Tet-a-tet is a Haitian phrase meaning “working in partnership.”

 

Many people are involved in making Just Haiti a success. The most important people tet-a-tet for Just Haiti are the coffee farmers we partner with in Haiti, and their families. We are also grateful for other organizational partners, our roaster, and the many volunteers who work to produce and sell our high quality coffee. Below is the current Board of Directors for Just Haiti.

 

Father Pierre Pascal Pierre, Vice President

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Father Pascal is pastor of St. Laurent parish in Les Cayes and director of Catholic education for the Diocese of Les Cayes, Haiti. From about 1997 to 2004, Father Pascal was pastor of St. Pierre parish in Baradères. He personally knows many of the coffee growers Just Haiti is working with. Following his pastorship at St. Pierre, Father Pascal left Haiti to study at the Institut Catholique de Paris in France. He received a Master’s Degree in Education and is currently completing his doctoral studies. After returning to Haiti, he was appointed director of Développement Communautaire Chrétien Haïtien (Christian Development Program for Haitian Communities) in Les Cayes, Haiti. The DCCH is a division of Caritas International in Haiti that is concerned with developing subsistence agriculture projects. In addition to his other responsibilities, Father Pascal is chaplain and professor at the Catholic University in Les Cayes, and also teaches at the state university in Les Cayes.

 

Kim Lamberty, President

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kim has been developing and managing faith-based justice, peace,cross-cultural, and community service programs for nearly 20 years. She is currently Senior Advisor at Catholic Relief Services in Baltimore, where she works to strengthen the overseas mission programs of Catholic institutions, especially programs in Haiti. She has accompanied vulnerable communities and human rights workers in Haiti, Colombia, Palestine, Guatemala, the U.S.-Mexico border, and the former Soviet Union. She is the author of a book, Eyes from the Outside: Christian Mission in Zones of Violent Conflict, as well as several articles on Christian mission, and she is associate editor of the journal Missiology: An International Review. She holds a Master’s in International Affairs from Columbia University and a Doctor of Ministry degree, in cross-cultural ministry, from Catholic Theological Union, where she has also taught a course on social and economic justice ministry.

 

Bernard Nestor, Treasurer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bernard was born in Haiti, and moved to the United Sates when he was 18 years old. Although he has never visited the community of Baradères he feels like he has been there and that he knows the people. He knows them through the accounts of those who have traveled there, his recollection of bygone days when he lived in Haiti, and his gut feelings about this community. These all concur in giving him a coherent and living picture of life in that part of the world. Bernard has been a member of the sister parish committee at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Silver Spring, Md., for over ten years. He appreciates the work that the parish is doing in support of the Baradères community. He also believes that additional steps are needed to buttress the progress already realized. Through Just Haiti he found like-minded people and happily joined with them in taking the initiative to help serve the people of Baradères. Through this coffee project, the people in Baradères become part of the global community, and will be able to improve their lives.

 

Rev. Dcn. David Cahoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deacon Dave was ordained in 1991 and received the Benemerenti Medal in 2008 from Pope Benedict XVI for his service to the church of Washington. His undergraduate degree is in Philosophy (Holy Cross) with his Graduate work in Physics (Catholic University) and Theology (Washington Theological Union). He is currently assisting at a parish in Montgomery County, MD that has an active twinning relationship with the community of Carcasse, Haiti. Although St Mary’s in Barnesville is a tiny parish, he is inspired by the tireless efforts of parishioners like Jack Reid, Diana Snouffer, Francis Mackie and Tony Chmelik who make many trips to the remote village of Carcasse out of solidarity and love for the people they have met. The coffee growers of Carcasse have now organized an association (APCC) after the model of KDB in Baraderes. They hope to begin coffee exportation in 2011, expanding the mission and work of Just Haiti.

 

Kathleen McGourty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kathy McGourty is a 2010 graduate from Catholic Theological Union with a Master’s degree in Theology. She has worked as a youth minister with grades 7th – 12th for the last year at St. Isidore Parish in Bloomingdale, IL. Since April 2011 she has also been working as an Education Project Consultant for the Office for Immigrant Affairs in the Chicago Archdiocese. Having started a Peace and Justice Committee in 2004 at her parish in Arlington Heights, Kathy continues to use her passion for social justice as a vehicle for educating the faithful on Catholic Social Teachings and engaging parishioners in actions of solidarity and accompaniment with the marginalized. They have been supporting KDB through coffee sales since 2009 and they traveled to Haiti to meet with the coffee growers in 2012. Kathy has been married since 1983 to Bob McGourty and they have four adult children.

 

Michele Gibbs, Secretary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michele has been working as an Administrative Assistant in the Career Services Office at The Catholic University of American since 2003. Previously, she worked for St. John the Baptist Catholic Community in Silver Spring, MD where she assisted 5 directors in running parish programs, including Kim. She continues to be very involved at St. John’s through the Shepherding Program that assists families with their child’s First Communion, and other parish ministries. Michele is a board member and officer for two other non-profit organizations in Maryland. Originally from Schenectady, New York, she was employed by the University at Albany for 9 years before following her heart to the DC area. She has two adult children, and in addition to coffee, her hobbies are reading and long walks in the park.

 

Pierre Herard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pierre is an engineer born and raised in Jérémie, Haiti. Shortly after completing secondary school, Pierre emigrated to the US, and Chicago became his home. Before long, he enrolled at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), and earned a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering. An MBA followed several years later from the Lake Forest Graduate School of management. Pierre spent his professional career working as Project Manager or Process Engineer for Food Manufacturing and Dairy processing companies, managing projects throughout the US and Canada. His most recent assignment was with a tropical food processing company with an assignment in Costa Rica. Pierre is married to his wife of 36 years (Nerlande). Together they’ve raised a daughter (Astrid), and a son (Lou). Both of them are post baccalaureate graduates and are pursuing their careers.

 

Angela Paviglianiti

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angela first began to explore a “faith that does justice” in an intentional community residence during her years at the University of Detroit Mercy.  She might have recovered from that but decided to join the Jesuit Volunteer Corps following her graduation.  Her experience with homeless families in inner city New Jersey led her to pursue a Master’s in Social Work at the University of Michigan.  While continuing to work with young families, Angela was a member of her parish’s Social Justice Ministry and the Pax Christi Michigan State Council. Angela eventually determined she cared most about what she did in her “free time” and moved to Chicago, where she earned a Master of Divinity at the Catholic Theological Union  (CTU) in 2011.  She now serves CTU as the Director of Admissions.  In her “free time,” she promotes awareness of lay vocation at her parish and facilitates spiritual accompaniment for the homeless. Angela traveled to Baradères as part of a CTU immersion course in January 2011, and has carried the people and the land in her heart and mind ever since.  She welcomes the opportunity to be in continued relationship with the coffee growers of KDB, and to promote both their efforts and those of the new communities collaborating with Just Haiti.