CASE Announces 2026 Latin America Individual Achievement Award Winners
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 CASE Latin America Individual Achievement Awards. Dr. Eduardo Behrentz has been awarded the CASE Distinguished Service Award, and Dr. Fernando León-García has received the CASE Leadership Award. The awards were presented at Congreso 2026 in Mérida, Mexico on Tuesday, April 21.
Dr. Eduardo Behrentz – CASE Latin America Distinguished Service Award
The CASE Distinguished Service Award celebrates inspirational advancement professionals whose accomplishments and service to CASE have made a significant and lasting impact on institutional advancement.
As President of the Superior Council and Rector at the Colombo German University Foundation, Dr. Eduardo Behrentz has led the institution to higher levels of educational advancement. His work has focused on alumni relations, partnership development, and revenue diversification, as well as regional representation through his involvement with CASE. Previously, he served as President at Colombian Learning Institute (INCAP) and served the University of the Andes in Colombia in various roles over the course of 9 years.
His contributions to the institutional advancement sector in Latin America are far-reaching. Throughout his career at the Universidad de los Andes, the Fundacion Universitaria Colombo Germana, and beyond, he has demonstrated visionary leadership in consolidating strategies for institutional strengthening—strategies aimed at developing alumni communities, diversifying revenue sources, and fostering strategic alliances between academic institutions and stakeholders in the productive sector.
A longtime CASE volunteer, he has served as a member of the CASE Board of Trustees and the Latin America Regional Council. He has participated in the faculty of Diplomado, served as a judge for the Circle of Excellence Awards, and served on planning committees for Congreso and the CASE Summit for Advancement Leaders.
“El Dr. Eduardo Behrentz ha prestado un servicio prolongado, sólido y comprometido al avance institucional en la educación superior de Colombia y América Latina. A lo largo de su trayectoria, ha demostrado un liderazgo visionario y sostenido en la consolidación de estrategias de fortalecimiento institucional, orientadas al desarrollo de comunidades de egresados, la diversificación de fuentes de ingreso y la promoción de alianzas estratégicas entre instituciones académicas y actores del sector productive,” said Luz Esperanza Micán Díaz, Directora Nacional de Crecimiento Profesional de la Fundacion Universitaria del Area Andina.
Dr. Fernando León García – CASE Latin America Leadership Award
The CASE Leadership Award celebrates CASE member institutional chief executive officers, college and university system heads, and trustees for outstanding efforts in promoting the value of education and supporting advancement at their campuses.
Dr. Fernando León García is an undisputed leader in the global education sector. He has been rector of CETYS University since 2010, leading the institution to institutional and program accreditation in the United States (WASC, ACBSP, ABET), and advancing one of the highest student mobility rates in Mexico. Previously, as Chancellor of City University of Seattle’s International Division, he oversaw programs, campuses, and sites across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. He also served as the president of the International Association of University Presidents from 2021-2024.
A hallmark of his leadership is connecting people and institutions around the world. He has cultivated partnerships among universities and corporations within the region and around the world. He is a global advocate for the importance of education worldwide, and the role educational institutions play in transforming communities – locally and globally. Dr. León-García’s collaborative approach mirrors CASE’s values and global vision of advancing education to transform lives and society. He has advocated for CASE and for the profession of educational advancement around the world.
A dedicated CASE volunteer, he served a six-year tenure on the CASE Board of Trustees, including service on the Executive Committee and the Finance and Audit Committee among others. He served as inaugural chair of the CASE Latin America Regional Council, and has shared his expertise at countless CASE events and conferences, and hosted Congreso at CETYS.
“Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Fernando León García has exemplified the highest standards of visionary leadership. Under his guidance, CETYS Universidad has not only advanced its own reputation and success but has also become a model of excellence within the broader higher education community,” said Arturo Cherbowski Lask, Executive Director, Santander Universities.
For more information about the CASE Individual Achievement Awards and Congreso 2026, please visit www.case.org.
About CASE
CASE—the Council for Advancement and Support of Education—is a global, not-for-profit membership association with a vision to advance education to transform lives and society.
CASE is the home for advancement professionals, inspiring, challenging, and equipping them to act effectively and with integrity to champion the success of their institutions. CASE defines the competencies and standards for the profession of advancement, leading, and championing their dissemination and application with more than 97,000 advancement professionals at 3,100 member institutions in 80 countries.
Broad and growing communities of professionals gather under the global CASE umbrella. Currently these include alumni relations, development services, communications, fundraising, government relations, and marketing. These professionals are at all stages of their careers and may be working in universities, schools, colleges, cultural institutions, or other not-for-profits. CASE uses the intellectual capital and professional talents of a community of international volunteers to advance its work, and its membership includes many educational partners who work closely with the educational sector.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., CASE works across all continents from its regional offices in London, Singapore, and Mexico City to achieve a seamless experience for all its stakeholders, particularly its members, volunteers, and staff.