Our Team
Meet Our Founders
In 2013, Ismail and Bethany met for the first time as they served together in Haiti. Originally from Northern Haiti, Ismail’s vision has always been to help the people of Haiti discover their gifts and pour them back into the community. After her first visit, Bethany’s life was changed from the children and people she met. She felt led to continue the work in Haiti by assisting Ismail with his vision. As they worked together to build Dream Haiti, God confirmed that he brought them together for a bigger purpose: to carry out the vision as one. On March 12th, 2016, Ismail and Bethany married in Buffalo, NY.
Bethany has earned her degree in Inclusive Childhood Education at Houghton College. She has taught ESL and worked within the nonprofit sector for over five years. Music is one of her passions and can be seen in her involvement both within and outside the walls of the church. She is a singer-songwriter from Buffalo, NY and has led worship since the age of 15 in various churches within the Buffalo area.
Ismail has worked and volunteered with various organizations and churches in Haiti since 2003. He studied at Fisher’s of Men Seminary in Haiti and has taken coursework in Business Admin. One of his dreams is to lead conferences to teach and inspire people to live an effective and full life. He has participated in various conferences on leadership development and has used his knowledge to build up leaders in Haiti. Ismail and Bethany are committed to embodying the heart of God as they work to empower the people of Haiti and serve wherever needed.
Meet Our Team
Ismail Succes Jean Baptiste, Executive Director
Bethany Succes Jean Baptiste, Assistant Executive Director
Tyresias Jean Gardy, Community Leader
Alberte Toussaint, Community Leader
Meet Our School Staff
Board of Directors
Allison R. Garvey, Board Chair & Director of Marketing/ Fundraising
Allison serves as both the Board Chair and Director of Development for Dream Haiti. Her background includes 20+ years as a healthcare professional in elder/senior/long-term care, academia, as well as public health. Additionally, she has a master’s degree in Health Services Administration. Allison is passionate about serving Haiti and the growing ministry of Dream Haiti. She looks forward to changing the lives of generations of Haitians through education, leadership training, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Allen H. Chan, Treasurer
Allen Chan graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science. He specializes in stainless steel refining: co-authoring a chapter in the reference book “The Making, Shaping, and Treating of Steel (Volume 2)”; lecturing on the topic at industry seminars; and starting up processes in 10 countries. He has served on the boards of the North Suburban Symphonic Band (Pittsburgh, PA), Smith Valley Baptist Church (Greenwood, IN), Bethel Baptist Church (Getzville, NY), and theWell Buffalo (Getzville, NY). Allen joined the board of Dream Haiti, Inc. in January 2017 and continues to serve faithfully as the treasurer.
Courtney Nussbaumer, Director of Ministry and Programming
Courtney graduated from Macalester College with a Bachelors of Arts degree. She later received her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison, Wisconsin, where she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Wisconsin International Law Journal. Before practicing law, Courtney lived in Chile where she taught English to students of all ages. She currently works as an attorney advisor for the Executive Office of Immigration Review, an office of the Department of Justice. She has a heart for immigrants, refugees, and all things international. She serves at two churches in the Buffalo area and attempts to reflect the light and love of Christ in faithful stewardship and service.
John Houseknecht, Director