NORTH MIAMI , Fl – A number of Haitian businessmen were recently recognized with a “Certificate of Appreciation” by Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jean Monestime, District 2, for their work in South Florida’s Haitian community.
The event (Commissioner Monestime’s Business Breakfast) was held Friday morning (October 5) at the newly renovated Moca Café & Lounge in North Miami.
More than ten people were honored for their outstanding service whose actions have gone consistently ‘above and beyond’ in helping the Haitian community moving forward.
“They have taken initiative to address needs in the community. They have impacted our community in a significant way through their respective field. They are considered influencers that have shaped the community. We can count on them as some of the best human resources we have to keep our community moving forward,” said Commissioner Monestime.
Addressing the audience of about 100, Commissioner Monestime said, “In this room are so many people who have done so in their chosen occupations, like these honorees. It is very important to encourage businesses to get involved in our community.”
“These honorees have been doing some good works for the past many years. They have contributed significantly to the South Florida Haitian’s Community. It is a great privilege for me to honor them for the good work they do around,” Monestime added.
Carmelau Monestime, former host of the South Florida’s first Creole-language radio show that first aired in late 1970’s, “EXPRESS PUBLICITE,” Dessalines Ferdinand, Publisher and Chief editor of the semi-monthly newspaper “LE FLORIDIEN,” Dr. Alphonse Dufresny, Dr. Daniel Cedent, Justin Manuel (Real Estate Agent), Jean Coty Ridore (Educator), Pastor Enock Milien, and Jean Bien Aime Samuel (owner of Samuel’s Flowers) were among the personalities honored by the commissioner.
Commissioner Monestime salutes all the accomplished honorees. For him, this group of individuals deserves its own moment in the spotlight.
The attendees had the opportunity to share a special breakfast with the commissioner at the event, which started at 8 am, ended around 10 am. Those local businessmen were thrilled to be honored by the first Haitian-American elected to the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners.
“This is the first time in my 12 years of publishing “Le Floridien” – FREE OF CHARGE – in the Haitian community, that finally someone has recognized the hard work I have been doing, in a community where unfortunately professional journalists, who are not ready to serve the interest of a particular group of people in order to receive public’s appreciation, are not too appreciated for their impartial principles,” said publisher Dessalines Ferdinand, who thanked the commissioner for doing things differently from other Haitian-Americans elected officials and “so-called community leaders.”
In the past (June 2012), Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jean Monestime, District 2, had honored a group of pioneering Haitian-American for their work in the advancement and promotion of Haitian arts and culture through music, including musicians Dadou Pasquet, Arly Larivière, Bemol Telfort, Richard “Richie” Jean Herard, Gazman Couleur, Farah Juste.
Le Floridien
Thanks, it’s quite informative