President
Dr. Merville is a social entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in organizational leadership and management. He was among the first group of students to graduate from the American University of the Caribbean, formerly American University of Les Cayes in 1991. He later obtained an MS in Public Policy from Norwich University, an MA in Teaching from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, and most recently a doctoral degree from Northeastern University in Massachusetts with a focus on Organizational Leadership and Communication. Dr. Merville is Co-Founder and current Executive Director of the Center for Immigrant Development, Inc., a Justice Department recognized and accredited 501 © (3) organization specialized in legal immigration counseling.
Treasurer
Dr. Davis is an Ecologist and Ecological Restoration Specialist with a forty-year career in professional consulting. He obtained his PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Rhode Island with a research emphasis in marine ecosystems, also receiving Masters Degrees in Zoology and Environmental Policy. He maintains professional certifications as a Professional Wetland Scientist, Certified Professional Soil Scientist and Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner which are central to his practice and experience with wetland and aquatic resources, ecological restoration, soil science, water quality, mitigation design and permitting. At GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc., based in Massachusetts, Dr. Davis was Principal of Ecological Services 2009-2019 and Technical Practice Lead for natural resource and ecological services, networking and helping to develop the skills of over 60 professional scientists. Over the course of his career, he managed and implemented numerous large-scale interdisciplinary projects encompassing a wide diversity of wetland and aquatic resource affected projects, and their permitting processes at the local, state and federal levels; including highway, rail, airport, utility, retail development, facility construction, recreation, natural resource management, and site remediation projects. He has served as an expert witness in numerous judicial, arbitration, and regulatory enforcement cases. He is active with the Society of Ecological Restoration (SER) since 2017 and has served on the board of certification, reviewing new applicants for certification. He helped develop several teaching modules for the 2020 SER Principles and Standards for Ecological Restoration. He has authored >60 professional publications and presentations over the course of his career.
Member
Julienne Smrcka M.A., LPCC, was the former Executive Director of the New Mexico Children’s Cabinet, chaired by Lt. Governor Diane Denish; as a director, she coordinated 16 state cabinet secretaries in examining and identifying services for children. In the state of New Mexico. As part of her role, she has the breadth of understanding the current trends in children’s services at the national level. She was a member of the Elev8 advisory committee, a statewide middle school initiative that integrated health, out-of-school educational opportunities, and family support services for five schools funded by the Atlantic Philanthropy. She advised the establishment of comprehensive medical and dental clinics in the school setting and integrating the other services for a highly successful program for these communities. She also was appointed under Governor Martinez as a member of the Medicaid Advisory Committee, where she advocated for Medicaid enrollment in the schools. She spent an extended period providing mental health services in tribal schools in New Mexico and understands the need for innovation in delivering health education for youth. She received her master’s degree in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology and her bachelor’s of science in natural science from the University of Albuquerque.
Member
Dr. Kenneth A. Mundt is a career epidemiologist with professional interest and experience in applying epidemiological concepts and methods to understand human health risks from environmental, occupational and consumer product exposures. He currently is Senior Principal Health Scientist and ChemRIsk Fellow at Cardno ChemRisk. Dr. Mundt holds an MS and PhD in Epidemiology, and serves as Adjunct Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Massachusetts and in the Departments of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at the University of South Carolina.
In addition to being a member of the Board of the AUC, Dr. Mundt serves on the Boards of Directors of Opportunities for Communities, Inc. and Alliance for Global Health Innovation (both 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations). He is co-founder of and Associate Director for Institutional Engagement of the University of Massachusetts Institute for Global Health.
Member
Doug Alberston, President of Opportunities for Communities, Inc., Amherst Mass. Peace Corps in Papua New Guinea, Master’s in Urban Planning, U. Washington, Town Planner in Belchertown, Mass.
Member
Ludger Jean Simon Holds an MS in Agricultural Diversification with a concentration in fruit and vegetable production, and a BS in Agronomy. He has more than 25 years of experience in agricultural development, teaching and research in Haiti. He has managed and led integrated agricultural programs which have focused on a range of crop and livestock production systems, including coffee, cacao, mango, papaya, bananas, rice, corn, beans, vegetables, as well as key cross-cutting issues such as climate change, soil fertility management, seed systems, weeds, pests, and diseases. In addition to his extensive field experience, Jean Simon brings both an understanding of the practical opportunities and constraints in smallholder agriculture in Haiti as well as familiarity with evidence-based approaches to improving agricultural production and engaging with markets. Through progressively senior management and technical leadership positions, he has demonstrated ability to lead program teams, engage key stakeholders, and deliver relevant services to smallholder farmers. His current position at AUC is Director of Research and Development. He also teaches Agronomy and Experimental Design.
Member
Dr. Touloute holds a B.S in Agronomy and a B.A in English Literature from the University of the Caribbean (AUC). He later graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne (CTSFW), Indiana with a master’s degree in Religious Studies and a Ph.D.in Missiology. Currently, he is the President of the Southern District of the Eglise Evangelique Lutherienne d’Haiti (EELH) and Provost of the American University of the Caribbean.