The Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program (AILAS), has announced the launch of the Woody and Gayle Hunt Aspen Institute Fellowship Alumni Network.
The announcement was made during an event hosted at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso where program alumni, partners and supporters came together to celebrate, network, and educate themselves and others about the Aspen Institute’s Woody and Gayle Hunt Fellowship program. The launch of the Hunt Fellowship alumni chapter also marks the first official chapter of the larger AILAS Alumni Network, with over 400 alumni throughout the U.S. and Mexico.
The kickoff event in El Paso, Texas, was co-sponsored by Sundt Construction and TTUHSC El Paso with featured keynotes by philanthropist Woody L. Hunt, senior chairman of Hunt Companies and chairman of the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation, and Domenika Lynch, executive director of the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program. Alumni also had the opportunity to share their transformative experiences from their individual programs.
“The Borderplex region, with its Latino-majority population and binational economy and culture, has a wealth of knowledge and experience that’s invaluable to the growth of all participants of Aspen Institute leadership programs,” Lynch said. “We are grateful to our partners, the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation, for creating opportunities for talented area leaders to have a seat at the table and have a profound impact on other leaders throughout the nation and in their communities.”
Since the launch of the first cohort in 2020, 25 individuals have completed the Woody and Gayle Hunt Aspen Institute Fellowship, a scholarship program managed by AILAS that serves to increase the participation of individuals from the Borderplex Region (El Paso, Texas; Ciudad Juárez, Mexico; Las Cruces, New Mexico) in Aspen Institute programming.
The El Paso alumni chapter aims to promote continued development of leadership skills of alumni through exposure to world-class programming and connections to new networks. The inaugural El Paso alumni chapter will be led by Andrea S. Tawney, Ph.D., vice president for Institutional Advancement at TTUHSC El Paso and Hunt Fellow of the Aspen Executive Seminar.
“Through the Hunt Aspen Fellowship, residents of the Borderplex region are able to participate in world-renowned thought convenings that help elevate the viewpoints of our unique region. Participants then have access to an extensive alumni network that continues to deepen and serve as a vehicle for more. opportunity in the Borderland,” said Woody L. Hunt “One of our Foundation’s top priorities is ensuring that the deep expertise of members of our community are celebrated.”
For more information on Aspen Institute programs, to be a partner organization, or to learn more about the Woody and Gayle Hunt Aspen Institute Fellowship, reach out to Silvia Green at [email protected].
