds a BS, Finance, with concentration in Business Administration with an undergraduate certificate, Management Foundation from the University of Maryland, University College. He also holds a Graduate Certificate, Project Management from the University of Maryland, University College. Solomon is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) certified Contracting Officer Representative (COR) Level 3 and is also a Certified Scrum Master (CSM). In 2016, Mr. Luke was selected by FEMA as a “Rising Leader” and graduated from the American Council of Technology’s leadership development program.
Mr. Luke was also selected in 2016 & 2017 as a finalist for FEMA’s Administrator Award. FEMA’s Administrator Award is presented to recipients in recognition of exceptional service, perseverance and ingenuity in the advancement of the agency’s mission and value. Mr. Luke is currently a member of Phi Kappa Phi, a National Academic Honor society and is also a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) including the Montgomery County MD local chapter.
Rose Ann Lord
Board Secretary
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Rose Ann Lord - Board Secretary
Rose Lord has been practicing and teaching organic vegetable gardening for 18 years. She is a co-founder of Global Coalition for Peace and the director of the Women’s SelfReliance Program, a project of GCFP. In addition to Lebrun, Haiti, Rose has taught gardening in Guatemala, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Washington, DC, and her home town of Pittsburgh, PA.
Rose believes that helping people to grow their own food is one of the most important steps we can take towards developing a world of peace, health and freedom for all.
Beth Ann Hilton
Board Member
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Board Member
Beth Ann Hilton is a music industry veteran and communications professional based in Studio City, CA. As the owner-founder of the B Company, Beth consults independent musicians and record labels on attainable and sustainable ways to market their art to the world, including renowned 11x Grammy nominee Peter Kater.
Her passion is supporting “positive and transformational” entertainment, as well as contributing to non-profit causes such as HavServe, which she has served on a pro-bono basis since 2010. She enjoys reading, hiking, traveling and participating in charities at First Christian Church of North Hollywood with her husband and 10 year old son, Westley.
Deborah Grice Conway
Board Member
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Deborah Grice Conway - Board Member
Deborah Grice Conway, PhD is a licensed psychotherapist. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Duquesne University, and her MSW and PhD in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Conway has over 30 years of clinical experience as a psychotherapist, treating depression, anxiety disorders, and stress-related health conditions. Her work is based on a holistic perspective that incorporates the mind, body, and spirit, and focuses on the client’s strengths. She is also as a professor of psychology at the Community College of Allegheny County, and a core faculty member and meditation instructor at The Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, Rhinebeck, NY.
Gregg Sanders
Board Member
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Gregg Sanders - Board Member
Gregg Sanders is the Founder and President of Sanders Group LLC, a full-service landscape design and construction firm located in Austin Texas. Gregg has been a successful landscape, construction and design contractor for over 40 years and has traveled throughout South America and the Caribbean.
Gregg volunteered with HavServe in Haiti in 2016 at the Annual Summer Camp. He went on to lead the water management program in 2018, and assist with the gardening and construction programs in 2019. He felt compelled to volunteer in Haiti following the tragic events of the earthquake in January 2010. Although he initially thought that volunteering in Haiti would be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, it turned into a life-altering event.
The incredible spirit and passion of the Haitian people, in spite of the hardships and injustices they endure, inspired Gregg to make a long-term commitment with HavServe in Haiti, to help the organization to make an ongoing positive impact on the daily lives of the people of the village of Lebrun. Although he felt that volunteering in Haiti was important, he came to understand that in order to achieve lasting change for the Haitian people, it will take much more than a few hours a year of well-intentioned labor. Back in Austin, Gregg has been conducting additional fundraising efforts, gathering construction supplies and donations for improving infrastructure, and working on securing corporate sponsors and identifying sustainable job and revenue opportunities to support the people of Lebrun and the work of HavServe in Haiti and the United States.
Serge Bellegarde
Board Member
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Serge Bellegarde - Board Member
Serge is well-known for his many years of support, dedication and thoughtful leadership on any effort that promises to improve conditions in his beloved Haiti, and the wider Caribbean community.
He has a long history of volunteering on organizational Boards, acting as an advisor and lecturer on Haitian history and culture and, since 2011, he has been teaching Haitian Creole to HavServe volunteers and others at Beyond Borders in Washington, D.C.
Jessica Lobos
Board Member
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Jessica Lobos
Jessica Lobos is an international development specialist, focused on educational planning, project management and fundraising. She worked as a project manager at the Organization of American States for five years, where she designed, implemented and monitored a variety of projects that contributed to strengthening democratic institutions and governance, and developing peace building practices in local communities in Latin American and Caribbean countries. More recently, she has been supporting efforts related with Education in Emergencies with INEE and TechCeFaCos.
Ms. Lobos holds a BA in Government and International Relations and Politics and Public Administration, and she is currently a student of the MA in Educational Planning, Economics and International Development at University College London. She joined the 2021 HavServe Board of Directors as the Director of Development and Fundraising.
Gina Gattuso-Espinel
Board Member
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Gina Gattuso-Espinel - Board Member
Gina Gattuso-Espinel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master’s degree in Education from DePaul University in Chicago. She is a Chicago native and a life-long educator with over 20 years of experience working with adolescents teaching Spanish and English as a second language. She holds Illinois and Florida state teaching certifications in Spanish, English, and Economics.
Gina began her career in Bogotá, Colombia and San Juan, Puerto Rico teaching English and later continued as a Spanish teacher upon her return to the United States. After settling in Central Florida in 2008, she served as the lead curriculum writer to create on-line Spanish language courses for Florida Virtual School before landing her current position at Montverde Academy in 2010. She teaches intermediate and advanced Spanish courses and also serves as the World Languages Department Chairperson managing teachers, students, and developing course curriculum.
In addition to teaching, Gina is a USA swimming coach and a member of the United States Masters Swimming team. She coaches kids of all ages and enjoys working with youth and helping them to learn and progress in sports and academics.
Our Team
Carline Brice-Mesilus
Founder and CEO
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Carline Brice-Mesilus - President & Founder
Carline is an international development expert, coalition builder, entrepreneur and philanthropist with more than 30 years of experience working to improve the welfare of individuals around the world through multi‐stakeholder project development, systematic research and community investment and outreach. She has been leading HavServe’s effort to expand the creation and implementation of strategic public‐private partnerships through volunteer-driven participation in the rebuilding efforts in Haiti since 2010.
In addition, after 30 years of service as a former staff member of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Organization of American States (OAS), Carlineis a proud advocate of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and green technology and practices.
Ms. Brice-Mesilus has a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and International Relations from American University as well as several graduate and professional diplomas and certificates in conflict management skills for women, handling people with tact and skill, and managing nonprofit organizations from Georgetown University. She is fluent in Haitian Creole, French, English, Spanish.
Though her passion is helping others to serve their community, Carline finds her greatest joy hanging out with her husband and young adults children.
Jewel Bazilio Bellegarde
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Jewel Bazilio Bellegarde - Volunteer
Jewel is a results-driven professional with a track record of success in formulating innovative learning solutions to help build capacity and improve individual and organizational competency. She utilizes exceptional multilingual communication skills to influence critical decisions at the highest level, developing strong relationships across government, international, higher education, and the volunteer sectors.
Throughout a diverse and rewarding career, Jewel has been instrumental in the development of effective organizations, the management of successful domestic and international programs, and the empowerment of people from diverse backgrounds through education, training, leadership development, and creating innovative learning solutions according to needs.
Remy Mesilus
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Remy Mesilus - Volunteer
As Director of Projects Management for HavServe, Remy Mesilus occupies a unique and critical operational position. He is responsible for the development and execution of HavServe’s Haiti talent management and development strategy, including organizational development, succession planning, community leadership management, curriculum design, and more. After serving communities in Haiti for over eight years, the Rev. Mesilus is responding to the spiritual needs of the youth population by launching Press Onward Ministries, where youth Christian leaders reflect, connect and learn how to build intimate relationship with God while serving their community.
A Haitian-American, Remy is a gifted and caring social entrepreneur who has devoted his life to serving the Haitian immigrant community, to help members adjust and integrate into American society. Born in Haiti, Remy spent 15 years managing a major Fortune 100 corporation in the U.S. Before joining HavServe and founding Press Onward, Rev. Mesilus served as board member in several churches that he helped plant in Florida, Maryland, Connecticut and Haiti. He also provides translation and cultural competency services to businesses and educational organizations in the U.S. and abroad. Remy holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Human Resources Development from the University Of Bridgeport, Connecticut. He has two Bachelor’s Degrees – one in Business Administration from Florida Metropolitan University, Orlando, Florida and one in Theological Studies and Ministry Leadership from Christ For The Nations Institute, Stony Brook, New York. He is fluent in Creole, French and English.
Remy is committed to making a meaningful contribution to Haiti’s spiritual development by training youth and faith leaders to cultivate an intimate relationship with Christ through the study of God’s word, via a collaborative strategy to maximize HavServe’s impact in Haiti through social services, spiritual training and community outreach. Mr. Mesilus’ vision for the Press Onward team services in Haiti is to see God-fearing young Haitians engage in full-time Christian service using the truth of the gospel to conquer the socio-cultural challenges that have plagued Haitian society far too long.
Remy lives and serves with his wife Carline in Lake County, Clermont, Florida. Together, they have 4 children in college in Connecticut and in Maryland.
Joyce Hunter
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Joyce Hunter
Joyce Hunter is a strategic-doer and a philanthropreneur. She was appointed by President Barack Obama to the position of Deputy Chief Information Officer for Policy and Planning at the Department of Agriculture (2013-2017) and was the Acting Chief Information Officer from March 2016 to July 2016. In addition to policy and technology planning, Ms. Hunter oversaw the Departments 4.1 billion dollar IT investment portfolio, was responsible for the development and the execution of the Department’s Distance Education and Telemedicine Program framework. She is also the creator of the Open Data STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Agriculture and Math) summer camp for underserved/underrepresented youth and was the executive sponsor of the IT Fellows and IT Workforce Development Programs. With over 30 years’ experience in the information technology industry, Ms. Hunter demonstrates a strong ability to build and sustain relationships with public/private stakeholders, develop and lead innovative projects and inter-agency initiatives. Ms. Hunter was the CEO of HavServe in 2011-2013, where she spearheaded recruitment and building a network of multidisciplinary volunteers and consultants. She also assisted in the writing, planning and execution of the National Institute of Health’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities grant to the Morehouse School of Medicine, which established the Transdisciplinary Collaborative Center (TCC). Ms. Hunter is also a founding member of the National Health IT Collaborative for the Underserved. She served over 10 years with Lotus Development Corporation, rising to the level of Global Account Manager for Ernst and Young International and Marriott International for U.S., Asia, Europe and Africa. Ms. Hunter earned a BA from Villanova University and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business, has certificates in Emotional Intelligence, Design Thinking, Sports Management, Technology Business Management (TBM) and Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). She was inducted into the Overbrook High School Hall of Fame in 2018, selected by the Tech Council of Pennsylvania to be a TEDx Talk presenter (October 2017) and by California Lutheran University to be a TEDx Talk presenter (October 2018). Ms. Hunter was also chosen by the editors of FedScoop to be included in the 2017 and 2016 annual list of “D.C.’s Top 50 Women in Technology”, the 2016 Top 50 Federal Leaders, a 2017 recipient of the Roy L. Clay Sr. Technology Pinnacle Award as one of the 50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology and a recipient of the Wharton DC Club Joseph A. Wharton award. Ms. Hunter is on the Dean’s Advisory Council for Villanova University, the Advisory Boards of Global Women in STEM, Piggy-Bank.org. Native Ag, HealthyWorks, a member of STEMConnector’s Million Women Mentors, a Fellow with the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT) and published in The Handbook of Federal Government Leadership and Administration: Transforming, Performing and Innovating in a Complex World (Routledge 2017).
Ruth Fabre
César Augusto Ortelan Perri
Catalina Verna
Andrew Blake
Volunteers
There are many ways to contribute to HavServe’s mission to serve communities. Click here to fill out a form and our volunteer coordinator will be in touch.
Why HavServe?
HavServe is recognized as a national and international leader in the promotion of volunteerism and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Volunteer recognition partners
