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Stephen Vetter Is Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow at W&L

Stephen Vetter, president of Partners of the Americas, will be the Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow at Washington and Lee University this month.

Vetter is president and CEO of Partners of the Americas, an international grassroots organization that connects volunteers, organizations, and communities.

During his visit to Washington and Lee, Vetter will participate in a variety of campus events, including two public talks, as part of the P4T (Preparing for Tomorrow) Symposium, an interdepartmental event that challenges students regarding global issues that impact U.S. society. It will serve as a platform for students to present global experiences and further global awareness on campus.

On Tuesday, Nov. 6, Vetter will be the guest expert at public event from 12 to 1:15 p.m. in Room 216 of Elrod Commons. He will present an introduction to foreign aid in its various forms, how it operates globally and what role we play.

Vetter also will participate in a public event on Wednesday, Nov. 7, from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Hillel House Multipurpose Room. Those talks will examine foreign aid in Latin America. Vetter and several W&L students will give a series of presentations on foreign aid in distinct regions of Latin America after which a discussion panel of professors and students will invite questions.

With more than 35 years of experience in international and domestic development, Vetter has a rich background in international voluntary service, grassroots community leadership and developing public-private partnerships to reduce poverty and improve the economic and social development of disadvantaged populations.

Prior to working at Partners of the Americas, Vetter held a number of top level positions at the Inter-American Foundation, a public corporation dedicated to supporting the self-help efforts of grassroots communities in Latin America and the Caribbean and also as president and CEO of Eureka Communities, a nonprofit leadership program that provided fellowship support to inner city leaders working to improve the life conditions of children and families living in poverty.

He also has served on a number of philanthropic, nonprofit and corporate boards and committees and currently serves on the advisory board of the 911 Fund, the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy, and Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance.

Vetter received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in economics from Ohio University.

The P4T Symposium and Vetter’s visit are funded by the Johnson Lecture Fund and the W&L’s Class of 1963.

For more than 35 years, the Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellows program has brought prominent artists, diplomats, journalists, business leaders, and other nonacademic professionals to campuses across the United States for substantive dialogue with students and faculty members. Through a week-long residential program of classes, seminars, workshops, lectures, and informal discussions, the Fellows create better understanding and new connections between the academic and nonacademic worlds.

News Contact:
Julie Cline
News Writer
jcline@wlu.edu
540-458-8954