Gepsie Morisset-Metellus is co-founder and Executive Director of the Haitian Neighborhood Center Sant La. This award-winning neighborhood resource center serves as a lifeline for the Haitian immigrant population of South Florida.
Her community involvement spans over two decades. She currently serves on the Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent’s Business Advisory Council and the Miami-Dade School Bond Oversight Committee. She is an active member of the Miami Chapter of the International Women’s Forum and the Greater Miami Chapter of the Links Inc. and the Haitian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida.
In addition to hosting a weekly talk-show targeting the Haitian community South Florida, Gepsie is a frequent national media commentator about the issues that impact the Haitian community. She has also authored several articles, white papers and publications about the Haitian experience such as The Haitian Presence in the United States; Haitians: Their History and Culture; The Long Journey of South Florida’s Haitian Community and The Magic of Little Haiti.
Her many awards from local, state and national organizations include recognition of her exemplary leadership, community service, and her advocacy on important community issues. Some of these include: Women of Impact, In the Company of Women, Miami ICON, Outstanding Americans by Choice, MCCJ Humanitarian, M. Athalie Range Miami Pioneer and Florida International University’s Kal Kovens Distinguished Community Service Medal.
Ms. Metellus is multilingual and has a multicultural perspective shaped by her extensive travel to Europe, Asia, The Middle East and the Caribbean. She’s an alumna of the Rockefeller Foundation’s prestigious fellowship, Next Generation Leaders and of Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management. Gepsie’s motto is “Provide the leadership to get things done!
Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Gepsie M. Metellus migrated to the United States at the age of twelve. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in French/Romance Languages from Queens College, New York; a Master of Science in Modern Language Education from Florida International University and a Post Masters Certificate in Education Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. In 2004, she was conferred an honorary doctorate for community service by the Université Jean Price Mars in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
She and her husband Gerard Metellus reside in Miami and have no children.