ServeHAITI Board of Directors

Kazushi Udagawa

Kazushi Udagawa

Interim Chairperson

Kazushi is a transformative tech leader in FinTech, based in NYC, driving global teams and fostering cross-cultural collaboration. Graduate of the Columbia Business School Executive MBA program…

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Kazushi has always been passionate about being a part of the global community and enjoys philanthropic works. He has many close Haitian friends, so it did not take long for him to connect with ServeHAITI. After the earthquake in Haiti, he attended a NY fundraiser organized by ServeHAITI, and visited Grand-Bois 2 months later, where he learned firsthand about the commitment and contribution of ServeHAITI to the people and the community of Grand-Bois.

His involvement in socially-driven activities focusing on education and children include Labdoo.org, MSTERIO.org, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of New York, and various local volunteer activities. He also served as core committee member of the Japan’s Earthquake and Tsunami annual memorial events TOGETHER FOR 3.11 for 10 years since 2012.

Kazushi has been working in FinTech companies and has contributed to many organizations especially in strategy, business operation, and project management areas. He also put his management skills to use while coordinating ServeHAITI’s NYC fundraisers in 2015 and 2017. Kazushi led a musical concert at Carnegie Hall in NYC in 2013 for physically and mentally challenged performers, which drew an audience of 2,000.

Kazushi grew up in Japan, Singapore, India, and Miami and now lives in New York City. He has traveled to more than 60 countries and loves playing soccer with people around the world. He has run 8 marathons since 2015 and is motivated to run in many other countries.

Gregory Amoroso

Gregory Amoroso

Treasurer

Greg graduated from Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 1986 with a BS in Finance. He currently works for Eversheds Sutherland in a consulting role with the Securities Litigation group, where he has worked since 2004…
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Greg took his first trip to Haiti with his oldest son in 2012. Both were struck by how much ServeHAITI does for the community of Grand-Bois and how much more there is to do. Greg has since worked to raise awareness of the needs in Grand-Bois through his parish and the greater Atlanta community. Meanwhile, his son has taken a leadership position with his parish at Marquette University which runs a twinning program with a parish in Mon Opital, Haiti. Greg has taken additional trips to Grand-Bois, including one with his other son, and enjoys being able to help and interact with the wonderful people of the area. His goal for his involvement with ServeHAITI is to, in some small way, help improve the lives of the people in Grand-Bois.
Luanne Smith

Luanne Smith

Secretary

Luanne is a graduate of the University of Dubuque. She went on to earn her Chartered Property
Casualty Underwriter professional designation, and is a Senior Workers’ Compensation Claim Adjuster with Encova Insurance…
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Luanne first heard about ServeHAITI from members of her community who were involved with the organization. In 2013 she was fortunate to travel to Haiti with a team led by Cindy Broders, a long time volunteer with ServeHAITI, where they worked on Restore our School projects. From that trip grew a passion to continue to work with ServeHAITI and support their goal of providing health and development opportunities for the residents of Grand-Bois. She returned to Haiti each year until 2020, and was able to share the experience several times with one of her daughters. She hopes to return to Haiti soon.

During her time in Grand-Bois, Luanne has worked to create a program where men from Grand-Bois were hired and taught how to build school desks and chalkboards for use at the area schools. Also important to her were the creation of feminine hygiene Girls’ Kits, which allowed girls to continue to attend school while they had their periods. Women from Grand-Bois were hired to sew reusable menstrual pads, which were then combined with underwear and some other small personal hygiene items in a fabric bag that could be taken to and from school.

She resides in DeWitt, Iowa and is an active member of First Congregational United Church of Christ. She has three grown daughters who are all married and live nearby, so she is blessed to be able to spend time with her five grandchildren. Luanne is a member of the DeWitt City Council, where she enjoys being able to give back to her community.

Peter Anderson

Peter Anderson

Board Member

Peter J Anderson is Of Counsel at the global law firm Eversheds Sutherland LP, where he has been a member for over 30 years…
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Peter’s specialty has been in defense of white collar securities matters, both criminal and civil throughout the US. Peter helped found ServeHAITI in 2000 and served as its initial Treasurer until 2013. In addition to his current board service with ServeHAITI, Peter is a member of the Board of Trustees of Dickinson College and the Penn State Dickinson Law Leadership Council, institutions from which he graduated in 1972 and 1975 respectively.

Peter resides in Atlanta and is married to his wife Sheila. They have three adult children and three grandsons. Peter has previously served as Chairman of the Board of The Paideia School, Chairman of CADEF which founded the Emory Autism Center on the Emory University campus, and Chairman/President of Midtown Assistance Center.

Sabine Apollon-Lopez

Sabine Apollon-Lopez

Board Member

Sabine is a native of Haiti and is currently a Senior Director with the Project & Development Services team at Cushman & Wakefield’s Atlanta. Sabine has more than 25 years of extensive background experience in corporations, institutions, private and public-sector clients…
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Sabine has a calling to support the community on humanitarian, diversity, and equity efforts. Sabine is involved in various causes for Haiti, her place of birth. Her mission is to directly assist the natives of Haiti in impoverished areas with jobs, health services, food, financial means and much more. Sabine joined the ServeHAITI Board in 2022. She is encouraged and inspired to be part of an organization providing health services and development for the natives of Grand-Bois, Haiti.

Additionally, Sabine started Sabine’s Hot Sauce, more than 15 years ago from the joy of cooking and her appreciation for her Haitian culture. Sabine’s Hot Sauce’s mission is to turn a longtime passion for home cooking into an opportunity to acquire and cultivate land throughout Haiti for climate-controlled greenhouses for her Hot Sauce recipe base. This would provide an opportunity for local farmers to become entrepreneurs, and a sustainable avenue to provide food and alleviate economic disparities.

Karen Chung

Karen Chung

Board Member

Karen completed a BS in Nursing at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia. After a few years of nursing ‘down under’, she returned to the US to continue her medical passion closer to home and family…
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Karen was first introduced to the amazing people of Haiti when she joined the Bayada Nurses for one month after the 2010 earthquake. This inaugural trip allowed her to see firsthand the importance of health and medicine in global wellbeing. This experience inspired her to ultimately attain her Masters in Nurse Practitioner degree from Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Visiting nearly every year since her first trip, Karen started a non-profit to give scholarships to children who win an annual art contest where they are tasked to draw and write their vision for the future of Haiti. She also provides academic scholarships to enable young individuals to attain a US based college degree.

In 2017, she met Kazushi through a common friend and attended his NYC fundraiser which inspired her to go with Cindy Broders to Grand-Bois in the Fall 2017. Her second trip with ServeHAITI was in 2019 where she made cycle beads and taught locals how to be more aware of their menstrual cycle. Since her 2019 trip, she has organized an annual SuperBowl pool fundraising event for ServeHAITI and is looking forward to traveling to Haiti again soon.

Karen believes in the strength and resilience of Haitians and is passionate about their empowerment to be a part of the Haiti they deserve which is echoed in the wonderful meaningful work of ServeHAITI.

Bernetta Jones

Bernetta Jones

Board Member

Bernetta currently works as a 5th grade teacher in the Atlanta metropolitan school district. She earned a master’s degree in Education from the University of Illinois, attained certifications in both Math Grades 4-8 and Gifted Education, and is in the process of gaining an endorsement in elementary and middle school mathematics…
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Bernetta served on the Haiti Committee at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church for over 10 years. Through the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas (PTPA), Lourdes partnered with Our Lady of Fatima in La Fossette, Haiti and five schools in the area. Along with her church members, Bernetta traveled to La Fossette on a trip in 2012 to connect with the community and to identify ways in which they could impact positive change. Her passion for the Haitian community inspired her to return to Haiti on a personal exploration to take a deeper dive in experiencing the treasures of the Haiti people and culture.

She believes that each child is a unique individual who needs a secure, nurturing, and stimulating atmosphere to grow and mature holistically- intellectually, physically, and socially. Bernetta’s goal as an educator is to help each student meet his or her fullest potential in these areas by providing a safe, encouraging, inviting, and stimulating environment. She envisions utilizing her expertise in the education realm to support Haitian children in evolving to become their ultimate selves.

Liz Kelly

Liz Kelly

Board Member

Liz is a Business Consultant and traveled to Grand-Bois, Haiti for the first time in 2016. She fell in love with the community and their partnership with ServeHAITI…
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Upon returning home, she found a way to stay involved by training to become the Trip Logistics Coordinator. In 2018 she took over this role from Liz McDermott and joined the board of directors in the same year.

Liz’s goal is to share the mission of ServeHAITI with as many people as possible to raise awareness, funds, and increase partnerships to further help us stand with the people of Grand-Bois for an improvement in their quality of life. She thrives on ‘the magic of the mountain.’

Dave Schumacher

Dave Schumacher

Board Member

Dave served as owner/operator of Schumacher Electric Co. in Davenport, Iowa from 1973 to 2005, and then worked with Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) of Iowa until 2015…
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Dave still maintains his Iowa electrical masters license and teaches continuing electrical education classes along with consulting work for several local contractors.

Dave made his first trip to Haiti in 2006, where he installed the first electrical service in the ServeHAITI Health Center in Grand-Bois. Since then, Dave has made many trips to the area to upgrade the electrical system in the Health Center to accommodate the growing needs of the facility, along with being available while not in Haiti to help restore and repair any electrical issues they have. Dave has also rewired the church in San Pierre along with several schools in the area.

Dave served in the United States Air Force from 1966 to 1969, where he got his start in the electrical trade. After the Air Force, Dave completed an apprenticeship in Colorado Springs where he met his wife, Jan. From 1993 to 2014 Dave served on one of twenty technical committees writing the National Electric Code. Dave is a member of the parish council at St Joseph’s church in DeWitt, IA and is a 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus.