Calherbe Monel immigrated to the United States 29 years ago from Haiti.
Monel has an extensive record as a public servant. In 2006, he was elected Vice President of his local civic league. As Vice-President, he spearheaded social and business initiatives that supported local entrepreneurs and businesses. In 2009, he was appointed Director of the City of Virginia Beach Minority Business Council and became a member of the Virginia Beach Citizen Police Council. He has also served on the New York State Mid-Hudson Economic Council and the Mid-Hudson Workforce Development Taskforce and the Spring Valley Youth Bureau.
In 2013 Monel ran for Mayor for the Village of Spring Valley, New York. He later became Director of Economic Development, Director of Workforce Development, and Director of Tourism of Rockland County, New York. During his term in those
positions, he has successfully marketed and attracted new businesses into the county; including assisting in the launch of numerous startups. He was also able to secure millions of dollars of funding from the State and Federal government for the expansion of tourism activities, workforce development, and business growth. Prior to serving in that position, he worked as Vice-President of Business Development for LIIT, an International Information Technology company. He has served as Delegate for the New York NAACP and a former member of the Hampton Roads Urban League Guild.
He is very skillful at forging strategic relationships between government, private, and faith-based entities towards marketplace and entrepreneurship development. Monel is a former radio (WRKL-NY) and TV (Cablevision-NY) show host and producer of “The Monel Show” in New York.
In 2007, he founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of Christians United for Haiti (CUH), a US-based non-profit organization. CUH was founded to support education, implement sustainable programs, and empower the youth and women in Haiti.
In 2013, he launched, SciTechLife, now “NonProfit Startup Center.” His company focuses on assisting visionaries to launch and manage their nonprofits. One of the key success his company relies on are the strong working relationships and partnerships that he has maintained with local universities, faith-based organizations, business associations, and government agencies.
Monel received his Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Leadership and Management from Regent University and obtained a certificate from Norfolk State University’s Neighborhood Leadership and Development Program. He also received a certificate in Non-Profit Leadership and Management from Wisconsin-Madison University, a Certificate in Economic Development and he is also a Green Belt Lean Six Sigma and a graduate of the City of Virginia Beach Citizen Police Academy.
Monel has been featured in numerous local and national media outlets for his work in Haiti and his business acumen. He has been a guest speaker at several institutions, both in the United States and abroad, discussing the topics of entrepreneurship, innovation, and business. He has received numerous awards and recognitions for his leadership service. He is currently an associate member of the City of Virginia Beach Minority Business Council, The Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Board of Governors of the National Association of Nonprofit Organizations and Executives. He is a results-oriented individual, who lives by his motto “Find a way or make a way to make it happen.”
In 2009, he received his official ordination as a Reverend. He is married to Yanick and together they have two wonderful and smart children, Caleb and Shaneeya.