Krystina françois,Executive director of office of new americans of Miami-dade
Krystina François is a social justice advocate and policy strategist with a proven track record of engaging stakeholders across multiple sectors to advocate for the needs of marginalized communities. As Executive Director of the Office of New Americans of Miami-Dade, she spearheads a countywide initiative to bring legal and financial resources for immigrants out of offices and into the community.
Krystina is a first generation Haitian-American who is driven by the desire to create more opportunities for immigrants and marginalized communities to have a voice. Krystina’s devotion to human rights and social justice began at a young age while attending The United Nations International School in New York City. As a freshman in high school she moved to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, where anti-government protests and political instability gave her valuable perspective on the conditions that force many immigrants to seek refuge in the U.S.
Krystina holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History from CUNY-Hunter College. In her previous role as Florida New Americans Program Director at the Florida Immigrant Coalition, Krystina cultivated partnerships with 55 community stakeholders to help eligible immigrants navigate the naturalization process through free legal services, education and financial resources. In her position as Co-Director of Law for Black Lives, she coordinated a network of more than 3,000 legal professionals to provide legal support to democratize the criminal justice system. Krystina is also the founder of KMD Consultant Group, where she leads clients through program development, cross-sector collaboration and non-profit innovation.
In her spare time she volunteers with several organizations committed to improving the status of women and people of color. She serves as the Immigration Chair for the League of Women Voters of Florida, Board Secretary and Co-Founder of the Black Collective, and has leadership roles within Junior League of Miami and Leadership Miami Executive Committee at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (GMCC).
She has been featured in media outlets such as The Miami Herald, WLRN, NBC6, Bustle, and The Miami New Times. Krystina recently received the Rebecca Herndon Bush Award by the Junior League of Miami, which is given to a member who displays exceptional community leadership inside and outside the League.
Read more about Krystina’s work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystina-francois/
Follow her Twitter here: https://twitter.com/ONA_Miami?lang=en
