Marie Saint Cyr
Marie Marthe Saint Cyr is a social worker by profession. Trained at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, she holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations and a Master's Degree in Social Work from this Ivy League School. She has held an array of positions working with programs for women's health, child abuse and neglect research, and programs for women out of prisons in Philadelphia. She has developed and directed a comprehensive community clinic for Haitians in Florida, consisting of a day- care, a Credit Union, ESL and adult education classes and a medical clinic. Her community work, however, began at the YDA in Huntington, prior to her college days when Haitians in Huntington first tried gathering together to focus on the issues concerning their lives.
Marie Saint Cyr was the Director of the Haitian Coalition on AIDS in New York City and developed the first program for women (WARN) Women and AIDS Resource Network in Brooklyn NY. Responding to the needs of the constituency she serves, she became the first Haitian Deputy Commissioner in New York City under the Dinkins Administration. She was Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights, responsible for the Community Relations Department, The AIDS Discrimination Unit and initiated the Commission’s Prison Project for Offenders with AIDS.
With all her Executive Administrator experience, Ms. Saint Cyr is committed to furthering and expanding her knowledge and skills. She completed two Columbia Business School Certificate Programs, from The Institute for Not-for-Profit Management. The first, in 1997, was in Executive Level Non-Profit Management; the second, in 2000, was in Leadership Development. Accordingly, Ms. Saint Cyr is currently the Executive Director of Iris House: A center for women living with HIV/AIDS in Central Harlem, the first and only comprehensive program for women living with HIV and AIDS and their families. She served as an appointee of Mayor Giuliani as Community Co-Chair of the HIV Planning Council of New York City. Ms. Saint Cyr has served as Board Chair for National Minority AIDS Council in Washington, DC, and was selected as a member of the Advisory Board of the National Institute of Health, serving on the sub-committee on HIV/AIDS. She recently was recognized by Mayor Michael Bloomberg as an immigrant who makes a difference in the lives of New Yorkers.
As an established authority on women, and other underserved communities, living with HIV/AIDS, Ms. Saint Cyr is continually sought out to share her knowledge and expertise with formidable international and nationwide organizations devoted to the eradification of the AIDS virus. Whether it is speaking in front of the United Nations or the National Institute of Health, Marie Saint Cyr is an example of a powerhouse of commitment and knowledge delivered with her signature dignity and grace.
