Chahin attends gathering of international community leaders

First ever Kellogg Foundation Fellows address millennium leadership challenges

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS — In an effort to address the challenges and opportunities facing communities everywhere in the new millennium, Jaime Chahin, a San Marcos resident and Acting Dean of Applied Arts at Southwest Texas State University, joined approximately 600 other community leaders and change agents from around the world Nov. 6-10 in Washington D.C for the first-ever Conference of Fellows, sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s National and International Leadership Program (KNLP and KILP).

“This conference gave me an extraordinary opportunity to learn how local leaders from throughout the country and overseas are tackling problems unique to their communities and those problems we all have in common,” Chahin said.

Chahin was awarded a Kellogg National Leadership Program (KNLP) Fellowship in 1993. During the three-year Fellowship period, he studied free trade in the Pacific Rim, Europe and Mexico, especially issues involving American companies that are going to foreign countries to manufacture products to compete in a global economy.

“The Kellogg Fellowship enabled me to develop the ability to look at issues from an interdisciplinary viewpoint and also emphasized the importance of an international perspective,” Chahin said. “It increased my confidence to expand my personal and professional development and devise innovative solutions to our community’s problems.”

Officials of the program declared the conference a success and applauded the participants for their commitment to a better future for all generations.

“The talent that was assembled at the Leadership Forum was incredible,” said Roger Sublett, KNLP Program director for the Kellogg Foundation. “The individuals gathering were leaders who have the grass-roots vision and wisdom and will tackle the most pressing issues facing society. They truly represent the future of leadership around the world.”

Established by the renowned cereal company, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation was created in 1930 “to help people help themselves through the practical application of knowledge and resources to improve their quality of life and that of future generations.”