Dr. Stephen Bresnahan Award
The award is named after Dr. Stephen Bresnahan, a physician who died tragically in 2019 and dedicated much of his life to serving the people of Saint Rock. The Stephen Bresnahan Award, established in 2020, is presented to an individual who embodies the same dedication and commitment to ensuring that each individual in Saint Rock and the surrounding communities has the ability to thrive in all aspects of life.
Loune Viaud (2025)
We are thrilled to announce that Loune Viaud, a distinguished Haitian humanitarian and social justice advocate, has been selected as the 2025 Dr. Stephen Bresnahan Award recipient. Chosen by the Saint Rock Haiti Foundation Board and the Bresnahan family, Loune exemplifies the values of compassion, dedication, and transformative leadership that define this honor.
About Loune Viaud
Loune has spent her life championing human rights-based healthcare solutions in Haiti, expanding access to medicine, clean water, and fundamental health services for underserved communities. She was instrumental in launching rights-based HIV/AIDS treatment programs and has tirelessly advocated for the health and dignity of all Haitians.
Her remarkable career includes co-founding Zanmi Beni, a residential community in Haiti for vulnerable children in response to the 2010 earthquake; leading the Partners in Health (PIH) sister organization, Zanmi Lasante, as Executive Director, where she oversaw free healthcare for over 1.3 million Haitians annually; receiving the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award in 2002; being named one of Ms. Magazine’s Women of the Year in 2003; and being recognized as a 2024 Aurora Humanitarian Prize finalist. She currently serves as PIH’s Ambassador for Policy Advocacy and Social Equity and Board Chair of Partners in Health Zanmi Lasante.
Past Award Winners
Rev. Peter J. Casey (2024)
Father Casey was ordained into the priesthood on May 28, 1968, and served in several assignments throughout the Archdiocese of Boston. In 2006, while serving as the pastor at Saint Agatha Parish in Milton, Father Casey made his first trip to Saint Rock, Haiti. He fell in love with the Haitian people and the foundation’s mission, and he brought his passion back to his parishioners. Father Casey continued to travel to Haiti every November until 2018 and served on the Board of Trustees from 2010 until 2018. He was chosen for his unwavering dedication and service to the people of Saint Rock, as well as his compassionate spirit and commitment to serving those with less privilege, values that Stephen held dear.
Haiti-Based Staff (2023)
The two “Centre de Santé” employ doctors, nurses, dentists, lab technicians, pharmacists, administrative staff, translators, housekeepers, and community health workers. Some of our staff have been with SRHF for more than ten or fifteen years. Over 50 employees faithfully come to work in a challenging environment. Constant stress from the threat of violence, roadblocks, surging inflation, food and fuel shortages, and a recent cholera surge are all factors that make caring for our patients difficult at best. Through it all, our staff carries on offering services to an already under-served population.
Brian Concannon, Esq., the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti and Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI) (2022)
Brian is Founder and Executive Director of the Boston-based Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH), which promotes human rights in Haiti and just treatment of Haiti by the international community. While living in Haiti from 1995 to 2004, Brian worked with the United Nations and the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI) in Port-au-Prince. The BAI works with the Haitian justice system and grassroots groups to prosecute prominent human rights cases.
Brian’s work at BAI and IJDH has included cases such as the Raboteau Massacre trial, hailed as one of the most important human rights cases ever in the Americas, and the prosecution of Jean Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier.
Dr. Jean Kenes Eloy (2021)
Dr. Jean Kenes Eloy, or simply “Kenes” is our Haiti Country Director who continues to be a source of inspiration and motivation for us all. Kenes has taken the role in stride and continues to be a leader for everyone in Saint Rock. He has managed to generate trust with the inhabitants of the community and embodies the spirit of public service that we all aspire for. Kenes has been invaluable to Saint Rock Haiti Foundation, making the decision to choose him an easy one.
Jim Goldenberg (2020)
Jim is a board member on the Saint Rock Haiti Foundation and has a long history with the organization. He has seen the community in Haiti firsthand and has continued to take on a leadership role in the organization. Without his dedication, support, and constant enthusiasm for SRHF’s mission, we would not be where we are today. Such contributions truly showcase why Jim was chosen as the organization’s first recipient of the Stephen Bresnahan Award.