Commerce Department Senior Adviser and Deputy Chief of Staff Rick Wade traveled to Haiti this week for the opening of the L’Ecole Nouvelle Royal Caribbean School in Labadee, the first school to be built in Haiti after the devastating January earthquake. American businesses, with the help of the Commerce Department, spearheaded the effort to build the school, which is a project between Royal Caribbean International and InnoVida, a Miami-based producer of residential and commercial buildings. 

“The Commerce Department has been actively involved in encouraging U.S. businesses and the Haitian Diaspora to help in Haiti’s recovery, which will create jobs in Haiti and support jobs in America,” Wade said. 

Over the past few months, Wade has been traveling across the United States to help promote opportunities for U.S. businesses to get involved in Haiti’s reconstruction. The U.S. private sector has an indispensable role to play in spurring investment in Haiti and providing innovative solutions to help Haiti grow and rebuild its communities.

Read more about Rick Wade’s involvement in Haiti’s recovery in his recently-authored opinion editorial. | Release