Arnold Jean-Baptiste

Arnold Jean-Baptiste - Children's Service Council of Broward County.


Born in Brooklyn, New York, Arnold Jean-Baptiste grew up in Haiti until age 15. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he served meritoriously for 23 years as munitions systems technology professional and contingency linguists. He was selected as Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year during a four-year tour of duty in Panama. He began work in human services during his assignment as a refugee camp manager in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, working to improve the lives of Haitian and Cuban migrants. He also is a veteran of the Vietnam War, Operation Just Cause (Panama) and Desert Storm (Iraq).


Upon retiring from the military, JB joined the Workforce Development Board of Hillsborough County as a veteran's employment specialist, helping hundreds of veterans find employment and providing links to other social services. He also acted as a multi-lingual (Spanish, Creole, French and Tagalog) translation specialist for the U.S. Department of Labor until he moved to Broward County in 2002 and served as a program director for the president's Faith and Community Based Pilot Project for the state of Florida. He created a 365-member agency consortium and placed over 25 kiosks throughout disenfranchised communities in Broward County in a program now being replicated in other Workforce Boards nationwide.


Jean-Baptiste joined the Children's Services Council of Broward County in January 2004. As the staff member designated to the Million Meals Committee of the Coordinating Council of Broward and led over 65 agencies in the fight to eradicate hunger by organizing them into a strong, proactive group. When Haiti suffered massive damage from Hurrican Jeanne in September 2004, he coordinated donations for relief efforts and secured a ship and airplane to transport the supplies to the storm-damaged region free of charge. He also served on the Children's Services Council Mobile Unit for the Earned Income Tax Credit, effectively drawing over $300,000 for working families in Broward County.