Three Haitian American women make history on South Florida school boards
Cynthia Alcéus Dominique, Christina Romélus and Linda Cothière become the first of Haitian descent elected to the Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade boards
Three Haitian American women have become the first of Haitian descent elected to school boards in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, The Haitian Times reported on Nov. 7, 2026. Cynthia Alcéus Dominique won the Broward County School Board District 7 seat outright in the Aug. 18 primary with about 60% of the vote. Dominique, 41, is a Broward County native, an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, an Army Reserve veteran and an educator who served nearly a decade in school advisory councils, including the PTA, SAC, NAAC and DAC. According to the outlet, Broward County Public Schools is facing school closures, declining enrollment and a $90 million budget deficit that prompted cuts affecting 1,000 positions. Christina Romélus, 38, born in Port-au-Prince, won the Palm Beach County District 4 seat on Nov. 3 with about 62% of the vote; she previously served as a Boynton Beach city commissioner and vice mayor, and founded the consulting firm PolitiCALM. Linda Cothière won the Miami-Dade District 1 seat, defeating fellow educator Katrina Wilson in a Nov. 3 runoff. Separately, Marly Métayer fell short in the Coral Springs City Commission race for the seat once held by her late daughter, Vice Mayor Nancy Métayer.