State Magazine, October 2006

M A G A Z I N E

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

O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6

AftertheStorm

AftertheStorm

CONTENTSSTATE MAGAZINE + OCTOBER 2006 + NUMBER 505

‘Uncle Sam’sShowcase’Flagship solar energy project paves the wayto a greener future.

Silver LiningKatrina evacuees bring talents to State.

Office of the Month:Employee RelationsThis office reaches out to State’s extended employee family.

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34 *ON THE COVERFrom left, Shelina Hardwick, Dwayne Berryand Ebony Smith brought their valuableexperience from New Orleans to State.Photo by David L. Johnston

COLUMNS2 FROM THE SECRETARY

3 READERS’ FEEDBACK

4 FROM THE UNDER SECRETARY

5 IN THE NEWS

9 DIRECT FROM THE D.G.

42 PEOPLE LIKE YOU

44 MEDICAL REPORT

46 STATE OF THE ARTS

48 APPOINTMENTS

49 RETIREMENTS

50 OBITUARIES

52 THE LAST WORD

12 Lending a HandNicosia gears up to help Americansleaving Lebanon.

15 Mongolia at 800Delegation marks a new era on the Steppe.

22 The Ground FloorInternships open windows intoForeign Service life.

24 Hard CaseCompetition gives State visibility on campuses.

25 ‘Way Leads on to Way’Museum connects divergent roads for American Indian FSO.

30 Cleared for LandingDiplomatic flight clearances in the era ofTransformational Diplomacy.

32 Fellowships in DiplomacyFormer U.S. ambassadors serve as mentors.

40 Family TiesPaternal leave helps build strong families.

Post of the Month:

BEIJINGAncient city blends old and new.

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Last month, we commemorated the fifthanniversary of September 11, 2001. On thatday, America suffered the worst attack everon our homeland, and more than 90nations lost innocent citizens of theirown—citizens of every culture, creed, raceand religion.

Now and into the future, the events ofthat September morning will be marked,

and remembered, and given uniquemeaning by all Americans.

For those who lost friends, family andfellow citizens, September 11 will foreverbe a day to mourn these innocent lives cuttragically short.

For those who watched the images ofterror on television screens across the

country, September 11 will forever evokevivid memories of tragedy—of fallingbuildings, evacuated cities and a nation atpeace transformed in an instant to a nationat war. But there are other memories,equally vivid, that restore our faith inhuman goodness: the nations all aroundthe world that rallied to our side in ourhour of greatest need, and the many ordi-

nary citizens, lifted by courage and com-passion, to acts of unmatched heroism.

And for those future generations,looking back on that day from the vantagepoint of history, September 11 will foreverbe a story of hope triumphing over hatred:a day when the principles of liberty,democracy and human rights wereattacked but not defeated—and when thedefense of these universal principlesinspired a great coalition of countries towage a new kind of war and, more impor-tant, to summon a vision of hope that candefeat the violent ideology of hatred thatattacked us five years ago.

It is this hopeful story of liberty andjustice that we work to advance today. Yes,America is a nation at war, but it is a newand unprecedented kind of war. This is aconflict of ideas and principles. In this con-flict, America stands for tolerance,moderation and respect for human differ-ence. We stand for freedom and equality,peace and opportunity for all people. Andto all who share these aspirations and wantthem to be realized—regardless of yourrace, your religion or your opinions aboutAmerica—we call you our ally in the fightagainst terror, tyranny and hopelessness.

Though the memories of the September11 attacks may fade with time, the conflictof ideas and principles that they producedwill continue for years, even decades tocome. This conflict will see successes butalso setbacks, times of triumph but alsotimes of great challenge and difficulty. Butin the end, this is a struggle that we and ourallies must win—and we will win.

So, with confidence in our convictions,with the memory of September 11 in ourminds and in our hearts, with no sense offalse pride and every reason for humility,America and our many partners will perse-vere. We will stay true to our highestprinciples. And we will build a future ofgreater freedom, greater hope and greaterpeace for people all around the world. �

F R O M T H E S E C R E TA R Y

Five Years On

“September 11 will foreverbe a story of hope triumphingover hatred...”

2 S TAT E M A G A Z I N E O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6

Memories of Equatorial GuineaThe April article on Equatorial Guinea

brought to mind the day after Christmas1968, when my ex-husband Albert N.Williams, the economic officer at EmbassyDakar, was asked by the ambassador if hewould be willing to goto Santa Isabel (nowMalabo), EquatorialGuinea, to open apost there.

A congressional dele-gation that had traveledto EG to have a look atthe International RedCross operation flyingout of Santa Isabel tosupply the Biafranswith food had beenarrested. When thecongressmen found outthere was no U.S. repre-sentative in thecountry, they demanded—after their even-tual release—that one be sent.

Armed with the Great Seal of theUnited States (which later did yeoman’s

duty upside down as a cocktail tray) and afootlocker full of dollar bills, my husbandarrived. Together we established a diplo-matic mission. We rented two buildings,a residence and an office. We madecountless trips to the airport to meet the

weekly flight fromDouala. We paintedand scrubbed duringthe day and social-ized at night,gleaning items forthe morning situa-tion report.

My husband waschargé, politicalofficer and econom-ic officer. I wasadministrativeofficer, budget andfiscal officer, generalservices officer andcommunicator.

Our dog, Sarah, was the embassy guard.She slept on the diplomatic pouches in thevault and barked when anyone came inthe building.

For two years we worked hard, butloved the beautiful island and wereentranced by its surreal atmosphere.There are so many Equatorial Guineastories it’s hard to know where to begin.

Carman CunninghamSan Rafael, California

CorrectionThe photo with the obituary of

Florence Neverman in the July/Augustedition was not of Ms. Neverman. Theobituary is repeated below.

Florence L.Neverman, 89, aretired ForeignService secretary,died April 3 inSarasota, Fla. Sheserved in the NavyWAVES duringWorld War II. Heroverseas postings

included Warsaw, Baghdad, Geneva,Copenhagen, Beirut, Tehran and Tokyo.She retired in 1971 to Sarasota.

R E A D E R S ’ F E E D B A C K

O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6 S TAT E M A G A Z I N E 3

Mailing AddressState Magazine2401 E Street, NWHR/ER/SMG, SA-1, Room H-236Washington, DC 20522-0108

[email protected]

Phone(202) 663-1700

Letters should not exceed 250words and should include thewriter’s name, address and daytimephone number. All letters becomethe property of State Magazine.Letters will be edited for length,accuracy and clarity. Only signedletters will be considered. Namesmay be withheld upon request.

I read with great interest the article in the July/August issue onEmbassy Panama’s outreach efforts to Panama’s Muslim community,an initiative developed by Political Counselor Richard Sacks.

Mr. Sacks was selected as the 2006 winner of AFSA’s William R.Rivkin Constructive Dissent Award because he was willing tochallenge the status quo and suggest new approaches to addresswhat he said he felt was a lack of positive contact between theembassy and the Muslim community in Panama. At a time whentensions between Americans and the Muslim community werevery high, when Muslims traveling to the U.S. were subjected togreat scrutiny that resulted in claims of harassment or unfairtreatment, Mr. Sacks argued that treating Muslims fairly and withrespect would not undermine U.S. security and would benefitU.S.-Muslim relations in Panama.

J. Anthony HolmesPresident, AmericanForeign Service Association

Let Us Hear from YouMuslim Initiative Recognized


Transformational diplomacy requiresthat we look differently at the world, at therole of the Department and, importantly, athow we carry out our work. Departmentpersonnel have always sought better andmore effective ways of doing business, buttransformational diplomacy requires manyfundamental changes, including in the wayadministrative support services are provid-ed in the Department.

Our goal is to provide world-class globalservices by significantly and rapidly expand-ing shared services within the Department.Shared services models are widely used inthe private sector to deliver administrativeservices and are considered a managementbest practice. Public sector agencies, such asthe Food and Drug Administration and theDepartment of the Treasury, also have suc-cessfully embraced and implementedshared services models. The Departmenthas provided some shared services to over-seas customers for years throughInternational Cooperative AdministrativeSupport Services.

Shared services combines the primarybenefits of a centralized architecture foradministrative services with the advantagesof a high-performing organization byfocusing on four areas: customer service,innovative management, performancemeasurement and continuous improve-ment. The result in the Department will behigh-quality, standardized services providedby trained professionals at a lower cost butwith increased accountability throughmetrics, performance standards and cus-tomer service boards.

We plan to implement the shared servic-es concept in a variety of ways. Someactivities are under way, while others arenow in the advanced planning stage. Withinthe Management family, we will have atrading of services so that each bureau canleverage its expertise while eliminating areasthat consume resources but do not enhanceits core mission. I have asked my seniorleadership to focus on establishing a sharedservices model for the following four func-tional areas: procurement, humanresources, financial management and infor-mation technology.

First steps include the following:

In 2004, the Bureau of Human Resourcesasked the Bureau of Administration’s execu-tive office to take on the HR functions forthe Bureaus of Democracy, Human Rightsand Labor and Oceans and InternationalEnvironment and Scientific Affairs.

The executive offices of the Bureau ofEuropean Affairs and the Bureau of

International Organizations will merge atthe beginning of FY 2007. The goal is to takeadvantage of economies of scale and bestbusiness practices to create an organizationthat better and more efficiently serves allEUR and IO posts. It will also free up somepositions for Global DiplomaticRepositioning.

A shared services agreement between theBureaus of Administration and Infor-mation Resource Management throughwhich the Administration Bureau’s execu-tive office will provide administrativeservices for Information ResourceManagement, while IRM will take over thedesktop and network support functionsnow handled by A.

Human resources services for M bureauswill be delivered through a single or smallnumber of Centers of Excellence that con-solidate existing HR functions. Theexecutive offices in the Bureaus ofAdministration, Consular Affairs andDiplomatic Security have been designatedas candidate COEs for the pilot. The centralBureau of Human Resources will retain

policy, oversight, compliance and evalua-tion functions.

For IT functions, the implementationstrategy provides for enterprise-wide con-solidation of IT desktop service delivery toinclude a centralized help desk, desktopsupport and server operations. It will comein four stages: within IRM, the M Family,the remaining domestic bureaus and officesand, as appropriate, overseas.

For procurement, we are reviewing howto effectively integrate domestic, regionaland overseas procurement services. A keycomponent of this review is analyzing theDepartment’s current delivery of procure-ment services and exploring alternateoptions of both delivering and charging forthese services while ensuring that theprocess is more transparent and responsiveto our customers.

In the area of financial management, theBureau of Resource Management is explor-ing an effort similar to the approach takenby HR, to identify centers of excellence withthe Department, where budget and finan-cial management functions of the smallerbureaus could be consolidated within thelarger bureaus, looking to free up staff whilestill maintaining a high level of hands-onservice. A top priority in the coming yearwill be to conduct a comprehensive reviewof all RM’s financial processes to determinehow best to continue to provide theDepartment—and the interagency operat-

ing overseas—world-class financial servicesat the lowest possible cost.

We in the Management Family are com-mitted to providing world-class service toour customers and to doing it more effi-ciently and transparently. Key to thiscommitment is ensuring that our customershave a central role in telling us how we aredoing and how we can improve. �

UNDER SECRETARY HENRIETTA FORE

Moving to Shared Services

“Our goal is to provide world-class global services

by significantly and rapidlyexpanding shared serviceswithin the Department.”

55O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6 S TAT E M A G A Z I N E

)(NEWS

>>>PLUS>>> DIPLOMAT ADDS TO DIVERSITY DIALOGUE IN FRANCE + ICELANDICJOURNALISTS GET SECURITY BRIEFING ON TOUR + STATE HELPS IMPLEMENTGPS POLICY + ‘MODELS’ BENEFIT CHILD LABOR VICTIMS + CFC KICKS OFFOCT. 3 + WEBCAM SEMINARS BENEFIT ISOLATED CUBAN ENGLISH TEACHERS

Inspired by the ART in Embassiesprogram, which places original works ofart in the public areas of U.S. embassies,the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo tookthe concept one step further and commis-sioned a group of artists to create a workof art on an embassy wall.

The embassy asked a group ofDominican and international artists fromthe Altos de Chavon School of Design in LaRomana, Dominican Republic, to come upwith several designs for a “friendshipmural” for the south wall of the consularsection compound, located about half amile from the chancery building. Missionemployees, in a free and fair election,selected a multi-colored design that fea-tures iconic symbols from both the UnitedStates and the Dominican Republic.

After the public affairs section securedfunding for the supplies, the artists wentto work, stenciling and then painting thedesign on the wall. The final product,which is about 9 feet tall and 32 feet wide,faces one of Santo Domingo’s busier thor-oughfares.

U.S. Ambassador Hans H. Hertell presided at a dedication event on June 29, during which he and Francisco Javier Garcia, theDominican Secretary of Industry and Commerce, signed their names on the wall and discussed the benefits of the DominicanRepublic–Central America Free Trade Agreement. DR-CAFTA, the acronym by which the agreement is known, is painted just abovethe signatures.

EMBASSY WALL BECOMES WORK OF ART

The mural graces an exterior wall of the consular compound in Santo Domingo.


Over several weeks in October and November 2005, unrest anddemonstrations erupted in minority-dominated Parisian suburbsand elsewhere around France. Property was destroyed, 4,700 carswere burned and 1,200 people arrested.

The unrest called attention to the need for more dialogue onhow to promote the inclusion of minorities in mainstreamFrench society.

U.S. Embassy Vice-Consul John C. Kelley contributed to the dia-logue on diversity while visiting two French high schools in therural northern region in February. The American Presence Postin Lille and the Centre Régional de Documentation Pédagogique(Regional Educational Resources Center) organized the event inobservation of African-American History Month.

Building on the themes of integration and diversity, Mr. Kelleybriefed the students on the history of the African-American com-munity in the United States from the Constitutional Conventionto the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as well as on current race relations.

As an African-American diplomat, he was living proof for thestudents that America has made significant progress in integratingits minorities.

Mr. Kelley answered questions about racism, affirmative actionand life as a diplomat. The students were particularly interested inhis experience as an African-American in France and how thestatus of African-Americans in the U.S. compares with that ofMuslims in France.

The embassy public affairs section provided the schools’ resourcecenters with Rosa Parks posters and the embassy newsletter, Echosdes USA, while Mr. Kelley left the students with the impetus to con-tinue the dialogue on diversity.

When asked whether America is a melting pot or a salad bowl,he responded, “It is a salad bowl that has been thrown into amelting pot that we hope one day will be stirred up.”

U.S. Diplomat Adds to Diversity Dialogue in France

Vice-Consul John C. Kelley presents the history of African-Americans toFrench high school students at Lycee Dupleix.

In June, six Icelandic reporters participated in a U.S.Embassy Reykjavik–sponsored North Atlantic TreatyOrganization tour to learn how NATO and its allies areworking to counter 21st-century security threats.

The journalists—representing radio, TV and newspa-pers—met with officials from State, Defense, Congressand think tanks, including the RAND Corporation andHomeland Security Institute. They received briefings onthe changing role of NATO, terrorism, and trafficking inpersons, drugs and weapons of mass destruction.

The reporters also traveled to Norfolk, Va., to meetwith officials at NATO Allied Command Transformationheadquarters and tour the aircraft carrier USSEisenhower.

For some, it was their first visit to the United States.All praised the tour, and some said it helped thembetter understand the reasons behind the plannedclosure of the U.S. Naval Air Station in Keflavik.

Icelandic JournalistsGet Security Briefingon U.S. Tour

The journalists and their escorts pose withmembers of the USS Eisenhower crew.


The primary system used throughout theworld for satellite navigation is the GlobalPositioning System, a constellation of U.S.government spacecraft providing 24-hour,all-weather coverage of the entire Earth.Originally developed by the military, GPS isnow critical to a wide range of civilianactivities and represents a fundamentalcomponent of the global informationinfrastructure.

By using the precise time-and-positiondata transmitted by the GPS satellites,operators can determine the location ofany object on or above the surface of theEarth to within a few meters. Higher accu-racies can be achieved by using externalaugmentation systems.

GPS receivers can be found in everythingfrom cars and planes to mobile phones andgolf carts. The technology is being used toimprove business productivity in areas asdiverse as farming, mining, construction,surveying, taxicab management andpackage delivery. It is preventing trans-portation accidents and reducing theresponse times of ambulances, firefightersand other emergency services. GPS is alsofurthering scientific aims such as weather

forecasting, earthquake prediction andenvironmental protection.

Late in 2004, President Bush authorizeda new national policy that establishesguidance and implementationactions for space-basedpositioning, navigationand timing programs.

To coordinate thewide range of GPSactivities, the policyestablishes anExecutive committee,chaired jointly by thedeputy secretaries of thedepartments of Defenseand Transportation. Itsmembership includes equiva-lent-level officials from thedepartments of State, Commerce andHomeland Security, the Joint Chiefs ofStaff and the National Aeronautics andSpace Administration.

Because GPS has such a wide numberof applications, because of its globalnature and because competitors areemerging around the world, theDepartment of State has been active in the

executive committee. The Departmentworks to promote civil GPS as a globalutility, protect the radio frequency bands

used by GPS and negotiate agree-ments with key countries on

satellite navigation cooper-ation.

The Bureau of Oceansand International Envi-ronment and ScientificAffairs has been activein implement ingthe new policy. For

example, the bureau’sOff ice of Space and

Advanced Technology ledsuccessful negotiations with

the European Union on anagreement ensuring that Europe’s

planned Galileo satellite navigation systemwill be compatible with GPS.

A permanent coordination office inWashington provides day-to-day staffsupport to the executive committee. TheDepartment has seconded an official to thisoffice. The coordination office is a point ofcontact for inquiries. Further informationcan be found at www.pnt.gov.

State Helps Implement National GPS Policy

In honor of World Day to Combat Child Labor, diplomatsand Cameroonian employees at the U.S. Embassy in Yaoundétook to the catwalk and strutted their stuff for a good cause.

The event was the idea of Ambassador Niels Marquardt’s wifeJudi, who presided before 300 guests, 220 child victim survivors,100 embassy staff members and others while embassy employ-ees gracefully sashayed down the runway to model 120 outfitsspecifically created for the show from donated fabric andAfrican native costumes.

For important events, Cameroonian tradition dictates that allparticipants wear outfits sewn from the same fabric. Theembassy, in line with this cultural norm, had a special patrioticAmerican fabric designed for a previous event and reused thestunning blue fabric for the fashion show.

Around the world, 218 million children are victims of childlabor, and Cameroon is not immune. U.S. Department ofLabor funds have helped rescue 1,150 children from the worstform of child labor through the International LaborOrganization’s Cameroon-International Programme on theElimination of Child Labour project.

The Embassy event sought to highlight the talent and deter-mination of these child victims. All the outfits presented were

designed and sewn by children withdrawn from cocoa fields,rubber orchards or banana plantations and now in vocationaltraining learning to be seamstresses or tailors.

The audience, composed of government ministers, parlia-mentarians, Supreme Court judges, the diplomatic corps andothers, saw a short documentary on the state of child labor inCameroon and had a chance to purchase goods made by thechildren. They enthusiastically applauded each model and insome cases literally bought the shirt off the model’s back.

Ambassador Marquardt appearedon the runway as the surprise guestmodel. He barreled down therunway stylishly clad in Bermudashorts, a patriotic American T-shirtand a hat of plumed parrot feathers.

This pioneer gala not only sensi-tized the Cameroonians to theplight of their children, but provid-ed a forum for some of thosechildren to shine. They were happyand proud to be the center of atten-tion for a day.

Embassy ‘Models’ Benefit Child Labor Victims


Costa Rica–based Regional EnglishLanguage Officer for Central AmericaMichael Rudder conducted a series of sixinteractive webcam presentations onEnglish language–teaching methodologyover the last year for about 50 Englishteachers in Cuba.

Each of the sessions, organized by the U.S.Embassy in San José and the U.S. InterestsSection in Havana, consisted of an hour-long seminar followed by an hour ofinteractive dialogue with and among theteachers. Topics included motivationalstrategies, Internet resources for English

teaching, the role of grammar in curricu-lum, teacher observation and peer coaching.

The training program provided a rareopportunity for the appreciative teachers,who are isolated from internationalexchange and information technology.They work with limited and dated materi-als and feel restricted in terms ofmethodology and syllabus.

The teachers received book donationsfrom the RELO office, as well as radios andDVD players from the U.S. InterestsSection—resources that will greatlyenhance their classroom instruction.

Webcam Seminars Benefit IsolatedCuban English Teachers

MAGAZINE STAFF

Rob WileyEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Bill PalmerWRITER/EDITOR

Jennifer LelandWRITER/EDITOR

David L. JohnstonART DIRECTOR

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Maurice S. ParkerEXECUTIVE SECRETARY

Larry Baer

Kelly Clements

Pam Holliday

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The submission deadline for theDecember 2006 issue is October 15.The deadline for the January 2007issue is November 15.

Cuban teachers of English attend a seminar at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana.

“Be a star in someone’s life.” That is the theme of this year’s Combined Federal Campaign. State’s campaign

kick-off is Oct. 3. The Department has accepted the challenge to raise $2 million. Last year, Department employees and retirees raised $2,281,365. The average

employee’s gift was $540.61. Some 4,220 donors contributed, a participation rateof 26.43 percent.

Secretary Rice is the Department’s chair and Director General Staples is the vicechair. The Office of Employee Relations in the Bureau of Human Resources coordi-nates the campaign.

Check http://hrweb.hr.state.gov for campaign information and updates, andwatch for ALDACS and Department Notices.

CFC KICKS OFF OCT. 3WITH $2 MILLION GOAL


I would like to take this opportunity to thankthe men and women of the State Department forthe sacrifices they make each and every day onbehalf of American citizens overseas. Theirefforts in response to the recent Lebanon crisisdeserve special recognition.

Employees at ourembassies in Beirut,Nicosia, Ankara andDamascus worked withU.S. military units thissummer to help morethan 15,000 Americansdepart Lebanon safelyand efficiently. This was,as Secretary Rice stated,“one of the largest andmost complex opera-tions of its kind sinceWorld War II.”

After the bombing ofthe Rafik Hariri Inter-national Airport, phonesat the U.S. Embassy inBeirut rang nonstop forthe next two weeks. Aphone bank was set up atthe embassy and Lebanese and American staffanswered calls around the clock. Everyone onstaff volunteered to assist with this effort. Thewelfare and security of our citizens remainedtheir top priority. Consular Chief William Gillborrowed a bicycle from RSO WhitneySavageau to race around the compound morequickly. Under difficult circumstances, our men

and women demonstrated motivation, leader-ship and creativity.

In Cyprus and in Turkey, our consular offi-cers and their staff assisted in moving people tostaging sites in preparation for their onwardtravel to the United States. With patience andcompassion, they helped Americans who hadlost passports and papers, ensured that medicalneeds were met, offered translation assistanceand contacted these citizens’ loved ones.Management officers, public diplomacy offi-

cers, regional medical officers, diplomatic secu-rity officers and locally employed staff assistedwith departure efforts.

Department employees in Washington wereeager to contribute, as well. Employees frombureaus throughout the Department volun-

teered to staff ourr o u n d - t h e - c l o c kLebanon task forces.

When the crisis began,Tom Cherry, a systemsspecialist in CA/OCS,took calls on the taskforce from concernedco l l e g e s t u d e n t s i nBeirut. Two days later, here ce ive d a c a l l a t8:00 a.m. Sunday fromCA management, askingwhether he could imme-diately go shopping forcomputer and commu-nications equipment andtake it to Cyprus. Sixteenhours later, he was on aplane to Larnaca. Whilehelping process Americans

from Lebanon arriving there, he recognized thename of one of the college students. Thestudent was completely amazed that the sameperson who had taken his call in Washingtonwas now helping him in Cyprus.

The Office of Children’s Issues worked withnine families whose adoptions of Lebanese babieswere affected by the crisis. Two of the families

arranged with an escort to have their childrenbrought to Cyprus, where the adoptive parentswere waiting. The escort could not travel at the lastminute, so two of the Beirut Embassy staff escort-ed the babies to Cyprus, where Nicosia Embassyregional medical officers and consular staff assist-ed in uniting the families with their children.

Many Americans have contacted us to expresstheir gratitude for the assistance that the StateDepartment employees provided them. I amproud of their service to our nation. �

D . G . G E O R G E S TA P L E S

Patient and Compassionate Service

“Under difficult circumstances,our men and women demonstratedmotivation, leadership and creativity.”

On July 4, as Americans everywhere cele-brated Independence Day, the U.S. Missionin Geneva was also celebrating an impor-tant step toward energy independence atembassies around the world. It was the one-year anniversary of the Mission’sgroundbreaking photovoltaic energysystem—the largest and most ambitioussolar energy project ever undertaken by theU.S. government overseas.

The roof and façade of the once undistin-guished seven-story building in Geneva’sdiplomatic quarter have been handsomelyfitted with 950 square meters of cobalt-bluephotovoltaic panels that glisten like cathe-dral windows in the sunlight and producesustainable electric power—enough topower 37 average households.

“We see this as the flagship project forthe State Department’s efforts to make U.S.embassies worldwide greener and moreself-sufficient,” said General Charles E.Williams, director and chief operatingofficer of the Bureau of Overseas BuildingsOperations.

The British environmental magazineGreen Futures hailed the building as “UncleSam’s showcase,” providing a “dazzlingarray” for Geneva’s diplomats and “bigsavings on power.”

Creative TeamworkWhat does it take to transform an ordi-

nary office building into a showcase for thelatest made-in-USA solar energy technolo-gy with an architectural design worthy of

featuring on a magazine cover? Teamwork,creative problem solving, diplomacy andpartnership building.

It began in 2003, when AmbassadorKevin E. Moley, then U.S. permanent repre-sentative to the United Nations in Geneva,and his staff found themselves confrontedwith a dual problem. The concrete façadeof the building had begun to crumble. Andthe post’s energy costs were mounting dra-matically, as electricity rates soared and thedollar declined.

General Services Officer PamelaMansfield and Locally Employed Staffbuilding engineer Patrick Grzanka learnedthat the Canton of Geneva and the localenergy utility were offering interestingincentives for solar energy projects.

It became clear that a unique opportuni-ty existed to solve both problems.

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FLAGSHIP SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT PAVES THE WAYTO A GREENER FUTURE BY WENDY LUBETKIN

‘Uncle Sam’s Showcase’

A view of the U.S. Mission in Genevafrom the main entrance.

Mission, Service Cantonal de l’Energie andthe local energy utility, Services Industrielsde Genève. The U.S. Mission would send theelectricity it produced directly into Geneva’selectricity grid (instead of storing it in bat-teries for use on-site) and SIG would buy itat a preferential rate established to encour-age renewable energy production.

The photovoltaic panels would helpprotect the façade and prevent furtherdeterioration, even as they generated cleanelectricity and lowered energy costs.

Model ProjectIn 2004, when General Williams tasked

his team at OBO with the project, he wasdetermined to make the venture a modelfor other embassies. Turning the U.S.Mission in Geneva into a solar-energypowerhouse would provide OBO engineersand architects with a template that could beused at other posts and incorporated intostandard embassy design.

“In the future, photovoltaic technologiescan prove particularly useful at embassiesin regions of the world where sun is plenti-ful and power reliability is low,” said OBOengineer Mike Christensen.

The photovoltaic design, engineeringand panels used for the project are all pro-

duced by American companies.Construction was awarded to the lowest-bidding responsible and responsivecontractor, the Swiss firm SunTechnics.

Earl Graves, the mission’s supervisoryGSO, oversaw construction. Engineeringand design management was provided byChuck Hosn of Richmond, Va.-basedHankins and Anderson Engineers.

The photovoltaic design was created bySteven Strong and Robert Erb of SolarDesigns Associates, an award-winningMassachusetts firm responsible for the solarenergy project at the White House andmany other well-known projects across theUnited States. Their plans incorporatedspecially sloped sunshade arrays angledover windows to shade and cool the interi-or and produce additional energy savingsthrough lower air-conditioning costs.

“The project has vastly enhanced theexternal appearance of the building,” saidOBO Project Architect Ronald J. Tomasso.

On July 5, the first annual reading of themeters revealed that the system had met itstargets for the first year of operation.

Between July 5, 2005, and July 5, 2006,the mission produced enough power to

light up a neighborhood block for an entireyear. The new photovoltaic system hadbegun to earn its keep, producing anaverage of 270 kilowatt hours of power aday and some $60,000 worth of electricity.

“We are truly proud that this jointproject has worked so well over the courseof its first year, contributing to a cleanerenvironment by reducing carbon emissionsby more than 150,000 pounds,” saidAmbassador Warren W. Tichenor.

The solar energy system at the mission ison track to pay for itself and serve as theinspiration for other Department projectsaround the world. �

The author is an information specialist inthe public affairs section of the U.S. Missionin Geneva.

Clockwise from left: Members of the solar proj-ect team pose outside the Mission. A view of thesouthwest façade of the Mission reveals the stairtower and conference center vertical arrays. U.S.Ambassador to Switzerland Pamela Willeford,left; OBO Director General Charles Williams, sec-ond from left; and Ambassador Kevin Moley holda symbolic check for the purchase of energyfrom Geneva’s electrical utility. Solar panels layflat across the roof of the U.S. Mission.

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NICOSIA GEARS UP TO HELP AMERICANS LEAVING LEBANONBY THE STAFF OF THE U.S. EMBASSY IN NICOSIA

Lending a Hand

Consular staff register Americans upontheir departure to the United States fromLarnaca and Paphos airports. During the recent conflict in Lebanon, the U.S.

Embassy in Nicosia helped nearly 14,000 Americans andtheir families leave Lebanon en route to the United Statesvia Cyprus. More than 150 volunteers from otherAmerican embassies around the world joined theAmerican and Cypriot staff in this Herculean effort.

Working around the clock for more than two weeks,55 consular staff registered new arrivals, issued more than75 new passports and helped process 150 humanitarianparole applications. More than 85 percent of these arrivalswere moved onto charter flights within 24 hours ofcoming to Cyprus.

The management and logistics team organized approximately50 bus convoys from Cyprus ports to accommodations or inter-national airports. Some convoys transported as many as 1,000people. Communication centers set up in Nicosia, Larnaca,Limassol and Paphos provided constant contact with main State-coordinated operations.

U.S. military helicopters carried emergency cases fromLebanon to safety at Larnaca Airport. The embassy’s economicand commercial staff identified privately owned vessels to trans-port Americans. These commercial vessels, as well as U.S. militaryships, delivered as many as 2,000 people at a time to the ports ofLarnaca and Limassol.

An emergency shelter was set up at the Cyprus InternationalFairgrounds and accommodated up to 3,000 people at a time.The shelter offered families hot meals, showers, cots and basic toi-letries, as well as medical attention. Working closely with Cyprus’Civil Defense and Civil Aviation personnel, the Cyprus State FairsAuthority and the local business community—which respondedwith generosity and a philanthropic spirit—embassy staff put inplace a support structure to welcome families and staged outingsand games for the large number of children.

A medical team provided immediate, basic first aid andmedical care for everyone arriving in Cyprus, as well as for thosesheltered at the fairgrounds.

From the moment I heard that Hezbollah had kidnappedtwo Israeli soldiers, I knew a military offensive was soon tofollow. However, when the air strikes in Lebanon started atthe Beirut International Airport the following morning, Iwas truly shocked.

My immediate concerns were for my mother, father,brother and extended family in Lebanon. After being gluedto the news for two straight days, my supervisor, EdBetancourt, noticed that I needed a break to absorb what washappening and see some other family members in the area.Because of his caring advice, I was able to reflect for a coupleof days. I realized that I was dealing with the situation bynumbing myself and being consumed by the news.

When I came back to the overwhelming support of mycolleagues at work, I felt the need to put all my efforts intothe evacuation of Americans, including my family, inLebanon. I worked in two task forces and found myself beinguseful by helping my colleagues pronounce town and villagenames, as well as speaking Lebanese Arabic to callers pan-icked about their loved ones.

When I finally communicated with my younger brotherthrough e-mail, he told me that he was safe at the AmericanEmbassy. He said he was watching the flat-screen TV andeating at the cafeteria, which was open and free to all whowere in transit by helicopter. At that moment, I immediatelyput my concerns about my family aside and chuckled tomyself because of the great service he was being offered—while I had been worried about their safety.

The next time I saw my family was on CNN atBaltimore Washington International Airport, being greetedby Under Secretary Fore and many other Departmentemployees. I was just finishing my 7 a.m. shift and was offto hear their story.

The author is a Lebanese-American intern in the Office ofOverseas Citizen Services.


CONCERN FOR FAMILYBY ANGEL ABI-ANTOUN

Above: Marines and embassy employees help people at the CyprusInternational Fairgrounds. Below: U.S. Embassy Nicosia arranged for per-formances by magicians and clowns to keep the children occupied.

I awoke at 2 a.m. to the dull thud of a bomb. Lately, suchsounds have become part of the background, but the bombfrom last night was loud enough to wake me up, even though itwas far away. I could not get back to sleep, and as I went out tothe balcony and watched the plumes of smoke rise into the sky,I got to thinking.

My mind drifted back to earlier in the evening, when I hadpacked a bag in the event that things really went south and Iwould be forced to leave Lebanon on a moment’s notice. Iremember looking around at all of the memorabilia I had col-lected from my travels: beautiful photos, clothes and books thatmade my cozy apartment “home.” Aside from some family heir-loom jewelry and my passport, I found very little that I wantedto put in my bag. In fact, the more I looked, the less I found. Intimes of crisis and war, it takes very little to realize just howlittle we actually need. There was nothing in that apartmentthat I could not live without.

And that got me thinking even more. The single most impor-tant thing I put in my bag was my passport. As I reflect on thiswar and theresponse of ourgovernment toAmerican citizensin need, whatstrikes me most isthe value of such asmall document—the U.S. passport.U.S. citizenship.

As the chief ofAmerican CitizenServices at theU.S. Embassy inBeirut, I have wit-nessed not onlythe evacuation, but the desperation of those left behind. Somany people desperately trying to get to the United States. Somany desperate for an American passport.

I did not fully understand the significance of my own pass-port until I first traveled abroad and then later joined theForeign Service and lived overseas. My experience in Lebanonhas deepened my appreciation for citizenship. On a daily basis,as I interview individuals petitioning for citizenship, I amreminded of its value.

The pride and satisfaction I feel in having served my countryduring this crisis reminds me that it is not only the Americanflag I must salute. To my mother and father and countless otherimmigrants who came to America in search of somethingmore—opportunity and hope, the land of the free—my hat isoff to you. For yours was the ultimate sacrifice: the maidenvoyage to America, leaving behind all things familiar, andenriching America with so much more. Politics and policyaside, ours truly is an amazing country. We as Americans havemuch to be thankful for.

The author is the chief of American Citizen Services at the U.S.Embassy in Beirut. PH

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Julie Eadeh sits in her embassy office in Beirut.

Above: The control room at the embassy worked around the clock,coordinating the entire effort. Below: Consular staff register Americansarriving from Beirut.

REFLECTIONS ON COUNTRYBY JULIE EADEH

The U.S. Embassy in Nicosia’s security officers worked withU.S. Federal Air Marshals and the Transportation SecurityAdministration, as well as with Cyprus police; customs, port andairport authorities; and Civil Defense. This cooperation assuredfamilies an easy, speedy and safe return home. Security officersalso helped provide access to the press for coverage of events atports and airports.

The U.S. Agency for International Development’s DisasterAssistance Response Team based at the U.S. Embassy in Beirutalso worked in Cyprus to help coordinate America’s humani-tarian response in Lebanon. At press time, nearly $400,000worth of immediate relief assistance—including 1,000 tents,20,000 blankets and medical supplies for more than 180,000people—had been shipped via Cyprus to the affected commu-nities in Lebanon.

To tell this amazing story, the embassy launched a significantpublic diplomacy campaign, fielding numerous press inquiriesand organizing press interviews and conferences for the U.S. andCypriot media with U.S. Ambassador Ronald Schlicher, otherU.S. government officials and Americans who were being helped.Also, 72 journalists from 36 media outlets were given access tohelicopters and ships moving Americans out of Lebanon. �

This year, Mongolia celebrates its 800th anniversary. In 1206, aman named Temujin united the fractious Mongol tribes and wasnamed khan of the first unified Mongol state. Over the next 90years, Genghis Khan and his successors’ conquests created thelargest contiguous land empire ever. His successors ruled this vastempire, or parts of it, for more than 200 years, a period sometimescalled the “Pax Mongolica.”

For contemporary Mongolians, this anniversary marks a sort ofrebirth. Discussion of Genghis Khan’s role in Mongolia’s early historywas banned during the nearly 70 years of Communist rule. Butbeginning with the transition to democracy in the early 1990s, he hasmade a comeback as Mongolia’s “founding father.” Contemporaryhistorians, both domestic and foreign, have re-examined GenghisKhan’s role in Mongolian and world history and attribute to himprogressive, benevolent and even democratic qualities.

In a symbolic gesture, the government is building a GenghisKhan memorial hall on the central square, replacing a mausoleumthat until recently housed two communist-era figures.

The celebrations for the 800th anniversary peaked this summerwith the annual Naadam National Day celebrations, held July11–13, during which Mongolia celebrates its declaration of inde-pendence from China on July 11, 1921. Secretary of AgricultureMike Johanns headed a presidential delegation to attend the com-memorative events. Secretary and Mrs. Johanns sat next toPresident Enkhbayar as he awarded medals to competitors in theNaadam games.

The Naadam holiday is centered on contests in Mongolianwrestling, horse racing and archery. Given Mongolia’s conqueringhistory, it is no coincidence that these are all related to traditionalbattle skills. Some skills are still useful abroad: Mongolians domi-nate sumo wrestling in Japan, and Mongolian peacekeepers are onthe ground in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and Kosovo.

Secretary Johanns’ visit underscored the expanding bilateral rela-tionship. In the past year, Mongolia has hosted the first-ever visitsby a president of the United States, speaker of the House ofRepresentatives, and secretaries of Defense and Agriculture; and thesecond-ever visits of a First Lady, Secretary of State and director ofthe Peace Corps.

During his November 2005 visit, President Bush reaffirmed the2004 joint presidential statement declaring a “comprehensive part-nership between our two democratic countries, based on sharedvalues and common strategic interests.” January 2007 will mark 20years of U.S.-Mongolia diplomatic relations. �

Pamela J. H. Slutz was the ambassador to Mongolia until September.Patrick J. Freeman is chief of the economic and political section inUlaanbaatar.


BY PATRICK J. FREEMAN ANDPAMELA J. H. SLUTZ

MONGOLIA AT 800:A NEW ERA ON THE STEPPE

Top: Ambassador Slutz meets a Mongolian herder. Middle: Secretary ofAgriculture Johanns chats with a herder in his ger. Bottom: The honorguard adds color to the Naadam festival.

An arched stone bridge adds anote of grace to Beihai Park.

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P O S T O F T H E M O N T H<<<

ANCIENT CITY BLENDS THE OLD WITH THE NEW

BY ANDY COVINGTONAND SARA YUN


The ancient Forbidden City with theskyline of today in the background.

As early as the Warring States period, after 475 B.C., thestrategic trading and military area where present-day Beijingsits was contested by rival kingdoms. Millennia later, aftertimes of triumph and adversity, Beijing has emerged as thepolitical, artistic and administrative center of China.

Beijing is an ancient city whose modern influence grows each year. Like the man-darins of ancient times, China’s leaders in Beijing still orchestrate the policies thatguide China’s future at home and abroad.

China’s rapid economic growth since the start of its “reform and opening” policyin 1979 has resulted in an increasingly complex bilateral relationship with the UnitedStates. At the time of its elevation from a liaison office in 1979, the U.S. Embassy inBeijing made do with a relative handful of employees focused on developing a newrelationship, managing the great bilateral differences, forging trade links and cooper-ating to contain the Soviet Union. The intensity of activity at post has not abatedsince those early days.

The embassy has expanded in parallel with China’s economic growth and relevanceon the world stage and now deals with issues ranging from nuclear nonproliferationon the Korean peninsula, human rights and press freedom to environmental chal-lenges, infectious diseases, intellectual property rights protection, trade promotion,military transparency and scientific cooperation.

The mission’s geographic responsibility is equally broad. Beijing’s consular districtreaches China’s remote northwestern border and includes provinces in the center andsouth. Reflecting the growing links between the two countries, the nonimmigrant visa

section in 2005 issued nearly 200,000 visasfor business, leisure and study.

A Robust PresenceToday, the official U.S. presence in

Beijing is at an all-time high. The newestadditions include a Department of Energyoffice that opened in 2005, a NationalScience Foundation office that opened in2006 and a Department of the Treasuryoffice that also opened in 2006. More than300 Americans working for more than adozen federal agencies maintain permanentoffices in Beijing, including large contin-gents from the departments of State,Commerce, Defense and HomelandSecurity. Several agencies have attachéswithin the embassy to focus on key policyareas such as rule of law and intellectualproperty rights protection.

Beijing is a frequent destination for high-level visitors and delegations. During 2005and 2006, the U.S. Embassy in Beijinghosted President George W. Bush, Secretary

19O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6 S TAT E M A G A Z I N E 19O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6 S TAT E M A G A Z I N E 19O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6 S TAT E M A G A Z I N E

AT A GLANCE

Country nameChina

CapitalBeijing

GovernmentCommunist state

IndependenceOctober 1, 1949 (People’sRepublic established)

Population1.3 billion

LanguagesStandard Chinese (Mandarin),Wu, Minnan, Xiang, Gan andHakka dialects

Total area9,596,960 square kilometers

Approximate sizeRoughly the same size asthe United States

Currencyyuan (CNY)

Per capita income$6,800

Population below poverty line10 percent

Import partnersJapan (15.2 percent), South Korea(11.6 percent) and Taiwan (11.2percent)

Import commoditiesMachinery and equipment, oil andmineral fuels, plastics, optical andmedical equipment, and organicchemicals

Export partnersUnited States (21.4 percent),Hong Kong (16.3 percent) andJapan (11 percent)

Export commoditiesMachinery and equipment,plastics, optical and medicalequipment, and iron and steel

Internet country code.cn

SOURCE: CIA World Factbook 2006

of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary ofDefense Donald Rumsfeld, more than halfof the Cabinet, numerous subcabinet offi-cials and many members of Congress.During one week in November 2005,President Bush, former President Bush andfour Cabinet secretaries visited Beijing forhigh-level visits and meetings.

The embassy occupies three compoundsin the tree-lined diplomatic quarter indowntown Beijing. Space constraints haveforced many agencies to move into com-mercial properties around the centralbusiness district. This logistical problemwill be resolved in the summer of 2008,when a new embassy compound is slated toopen a few miles northeast of the presentchancery.

The new compound, under constructionsince 2004, is one of the most complexembassy projects yet undertaken by theDepartment. When completed, the com-pound will improve efficiency by bringingtogether more than 20 agencies. It will offerbetter facilities to serve the public, such asample space in which to provide visas andservices to American citizens.

Quality of life in Beijing continues toimprove with the city’s economic and phys-ical transformation. Embassy housingchoices, which previously were limited toChinese government–managed diplomaticcompounds, have improved dramatically inrecent years. Singles, couples and familieswith small children frequently live down-town in modern high-rise apartmentbuildings. Most families with school-agechildren live in detached, single-familyhomes near the international schools, 45minutes northeast of the embassy.

The wide variety of international schoolsensures that children receive the educationbest suited to their needs. The InternationalSchool of Beijing and the Western Academyof Beijing have the greatest numbers ofembassy children, but the newly openedBeijing City International School andAustralian, British and Canadian interna-tional schools add further options, somedowntown. A number of parents haveopted to send their children to Chineseschools, particularly at the preschool level.

Respecting TraditionsBeijing’s shining new buildings, never-

ending construction and forward-lookingperspective can be deceptive; at its core,Beijing is an old city that remains loyal to


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Beijing or Peking? In 1978, the Chinese government

adopted the Hanyu Pinyin system ofromanization of Chinese characters.Most English-speaking areas havesince adopted the Hanyu Pinyinspelling of the capital, “Beijing.” The“Peking” spelling derives from anearlier romanization system calledPostal System Pinyin, created in 1904.Postal System Pinyin was in turnbased on yet another romanizationsystem called Wade-Giles. “Peking”dates back to a French usage fromthe 17th century, before a phoneticchange in Mandarin shifted many “k”sounds to “j” sounds.

The name “Beijing” in Chinesecharacters ( ) has not changedsince 1949, when the governmentreinstated the city as the nationalcapital. Between 1923 and 1949,Beijing had a different name inChinese, Beiping ( ). Jing ( )means capital, and duringthose years, the Chinese capitalwas located to the south, inNanjing ( ).

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its traditions. In summer, elderly neighbors sit outside theirapartment buildings to chat and play mahjong. In winter, greatclouds of steam billow upward from the stands of steamed-dumpling vendors. In the early morning, old men still walk theircrickets and women perform tai ji chuan and sword-dancingexercises in the city’s many parks. Around the clock, taxi driversroam the city listening to traditional cross-talk comedies andPeking opera.

Perhaps the most potentsymbol of Beijing’s leap intomodernity is the gradual dis-appearance of the bicycle.Beijingers have fallen in lovewith the automobile. Cars nowjockey with bicycles, cementtrucks, melon-laden horsecarts and pedestrians for limited road space. To combat the con-gestion and pollution and to prepare for the 2008 SummerOlympics, the municipal government is radically expanding thesubway system and ring-road network.

Longtime Beijingers may lament the construction, the loss ofold neighborhoods and the pollution that are by-products ofrapid growth, but in the same breath they will extol the sleek,modern skyline rapidly taking shape. They are particularlyexcited about the Olympic Games, which for them are opportu-nities to showcase China’s progress. With two years remainingbefore the eyes of the world focus on Beijing, city officials arebusy preparing Olympic venues for the influx of athletes, specta-tors and journalists. A large digital clock in Tiananmen Squarecounts down the seconds until the opening ceremony.

On that day, the world will see a cosmopolitan city that blendsold with new. Gone are the days of drab Mao suits, rationcoupons and scarce vegetables. Every cuisine and designer labelcan be found in Beijing, and private enterprises are booming.

The city has a robust community of more than 100,000 expa-triate foreigners. History buffs, artists, shoppers, pub-crawlers,athletes and restaurant aficionados have myriad venues to

pursue their interests. And forthose looking beyond Beijing,the city is a hub for air and railtravel to the rest of China andEast Asia.

Cultural and linguistic dif-ferences can still be dauntingto newcomers. To bridgethese gaps, the community

liaison office and the language training center regularly organizeday trips and longer excursions, as well as cultural classes. Mostemployees and many spouses participate in the post languageprogram, which uses experienced, professional instructors.

Many employees agree that Beijing is among the mostrewarding tours of their career. The forward momentum of thecity, coupled with the challenges of advancing U.S.-China rela-tions, means there is never a lack of stimulation. As Americanpolicymakers try to glimpse what the rise of China means forAmerica’s future, serving at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing guaran-tees a front row seat. �

Andy Covington is a public diplomacy officer and Sara Yun is aneconomic officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

Life in BeijingWant to learn more about life in Beijing? The mission has

produced a DVD called Diplomacy in the Vortex: Life andWork at Embassy Beijing. This video provides informationon housing, recreation, medical facilities, education and lifein Beijing. To receive a copy, contact [email protected].

Opposite page, left top: Spectators check out masks for a lion dance during Chinese New Year. Leftbottom: Musical performers Steve Hancoff, center, and Bud Wachter, right, confer with a shopkeep-er in distant Kashgar about his wares. The embassy sponsored the pair’s steel-string guitar andbanjo performances in the region. Right top: Consular officer Jeff Seals, right, sits in desert trafficduring a visit to the Ningxia Autonomous Province. Right bottom: A bronze lion guards theForbidden City, with its exquisite architectural details. This page, left: A Beijing traffic jam.An infrastructure expansion is underway. Above: Two women play cards in Jingshan Park.

When graduate student Ryan Donaghyfound herself struggling to fight offexhaustion at 4 a.m. one summerThursday morning, it wasn’t because shewas pulling an all-nighter to finish a termpaper. Instead, she was participating withtop U.S. diplomats in a critical negotiationthat would forever change the face of theInternational Red Cross and Red CrescentMovement.

Ms. Donaghy did not know what toexpect when she first set foot in the U.S.Mission to the United Nations in Genevato begin a 10-week State Departmentinternship this summer. She never imag-ined the experience would includeworking with senior diplomats on a late-night negotiation or unwinding onSunday afternoons playing softball withthe Marines.

An organizational communicationsmajor at Arizona State University, she wasunfamiliar with the Foreign Service andconfesses she applied to the internshipprogram “on a whim” after the idea was

suggested to her by Bill McGlynn, herschool’s diplomat in residence.

CHANGING OUTLOOKSIt was Ms. Donaghy’s first experience

abroad, but by summer’s end she wascertain it had changed forever her outlookon the world and the Foreign Service. Sheand interns Wayne Huang, a senior atCornell University, and graduate studentsAriel Krinshpun (Brandeis), Paris So(American University), Yvonne Hutchinson(Harvard Law School), Andrea Sternberg(University of Washington) and NicoleSantschi-Apodaca (Pepperdine) were alldelighted to find themselves integrated asfull members of the U.S. Mission team andto discover that they were often tasked withthe same duties as a junior-level officer.

“One thing I can take away from thisinternship is knowing that I never had a daywhere I had an insignificant task,” Ms.Donaghy says.“Sometimes I had days whereI felt that someone thought I could accom-plish more than even I believed I could.”

She was not the only one to be pleasantlysurprised.

“I had always heard the stories of internsgetting stuck with office work, but here theyactually let interns gain real hands-on workexperience,” says A. J. Bass, another internand a senior at Roanoke College. “We wentto meetings, wrote reporting cables, partic-ipated as delegates, organized and attendedreceptions. We were expected to work as anyofficer would. I really appreciate that, alongwith the level of respect and self-initiativethat is the driving force of this mission andthe State Department.”

“The internship program is relativelynew at this post, but in a few short years wehave really come to rely on the dynamism,intelligence and talent of these youngpeople,” says Brooks Robinson, publicaffairs counselor. “When I got here twoyears ago, we had two or three at a time.Now we have six, seven, eight. There’s realcompetition among the sections to be ableto host an intern. They have become a bigpart of everything we do.” PH

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INTERNSHIPS OPEN WINDOWS INTO FOREIGN SERVICE LIFE BY ELIZABETH FARABEEThe Ground Floor

The U.S. Mission to Geneva’s first ever reception forinterns at U.N. agencies and other diplomatic mis-sions drew a much larger than expected crowd,with more than 300 people on the guest list.

A clear highlight for Ms. Donaghy washer experience at the 29th InternationalConference of the Red Cross and RedCrescent, which gave her the chance to workclosely with Warren W. Tichenor, U.S.ambassador to the United Nations inGeneva, and John Bellinger, StateDepartment legal adviser and the head ofthe U.S. delegation. As the difficult negotia-tions finally concluded at 4 a.m., she andthe other interns could be thankful for theirmidnight-oil college endurance training,which they hadn’t expected would come inso handy in the real world.

CHANGING HISTORY“The Red Cross experience was phenom-

enal, not just for the conference itself butfor a lot of the meetings leading up to theconference, which really gave me an oppor-tunity to see diplomacy in action,” Ms.Donaghy says. “It was inspiring to see all ofthese people working to pass language andlegislation that changes history.”

The conference—which introduced anew emblem for the Red Cross and willallow Israel and the Palestinian Red Cross toparticipate as members in the movement—”will bring real change to the region andpresent opportunities to people who did nothave them before,” she adds. “We and theother delegations were all part of that.”

Like the transformational diplomacy thatunderscores Department efforts around theworld, internships create a situation inwhich people work side by side and learnfrom one another to their mutual benefit.

“Hosting an intern is a win-win situa-tion, for the intern and for the diplomaticpost,” says Human Resources OfficerBarbara Lankford. “Interns play a criticalrole in Geneva in helping us cover themyriad meetings that we need to attend toadvance U.S. multilateral objectives. Andthey get to take a front row seat at U.N. ses-sions on the issues of the hour.”

“Our first intern worked with us at atime when the Doha Round of trade talkswas building up,” Robinson recalls. “Heprepared press clips, talking points andbriefing materials. So he learned about themajor trade issues while he was also pro-ducing products that were helpful not justto the public affairs section, but also toour ambassador to the World TradeOrganization.”

Internships have the potential to steeryoung and talented individuals toward acareer in international affairs, whether asa Foreign Service officer or in anothergovernmental or nongovernmentalorganization.

“I’ve gained great insight into what itreally means to be a Foreign Service officer,”says Paula Mendez Keil, who spent thissummer in the mission’s political section.“I’ve seen firsthand both the pros and consof the job, especially as a woman. But I ammore determined than ever to join the StateDepartment.”

The author, a graduate student at theGeorgetown School of Foreign Service, was asummer intern in the public affairs section ofthe U.S. Mission in Geneva.


What better preparation for real-world diplomacy? In whatmay have been a State Department first, student interns inGeneva were given a chance to try their hands at the essentialart of hosting a successful reception.

“Having gone to several diplomatic receptions, the six of usinterning at the mission in the spring of 2006 thought, ‘Why notthrow a reception for the other interns around the city,’ ” saidJennifer Pierson, a graduate student at the University ofPittsburgh School of Law who interned in the legal section. “Thatlittle snowflake of an idea became a blizzard that brought morethan 300 people to the mission in April.”

Human Resources Officer Barbara Lankford, who wasalready enthusiastic about creating a network of interns at theUnited Nations, international organizations and diplomatic postsin this multilateral city, was delighted with the idea.

An e-mail was sent to a handful of intern coordinators aroundthe city and forwarded widely. Soon mission phones were ringingoff the hook with requests to be included. An intern network hadbeen born.

“We wanted to bring together the next generation of diplo-mats in a way where they could easily get to know each other,”said Kevin Smith, a Brigham Young University student responsi-ble for much of the event’s planning. “People who didn’t havemuch contact with the U.S. government got a chance to see thatthis is what the people are like, this is how we party, this is howwe roll.”

The “rolling” good time impressed at least one key diplomat.Ambassador Kevin E. Moley, U.S. permanent representative inGeneva at the time, said the intern reception was “the best bangfor the buck” in terms of the diversity of people reached andthe overwhelmingly positive impression left—and was alsosimply one of the best parties he’d ever attended.

As the spring 2006 interns departed Geneva, they werepleased to learn that their reception was likely to be the inspira-tion for future events. The German mission was talking aboutorganizing a similar event. Everyone wanted to keep the momen-tum going and bring together bright young people from all overthe world to meet and get to know their counterparts. �

Ambassador Kevin E. Moley, center, talks with the U.S. Mission to Geneva’s spring interns at the firstGeneva-wide intern reception hosted by the mission. Pictured with Moley are, back row from left,Jennifer Pierson, Legal Affairs; Caitlin Ostomel, Political and Specialized Agencies; Maggie Siller, alsoPSA; Courtney McKercher, Refugee and Migration Affairs. In the front row, from left, are Kevin Smith,Management; and David Wolff, Conference on Disarmament.

THE ART OF THE RECEPTION

Hard CaseA Department employee charged with developing creative and

innovative solutions to management issues at the U.S. Embassy inAbuja and Consulate General in Lagos, Nigeria, would likely haveyears of knowledge, exceptional skills, advanced training andagency support to call on.

A college student, on the other hand, would have limited skills,training and support to address such issues. That did not stopdozens of undergraduate and graduate students from accepting achallenge to participate in a national case study competition spon-sored by the Department.

The Office of Recruitment, Examination and Employment inthe Bureau of Human Resources, in a joint venture with EdVenturePartners, designed the case study to increase the visibility of theDepartment and careers in the Foreign Service.

“These students want the experience and prestige associatedwith having worked on such a high-profile case study,” said DianeCastiglione, director of recruitment. “They want to contributetheir thoughts and ideas to the Department and help to make adifference in the world.”

Bridgette Braig, a former professor and owner of a consumerresearch and consulting firm, together with several employeesfrom the Bureau of Administration, designed a realistic scenariothat management officers working overseas might encounter.

FOCUS SCHOOLSThe Department then extended invitations to its focus schools,

including those with diplomats in residence. Of the 58 invitees,9 accepted: The Ohio State University, Georgetown University, St.Mary’s University, University of Wisconsin at Madison, RiceUniversity, Emory University, Air Force Institute of Technology,University of Wisconsin at Whitewater and University ofCalifornia at Berkeley.

In all, 78 students accepted the challenge and spent six monthsconducting research and interviews and developing a more thor-ough understanding of, and appreciation for, the Department andits mission.

After receiving background information about the Departmentand its objectives, each three- to five-person student teamaddressed a number of analytical questions and situations regard-ing three specific human resource challenges: (1) attractingqualified mid-level Foreign Service officers and retaining depend-able Foreign Service National employees at these posts; (2)implementing programs and policies to improve workplacemorale, employee skills and the work environment; and (3)staffing and outsourcing options for efficient use of resources.

“These students bring varied educational and cultural back-grounds and perspectives to the table,” said Robyn Hinson-Jones,chief of outreach and coordinator of the Diplomats in Residenceprogram. “They represent a broad cross section of American stu-dents, including military, Midwestern public institutions and IvyLeague schools. They represent America.”

Each team submitted its case study assignment to its professorsfor grading. In addition, one team per institution submitted aproblem solution for entry into the competition. A pool of profes-sors outside of the participating schools reviewed the submissions

and selected the top three teams to present their solutions to aDepartment panel in Washington. These teams represented the AirForce Institute of Technology, The Ohio State University and theUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison.

On May 17, the top three teams presented their solutions tothe panel of Teddy Taylor, deputy assistant secretary, Bureau ofHuman Resources; Marianne Myles, director of Recruitment,Examination and Employment, Bureau of Human Resources;Larry Richter, supervisory post management officer, Bureau ofEuropean and Eurasian Affairs; Fred Cook, senior adviser,Bureau of Administration; Lois Price-Ascroft, principal manage-ment officer for West Africa, Bureau of African Affairs; and Ms.Hinson-Jones.

WELL LEARNEDThe Air Force Institute of Technology won first place, Ohio State

came in second and Wisconsin finished third. The teams wereawarded $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000, respectively. They also receivedan all-expenses-paid trip to Washington to present their cases.

Loren Kuzuhara, a professor in the Department of Managementand Human Resources of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’sSchool of Business, said, “The case competition was a fabulouslearning experience for my students; I hope that you will sponsorthis event in the future.”

According to Karin Fonte, account supervisor for EdVenturePartners, “Students bring innovative ideas and perspectives thattell us how they can be reached, how they think and how they per-ceive the Department of State. We found a managementorganization with more than 70 chapters, Sigma Iota Epsilon, thatshowed great interest in participating. This organization couldpotentially become a great partner for the Department.”

Ms. Hinson-Jones said the value of this program and similarpeer-to-peer programs is “helping us to build a constituencyamong college students who will be the leaders of tomorrow.” �

The author is a recruitment marketing communications specialist inthe Office of Recruitment, Examination and Employment. PH

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COMPETITION GIVES STATE VISIBILITYON CAMPUSES BY RACHEL FRIEDLAND

The winning Air Force Institute of Technology team poses with Bureau ofHuman Resources Deputy Assistant Secretary Teddy Taylor, third from right.

I seem to travel through life on two sepa-rate paths: the path of who I am and thepath of what I am. I am a Foreign Serviceofficer, but I also am an American Indian.

The paths have seemed very different. Ata conference for American Indian educators,a recruiter for the State Department hopingto increase the number of American Indianapplicants told me he did not know of asingle American Indian serving at State. (Ihave since learned of at least one other.) As Istudied Hebrew in preparation for myassignment to Jerusalem, the paths seemedas far apart as ever.

Then the National Museum of theAmerican Indian opened and my two pathscrossed.

A visit to the museum was one of severalexcursions our Hebrew class took to findnew ways to expand our use of the language.We also listened to speakers from Israel anddescribed Hebrew exhibits at theSmithsonian Museum of American History.These encounters provide a nice changefrom the usual class structure and haveproven invaluable in assisting students tolearn the language.

Because one of our instructors, SarahKuhnreich, knew that I was Indian, she sug-

gested I plan and guide an excursion to thenew Museum of the American Indian anduse the trip to share with the class—inHebrew, of course—a bitabout my heritage.

So one sunny autumnafternoon, Andy Abell,Deborah Campbell, Col.John Hill, Fahez Nadiand I, along with Sarah,met at the museum. Webegan the day with amovie and then headedoff to a lunch of tradi-tional Indian foods atthe cafeteria.

When lunch was over,Sarah asked each of us tofind an exhibit to reporton to the class. Before weseparated, she asked me if I wanted to sayanything.

I decided to tell them a story in Hebrew—a Catawba Indian story about how Rabbitstole fire from Vulture and gave it tohumankind.

I had not realized when I put on a blackvest with a small, beaded medicine-wheelpin that morning that all the museum

employees also wore black vests. So as Istood overlooking the central stone gather-ing area, speaking in my new language aboutthe traditions of my people, tourists beganto inch toward us, straining to hear the storytold in what they must have taken to be anancient Indian language. Little did they

know that it was an ancient language, butnot an Indian one—unless you believeIndians are one of the lost tribes.

And so there I was: an Indian, a Hebrewstudent and a Foreign Service officer, allrolled into one. The paths had crossed. �

The author is a vice consul at the U.S.Consulate General in Jerusalem.

MUSEUM CONNECTS DIVERGENT ROADS FORAMERICAN INDIAN FSO BY J. MICHELLE SCHOHN

“Way Leads on to Way”

Above: From left, Fahez Nadi, Michelle Schohn, Andy Abell andDeborah Campbell pose at the National Museum of the AmericanIndian. Below: The exterior of the museum on opening day.

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KATRINA EVACUEES BRING TALENTS TO STATE

Silver

A resident touches the reconstructed wallof a levee at the lower Ninth Ward canalduring an anniversary ceremony.

STORY BY JEAN NEITZKE

Lining

A brass band played during a traditional jazzfuneral procession in New Orleans markingthe first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

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It would have been understandable ifEbony Smith, Dwayne Berry and ShelinaHardwick had given in to despair afterHurricane Katrina hit their homes in theNew Orleans area last summer. They couldhave spent their time bemoaning their fateor wondering about their future.

But that’s not what they did. The three,who found a temporary professionalhome at State, didn’t waste time feelingsorry for themselves. They had lost virtu-ally all their possessions and knew theyhad work to do—finding jobs or finding away back to college.

All three evacuees went to a job fair atthe D.C. Armory, where they were amonghundreds who met with Bruce Cole,deputy director of the Department’s Officeof Recruitment, Examination andEmployment, and REE registrar CarolynTorrence.

The Department was the only federalagency that responded to the President’scall to go to the armory and facilitateemployment for relocated Katrina victims.The State team handled issues beyond

employment concerns. Some people, likethe elderly man who had lost contact withhis son, just wanted to talk. A little researchby the State team located the son and thetwo were put in touch. Some job seekershad skills that weren’t directly relevant tothe Department’s work, but the State teamhelped them make contacts and find workelsewhere.

Essentials OnlyMs. Smith, who has family in the D.C.

area, and Mr. Berry came here from Texas.

They had left New Orleans with the barestessentials, thinking they’d be away only afew days. The only nonessential item Ms.Smith took was her photo album; shethought she could reorganize it duringdowntime in Texas.

On arriving in Washington, Ms. Smithmade getting a job a full-time pursuit. Herprevious work experience with the NewOrleans police department on worker’ com-pensation issues was a plus. LockheedMartin expressed interest in hiring her oncontract.

Mr. Berry had been pursuing a degree inexercise physiology at the University ofNew Orleans. With difficult-to-reach refer-ences and the loss of job-related materials,including articles he had written, hereceived a lukewarm reception atWashington area gyms. His previousemployer, a gym in New Orleans, has onlyjust reopened.

For Ms. Hardwick, the choice to relocateto Washington stemmed from her desire tocontinue her studies at Howard University,which has a well-regarded pharmacy

Above, from left: Shelina Hardwick, DwayneBerry and Ebony Smith pose outside theiroffices in Columbia Plaza. This photo:Tourists walk on Bourbon Street in theFrench Quarter of New Orleans.

school. Her fiancé was serving in the U.S.Air Force here, but otherwise she had noconnection to the city.

A full-scholarship recipient at XavierUniversity in New Orleans, Ms. Hardwickwas hopeful that the funding could betransferred to Howard, to which she appliedonline through the courtesy of a FederalExpress office in Mississippi, where shestopped in the days following the hurricane.

With help from D.C. resident VanessaDixon, she ended up with an apartment,some furniture and a full course load atHoward. With these basics covered, Ms.Hardwick turned her attention to finding ajob to support herself in school.

Work EthicsThe Department hired these three out of

approximately 30 people who filled out theDepartment’s “Survey of EmploymentInterest.” Ms. Smith assists the workers’compensation program coordinator in theOffice of Employee Relations. Mr. Berryand Ms. Hardwick became case coordina-tors in the Office of Medical Services’

Employee Consultation Service.“We were delighted to offer Ebony,

Dwayne and Shelina employment atState,” Mr. Cole said. “They brought posi-tive personal attributes, a strong workethic and valuable experience to theirwork here.”

Ms. Hardwick returned to New Orleansfor the spring semester to keep her schol-arship, but came back to the Departmentas a summer intern. Ms. Smith plans tomake the D.C. area her home. Mr. Berryreturned to New Orleans in September to

take the new job he had been offered theday before Katrina struck—as a personaltrainer at Louisiana State University.

Reflecting on their experiences over thelast year, all three were grateful for theopportunities they have been given by theDepartment.

“Working for State was a longtimedream for me,” said Ms. Hardwick. Shehopes to combine her intellectual and per-sonal passions in a State career and thinksthat a law degree may be in the mix.

Ms. Smith has been accepted in the CivilService Career Entry Program. Mr. Berryplans to resume his education and hopes atsome point to combine his love of athleticswith a career in public service.

“Although Shelina, Dwayne and Ebonyhave undergone a tremendously difficultexperience, they clearly have what it takesto succeed, both here at State and in thewider world,” said Mr. Cole. �

The author is a rehired annuitant (WAE) inthe Office of Recruitment, Examination andEmployment.


Above: A construction worker—and footballfan—helps restore the Superdome in timefor the New Orleans Saints home opener.This photo: A woman pushes a child in awheelbarrow along the Industrial Canal leveeof the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans.

On July 10, Assistant Secretary forPolitical-Military Affairs John Hillen trans-formed the way the State Departmentgrants official permission for foreign diplo-matic aircraft to overfly and land in theUnited States. With the click of a mouse, Dr.Hillen authorized an Australian Boeing 707to land in Honolulu by issuing the firstdiplomatic clearance granted via theDepartment’s new Diplomatic ClearanceApplication System web site. Public law 103-272 requires that foreign military- orstate-owned aircraft be issued a diplomaticclearance number by the Department ofState before entering U.S. airspace.

For Brigadier General (Select) Lyn D.Sherlock’s Office of International SecurityOperations, July 10 was a major milestonein its ongoing effort to achieve operationalefficiencies through innovative, state-of-

the-art technology. The new applicationsystem—an online rapid multiple-user website—replaces a cumbersome and time-intensive paper application process whiledramatically reducing the staff hoursrequired for application adjudication.

Before the new online system waslaunched, the Department would receive viafacsimile diplomatic notes from embassiesrequesting flight clearances. PM/ISO actionofficers would then log flight informationinto a Microsoft Access database, review andapprove or decline action on the applica-tion, and notify the requesting embassy byfacsimile. PM processed up to 5,000requests annually from 172 Washington-based foreign embassies.

The new system changes all that.Developed by FGM, Inc., under the super-vision of PM/ISO Deputy Director

Timothy G. Ryan, the system improves thecoordination process within theDepartment by eliminating redundancyand empowering trained foreign embassypersonnel to submit, monitor and tracktheir clearance applications in real time,from any Internet-accessible computer. Inaddition to expediting the review processand improving communications betweenPM/ISO and foreign embassy personnel,the system enhances information securityby requiring users to enter an individual-ized username and password issued only totrained personnel.

“The new system is a huge improvementfrom what we were using before,” saysPM/ISO’s Caitlin Moore. “It has not onlymade our job easier, but it’s also been wellreceived by the embassies and governmentagencies.”

DCAS goes beyond streamlining theapplication process. It also allows govern-ment agencies such as the Federal Aviation PH

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DIPLOMATIC FLIGHT CLEARANCES IN THE ERA OFTRANSFORMATIONAL DIPLOMACY BY STEVE STEVENS

Cleared for Landing

A Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 707 similar tothe one granted clearance to land in Honolulu byAssistant Secretary John Hillen on July 10.

Administration to access and reviewthe latest flight clearance information.“In the past, the FAA and others had towait for our end-of-day report to learnof recently submitted flights,” saysCapt. Frank Ponds, the senior navalrepresentative at PM/ISO. “Now theycan log on from any computer and seethe latest diplomatic flight clearanceinformation.”

Capt. Ponds shaped the DCAS train-ing plan for sessions PM/ISOconducted in July for foreign embassyand U.S. government agency person-nel. PM/ISO Chief of CurrentOperations Scott Page says the goal isto have all 172 Washington-basedforeign embassies trained and able tosubmit applications for diplomaticflight clearances online using DCAS byJanuary 2007.

“With DCAS, we’re setting the stan-dard,” says PM/ISO’s Meghan Madden.“We looked beyond ISO’s immediaterequirements to create a user-friendlysystem that caters to the needs of otheroffices within State, our counterparts

at foreign embassies and other U.S. gov-ernment agencies alike.”

PM/ISO Office Director Sherlock seesDCAS as a first step in modernizing theway PM/ISO does business.

“The application of an IT solution toenhance the diplomatic flight clearanceprocess is about more than making ourjobs easier,” says Brigadier General(Select) Sherlock. “It’s really about invest-ing in a tool that improves the way we dobusiness by increasing efficiency andcatering to the needs of both embassiesand other government agencies.

“And we’re not resting on our laurels.We are already well along in developing thenext version of DCAS, which will allowforeign embassies to submit diplomaticship clearance requests online. And we willbe working with our contractor and withour very supportive IT colleagues in Stateto identify collaborative architecture andother tools that will make PM/ISO’sPolitical Military Action Team even moreefficient. We believe that PM is leading theway in making some of the improvementsrequired by Secretary Rice’s transforma-tional diplomacy initiative.”�

The author is chief of foreign flight opera-tions in the Office of International SecurityOperations.


Above: Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs John Hillen, center, visits with Office ofInternational Security Operations Director Brigadier General (Select) Lyn Sherlock, left, and Chief ofForeign Flight Operations Steve Stevens. Below: Assistant Secretary Hillen, who had just authorizedthe first diplomatic clearance sent via the Diplomatic Clearance Application System to the Governmentof Australia with a single click of the mouse.

By Carolyn Gretzinger

The Council of American Ambassadors has established a fel-lowships program in cooperation with the Department of Stateto train young leaders in diplomacy and international affairs forservice to the nation. Available to U.S. undergraduate studentswho have completed their junior year at an accredited U.S.college or university, the council fellowships program incorpo-rates high-level mentoring by former U.S. ambassadors who aremembers of the council, Department internships and academicstudies in international affairs at Georgetown University. Theprogram awards each fellow $5,000, which is applied to the costof the program.

The council recently inaugurated its cooperative program withthe Department and welcomed its 2006 fellows at a reception atDACOR Bacon House. Former Ambassador Abelardo L. Valdez,vice chair of the council and co-chair with former AmbassadorJulia Chang Bloch of the fellowships program, called the programa unique combination of practical training and academic study todevelop young leaders in diplomacy and international affairs forservice to the nation.

“On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of its founding, thecouncil’s board of directors decided that the establishment of thisprogram would be an appropriate way to share the experience andknowledge of its members with the next generation of Americanleaders,” Ambassador Valdez said.

Ambassador George M. Staples, Director General of the ForeignService, said the Department was pleased to cooperate with theCouncil of American Ambassadors in the program.

“We need more leaders who can help us to conduct America’sforeign relations in these challenging times,”Ambassador Staples said.

As part of the program, the fellows receive valuable advice fromformer U.S. ambassadors who are members of the council andwho serve as mentors, meeting the fellows on a regular basis todiscuss international affairs issues and careers.

Practical training at the Department of State complements thementorship. As part of the council-State collaborative effort,Council fellows obtain internships at the Department where theygain important experience and receive guidance from activemembers of the Foreign Service.

“Thanks to the strong support from Director General Staples, hispredecessor Ambassador W. Robert Pearson and Director of Recruit- PH

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Council of American AmbassadorsEstablishes Fellowships Program at State

Celebrating the new Council of American Ambassadors’ fellowships program are, from left, Ambassadors Abelardo Valdez and Julia Chang Bloch, co-chairsof the Fellowships Committee; 2006 fellows James Madsen, Meghan Mahoney, Evan Hill and Aisha Sabar; and Director General George M. Staples.

ment Diane Castiglione, the council is able to include this key expe-rience as part of its overall program,” said Ambassador Valdez.

The third element of the fellowships program is academic study.During their 10-week summer program, council fellows, throughan agreement with The Fund for American Studies, pursue coursesin international politics and comparative economic systems atGeorgetown University and reside in campus housing.Ambassador Bloch pointed out that the fellows earn academiccredit for their course work, another important benefit that under-scores the program’s comprehensive approach to internationalaffairs training.

Fellows are chosen through a rigorous selection process based onacademic and extracurricular achievement, a strong commitmentto a career in international affairs, leadership skills and writingtalent as evidenced by course work and an essay on internationalaffairs submitted as part of the program’s application require-ments. Foreign language study, diversity and the applicant’s workethic and sense of responsibility as measured by academic andemployment experience are key factors in the selection process.

The following individuals are the council’s 2006 fellows:• Evan Hill, who is majoring in journalism with a minor in

Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Northwestern University.Evan is interning in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, and hismentors are former Ambassadors Julia Chang Bloch (Nepaland Assistant Administrator, U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment); Timothy A. Chorba (Singapore); and Robert D.Stuart Jr. (Norway).

• James Madsen, who is majoring in Political Science with afocus on International Relations at Stanford University. Jamesis interning in the Bureau of Political and Military Affairs, andhis mentors are former Ambassadors Timothy L. Towell

(Paraguay) and Abelardo L. Valdez (U.S. Chief of Protocol andAssistant Administrator, USAID).

• Meghan Mahoney, who is majoring in International Studiesand Economics at American University. Meghan is interning inthe Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, and her mentorsare former Ambassadors G. Philip Hughes (Barbados andEastern Caribbean) and Thomas Patrick Melady (Burundi,Uganda and the Holy See).

• Aisha Sabar, who is majoring in Political Science and Arabic atWashington University in St. Louis. Aisha is interning in theBureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, and her mentorsare former Ambassadors Patricia Gates Lynch Ewell(Madagascar and Comoros) and Stuart A. Holliday (U.S.Mission to the United Nations).

“It is hoped that the council’s fellowships program, with itspotent combination of mentoring, practical training and academicstudy, will inspire and prepare the fellows to assume the responsi-bility of helping America to strengthen alliances and promotedemocracy, peace, human rights and prosperity in her relationswith other countries around the world,” Amb. Valdez said.

Funded during the first three years of its operation with con-tributions from council members and friends, the council’sfellowships program was given a major boost in late August,when the Annenberg Foundation awarded a grant of $500,000 inthe name of Ambassadors Walter and Leonore Annenberg. Thelate Walter Annenberg served as the U.S. Ambassador to theCourt of St. James’s and Leonore Annenberg served as the U.S.Chief of Protocol. �

The author is executive director of the Council of AmericanAmbassadors.


Council Serves on Behalf of the United StatesThe Council of American Ambassadors is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association

that endeavors to educate the public about policy issues affecting the nationalinterest. It also supports the role of the ambassador and the embassy team incarrying out U.S. foreign policy in countries around the world. In addition tothe fellowships program, the council holds conferences on internationalissues throughout the United States, conducts overseas fact-finding missionsand publishes a semiannual journal, The Ambassadors REVIEW.

Headed by Bruce S. Gelb, former U.S. ambassador to Belgium and directorof the U.S. Information Agency, the Council consists of more than 200 currentand former U.S. ambassadors who left the private sector or other governmentalresponsibilities at the President’s call to serve in a diplomatic capacity on behalf ofthe United States.

relations in these challenging times.”help us to conduct America’s foreign

“We need more leaders who can{ }


O F F I C E O F T H E M O N T H

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REACHING OUT TO STATE’S EXTENDED EMPLOYEE FAMILYBY ROB WILEY

EMPLOYEERELATIONS

Sooner or later, the Office of Employee Relations touches justabout every State Department employee—Foreign and CivilService, Locally Employed staff and contractors. Sooner or later,every employee will need something—big or small—that thisoffice provides.

An employee transferring from another federal agency couldneed help in getting his or her leave balances transmitted to theDepartment. A worker injured while on official duty might require

guidance in dealing with the Department of Labor on workers’compensation. A young college graduate just embarking on afederal career may be looking for ways to help pay off student loans.

Young families could be looking for ways to balance their workresponsibilities with their home lives. Or employees may findthemselves facing emergency medical crises involving parents orother loved ones, and turn to Employee Relations for quickanswers and possible solutions.

Office Director Maurice Parker, center, and his division chiefs: from left, Rob Wiley, Patricia Pittarelli, Marquita Barnes and Judy Ikels.

BROAD PORTFOLIOOperating under the Bureau of Human Resources umbrella,

Employee Relations consists of four divisions that serve the entireDepartment—Civil Service, Foreign Service, Locally EmployedStaff, domestic and aboard with a wide range of human resource,policy and benefit issues. The office works with senior manage-ment to set up strategic directions for the Bureau by developingand implementing policies and programs.

Employee Relations analyzes and reviews new or proposed leg-islation from other federal agencies such as the Office ofPersonnel Management and the Department of Labor, as well asDepartment of State guidance and Presidential directives. ERemployees determine the impact of such legislation on existingprograms and policies and recommend possible process andpolicy changes the proposed legislation might require.

The office—located in Columbia Plaza and staffed by 22 full-time employees, 9 contracted workers and 2 WAEs—supportsHuman Resources by developing, applying and promoting qualityof life policies and programs, maintaining human resources regu-lations, administering the discipline process and regularlycommunicating to employees about the Department’s work andits accomplishments.

Four divisions carry out the ER mission—Employee Programs;Work/Life Programs; Conduct, Suitability and Discipline; and theState Magazine Division.

EMPLOYEE PROGRAMSUnder Division Chief Judy Ikels, EP develops and administers

policy for leave programs such as the Family Medical Leave Act(see “Family Ties” on page 40), the Family-Friendly Leave Act and

the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program. The division also adminis-ters other leave and travel programs unique to overseas servicesuch as home leave, emergency visitation travel and rest and recu-peration. The division works closely with the Office ofTransportation and Travel Management in the Bureau ofAdministration, which retains responsibility for developing policyfor travel in general.

At a GlanceOffice nameOffice of Employee Relations

SymbolHR/ER

Office directorMaurice S. Parker

Staff size22 Full-time; 9 Contracted; 2 WAE

Office locationH-236, SA-1

Web sitehttp://hrweb.hr.state.gov/er

Employee Programs Director JudyIkels, front row center, surroundedby her staff: seated, from left,Heather Stokes and Deborah Ellis;standing from left, Penny McMurtry,Lisa McWilliams and Ebony Smith.

EP coordinates the Workers’ Compensation for the Department,helping to get the appropriate benefits in the hands of employeesinjured on the job. EP advises employees and managers on effectiveuse of flexible workplace programs including telework, alternatework schedules, job sharing and part-time work schedules. The divi-sion manages the Department’s student loan repayment programand the popular transit subsidy benefit Metrochek.

The division is the editor and scribe for Human Resource regu-lations in Volume 3 of The Foreign Affairs Manual and ForeignAffairs Handbook and coordinates with other offices in HumanResources to issue new and revised HR policies.

WORK/LIFE PROGRAMSGuided by Division Chief Patricia Pittarelli, Work/Life provides

a vital link between the Department’s Human Resources special-

ists, managers and employees onmany work/life issues. The divisionprovides up-to-date information,technical assistance, policy direc-tion and guidance and advisoryservices to Department employeesworldwide about work/life initia-tives and benefits.

Work/Life Program areas fall intothese basic categories: CombinedFederal Campaign; Dependent CarePrograms, including EldercareEmergency Visitation travel;Disability Program Policy andReasonable Accommodation servic-es (see “Leveling Fields” on page 38);Health, Life and Long-term CareInsurance programs; Savings Bonds;and IQ: Information Quest.

In several areas, WLP employeesclosely coordinate their efforts withother key offices in the Department.For example, they frequently workwith the Office of Medical Services’Employee Consultation Service,which gives Foreign and CivilService employees the opportunityto discuss a wide range of issuesaffecting individual employees,married couples, family or work-place. All discussions are private andstrictly confidential.

ECS offers consultations andsupport to Foreign Service familieswho have children with special educa-tional needs. Support services includecoordination of post approval andmedical clearance recommendationprocesses; administrative review andassistance with compassionate cur-tailments; and breaks in andextensions of service.

WLP is charged with oversight ofthe Department’s child-care centers: Diplotots at Columbia Plaza inWashington, D.C., and the FSI Child Care Center at the ForeignService Institute in Arlington, Va. Employees also provide technicaladvice to the centers’ boards of directors. Department employeescan also utilize IQ: Information Quest to locate quality child-carecenters near where they live or work anywhere in the U.S.

The division also plans and coordinates the Department’sextremely popular annual Take Your Child to Work Day event inthe D.C. area.

CONDUCT, SUITABILITY AND DISCIPLINECSD, currently headed by Acting Division Chief Marquita

Barnes, develops and administers polices regarding theDepartment’s suitability and disciplinary programs for Foreignand Civil Service employees, both overseas and domestically. The


Work/Life Programs Director Patricia Pittarelli, back row, left, and her staff in the Diplotots playground: frontrow, from left, Penny McMurtry and Michael Hollis II; middle row, from left, Blair Taylor, Emmie Hoover,Patricia Huff, Mark Bison and Jennifer Leland; back row, from left, Alicia Cahoon, Eliza Bethune-King andMary Jean Dixon.

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division prepares disciplinary actions for a wide variety ofconduct-related issues which range from leave abuse and insubor-dination to misuse of government property to visa malfeasance.

The division also provides advisory services to supervisors andmanagers and HR specialists on how to address employee miscon-duct or unacceptable performance, and it performs suitabilityadjudication on Civil Service employees and applicants.

Approximately 70 percent of CSD’s caseload is derived fromreports of investigations from the Office of Inspector General andthe Professional Responsibility division of Diplomatic Security’sOffice of Investigations and Counterintelligence. DS/ICI/PRinvestigates allegations of misconduct, either on- or off-duty,against State Foreign and Civil Service employees, both domesti-cally and overseas. OIG investigates allegations of waste, fraudand mismanagement.

STATE MAGAZINEThis division is responsible for publishing and distributing 11

issues of State Magazine each year. The magazine is theDepartment’s primary print medium through which senior man-agement regularly communicates with employees on critical issuesthat affect operations and personnel. The staff works closely withother offices and divisions throughout the Department to keep itsaudience of active and retired employees current on personnel andpolicy issues that affect their careers and retirements.

State Magazine also publishes appropriate feature articlesdrafted by employees, employee family members and retirees. �

The author is Editor of State Magazine.

Left: Conduct, Suitability and Discipline Acting Director Marquita Barnes,left, and her staff: Gale Smith, center, and Joanne Armor. Above: StateMagazine Director Rob Wiley, center, and his staff: Bill Palmer, left, andDavid Johnston.


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While working at the U.S. Embassy inPretoria, South Africa, Lori Magnussonfound it increasingly difficult to type at hercomputer. She has multiple sclerosis, andher fingers were numb and her wrists hurt.But by using voice recognition softwarecalled Dragon Naturally Speaking, she wasable to effectively carry out her duties as thesenior human resources managementofficer for the largest mission in sub-Saharan Africa.

Paul Schafer is a program analyst at theBureau of Information ResourceManagement who consistently receives“Outstanding” ratings on his performanceevaluations. He is totally blind and relies ona screen reader, which reads aloud the texton his computer screen.

“All I need is that one extra piece of tech-nology and I can get the job done,” he says.“Without reasonable accommodation, Isimply couldn’t do my job.”

The Department employs many peoplelike Lori and Paul—talented people whoalso have illnesses or disabilities that makedoing their jobs in the “traditional way” dif-ficult or impossible.

Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, asamended, federal agencies are required toprovide reasonable accommodation forknown disabilities of qualified applicantsand employees. Reasonable accommoda-tion means an adjustment that enablesqualified applicants and employees withdisabilities to apply for jobs or perform theessential functions of their positions. Thelaw does not require anyone to lower stan-dards of performance or change thequalifications needed to obtain a job.Employers are not expected to provideopportunities to those who cannot performthe essential functions of their jobs.

WORK/LIFEAt the Department of State, the Office of

Employee Relations’ Work/Life Programsprovide reasonable accommodation toqualified applicants and employees withdisabilities.

So what exactly is reasonable accommo-dation? Raising a desk for a person whouses a wheelchair and providing writtendocuments in large print for a person withimpaired vision are examples of reasonableaccommodation. Reasonable accommoda-tion includes sign language interpretingservices, readers for the visually impaired

and assistive technology such as screen-magnification software, screen-readingsoftware and speech-recognition software.

Work/Life also loans scooters and otheradaptive devices for use in the workplace.Modifications to buildings, such as theinstallation of automatic door openers,might also be made. Many reasonableaccommodations, such as job restructur-ing and part-time or flexible workschedules, cost nothing.

Reasonable accommodation does notinclude eliminating an essential function ofa position or lowering standards. It does notprovide items for personal use, such as eye-glasses or hearing aids.

Patricia Pittarelli, chief of Work/LifePrograms, says her office manages about300 active cases of employees working bothin the United States and in the field, as wellas Foreign Service applicants, beginning atthe oral exam stage. She and her staff meetwith employees and their supervisors tofind solutions that meet the needs of appli-

cants and employees with disabilities, theirsupervisors and the Department. Whileassisting employees working in U.S.embassies and consulates, Ms. Pittarelli andher staff have also suggested modificationsto government housing overseas to improvethe daily lives of employees with disabilities.

Ms. Pittarelli emphasizes that theEmployee Relations Office, not the officewhere the employee works, pays for theequipment and services needed to providereasonable accommodation. So if a quali-fied employee with impaired vision needs areader or a qualified applicant withimpaired hearing needs an interpreter, thenthe Work/Life Program will fund it.

Jeffery Bowden, staff sign language interpreter; Patricia Pittarelli; and Patricia Huff, program assis-tant; in the Computer Accommodations Technology Center in SA-1. Chari Tamashiro, not shown, isalso a staff sign language interpreter.

TECHNOLOGY AND ATTITUDES CHANGE FOR EMPLOYEESWITH DISABILITIES BY KAREN MORRISSEY

Leveling Fields


EQUAL ACCESSThe State Department was the first of more than 38 federal agen-

cies to pair with the Department of Defense in theComputer/Electronic Accommodations Program, which providesassistive technology accommodations and services to people withdisabilities. Eliza Bethune-King, an assistive technology expert, isthe senior member on the WLP staff.

At the State Department’s Computer AccommodationsTechnology Center in Room H-236 in SA-1, the staff of assistivetechnology experts gives hands-on demonstrations and evaluatesassistive technology and ergonomic solutions. The idea is toprovide equal access to information technology and services toemployees who have vision, hearing, speech, mobility or dexterityimpairments. Managers can consult with the CATC to find cost-effective accommodations to help employees perform the essentialfunctions of their jobs. The CATC was scheduled to move to theHarry S Truman building late this summer.

How much does all this cost? Surprisingly little. According to thePresident’s Committee Job Accommodation Network, 70 percent ofaccommodations provided for workers with disabilities cost lessthan $500. Sometimes they cost nothing at all. Twenty-six percentcost between $501 and $5,000. Four percent cost $5,001 or more.

Advances in technology, laws to promote and protect the rightsof people with disabilities and more accepting attitudes by thenondisabled have helped to level the playing field so that peoplewith disabilities can join the Department workforce, or remain init, and contribute toward meeting its mission objectives.Supervisors are becoming more aware of the benefits of accommo-

dating capable employees who happen to have disabilities so thatthey can continue to perform their essential functions.

For more information about Work/Life Programs, contact ElizaBethune-King at (202) 261-8173, e-mail [email protected], or visit the Intranet web site at http://hrweb.hr.state.gov/er/worklife/Disability Services. �

The author is a public diplomacy officer and a 2005–06 UnaChapman Cox fellow.

SUPERVISORY SUPPORT MAKESWORK LIFE MORE REWARDINGBY KAREN MORRISSEY

As every employee knows, a good supervisor makes life atwork more productive and rewarding. Program Analyst PaulSchafer emphasizes that the support of his supervisor, DivisionChief Tin Cao, has been crucial to his success in the Bureau ofInformation Resource Management.

Mr. Cao notes that by providing Schafer with a screen readerand headphones, the Department enabled him to fill multipleroles and perform his various duties successfully and usuallyindependently.

“I strongly endorse that my fellow managers consider theopportunities and benefits afforded by employing such toolsfor their current or future employees with disabilities,” Mr.Cao says.

Working with those Department-provided tools, Mr.Schafer has contributed to the success of several high-priorityprojects.

“Paul is a team member of the IRM Program for AccessibleComputer/Communication Technology team (IMPACT),which is the Department’s resource for the implementation oflegislation such as Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act to meetthe accessibility requirements of employees and U.S. citizenswho use the Department’s information and services,” Mr. Caosays. “According to founder/manager Charmaine Iversen,

IMPACT addressed 2,150 e-mail inquiries and requests fromemployees representing 30 bureaus worldwide in 2005. This featwould not have been possible without the use of assistive tech-nology by IMPACT team members.”

Ms. Iversen notes that the whole Department benefits whenemployees are provided the assistive technology required to getthe job done. The Department meets statutory requirementsand also shows its commitment to a diverse workforce whereeach and every employee has a part in support of theDepartment’s diplomatic mission.

Program Analyst Paul Schafer, who is totally blind, says reasonableaccommodation “levels the playing field, so that all employees can dotheir jobs well in an inclusive environment. Without reasonable accom-modation, I simply couldn’t do my job.”

Facts and StatsAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 49.7 millionAmericans have a disability. About two-thirds of these indi-viduals have a severe disability.

According to Georgetown University’s Center on an AgingSociety, more than one-third of adults ages 18 to 65 have atleast one chronic health condition, such as diabetes orarthritis, which may result in disabilities.

Reasonable accommodation may include providing equip-ment or devices for use at work, such as scooters,speech-recognition software or automatic door openers.

Most reasonable accommodations cost less than $500.

Many reasonable accommodations, such as job restructuringas well as part-time or flexible work schedules, cost nothing.

Reasonable accommodation does not include eliminatingan essential function of the position or lowering standards.

The days when fathers sat inhospital waiting rooms whilemothers gave birth to their

children are long gone. These days,most fathers want to be activelyinvolved in all aspects of the mom’sprenatal care, the birth of their child,care of the mother while she’s recu-perating and bonding with theirnewborn. The federal governmentoffers options—for both the motherand father—for these purposes.

Prenatal Care: A father is entitledto use his accrued sick leave—up to480 hours—to accompany the motherto medical appointments and to carefor her during any period of incapaci-tation she may have, such as bed restprior to delivery.

A father may also request to use hisaccrued annual leave, advance annualleave (not to exceed the amount tobe earned by the end of the leaveyear), up to 40 hours of advance sick

leave, and/or leave without pay. He isalso eligible for the Voluntary LeaveTransfer Program to care for themother during her incapacitation andrecuperation if he has exhausted hisannual leave and applicable accruedsick leave.

Birth of the Child and PostnatalCare of the Mother: The rules foruse of sick leave, annual leave, leavewithout pay and the Voluntary LeaveTransfer Program are the same for PH

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PATERNAL LEAVE HELPS BUILD STRONG FAMILIES BY TERESA POYNER

Family Ties

David Geyer, who is on paternal leave,holds daughter Abigail. Beside him areBenjamin, left, and Jonathan.


the birth and mother’s recuperation as for pre-natal care.

For the mother’s period of incapacitation,the father may invoke the FMLA, which allowsthe employee to take up to 12 weeks ofunpaid absence for the birth of a baby. A 30-day advance notice in writing is required, ifpossible. The FMLA entitlement is separatefrom the entitlement to use accrued sickleave, so the father need not invoke theFMLA until he has exhausted applicableaccrued sick leave.

Bonding with the Baby: A father is enti-tled to invoke the FMLA for up to 12 weeksfor bonding with his baby. (All absences underthe FMLA for whatever purpose may notexceed 12 weeks in a one-year period.) Hemay use it anytime in the first year of thebaby’s life, as long as the 12 weeks will becompleted before the child’s first birthday.The father may request to use the 12 weekson an intermittent basis. An intermittentschedule requires the approval of the supervi-sor. Accrued annual leave may be substitutedfor leave without pay.

A common misconception is that sickleave may be used to stay home with a wellbaby. Although sick leave may be used ifthe child is ill or for doctor’s appointments,only leave without pay or annual leavemay be used for this period of bonding.

Employees must keep their supervisors apprised of theirplans and ensure that timekeepers have the necessaryinformation to complete timecards. The bureau executiveoffices and human resources officers overseas are anemployee’s first point of contact. The Office of EmployeeRelations is available to provide guidance.

Regulations on the leave programs are as follows:• Sick Leave– 3 FAM 3420 and 3 FAH-1 H-3420• Annual Leave– 3 FAM 3410• Family Medical Leave Act– 3 FAM 3530• Voluntary Leave Transfer Program– 3 FAM 3340 OPM regulations governing the FMLA are online at

www.opm.gov/flsa/oca/leave/html/fmlaregs.htm. �

The author is a personnel specialist in the Office ofEmployee Relations.

[ ]The days when fathers sat in hospitalwaiting rooms while mothers gavebirth to their children are long gone.

“Under the FamilyMedical Leave Act, I took12 weeks of leave to takecare of our second child.Starting this month

(August), I am also taking several monthsoff to take care of our seven-month-olddaughter. Parents face many challengestoday, juggling the conflicting obligationsof careers and children. Family leave givesfathers, as well as mothers, time to meetthese obligations more flexibly, both athome and in the workplace. Staying homewith our son was the best decisionI could have made, allowing me to spendboth quantity time and quality timewith him. I now look forward to a similar

experience with my daughter.”

David C. GeyerOffice of the Historian,Bureau of Public Affairs

“I have three childrenfor whom I’ve used leaveto take care of and bond

with during their firstmonths. It’s only natural

for fathers as well asmothers to spend time withtheir newborn children.Thanks to the FMLA,working fathers and mothers

are given a chance to lay the foundation for a

strong family.”

Charles DaleyOffice of InformationPrograms and Services,Bureau of Administration

P E O P L E L I K E Y O U


Paul, who works in theBureau of Information ResourceManagement, describes alpineskiing as his greatest athleticpassion.

“I get bored quickly,” he says.“I need new challenges.”

Whether navigating hisfavorite “steeps and deeps” inUtah, California and Wyoming PH

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COMPUTER WIZ PURSUESHIS PASSION FOR POWDERBY JENNIFER LELAND

If there’s one thing most people know about Paul Schafer, it’s thathe loves to ski.

He saves his annual leave for a one-month trip to the mountains.With the same zeal for new challenges he brings to his informationtechnology work at the Department, he pursues some of thecountry’s most difficult terrain undaunted by one additionalchallenge—he is blind.

or creating computer software, it’s clearPaul doesn’t shy away from new territory.

A Baltimore native with degrees in phi-losophy and psychology who loves to readscience fiction and has eclectic tastes inmusic, Paul has found a way to balance hisdual interests in technology and athleticssince childhood. Before joining theDepartment, he started PPS Enterprises—acompany that provided assistive technolo-gy as well as training to vocationalrehabilitation counselors and people withdisabilities.

“I like serving people and solving prob-lems,” Paul says. “I know I want a job thathelps people, but you want to have chal-lenges. That’s rewarding to me.”

When not seated in front of a computer,Paul is quick to enjoy activities that are any-thing but sedentary, including lapswimming, martial arts, horseback riding,canoeing and kayaking, in addition toalpine skiing.

Starting at the Wintergreen, Va., skiresort in 1987—years after losing hisvision—Paul learned to ski and graduallyincreased his skills and the duration of hismountain excursions. For the past three

years, in fact, ski trips “have claimed all ofmy generous leave from Uncle Sam,” hesays. “This is what it takes to improve.”

Paul, who has trained and skied through-out the country with many different guides,prefers to ski untethered and stick to whathe calls a simple system: a guide skiingbehind him narrating their moves with ashort vocabulary list preceded by the word“and” to prepare him for the instruction.Though some skiers with visual impair-ments want every turn called, Paul prefersas little information as possible and likes togo from peak to base without interruption.

The challenge is responding quickly tothe commands. “It’s sort of like a videogame,” explains Paul, who has an untar-nished record of avoiding major injuryeven as he has been “tackling challenges likemoguls, chutes, off-piste terrain, traversingonto cornices, and boot-packing it topowder heaven.”

Between ski seasons, Paul finds otherantidotes to his desk job. He stays in shapeswimming laps four times a week, havingjoined two swim teams and overcome theanxiety of a near-drowning experience inchildhood. He has also studied kung fu,

shotokan karate and judo and trained forhorseback-riding competitions in highschool and college. In fact, it was a summerjob in high school working with computersthat funded the purchase of his horse“Copper.”

Paul also serves as a director on the boardof Discovery Blind Sports, an organizationdedicated to fostering self-sufficiency inblind and visually impaired children andadults through physical activities.

Despite his busy schedule, he is alreadyplanning his next trip.

“To relax, some people go to saunas,” hesays. “I like to get out of town and go to themountains to ski.”

This year Paul plans to wed his two pas-sions by skiing with an earpiece that recordsthe sounds of his alpine adventures. Theaudio postcards, along with pictures of Paulin action, will be available on his personalweb site. No doubt they’ll confirm theobservation of one of Paul’s guides fromPark City, Utah: “Skiing with Paul is a kickin the pants!”�

The author is a writer/editor at StateMagazine.


Opposite page: The slopes at Solitude, Utah, bring smiles to Paul Schafer after a day’s run. Above left: Paul Schafer doubles his pleasure with a secondrun down Montes at Kirkwood, Calif. Right: Lori Beach guides Paul down a powder-infected mogul run in Solitude, Utah.

M E D I C A L R E P O R T


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headache, muscle aches,cough, sore throat, stuffyor runny nose, chills andfatigue.

Generally, healthyindividuals will suc-cessfully fight off the

virus and recover in fiveto seven days. Individuals

with chronic illnesses, theelderly and the very young

often lack the necessaryimmunity or have impaired

body defenses and cannotfight off the virus. They can

have a more severe course, withcomplications leading to bacter-

ial pneumonia, respiratory failureand possibly death.

Prevention is the best way tocombat influenza. The yearly

influenza vaccine is the most effec-tive method of protection. Thevaccine, changed annually in antici-

pation of expected flu strains, boosts the body’s immune system toeither prevent influenza or minimize its effect.

Two types of influenza vaccine are available in the UnitedStates: an injection and an intranasal spray. The injectable vaccinecan be used by people six months of age and older (with somevariations between vaccine brands). The nasal spray can be usedby healthy persons ages 5 to 49. In some situations, antiviral drugsmight also be useful.

The optimal time for vaccination is October to December.Vaccination beyond December can still be effective.

‘Tis the SeasonIT’S TIME FOR SEASONAL FLU SHOTS BY SARAH CALLINAN

Influenza, or flu, continues to be a major public health concern.Although avian influenza has recently been the focus of a world-wide public health effort and much media publicity, seasonalinfluenza annually claims more than 30,000 American lives.

Influenza is a respiratory illness caused by a virus. The mostcommon method for this virus to spread is when a person withinfluenza coughs or sneezes, exposing an uninfected person todroplets containing the virus. The virus enters the body throughmucous membranes of the mouth, nose or eyes. Once in the body,it attacks the cells of the respiratory system, producing high fever,


The influenza vaccines are very safe.Serious or life-threatening allergic reactionsare quite rare.

Mild side effects of the injectable vaccinemight include soreness, redness or swellingwhere the shot was given; fever; and aches.If these problems occur, they usually beginsoon after the shot and last one to two days.

Side effects of the nasal spray vaccinemight include runny nose, nasal conges-tion, headache, muscle aches, fever,abdominal pain or occasional vomiting,cough, chills, tiredness, weakness and sorethroat. More serious reactions can occur.

Who should receive the vaccine? In general, it is recommended that all

travelers receive the flu vaccine. High-risktravelers would include

• Those traveling to countries where fluactivity is widespread or epidemic;

• Those traveling to countries that areinternational gateways or highly visiteddestinations;

• Those age 50 or older or those of anyage who have any chronic or immune-compromising condition.

The following people should be vaccinat-ed regardless of travel considerations:

• Children age 6 to 59 months and closecontacts of children up to 59 months;

• Women who will be pregnant at anytime during the flu season;

• People ages six months and older withchronic heart or lung disorders (includ-ing asthma) or who required regularmedical follow-up or hospitalization

during the preceding year because of achronic metabolic disease (such as dia-betes), immune suppression due tocaused by certain drugs or HIV infec-tion, kidney or blood-related problems,conditions that can affect breathing orthe ability to handle respiratory secre-tions or on chronic aspirin therapy;

• People 50 years old and older;• Residents of nursing homes and other

chronic-care facilities;• Health care workers, including emer-

gency responders;• Employees of nursing homes, chronic -

care facilities, assisted living facilities orother residences for people in high-riskgroups;

• People who provide home care to indi-viduals at high risk;

• Household members (including chil-dren) of people at high risk;

• Household contacts and out-of-homecaregivers of children less than sixmonths old.

Others who should consider receiving fluvaccine include

• Women who are breast-feeding;• People infected with HIV;• Students living in dormitories or resi-

dence halls and others in institutionalsettings;

• People performing essential communi-ty services.

Who should not receive the vaccine? • People with a severe sensitivity or

allergy to eggs;

• Those who are moderately or severelyill, with or without a fever, at the timethe immunization is scheduled;

• Those who have had a moderate orserious reaction in the past afterreceiving the vaccine or any of its com-ponents;

• People allergic to mercury or thimeros-al, a vaccine preservative containingmercury.

The intranasal vaccine, while safe, is a liveattenuated virus vaccine and has a morelimited usage. In addition to age restric-tions, this form is not recommended for usein individuals with chronic medical condi-tions. Those considering the intranasalvaccine should consult their physician.

The Office of Medical Services has madea concerted effort to ensure that theinfluenza vaccine is available at health unitsworldwide this fall. To ensure timely deliv-ery of the vaccines, orders were placed earlythis spring. Barring unforeseen productionproblems, delivery of the vaccines to MEDand posts around the world is anticipated inmid- to late October. Once shipments havebeen received, post health units and theoccupational health units in the Harry STruman Building, SA-1, the NationalForeign Affairs Training Center and SA-44will begin offering the vaccine. Watch forannouncements. Protect yourself andothers. Get immunized. �

The author is a Foreign Service health prac-titioner in the Office of Medical Services.

Above: Contract nurse Connie Ikonomou offers service with a smile. Right: It’s time to roll up those sleeves.


S T A T E O F T H E A R T S

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Taiwan-born Chi-Ming Shui began hermusical studies in piano at age five and isnow a doctoral candidate at the Universityof Maryland. She played almost all of theChopin preludes, and her concludingRachmaninoff selection, Sonata No.#2 in B-flat minor, Op. 36, dazzled the audience.

The Noor Wodjouatt ensemble is com-posed of Noor and his brother Bassir, whoplays a classical Afghan instrument calledthe robab; Broto Roy, who plays the tablas,a two-piece percussion instrument; andLori Clark, whose dances are based on thestylized gestures and movements of North

Indian storytellers. Noor, who fled Kabul in1980, sings ghazel, a form of classicalIndian music that uses spiritual Persiantexts. The audience learned a lot aboutAfghan musical arts and was entranced bythe colorful costumes.

Piano prodigies Angelique Scully, 9,Taylor Chan, 12, and Christopher Chan, 13,were prizewinners in the 20th InternationalYoung Artist Piano Competition. Theirprogram consisted of Prelude in C-sharpminor by Rachmaninoff, The Nightingaleby Alabiew-Lizst and Prelude, Presto &Fugue by Bach. The playing of this amazingtrio of young, gifted pianists showed amaturity that belied their age.

AFGHAN MUSIC ADDS INTERNATIONAL FALVOR TO SERIES BY JOHN BENTEL

Universal LanguageThe Foreign Affairs Recreation Association

and the State of the Arts Cultural Seriesrecently presented an eclectic mix of enter-tainment ranging from contemporary jazz toAfghan dancing and classical piano.

Piano prodigy Taylor Chan plays with a maturity beyond her years.

CALENDAR


October 11 Guitarist (tentative)

October 25 The T-Tones, Department of State Choristers’“Seasonal Songs”

November 1 TBA

November 8 Gotta Swing dance group, Exhibit Hall

December 6 Dr. Sita Chakrawarti, holiday vocalist

December 13 James Matthews, holiday program

Performances are on Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m.in the Dean Acheson Auditorium.

Phaze II, a D.C. jazzensemble consisting of DavidPrince, guitar; Adrian Norton, bass;Steve Perkins, percussion; and RonPalmore, saxophone has a style thatbridges the gap between traditional andcontemporary jazz. Their smooth andrhythmic sound had those in attendanceswaying with the music.

Eleven-year-old piano prodigy Jeffrey Ly hasstudied for the past six years at the EuropeanAcademy of Music and Art. One of the pieces he per-formed was Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz #1, which was fieryand sensuous and stirred up images of Faust. He dis-played phenomenal technique and maturity for someonehis age. He was joined by his nine-year-old sister Olivia fortwo four-hand encores.

Back for her second State of the Arts performance,Irina Yurkovskaya dazzled the audience with her flaw-less technique in Ravel’s Ondine and Chopin’sSonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58. A native ofBelarus, she is an adjunct professor ofpiano at Temple University. �

The author is a computer specialist in theExecutive Secretariat.

A P P O I N T M E N T S


U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lankaand MaldivesRobert O. Blake Jr. of Maryland, a careermember of the Senior Foreign Service,class of Minister-Counselor, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the DemocraticSocialist Republic of Sri Lanka and, con-currently, to the Republic of Maldives.Most recently, he served as deputy chief ofmission in New Delhi. His other overseaspostings include Tunisia, Algeria, Nigeriaand Egypt. He is married and has threedaughters.

U.S. Ambassador to South AfricaEric M. Bost of Texas, a federal and stategovernment executive, is the new U.S.Ambassador to the Republic of SouthAfrica. Previously, he was under secretaryfor Food, Nutrition and ConsumerServices with the Department ofAgriculture. Before that, he was commis-sioner and chief executive officer of theTexas Department of Human Services. Hehas been actively involved with the Foodand Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations on efforts to improvenutrition and promote food security.

U.S. Global AIDS CoordinatorMark R. Dybul of Florida, a physician andfederal government executive, is the newCoordinator of U.S. GovernmentActivities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally,with the rank of Ambassador. Previously,he was the lead for the Department ofHealth and Human Services for PresidentBush’s International Prevention of Motherand Child HIV Initiative. He served asassistant director for Medical Affairs at theNational Institute of Allergy andInfectious Diseases and continues to be astaff clinician in the Laboratory ofImmunoregulation at NIAID.

Assistant Secretary forIntelligence and ResearchRandall Fort of Virginia, an investmentbanker and business and governmentexecutive, is the new Assistant Secretaryfor Intelligence and Research. Prior to hisappointment, he worked for GoldmanSachs in several capacities, including asdirector of Global Security and co-chiefoperating officer. Before that, he workedfor TRW, Inc. Earlier, he held a series offederal government intelligence positions,including deputy assistant secretary forfunctional analysis and research in INR.

U.S. Ambassador to AustraliaRobert D. McCallum Jr. of Georgia, anattorney and Justice Department official,is the new U.S. Ambassador to Australia.Previously, he was associate attorneygeneral, the third-ranking official atJustice. Earlier, he served as assistantattorney general for the Civil Division.Before entering government, he was apartner in an Atlanta law firm, specializ-ing in trial and appellate practice. Aformer Rhodes Scholar, he has been activein numerous civic organizations, includ-ing Rhodes Scholarship selectioncommittees. He is married and has twoadult sons.

U.S. Ambassador to SurinameLisa Bobbie Schreiber Hughes ofPennsylvania, a career member of theSenior Foreign Service, class of Counselor,is the new U.S. Ambassador to theRepublic of Suriname. Raised on a farmand trained as an attorney, with a particu-lar interest in human rights andinternational legal systems, she joined theForeign Service in 1985 and has servedoverseas in Ecuador, Cuba and Canada.She is married and has many pets.

Arthur, Lawrence L.Brooks, Rose MaeCollums, Haley D.De Kay, Jane S.Dixon, Michael Thomas

Gaum, Anne E.Haukness, Robert AllanHorita, Gail N.Jun, Christina C.Seale, Donnie G.

Civil Service >>>Beecroft, Robert M.Cavanaugh, Carey E.Elmore, JaniceEndresen, Patricia L.Foster, James J.Frank, RalphFregon, Robert James

Frymyer, Arthur G.Hall, John E.Harley, Timothy W.Johnston, Helen D.Kerber, Frank JohnLister, John LouisMadray, Charles Wheeler

McDavid, Richmond TerrellNissen, Harold PeterRenteria, Celestina M.Schmidt, Robert C.Van Camp, LarryWarner, Vanessa M.Wills, Charles R.

Foreign Service >>>


Assistant Secretary for Economicand Business AffairsDaniel S. Sullivan of Alaska, an attorneyand White House official, is the newAssistant Secretary for Economic andBusiness Affairs. Previously, he served as adirector in the International EconomicsDirectorate of the National SecurityCouncil/National Economic Council. AMarine Corps infantry and reconnais-sance officer in the reserves, he recentlyserved as strategic advisor and specialassistant to the Commander of the U.S.Central Command. Before joining thegovernment, he practiced business andcorporate law. He is married and hasthree daughters.

U.S. Ambassador to ArgentinaEarl Anthony Wayne of Maryland, acareer member of the Senior ForeignService, class of Career Minister, is thenew U.S. Ambassador to Argentina.Previously, he was assistant secretary forEconomic and Business Affairs. Beforethat, he was principal deputy assistantsecretary for the Bureau of European

Affairs and deputy assistant secretary forEurope and Canada. His overseas assign-ments include the U.S. Mission to theEuropean Union, Paris and Rabat. He ismarried and has two children.

U.S. Ambassador to SwedenMichael Wood of the District ofColumbia, a business executive, is the newU.S. Ambassador to Sweden. Previously,he was chief executive officer of HanleyWood, LLC, a leading media company inthe housing and construction industryand one of the largest U.S. business-to-business media companies. After the saleof Hanley Wood in 2005, he formedRedwood Investments, LLC, an invest-ment company specializing in media andreal estate. He actively supports Habitatfor Humanity. He is married and has twoadult children.

retirements*

O B I T U A R I E S


<<< Frank L. Berry, 83, a retiredForeign Service officer, died June 16 ofcomplications from Parkinson’s disease inGeras, Austria. He served in the Army inEurope in World War II before joining theDepartment in 1946. His overseas postingsincluded Vienna, Istanbul, Bonn,Frankfurt, Oslo, Tel Aviv, Kuwait,Hamburg, Ottawa, Brasilia and AbuDhabi. He retired in 1987 in Austria.

<<< Maxwell Kennedy Berry,76, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedJune 11 from congestive heart failure inLacey, Wash. He served in the Navy beforejoining the Department in 1956. His over-seas postings included Saigon, Jakarta,Iskenderun, Adana, Izmir, Ankara andLusaka. He retired in 1980.

<<< Charles W. Bray, 73, a retiredForeign Service officer, died July 23 ofpneumonia in Milwaukee, Wis. He servedoverseas in the Philippines and CentralAfrican Republic and was ambassador toSenegal. He was press secretary forSecretary William P. Rogers, deputy direc-tor of the U.S. Information Agency anddirector of the Foreign Service Institute.After retirement, he served as president of

the Johnson Foundation in Racine, Wis., and was a leader indeveloping civic programs in Racine.

<<< Ribella C. “Robbie”Buchans, 80, a retired Foreign Servicesecretary, died June 15 in Orange Park,Fla. She joined the Department in 1965.Her overseas postings included Ceylon,Madagascar, Nigeria and Belgium. Sheretired in 1983 to Palatka, Fla. She enjoyeddancing and art glass collecting.

<<< Charles “Chuck” HughesJr., 62, a retired Civil Service employee,died July 10 from complications of cancerin Oxon Hill, Md. He served in the Navybefore joining the Department in 1965.He was deputy executive director in theOffice of the Secretary when he retired in1996. He was awarded the DirectorGeneral’s Cup. After retirement, hebecame a real estate agent.

<<< Robert L. Kile, 62, a retiredForeign Service officer, died July 14 of aheart attack in Cushing, Okla. His over-seas postings included Mazatlán, CiudadJuárez, Beirut, Paris, Libreville, Cape Verdeand Dar es Salaam. After retirement,he was a partner in a minesweepingcompany and worked in Afghanistanwith a security firm.

Marguerite LaFrenière, 85, wife of retired ForeignService officer J. Alfred LaFrenière, died August 11 in WestYarmouth, Mass. She accompanied her husband on postings toIreland, the Azores, India, Portugal, Mozambique and Brazil.She became involved in local activities wherever she lived,sharing her outstanding needlework skills with friends ofmany nationalities.

<<< Ann FondawMacCracken, 76, wife of retiredForeign Service officer John G.MacCracken, died July 11 in Woodstock,Va. She joined the Foreign Service as acode clerk and served in Hong Kong,where she met her husband. She joinedhim on postings to Frankfurt, Berlin,Moscow, Brussels and Vienna. She was anaccomplished musician and musical direc-

tor for a group of harmonica players.

<<< Dennis Randolph“Randy” Murphy, 57, a ForeignService officer and husband of ForeignService officer Lilian Murphy, died of amassive coronary July 16 in Manassas, Va.He served with the Army in Vietnam andwith the Defense Intelligence Agency inseveral countries before joining theDepartment. He was posted to Hanoi.He was an honor guard at Arlington

National Cemetery.

Jerrold M. North, 74, a retired Foreign Service officer,died August 27 in Harrisburg, Pa. He graduated from West Pointand served in the Army before entering the Department. Heserved overseas in Europe, Africa and the Far East and wasambassador to Djibouti. He was a member of RotaryInternational.


<<< Dorothy E. Parisi, 80, widowof retired Foreign Service specialist SaverioParisi and a former Foreign Service secre-tary, died March 6 from complications ofovarian cancer in Orlando, Fla. She joinedthe Department in 1959, met her husbandin Costa Rica and, after resigning in 1962,accompanied him to postings in SantoDomingo, Tunis, Hamburg, Kinshasa,Lisbon, Rome, Frankfurt and Paris. They

retired to Florida in 1985.

<<< Dwight J. Porter, 90, aretired Foreign Service officer, died June 4of respiratory failure in Ranch Mirage,Calif. He served in the Marine Corps inWorld War II. He was posted overseas toGermany, London, Vienna and Beirut,where he was ambassador. He also servedas assistant secretary for Administration.He retired in 1975 and joined theWestinghouse Corp. as vice president for

international affairs. He enjoyed skiing, tennis, opera, genealogyand golf.

<<< Gordon Ray Powers, 67, aretired Foreign Service officer, died June 14of pancreatic cancer in Reno, Nev. Hejoined the Department in 1963 and servedoverseas in Jordan, Hong Kong, Australia,Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh and Sudan.

<<< William T. Pryce, 73, a retiredForeign Service officer, died July 11 inAlexandria, Va. He joined the Departmentin 1958 after serving in the Navy. His over-seas posts included Mexico, the SovietUnion, Panama, Guatemala and Bolivia.He was senior director for Latin Americaat the National Security Council andambassador to Honduras from 1993 untilhis retirement in 1996. After retirement, he

was vice president of the Council of the Americas.

Annis Sandvos, 91, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedJune 17 of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in Alexandria,Va. She joined the U.S. Information Agency in 1951 and served inAthens. From 1960 until her retirement in 1972, she worked onU.S. interests in education and cultural programs of internationalorganizations. She was active in her church.

<<< Sherman FrankWilliamson, 57, a retired ForeignService officer, died July 24 in TheWoodlands, Texas. He was in the MarineCorps and Navy and served in Vietnam.His overseas postings included PanamaCity, Georgetown, Monrovia, Freetownand Lusaka. After leaving the Department,he worked as an accountant. He was activein his church.

William Aubrey Wolffer, 88, died in Fort Myers, Fla., onNov. 20, 2005. He served in the Navy during World War II. Hejoined the Department in 1955 and served four tours in Amman,as well as in Kabul, Punjab, Dacca and Islamabad. He retired in1979.

In the Event of a DeathQuestions concerning employee deaths should be directed to the Office ofCasualty Assistance at (202) 736-4302. Inquiries concerning deaths of retiredemployees should be directed to the Office of Retirement at (202) 261-8960.

O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6 S TAT E M A G A Z I N E

T H E L A S T W O R D

COMING IN NOVEMBER

• Building Homes and Trust

• Eliminating Tools of Destruction

• Tracking State’s Attrition Rates

... and much more!

Whenever there’s a crisis, immediate orlong-term, you can count on your col-leagues to respond. This issue of StateMagazine is full of examples.

When the bombs and missiles startedfalling in Israel and Lebanon, Departmentcolleagues in Beirut, Nicosia, Ankara,Damascus and Washington jumped to thetask of helping thousands of American cit-izens find their way out of the battle zonesand to safety. Embassy employees inLebanon, Cyprus, Turkey and Syria, alongwith dozens of volunteers from through-out Washington’s bureau offices workingon the Lebanon Task Forces, laboredaround the clock to provide what DirectorGeneral Staples called patient and compas-sionate service.

Early in the crisis, one Washington vol-unteer fielded calls from college studentsstranded in Beirut. Three days later, he wasin Cyprus, helping some of those same stu-dents find their way home. That’s realcustomer service.

The big crisis at this time last year wasdomestic—Hurricane Katrina and its dev-astating effects on the great American cityof New Orleans. The Department respond-ed to that crisis with a major effort to get itsNew Orleans Passport Agency office opera-tional and its employees back to work justthree months after the hurricane. One cityofficial called that reopening proof thatNew Orleans was again functional as aninternational business center.

The Department continued its efforts onbehalf of the battered city and its citizensin Washington, where many evacuees fromLouisiana were relocated temporarily tothe D.C. Armory. The Department was theonly federal agency to respond to PresidentBush’s call to visit the Armory and activelyhelp Katrina evacuees find employment.

State’s Office of Recruitment,Examination and Employment helpedtheir fellow citizens find ways to helpthemselves. And the REE team also foundthree candidates who ended up workingfor the Department, one of whom decidedto make Washington her home.

By helping others in need, the Depart-ment ended up helping itself.

Colleagues in the Office of EmployeeRelations do their best to handle situationsbefore they become crises, especially whenleveling the field for all employees. Thisoffice’s Work/Life Programs division ischarged with ensuring that the Departmentprovides all reasonable accommodationsfor employees and potential employeeswith known disabilities. Their effortsallow qualified applicants and employeeswith disabilities to perform the essentialfunctions of their positions, and thusenhance the overall quality of theDepartment’s workforce.

Last but never least, a salute to our col-leagues en route to their final posting:Frank L. Berry, Maxwell Kennedy Berry,Charles W. Bray, Ribella C. “Robbie”Buchans, Charles “Chuck” Hughes Jr.,Robert L. Kile, Marguerite LaFreniere, AnnFondaw MacCracken, Dennis Randolph“Randy” Murphy, Jerrold M. North,Dorothy E. Parisi, Dwight J. Porter, GordonRay Powers, William T. Pryce, AnnisSandvos, Sherman Frank Williamson andWilliam Aubrey Wolffer.


Solving Problems

5252

Rob WileyEditor-in-Chief

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Documents

State Magazine, October 2006