Haitian-American Angie Bell named new mayor of Cap-Haïtien

On August 20, Haiti’s Council of Ministers appointed Angie Bell as president of the municipal commission for Cap-Haïtien, effectively making her the new mayor of the nation’s second-largest city.

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Bell will lead alongside Patrick Almonor, a returning member of the commission, and Isaac Pierre-Louis, who is entering local governance for the first time. The announcement is part of a nationwide restructuring of municipal leadership.

Bell’s appointment follows the dismissal of former mayor Yvrose Pierre by the Presidential Transitional Council after years of criticism over mismanagement. The move comes as Cap-Haïtien grapples with a worsening sanitation crisis, with trash piling up in the streets and clogging canals. The problem has threatened public health, tarnished the city’s historic image, and slowed tourism just weeks after Cap-Haïtien marked its 355th anniversary.

Known online as @ngbel, Bell is widely recognized as a cultural advocate, entrepreneur, and environmental activist. She is the founder of PouBèlAyiti (“For Beautiful Haiti”), an initiative that has turned waste management into a cultural movement by transforming trash into art while educating communities about recycling. Sanitation, she has emphasized, will be her top priority as mayor.

Raised in Cap-Haïtien and later based in the United States, Bell built a career bridging Haitian culture with global platforms. She co-founded Atizan International in 2014 to connect artisans with wider markets and has promoted tourism through creative ventures such as pop-up picnics. She also co-hosts Ayiti Parle on Miami-based Island TV, amplifying discussions on Haitian identity, heritage, and progress.

Bell’s work in education is deeply tied to her family legacy. Her father founded Collège Bell Angelot, and she now serves as Vice-Rector and Dean of Business at Université des Atlantes in Cap-Haïtien, where she leads academic and leadership programs for young Haitians. She also founded the SEproject, which provides educational support to underserved children while raising funds for the Justinien University Hospital.

Her professional background includes serving as co-chair of the fundraising and public relations committee at the Haitian American Professionals Coalition (HAPC) and as marketing director for the Haitian American Historical Society (HAHS).

With her blend of cultural advocacy, entrepreneurial vision, and community action, Bell’s leadership is being viewed as a fresh opportunity for Cap-Haïtien to confront its mounting challenges.