Haiti Companions Board of Directors

Therese FranzEn president and board chair

Terry, a retired Atlanta lawyer, who now lives in the mountains of north Georgia, has travelled to Haiti many times since her first trip in 2007. Terry co-founded Haiti Companions with Dr. Pizey to address the lack of healthcare in the Gressier region, where their respective churches supported schools through the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti. Terry chaired the Haiti Committee at her church at that time. Since moving to the mountains, Terry has continued her passion for outreach through her church and in her new community. She serves on the Board of Habitat for Humanity - Pickens County and on the Pickens County Board of Elections and Registration. When Americans worked in our clinics, she organized and served as the team lead in the pharmacy.

CYNTHIA MILLER SECRETARY

Cynthia is a registered nurse and licensed acupuncturist with a longtime interest in global public health. She currently works in Minneapolis as a clinical research nurse. Cynthia first joined Haiti Companions as a triage nurse in 2012 and has been supporting the mobile clinics ever since. Her source of inspiration, quoting an Aboriginal activist: “If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”

Jennifer Anderson treasurer

Jennifer is a CPA in Edina MN.  She is the owner of a thriving tax practice in Edina, MN. In her off-time she enjoys cross-stitching and other crafting, her creative outlet. She has followed the work of Haiti Companions since the beginning and agreed to take over the Treasurer position in September 2024

Dianne pizey, md Medical Advisor

Dianne is a retired pediatrician in Minneapolis, MN.  She first traveled to Haiti in 2006, to find a parish partner for her church community, St John's in Minneapolis. During that visit, she visited a nutrition clinic in the mountains above Port au Prince, and she felt a calling to provide medical care to the underserved population in Haiti. She was fortunate to meet many mentors along the way, and in 2008 felt ready to start organizing clinics for her partner community. She was thrilled to hand this responsibility over to her very competent Haitian colleagues. Dianne is a great admirer of Paul Farmer and fully embraces his assertion that Jesus had a "preferential option for the poor" and that following him means spending our lives trying to address the inequities in the systems of the world.

Richard a Smith, Dds Dental AdvIsor

Before retirement, Richard was a general dentist in Atlanta, GA. for over four decades, where he dedicated his practice to general dentistry with a focus on treating complex restorative cases often involving aesthetic and implant dentistry.

He served as president of the Georgia Dental Association, vice-president of the American Dental Association and served on the World Council of the International College of Dentists.

Throughout his dental career, Dr. Smith has received numerous awards, including the Georgia Dental Association’s Award of Merit, the Hinman Dental Society Gold Medallion and the Greater Atlanta Dentist of the Year Award.

Richard was one of the founding members of the Georgia Mission of Mercy (GMOM)and a chief fundraiser. Utilizing over 1,400 volunteers each day, GMOM set up temporary clinics in Georgia between 2011 in 2018 and treated over 1000 patients each day from the underserved community.

Richard is an active member of The Episcopal Church of the Holy Family in Jasper, Georgia, where he continues to serve in multiple capacities. He particularly enjoys the ministry to those in assisted living facilities, who are sick, aged, or lonely.

Maria de sosa, lpn

Maria De Sosa is currently an LPN in Minnesota. She has lived and worked in Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic. Fluent in both Haitian Creole and Spanish, she is passionate about Haiti, health care and social justice. Maria is also a mother and a student pursuing higher nursing degrees. She brings her language, healthcare and non profit organization knowledge to Haiti Companions.

Sara SIMEUNOVIC

Sara Simeunovic is a Political Scientist with expertise in Human Rights and Security Studies. She has worked in Latin America and the Caribbean since 1995 to build leadership capacity, economic opportunities, and strong healthcare outcomes in vulnerable communities. With more than a decade of experience in the private sector, Sara believes in the potential of both private and public sectors to solve complex social justice concerns; what’s often lacking is quality data and indigenous knowledge to guide their strategies. While working in rural Haiti for 5 years, Sara developed a deep understanding of Haitian civic union groups, the human security crisis, and barriers towards capacity building within Haiti’s informal sector. It was here she piloted maternal health and economic investment programs by focusing on gender-targeted priorities to strengthen healthcare outcomes between public and private clinics. Sara’s research focuses on strengthening rural female democratic agency. In addition, Sara has served as an electoral observer through the OAS, is an active member of APSA’s Human Rights and Capacity Building committees and is a mentor to Haitians seeking leadership development. Sara holds an MA in Political Science from Virginia Polytechnic University and also carries further certification in Human Security and Protection. She currently works at QQRC as a Research Analyst and also with MG Global as the VP for Global Procurement. 

Clinic Staff

GAMANIEL PIERRE, MD clinic adminIstrator

     Dr Gamaniel Pierre joined Haiti Companions as our new Clinic Administrator in January, 2024. Dr Pierre was born and raised in Léogane.  He attended Juvénat Collège Sacré Coeur for high school and attended medical school at the State University of Haïti, where he obtained the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He completed a hospital residency in internal medicine at the Hospital of the State University of Haïti from 2015 to 2018. He has worked as a Doctor of Internal Medicine at Food for the Poor Hospital in Carrefour, Camejo hospital in Léogane and currently in the Sanatorium Hospital and in his own private clinic. Dr Pierre lives in Léogane with his wife Marie Zula Edouard Pierre, a licenced nurse. They have two daughters , Naliah Elisabeth Pierre and Emma Gabriella Pierre. Dr Pierre says, “I love my country and will do my best day after day to help Haitian people to have better healthcare.”

Horldine fabiola rejouis, rn, fnp

Horldine Fabiola Rejouis was born in La Gonâve, Haiti’s largest island. She received her Bachelor of Nursing degree from FSIL in October, 2012. She began working as a nurse in 2013. In October,  2017 she graduated as a Family Nurse Practitioner from FSIL. She believes in helping others and in health education.

FENISE Etienne, rn

Fenise was born and raised in a Christian family of six, in the commune of Bainet in South East Haiti. She is currently raising a young daughter. She decided to become a nurse so that she could serve her country and community. She studied at the FSIL School of Nursing in Leogane for four years, and has a Bachelor of Nursing degree. Besides Haiti Companions, Fenise has worked for Save the Children and Johanniter International.

Dina Badette, RN

Dina Badette was born and grew up in Cavaillon, in the southern department of Haiti. She was born on January 10,1990, into a Catholic family. She began studying nursing at FSIL in September, 2012  and graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing degree in 2016. Now she lives in Leogane with her husband,  Dr Danache Thermozier and their two children.

Marie Zula Edouard, RN

Marie Zula Edouard was born and grew up in Leogane in a Christian family. She studied nursing in Port-au-Prince at the INUROP (Rosette Poletti Nursing Institute) where she received her Bachelor of Nursing degree in 2014. She lives in Leogane with her husband, Dr Gamaniel Pierre, and their two daughters. Besides her work with Haiti Companions, she also works at CMI, a maternity hospital in Leogane, where she is in charge of the operating room.

Claudine Cadio, RN/Eye specialist

Claudine Cadio graduated from FSIL School of Nursing with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in December 2010. She has worked for International Medical Corps as a nurse in charge of a cholera treatment center in Cavaillon, and then for Johanniter International as a trainer in Disaster Management/First Aid. After 6 months she became a supervisor of this program at the level of the communal sections of Leogane, as well as other districts. In 2015, Claudine completed advanced training at the ORLO Clinic in Port au Prince, giving her the qualification of a Nurse in Orthonolaryngology (ear, nose, throat and eye care). Since receiving this certification, she has been working for FSIL as an instructor in several subjects, as well as being responsible for mobile eye clinics. At the same time, she is working on her master’s degree in nursing education. Claudine began working for Haiti Companions as an eye specialist in March, 2024. She performs eye exams and treatment at each clinic site every three months.

EMMANUEL BASTIEN dentist

Emmanuel was born and raised in St.Michel de Latalay, where he graduated from Charlemagne Peralte High School. He studied at Centre de Formation Paramedical in Port au Prince. Emmanuel currently lives in Leogane, where he has his own private dental clinic, as well as working with three medical organizations in Archahaie, Lazile and Les Anglais. He also works once or twice a year with six different US medical groups, one of which is Haiti Companions. Although trained as a dental assistant, he has received additional training from visiting American dentists and has become proficient at many dental procedures. He treats dental patients at each of Haiti Companions’ clinic sites every three months.