Jean Paul, He, Him pronouns. I am committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging professional. I was born in the island of Haiti and relocated to the US as a teenager. He is a proud husband, father of two, community leader and doggy dad. Outside of work, you can find him playing with his children, tending to his garden, bird watching and taking long walks with his dog Onyx.

To be honest, I don't always know the answer to this question. Statistically, I am not supposed to be here. While I am here, I hope to utilize my lived experience as an immigrant, and black man to help our state government be more equitable in policies, processes, and practices. I hope to serve and contribute to the solutions that will bring better futures for underrepresented people.  Maybe the work that I do here will expand beyond the state of Washington; bringing change that I would have never imagined.

My role in the Office is to cultivate ideas and bring them to fruition. I am fortunate to work with a group of talented individuals with similar visions towards equity for all. Through our team dynamic, we have achieved much in a small period; all of us bringing our talents and authentic selves to this work. My superpower is my ability to connect and build relationships with diverse groups of people. I can share and use their lived experiences to develop initiatives they can truly benefit from.

I commit to showing up. Regardless of the adversity we face doing this work, I will not forget why I am doing this work. I will know I am successful because commitment with action yields astounding results. My work is relational, making it very hard to scale. I do not find relationship building to be quantifiable; it is felt with compassion and empathy.  Undoing oppression has been a societal feat for centuries. I cannot do it alone nor in a short period of time. I believe it is about doing my work consistently, tearing down one brick at a time.

My vision is to look at STEM fields and see a range of individuals excelling, creating, and using their own lived experiences to create technology that everyone can benefit from. This ensures no one is left behind or left out to participate in the evolution of society. To achieve this vison, we must invest in our youth in marginalized communities. Show them people in fields that they would not normally be exposed to. I hope mentorship is provided to guide them in education, resources, and support.