jackypoteau

Jacky Poteau (www.facebook.com/jpoteau) is Program Coordinator for the Haiti Development Institute (www.bostonhaitifund.org), a newly-established organization issued from the Haiti Fund at the Boston Foundation. Created in the wake of the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the five-year fund provided long-term relief and reconstruction support to communities in Haiti and Haitian-Americans in the Greater Boston area. Prior to his current role, Jacky served from 2006 to 2014 as President and Executive Director of FATEM (Foundation for the Technological and Economic Advancement of Mirebalais - www.fatem.org), a Boston-based nonprofit community organization assisting in Mirebalais (Haiti) in the areas of Education, Information and Communication Technology, and Economic Development. From 2009 to 2011, he was Executive Director of 1000 Jobs/Haiti, a Rhode Island-based 501(c)(3) organization operating in Haiti with the mission of creating sustainable and decent jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities in the Plateau Central region. Jacky holds a master’s degree in Health and Medical Informatics from Brandeis University, a master’s degree in Social Work from Boston University, and a Microsoft Certified Professional certificate. His volunteer work and community development experiences include memberships in the following grassroots organizations: -- Institute of Human and Community Development (IHCD - www.ihcd.org), a non-profit organization with operations in Haiti which offers educational and social services to adolescents, young adults and adults in need. At IHCD, Jacky served subsequently as the Technical Coordinator and Program Director. -- MACHHA (Massachusetts Coalition of Haitian Hometown Associations), of which he was a founding member and served as Coordinator. MACHHA was established as an alliance of Massachusetts-based Haitian Hometown Associations, nonprofit entities, and individuals, with a commitment to the empowerment of local grassroots movements and rural development as the driving force for attaining self-reliant, sustainable development and social justice in Haiti. -- The Haitian Hometown Associations Resource Group (The Resource Group - www.hhtarg.org), which makes resources available to organizations working in and for Haiti, while facilitating and solidifying relationships between the international donor community, financial and government sectors, for the purpose of development initiatives in Haiti. The Resource Group is comprised of representatives from various Hometown Associations (HTAs) and social entrepreneurs in the Haitian Diaspora; it is also a place where investors, social entrepreneurs, and leaders in the business world come to learn more about investment opportunities in Haiti. -- Zafen.org Steering Committee (www.zafen.org), where he participated in weekly reviews of requests for loans and donations. Zafen.Org was launched in 2010 to commemorate the lives and works of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac, two individuals who dedicated their lives to serving people living in poverty. On the 350th anniversary of their deaths, Zafen.Org was established with the objective of having a positive impact on Haiti’s economic, social and physical environment by providing micro, small, and medium sized enterprises with enhanced access to capital. -- FAMILY, Inc.(www.familysystem.net), where he served as member of the Haiti Sub-committee. FAMILY is a non-profit organization based in Boston, MA and operating in Verrettes (Haiti) in the areas of education and economic development through agriculture. The organization works with various partners to create secure and nurturing environments of mutual support in which all children and families can thrive. -- Destined for Grace Children’s Relief (www.destinedforgrace.org), a nonprofit organization based in Carpinteria, California, working in Mirebalais (Haiti) to alleviate some of the social burdens faced by Haitian children, with the goal to provide a learning center for children whose family cannot afford to send them to school. Destined for Grace’s mission is to get Haitian children off the streets and into classrooms, with the belief that education is their only ticket to a sustainable future. Jacky operates from the following premise rooted in the Bible: “To whom much is given, much is required”; he believes that grassroots organizations can be a critical force in the development of Haiti and other developing countries, and as such, they deserve our thorough vetting and our full support!