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Portrait: Jeanne Schwaller's work takes her around the world
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By Michelle Brooks
News Tribune
While conducting research in New Zealand, Jeanne Schwaller found her niche.
Working one on one with agri-businessmen in Third World countries helps Schwaller avoid the often corrupt government bureacracy that may impede social progress and a traditional education for family breadwinners.
International Consulting And Business Training became a full-time career for Schwaller and her husband, Edward, in 1994.
Over the years, Schwaller has trained more than 2,000 international people in the U.S. and up to 15,000 people in 45 other countries. They travel about half of every year.
Many of the people Schwaller has worked with have become lifelong friends. They send e-mails, exchange gifts and Edward even gave away one Russian lady at her American wedding.
“We keep in contact with about 800 friends one way or another,” Schwaller said. “You have a sense of pride that in some way you touched their lives.
“But they've touched our lives, too,” she said.
Schwaller hopes to visit Egypt again to see the progress of a former student who has developed his dairy program.
“When we visited in 2000, literally everything he learned here he had done,” Schwaller said. “It was remarkable.”
This fellow created a trench for watering, a mud and thatch barn for shade, added nutrients to the livestock diet, kept impeccable records, and even formed a milk cooperative so the small farmers could get a better price in the market.
“I know we've made his life better,” Schwaller said. “If I can add one dollar a week to a developing world family's income, that's an incredible difference.
“I've figured out a niche that works for me and I have no intentions of quitting.”
She dislikes tourist traps, too. On a recent “vacation” to Iceland, she left her tour group headed to “some old ruin” to visit with a local dairy operator about prices, feed costs and their economic challenges.
Different cultures have their own nuances that Schwaller has learned over the years.
While teaching economics in the former Soviet system, she learned education was expected by buying grades, not attendance and test scores. And in developing countries, insect-infested and partially spoiled food may take up 80-90 percent of a home's disposable income, compared to the average American spending less than 30 percent on groceries. Or the interesting economic juxtaposition of China's communisit government and welcome of the free market.
But what she may enjoy most is coordinating appropriate industry tours and introductions for these non-traditional, international students who are seeking the knowledge of better ways for agriculture and business.
“On any given topic we can design a training program to meet their specific needs and backgrounds,” Schwaller said. “Every time I put together a program, I learn ten times more than the participants do.”
Most of her contracts come through the University of Missouri, the USDA and other government agencies.
“Wherever the aid money is flowing,” which is about 80 percent to Iraq and Afghanistan right now, she said. But she won't go there, she works primarily with Eastern Europe and African needs.
As she teaches eager farmers and businessmen, Schwaller continues her incessant priority for education and learning.
Schwaller missed only one semester of school in 31 years, pursuing her own education while working full-time and rearing a family.
“I grew up at a time when women had three career choices - be a secretary, a nurse or a teacher,” said Schwaller, who hated her years teaching high school and junior college business classes. “I was absolutely bound and determined I was going to have my Ph.D.”
Now she has two.
When Schwaller is home, she tends to her downstairs garden of more than 400 orchids and other tropical plants, as well as adding to an 800-piece Teddy bear collection.
“I never thought, living in Jefferson City, I'd be involved in living an international life,” Schwaller said. “But we do and we look at things here very differently now.”
Working one on one with agri-businessmen in Third World countries helps Schwaller avoid the often corrupt government bureacracy that may impede social progress and a traditional education for family breadwinners.
International Consulting And Business Training became a full-time career for Schwaller and her husband, Edward, in 1994.
Over the years, Schwaller has trained more than 2,000 international people in the U.S. and up to 15,000 people in 45 other countries. They travel about half of every year.
Many of the people Schwaller has worked with have become lifelong friends. They send e-mails, exchange gifts and Edward even gave away one Russian lady at her American wedding.
“We keep in contact with about 800 friends one way or another,” Schwaller said. “You have a sense of pride that in some way you touched their lives.
“But they've touched our lives, too,” she said.
Schwaller hopes to visit Egypt again to see the progress of a former student who has developed his dairy program.
“When we visited in 2000, literally everything he learned here he had done,” Schwaller said. “It was remarkable.”
This fellow created a trench for watering, a mud and thatch barn for shade, added nutrients to the livestock diet, kept impeccable records, and even formed a milk cooperative so the small farmers could get a better price in the market.
“I know we've made his life better,” Schwaller said. “If I can add one dollar a week to a developing world family's income, that's an incredible difference.
“I've figured out a niche that works for me and I have no intentions of quitting.”
She dislikes tourist traps, too. On a recent “vacation” to Iceland, she left her tour group headed to “some old ruin” to visit with a local dairy operator about prices, feed costs and their economic challenges.
Different cultures have their own nuances that Schwaller has learned over the years.
While teaching economics in the former Soviet system, she learned education was expected by buying grades, not attendance and test scores. And in developing countries, insect-infested and partially spoiled food may take up 80-90 percent of a home's disposable income, compared to the average American spending less than 30 percent on groceries. Or the interesting economic juxtaposition of China's communisit government and welcome of the free market.
But what she may enjoy most is coordinating appropriate industry tours and introductions for these non-traditional, international students who are seeking the knowledge of better ways for agriculture and business.
“On any given topic we can design a training program to meet their specific needs and backgrounds,” Schwaller said. “Every time I put together a program, I learn ten times more than the participants do.”
Most of her contracts come through the University of Missouri, the USDA and other government agencies.
“Wherever the aid money is flowing,” which is about 80 percent to Iraq and Afghanistan right now, she said. But she won't go there, she works primarily with Eastern Europe and African needs.
As she teaches eager farmers and businessmen, Schwaller continues her incessant priority for education and learning.
Schwaller missed only one semester of school in 31 years, pursuing her own education while working full-time and rearing a family.
“I grew up at a time when women had three career choices - be a secretary, a nurse or a teacher,” said Schwaller, who hated her years teaching high school and junior college business classes. “I was absolutely bound and determined I was going to have my Ph.D.”
Now she has two.
When Schwaller is home, she tends to her downstairs garden of more than 400 orchids and other tropical plants, as well as adding to an 800-piece Teddy bear collection.
“I never thought, living in Jefferson City, I'd be involved in living an international life,” Schwaller said. “But we do and we look at things here very differently now.”
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