By Lorenzo W. Snelling, Special to Le Floridien
Four local Haitian-Americans were recently honored for making history in their respective fields in law enforcement, engineering and healthcare.
The Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce of Florida celebrated the milestones of North Miami’s first female Haitian-American Police Chief Cherise G. Gause, Bay Harbor Island’s first Haitian Police Chief Lindsley Noel, Dr. Marie O. Etienne, the first Black woman and Haitian-American President of the Florida Nurses Association and Ronald Malherbe Colas, the first Haitian-American President of the Florida Engineering Society.
The four took center stage at the chamber’s first Mix and Mingle at the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami (MOCA) on January 18, when more than 80 people turned out to celebrate “the community champions.”
The event also was an opportunity for local officials, business owners and the community to network in the courtyard while enjoying food and drinks and view some of the best artwork inside the museum.
Gause previously made history as the first Haitian-American assistant police chief for the City of Miami in the department’s history.
In July, she was appointed the new police chief for the North Miami Police Department, overseeing over 100 sworn officers and personnel staff to serve the 10-square mile city with a population of 60,000.
Her law enforcement career spans 30 years, rising through the ranks first as a dispatcher, patrol officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, major and assistant chief, all with the City of Miami.
But Gause said leading the North Miami Police Department is her greatest feat and ensures the community her officers are working diligently to fight crime but at the same time offer community policing.
“This is a personal achievement for me.. it means a lot,” Gause said. “I am honored to serve the community as a police officer and you have my full commitment.”
Noel was appointed Bay Harbor Island police chief in September and after serving as deputy police chief for several years.
Noel, who lives in North Miami, started his law enforcement career with the police department in 2006 and rose through the ranks, as a patrol officer, detective, sergeant patrol, lieutenant, captain, deputy chief and police chief.
Noel said one of his proudest career achievements came when he assisted the Bay Harbor Islands Police Department in receiving its first Florida Commission for Law Enforcement Accreditation in 2016 and reaccreditation in 2019 and 2022.
He has worked closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Secret Service, United States Marshals, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) in solving crimes throughout Miami Dade County.
He has been the recipient of numerous accolades, including the Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s “MADD’s Top Cop” award, Bay Harbor Islands Police Officer of the Year Award for 2007 and 2013 and the 2015 Miami-Dade “LEO” Award for Investigative Excellence.
“It’s an honor to be recognized,” Noel said. “I want to thank the community for its support in believing in me to be chief of the Bay Harbor Island Police Department.”
Noel was also recognized during the event by the Town of Bay Harbor Islands.
Bay Harbor Islands Council member Teri D’ Amico and Town Manager Maria Lasday honored Noel on behalf of the town, calling him “our champion.”
“He has the qualities to lead the police department and the respect of his law enforcement peers and the town,” she said. “His qualities propelled him forward to the position of police chief to lead a strong police department and I speak for council members for Bay Harbor Islands when I say he is our champion.”
Colas is the Jacobs Vice President and Transportation Market Director for the Southeast US, which includes Latin America and the Caribbean and became the first Haitian-American President of the Florida Engineering Society, an organization supporting engineers and the profession in the state.
Colas brings three decades of experience at the forefront of transportation infrastructure, focusing on markets from aviation, highways and bridges, ports and marine, and rail and transit.
Colas is currently part of a team of engineers overseeing the Transportation Clients and Owners throughout Florida and the Southeast U.S. to advance their transportation solutions to become more innovative, connected, equitable, cost-effective, and safe.
Colas credits his father who was also an engineer and in attendance for reaching the pinnacle of his career.
“His support and inspiration allowed me to climb to this position,” Colas said. “I am honored and humbled to be honored and I thank the community for this recognition.
Colas said his vision as president of the Florida Engineering Society is to get more young people involved in the transportation engineering profession which is evolving with electric cars and other transportation projects designed for the future.
“The challenge I face is getting our young geniuses in the profession,” he said. “They are the future as Florida is No. 10 in the global economy in the world.”
Colas is a registered professional engineer in Florida, California, other US states, and the Caribbean.
In 2021, he was inducted into the Academy of Civil Engineers of the Missouri Science & Technology University.
Etienne leads a union that represents 326,669 registered nurses throughout the state of Florida including nine chapters of Haitian-American nurses.
Etienne, who has been a registered nurse for 29 years and is a professor at Miami Dade College Medical Campus, BenjamÃn León School of Nursing, now oversees all FNA regions and represents nurses of all specialties when addressing issues in Tallahassee.
Etienne began her nursing career in the 1990s.
She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from University of Miami and was certified professional legal nurse consultant.
Etienne returned to her home country in Haiti as a volunteer with Project Medishare during the post-earthquake in 2010, and coordinated medical missions to the Dominican Republic.
“Everyone knows nurses are the backbone to healthcare,” she said. “If there are no nurses, there is no healthcare.”
Etienne said it was an honor to share the night with her husband and the community.
“You have to have the power, dignity, ethics and core values of where you come from,” she said. “It all will pay off.”
Chamber Chairman Prinston-Jean Glaude said the organization launched the Mix and Mingle event to recognize Haitian Americans who made an impact on the community.
“They inspire people to reach not only the moon but the stars,” he said.
Photo credit: Facebook.com/Rachel Tourgeman
