TOPPENISH, Wash. -- For the past two decades, he has helped people in North, Central and South America improve their lives. Now, Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow Stephen Vetter is sharing his story with students, faculty and staff at Heritage University.

Vetter is visiting the Toppenish campus through Oct. 2. While there, he will lead several workshops on topics ranging from fostering youth leadership to measuring positive effects of economic growth in underserved communities.

Vetter is president of the international voluntary service organization, Partners of the Americans. The nonprofit organization is committed to improving the conditions for children and families living in poverty in North, Central and South America.

He previously spent 21 years working with the Inter-American Foundation, a granting organization that awards funds to nonprofits and community groups in Latin America and Caribbean. He’s also served as an advisor for several American foundations, including Ford, the White House and the U.S. Congress.

The Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow program brings prominent artists, journalists, political figures, and business leaders to campuses for teaching residencies. Its purpose is to create connections between academic and non-academic communities. 

— Erin Snelgrove