The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine is pleased to announce that Muscatine native and Muscatine High School graduate, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, will be the speaker at their 2021 Annual Meeting planned for Friday, October 8, 2021, at 6 PM. All are welcome to attend this free event, but reservations are requested.
Dr. Kim has devoted his life to changing global development, health, and education policies to shift people’s sense of what is possible. Kim was dubbed “the Healer” by Brown University.
He was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1959 and moved to Muscatine in fifth grade, with his parents Dr. Nhak Hee and Dr. Oaksook Kim, and siblings Bill and Heidi, when his father began practicing dentistry in our community. Kim's family resided on Colony Drive.
He was the 1978 Muscatine High School valedictorian, class president, and participated actively in extracurricular activities including Model UN, basketball, golf, and football. (Jim added that he was quarterback of the football team during the longest losing streak in Muscatine history.)
He earned his B.A. in Human Biology from Brown University and his Ph.D. in anthropology and M.D. from Harvard. It was there that he co-founded Partners in Health.
Dr. Kim has served in strategic national and global life-enhancing roles, including:
Vice-Chairman, Infrastructure Partners (2019-Present)
President, World Bank (2012-2019) - named to the position by Barack Obama
President, Dartmouth College (2009-2012)
Director, World Health Organization (2003-2006)
Professor and Lecturer, Harvard Medical School (1993-2009)
Co-Founder and Executive Director, Partners in Health (1987-2003)
Dr. Kim’s awards and honors include receiving a MacArthur Fellowship “genius” award, being named as one of America’s “25 Best Leaders” by U.S. News & World Report, receiving the Carnegie “Greatest Immigrants Award”, being named as one of the “50 Most Power People in the World” by Forbes magazine, and being recognized as one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World".
He is a sought-after speaker and contributor, presenting to the world’s most powerful leaders, as well as prestigious global health, economic, and student forums.
Dr. Kim and his work has been featured in “Mountains beyond Mountains”, Tracy Kidder’s best-selling book; in Ted Talk, “Doesn’t Everyone Deserve a Chance”; and on Netflix in the documentary “Bending the Arc”, produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
“Dr. Jim Kim’s work has saved countless lives, improved economies, modified philosophies, and impacted global policies. We are humbled and privileged that he will be returning to Muscatine to present at the Community Foundation’s annual meeting, sharing his work, vision, and a few memories from his youth.”
To RSVP to attend the Community Foundation’s 2021 Annual Meeting and hear Dr. Jim Yong Kim, visit jimkim.rsvpify.com or call 563-264-3863. The event will take place at 6 PM on Friday, October 8, 2021, at Calvary Auditorium. Any questions can be directed to the Community Foundation.