Yonel Valme

Yonel Valme was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In the early 70s, during political unrest, his family immigrated to the United States and settled in New York. Raised by a single mother of seven children who worked as a choir conductor and missionary, Yonel developed a deep love for music early on. He formed a Gospel musical band with his brother, becoming a recording artist in college and performing at conventions in Madison Square Garden.

A Career in the Stars

Yonel’s fascination with aeronautics led him to a distinguished career in engineering:

• Boeing (Seattle): Worked as a research engineer for 737 aircraft development, meteor burst communication, and satellite communications.
• NASA (Kennedy Space Center): Served 15 years within the Space Station Program.
• Lockheed Martin (Atlanta): Worked as a System Engineer/Project Engineer, traveling the world to represent the company.

Leadership & Humanitarian Service

Since retiring from aerospace, Yonel has devoted himself to leadership and humanitarian causes:

• The Carter Center: Served as Director of Operations and Logistics in Chad, working on the eradication of Guinea Worm Disease in Africa.
• Fernande Valme Ministries: Board executive member of the foundation established by his late mother to help children in need and promote global education and healthcare.
• Toastmasters International: Served as Area 11 Governor (District 47) and President of the Edward H. White Toastmasters Club at Kennedy Space Center.

Yonel also serves as a Board of Trustee Member for Pleasant Grove Missionary Church in Marietta, GA. Besides music, he enjoys traveling, playing golf, tennis, and reading.