Mr. Belette currently serves as the Alliance Manager of the East Contra Costa Community Alliance. In this capacity, he is responsible for developing a coordinated strategy for 22 nonprofit organizations, to foster stronger collaboration, build a shared platform for advocacy, and work towards strengthening the non-profit ecosystem with increased philanthropic investments. In 2022, he established an LLC, US Africa Initiatives (USAFI) to engage further in organizational consulting and to expand social impact networking based on the guiding principles of Equity, Prosperity, and Sustainability. He serves as Professor of Practice at the University of Juba and is a temporary faculty at Santa Clara University in California.
Belette has extensive experiences in nonprofit management and has held key senior leadership positions with various organizations including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops supporting U.S. domestic refugee resettlement programs in coordination with the U.S. Department of State and the Office of Refugee Resettlement at Health and Human Services (HHS). In addition to serving as the President/CEO of Catholic Charities of the East Bay for thirteen years, he has also served as Executive Director of the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at JFK/National University for five years. Belette currently serves as a Charter Member of the International Civil Society Working Group on the Permanent Forum for People of African Descent at the United Nations.
Belette pursued his graduate studies in Sociology at Michigan State University with a focus on African development examining land tenure systems and nomadic pastoralism. He maintains a deep academic interest in the socio-economic and political challenges facing the African continent and works diligently to advance educational opportunities and access to help build a pipeline of trained and skilled African leaders. With an MBA in strategic leadership from John F. Kennedy University and a background in sociology, he is prepared and qualified to further his commitment and passion to build stronger ties between Africa and the United States and be a catalyst for transformative change.
In summary, Belette is an executive leader with strong planning and strategy skills; he is committed to building organizational capacity, promoting collaborative opportunities, working towards greater equity and social justice, He is profoundly committed to advancing educational and economic development opportunities both in the United States and in Africa.