Sandra McCormick, MSSW ’72, A Career Focused on International Work

For most of her career, Sandra McCormick developed programs to improve the health, human services, and quality of life for many citizens of Russia, the Ukraine, and numerous other countries.  While serving in a leadership role at La Crosse, Wisconsin’s Gundersen Health System in the early 1990’s, she led local efforts to build a partnership including two La Crosse health care organizations, city and county health officials, and members of La Crosse’s Sister City program with Dubna, Russia.  

In 2001, as a continuation of her work as vice-president of community and regional services at Gundersen Health System, she founded World Services of La Crosse. A non-profit organization, it initially operated with funding secured from the Library of Congress to launch the Open World Program, which supported professional exchange programs in former Soviet countries. Sandra also secured funding from the USAID (The United States Agency for International Development), which was interested in developing ties with the opening of Russia to the west. World Services, primarily with the support of volunteers from some 20 U.S. states, expanded through international professional exchange and technical assistance programs, to become a leader in providing real-life experiences and sustainable services in the countries it serves.

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