Innovation Blog

Additional Author 1: Betty J. Overton

Betty J. Overton-Adkins, KNFP-9 Vice President for Academic Affairs, Spring Arbor University, Michigan.

This article was originally published in the July 2005 issue of the KFLA Newsletter.

Four years ago, Betty Overton-Adkins left her position of 10 years as Director of Higher Education Programs at the W.K.  Kellogg Foundation to become Vice President for Academic Affairs at Spring Arbor University, a Christian college of 3,500 students. Now, back in academia, Betty finds herself continuing to work on the same handful of issues that have driven much of her career.

"Although I am not currently employed at a minority serving institution, I am looking at opportunities and challenges for these institutions to maximize the work they do for their students and communities and to lift up new leaders for these institutions," Betty explains.

She is in the second year serving as evaluator for the Minority Serving Institutions Leadership Fellows Program. "We can already see increased effectiveness in the leaders who are participating," she says. "The program is like a one-year Kellogg Fellowship Program. We bring together leaders from historically black colleges, tribal colleges, and Hispanic-serving colleges. They really learn from each other and become supporters and allies." Comments Betty, "The work is familiar. Because of the Fellowship program and my work at Kellogg, I have a sense of what we need to be looking for relative to helping people develop both as effective administrators and as leaders."

On her own campus, Betty can begin to see the results of seeds she planted soon after her arrival. For instance, "Our faculty, administration, and board adopted a diversity statement that is informing all we do to enhance student and faculty diversity and access. Our numbers of students of color have increased, and when we had our NCATE [National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education] visit, the visiting team praised what we are doing in this area," she says.

Betty also is looking at issues of how administrators respond to diversity through a survey that she and a colleague developed for the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). Along with successes, Betty admits, "There has also been a lot of treading water. I'm finding how hard it is to get a campus to move, even when most people recognize what we should be doing to transform ourselves and engage with our students and communities."

In her community, Betty works on issues of access and diversity through the Access to Democracy Project in Jackson County, and through a recent partnership with the school district that submitted a grant for a college preparation program, GEAR UP. In the process of planning for the proposal, the group uncovered that the schools were not offering pre-algebra to 6th and 7th graders resulting in very low test scores on the Michigan Educational Assessment Program math tests. As a result, says Betty, "I persuaded our math department and our school district to plan for some faculty development this summer to prepare to implement pre-algebra instruction in the fall. Even if we don't get the grant funding, we have already impacted our community," she notes. "It is being able to do things like this that gives me joy as an administrator." 

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Written by Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance

Additional Author 1: Michelle Nunn

This article was originally published in the February 2007 issue of the KFLA Newsletter.

Hundreds of Heads Books, 2006. 324 pages; $14.95

"In a world of enormous needs and seemingly unsurmountable problems, how do we find our own way to make a difference?" asks Michelle Nunn in her new book, Be the Change!, a compilation of inspiring anecdotes, quotes, recommended resources, and practical advice that effectively answers the question she poses. 

Michelle, cofounder and CEO of Hands on Network, one of the nation's largest community-based volunteer organizations, and member of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, asked hundreds of volunteers across the country how, and why, they volunteer. She then shares the personal and poignant stories of everyday citizens, business and civic leaders, sports figures, and celebrities, while challenging readers to make their own journey of service and self-discovery. With tips and testimonials, Be the Change reveals what motivates people to serve, what they need to consider before diving in, how to recruit others, and other components of involvement in service projects. Yet, even more so, it provides a chance to reflect on one's own life journey, and where and how one can make a positive difference.

Lending a twist on the usual call to service, Michelle also devotes a chapter to "Selfish Reasons to Be Selfless," and points out the many personal rewards volunteers often reap. From a way to make new friends, to feeling less helpless, to healing old wounds, volunteers point out how much they tend to receive from their experiences of giving. Kellogg Fellow Paul Terry (KNFP 15), who taught public health in Zimbabwe as a Fulbright Scholar, contributes his thoughts on the topic, writing, in part: "People often ask if working on prevention in a country devastated by HIV/AIDS is depressing, and I've always responded that the young people, with their resilience and zeal for life, give me hope. Indeed, AIDS activists in southern Africa often reinterpret the HIV acronym to mean 'Hope Is Vital.'" Be the Change is an antidote to the apathy prevalent in our society. It convinces us that, as Michelle relates in the words of the Hopi Indian elders, "We are the ones we've been waiting for."

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Written by Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance

Additional Author 1: Arthur M. Chen

Arthur Chen, M.D. (KNFP 10), Medical Director, Alameda Alliance for Health, Alameda, California.

This article was originally published in the September 2006 issue of the KFLA Newsletter.

Art Chen wears many hats. But the focus of his efforts within his many roles is constant: health access. Art volunteers as a physician at a health clinic in a low-income Asian neighborhood where he and the staff strive to find health coverage for more than one-third of the patients who are uninsured, or, they see them for free. In his day-job, he is chief medical officer for the Alameda Alliance for Health, a Medicaid managed healthcare plan with 90,000 members, where he targets hard-to-reach populations who may not know they are eligible for Medicaid or California's Healthy Families coverage. And, as the Board Chair of the California Endowment, a health foundation with assets of $3.6 billion, he oversees policy setting for grantmaking with an eye toward making a difference at "the grassroots and tree-top" levels, that is, providing services for those in need, while building self-sufficiency and community empowerment directed at changing public policy. In addition, Art chairs the Asian Pacific Islander Health Forum, a national group with programs to increase health access and to break down cultural and linguistic barriers, improve data collection for API subgroups, and ensure community-based prevention.

Through his many outlets for increasing health access, Art points out, "I always put health access into the context of what will really improve the health status of our population. It's not just health insurance; there are social determinants to health: the level of education, income, access to jobs, and the environment people live in. If we're going to make headway on improving health, we have to go beyond access and address social determinants. We also have to promote prevention efforts." Art has a passion for "getting people who are impacted by bad social policies or priorities involved so they will know how to negotiate healthcare services and can have their voice heard." Art's approach is to engage communities. He recounts how, as a public health officer for Alameda County, he was part of a team that replaced a bureaucratic approach with one that engaged citizens in a community-based approach.

Explains Art, "Rather than simply collecting statistics about the major causes of death and addressing those health issues, we tried to promote accountability and address community needs and concern. In this case, health officials met with local people in churches and other places in the neighborhoods and asked them about the major issues they faced. "In one community," he recounts, "we knew from vital statistics that heart disease was the major cause of death. However, they were more concerned about drive-by shootings related to drug dealing. We partnered with neighborhood residents and the local police department to look into the issue. It turned out there was a hot spot, one corner where the drive-bys occurred. The community was able to rid the corner of drug dealers by starting a neighborhood watch, calling the police to report any suspicious activity, and cleaning up trash in the area.

"Just as important as stopping the shooting," says Art, "was the community going through the process to interact in ways they hadn't before. They were engaged. Some time later, they asked us to have a health fair, that was music to our ears. Then, we started talking about heart disease and immunizations, and we had willing partners in the discussion." Art's advice to aspiring leaders is: "Keep grounded in your family and your community because those who understand and respect community will always look within the community for solutions; they will understand how to approach change in the optimal way."

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Written by Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance

Additional Author 1: Ana María Robles-Capurro

Ana Maria Robles Capurro, KILP-2, Gerente de Educación CARE 

This article was originally published in the February 2003 issue of the KFLA Newsletter.

Quick Fact: Uno de los logros mas importantes en estos últimos años ha sido el haber contribuido a conseguir la Aprobación de la Ley de Fomento para la Educación de las Niñas y Adolescentes de Areas Rurales qua fue promulgada y publicada en Noviembre del 2001.

Que sostiene sus habilidades de liderazgo y su compromiso al cambio?

Lo que me sostiene en mi practica de liderazgo es una fuerza interior que me hace mirar la vida siempre de manera mas optimista a pesar de la adversidad y también sacar fuerzas para emprender aquello en lo que creo y pienso. Respecto a mi compromiso con el cambio, tengo la convicción de que la historia de la humanidad marcha siempre hacia delante y que el cambio se construye desde el presente, no sin grandes obstaculos y piedras en el camino. Por otra parte aprendó que la vida en si misma tiene sentido y es el maximo valor para todos los humanos y encierra enormes posibilidades de crecimiento, libertad y creatividad, sin embargo la injusticia, pobreza económica y la alienación humana reinante hace que este sentido de la vida se pierda o sea muy debil en la gran mayoría de las personas. Y esto es lo que muchos creemos y queremos que cambie.

Que es algo que usted dice o hace dice continuamente para mantenerse en el camino para lograr sus metas?

Para mantener mis metas planifico mi tiempo, me concentró en ello y si se presentan dificultades me digo que para todo hay solución. Generalmente veo mas las oportunidades que las dificultades. Si necesito ayuda, la busco, si me equivoco, aprendo, no me desanimo y si me empezo en conseguir algo nunca me rindo.

Que es su pasión?

No tengo una pasión especifica, comprometo todos mis sentidos en cada cosa que siento, pienso y hago. Cada cosa que hago la realizo intensamente y pongo todo mi entusiasmo en ello. Me encanta conocer y descubrir algo nuevo cada día. Pero también me apasiona la belleza natural, me conmueve el mar y su horizonte sin fin.

Como practica usted el buen mantenimiento de si mismo?

A pesar de mis largas e intensas jornadas de trabajo, también le doy atenci??n a otras dimensiones de mi vida. De dos a tres veces por semana voy a nadar. También me gusta la danza y exploro diversas posibilidades, practico una de ellas los fines de semana. Disfruto de reuniones con mi familia y amistades. Busco estar en contacto con la naturaleza aunque sea una vez al mes o cada trimestre realizo viajes cortos. Leo novelas y textos que enriquecen mi comprensión de la vida y de la complejidad de las personas.

Como mide usted el éxito?

Hay muchas formas de medir el éxito, una de ellas puede ser por el cumplimiento de las metas trazadas, pero esto solo resulta exitoso para la persona y/o institución que lo auspicia o ejecuta. Otra forma es por el grado de satisfacción o beneficio que se logra con el cambio desarrollado y en este caso, el éxito traspasa las fronteras de la institucion. Pero hay una tercera forma, que es la que creo nos debe acompañar a lo largo de nuestras vidas, y es la capacidad de extraer lecciones de los aciertos, errores y dificultades para emprender nuevos retos y seguir creando y transformando positivamente nuestro entorno. Cuanto mas desarrollemos nuestra habilidad pare extraer lecciones de nuestras experiencias, mas probabilidades de éxito tendremos.

Que es algo diferente o que hace usted diferente como resultado de sus experiencias como Kellogg Fellow y porque?

Mi experiencia en el programa de Kellogg, ha ampliado mi visión del mundo, fortalecido mi confianza en mi misma y me ha brindado oportunidades para desarrollar mis habilidades de liderazgo. Como resultado he realizado una labor de incidencia política en beneficio de la educación de las niñas indígenas de mi país. Impulsó la conformación de una amplia alianza, entre importantes líderes y autoridades de instituciones del Estado, el empresariado, ONGs, universidades, medios de comunicacion y de la cooperación internacional, qua dio lugar a la conformación de la Red Nacional de Educación de la Niña.

A traves de esta Red que sigue activa, promovimos la elaboración y aprobación de la Ley de Fomento de la Educación de Niñas y Adolescentes de Areas Rurales y seguimos trabajando para su implementación. Si no hubiese tenido la experiencia en el programa de Kellogg creo qua no me hubiese sentido con la suficiente confianza en mi misma ni tenido las habilidades necesarias pare promover una amplia concertación política en torno a una visión comón de cambio, que beneficia no solamente a las niñas sino al desarrollo del conjunto del país.

Mi experiencia en el programa de Kellogg, ha ampliado mi visión del mundo, fortalecido mi confianza en mi misma y me ha brindado oportunidades para desarrollar mis habilidades de liderazgo. Como resultado he realizado una labor de incidencia política en beneficio de la educación de las niñas indígenas de mi país. Impulsó la conformación de una amplia alianza, entre importantes líderes y autoridades de instituciones del Estado, el empresariado, ONGs, universidades, medios de comunicaci??n y de la cooperación internacional, qua dio lugar a la conformación de la Red Nacional de Educación de la Niña. A traves de esta Red que sigue activa, promovimos la elaboración y aprobación de la Ley de Fomento de la Educación de Niñas y Adolescentes de Areas Rurales y seguimos trabajando para su implementación. Si no hubiese tenido la experiencia en el programa de Kellogg creo qua no me hubiese sentido con la suficiente confianza en mi misma ni tenido las habilidades necesarias pare promover una amplia concertación política en torno a una visión comón de cambio, que beneficia no solamente a las niñas sino al desarrollo del conjunto del país.

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Written by Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance

Additional Author 1: Ana Maria Philippi

Ana Maria Philippi (KILP 1), Directora Ejecutiva, Fundacion de Vida Rural (The Foundation of Rural Life), Santiago, Chile

This article was originally published in the December 200 issue of the KFLA Newsletter.

Ana Maria Philippe Leading a team of 100 staff and consultants, Ana Maria Philippi is responding to the educational needs of the rural poor across Chile. Through her nonprofit organization, Fundacion de Vida Rural, Ana Maria is combating poverty by operating a boarding school for children, and providing vocational and technical training for men and women. The various programs are aimed at developing the capacities of those living in poverty to allow them to improve their quality of life. Ana Maria, now in her twenty-first year as executive director, takes pride in having built the organization from a small to a mid-sized operation that is well-regarded, responsive, and effective. Her approach has been to ascertain the educational needs in rural communities and forge alliances with the public and private sectors to secure the necessary resources to address them. Says Ana Maria, "We are well-known and respected because of our accountability, responsiveness, transparency, quality work, and our capacity to convene people in the field." Her personal view of management is informal and team-focused. Ana Maria also remains involved in all the organization's teaching, traveling, and organizing activities. 

"I'm convinced that I am not considered a 'normal' director of a foundation," she says. "I approach the staff as friends, showing no preferences within the group. The responsibility each takes for his or her task makes the difference when we work as a team." She adds, "I try to be behind, to be invisible. In many occasions, people don't know I'm the director. There's no need for that." Ana Maria's passion is people. She says, "I learn so much through my interaction with others and with people who are so poor and have a lot of needs. But they are strong and they teach me about life, how to live my own life and how to understand others' lives." While she draws energy from those she works among, she keeps motivated by continually saying to herself: "Keep going; many others need you (and you need them)."

Ana Maria's advice to aspiring leaders in her field is both instructive and informed: "Be honest about your capacities and limitations; don't go beyond them. Be open to others; try to find solutions with the participation of others. Don't disguise who you are to get the approval of others; be yourself through the good and the bad. Try to find or create spaces to share with others, beautiful spaces."

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Written by Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance

Additional Author 1: Albino Garcia

Albino Garcia (KNFP 15), Founder and Executive Director, La Plazita Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

This article was originally published in the October 2006 issue of the KFLA Newsletter.

Albino Garcia is a community activist for violence prevention, cultural diversity, and positive youth development. He describes himself as a "BTDT", been there, done that. He explains, "I came up hard. I was stabbed at 13, shot at 14, and imprisoned at 17. Somehow, I found my way on this road that I'm on now. Helping people and giving back to the Earth and the Earth people became my medicine." He describes his passion as "more like a spiritual mission: to make life more manageable for people." After working in California for several years, starting a gang-intervention program and an alternative school, among other programs, Albino founded the grassroots organization, La Plazita Institute, in Albuquerque in 2004. "The Make a Difference Grant from KFLA really incubated the La Plazita Institute; it was the first grant we received," Albino acknowledges.

He describes his passion as "more like a spiritual mission: to make life more manageable for people." After working in California for several years, starting a gang-intervention program and an alternative school, among other programs, Albino founded the grassroots organization, La Plazita Institute, in Albuquerque in 2004. "The Make a Difference Grant from KFLA really incubated the La Plazita Institute; it was the first grant we received," Albino acknowledges. La Plazita aims to guide young people and their families to find a sense of cultural identity, ownership, and belonging in their local community. Its programs operate under a philosophy derived from ancient Indigenous cultures from this hemisphere, a person must journey inward and connect to core cultural values, before continuing the journey with one's family, one's community, and the institutionalized world. 

"My core philosophy of La Cultura Cura (Culture Heals), and my approach of Multiple Worlds, are very ancient ways of engaging in one's life and existence," Albino explains. "There is a place, a spiritual place, that culminates all those worlds. It allows you to still engage with the institutional, market-force world and be who you are. My challenge is keeping everything connected." Albino is intent on following the core cultural values of the community in all La Plazita's operations. For instance, he says, "We don't take money from any group or institution unless it's on our terms. If funders want quantitative results, we don't take their money." He says, "Once you quantify something, you remove its sacredness, it becomes science versus spirit.

By way of example, Albino somberly recounts, "I had a boy die not long ago. He was shot in the head. That's the seventeenth youth I've worked with over the years who has died. How many have lived? Does that make us more successful?" Albino's leadership in his community differs from his responsibilities as a ceremonial leader in the Sun Dance way of life, which was bestowed on him by Chief Leonard Crowdog of the Rosebud Reservation. Albino, who is of Apache and Mexican Indian descent, says, "I used to lead like a warrior of warriors, doing great sacrifice for the community. Then, because of that way of leadership, I received this other acknowledgment of a ceremonial leader, I wear a bonnet. You have to be careful how you lead because you could end up having more responsibilities," he laughs.

Albino's advice to aspiring leaders in his field is: "Don't forget to pray for yourself." He relates, "One elder said in a four-door sweat lodge, 'You start the first door praying for yourself. If you don't get yourself prepared, how well will you pray for others?'"

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Written by Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance