New Board Leadership at the What If Foundation

For the last five years I have had the privilege of serving as Chair of the Board of Directors at the
What If Foundation. Working closely with our partners in Haiti in the face of unimaginable challenges and witnessing their ingenuity, indomitable spirit, and deep love for their community has filled my heart with admiration and hope. Equally, it has been my honor to work with our donors and supporters and see their generosity and compassion in action, without which none of the lifesaving work we support could be possible.

Haiti will forever be in my heart and heritage, however, as my family relocates abroad, I am stepping down as Chair and welcoming our Vice President of the Board, Adam Michael Royston, as the new Board Chair and Sophis Dorsainvil as our new Vice President of the Board. I couldn’t speak more highly of both Adam Michael and Sophis, and I’m deeply grateful to them for leading the organization in this new chapter.

Thank you for your generous support and your enduring compassion towards the children and families in Haiti. Please read a message from our Board Chair, Adam Michael, below.

Catherine Lelong

I am honored to take on the role of Board Chair of the What If Foundation and I am grateful to Catherine for her leadership, vision, and dedication to our mission, the organization, and our Haitian partners.

Over the last 8 years Catherine has not only served as a dedicated Board member and Board Chair but has also been our Interim Executive Director through the organization’s leadership transitions. She helped set What If for growth, expanded and diversified our Board, and led the development of our website, brand identity, communications, operations, and strategic planning. Moreover, Catherine has created lifelong relationships with the community in Ti Plaz Kaso, our donors, and the WIF team and she will be sorely missed. Fortunately, she will remain as Board Emeritus and continue to provide advisory support as needed.

Catherine and I have been working closely these last few months to ensure a smooth transition and I am thrilled to be leading the Board with Sophis as our Vice President, laying the groundwork for growth in the years ahead.

A little bit about me. My family is from New Orleans and French Cajun, which awakened in me a deep interest and affinity with the French Caribbean cultures, and particularly Haiti, from an early age. When I travelled to Port-au-Prince right after the 2010 earthquake, I felt an immediate connection to the Haitian people and culture and quickly knew that supporting community organizations was what I wanted to focus my efforts on. My career in international community development and fundraising has taken me across Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the United States, collaborating with local leaders, often under complex conflict settings, to create change from the ground up.

When I first crossed paths with the What If Foundation, I was immediately drawn to its mission and exceptional grassroots partnership model, which I’ve witnessed many times over as the most powerful vehicle for positive change. I am grateful and excited to serve as the new Board Chair as we continue to support critically needed programs in Haiti. Each of you are the reason why we exist and can continue to fund these programs. This is not a responsibility I take lightly and I appreciate the trust you put in me and the organization in supporting the people of Haiti.

Please feel free to reach me directly at adammichael@whatiffoundation.org should you have
any questions or just to say hello.  I look forward to hearing from you.

With appreciation and hope,

Adam-Michael Royston
Board Chair
What If Foundation