McCarthy Center to host John Chromy as scholar-in-residence

John Chromy, vice president at Cooperative Housing Foundation International (CHF), is the fifth annual scholar-in-residence at the Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement at Saint John's University. Chromy is a 1964 graduate of SJU and has been with CHF since 1996.

Founded in 1952, the Cooperative Housing Foundation - now known simply as CHF International - serves more than 20 million people each year, empowering them to improve their lives and livelihoods for a better future.

CHF currently has programs in more than 25 countries around the world, across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and the Caucasus and the Middle East.

Chromy will be a part of two public events, which are free and open to the public, during his residency from March 19-22.

Chromy will give a public lecture titled "The Experiences of a Humanitarian Crusader in a Chaotic World" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, in room 264, Quadrangle Building, SJU.

He will also moderate a student debate titled "Global Financial Markets are Nothing More than the World's Largest Casino" at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 19, in room 264, Quadrangle Building, SJU.

While at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, Chromy will also speak to several classes, visit with faculty and staff, deliver a "Lunch and Learn" talk for the Benedictine Institute of Saint John's titled "The Adventures and Misadventures of Alumnus John Chromy: Sharing Benedictine Values Around the World" and speak at a local Rotary club luncheon.

Chromy has extensive experience in non-profit management, organizational development in international settings, sustainability and fundraising in the private sector. He also pioneered CHF's unique "Bottom-up Community Participation and Self-Help Planning" approach to economic development, job creation, community stabilization and infrastructure re-construction. He brings a broad experience in managing programs designed to help low-income people on the community and local government level, and currently manages CHF's relationships with the U.S. Congress and the Department of Defense.

Chromy is the fifth person to serve a McCarthy residency, which showcases the work and skills of someone who has a distinguished career in public service, policy or politics through a week-long on-campus residency. The primary purpose of the residency is to give students at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University extended access to someone with real knowledge and wisdom about policy, civic engagement and public life.

Previous residents have included Al Eisele '58, editor-at-large of The Hill and former press secretary to Vice President Walter Mondale; former U.S. Sen. Dave Durenberger '55; Sean Kershaw, executive director of the Citizens League; and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, professor of communication in the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.