Eduardo Gutierrez, Founder
Eduardo Gutierrez has a broad experience working at the senior executive level for private, public and philanthropic organizations. For example, Mr. Gutierrez worked for the Community Services Administration (CSA) where he became CSA’s Director of Farm Worker Programs, funding national, regional and community-based farm worker programs through out the United States. He also worked for the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Department of Energy in Washington D. C. (1971-1981). In the private sector, he also worked for the Levi Strauss Foundation (1987-1988), and the Rockefeller Foundation’s Project Hope Initiative (1988-1989).
It was while working for the Rockefeller Foundation that he became interested in the idea to develop community-based alternative educational programs for at-risk youth and dropouts. Subsequently, he founded the Student Alternatives Program, Inc. in 1990. More recently, in 1998, Mr. Gutierrez was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his service to farm workers and their families by the Midwest Association of Farm Worker Organizations (MAFO). From 2003 to 2005, Mr. Gutierrez served as a member of the Region 19 Educational Services Center Board of Directors.
When and if he retires, his goal is to learn how to play the guitar well and sing Bob Dylan, George Strait and Jose Alfredo Jimenez songs on weekends with the Chubasco Brothers.
