Board of Directors

Angelucci Manigat, Jr.

Manigat is a journalist, poet, community activist, labor organizer, educator, entrepreneur and interpreter who started his writing career as a teenager in 1982 with the monthly magazine Gindol, under the mentorship of Emile Celestin-Megie (Togiram) – one of the leading Haitian scholars who contributed to the advancement of Haitian Creole.

In the mid- 80’s, he joined the iconic weekly Le Petit Samedi Soir as a staff writer, maintained his own columns for two Haitian dailies, Le Matin and Panorama. In 2006, he saw a need in the community for a resource for Haitians in CT and founded a free print newspaper Connecticut Haitian Voice, which later became The Haitian Voice. Manigat is also an accomplished creative author in publishing three collections of poetry entitled Fiel-Miel, Mémoire du petit Chien d’à côté and 20 ans de poésie.

Manigat is a co-founder and the executive director of UNESCO Center for Global Friendship, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to providing library materials to under-developed countries, and helping develop free cultural programs such as book fairs, lectures, cultural festivals and art exhibits for U.S.-based libraries. He is also an executive board member of Sosyete Koukouy’s Central Committee (a think tank organization committed to creating awareness about Haitian Culture). Manigat has served on the executive board of Southwestern Connecticut Agency on Aging, and has coordinated the Annual Haitian Book Festival of Connecticut for 17 years (2000-2016), on behalf of the Haitian American Professionals Association of CT, Inc. (HAPAC).

Manigat has offered his professional services to several labor organizations including Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union, AFL-CIO, New England Healthcare Employees Union and New York State Nurses Association. A dedicated educator, he taught technical writing for the University of Connecticut-Stamford Campus, and French for Berlitz Language & Learning Cultural Training Company.

He has recently received several awards and special distinctions from organizations and institutions such as National Council of Negro Women, Inc.; Society for Haitian Research, Inc.; the Office of Congressman Joe Courtney; the office of Michael E. Passero, Mayor of the City of New London, CT; the office of Tomas Regalado, Mayor of the City of Miami, Florida, and the office of Mathieu Eugene, New York City Council Member.

A member of the American Translators Association (ATA), Manigat is fluent in English, Haitian Creole, French and Spanish. He lives in Connecticut with his family.

Damicia Manigat

Damicia Manigat earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She was inducted into the Honor Society of Nursing Sigma Theta Tau International. She holds a management position at a Connecticut skilled facility. Manigat is an active member of First Baptist Church of Stratford and the Haitian Women Association of Connecticut, Inc. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and daughter.

Johnny Tranquille

Johnny Tranquille is an Application Analyst for the Office of Children and Family Services in New York.

Tranquille holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from York College (CUNY). Prior to his current position, he worked as Director of Operations for the NY division of Sea Specialties Inc. He has in the past worked in the non-profit sector as well. He contributed to the Haitian Red Cross as a first-aid instructor and co-founded the first UNESCO club in Haiti.

Sabine Januski

Sabine Januski is a seventh grade Language Arts teacher at Thurgood Marshall Magnet Middle School at Six to Six Magnet School in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
In the spring of 2004 Januski earned a Bachelor’s of Science in English at Sacred Heart University. She went on to earn a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Sacred Heart University in the spring of 2005.
A seasoned volunteer, she has been collaborating for more than 10 years with The Haitian Voice, a free trilingual newspaper. She has also been very instrumental in the development of the youth programs of the Haitian-American Community Center, Inc.
Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, she has lived in Connecticut nearly all of her life. She enjoys spending quality time with her daughter and husband. In her spare time, she loves reading and writing.