Dumarsais Mécène Siméus (also Dumas Siméus; born 1939) is a

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

an-born and U.S.

naturalized Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...

businessman from Texas. Simeus returned to

to be a candidate in the 2006 presidential elections.

Early life

Siméus was born in Pont-Sondé in

Artibonite Valley Artibonite Valley is a valley predominantly in Haiti, on the island of Hispaniola. The Artibonite River flows through the valley, with headwaters in the Dominican Republic as well. The valley's watershed provides vital ecosystem services on wh ...

, the son of peasant rice farmers who never had a chance to get a school education. He grew up helping his parents work the land in Haiti to feed himself and his 11 siblings. In 1961, his family sold some land so he could fly to the United States to pursue a college education at Florida A&M University. Siméus transferred to Howard University in Washington, DC, where he earned a degree in

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

. In 1970, he became a US citizen. In 1972, he earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Career

He worked his way up the corporate ladder. He was a financial analyst at Rockwell International and KB Home, a director of Latin American operations for

Bendix Bendix may refer to: People First name * Bendix Hallenstein (1835–1905), New Zealand businessman Middle name * Kim Bendix Petersen (born 1956), Danish singer known by the stage name King Diamond Last name * John E. Bendix (1835–1905), Am ...

, general manager of Hartz Pet Food, France, and vice president of international business development at

Atari Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French publisher Atari SA through a subsidiary named Atari Interactive. The original Atari, Inc. (1972–1992), Atari, Inc., ...

. He quickly rose in the corporate world, becoming president of Beatrice Foods, Latin America, and eventually president and chief operating officer of TLC Beatrice International Foods. In 1984, Siméus started working for TLC Beatrice International Holdings Inc., the $2.1 billion, black-owned food processing and distribution company. He served as president and CEO for two years before leaving in 1992 to buy and run his own business. In 1996, with $55 million financing, Siméus bought Portion-Trol Foods from Flagstar Corp in Mansfield, Texas, and renamed it Siméus Foods International Inc. Siméus Foods, based south of

Fort Worth Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

, manufactures value-added food products for national multichain restaurants and large institutions such as El Pollo Loco, Denny's,

T.G.I. Friday's TGI Fridays (operating in the UK as FRIDAYS) is an American restaurant chain focusing on primarily American cuisine and casual dining. The restaurant's founder said the name stood for "Thank God It's Friday", although some television commercial ...

, and

Burger King Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...

in the United States and Canada. Siméus Foods Intl. now generates $155 million a year. In 1999, Siméus established Org. Sové Lavi www.sovelavi.org, a nonprofit foundation to provide medical care, education, and clothing to Haitians. Between October 2004 and February 2005, he served on Florida Governor Jeb Bush's advisory board for Haiti. The group made a series of recommendations for Haïti's security, economic development, and disaster preparedness. A group of about 40 U.S.-based Haitian business and civic leaders has urged him to run for president.

Run for Haitian presidency

After months of speculation, Siméus decided to contest the Haitian presidency in August 2005. Siméus' political platform includes making it easier for companies to invest in Haiti, promoting jobs, and rooting out corruption by making government accountable. Siméus said, "I want to create a Haiti where people are proud to stay because there are opportunities." ..."I want a Haiti where there is access to capital for the average guy, for the poor guy who was born in a hut like I was born in." During his campaign, he ran into a few challenges. His status as a dual citizen became a challenge. Siméus said that he still has Haitian citizenship, despite taking the US oath of allegiance. The Haitian Electoral Board disagreed. Eventually, this matter was taken to the

Supreme Court of Haiti The Supreme Court of Haiti (french: Cour de Cassation) is the highest court in the Haitian legal system. The Supreme Court building is located in Port-au-Prince. History From 1806–1817, the Senate of Haiti served judicial functions. The Sup ...

, which recently ruled that Siméus could place his name on the ballot, but he still faces election council challenges to his candidacy and a threat of prosecution alleging false candidacy claims on election papers. Article 135 states a presidential candidate must "be a native-born Haitian and never have renounced Haitian nationality" and have resided in the country for five consecutive years before the election. Another challenge is his public acceptance. Siméus was essentially unknown in Haiti prior to 2004 and many viewed him as an outsider. At a campaign rally, he was cordially received in Solino, a crumbling and crime-plagued neighborhood of the Haitian capital

Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...

, but when his tour reached the Bel Air neighborhood, a stronghold for supporters of ex-president Aristide, dozens of angry men and women rushed onto the streets, hurling rocks and chunks of concrete at Siméus' car, forcing him to flee. On September 27, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on a 6-hour visit to Haiti, publicly and pointedly called on Haiti's interim government to hold "inclusive" elections. Rice reportedly pressed Prime Minister Gérard Latortue for Siméus to be readmitted to the race. On October 11, the Supreme Court ruled in Siméus’ favor, ordering the CEP to put the Texan back on the ballot. A day after the ruling, half of the members of the Supreme Court were forced into retirement by the orders of Gerard Latortue, and his justice minister.

Family

Siméus is married and a father of three. He has brought 40 relatives to the United States, but his parents remain in Haiti."Texas businessman returns to Haiti for presidential run"
''St Petersburg Times'', 20 Oct 2005

External links

Press releases

Simeus Welcomes Dr. Rice, Calls for International Inquiry Into 'Abuse of Power' By Political Insiders to Control Ballot
September 27, 2005

''PRNewswire'' September 30, 2005 * ttp://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-11-2005/0004165965&EDATE= Simeus Wins Ballot Fight in 'A Victory for Change in Haïti'''PRNewswire'' September 30, 2005
Simeus Applauds Kofi Annan and UN, Addresses Nation to Decry Prime Minister as a Threat to Free, Fair Elections in Haïti
October 18, 2005

News articles

James Cox, ''USA TODAY'', April 29, 2004

Danna Harman (The Christian Science Monitor), ''USA Today'', August 17, 2005
Wealthy Haïti Expatriate Plans to Run for President
''VOA News'', August 19, 2005

Alfred De Montesquiou, '' Guardian Unlimited'', September 16, 2005
Businessman Appeals Decision Barring Run for Haïti's Presidency
''VOA News'', September 25, 2005
Texas businessman returns to Haïti for presidential run
David Adams, ''St Petersburg Times'', October 20, 2005
Texas Businessman Seeks Haitian Presidency
Steve Quinn ''The Associated Press'' October 23, 2005

Interviews

Ayiti "LE COIN DE CARL" Edition Speciale
September 8, 2005

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simeus, Dumarsais 1939 births Candidates for President of Haiti Haitian emigrants to the United States Living people Howard University alumni University of Chicago Booth School of Business alumni American chief executives of food industry companies Naturalized citizens of the United States Bendix Corporation people