U N I T E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F S T A T E

January 2003

StateStateM a g a z i n e

Putting Artin DiplomacyPutting Art

in Diplomacy

State Magazine (ISSN 1099–4165) is published monthly, exceptbimonthly in July and August, by the U.S. Department of State,2201 C St., N.W., Washington, DC. Periodicals postage paid atWashington, D.C., and at additional mailing locations. POSTMAS-TER: Send changes of address to State Magazine, HR/ER/SMG,SA-1, Room H-236, Washington, DC 20522-0108. State Magazineis published to facilitate communication between managementand employees at home and abroad and to acquaint employeeswith developments that may affect operations or personnel. The magazine is also available to persons interested in workingfor the Department of State and to the general public.

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Deadlines: Jan. 15 for March issue.Feb. 15 for April issue.

StateStateMagazine

Carl GoodmanEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dave KreckeWRITER/EDITOR

Deborah ClarkDESIGNER

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Florence FultzCHAIR

Jo Ellen PowellEXECUTIVE SECRETARY

Sylvia BazalaCynthia Bunton

Bill HaughBill Hudson

Jim LawrenceJim Trommatter

Under Secretary for Global Affairs PaulaDobriansky greets Kassie Neou, executive director of the Cambodian Institute of HumanRights, at the Community of Democracies ministerial conference in Seoul.

A Community of Democracies

In our next issue:

10 Office of the Month: Art in EmbassiesThey hang American culture on embassy walls.

15 Post of the Month: Banjul, The GambiaAfrica’s smallest country is on the move.

18 Getting SMARTThe Department streamlines its messaging systems.

19 From Warthog to WarehouseA former aircraft plant now holds household effects.

21 ‘Kamp Kabul’The amenities may be limited but the rewards are limitless.

24 Pickering FellowsProgram continues to attract talented candidates.

26 FSN ConferenceForum stimulates useful dialogue.

28 Understanding Across CulturesWorking with Americans has its challenges.

30 Hungarian Health InitiativeThe ambassador leads a cancer awareness campaign.

StateContents

D e p a r t m e n t o f S t a t e • U n i t e d S t a t e s o f A m e r i c a

StateMagazine

January 2003No. 464

C O L U M N S

2 From the Secretary

9 Direct from the D.G.

D E P A R T M E N T S

3 Letters to the Editor

4 In the News

32 Medical Report

34 People Like You

35 Personnel Actions

36 Obituaries

On the CoverPeace Over Hate

Shirley Jo Falconer

Quilt crafted by the artist and scheduled to be displayed in the

ambassador’s residence in Islamabad.Photo courtesy of the artist, Hillsboro, OR

21

10

Artist Valentina DuBasky and U.S.Ambassador to Estonia JosephDeThomas discuss her work at a reception in the ambassador’sresidence in Tallinn.

U N I T E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F S T A T E

January 2003

StateStateM a g a z i n e

Putting Artin DiplomacyPutting Art

in Diplomacy

Girls, as well as boys,can now attend school in Afghanistan. Under theTaliban, girls over the ageof eight were denied aneducation. Now, 30-35 percent of all students are girls.

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FROM THE SECRETARYSECRETARY COLIN L. POWELL

Starting Off the New Year Right

In January 2001, when I first addressed the men and womenof the State Department, I said that I looked forward to

advancing President Bush’s foreign policy as well as to beingchief executive officer of the Department and leading its dedi-cated employees.

In just two years, we have accomplished much together forour country and the world. There is much more that we willaccomplish together in 2003. I want to devote this opening col-umn of 2003 to a subject near and dear to this CEO’s heart: thequality of life improvements that Under Secretary forManagement Grant Green and his team are making for ouremployees here and abroad.

Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage, Under Secretary Greenand I believe that good management is good leadership. Peopleare any organization’s most valuable asset, and good StateDepartment managers help good people make diplomacy workfor our nation. We want to see good management practicedthroughout the State Department, both at home and overseas.And we are confident that the various members of our M familywill lead by example.

We depend on our first-rate administrators to equip and runour worldwide operations and our highly skilled informationtechnology specialists to keep our communications systems upand running. Our human resources personnel and our instruc-tors at the Foreign Service Institute must work in close partner-ship to get us the right people in the right places at the right timewith the right training. Our resource management team mustensure that we find the best match of money and policy priori-ties. Our consular officers must stand ever vigilant on the front-lines of our homeland’s defense, helping us prevent the entry ofthose who would do harm, even as we maintain the fundamen-tal openness to the world that gives our country so muchdynamism. In today’s heightened threat environment, our diplo-matic security team must stand ready 24/7, protecting ouremployees, information and facilities.

Whatever the component of our M family, the goal of all thepurchasing, planning, hiring, wiring, training, tracking, coordi-nating and constructing is to create the most secure, efficient andhospitable conditions possible, so that the Department’s men andwomen can best serve our country. Under Secretary Green and Iare working closely to ensure that this happens. Here are high-lights from 2002: ■ The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations has put in placeour first strategic capitalization plan for constructing new, securefacilities and rehabilitating existing structures at our foreign mis-sions. During 2002, 15 new embassy complexes were under con-struction and 45 rehabilitation projects were under way. ■ We are making great improvements in our domestic facilities.At the Harry S Truman Building, the cafeteria has undergone a

2 State Magazine

welcome facelift. The Associated General Contractors ofAmerica named the Foggy Bottom complex the best federal ren-ovation project in the Washington Metropolitan Area. TheEmployee Services Center now has state-of-the-art communica-tions and office equipment. Soon, we will have a sleeker, moremodern look in the corridors that will improve aesthetics andease navigation at headquarters. The 3,000 square-foot expan-sion of the Columbia Plaza Child Care Center is near comple-tion and we now offer a child care subsidy program for eligibleemployees here in the United States.■ We have disbursed $2 million in student loan repayments tomore than 400 employees, making the Department’s program thelargest in the federal government.■ We have entered a partnership with America Online to equipU.S.-sponsored overseas schools with the latest learning tools.■ In 2002, we hired record numbers—some 1,200 ForeignService and 700 Civil Service employees, a net gain of about 780Foreign Service and 280 Civil Service employees over attrition.That’s more people to help us meet daunting 21st century chal-lenges and relieve the stress of understaffing.■ To expand training opportunities for our employees acrossthe globe, the Foreign Service Institute’s new FasTrac andSmartForce distance learning programs offer thousands ofcourses through Internet or OpenNet.

We have awarded new contracts to improve performanceand customer service in handling household effects. Now, asingle company will handle all of an employee’s shipments.Liability also coverage has been increased significantly.■ We obtained a new zip code for personal overseas pouchmail, shortening delivery times and eliminating irradiationdamage. ■ We have expanded access to business class for our employeesand family members when they must travel in excess of 14hours. We looked at the provisions of the Fly America Act andmade it easier to use foreign flag carriers between two overseaspoints, even if the trip originates or ends in the United States.And we have updated our airfreight regulations to reflect theneeds of a modern American family.■ To reduce the disincentive of overseas postings to ForeignService employees nearing retirement, we have worked suc-cessfully within the Administration and with Congress to enact“virtual locality pay.”■ And we are well on the way to meeting our goal of bringingall 30,000 of our employees onto the OpenNet Plus system, put-ting Internet access and e-mail on each of your unclassifiedworkstations by the end of 2003.

These are just a few of the improvements we have made tosupport our people. Others are in the works. Stay tuned formore in the New Year. ■

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Where Credit Is Really Due

In the October issue, WarrickElrod rightly notes in his letter to theeditor the key contribution the lateJacques Reinstein made in establish-ing the much-praised economics-training program at the ForeignService Institute.

He is too modest to mention hisown important role in setting up theprogram—probably more noteworthythan that of any other individual’s. Iwas a member of the first FSI econom-ics training class that ran from Januarythrough June 1966. Mr. Elrod didmuch of the teaching himself and wasin daily contact with all 16 members ofthe class. None of us had ever previ-ously studied economics seriously.His conscientious supervision andencouragement and his unbounded

enthusiasm made six months of totalimmersion in the dismal science bothinteresting and fun. He established atradition of excellence that happily hasbeen continued.

Intensive economics training is oneof the most notable FSI success stories,but it would not have happened with-out Warrick Elrod’s contributions.

Walter A. Lundy Retired FSO Arlington, Va.

More on MovingI enjoyed Ryan Uyehara’s article

in the November issue describing ateen’s view of moving as a memberof the Foreign Service community. Iam confident the article accuratelyportrays his attitudes and feelings.

I agree that the most difficult chal-lenge we have faced during our 13-

Corrections

A photograph on page12 in November’s issueshows April Spearassisting a customer atthe passport desk inAAFSW’s housing sec-tion. The caption in-correctly identifiedher as Marguerite Fry.

In the article titled “Understand-ing the Past” by Valeria Brunori inthe November issue, we incorrectlyedited the text to say that MarcusAurelius built the wall around thecity in the third century. Ms. Brunori,the embassy curator, corrects ourerror by reminding us that, “The for-tified wall around Rome was begunby Emperor L. Domitius Aurelianusin 271 AD and was completed underthe reign of Emperor Probus.”

year career has been breaking thebonds with those with whom we’veshared the “post” experience. But Ialso believe life abroad offers ourchildren many advantages that faroutweigh the disadvantages.

Our biggest concern over theyears was how our sons wouldadjust when they returned to theUnited States. I recently asked bothif they would have preferred toremain stateside rather than spendtheir early lives overseas. Theiranswer: a resounding “NO.”

Our sons, both college students,realize their experiences abroad,interacting with people of differentreligions and cultures cannot beequaled. They now have a “world-view.”

Susan StreetFMAPanama

From the EditorThe Art in Embassies program, our Office of the Month, permits

ambassadors to select outstanding examples of American art to displayin their official residences while they’re serving abroad. After a modestbeginning in 1963, during President Kennedy’s Administration, the pro-gram now has approximately 3,500 original works of art worth an esti-mated $85 million in some 180 embassy residences.

The program offers American artists a unique way to become knownin other countries and, as the program’s first director, Nancy Kefauver,said, does “something constructive about those bare white walls in theembassies abroad.”

Bare walls were pretty much what those returning to the former U.S.Embassy in Kabul found last December after U.S.-led coalition forcesdefeated the Taliban. The quarters may have been cramped and the foodundistinguished, but life at “Kamp Kabul” was anything but boring,according to Sally Hodgson, a public diplomacy officer with the Bureau ofPopulation, Refugees and Migration, who spent six months there.

The incidence of breast cancer is rising in Hungary and the U.S.Embassy has joined that country’s government and others to forge ahealthy nation program focused on prevention. This spring, the embassywill host an American scientist in residence who will help implement ahealthy lifestyles program. Ambassador Nancy Goodman Brinker, whohas spent most of her life fighting breast cancer, is leading the charge.

Finally, from all of us at State Magazine to all of you, Happy New Year.

January 2003 3

I N T H E N E W S

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Colleagues applaud Mildred Carter for her long, dedicated service.

Retirees Honored for Their Service

Known for his enjoyment of mingling with the “troops,”Secretary Colin L. Powell recently presided proudly at aspecial ceremony marking the retirement of 111 Depart-ment employees with a combined service of 3,500 years.

“As you retire from the Foreign Service or CivilService, you take much with you, but you also leavemuch behind,” the Secretary told the honorees gatheredNov. 15 in the Benjamin Franklin Room before a crowd ofmore than 100 guests.

Whether as passport examiners or political officers,administrative assistants or assistant secretaries, theSecretary said, “You made important contributions to thesuccess of American diplomacy.”

Ambassador Ruth A. Davis, director general of theForeign Service and director of Human Resources, con-gratulated the honorees for having made the “A List”through lifelong careers of dedicated public service reach-ing back nearly a half century, to 1957.

The group included eight ambassadors, an assistantsecretary and employees from every bureau and nearlyevery Foreign Service post. Secretary Powell observed

4 State Magazine

Director General Ruth Davisaddresses retirees and theirguests.

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Director General Ruth Davisaddresses retirees and theirguests.

that with so many languages represented among theretirees, they could start a language school of their own.

While the retirees’ average length of service was 30years, Mildred Carter, who started as a secretary typist in1957, took a bow as the longest-serving employee.

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The U.S. Air Force String Quartet performs at the ceremony.

I N T H E N E W S

Videoconferencing: Dialogues with Communities in Need

Preparing a post for a possible evacuation, whetherauthorized or ordered, is no easy feat. All members of thecommunity must be accounted for. Who is staying? Whois leaving? How do employees and spouses getallowance payments? Who can apply to reside in a for-eign safehaven? What are the differences betweenDepartment of State regulations and those of the mili-tary? Has everyone leaving post provided Washingtonwith contact information? Who’s flying out on whatplane? What about schooling for the kids? The details aremind-boggling.

When management at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait helda contingency planning workshop to prepare their com-munity for a possible evacuation, the exercise raised evenmore questions. While printed material can prove a trust-ed source, post management sought a more creative wayto answer questions still pending in the minds of theircommunity. Working through community liaison officerLois Riffle, the post held a digital videoconference with

the Family Liaison Office and representatives from theOffice of Resource Management, the Office ofAllowances, the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, theOperations Center and the military.

Ninety percent of the information about post evacua-tions is straightforward and available in FLO’s publica-tions and on its web site. “It’s the remaining 10 percentthat we worry about,” says Faye G. Barnes, director of theFamily Liaison Office. “I’m speaking of those little twistsand turns that aren’t answered in the Q’s and A’s, theinterpretation of the regulations or special circumstancessome families face and require careful attention on thepart of FLO,” she says.

The videoconference with Kuwait lasted one-and-a-half hours and with all assembled—in Washington and atthe post—addressed many looming concerns and helpedto better prepare all involved in the event of a crisis. Thisis the second time the Family Liaison Office has hosted avideoconference with an overseas post.

January 2003 5

Action officers on the Washington side prepare to answer evacuation questions posed by the embassy in Kuwait.

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I N T H E N E W S

Recycling HelpsState’s Families

Are you aware that the Department’s recycling pro-gram generates over $40,000 a year in tuition assistancefor families with children at our Diplotots ChildDevelopment Center? Child care can be a 20 percent bur-den on some families’ incomes. Please remember thatwhen you recycle newspapers, mixed and white paper,cans, plastics, glass and toner cartridges, you are reallyhelping deserving families and their kids. The Office ofFacilities Maintenance Services is seeking to expand therecycling program beyond its current sites. If you do nothave access to recycling resources, call (202) 647-6544.Your efforts make a difference for our kids.

Diplotots is run by one of the most highly rated childcare providers in the Washington area, and it providesfull-time and drop-in care from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for infants

6 State Magazine

and children up to 5 years old. Its curriculum promotesstrong language skills and social development withclasses in computers, dance and foreign languages. If youneed additional information on Diplotots or tuition assis-tance, call (202) 663-3555.

Bureau of Administration recyclers help Diplotots feed the frog contain-ing recycled cans.

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Kiev Embassy Runs for LifeKiev Embassy Runs for Life

Runners Raise Funds

More than three dozen members of the U.S. Embassycommunity participated in a three-kilometer run throughthe center of Kiev to raise money to fight Ukraine’s grow-ing AIDS epidemic. They joined 3,600 Ukrainians, includ-ing the minister of health, several pop stars and an Olympicgold medalist in the country’s first annual race of its kind.

The race raised roughly $5,000 for equipment and therenovation of an AIDS hospice. Ukraine has an estimatedhalf million HIV-positive citizens and one of the fastestgrowing rates of infection in the world. AIDS awarenessactivities are relatively new to the country.

In addition to the Race for Life, the United Nationsheld a health fair and distributed information aboutAIDS prevention. Several other races were held on thesame day in other cities around Ukraine.

Combating AIDS and preventing discrimination againstpeople with HIV in Ukraine are key embassy priorities.USAID provides grants to organizations that help educatehigh-risk groups, supports a study of access to reproduc-tive health services for HIV-positive women and funds aprogram to prevent transmission of HIV from mothers tochildren. U.S. Department of Labor programs support non-discriminatory practices and services in the workplace.

I N T H E N E W S

Guard Your Card

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Former Contractor Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudFormer State Department contract employee Crystal N.

Green pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to com-mit wire fraud in the U.S. District Court for the District ofColumbia on Sept. 18.

According to the plea agreement, Ms. Green, whoprocessed paperwork concerning employee travel creditcards, used her position to defraud money from severalDepartment employees. She passed credit card and iden-tifying information, under her control as part of her offi-cial duties, to three co-conspirators.

On at least 18 occasions in May 2001, Ms. Green and herco-conspirators posed as Department employees, providedWestern Union with the employees’ credit card and person-al information, and then requested that money from thosecredit cards be paid to them and others without the employ-ees’ authorization. She and one of her co-conspirators evenused employee credit cards for personal purchases.

Green admitted in court documents to defraudingemployees and others of $12,303.

An alert Diplomatic Security employee in the SanFrancisco field office learned of the scheme whenWestern Union called her to verify approval for a wiretransfer from her Department Citibank credit card.Apparently, someone with her credit card and personalinformation was attempting to transfer funds to anotherunknown individual. The employee notified the DSOffice of Professional Responsibility and the office start-ed an investigation.

DS special agent Clay Swisher conducted a 13-monthinvestigation that revealed at least 17 other State

Yamin Georgian, a Helsinki International School student, joinsAmbassador Bonnie McElveen-Hunter next to a mural called“Liberty Dancing.” Yamin painted her mural on a wall of thechancery.

Liberty Dances onthe Embassy’s Wall

Department employees had been victimized by thisscheme. Some had not even realized there were fraudulentcharges on their Citibank credit cards. Special agent TimPittman assisted Department of Justice trial attorneys dur-ing the plea bargain phase of the case and the subsequentinvestigation of Ms. Green for obstruction of justice.

The former contractor faces a maximum of five years inprison and a $250,000 fine at her January sentencing hear-ing. As part of her plea agreement, she acknowledgedthat an increase in sentence would be appropriate forobstruction of justice for acts she committed after herindictment, including making a threatening phone call toa potential witness. Her three co-conspirators have alsopleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

Diplomatic Security reminds employees to diligentlyprotect their personal information and pay close atten-tion to their monthly credit card statements. Suspiciouscharges on Department Citibank travel cards should bereported immediately to Citibank and the Office ofFinancial Management and Policy. ■

January 2003 7

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Serrano Scholars Visit State

l

The State Department recently hostednine students participating in ColumbiaUniversity’s Serrano Scholars Program aspart of an initiative to prepare nontradi-tional college students for leadership rolesin foreign affairs and national defense.

Human Resources recruiters briefed thestudents about the different career opportu-nities available in the Department, includingthe Foreign Service and Civil Service, as wellas the various student programs State spon-sors. Participants toured the DiplomaticReception Rooms and the Operations Centerand had a brief visit with Secretary Powell.

The Serrano Scholars Program is admin-istered through a partnership with HostosCommunity College, the City University ofNew York and Columbia University’sSchool of General Studies and School ofInternational and Public Affairs. The pro-gram honors José Serrano, U.S. representa-tive for New York’s 16th District, who wasinstrumental in the program’s conception.

Last spring, the Department awarded a $1 milliongrant to Columbia to start the program. This year, Stateawarded the university a $1.5 million grant. The programis currently funded by grants from the Departments ofState, Education and Defense.

The Serrano Scholars Program provides students with

Secretary Powe

8 State Magazine

Seth and Anisha Foti in Hong Kong.

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scholarships that include tuition and fees, plus stipendsfor full-time study for six years—two at HostosCommunity College and two each at Columbia’s Schoolsof General Studies and International Public Affairs.

There are four students from academic year 2001-02and five from year 2002–03. ■

President Signs Foti Bill

President Bush has signed a private bill granting

Anisha Goveas Foti eligibility for permanent residencystatus. Anisha is the widow of diplomatic courier SethFoti, who was tragically killed in the crash of Gulf AirFlight 62 off the coast of Bahrain on Aug. 23, 2000.

Seth and Anisha had been married only two-and-a-half months. He was the sixth person killed in the line ofduty in the 82-year history of the Diplomatic CourierService.

Congressman Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) was instrumentalin the passage of the bill the President signed Nov. 5.Former U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain Johnny Young;Kendall Montgomery, director of the Office of CasualtyAssistance; and others in the Bureau of DiplomaticSecurity worked tirelessly on Anisha’s behalf.

DIRECT FROM THE D.G.AMBASSADOR RUTH A. DAVIS

Diplomats in Residence

In August 2001 when I wel-comed the first Diplomats-in-Residence to serve under theSecretary’s Diplomatic Readi-ness Initiative, I challengedthem with the highest ofexpectations. I told them that

my number one priority was to hirethe best people in the right numbers tomake our personnel system wholeagain and that they were going to playa vital role in ensuring our success. Ineffect, we changed the focus of theprogram to put the DIRs on the frontlines of our recruitment efforts.

Almost 18 months later, I am happyto report that there has been unprece-dented interest in the Foreign ServiceExam and record hiring for FY 2002 inthe Civil Service and the ForeignService. Our DIRs have been critical components in ourrecruitment success.

I asked these senior Foreign Service recruiters toexpand recruitment beyond their campuses to their com-munities. They responded by extending their recruitingto military bases, professional organizations, highschools and career fairs, among other places.

Our Diplomatic Readiness Initiative allowed us to offerour DIRs new tools—from a nationwide ad campaign toa shortened hiring time frame—to assist them in theirwork. Most important, the program has the full supportof the Secretary, the under secretary for Management andthe Bureau of Human Resources.

The 14 DIRs for the 2002–03 academic year are posted atuniversities in Washington, D.C., New York, Georgia, NewMexico, North Carolina, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana,Texas, Arizona, California and Oklahoma. Four schools—the universities of New Mexico, Arizona, Texas andFlorida International University—have significantHispanic enrollments. Howard University, MorehouseCollege, Jackson State and Florida A&M University arehistorically black institutions.

The 14 DIRs at these schools represent 364 years of col-lective experience. Among them are four former ambas-sadors. Going from chief of mission to DIR is not as diffi-cult a transition as you would think!

The DIR’s job is not an easy one.While some teach classes, moderateseminars or serve as guest lecturers,their primary role is representing and “selling” the State Departmentthroughout their region. They encour-age people to sign up and take theForeign Service Written Exam. Theymentor exam “passers,” explain theoral assessment process and describelife in the State Department. Theyadvertise openings for Foreign Servicespecialists. They circulate Civil Servicevacancy announcements and distrib-ute information about our varied stu-dent intern opportunities. They arethe faces of the Department of State intheir communities.

Steve Browning, our DIR at theUniversity of California at Davis,

attended a career fair recently in the San Francisco Bay area.The fair was targeted at students majoring in the hard sci-ences and engineering. Steve was there because he knowswe are aggressively trying to bolster the ranks of ForeignService officers who “speak science.” Besides encouragingdozens of science majors to sign up for the Foreign ServiceWritten Exam, Steve met with faculty members andexplained career opportunities their students could havewith the Department. The next day he received an e-mailmessage from a faculty member who was so enthusiasticabout the concept of “science diplomacy” that he inquiredabout how he might join the Foreign Service.

Our DIRs are our most senior officers. They have takenthe opportunity to give something back to the Departmentafter long and very successful careers. They are dedicatedand work long hours, often on their own time. But I knowand they know that there is tremendous satisfaction to begained through daily interaction with the young peoplewho one day will walk through our doors. In fact, thisyear, as the program has expanded and the word has got-ten out, we have had a banner year of bidders, and all DIRpositions for next year have been filled.

Should you consider becoming a DIR? Absolutely, par-ticularly if you want to encourage and shape the futureleadership of the Department. What an enjoyable way toestablish a legacy! ■

January 2003 9

Office of the Month:

A R T I N E M B A S S I E S

ArtThe

of Visual Diplomacy“Each work of art becomes a diplomatic instrument,

each artist an ambassador.”CO L I N L. PO W E L L, SE C R E TA RY O F STAT E

Cohn Drennan, left, and Elizabeth Ash carefullyunpack a painting shipped from Islamabad.

Hervy Wolff manages the program’s Rosslyn office.

W

Story by Elizabeth AshPhotos by Dave Krecke

hen Anne Johnson tells peopleshe’s the new director of the State

Department’s Art in EmbassiesProgram, they often congratulate

her for landing such a glamorous job.In reality, there’s more work than glam-

our in the job. For Ms. Johnson and herstaff, art is serious business.

Established in 1964, the Art in Embassies Program, partof the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, exhibitsoriginal works of art by U.S. citizens in the representa-tional or public rooms of U.S. embassy residences world-wide. These art exhibitions, on loan from a variety ofsources, play an important role in U.S. public diplomacy.They showcase the quality, scope and diversity of our artand culture for the many international citizens who visitU.S. Embassy residences each year.

Lenders receive no financial compensation for their par-ticipation. They are motivated by a sense of civic generos-ity to share their work with international audiences and byan appreciation of art’s power to bring people together

Michael Cole and Marcia Mayo study magazines for graphics ideas forthe program’s web site.

Dr. Elizabeth Broun, director of the SmithsonianInstitution’s American Art Museum, writes, “It makes meproud that the museum participates in a program thatplaces the best of American art in our diplomatic resi-dences abroad…giving voice to our ideals and helpingmake friends for our country overseas.” Currently, thereare more than 3,500 works exhibited in approximately180 embassy residences worldwide.

An Art in Embassies exhibition begins when a newlyconfirmed U.S. ambassador meets with the program’scuratorial team. To prepare for this meeting, curatorsdetermine approximately how many works of art will beneeded, given the residence’s representational rooms andthe budget for shipping. The team considers such factorsas security, climate and the host country’s cultural tradi-tions. The curatorial staff collaborates with the ambassa-dor to develop a cohesive exhibition.

Once the curators have defined an exhibition’s scope,they spend several weeks researching and eventually rec-ommending artists and specific works of art to be includ-ed. Artists range from those with international reputa-tions to talented regional and emerging artists. Worksrepresent almost all media and styles. In the final stage ofthe curatorial process, the curators use floor plans, pho-tographs and personal experience to place the art whereit will have the most impact.

Once the artwork is secured and insured, the exhibi-tion inventory goes to the program’s registrar. Workingwith private fine art handling and shipping companies,the registrar coordinates the assembly of the works, theirspecialized packing and crating and eventual air ship-ment to post. The terms of loans, particularly those frommuseums, often include strict requirements to ensurethat fragile and valuable works are delivered safely fromPoint A (an artist’s studio in Lincoln, Neb., for example)to Point B (perhaps the ambassador’s residence in Tirana,Albania).

January 2003 11

Freedom of Speech, a ceramic tile work byCalifornia artist Jessica Phrogus, will arrive atthe U.S. ambassador’s residence in Caracasearly next spring as part of the exhibition“Democracy—A Work in Progress.”

Lenders, particularly museums, often require that thework be accompanied by a courier, not a diplomaticcourier but someone who ensures that the precious cargo

12 State Magazine

The author, left, and office director Anne Johnson discuss an artist’s letter.

is not bumped from a shipment or improperly loadedonto the aircraft. When an exhibition arrives overseas, theembassy’s general service officers typically arrange for itsdelivery and installation.

Creating and shipping an exhibition usually takesabout six to eight months from the initial meeting with anambassador to installation. Once an exhibition arrives incountry, it typically remains on view for the three years ofthe ambassador’s tenure. During that period, hundreds,if not thousands, of local citizens will visit the embassyresidence. The ambassador and embassy staff are encour-aged to use the exhibitions as catalysts for discussing cul-ture, values, interests and beliefs.

Ambassadors may request that the program produce1,000 copies of a bilingual exhibition catalogue. The pub-lications director works closely with ambassadors, publicaffairs officers and the Department’s printing offices inVienna and Manila to produce these catalogues. Each cat-alogue includes the ambassador’s introduction, a colorreproduction and description of each work, profiles ofthe artists and acknowledgment of the lenders. The cata-logues are valuable for explaining the exhibition, butthey are also attractive gifts for official embassy guests.

Art in Embassies has a new outreach program,American Artists Abroad, created to extend its exhibi-tions beyond the walls of embassy residences into localcommunities. American artists and lenders to the pro-gram visit foreign capitals where their works are on dis-

American Artists Abroad

Artist Karen Koblitz with Russian ceramists in Moscow.

he Art in Embassies program recently con-cluded the first round of its new American

Artists Abroad initiative. From September toOctober 2002, six artist-lenders visited sevencountries where they participated in a series of

public cultural activities.In Moscow, ceramist Karen Koblitz delivered lectures

at the Stroganov Art Institute, visited Russian ceramistsat their studios in the New Jerusalem Monastery and wasinvited to hold a one-woman show at Moscow’s Museumof Applied and Decorative Arts in 2004.

Artist Valentina DuBasky visited Riga, Latvia, andTallinn, Estonia, where her works are exhibited in theU.S. ambassadors’ residences. Ms. DuBasky lectured atboth countries’ national art academies and visitedLatvia’s ancient catacombs.

Painter Karen Gunderson traveled to Lomé, Togo,where she held a workshop with local artists. Impressedby their capabilities, but frustrated by the lack of sup-plies, Gunderson is collecting much-needed paints tosend to Lomé.

In Cotonou, Benin, artist Johnny Johnson held work-shops with schoolchildren and professional artists. Theworks created by the artists were exhibited at a large artopening attended by the cultural and diplomatic com-munities.

Installation artist Eve Andrée Laramée traveled toOttawa and Montreal where she met with curators fromCanada’s National Gallery of Art and the Musée d’Art

T

Painter Karen Gunderson gives a radio interview in Lomé, Togo.

Contemporain de Montréal. Ms. Laramée was also inter-viewed by the Canadian Broadcast Corp.

Nicholas Fox Weber, director of the Josef and AnniAlbers Foundation, visited The Hague. Speaking to avariety of audiences—students, diplomats and museumprofessionals—Mr. Weber described the life and work ofthe late American artist Josef Albers.

Artist Valentina DuBasky with Ambassador Brian Carlson in Riga, Latvia.

January 2003 13

play and participate in a series of lectures, workshopsand studio visits. These activities take place outside theresidences, reaching a broad cross section of the localcommunities. American Artists Abroad debuted last fallto encourage cross-cultural dialogue and understandingthrough the visual arts. The results have been over-whelmingly positive. Artist Valentina DuBasky summedup her visit to the Baltic states in October: “Artisticexchanges are extremely important because they offer amore genuine, more realistic picture of who we are—andwhat our culture is about.”

In truth, working with the Art in Embassies programdoes offer some glamour. Staff members occasionally vis-it art fairs and galleries across the United States to culti-vate new lenders or attend opening receptions atembassy residences. Still, much of the program’s behind-the-scenes work is anything but glamorous. Last April,for example, two members of the staff traveled as couri-ers aboard a FedEx cargo plane from Newark to Paris.Their odyssey began 14 hours before the aircraft left NewJersey, at the fine arts warehouse in Manhattan where thecrates were loaded onto a truck bound for Newark. From

14 State Magazine

The curatorial staff chooses appropriateworks for an embassy residence. They are,from left, Camille Benton, Kresta Tyler,Virginia Shore and Imtiaz Hafiz.

that point, the crates never left their sides, whether in thetruck, at the airport’s cargo bay, or on the cold, early-morning tarmac before they were loaded into the aircraft.Once they saw the works safely secured in the hold, thecouriers strapped themselves into cockpit jump seatsdirectly behind the FedEx pilots for the eight-hour flightto Paris. Shortly after touching down at Charles deGaulle Airport, it was back to the hold to oversee the un-loading of the art and then off to the ambassador’s resi-dence to install the exhibition.

The Art in Embassies program staff get great satisfac-tion in knowing that their exhibitions provide people inother countries—many of whom may never visit theUnited States—firsthand experience with our artistic lifeand heritage. And the program’s lenders gain from par-ticipating in U.S. diplomacy designed to bring peopletogether, no matter how diverse their cultures.

For further information about the Art in Embassiesprogram, please visit http://aiep.state.gov. ■

The author is the program manager of the Art in Embassiesprogram.

Post of the Month:

Banjul: The Gambia

A SMALL COUNTRY MAKING BIG PROGRESS

By Douglas L. Sun

For centuries, The Gambia, the smallest country onthe continent of Africa, remained a little-knownpart of the Sahel, the horizontal band of semiaridterrain where the Sahara Desert merges with thetropical forests of equatorial Africa.

In ancient times, The Gambia existed on the edge of themighty Tukulor, Mali and Ghana Empires. Portugueseexplorers sailing down the coast of West Africa discov-

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glas

Sun

ered the mouth of the River Gambia, from which thecountry takes its name, in the 15th century, just a fewyears before Christopher Columbus landed in the NewWorld. First a trading post, the region later became acolony of the British Empire, a sliver of English-speakingterritory nearly surrounded by Francophone Senegal.

Today, The Gambia is on the move. Despite its modestsize, deep poverty and past missteps, it is poised tobecome a success story on a continent characterized bytoo much suffering and too little hope.

January 2003 15

In the village of Tanji, vendors greet returning fishing boats. Fishing is an important livelihood for Gambians living on the coast.

Financial specialist Mbasireh Manneh reviews a cable.

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The Gambia has restored democratic rule through aseries of free, fair and transparent elections. In October2001, President Yahya Jammeh, who had taken power ina nonviolent coup in 1994, was elected with 53 percentof the popular vote in polling that Commonwealth, EU

16 State Magazine

The maintenance crew leaps into action.

and U.S. Embassy observers deemed free and fair,despite some shortcomings. In December 2001, PresidentJammeh used his inaugural address to promote nationalreconciliation by inviting the former president to returnhome from self-exile. In early 2002, The Gambia heldsuccessful legislative and local elections that also metinternational norms. The opposition remains active,though weak and divided. Newspapers representdiverse points of view. Human rights violations, a prob-lem in the past, have diminished markedly, though someareas of concern remain.

In March 2002, the U.S. government determined that ademocratically elected government had assumed office inThe Gambia and lifted the sanctions imposed on mostbilateral assistance as a result of the 1994 coup d’etat.Since then, the small staff at the U.S. Embassy in Banjulhas redoubled efforts, in concert with others, to increasehumanitarian and developmental assistance, focusing ongirls’ education and HIV/AIDS prevention. With morethan 100 volunteers, the Peace Corps maintains a large,well-received program in The Gambia. After an eight-yearhiatus, the United States has also reengaged with theGambian military, primarily through the InternationalMilitary Education and Training program.

For its part, the Gambian government has begun to rekin-dle and consolidate close relations with the United States,where many government officials and other Gambiansreceived their education and training. The Gambia is acountry where Muslims (more than 90 percent) andChristians (less than 10 percent) coexist in an atmosphere ofmutual respect and tolerance.

Consular officer Nancy Abella, left, and visa clerk Ida Mboob discuss avisa case.

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The Gambia is a steadfast ally in the global war on ter-rorism. The leadership regularly condemns all forms ofextremism, especially tribalism and Islamic fundamental-ism. President Jammeh declared Sept. 11, 2002, a nationalholiday in memory of the victims of the terrorist attacks,including two Gambian nationals who perished in theWorld Trade Center. More than 600 Gambians from allwalks of life—from senior government officials and politi-cal leaders to students and ordinary folk—spontaneouslyparticipated in a memorial event at the U.S. Embassy onthe first anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The Gambia continues to seek prosperity from its cen-turies-old trading tradition. European and Arab tradersfirst came to The Gambia seeking gold, ivory, salt,beeswax—and slaves. Today, The Gambia’s liberal, mar-ket-based economy is based on the reexport of goodsthrough Banjul’s small but efficient seaport overland toother countries in the region, the export of groundnuts andtourism. Each year, The Gambia’s miles of sandy beachesattract thousands of visitors, particularly from Europe,escaping winter’s gloom. And The Gambia is a paradisefor birdwatchers, offering more than 600 species of birds,some of breathtaking beauty.

The Gambian government and private sector eagerlyseek foreign trade and investment, particularly from theUnited States. In consultation with embassy staff, authori-ties are working hard to qualify for preferential trade ben-efits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act.

The author, left, and Cliff Mass, information program officer, examine thechancery’s satellite dish.

Demonstrating the government’s pro-private sector orien-tation, the Gambian president, vice president and severalministers participated personally in the first-everU.S.–Gambia Business Forum, sponsored in September bythe Washington-based Corporate Council on Africa. WithWorld Bank financing, The Gambia is also establishing twoexport promotion zones at Banjul’s seaport and FAA-certi-fied international airport as part of its national strategy toattract greater foreign investment. The government hopesthat cooperation will allow it to focus on health, educationand infrastructure, including the construction of pavedhighways to bring the country’s ground transportationnetwork up to modern standards.

Despite its small size, The Gambia is home to numer-ous cultures and religions, and there are few places inAfrica where so many different peoples live peaceablyside by side. Most Gambians are proud members of theMandinka, Wolof, Fula, Jola and Serehuli tribes, eachwith its own language and traditions. Although the pop-ulation is predominantly Muslim, the Christian commu-nity is highly visible and active. People of all ethnicitiesand religions intermarry, celebrate each other’s holidaysand bless each other with Muslim and Christian prayers.

Gambians extend a particularly warm welcome toAmericans. The Gambia is the home of Kunta Kinte, heroof Roots, Alex Haley’s novel and television miniseriesabout Africans enslaved in what is today The Gambiaand transported to America. Many African-Americansand other visitors make the pilgrimage to Juffureh, KuntaKinte’s home village, especially during the biennialInternational Roots Festival, to glimpse what life mighthave been for Africans before the cruelty of the slavetrade uprooted them to the New World. ■

The author is the general services officer in Banjul.

January 2003 17

Employees Can Help ModernizeState’s Communications

By Joe Lake

It’s the 21st century—the Information Age—and globalcommunication and knowledge management aredefining concepts of our time. The Department’s communication system patches

together a cable system dating from the 1940s with pro-grams providing e-mail for electronic messages, wordprocessing for memos and a myriad of other programs.

What’s wrong with this picture?In his column in the June 2002 issue of State Magazine,

Secretary Colin L. Powell said he wanted “the StateDepartment to set the standard within the U.S. govern-ment on harnessing the power of cyber-technology.”

At focus groups and cross-bureau meetings, employeestold us:

“The fact that we have so many systems is the biggestdetriment to productivity.”

“There does not seem to be any standard on how peo-ple generate cables or e-mails.”

“We need Internet access!”

18 State Magazine

Jody Rose Platt, editor of the SMART web site, offers a view of her home pastands for State Messaging and Archive Retrieval Toolset.

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We listened to the Secretary. We listened to you. Andwe got to work to design and develop a messaging andretrieval system to meet your needs. The goal is to makeit easier for the Department to fulfill its mission by pro-viding all employees with a “smart” way to communi-cate. SMART—State Messaging and Archive RetrievalToolset—is our effort to meet this goal.

Who are we? We are Department employees from a rangeof offices, all working together toward a common goal: asystem that works. As chair of the steering committee, I leadthe initiative, together with Larry Emery, program manager,and in cooperation with State’s new E-Diplomacy office,headed by Ambassador Jim Holmes. But the people whoare shaping this new system are you—employees through-out the Department and across the world.

Our vision is simple:By 2004, the Department will have a new user-driven

communication system that is smart, simple and secure.The system must also improve the exchange of infor-

mation within the foreign affairs community.As a first step toward this goal, we developed a pre-

liminary prototype version of SMART andtested it with more than 184 users world-wide. We’re now analyzing the feedback wereceived and have already decided onchanges to the prototype, based on userreaction.

You can find out more about SMART andabout those involved by looking at the SMARTweb site, available on all major networks:

On the OpenNet at http://messaging.irm.state.gov

On ClassNet at http://messaging.irm.state.sgov.gov

And on PDNet at http://messaging.pd.state.gov

As we receive feedback from you, we’ll bemodifying and adding to this site on a regularbasis, so check it out often. Let us know whatyou think. We want to hear from you. Help usproduce a system we can all be proud of, onethat indeed will “set the standard within theU.S. government on harnessing the power ofcyber-technology.” ■

The author, a former ambassador, chairs theDepartment-wide steering committee on the cre-ation of a new messaging system

ge. SMART

From

‘WA R T H O G’

to

‘WA R E H O U S E ’

tup schedules access and segregation sessions at the Hagerstown

A bay in the Hagerstown Household Storage Facility.

Story and Photos by Carl Goodman

The facility is located on the outskirts ofHagerstown, Md., in the corner of the statewhere the area’s first snow seems to fall andabout an hour’s drive from downtownWashington, D.C. Residents remember it as

the old Fairchild plane factory, where theU.S. Army’s first A-10 “Warthogs” rolledoff the assembly line. They continue tofly, but the plant closed in 1984.

The Hagerstown Household StorageFacility (SA-25), as it’s officially known, isthe State Department’s only domestic tran-sit storage and handling facility for house-hold goods from all corners of the globe. Ithandles everything, in fact, outside a 50-mile radius of the nation’s capital.

Opened in 1988, the 370,000-squarefoot property is a cavernous complex ofconcrete and steel. The facility’s twobays can handle up to 16 million netpounds of household goods. The aver-age storage crate holds 1,250 pounds,and there are currently more than 8,000storage crates stacked neatly in rowsupon rows, creating a network of war-rens and alleys only the Hagerstownemployees can navigate confidently.

Receptionist Rikki Swarehouse.

The man in charge of the facility, Chuck Borum, sport-ing his trademark ball cap, can be seen traversing thewarehouse on a bike. “It’s good exercise,” he said. Mr.Borum worked 18 years with the Department of Defenseprior to joining the Department in 1993. The only Stateemployee onsite, he has 10 contract employees assistinghim. During peak season, June to September, he brings

January 2003 19

Manager Craig Doyle works “the board” at the transit facility for household effects in Hagerstown.

on an additional five summer hires to assist with theworkload.

When crates are needed for access and segregation, aprocess commonly referred to as A&S, they can be readi-ly identified from a locator sheet in the employee’s file

20 State Magazine

H E K E E P S O N

Chuck Borum

S TAT S AT A G L I M P S E Oct. 31, 2001–Sept. 30, 2002

Inbound shipments: 963 (2,986,261 net lbs.)Outbound shipments: 1,013 (2, 211,127 net lbs.)Access and segregations: 103Individual storage lots: 3,242Total net pounds in storage: 8,360,497

and are removed to an open area by a forklift operator.The A&S process may take from two to four hours,depending on the amount of goods to be sorted.Department employees are allowed to ship up to 18,000pounds if they are going to unfurnished housing over-seas, 7,200 pounds if furnished quarters await them.

The facility handles between 20,000 and 25,000 poundsof household goods daily, a routine marked by trucks ofvarious sizes, from moving vans to 18-wheel trailers,arriving and departing. A&S takes place about eighttimes a month, Mr. Borum said.

The Hagerstown warehouse is operated by the Bureauof Administration’s Office of Logistics Management. ■

The author is the editor of State Magazine.

T R U C K I N G

Chuck Borum collects trucks.The traffic management specialist at the Depart-

ment’s Household Storage Facility in Hagerstown,

Md., has been collecting model trucks from the facili-ty’s moving companies for about a decade now. Andhe has a “cabinet-level” collection to prove it.

Most are, in fact, parked on topof a row of cabinets in the recep-tion area of the facility, a formeraviation manufacturing plant, theDepartment opened in late 1988.

Needless to say, the collection—in a virtual rainbow of colors—isthe envy of the many kids whogather in the area while their par-ents are accessing and segregatinghousehold goods on the main floor.So while mom and dad are doingtheir thing, the kids can do theirs.

Borum, a former Army employ-ee admits to keeping “the bigguys” out of reach of the “littleguys.” Instead, he hands outsmall matchbox trucks to the kidsto play with and keep.

That way, the collection cankeep growing.

collects trucks.

R E B U I L D I N GA F G H A N I S T A N :

Six Months at �Kamp Kabul�

Department refugee coordinator Andrew Wyllie,right foreground, discusses lesson plans withschool administrators and teachers using booksdonated by the U.S. government.

Story and Photos by Sally Hodgson

Many colleagues thought we were crazy tohave volunteered for temporary duty at theU.S. Embassy in Kabul, but even more werepuzzled as to why we enjoyed working therein the middle of a war zone.

We were luckier than our predecessors, who had toclean out the embassy building and were limited to oneshower every three or four days shortly after the embassyreopened in December 2001.

When I arrived at the embassy two months later, con-ditions were comparable to a bad summer camp: sleep-ing in a small room in the embassy’s underground

January 2003 21

Hamid Karzai acknowledges the crowd’s support after being electedpresident of Afghanistan’s transitional government.

bunker with at least three mates; sharing one shower andone toilet with 20 others every day (the earlier you show-ered, the better, since hot water ran out after the fourthperson—it was a race to be at the front of the line by 5:00a.m.); and eating naan bread with peanut butter forbreakfast every morning (with jam, if a new arrivalbrought it from home) or the obligatory soup every night(we had three colors: red, a watery tomato base; brown, adecent lentil soup; or white, a really good homemadepotato soup.).

The food may have been boring, but life was not. Wehad threats to our security (rockets fired over theembassy roof, chemical weapons alerts, ongoing terroristthreats and three earthquakes just in the six months I wasthere). The hours were long and the wildlife less than

22 State Magazine

Officials hand-count ballots for president of Afghanistan’s transitionalgovernment during the Loya Jirga last June.

endearing (we regularly shook out our shoes and clothes,hoping not to find scorpions)—but no one at “KampKabul” minded much.

We were part of an important mission “on the other endof Ground Zero,” as one of my colleagues describedAfghanistan. We were energized by the resilience, receptiv-ity and generosity of the Afghan people and by our workwith humanitarian assistance and reconstruction projects.

We saw incredible progress made by a nation and peo-ple breaking free from decades of war, repressive ruleand a loss of hope. And the United States played a pivotalrole in all those achievements.

After the U.S.-led coalition defeated the Taliban, theUnited States took the lead in rushing emergency food aidto Afghanistan, through the United Nations World FoodProgram. In December 2001, the program delivered anunprecedented 116,000 metric tons of food to Afghanistan,bringing to 200,000 metric tons the amount of emergencyfood aid delivered in the last quarter of 2001. With theseinternational efforts, the allies averted a famine that winterthat had placed nearly seven million Afghans at risk of star-vation. As of November 2002, the United States had pro-vided an estimated 75 percent of all food aid to Afghansthrough the WFP. WFP and other agencies continue towork to gather enough food stocks to handle Afghanistan’smost critical needs this winter.

Since the end of Taliban rule, Afghans have voted withtheir feet, with the largest refugee repatriation in theworld in the past 30 years. The international organizationin charge of refugees, the U.N. High Commission forRefugees, had planned for 800,000 returnees, but morethan two million have returned so far.

The U.S. government provided close to $145 millionlast year to help the massive numbers of refugees reinte-grate into Afghan society. Returning refugees receive atravel stipend, food and household articles to help themreturn to their home communities and rebuild their lives.U.S. funds also supported the construction of thousandsof shelters to ensure that refugees and their families werenot living in the open during the harsh winter months.

Another landmark event was the reopening of schoolsfor both boys and girls on March 23, 2002 (the Talibanhad banned education for girls over the age of 8). TheUnited States provided approximately 15 million text-books, 30,000 instructional kits and school supplies tochildren throughout the country, from grades 1 to 12. TheUnited Nations Children’s Fund, the lead agency in theback-to-school initiative, received $2 million in U.S. assis-tance to get Afghan schools up and running. At theschool opening ceremony, everyone was moved as chair-man Hamid Karzai fought back tears of joy, describingthe progress his country had made in such a short timeafter the defeat of the Taliban.

The Loya Jirga, the traditional Afghan council held lastJune to elect the transitional government of Afghanistan,was another example of how the majority of Afghanswant to put aside the decades of fighting and begin a newera. The United States helped the Afghan government

U.S. Ambassador Robert P. Finn helps distribute wheat flour and otherfoodstuffs to Afghan war widows and their children in West Kabul.

and the United Nations, which facilitated the gathering,by providing important logistical support, training somewomen delegates and transporting many of the delegatesto Kabul for the nine-day meeting.

Afghanistan was one of the least developed nations inthe world before its 23 years of war, four years of droughtand five years of repressive Taliban rule. The tasks facingthe new transitional government with the aid of the inter-national community are enormous. The government strug-gles to exert its influence nationwide. The country’s infra-structure lies in ruins (there is no nationwide telephonesystem, although cell phones are taking hold in many areasnow) and cities and villages are still without electricity andpotable water (the embassy had its own electric generatorsand devoured huge amounts of bottled water).

Although many challenges remain in Afghanistan, astrong commitment by the United States and otherdonors can make a difference and build upon theprogress made in little more than one year. ■

The author, the public diplomacy officer in the Bureau ofPopulation, Refugees and Migration, served on temporaryduty at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul for six months.

January 2003 23

Afghan war widows register to receive U.S.-donated wheat flour under a program run by CARE in West Kabul.

Thomas R. Pickering

Secretary Powell with current Pickering Fellows.

Foreign AffairsFellows

24 State Magazine

The Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Programprepares outstanding students for Foreign Servicecareers with the Department of State. By drawingstudents from diverse backgrounds, the fellowshipprovides trained men and women dedicated to

representing America’s interests abroad.Pickering Fellows are selected for their leadership

ability, academic achievement and financial need. Whilein the program, the fellows pursue coursework thatdevelops skills the Department needs, and they receiveprofessional preparation for their Foreign Servicecareers.

A total of 172 students have participated in the PickeringFellowship since it began in 1992. The first cohort of fel-lows entered the Foreign Service in 1996. To date, 82 havebeen sworn in as junior officers. There are 83 fellows inschool working toward their master’s degrees.

To prepare them for the Foreign Service, the fellowsserve one domestic and one overseas internship. ForeignService officers mentor them during graduate school.

The Pickering Fellowship Program has been so suc-cessful in bringing diverse, talented students into theForeign Service that Congress doubled the program’sfunding, providing 20 undergraduate and 20 graduatefellowships.

Applications for the Pickering Fellowship were mailedto colleges and universities nationwide. Additional infor-mation and application instructions are available in thestudent programs section of the web site: www.careers.state.gov.

Applications from college sophomores must be re-ceived by Feb. 21. College seniors or those entering grad-uate school in fall 2003 must submit their applications byFeb. 28. ■

By Lia Miller

Where else in eight short weeks (or one summerinternship) can you meet Colin Powell, ask Condo-leezza Rice a question and go to the White House to

witness a presidential diplomatic reception of the Polishpresident? Nowhere else but the State Department.

Last summer I had the privilege of working in theOperations Center. As a newcomer to the “world ofgovernment,” I found the experience a realistic andinformative introduction. Intwo months I observed themechanisms of State and theintricacies of interagency coor-dination as well as the peoplewho made it all work. I sawworld issues from the perspec-tives of countries abroad andthrough the eyes of our leaders.I learned firsthand the impor-tance of maintaining positivebilateral and multilateral rela-tions on a variety of issues—major and minor.

I was able to do and learnthese things as a Thomas R.Pickering Fellow.

The Pickering FellowshipProgram is a wonderful oppor-tunity for individuals fortunateenough to participate. Throughthis program you can obtain anadvanced degree, be mentoredby a current Foreign Service

A Pickering

Experienceofficer, gain experience working in the internationalarena, join a lifelong network of support and assis-tance through both Pickering alumni and State in gen-eral, and much more. This program offers fellows theopportunity to strengthen their writing and oral com-munication skills and their analytical and researchskills and meet with Foreign Service and Civil Serviceemployees from all levels.

The program, administered through the StateDepartment and the Woodrow Wilson National

Fellowship Foundation, bene-fits the fellows, the Departmentand ultimately the UnitedStates. As future diplomats rep-resenting our diverse country,we touch many lives, relate tomany experiences, improveinternational relations andmake a difference. Speaking asa fellow who has benefited fromthe program, I am pleased tosee it expanding and hope thatit will continue to keep pacewith changing times and thenew face of U.S. diplomacy.

In the wake of Sept. 11 and inthe uncertainty of these times,programs like the PickeringFellowship offer hope thatthings will change for the better.

The author, a Pickering Fellow, isa graduate student at SyracuseUniversity.

January 2003 25

C E L E B R A T I N GO F T H E F O R E

FSNs participate in a group exercise during the conference. The inviteesare, from left, Sheridan Smart, Melbourne; Mandeep Kaur, New Delhi;and Evandro Ferrandini, Brasilia.

By Doug Frank and Joyce Marshall

“An amazing opportunity to experience and to get toknow Foreign Service National colleagues from differentcultures and countries and to discover that we sharemany of the same concerns.”

That’s how one FSN from an embassy in the MiddleEast described the Invitational FSN WorldwideConference, a joint effort of the Bureau of HumanResources’ Office of Overseas Employment and theForeign Service Institute, held Sept. 20–27, inWashington, D.C. Forty-five Foreign Service Nationalemployees from 41 different countries and six continentsjoined in discussions of issues they have in common.

Participants from Afghanistan to Nigeria, Saudi Arabiato Taiwan and Australia to the Ukraine spent seven daysin large- and small-group discussions and meetings withhigh-level Department managers. The grand finale wasthe annual Department awards ceremony in theBenjamin Franklin Room.

“This conference brought together wonderful mindsfrom around the world to share experiences and to learnfrom each other about how to make things better at post,”commented an FSN from West Africa. The participants, a

26 State Magazine

Boussoura Fall-Diop, Dakar, and Dalia M. Elsoudani, Riyadh, get acquainted dconference break.

mix of general administrative, consular, economic, humanresources, political and public diplomacy employees,

learned about subjects as specific as the newComputer-Aided Job Evaluation system and theOffice of the Inspector General and as cross-cul-turally general as “Managing Up in the AmericanWorkplace” and gained a better understanding ofthe U.S. government’s ethics system and work-place expectations of American supervisors.

From FSN participant evaluation sheets andfeedback from American speakers, it appearsthat this experimental conference accomplishedimportant goals. What exactly was accom-plished? Are there any practical results?

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell andAmbassador Ruth Davis, director general of theForeign Service and director of Human Resources,welcomed the representatives of 30,000 colleaguesworldwide and encouraged their active participa-tion in improving the work of overseas posts.

An FSN from South Asia praised SecretaryPowell for sharing his vision of foreign policyand the leadership role that he saw FSNs playingin its implementation worldwide.

uring a

T H E F U T U R EI G N S E R V I C E

y team-building exercise are, from left, Linda Bawazir, Djibouti; Mandeepl Karn, Monrovia; Deborah Newbold, Nassau; Ingrid Barzel, Tel Aviv;iev; Boussoura Fall-Diop, Dakar; and Oksana Nikitina, Minsk.

The Secretary connected immediately with the FSNsand they commended him for listening to and respond-ing with genuine interest to a range of concerns, includ-ing the imprisonment of FSNs in Afghanistan andEritrea, compensation for FSNs injured or killed duringembassy bombings, professional training for FSNs andbetter communication of mission policies with FSNs.

Improving communication and teamwork betweenAmerican managers and their foreign national colleagueswas a recurring theme throughout the conference. MattBurns, director of the Center for AdministrativeInnovation, reaffirmed his office’s reliance on FSN sug-gestions for improving post management. AmbassadorPrudence Bushnell discussed the crucial role her FSNstaff played in responding quickly to the August 1998bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi.

In these and other sessions, conference participants dis-cussed how to improve communication. When communi-cation is good, foreign national colleagues can become thefully functioning team members they and American man-agers want them to be. For example, many FSNs lamentedthat they sometimes do not understand their post or mis-sion objectives because they are not briefed on or are notallowed to read or contribute to indi-vidual Mission Program Plans.

Consequently, they cannot con-tribute to or help implement theplans, even the unclassified portions.Similarly, although FSNs, like theirAmerican colleagues, are very con-cerned about post and personal secu-rity, American post managers oftenforget or neglect to brief them aboutongoing security concerns. As a result,some managers miss the opportunityto add FSNs’ unique perspectives andinsights to the team effort needed tomaintain and improve post security.

Another practical outcome of theconference will be the production of across-cultural video using contribu-tions from the conference. Since con-ference organizers reviewed morethan 280 nominations from 110 postsbefore making their final selections,the video is expected to illustrate and

Participants in a SaturdaKaur, New Delhi; SamueVolodymyr Pasichnyk, K

disseminate for discussion many conference issues andprovide posts with a practical training and orientationtool for Foreign Service officers and Foreign ServiceNational employees alike.

Despite occasional frustration and disappointment in theuneven progress made in incorporating FSNs into the “OneMission, One Team” concept enunciated by SecretaryPowell, conference participants unanimously reiteratedtheir pride in representing their colleagues worldwide inthis groundbreaking collaboration. Most commented thatthey would return to post with a renewed sense of energyand motivation, eager to share what they had learned withtheir FSN colleagues and American co-workers.

Preparing to return to post and apply expanded pro-fessional skills and knowledge, one participant noted, “Itruly enjoyed and profited greatly from the wealth ofdetailed information, the cross-cultural friendships andnetworking opportunities, and the wonderful experienceof this conference. You will never know what this weekmeant to me!” ■

Mr. Frank directs the Office of Overseas Employment andMs. Marshall is the FSN training coordinator at FSI.

January 2003 27

Toward Cross-CulturalUnderstanding in the Workplace

By Joel Wallach and Paul Folmsbee

Munir is a new embassy employee. Although hepasses a number of Americans as he enters thecompound each morning, few ever say “Good

morning” or acknowledge him in any way. He worriesthat he’s doing something to cause the Americans to be sounfriendly.

Judi, a mid-career Foreign Service officer, is frustratedtoday with her usually efficient Tanzanian secretary,Salome, who failed to tell her that she would be unable tomeet an important deadline. Now Judi has to explain tothe ambassador why the report will be submitted late.Salome, on the other hand, is frustrated with Judi. Sheseems oblivious to the effort Salome expends to meet themany deadlines she sets. Now she has made one mistakeand Judi is angry.

28 State Magazine

Trainer Joel Wallach, standing, encourages participants to consider adoptingand Geraldine Fabian.

Ramat had been with the embassy for 23 years. He hasseen many Americans come and go. He realizes that mostknow very little about Tanzanian culture. Despite know-ing this, he found himself feeling upset recently when hewas hospitalized and his American supervisor did notvisit him.

Although specific to Tanzania, these scenarios reflectthe types of issues that can arise in any embassy. Similarsituations served as grist for discussion in cross-culturaltraining sessions organized recently for all the staff of theU.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam.

Recognizing the importance of culture in the work-place, the embassy initiated a series of training sessionsto help American and Tanzanian staff appreciate andunderstand cultural differences in the workplace. Bothgroups participated in a specially designed four-hourworkshop and, in some cases, received a total of eight

new behaviors. Participants are, from left, Philip Bukida, Hussein Mbata

Ambassador Robert Royall congratulates workshop participants. They are, froMbata, Olivia Masimusi and Mohamed Mganga.

o, far left, gets feedback from workshop participants. They are, from left,Qayyum, Hosiana Mmbaga and Rachael Mtimavalye.

hours of training. The goal was to enhance morale andproductivity throughout the mission.

Poor communication and an ensuing loss of productivi-ty were endemic. The work entailed increasing partici-pants’ understanding of both Tanzanian and U.S. cultures,sensitizing them to those areas of cross-cultural misunder-standing common in the workplace and teaching behaviorchanges to foster better working relationships. Everythingfrom expectations of American supervisors when a deathoccurred in a Tanzanian family to American supervisors’desire to hear all the bad news first was covered. ForTanzanian staff, at least, learning how tosucceed and advance in a U.S. govern-ment organization was part of the goal.

Such concepts as “confidential,”“urgent” and “fair” are open to cultur-al interpretation. They can be looked atfrom dramatically different culturalperspectives and translated into verydifferent behaviors. The programaddressed these and other issues spe-cific to the workplace that Americansand Tanzanians typically approach dif-ferently. Among other topics discussedwere giving and receiving feedback,time lines, schedules, work plans, beingproactive and dealing with conflict.Focus group interviews with Americanand Tanzanian employees formed thebasis for the issues raised.

More than 300 mission staff, from theambassador to drivers and laborers,participated in the program. They cameaway with a common language for

Trainer Johari KandorJane Mulungu, Aisha

talking about cultural differences aswell as a greater understanding of dif-ferences in how people look at theworld of work. All identified specificbehaviors that they could adopt tomake working with those from the oth-er culture easier and smoother.

Did it work? Here is a sampling ofreactions from Tanzanian participants:

“This program has helped me to bemore effective, especially to know whatI ought to do and what I ought not todo, to say ‘yes’ when I mean it and nototherwise.”

“In meetings with my Americansupervisors, I will be able to present myideas. In the past, I thought that what-ever was said by Americans must beaccepted.”

And from American participants:“This program put in context concept

of ethics and morality in this society.”“The tips were helpful both in the

office and outside—real-life tools I canuse right away.”

American and Tanzanian staff in Dar es Salaam nowhave a common language for talking about cross-culturaldifferences. They are able to identify frustrations basedon cultural differences and find ways to resolve them. Inaddition, they have developed a sense of camaraderieand teamwork. ■

Mr. Wallach is the former Peace Corps director in Tanzaniaand Mr. Folmsbee is administrative counselor in Dar esSalaam.

m left, Hussein

January 2003 29

Health Diplomacy Turns Chain Bridge Pink

By Nina M. Fite

Before becoming the U.S. Ambassador toHungary, Nancy Goodman Brinker spentmost of her life fighting breast cancer. As apromise to her dying sister, she foundedthe Susan G. Komen Breast CancerFoundation. Since 1982, the foundation

30 State Magazine

Historic Chain Bridge linking thecities of Buda and Pest is bathedin pink lights, symbolizing the battle against breast cancer.

has heightened cancer awareness with successfulevents such as the Race for the Cure, raised more than$400 million and supported nearly 600 research projectsworldwide.

It was only natural, then, that since her arrival inHungary in September 2001, the Hungarian governmentand numerous nongovernmental organizations and med-ical associations have sought Ambassador Brinker’s help

on health issues. You wouldn’t expect to find so

many health problems in a nationsoon to be a member of theEuropean Union. But surprisingly,Hungarians have life expectanciesnearly 10 years shorter than theEuropean average. Hungary alsosuffers from some of the highestcardiovascular and cancer mortal-ity rates in Central and EasternEurope. Lung cancer is the mostprevalent form of cancer in men,breast cancer in women. Unlikeelsewhere in Europe, the inci-dence of breast cancer is actuallyrising in Hungary.

To tackle the problem, theHungarian government devel-oped a Healthy Nation program,focusing on lifestyle changes aswell as improved screening andincreased preventive measures.The Ministry of Health and NGOshave asked for U.S. assistance inimplementing preventive healthcare measures and learning fromU.S. successes in marketing fit-ness campaigns (such as the pres-ident’s physical fitness program),anti-smoking measures and other lifestyle changes.

Ambassador Brinker eagerly led the embassy’sresponse to the Hungarian government’s requests. Withhealth minister Judit Csehak, she initiated a series ofWalks for Health, enticing sports stars, television per-sonalities, politicians from all parties and the Hungarianpublic to incorporate fitness into their everyday lives.When Health and Human Services Secretary TommyThompson visited Budapest in early October, she draft-ed him for the walking campaign. Capitalizing onalready strong ties between Hungarian and U.S. scien-tists, the embassy has joined the Hungarian HealthMinistry with specific National Institutes of Health andother health programs to target the problem areas. Inspring 2003, the embassy will host an HHS Scientist inResidence, who will help implement a healthy lifestylesprogram.

With long experience in the field, the ambassador hasbeen most frequently asked to provide moral supportand advice on breast cancer awareness, detection andtreatment programs. Hungarian NGOs have been par-ticularly interested in the American model of public-private partnerships and sustainability.

In August, they suggested that, with the ambas-sador’s moral support, a U.S.-type event be staged inHungary to raise awareness of breast cancer and gainsupport for its detection and treatment. Working togeth-er, five cancer-related NGOs formed an alliance and

Ambassador Brinker, right, gpants in the Walk for Health

approached several corpora-tions—principally GE and EliLilly—for support. The embassyteam brought together Ministry ofHealth officials with the NGOsand their corporate partners toplan a symposium and sunsetwalk across Budapest’s historicChain Bridge.

Dalma Madl, wife of theHungarian president, served ashonorary chairperson of theevent. Prominent Hungarianwomen artists and entertainmentpersonalities lent their names andtime to the effort. The public waseducated on how the color pinkhas become the universal symbolof breast cancer awareness. OnOct. 27, Hungary’s first lady, theambassador and minister ofhealth flipped the switch to bathethe Chain Bridge in pink lights.Hundreds of people participatedin the symposium and many morejoined in to walk across theDanube on one of Hungary’s mostbeloved landmarks.

For the NGOs, the project wasan enormous learning experience.

Over the past decade the embassy in Budapest, throughbilateral aid and democracy-strengthening programs,has worked with the Hungarian NGO community todevelop financial and institutional sustainability and tofoster greater coordination among them. This projectencouraged the organizations to see these principles inaction and fully understand the benefits of workingtogether and creating alliances with business and gov-ernment. The corporate partners shared informationand expertise on marketing, publicity and basic organi-zational skills with the NGOs. Besides their role asgood corporate citizens, the corporations extendedtheir NGO and government networking range andgained positive name recognition at a time when phar-maceutical and medical companies are embroiled incontentious pricing discussions with the Hungariangovernment.

As a result, the embassy helped create a sustainablemodel for enduring NGO-government-private sectorcooperation, the United States was portrayed in a veryfriendly light, public support for Hungarian anti-cancerNGOs was bolstered and public awareness was raisedfor an important health issue. Health diplomacy hasproven to be a platform to build strong ties with thegovernment and with the Hungarian public. ■

The author is a regional environment, science and healthofficer based in Budapest.

reets Hungarian partici-.

January 2003 31

Gaining Control by Giving In

Medical Report

Editor’s Note: The author is a recovering alcoholic and formerForeign Service officer.

Today I have a choice. I can choose not to drink. Thatmay seem to be a given to most people, but for usalcoholics it is true freedom that comes, ironically, bygiving up control.

Consider actual events that occurred by not having thatchoice. Maybe you heard about the guy who was escortedto the airport and expelled from a mission after he createdhis own maelstrom during a hurricane? That was me. Howabout the guy who ended his Foreign Service career in sucha state of unmanageability that he had to have his sister flyhalfway around the world to help him complete the simpletask of packing two pieces of luggage and getting on theplane? That was me, too. If you’re alcoholic and nothinglike that has happened to you yet, well, there is alwaysyour “yet,” if you work hard enough for it.

I entered the Foreign Service with my drinking firmly“under control” and reveled in the conviviality of A-100outings to the wateringholes. It felt so exhilarat-ing and “normal,” some-thing I desperately want-ed to be. A few hangovershere and there didn’t seemout of the norm. I waseven blessed in my firstassignment with a groupof people who fit theForeign Service paradigmfor me: Work hard in theoffice, play hard in theevenings and on week-ends. How great it felt tobe part of the ForeignService culture and livinglife to its fullest!

It’s hard to make it intothe Foreign Service with-

32 State Magazine

out having just a little bit of a “control” problem. For nor-mal people, it’s a dubious luxury. For an alcoholic, it canbe lethal. The progression of alcoholism can take years, ora situation can start a downward spiral in which lifebecomes unmanageable in a very short period of time.Although the result is usually the same, I had the bad for-tune of catching the fast train to the bottom.

Unexpectedly, another person became involved in mylife. But no task is too difficult to take on for the dedi-cated alcoholic. It didn’t matter that there were double-digit time zones of distance, children, two marriagesand people involved. I could manage all of that and getwhat I wanted now. Eighteen months later, I unpackedthe same two suitcases that I started with, having nocareer, an unnecessarily bitter divorce, children emo-tionally stretched to the limit and love turned to deepspite. Well, I guess I wasn’t as good as I thought at man-aging things.

No one wants to admit to being an alcoholic. No onewants to admit to being “different” from everybody else.

In the midst of all of this, Iwas given the chance toget help from MedicalServices. I don’t ponderthe “ifs” now because, forme, it took what it took toget me where I am. Butthat doesn’t mean otherscan’t benefit from theexperience I had afterrefusing the help ofMedical Services.

I did my best to con-vince Medical Servicesthat I wasn’t alcoholicbecause that would inter-fere with my control of thesituation (and what aboutmy security clearance andcareer implications?). IM

in R

oman

/Mas

terf

ile

feared the consequences of admitting to a problem, andthen having to reveal it to someone who would then fleefrom my “sickness.”

My inability to admit to a lack of control of the situa-tion had only one unavoidable result—a total loss of con-trol. Every alcoholic has a different bottom, even thoughwe are all somewhat similar. The elevator only has adown button. It’s just a question of where you get off, ifyou have the courage to ask for help getting off.

Today, I do not regret the past nor wish to shut the dooron it. As Popeye says, “I am what I am and that’s what Iam.” I have a new career and am rebuilding a healthyrelationship with my children. I get freedom and a dailyreprieve from a deadly disease by doing something Ihave never done before in my life: admitting powerless-ness and giving up control. In my case, Alcoholics Anon-ymous provided the solution and gave me hope. Likemany, I turned to AA as a last resort, when I was emo-tionally bankrupt.

Medical Services provides a number of different choicesto those who are willing to accept help. AA ultimately wasmy choice. It’s funny that sometimes friends and relativeswho know my story tell me how my life has been turnedaround because I’ve “taken control of things.”

How little they know. Being an alcoholic does have itshumorous moments.

For additional information about services for sub-stance abuse, contact the Alcohol and Drug AwarenessProgram, (202) 663-1904. ■

Are you using illegal drugs like marijuana,cocaine, ecstasy or heroin? If you are and want helpwithout the Department finding out, help is there.As part of the Drug-Free Workplace Program, Statehas established a Safe Harbor.

You can enter by calling the Alcohol and DrugAwareness Program at (202) 663-1904. But you mustcontact the program office before the Departmentdiscovers you are using illegal drugs and beforeyou are notified that you will be screened for druguse. Your contact with the program remains confi-dential—unless you authorize staff in writing totalk to someone.

Under the Safe Harbor provisions, the Departmentwill not initiate disciplinary action against anyemployee who meets the following three conditions:■ Voluntarily identifies him- or herself as a user of

illegal drugs prior to being identified throughother means;

■ Obtains counseling or rehabilitation through anEmployee Assistance Program; and

■ Refrains from using illegal drugs.

Safe Harbor

Monitoring the ESOC control board are,from left, Sheila Johnson, JackieBroadus and Valeria Dubose.

Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov said, “machinesshould be doing the drudgery so the humans can domore creative things.” The Bureau of InformationResource Management admits such a utopia is stillbeyond reach, but believes it has the next best thing—Enterprise Server Operations Center.

The new state-of–the-art center opened officially Oct. 2in room 1921 of the Harry S Truman Building. Some 100officials, including representatives from 17 bureaus,attended the ribbon cutting.

The center, known unofficially as the “server farm,”makes space, connectivity and services available to anyoffice or bureau. Moving servers into the center allowsthose bureaus to concentrate on their core mission andleaves the information technology workload to the cen-ter’s system administrators.

Currently, the center supports 11 bureaus and offices.Discussions are under way with an additional five. Whilesome 100 servers are being used, the center has the capac-ity and connectivity to support approximately 1,000.Unlike existing systems scattered throughout the TrumanBuilding and annexes, the new center is a secure networkmanagement system that can monitor all mainframe andclient server systems, is staffed around the clock and can

Down on the S

erver Farmprovide rapid response to both system failures and disas-ters. In addition, there is a corporate contingency opera-tions center, complete with workstations, conferencefacilities and connectivity at an off-site facility where itcan mirror remote data systems.

You are invited to drop by the Enterprise ServerOperations Center or call Rich Genders on (202) 647-9247for an appointment. —Mary Swann

January 2003 33

Phot

o by

Chr

istin

e Fa

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g

People Like YouPeople Like You

‘

A winded but successfulJohn Turner wears hisMarine Corps Marathon2002 medal after successfully completingthe 26.2 mile course.

A winded but successfulJohn Turner wears hisMarine Corps Marathon2002 medal after successfully completingthe 26.2 mile course.

ohn F. Turner, assistant secretaryfor Oceans and International Envi-ronmental Scientific Affairs, is arestless Wyoming cowboy always

looking for new challenges. Notlong after his last birthday, he chal-lenged his 60-year-old body to run 26.2 miles withoutstopping.

Inspired by his son, who successfully completed theMarine Corps Marathon in 1999, he set out on a seven-month-long training regimen of his own design to tacklethe same course. “Washington’s a great place to run,” Mr.Turner says, estimating that he ran about 700 miles alto-gether, along the C&O Canal towpath, the GeorgeWashington Parkway, Haines Point, Roosevelt Island and

He’sSlow J

34 State Magazine

even up the hill to the Iwo JimaMemorial near his home, those dreadedfinal yards to the marathon’s finish linein Arlington, Va. He also trained early inthe morning while traveling abroad.

Not content with only challenginghimself, the lifelong conservationist turned his personalquest into a fund-raising effort for a worthy cause.Through pledges, he raised more than $150,000 for theChesapeake Bay Conservation Challenge, a cooperativegovernment and private sector partnership he spear-headed as president of the Conservation Fund from 1993to 2001. The goal of the Challenge is to reverse the deteri-oration of the Chesapeake Bay, one of the nation’s largestand most valuable estuaries.

No Poke’

Dressed in speciallydesigned T-shirts proudlyproclaiming dad’s Wyomingorigins, the entire Turnerfamily cheered him on at sev-eral points over the gruelingrun. He completed thecourse in slightly more thanfive hours, running all theway except for brief walks atwater stops. Not bad for a“poke’” raised on the fami-ly’s Triangle X Ranch nearJackson Hole, Wyo., andmore accustomed to navigat-ing marathon distances onhorseback.

In recent years, the Stateofficial has spent more time working inside the Beltwaythan running the family ranch with his brothers. Afterserving 19 years in the state legislature, representing thenorthwestern part of Wyoming, he was appointed directorof the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by President GeorgeH.W. Bush. At the conclusion of the first Bush Admin-istration, Mr. Turner was chosen president of theConservation Fund, one of the nation’s leading environ-mental nonprofits. The fund protects land and waterresources in partnership with other organizations, publicagencies, foundations, corporations and individuals.Headquartered in Arlington, Va., the fund has helped itspartners safeguard more than 3 million acres of wildlifehabitat, greenways, community green spaces and historicsites throughout the United States.

Assistant Secretary Turner

In 2001, eager for the chal-lenge of addressing the enor-mous global environmentalproblems that begin at thewater’s edge, Mr. Turnergladly accepted PresidentGeorge W. Bush’s offer toserve as assistant secretary ofOES. “The world needs helpwith major environmentalissues,” he says, including“depleted marine resources,deforestation, toxic wastes,climate change, clean water,public sanitation and cleanenergy, among others. Andwe are the world leaders indeveloping programs and

technologies that can address these problems.” Mr. Turner emphasizes the importance of listening

actively when engaging in international environmentaldialogues. “It’s rather arrogant and ineffective to try toimpose our solutions on people from different cultures,”he says. “Together, we can make improvements, but thediscussion should begin with listening.”

The assistant secretary has been impressed with theexpertise of the bureau’s professionals, with their savvyand their skill at marshaling the resources of other federalagencies and of the private sector in attacking environ-mental degradation. “The United States understands part-nerships,” he says. And like the 26.2 miles of the marathon,John Turner and his team clearly have the energy to buildthose global partnerships without stopping. —Dave Krecke

in his seventh floor office.

Phot

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Dav

e Kr

ecke

PERSONNEL ACTForeign Service Retirements

Anderson, Michael G.Barr, William R.Bemis, H. JonathanBen Aida, AliBoshoven, NancyBowen IV, John W.Boyls, R. WayneBuchholz, Roy E.Castellana, Althea D.Chapman, Geoffrey W.Charles, Howard R.Cheshes, Martin L.Clapp, PriscillaCrow, John MichaelCurtain, Marlene L.Danforth, Kathleen D.

Daniels, Joseph A.Dehmlow, Jay L.Deutch, Ronald JamesEdgett, RussellErlandsen, Allan W.Googins, Brian AnthonyHartnett Jr., Lawrence A.Hatton, CharlaKeil, Charles F.McCarthy, Daniel R.Metelits, Michael D.Michal, Edward JosephMiller, Ronald L.Moore, Charles G.Mosher, Robert AllenMyers, Martin H.

Nelson, Karl G.Nixon, Warren P.Patterson Jr., Charles N.Percival, Bronson E.Pierce, James A.Salazar, John M.Sardinas, MarthaSherwood, Nicholas A.Skop, Arthur L.Southwick, E. MichaelSpringer, Craig ButlerStewart, Curtis M.Swihart Jr., James W.Tadie, Eugene PhillipWilliams, James Alan

Civil Service Retirements

IONS

Anderson Jr., Walter J.Blair, Franklin H.Crook, John RobertEvans, Bennie M.Hopes, Carolyn SueJones, Cornelius D.

Miles, Saundra E.Pryor, Robert A.Ryan, Mary A.Taylor, J. AlbertWulf, Norman Alan

January 2003 35

O B I T U A R I E S

Clarence E. “Birgy” Birgfeld, 96, a retired Foreign Serviceofficer, died Sept. 19 in Winter Park, Fla. Mr. Birgfeld’sassignments took him to South America, France, Greece,England and Belgium, where he retired as Minister of theU.S. Mission to the European Communities. He served asan officer in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Culver Gleysteen, 78, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedSept. 22 of cardiac arrest at a nursing and rehabilitationcenter in Wayland, Mass. Mr. Gleysteen, who was raisedin China by missionary parents, joined the ForeignService in 1947 and was posted to Manchuria, a tourinterrupted by the Communist takeover; two tours inMoscow; Bonn; Jakarta; Paris and Leningrad, where heserved as consul general. He was also detailed to theArms Control and Disarmament Agency. During WorldWar II, he served as an officer in the U.S. Navy. He retiredin 1978.

Margaret L. “Marge” Hitchcock, 80,wife of retired Foreign Service offi-cer Wilbur W. “Bill” Hitchcock,died Oct. 27 in Atlanta of complica-tions from multiple sclerosis. Sheaccompanied her husband onassignments to Korea, Monrovia,Vientiane, Bangkok, Quebec andBuenos Aires. Mrs. Hitchcockformed puppetry groups at several

posts that performed for local charities. The Hitchcocksretired to Atlanta in 1982.

Daniel J. James, 82, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedSept. 16 of respiratory failure at a hospital in Denver,Colo. Mr. James joined the Foreign Service in 1963 andwas posted to Taiwan, India and Germany, where he wasforeign policy adviser to the commander in chief of U.S.Army forces in Europe. Prior to joining the StateDepartment, Mr. James served with the UN Food andAgricultural Organization in Chile and with the Agencyfor International Development in Korea. He served withthe U.S. Army in England during World War II. Heretired in 1980.

36 State Magazine

John Charles “Jack” Leary, 78, aretired Foreign Service officer, diedof cancer Aug. 4 at his home inAlexandria, Va. Mr. Leary joinedthe Foreign Service in 1950 andheld posts in Europe, Asia, NorthAmerica and South America. Hislast posting was Grenada, where hewas charge d’affaires. He alsoserved as a U.S. representative to

the U.N. Industrial Development Organization. Heretired in 1988. A fighter pilot and flight instructor duringWorld War II, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Algirdas J. “Al” Rimas, 61, died Oct.19 of pancreatic cancer at his homein Reston, Va. Mr. Rimas joined theForeign Service in 1967 and servedin Guyana, Germany, Ecuador,Iceland, Ireland, Canada and hisnative Vilnius, Lithuania, where hewas deputy principal officer. Beforejoining the Foreign Service, Mr.Rimas served as an infantry lieu-

tenant in the U.S. Army. He retired in 1994 and was activein the Lithuanian American community.

Jack W. Ronto, 85, a retired ForeignService officer, died of cancer Oct.24 at his home in Silicon Valley,Calif. Mr. Ronto, who joined theForeign Service in 1941, served invarious capacities in Hungary,Portugal, Belgium, Iran, Nica-ragua, Japan, Colombia, France,Mexico, the United Kingdom,Germany and Korea. Mr. Ronto

served in Budapest during the Nazi and Soviet occupa-tions. On his last assignment there, he served as theDepartment’s liaison with Cardinal Mindszenty duringhis imprisonment by the Soviets. During World War II, hewas a combat photographer in the Philippines. He retiredin 1980.