Andy Mott
As a PCV, I taught in the National Development Department at Pahlavi University in Shiraz from 1965-67. In retrospect I realize how much I was handicapped by my lack of knowledge of the Middle East as I tried to be relevant in teaching Sociology and Modern Political Thought to young Iranians. Nevertheless, I loved the experience, had some terrific students – four of whom wound up teaching at US universities, and had great stories to tell my grandchildren.
Following Peace Corps, my entire career has been focused on helping low-income people, especially people of color, build strong organizations through which they tackle the issues which matter most to them. I worked for the national nonprofit Center for Community Change for 35 years, with my primary focus being providing advice and assistance on site to grassroots groups, helping with community organizing strategy, the development of people’s organizations, and issues related to housing, community development, and poverty. I ran the Field Program for CCC for 20 years, then acquiesced and was Executive Director for five years.
I left the Center to be free to focus full-time on my greatest interest and concern – finding new ways to bring grassroots and academic leaders together to design and launch new college Degree and Certificate programs geared to recruit and prepare people from low income and working class backgrounds for careers and leadership roles in community organizing and development. We now have over 450 students – 80% of whom are people of color – in programs in 8 cities, rural Mississippi, and the Fort Peck reservation in Montana, and I’m still working half-time, loving being a Senior Fellow (fancy term for old guy) rather than the Director.