Global Vision

:: Economist gives to library

:: Impressed by impact of private giving

:: Developing local solutions

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A graduate of the UO’s Air Force ROTC program, Mickelwait sandwiched serving as an intelligence officer in Okinawa and the Philippines between completion of his bachelor’s in economics and his master’s in economic development. He went on to work for the Agency for International Development (AID) in Thailand, earn a master’s in
public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and launch himself as an international consultant.

In 1970, Mickelwait cofounded and served as chief executive officer of Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI), a consulting firm that grew from three to 500 employees and achieved $200 million in gross revenue by the time he left the company in 2000.

He says competing on a UO debate team that made nationals helped equip him for the challenges of gaining support for economic recovery initiatives. Impoverished rural residents must be convinced to adopt new production methods. At the same time, funding agencies and donors must be persuaded to buy in.

“We try to take a problem and develop local solutions,” he said. “There’s lots of money. It’s convincing the people who have it to let go of it.”

For details about Mickelwait’s work, visit www.experience-inc.com.

–Melody Ward Leslie