Santiago Mellado

Santiago "Jimmy" Heriberto Mellado (born April 6, 1963[1]), sometimes known as Jim, Jimmy, or James Mellado, is the President and CEO of Compassion International, a holistic child development organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world, which is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.[2] Mellado previously served as President of the Willow Creek Association (WCA) in South Barrington, Illinois, from 1993 to 2013.[3] He also competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics and 1987 Pan American Games as a decathlete.[1] He serves as a trustee for Fuller Theological Seminary and on the board of directors of the Al Oerter Foundation which runs the Art of the Olympians program.[4]

Santiago Mellado
Born	April 6, 1963 Santa Ana, El Salvador
Alma mater	Harvard University Southern Methodist University
Occupation	President and CEO of Compassion International
Years active	2013–present
Board member of	Fuller Theological Seminary, Al Oerter Foundation/Art of the Olympian
Spouse(s)	Leanne (m. 1986)
Children	Ester and son-in-law Matt, Elizabeth and son-in-law Matthew, Davy

Education

Mellado is a 1991 graduate of Harvard Business School. While a student at Harvard, he wrote a case study on the Willow Creek Community Church which has become a part of the curriculum at Harvard Business School.[5][6]

In 1985, he graduated cum laude with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.[7]

Olympic Games

Mellado competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, representing his birth nation, El Salvador, in the decathlon.[1] He placed 26th of 42 athletes who qualified,[8] and set six national records for the highest-ever performance in the decathlon, men's high jump, 400m, 110m high hurdles, pole vault, and javelin.[9] The decathlon record still stands as of January 2021.

Pan American Games

Mellado competed in the 1987 Pan American Games and placed fourth in the decathlon.[7]

Compassion International

Mellado became the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Compassion International in 2013 when he replaced retiring CEO Wess Stafford.[2]

Personal

He and his wife, Leanne, were married in 1986. They have three children, two sons-in-law, and three grandchildren.

References

1. "Santiago Mellado Bio, Stats, and Results". Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 2020-04-18. Retrieved 2014-03-27.
2. "Santiago "Jimmy" Mellado". Compassion International. Retrieved 2014-03-27.
3. "Who We Are". Willow Creek Association. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
4. "Art of the Olympians | Jimmy Mellado". artoftheolympians.org. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
5. Schlesinger, Leonard A.; Mellado, James. Willow Creek Community Church (A).
6. "Earthly Empires". BusinessWeek. 2005-05-23. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
7. "SMU Athletics: Alumnus Database". Retrieved 2011-12-15.
8. Todor Krastev (2009-08-20). "Men Decathlon Olympic Games 1988 Seoul (KOR) - 28,29.09". Retrieved 2014-03-27.
9. "Federations Zone / Zona de Federaciones". Retrieved 2014-03-27.