Fendy Mesy is currently the Communications Specialist at USAID/HIFIVE, a USAID/Haiti project that empowers Haitians by providing access to innovative financial products and services. Fendy – a proud daughter of two Haitian immigrants and fluent in Haitian Creole and proficient in French and Spanish – has decided to permanently reside in Haiti after living in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area for over 25 years. A marketing and PR professional with extensive experience in a myriad of dynamic corporate communications/publicity/integrated marketing positions, Fendy has held positions with several top entertainment companies, law firms, non-profit organizations and an academic institution. Prior to USAID/HIFIVE, Fendy was an associate at Burson-Marsteller, a leading global public relations and communications firm where she serviced a wealth of high-level crisis accounts and Fortune 500 clients. Past accounts have included: Coca-Cola, the Nuclear Energy Institute, Shell Corporation, the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission, Peace Corps, Microsoft, GlaxoSmithKline, Bayer and the Government of Kazakhstan. Constantly referred to as a passionate Haiti advocate and promoter, Fendy is dedicated to helping re-shape the perception and image of Haiti. She received her degree in Communications from Bowie State University where she frequented the Dean’s list and was awarded for her dedication to the public relations profession and entrepreneurial spirit. Fendy is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Tahina Vatel was born in Brooklyn, NY but was raised in Haiti. She moved back the United States to her dismay in 2004 when political instability made it dangerous for her and her family to continue to reside in Haiti. From the day her family evacuated, she vowed to dedicate her career to Haiti. Tahina is a graduating senior at Amherst College. Next, she plans to attend law school. She is majoring in French and Black Studies with a focus in the Caribbean. She studied abroad in Trinidad and Tobago and in France, and she has held intern positions at the Clinton Foundation and the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, among others. Tahina also has a background in filmmaking: two documentaries she produced have won awards including one from the Tribecca Film Festival. She is currently part of a film on Haiti and the 2010 earthquake. She is fluent in English, Haitian Creole and French. In 2011, Tahina returned to Haiti for the first time since she left. She was a co-director of a summer art camp in Bayonnais, Gonaïve. She hopes to return to Haiti next summer as she is nominated for the 100 Projects for Peace fellowship and is awaiting confirmation of finalists.
Nedgie Vixamar is currently a student at Université Laval where she is working towards an MBA in International Business with a specialization in International Marketing. Nedgie majored in Business Administration at the Université Quisqueya in Haiti. She has extensive experience in business plan development, especially in the Haitian craft market, and also in marketing. Nedgie is currently researching “place-branding” for her thesis. She has three years of professional experience working in NGOs in Haiti, and now is a board member of the Association des Étudiants Antillais de l’Université Laval. She speaks French, English, Creole and some Spanish.
