StateStateM A G A Z I N E

U . S . D E PA R T M E N T O F S TAT ENOVEMBER 2004

ART INEMBASSIES

CELEBRATES40 YEARS

State Magazine (ISSN 1099–4165) is published monthly,except bimonthly in July and August, by the U.S. Department ofState, 2201 C St., N.W., Washington, DC. Periodicals postagepaid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing locations.Send changes of address to State Magazine, HR/ER/SMG, SA-1,Room H-236, Washington, DC 20522-0108. You may alsoe-mail address changes to statemagazine@state.gov.

State Magazine is published to facilitate communicationbetween management and employees at home and abroad andto acquaint employees with developments that may affect oper-ations or personnel. The magazine is also available to personsinterested in working for the Department of State and to thegeneral public.

State Magazine is available by subscription through theSuperintendent of Documents, U.S. Government PrintingOffice, Washington, DC 20402 (telephone [202] 512-1800) oron the web at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

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Deadlines: Nov. 15 for January issue.Dec. 15 for February issue.

StateStatePaul Koscak

ACTING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dave KreckeWRITER/EDITOR

Bill PalmerWRITER/EDITOR

David L. JohnstonART DIRECTOR

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Teddy B. TaylorEXECUTIVE SECRETARY

Larry Baer

Anna Borg

Kelly Clements

Pam Holliday

Joe Johnson

Pat Patierno

MAGAZINE

Post of the Month: MinskIN OUR NEXT ISSUE:

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Recently drafted Belarussian soldiersmarch during an exercise in Minsk.

2 From the Secretary

3 Letters to the Editor

4 In the News

9 Direct from the D.G.

38 Medical Report

40 People Like You

41 Appointments

42 Personnel Actions

43 Obituaries

ON THE COVER“Goodbye,” a painting by LaurenCamp, wings its way to its temporaryresting place on a wall of the U.S.Ambassador’s residence in Ashgabat,Turkmenistan.

32BUILDING BRIDGESIN COASTAL KENYA

CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2004

NUMBER 484

A young Kenyan waves the flag in appreciationof American support for the coastal festival.

10 POST OF THE MONTH: SANTO DOMINGOThe site of the hemisphere’s first European settlements sets a democratic course.

16 OFFICE OF THE MONTH: REFUGEE ADMISSIONSThis tiny office keeps faith with the Statue of Liberty’s promise.

20 TRANS-SIBERIAN SURGERYAlone and in pain, a traveler finds warmth in the middle of Siberia.

22 ART IN EMBASSIES PROGRAM CELEBRATES 40 YEARSFine American art speaks eloquently about our culture abroad.

28 IRISHMAN CREATES GREEN EMBASSYMaintenance supervisor’s plan conserves water, electricity, gas and more.

30 MAGICAL HISTORY TOUR: SAILING ON THE NILEA can-do team takes to the water at a desert post.

32 BUILDING BRIDGES IN COASTAL KENYAThe embassy in Nairobi contributes to a major cultural festival on the coast.

34 AMBASSADOR’S FUND FOR CULTURAL PRESERVATIONProgram demonstrates U.S. concern for other cultures.

36 A REPORTER IN FIJIAn embassy dependent publishes 50 articles as a newspaper intern.

2 STATE MAGAZINE

Former Secretary of State George Shultz recently sent me a copy of the following let-ter he received from Mr. “Pitch” Johnson praising the work of one of our wonderfulForeign Service National colleagues. It is typical of letters I get telling me about thegreat job the men and women of the State Department are doing. I wanted to shareit with you:

Dear George,

You have often spoken to me about your pride in the foreign service offi-cers of the United States and the people who work in the State Department.To reinforce your point, I experienced some excellent service and care byour embassy in Athens during the recent Olympic Games.

Our 16-year-old grandson, Michael Johnson, who was with Cathie and mein Athens, lost his passport shortly before the end of the Games and ourdeparture. I called the embassy and was referred to the passport office.The woman who took the call, Helen Vagena, could not have been morehelpful. First of all she was quite reassuring that something could be doneabout a replacement passport in a reasonably short time. We had the pass-port number and she was able to retrieve Michael’s application with a pic-ture to identify him: She called back when she got that information andtold us to file a police report on the loss and to come to the embassy witha copy at a fixed time that afternoon. We arrived and she greeted uspromptly and gave us the forms to fill out. We were doing so when shecalled us to the window and said that the Olympic lost-and-found hadcalled to report a U.S. passport had been found on the stadium grounds,and that it had Michael’s name on it. Helen further identified it for themwith the number, and told us where to go pick it up. We did so and had thepassport within an hour.

In an unexpected, pleasant touch the following morning, Helen called meat the hotel to ask if we had retrieved the passport OK. I said we had andthanked her for her attending to our problem so ably. In any case, we feltvery good about the personal and professional attention we received fromour embassy. I sent an e-mail to the consul, Nick Greanias, expressing myappreciation to Helen and the embassy for the good care.

I’ll look forward to seeing you and Charlotte at some more operas andfootball games this season.

Sincerely yours,

Franklin Pitcher Johnson, Jr.

One final thought for each of you: Is this the way you go about your job every day? I believe so and certainly hope so.

Thanks, Helen! ■

A Job Well Done

FROM THE SECRETARYSECRETARY COLIN L. POWELL

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3NOVEMBER 2004

Another Satisfied CustomerRegarding September’s language

immersion story, I’d like to relate myexperience with this fine program.

The U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaamoffered the American community anintroduction to Swahili language andculture via a three-day immersion visitto Zanzibar, an exotic island off thecoast.

The daily classes (shown above),which ran from early morning until westopped for lunch past noon, were fol-lowed by a host of cultural activities.The cultural program included every-thing from a visit to the swelteringconfines of a traditional healer’s dark-ened treatment room to a tour of Dr.Livingston’s spacious Anglican church.

Ten of us, representing a cross sec-tion of the agencies posted here, accel-erated our language-learning curves.In tribute to the skillfulness of our

excellent instructors—nodoubt aided by a rooftop class-room with a panoramic viewacross the city to the sea—wefound that we were able tobargain in the market at theend of the course. In fact, wewere able to negotiate for justabout anything we wanted—though the merchants’ smilessuggested that while we mayhave learned to negotiate inSwahili, bargaining quite a dif-ferent skill.

Mike GehronStone Town, Zanzibar

Glaring Language NaivetéThe article “Language Immersion

Enriches Assignments” (September2004) strikes me as a glaring display oflanguage naiveté. There seems to be noinkling of what language immersion isall about since in Zanzibar it consistsof but “three mornings of languageinstruction.”

The author also recognizes that inZanzibar, “learning simple greeting,

salutations and phrases in Kiswahili isa small gesture that means a greatdeal.” Terrific! At what post is learningsuch things in the local language nothelpful?

Finally, and perhaps most signifi-cantly, the author characterizes theKiswahili language as “phonetic”—aterm so ambiguous as to be meaning-less—and “not very complicated.”From a scientific point of view, no lan-guage has been found to be less com-plicated than any other, witness thatfour-year-olds everywhere seem tohave mastered their native languagesequally well.

Allen I. SteinRetired Assistant Dean, FSI/SLS

FROM THE EDITOR

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

It’s no secret that revolutions, war, genocide and otherforms of persecution create countless refugees. And whenmany of the uprooted look to the United States for theirsalvation, refugee admissions in the Bureau ofPopulation, Refugees and Migration determines if theyqualify. In today’s world there are no slow days in refugeeadmissions.

Think carnival, beaches, beautiful mountains and abroken economy. Think luxury resorts, the oldest univer-sity in the hemisphere and power outages. Think SantoDomingo, a city of contrasts and home to a missionspread over seven buildings and hundreds of employees.

Imagine a sailing club in dusty Khartoum. While theywon’t be contending for the America’s Cup anytime soon,these part-time boating aficionados rate their experience

on an even grander scale—plying the storied Nile River.It’s an experience few sailors can claim.

The U.S. Embassy in Caracas is urging employees toquit—smoking that is. As new arrivals are welcomed,they’re also asked if they smoke and would like to stop.The effort—more than “just say no”—has grabbednational attention and the results are impressive.

Having a medical emergency somewhere betweenMoscow and Beijing on the Trans-Siberian Railway maysound like a recipe for disaster, but Russian hospitalityand a station doctor left this traveler with fond memories.

Letters to the Editor

Letters should not exceed 250words and should include thewriter’s name, address and day-time phone numer. Letters will beedited for length and clarity. Onlysigned letters will be considered.Names may be withheld uponrequest. You can reach us atstatemagazine@state.gov.

4 STATE MAGAZINE

I N T H E N E W S

Sticking Their Butts Out in Caracas

smokeALARM

Employees assigned to Caracas are welcomed with an invitation to quit smoking. As the newcomers ask ifit’s safe to drink the water or eat the lettuce, health unit staff is asking them if they smoke.

Outgoing Ambassador Charles Shapiro considers the employee health program one of his most importantachievements. Assisted by health unit staffers Dr. Raul Isturiz and nurse June Acrich, he aims to help employ-ees kick this dangerous habit.

Dr. Natasha Herrera, at the Pan-American Health Organization’s Venezuela office, volunteered her ownlunch hour to work with the mission’s smokers once a week.

Dr. Herrera’s method includes up to two weeks of monitoring, where patients are toldto document what triggers their cigarette cravings, such as time of day, emotions, stress,

family or friends who smoke and other stimuli. They even learn how changes in brainchemicals create yearnings for nicotine.

Once patients are aware of why and when they smoke, they begin nicotinereplacement therapy. This is a key step, particularly for those who are addicted to

the weed. The embassy provides nicotine patches and gum as well as Welbutron,a drug that combats weight gain and stress.

Herrera claims an 80 percent success in her practice, which is in line withresults at Embassy Caracas. Of the original 12 participants, 11 have quit.

Dr. Carolyn Dresler, a cardiothoracic surgeon and expert on lung cancerand smoking-related diseases, recently told embassy staff that up to 30 percent

of employee absenteeism in Canada is blamed on smoking.Dresler said cigarette smoke is the leading cause of preventable death in the developing world, claiming at

least 4 million lives each year. By 2030, 70 percent of tobacco-related deaths will occur in the developingworld. Overall, smokers have a 50 percent chance of dying prematurely due to their habit.

In Venezuela and most of Latin America, smoking is more common and accepted than in the United States.Approximately 30 percent of Venezuelans smoke—men, 32 percent; women, 27 percent. It’s common to seepeople smoking in restaurants, bars and movie theater lobbies and at shopping malls.

Said one participant who tried to stop several times, “I find it easier to quit with help. Just having someonethere keeping track of your progress is quite a difference. This is the first time I really feel I can make it.” PH

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TDYer Leaves Her MarkWhat started with a flat tire ended with a pumped-up

team.Sandra Yeaman was riding to a barbeque one Sunday in

March when the car had a flat tire. While some men recruit-ed from the barbeque changed the tire, eight boysapproached holding a soccer jersey. They were collectingmoney to buy uniforms for their team. When Ms. Yeaman, amanagement officer on a temporary assignment in Asmara,Eritrea, asked how she could be sure they would use themoney for uniforms, they said she could trust them. She gavethe tallest, Habtom, 300 nafka, about $20. He asked for herphone number and wrote it onthe palm of his hand.

The following Saturday herphone rang. The caller didn’tspeak English, but when hesensed she was about to hangup he said, “Habtom, 300nafka.” With the help of apasserby who spoke English,he told her the team wanted tomeet her and thank her for hercontribution.

She arrived at the agreedspot—a local market—thenext day and 16 boys, aged 9 to14, greeted her. Four of themwere wearing red and whiteuniforms they purchased withher contribution. She agreedto meet them the followingSunday at the soccer field—abumpy, rocky open areathrough which herds of cattleand sheep regularly wander—and watch them play.

For the rest of her assign-ment she spent every Saturdayor Sunday morning watchingthe boys play. They decided tocall themselves Team USA. Sheeventually gave them enough money to buy more uniforms,soccer shoes and spare soccer balls. After weeks of trainingand scrimmaging with each other, Habtom, the coach, beganarranging games against other teams. Ms. Yeaman took hun-dreds of pictures and invited the boys home for something toeat and drink after each game. She also showed them movies.Bend It Like Beckham was their favorite, naturally.

Her last weekend in town, she wanted to do somethingspecial for the boys so she invited embassy employees towatch them play and then come to her house for a party. The

response was overwhelming. Among those who came wereAmbassador Donald McConnell and Deputy Chief ofMission David Katz and their wives. Nurse Paula Wilsonbaked a cake in the shape of a soccer ball and decorated itwith red, white and blue frosting. One guest, an employee ofthe U.N. Development Program, offered to explore using theU.N.’s equipment to even out the bumps and dips in the boys’soccer field.

Melissa Sheperd, Asmara’s community liaison officer, cre-ated a brochure with a story and picture of Team USA anddistributed it to the Asmara International Women’s Club,

non-governmental organizations and diplomatic missions.Her hope is that other members of the international commu-nity will sponsor teams too.

The boys told Ms. Yeaman that other neighborhood teamshave started copying them—using Habtom’s training regimeand getting matching shirts. “The boys understand they havebecome a model for others,” she said, “and have assured methey will take the responsibility seriously. I believe them.After all, they told me I could trust them with my first 300-nafka donation.”

Coach Habtom, in white, selects seven team members to play against Team German.

6 STATE MAGAZINE

I N T H E N E W S

Conference Channels Diversity into DirectionBring 56 Foreign Service National employees together for

10 days of training, networking and camaraderie and youhave the making of the third annual FSN WorldwideInvitational Conference.

The gathering is perhaps the ultimate diversity group withparticipants from Belize to Paris to Freetown to Kolonia—not to mention every vocation from security to public affairsto general services. But despite the differences in culture, lan-guage and geography, the conference instills its participantswith the “One Mission—One Team” workplace philosophypromoted by Secretary Powell. One FSN described the con-ference that aims to sharpen work and communications skillsas a “microcosm of U.S. missions worldwide.”

Underscoring the event’s importance, which took placefrom June 3 to 11 in Washington, D.C., Deputy SecretaryRichard Armitage applauded the critical role FSNs play incarrying out U.S. foreign policy while Director General W.Robert Pearson outlined the Department’s commitment to asupportive workplace through training and improved com-pensation, insurance and pension plans.

In addition to salary and benefits, the conference includeddiscussions on job evaluations, leadership, communicationand equal employment opportunity. Participants also metthe deputy inspector general, who encouraged them to report

waste, fraud and mismanagement. The FSNs received train-ing in security awareness—including personal protection—crisis management and consular affairs.

To promote understanding, the FSNs shared insights abouttheir nations’ heritage and customs. At the same time theyreceived training in the American work culture and improv-ing communication with American officers at post and with-in mission sections. Instruction balanced their responsibili-ties and identities as American employees sensitively andwith respect for local practices and culture.

Six “continuity FSNs”—Harry Beek from Brussels,Zvezdan Milovanovic from Belgrade, Aniko Varadi fromBudapest, Jossy Herman from Santo Domingo, DebraNewbold from Nassau and Mandeep Kaur from NewDelhi—were brought back from former conferences as facil-itators, mentors and team leaders. They introduced topDepartment speakers and other important officials, notedkey issues, provided daily summary briefings and assignedteams for discussions and activities.

As in the previous two conferences sponsored by theBureau of Human Resources Office of OverseasEmployment, the FSNs arrived representing individual sec-tions and countries but departed as a global team of missionprofessionals.

EducationProgramAgain in theSpotlight

Hundreds of cultural exchanges are set forNov. 15 to 19 to mark InternationalEducation Week. Sponsored by the Bureauof Educational and Cultural Affairs and theU.S. Department of Education, the eventcelebrates America’s leadership in buildinginternational cooperation, understandingand alliances through education.

Visits by American students to overseas schools as well asforeign students visiting American schools, including some inWashington, D.C., are among the week’s highlights. Last yearmore than 85 U.S. ambassadors and embassies abroad andforeign ambassadors to the United States participated in theevent, as did a wide range of organizations and corporations.

Foreign participants include international students, teach-ers and scholars who study in the United States.

Employees can learn more about the programs Nov. 18,from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, at the Bureau of Educational andCultural Affairs Exchanges Fair in the exhibit hall of theHarry S Truman building.

More than 1,800 of the State Department’s youth exchange students are expected to sharetheir cultures in America’s classrooms during International Education Week.

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When Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel met withPresident Bush in the White House two and a half years ago,they discussed Central Asia, a key part of the post-9/11 secu-rity network. The two leaders discussed how law and order,good governance and healthy civil societies were importantto that region.

Shortly after the Bush-Schuessel summit, the public affairssections of the U.S. Embassy in Vienna and the U.S. Missionto the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europelaunched the Vienna Initiative for Central Asia. Now in itssecond year, the effort brings 10 Central Asian city and statemanagers to Vienna for a two-week program to learn howAmericans and Austrians manage cities and states.

The program covers planning, renewal, policy andadministration, budgeting, renewable energies, water renew-al, waste management and market economies. The mid-levelcity and state leaders, as guests of the Austrian Ministry ofForeign Affairs, visit small towns in Austria to learn howthey’re managed.

The Vienna initiative is a good fit forthe OSCE, whose 18 field missions oper-ate mostly in former Soviet republicsincluding those in Central Asia, theCaucasus and the Balkans. They assistgovernments and civil society in strength-ening democratic institutions and pro-moting respect for human rights and law.

This year, all five Central Asian countries sent two partici-pants to the seminar. Even Turkmenistan, which has largelyshunned international efforts at democratization, participat-ed. In-country Fulbright scholars and speakers recommendedby the Department taught the students about U.S. practices.

Last year’s participants returned home and began usingtheir new skills. For instance, Omurbek Sarbagyshev, whoworks in the office of the mayor of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan,reported that his city has adopted ideas he brought fromVienna: recycling with color-coded garbage cans, lighting citybuildings and building new roads connecting the city to theairport.

City managers in Central Asia face a daunting task of mod-ernizing management, securing adequate financing and cre-ating an administration that meets the needs of citizens. Thechanges will not happen quickly, but program alums aremaking small but meaningful progress in each of the fivecountries.

7NOVEMBER 2004

I N T H E N E W S

MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENTOFFERED TO CENTRALASIAN CITIES

FSN Fellowship Offers Graduate OpportunitiesCompeting against hundreds of other Russians, Vladimir Kulagin, a Foreign Service National employee

at the consulate general in Vladivostok, won the highly competitive Edmund S. Muskie GraduateFellowship sponsored by the Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. He was one of 27Russian winners. FSNs from other countries have also won Muskie fellowships.

Since December 2000, Mr. Kulagin has been involved in producing E-Grams, messages using unclassi-fied e-mail as a formal reporting vehicle pioneered by the consulate general in Vladivostok. In April, he

edited Russian Far East/Asia Highlights, a publication getting positivefeedback and wider readership in both Moscow and Washington.

The Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship program provides citi-zens of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan anopportunity to pursue graduate study in the United States. Businessadministration, economics, education, environmental management andpolicy, international affairs, journalism and mass communications areamong the choices. Law, library and information science, public admin-istration, public health and public policy are the other available fields.

The program provides full scholarships, including university tuition,fees, room, board, health insurance, monthly stipend, book allowance,and international and domestic travel.

Mr. Kulagin is now studying for a master’s degree in business admin-istration and specializing in finance at the Georgia Institute ofTechnology in Atlanta. He returns to Russia after graduating in June2006.

For the last four years, the U.S. Consulate in Hermosillo,Mexico, has worked closely with Shriner’s Hospital in LosAngeles to help child burn victims get treatment in theUnited States.

The consulate, together with Alberto Barrera Robinson, alocal attorney, businessman and Shriner (the Shriners are aninternational fraternity with more than 500,000 members),and his assistant, Luz Inez Casas Ruiz, support outreach pro-

grams in the consular district so that children canreceive free medical treatment.

Nine physicians and their staff arrived in HermosilloJuly 31 to examine 200 children and schedule theirtreatments in Los Angeles. Two local employees,Graciela Hernandez and Monica Martinez, and twoForeign Service officers, Marjorie Stern and AmyStorrow, volunteered their time to play with the kids,set up meetings with doctors and answer questionsabout visa applications. All four are members ofDamas Voluntarias de Shriners (Volunteer Women ofShriners), a local group that also coordinated a cloth-ing and toy drive and raised money for food and enter-tainment. The governor of Sonora provided funds forthe doctors’ transportation. The clinic was conductedat the local children’s hospital, where American andMexican doctors worked side by side.

When children with significant injuries, such asfacial disfigurements due to burns, come to the consulate fortheir visa appointments, they’re made to feel at home. Oftenthey can be interviewed without waiting.

“I’d only been at post for four days when Marjorie,Graciela and Monica took me to my first meeting of DamasVoluntarias,” Ms. Storrow said. “As I sat in the group ofMexican and American women all working together, Ithought, ‘This is why I joined the Foreign Service.’ ”

Teamwork in Rwanda can be tough. That’s what AaronThomas found out when he became the new general servicesofficer in January. In a nation best known for civil war andgenocide, mistrust and animosities linger among many of the55 locally hired embassy employees that include both Tutsiand Hutus.

Then during “the long, long, long flight back to Kigali afterattending the Miami GSO conference” and while reading anarticle about the 2004 Athens summerOlympics, he got the idea to hold a GSO“Olympics.” The event would improveperformance and motivation amongembassy maintenance crews—carpenters,janitors, masons, gardeners, drivers andlaborers to name a few—he reasoned.

On April 21, the Olympics began. Withheadliners such as balloon tossing anddropping clothespins into bottles, only the

three-man relay resembled anything close to an Olympicevent. But that wasn’t the goal among the seven teams.Success was measured in cooperation and understandingamong traditionally warring people.

Teams reflected a cross section of the embassy’s work sec-tions, and co-workers couldn’t play on the same team.Supervisors or Americans were barred from playing.

The games gave a laborer who just “does what he’s told todo” a chance to supervise andlead as a team captain and setgoals for others.

“The object was to build team-work, so I kept the events verysimple,” Mr. Thomas said. “TheGSO Olympics improved morale.I now see many more smiles onthe faces of those workers andmuch more camaraderie.”

8 STATE MAGAZINE

I N T H E N E W S

Consulate, ShrinersHelp Kids with Burns

GAMES BRIDGE ETHNIC STRIFE

Graciela Hernandez, NIV Supervisor in Hermosillo, helps Valeria Isabel DiazRascon with her fingerprint for her visa.

9NOVEMBER 2004

My experiences overseas, and an appreciation of events inAfghanistan and Iraq, have convinced me that the demandsof the 21st century are changing the rules of diplomacy.Likewise, the Foreign Service must adapt to those changes.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The right performance ofthis hour’s duties will be the best preparation for the hours orages that follow.”

To meet our country’s needs—and the new demands ofdiplomacy—our employees need greater capability, built onwider experience, improved competencies and better leader-ship and management skills.

Serious effort is being made to achieve these goals.Diplomatic readiness aims to recruit talented and accom-plished employees to fill hundreds of positions created byretirements in just a few years.So far, we’ve brought in 1,158more employees than those who retired. At the same time,with your help, Employee Profile Plus will give us a betteridea of your skills and experience.

My staff and I are working to create a wide-ranging—evenrevolutionary plan for career development for ForeignService generalists.We’re looking at more focused assign-ments, training, languages and experiences that will togethercreate officers that are more broad-based and flexible to meetfuture challenges.

I envision this happening much like it would at a universi-ty, where students have a major and a minor. One might“major” in Middle East and speak Arabic, but “minor” in theformer Soviet Union or in transnational or multilateralissues and speak Russian. The subjects our employees electwouldn’t matter, just like it doesn’t matter at a university howmany people study engineering or math.Whatever yourchoice and wherever you’re assigned, you’d be on call to useyour other skills.

Employees who aspire to the Senior Foreign Service mustnot only hold multiple specialties but also be able to lead oth-ers. The ability to delegate, motivate and—if you’re goodenough—inspire—is the hallmark of the future diplomatic

leader. The mid- and junior-level officers need to developthese skills and experiences as well.

To achieve this new level of competence, we’re developingnew requirements that must be met for promotion into theSenior Foreign Service. There will be an outline of assign-ments, experiences and languages from which generalists canbuild their careers.Focus groups have considered our pro-posals and we’ll continue to work closely with AFSA in thedevelopment and approval of our approach.

At present, employees are only required to have a “profes-sional level” skill in one foreign language before crossing thethreshold into the Senior Foreign Service. A second require-ment, beginning in 2009, will be service after tenure at ahardship post with at least a five percentdifferential.Employees also will have to complete leadershiptraining appropriate to their grade. While certainly a goodstart, more is needed to compete in today’s diplomatic world.

Other requirements are also being considered to strength-en language skills, cross-conal experience and geographicand functional work.These include:

• Professional development• Cross-functional experience• Substantial supervisory experience• Operational response• Second professional proficiency-level language

or one advanced professional proficiency-levellanguage or one professional proficiency-levelsuper hard language.

• Service in a critical assignment• Service at an unaccompanied post for a year

In my view, creating a career development plan is the log-ical conclusion of the diplomatic readiness initiative andforms the capstone of the changes that the Secretary hasbrought to our profession.While these requirements will beintroduced over time to allow everyone an opportunity toparticipate, I’m convinced they’re essential to the futurevitality of our profession. ■

DIRECT FROM THE D.G.AMBASSADOR W. ROBERT PEARSON

Broader Experience,Multiple Skills Will Shapethe Future Foreign Service

10 STATE MAGAZINE

The Cathedral Primada in Santo Domingo’sColonial Zone is the hemisphere’s first.Construction started in 1521, and it wassacked by Sir Francis Drake in 1586.

11NOVEMBER 2004

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

DomingoSanto

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Between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea

sits the island of Hispaniola, where history’s most

influential voyage of discovery landed and the site of

the New World’s oldest European settlements. The

island is shared by Haiti in the west and the Dominican

Republic, which occupies its eastern two-thirds.

By Norman H. Barth and Richard S.D. Hawkins

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There has been aU.S. mission inSanto Domingo deGuzman, the Do-minican capital,since 1884, whenChargé d’AffairesJohn Langston pre-sented his creden-tials to DominicanPresident UlisesHeureaux. If manyU.S. emissaries tothe Dominican Re-public have beenforgotten over theyears, the third,Frederick Douglass,has not. A self-freedslave, abolitionist,orator and some-time adviser toPresidents Lincolnand Grant, he waschargé d’affairesfrom 1889 until1891.

But even beforeDouglass’s appoint-ment, the island hadbecome a destina-tion for roughly5,000 U.S. freed-men, the majority ofwhom settled inSamaná, in what isnow northeasternDominican Repub-lic. It was similar tothe Back to Africamovement that col-onized Liberia inWest Africa withU.S. freedmen in theearly 19th century.Speakers of archaicEnglish can still befound among theresidents of Samanátoday.

One million Dominicans—one-eighth of the population of the entirecountry—are legal permanent residentsof the United States, and SantoDomingo is one of the top five immi-grant visa adjudicating posts in theworld.

The tiny nation contributes thelargest group of foreign players toMajor League Baseball, including suchstars as home run king Sammy Sosa;three-time Cy Young Award winner,pitcher Pedro Martinez; Juan Marichal,the first Dominican player elected tothe Hall of Fame; St. Louis Cardinals’

slugger Albert Pujols; the Orioles’Miguel Tejada, who set a new record inthe Home Run Derby this year; and theCalifornia Angels’ Vladimir Guerrero.

The “DR” imports $4.2 billion ingoods and services from the UnitedStates each year, making it the fourth-largest U.S. export market in the

Originally a Jesuit convent, the Pantéon Nacionalin the Colonial Zone was built in the 18th century.It is now the resting place of the DominicanRepublic’s honored dead.

13NOVEMBER 2004

A T A G L A N C E

SOURCE: CIA World Factbook 2003

Country name: Dominican Republic

Capital: Santo Domingo

Government: Representative democracy

Independence: February 27, 1844 (from Haiti)

Population: 8.8 million

Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic

Language: Spanish

Land mass: 18,815 square miles

Approximate size: Slightly more than twicethe size of New Hampshire

Currency: Dominican peso (DOP)

Per capita income: $6,000

Population below poverty line: 25%

Export commodities: Ferronickel, sugar,gold, silver, coffee and cocoa

Export partners: U.S. (84.4%), Canada (1.7%)and Haiti (1.5%)

Military branches: Army, Navy and Air Force

Western Hemisphere after Canada, Mexico and Brazil. Theisland nation imports more from the United States thanRussia, Argentina or Chile. In return, the DR exports $4.5 bil-lion worth of goods to the United States.

To handle this high level of bilateral activity, the U.S.Mission in Santo Domingo has more than 120 direct hire and380 Foreign Service National employees, representing all ofthe major U.S. government agencies. There has been a strongPeace Corps presence in the country since the program beganin the early 1960s. A consular agent has an office in Sosua, onthe north coast.

Santo Domingo is a modern cosmopolitan city of nearly3 million with a significant expatriate community. Severalshopping centers are stocked with international products.Large supermarkets have local and imported foods. Excellentrestaurants abound. Fruit stands and corner stores with man-gos, bananas, plantains, coconuts and other delectable neces-sities of life are everywhere. Shopping opportunities includeart and handicrafts, amber and larimar jewelry, fine rum andcigars, fashion boutiques and flea markets.

The mission is spread over seven buildings. Americans livein apartments and houses in the western neighborhoods ofSanto Domingo, mostly close to the chancery and main mis-sion buildings, the Mirador del Sur park or the botanical gar-dens. Power outages occur frequently, but all mission housinghas backup generators and inverters. There are several excel-lent schools, including high schools with international repu-tations and instruction in English. Santo Domingo has morethan 10 universities, one of which is the WesternHemisphere’s oldest.

Thanks to a good network of highways and roads, no placein the Dominican Republic is more than a four-hour drivefrom the capital. All-inclusive resorts along the coast, somewith world-class amenities, frequently offer reduced rates forembassy employees. Among the most famous is Casa deCampo, near La Romana on the southern coast. This andother exclusive resorts have attracted the wealthy and thefamous, including former U.S. presidents. Smaller hotels, bedand breakfasts, and family-run establishments offer lessexpensive alternatives to the luxury spots.

Tourism is one of the pillars of the Dominican economy.Of the millions of foreign tourists traveling to the DR eachyear, 800,000 arrive from the United States. The countryboasts scenic mountains and rivers, historic cathedrals andmuseums, clubs that pulse to merengue and bachata beatsand some of the Caribbean’s finest beaches. The year-roundtropical climate is less humid than Miami’s or Washington’s.Its welcoming people and eclectic culture add to the coun-try’s appeal to vacationers.

Given the role Santo Domingo has played in the history ofthe Western Hemisphere, it is not surprising that the UnitedNations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizationdeclared its Colonial Zone a World Heritage Site in 1990. Justa mile east of the chancery, the zone dates to 1498. Those whospent time in the zone include Ponce de Léon, first Europeanto explore what is now Florida; Hernán Cortés, conqueror ofMexico; and Bartolomé de las Casas, writer of A History of the

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Indies and champion of indigenouspeople’s rights in the 16th century.While Christopher Columbus visitedSanto Domingo several times, he neverlived there. He appointed his brotherthe island’s governor.

In 2001, UNESCO also declared theCofradía de Congos del Espíritu Santode Villa Mella (Fraternity of Congos ofthe Holy Spirit of Villa Mella) one ofthe world’s 19 “master works of oraland intangible heritage of humanity.”Villa Mella is a northern suburb ofSanto Domingo. The drumming, call-and-response song and dance of theCongos can be traced to CatholicEurope and animist Africa of five cen-turies ago.

Ambassador Hans H. Hertell, thefirst Puerto Rican to head a U.S.Mission, and Deputy Chief of MissionLisa Kubiske have focused the embassyon issues of democracy, free trade, U.S.homeland security, international crimeand drugs, human rights and health.Embassy employees quickly develop

contacts and friendships amongDominican officials and elites.

The embassy played an importantsupporting role in the Dominican

Above: Nonimmigrant team members take a moment from their busy day to smile for the camera. They are, from the left, supervisor Annie Gonzalez,Bernie May, Mary Rose Herasme, Ruth James and Joanna Martinez. Below: Carmen Toca, community liaison officer, left, and Jeremiah Knight, con-sular officer, discuss consular matters at the interview window.

15NOVEMBER 2004

Republic’s hosting of the PanAmerican Games and the conclusionof a free trade agreement with theUnited States (awaiting Senate ratifica-tion). The mission applauded the pres-idential election in May of this yearand the subsequent transition to thecountry’s 63rd president in mid-August.

Among the embassy’s more innova-tive projects in 2004 was its tangiblesupport for free and fair elections,securing significant funding for 50 vol-unteer observers and leading a multilat-eral group of ambassadors whose influ-ence was decisive in the peaceful andtransparent outcome. Embassy officersare involved in seeking solutions to the

nation’s many problems, smoothingtraditionally strained relations withneighboring Haiti, reducing officialcorruption and alleviating the impactof a recent banking scandal on thenation’s economy.

The Dominican Republic’s rich andcomplex history, cultural influences andnatural beauty make it an unparalleledForeign Service assignment within theWestern Hemisphere. The high per-centage of employees who seek secondtours in Santo Domingo testifies to thechallenges and rewards of an assign-ment there. ■

Norman Barth recently concluded hisfirst tour consular assignment in theDominican Republic. Richard Hawkinsis a political officer assigned to the U.S.Embassy in Santo Domingo.

Left: Santo Domingo’s Licey Tigres welcometheir teammate at home plate after he scoresthe go-ahead run in Quisqueya Stadium.Baseball is the country’s national sport. Below:Mercedes Guzman of the public affairs section,far left, lends a helping hand in setting up theambassador’s residence for a special event.

Chances are you knew refugees from theSoviet bloc or Southeast Asia when youwere growing up. And your school-age chil-dren probably have friends who arerefugees from far-flung nations such asAfghanistan, Iran, Somalia or Sudan.

How did they all get here? Through ahighly developed admissions program run

by the Department’s Office of Refugee Admissions in the Bureau of Population, Refugeesand Migration. The office is home to 15 domestic staff, both Civil Service and ForeignService. Refugee coordinators are also posted in Accra, Amman, Bangkok, Cairo, Havana,Ho Chi Minh City, Moscow, Nairobi and New Delhi. They all work in cooperation with thedepartments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services as well as the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migrationand nongovernmental organizations. The program has brought more than 2.5 millionrefugees to the United States in the past three decades.

Any given day, you might find an admissions officer in a refugee camp in Guinea evalu-ating a group of Liberian refugees for potential U.S. resettlement; visiting a resettled refugeefamily in their new home in Chicago; convening a regional working group of government,

U.N. and NGO partners to plan admissions pro-cessing in Southeast Asia; or monitoring a refugeeprocessing site in Nairobi—right from a desk inWashington. This Washington oversight is possi-

16 STATE MAGAZINE

Admissions OfficeHandlesRefugee Surge

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By Kelly Gauger andJennifer Christenson

A UNHCR vehicle carries the targeted responseteam to the Laine Refugee Camp in Guinea tomeet with a group of female violence survivorsfor possible resettlement.

ble thanks to the Worldwide Refugee Admissions ProcessingSystem—a standardized, globally linked refugee computertracking system installed in 2001.

Welcoming refugees who have fled persecution is a long-standing American tradition with roots in the founding ofour nation. It was only in 1980, however, that a frameworkfor admitting refugees was established. The Refugee Act legal-ly defines a refugee as a person who is persecuted or has awell-founded fear of persecution in his or her country of ori-gin, based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or

membership in a particular social group. That’s the litmustest for admission into the United States.

Refugee admissions have ranged from a high of 207,000 in1980 to a low of 27,000 in 2002 following the terrorist attacksof Sept. 11. This year, more than 50,000 refugees will beadmitted—nearly an 80 percent increase over last year—thanks to the extraordinary efforts of bureau staff and otherswho successfully navigated the enhanced security require-ments and changing needs of the program.

In the two decades before the mid-1990s, the majority ofrefugees admitted to the United States fled persecution inEastern Europe, the Soviet Union or East Asia. After that, anincreasing number of Bosnian Muslims and others fleeing theupheaval in the Balkans were resettled in the United States.

Few Africans, other than Ethiopians fleeing the Mengisturegime and Somalis fleeing ethnic conflict and civil war, wereadmitted before the mid-1990s. However, resettlement ofAfrican refugees quadrupled between 1995 and 2001. Thisyear, more than half of all refugees resettled in the UnitedStates hail from Africa—mainly Somalia, Liberia and Sudan.In all, refugees from 60 nations were admitted in 2004.

Admissions officers co-chair regional working groups thatinclude other U.S. agencies, NGOs and international organi-zations. They meet regularly to exchange information. At a

17NOVEMBER 2004

Above: A view of the shelters at the Laine Refugee Camp. Below: Liberian refugee schoolgirls signal thumbs-up at the Buduburam RefugeeSettlement in Ghana.

recent East Africa meeting, for example, an expert gave apresentation on his recent trip to Zambia and Tanzania toinvestigate how refugees are integrating.

In the past year, the admissions office has also deployedteams to Mozambique, Uganda, Guinea and Ghana to identi-fy nearly 3,000 refugees for admission into the United States.The teams consider refugee groups with a common persecu-tion claim—for example, female heads of household whosurvived violence or torture andcould not return home.

Admissions officers also travelextensively around the United Statesto monitor how well domestic reset-tlement agencies assist the refugeesafter they arrive. Typically, admis-sions officers visit four refugee fami-lies in their homes to assess whetherthe housing is safe, decent and afford-able and to verify that essential fur-nishings, household goods and cloth-ing were provided.

Visiting refugees in their newhomes allows staff to see the results ofthe work they do. A refugee from

Sudan, a wife and mother of six, recently told a monitor, “Iam just happy to be in a place where no one comes to mydoor in the middle of the night to take away my husband,where my children can get a good education and I can get ajob for the first time in my life.”

The authors are program officers in the Office of RefugeeAdmissions.

18 STATE MAGAZINE

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Above: Jennifer Christenson, UNHCR protection officer Kevin Urban and the Laine Refugee Camp manager. Below: Targeted response team membersat the UNHCR office in Conakry sort through 5,000 refugee social surveys from the Laine Refugee Camp to determine appropriate cases for resettle-ment. They are, from left, Amy Slaughter, Phyllis Coven, Anne Aries Corsano, Ivana Jelic and Catherine Hamon.

19NOVEMBER 2004

How to Specialize in What You Loveand Get Promoted Too By Amanda Rogers-Harper

A few years ago, Linda Thomas-Greenfield walked into a NorthernVirginia restaurant and was greeted by ayoung Sudanese man. He smiled andasked if she was Linda. He had comehere through the resettlement programand recognized her from herfrequent visits to KakumaRefugee Camp when sheserved as a refugee coordinatorin Nairobi, Kenya. “I felt won-derful having him rememberme, and in the way I like to beremembered—as Linda,” saidMs. Thomas-Greenfield.

She’s now a deputy assistantsecretary in the Bureau ofPopulation, Refugees andMigration. By spending 12 ofher 22 years in the ForeignService in PRM-related assign-ments, she’s defied the adviceof career advisers, mentors,supervisors and friends whotold her that spending half hercareer in one functionalbureau could be a career killer.

Ms. Thomas-Greenfield’searly assignments were inJamaica, Nigeria and TheGambia, where she worked onemergency support forMauritanian refugees fleeing Senegal.That experience, combined with PRM’sreputation for being team-oriented andfamily-friendly, brought her to theOffice of Refugee Admissions in 1989 asa refugee officer. She left the bureau in1991, but returned two years later as therefugee coordinator in Nairobi.

Following this assignment she wasadvised not to take another position inthe bureau. Mentors and supervisorswarned that she was getting too special-ized and wouldn’t get promoted. Shedidn’t see it that way. Refugee coordina-tors and refugee officers do many

things. “You’re a political officer and amanagement officer combined,” shesaid. “You get early experience in lead-ership by having to coordinate and leaddisparate and sometimes competingagencies. In bureaus like PRM you get

the multilateral exposure that you don’talways get in a regional bureau.”

Undeterred, Ms. Thomas-Greenfieldaccepted her third assignment in PRMas refugee coordinator in Islamabad,Pakistan. She traveled to Afghanistan toraise concerns about the treatment ofwomen before it became a foreign poli-cy priority. It turned out to be one ofthe most exciting positions she held—and she was promoted to FS-01.

After Islamabad, she became refugeeaffairs counselor at the U.S. Mission inGeneva. Her colleagues again discour-aged the move. But after two years in

Geneva, she was promoted to the SeniorForeign Service.

After participating in the SeniorSeminar, she rejoined the bureau asdeputy assistant secretary this June.“The staff in PRM is a unique breed of

selfless, hardworking and giving peo-ple,” she said. “Just as important asworking with folks in the bureau isworking for refugees and knowing thatwe may make the difference betweenlife and death.”

Who knows? Had she followed con-ventional wisdom she may never haveknown that the young Sudanese manwho remembered her as Linda is nowplanning to attend law school. ■

The author is the public affairs officer inthe Bureau of Population, Refugees andMigration.

Kelly Gauger, a PRM program officer, is surrounded by refugee children at Kakuma Camp, Kenya.

20 STATE MAGAZINE

I had just sent off a dozen postcardsto friends and family, patting myself onthe back for having survived three weeksof travel alone through Rajisthan,Kashmir and Moscow. I had made it. Iwas about to board the Trans-SiberianRailway train for the last leg of my jour-ney, Moscow to Beijing. After six and ahalf days on the train, I would meetfriends and travel with them until myreturn to the United States.

There was an element of victory tomy boarding that train. I stood happi-ly alongside dozens of fellow travelers,mostly Chinese returning from businesstrips to Moscow, as the train pulled intothe station just before midnight. Whenwe clambered into the carriages, I settled

myself into a bunk with a middle-agedChinese couple and a young Russianwoman with a six-week-old Frenchbulldog puppy. None of my compan-ions spoke English.

So when my stomach began to acheon the evening of our first full day onthe train, there wasn’t much I could say.But my distress was clear. The Russianwoman was very sympathetic; shespoke with the conductor, who alsospoke no English, and together theysilently filled me with cup after cup ofRussian tea.

By the second day, I was clearly notwell. I could no longer get out of bed.The conductor stopped by hourly withtea and was greeted by my pained

expressions, feeble attempts at miming abellyache and hopeless shrugs.

I passed the day in an increasinglyuncomfortable haze as we rattled deeperinto Siberia. Then, at dusk, the worldof my little carriage suddenly becamecrowded and loud. The train hadstopped at Novosibirsk and the stationdoctor came on board. Within fiveminutes he confirmed what I had spenteight hours trying to deny: I had appen-dicitis. Of course, he spoke very littleEnglish. He smiled at me and said,“Hospital.” I tried not to groan. “Now,”he added, and stood up.

Soon I found myself sitting in a largewooden wheelbarrow atop my luggage,bumping across the station platform. It

Trans-SiberianSurgeryStory and photosby Shimae Cross

Surgical resident Dr. Alexi Andreeve, right, andhis assistant Rad smile broadly after performinga successful appendectomy on the author.

21NOVEMBER 2004

was snowing and I was wearing only my pink pajamas andhiking boots with no socks. I was piled into an ambulanceand taken to the emergency room of a city hospital wherekind but incomprehensible nurses took a urine sample, ablood sample, my documents, my glasses, all of my clothesand my last bit of resolve not to worry. I must have lookedvery pale when one of the staff approached shyly and said inbroken English, “Please, it’s okay. You are in one of the besthospitals in Siberia.” Oh God, I thought, and tried not to cry.

I felt panic. Could I call the U.S. Embassy, please? No, nophone lines were open to Moscow until the morning. Howabout calling my insurance company? Sorry. How aboute-mail? Even less likely. Could I at least request a laparo-scopic appendectomy? They looked at me skeptically andhelped me on to a stretcher.

When I woke up the next morning, I was still naked undermy sheet and blind as a bat. My glasses had been lockedaway along with my valuables. I smiled vaguely at the shapesthat walked past my bed. I lay still and tried not to breathtoo deeply.

And then I was rescued by an earnest young surgical resi-dent named Alexi. Not only did he speak English well, he car-ried a cell phone with e-mail capability. Together we wereable to make contact with the outside world. Within 24hours, the embassy, my family, my friends and my insurancecompany had reached me in Siberia. An American friendwith connections in Moscow had a cell phone delivered to my

hospital room. Flowers materialized at my bedside. I took myfirst shaky sigh of relief.

I was in the care of the Siberian hospital for five days andcan bear witness to the amazing depth of Russian hospitalityand generosity. I constantly received small gifts, usuallyfood, and was the object of endless questioning about beingan American. My neighboring inmates gazed on me withtoothy grins and sympathetic sighs. Three times a day thecook would burst into the room, pinch my cheeks and pusha large bowl of soup into my hands. Even the nurses, whoarrived with sinister-looking needles for injections, smiled asI grimaced at their shots, then left with a halting “good-bye”and an embarrassed giggle.

In the end, I emerged from Russia with a small scar and alarge adopted community of surrogate Russian mothers. Myroute had been unexpected, chaotic and frightening at times,but I nonetheless felt lucky to have traveled it. LeavingNovosibirsk, I found myself reading a passage in PaulTheroux’s book Riding the Iron Rooster. He compares travel-ing abroad to falling down a flight of stairs in the generaldirection of a destination. I laughed at this apt descriptionof my experiences as a traveler who had more than bruises toshow for her latest journey. ■

The author was born in the American Embassy hospital inKabul and accompanied her Foreign Service parents on toursto Latin America and Asia. She is a surgical intern in Boston.

The author, well on her way to recovery, gets a farewell hug from her new friend Marina at the hospital.

22 STATE MAGAZINE

Around the World in 40 Years:

23NOVEMBER 2004

Celebrating ART in Embassies

By Elizabeth Ash

24 STATE MAGAZINE

The ART in Embassies Program, a public-private partner-ship that sends American art and artists around the world,celebrated its 40th anniversary on May 17 with a series ofspecial events at the White House, the vice president’s resi-dence and the Department.

Older than both the National Endowment for the Arts andthe National Endowment for the Humanities, the ART inEmbassies Program owes its success and longevity to a con-tinuing commitment by the Department and strong supportfrom the American art community. Thousands of artists, gal-leries, museums and collectors have generously loaned theirworks for exhibition in the public spaces of U.S. ambassado-rial residences.

As National Book Award winner Andrew Solomon wrotein his introductory essay for a book commemorating the pro-gram’s 40th anniversary, “Among all the government’s artsprograms, this one has been undisturbed by shifting fashionsin sponsorship; it has grown steadily since its inception.” TheNew Yorker author explained that the program has placedsome 3,500 works by 3,000 artists in about 180 ambassadors’residences, borrowing from a base of more than 8,000 cur-rent and past lenders and deploying a small collection ownedby the Department of State. “What began as a scheme ofhigh-minded decoration has become an integral part of ourdiplomatic process,” Mr. Solomon observed. “The presence ofAmerican art not only beautifies the residences and gives thepublic spaces of the ambassadors’ homes an aura of serious-ness, but also indicates America’s immense creative scope.”

Today, more than a dozen staff members support the pro-gram, including curators, registrars, writers, editors and pro-gram specialists. Exhibitions typically consist of 15 to 20works in a variety of media: paintings, works on paper, sculp-ture, textiles, ceramics and others. Most exhibitions areaccompanied by high-quality bilingual publications.

The program’s most recent innovation, American ArtistsAbroad, began in 2002 and sends lending artists overseas forintensive, short-term cultural exchanges. The program hascome a long way since its initial exhibition for Mexico Cityin 1964.

Nancy Kefauver, the first ART in Embassies director, con-sidered the bare walls of embassy residences to be sterile andnot conducive to diplomacy. She correctly observed,Solomon said in his essay, “…that each exhibition should beassembled with an eye to the character of the host country,an awareness of the personality of the ambassador and a sen-

sitivity to the architectural setting in which it would bedisplayed.”

Within a few years, the program was winning praise fromthe Secretary of State, members of Congress and the foreign

Left: Secretary and Mrs. Powell greet the author and publishers of thebook commemorating the ART in Embassies program at the program’s40th anniversary celebration. From left, Adrian Stephen, author AndrewSolomon, Alma Powell, Secretary Powell, Marie Stephen and Joe Kocsifrom the Regional Printing Center in Vienna, the book’s publisher. Above:Artist Victoria Rivers demonstrates appliqué techniques in a workshopwith textile students at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science andTechnology in Kumasi, Ghana.

25NOVEMBER 2004

press. As Solomon noted,“There was increasing evidence thatour new commitment to cultural diplomacy was working,that the display of this art was improving the U.S. imageabroad.” By 1967, when Nancy Kefauver died, 97 exhibitionswere in place. Stephen Munsing, her successor, pressed forchallenging, contemporary works to be exhibited at a timewhen Americans dominated the international art scene. JaneThompson, the third director, encouraged displaying theworks of lesser-known regional artists. Subsequent direc-tors—Lee Kimche McGrath, Lacey Neuhaus, Roselyne Swigand Gwen Berlin—professionalized the program by intro-ducing publications, museum-standard methodologies, acomputerized database and a web site.

Anne Johnson, the eighth and current director whoarrived in 2002, considers her legacy to be the expansion ofoutreach efforts, publications and American Artists Abroad.The program now funds and produces professionallydesigned, illustrated publications for each exhibition, manyof them bilingual. In addition to documenting the exhibi-tions and acknowledging the generosity of lenders, publica-tions function as tools of cultural diplomacy, reaching avariety of audiences within the host countries.

American Artists Abroad makes cultural diplomacyproactive. “Unfortunately,” Ms. Johnson notes, “we find our-selves in the position of trying to counter images that aretransmitted to the world via American videos, movies andfast food chains. The most effective way to do that is on aperson-to-person basis. When an American artist interacts

with foreign audiences, that artist is able to provide worldcitizens with a more balanced view of American life and cul-ture. Grassroots programs like American Artists Abroad taketime and persistence, but are worth the effort.”

The program sent Texas photographer Bill Wright toOman in January. He lectured, presented hands-on art ses-sions, led general discussions and gave media interviews.“His upbeat program conveyed Americans’ commitment tofreedom of expression, interest in other cultures and respectfor diversity,” the post in Muscat reported. “An avid advocateon behalf of the United States and an excellent culturalambassador, Mr. Wright engaged youth audiences as well asprofessionals…[generating] incredibly high levels of enthu-siasm.”

From a single exhibition in 1964, the program hasexpanded its reach and impact in the past four decades. Itssuccess has been based on the fundamental premise that artis a common denominator for people throughout the world.

As Andrew Solomon observed, “It is an artwork’s ability tolink progenitor and viewer, to create a relationship betweenpeople who have never met, that constitutes its power in thesometimes murky domain of cultural diplomacy. Greatworks of art do not simplify America. They tell of the com-plexity of America and reflect the prismatic character of adiverse people.”

For further information about the ART in EmbassiesProgram, visit http://aiep.state.gov. ■

The author is a program manager with the ART in EmbassiesProgram.

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“Great works of art do not simplify America.They tell of the complexity of America and reflect the prismaticcharacter of a diverse people.”

27NOVEMBER 2004

First Lady Laura Bush with artist Chakaia Booker atthe ART in Embassies Program’s 40th anniversaryreception at the White House.

28 STATE MAGAZINE

By Craig Hall

Ollie McInerney emigrated fromIreland to Australia eight years ago, and,to the U.S. Embassy in Canberra’s ben-efit, he’s still green—not as in lep-rechaun or shamrock, but as in envi-ronmentally friendly.

He’s the maintenance supervisorresponsible for the embassy compound,some 30 government-owned residencesand more than 75 leased residenceswhere he started a GreenSmart pro-gram of property management. Besidesreducing greenhouse gas emissions, theprogram improves the quality of life for

embassy employees and reduces operat-ing expenses.

Launched in 1999 as a joint effortbetween the Australian government andthe local housing industry, GreenSmartdevelops and promotes environmental-ly responsible technologies, designs andpractices.

Ollie, one of fewer than a thousandaccredited GreenSmart professionals,was recently named by the HousingIndustry Association of Australia as oneof three finalists for the GreenSmartProfessional of the Year for substantial-ly decreasing the embassy’s water, gasand electric consumption. Embassy-

wide savings to date are eye-openingand were accomplished at minimal costand effort.

For example, each year the mainte-nance team now replaces washers on alltaps in every government-owned prop-erty to stop dripping. Dual-flush toiletsand water-efficient showerheads alsocut water usage.

An aggressive hot water heater main-tenance program accounts for thedecreased demand for gas. The mainte-nance team inspects all water heatersannually and replaces systems morethan 10 years old, preferably withinstantaneous gas heaters that heat only

Transplanted IrishmanCreates Green Embassy

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Technicians Mark Wardley, left, and Robert Turner, inspect the embassy’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.

29NOVEMBER 2004

the amount of water needed at a time. Olliehas also recently begun installing solar hotwater heaters to measure efficiency.

He prepares residences for new arrivalsat post. Heavy curtains, insulation, tintedwindows, awnings and pergolas all saveenergy. Wherever possible, he uses energy-efficient fluorescent lamps instead ofincandescent bulbs. Motion-sensor lightswitches cut energy consumption even fur-ther.

For the embassy’s leased properties, Ollieperforms pre-lease inspections and helpsthe housing office negotiate with landlordsfor energy-efficient improvements. Localrealty agents know the embassy is seriousabout reducing utility costs.

Ollie could not have done it alone. TheDepartment supported training opportuni-ties for local staff, and the embassy’s man-agement section invested part of its limitedtraining budget in GreenSmart. Mostimportant, the hundreds of employees andfamily members who live and work in thefacilities took seriously the responsibility tobe good stewards of the environment. ■

The author is assistant general services offi-cer at the U.S. Embassy in Canberra.

Above: Touy Phommaxaysy stands near one of the embassy’s recycling centers. Below: Ollie McInerney, the embassy’s maintenance supervisor, left,receives award on behalf of the embassy from Ben Barton, manager of GreenSmart and Business Services.

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MAGICAL

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31NOVEMBER 2004

Magical.Not exactly what comes to mind when you think of Khartoum.

A peace process to end 20 years of civil war in Sudan is moving ata snail’s pace. Human catastrophe has erupted in the west, inDarfur, as marauding Arabs on camelback have displaced, killedand maimed 1.2 million Africans.

And Khartoum? It’s hot. There are few restaurants and littleentertainment. Dust storms put those in The Mummy to shame.What other missions take for granted—housing, pool, secure andreliable communications, sound perimeter security—we rebuiltduring the last year after the embassy was closed for years.Everyone works fiendishly long hours.

But dealing with such challenges has its rewards. And there’smagic in the breathtaking pyramids set against a deep indigo skynorth of Khartoum and in the rich Sudanese culture with its mixof tribes, sects and traditions.

But nothing is more magical than the Nile—up close. Thisspring, we launched Embassy Khartoum’s “Gnarly Nile SailingTeam.” We found U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary textbooks and anAuxiliary-certified instructor and learned sailing by the book.Then we took everyone to the Blue Nile Sailing Club, whereSudanese members volunteered their time and sailboats to help theclass gain invaluable on-the-water experience.

The Nile is rich in history. On the dark side, thecenturies-old ivory and slave trade plied both Whiteand Blue Niles, destined for Egypt and the MiddleEast. Only a stone’s throw from the club, we sailed bythe palace where Chinese Gordon was decapitated bythe Mahdi’s inspired Islamic hordes in the 19th cen-tury. Rounding the bend into the White Nile, lookingsouth, we could imagine how early explorers likeBurton and Speke braved tremendous hardships intheir quest to find the source of the legendary river.Livingstone, then Stanley, would follow and helpignite the great “Scramble for Africa” by Europeanpowers.

Heading back to the club, we looked southeast andimagined the torrential rains that feed the swiftlyflowing Blue Nile as it cascades out of the Ethiopianhighlands in knife-edged gorges on its way toKhartoum.

While the hardships are great and the hours arelong in Sudan, there’s also a touch of magic. You canfind it sailing on the Nile. ■

The author is deputy chief of mission in Khartoum.

KHARTOUM GOES SAILING ON THE NILE BY D. PURNELL DELLY

HISTORY TOUR

Left: Sailing on the Nile with Khartoum’s skyline in the background. Right: The sailing instructor has a mishap.

32 STATE MAGAZINE

raditional crafts, dances, musicand competitions—and theU.S. ambassador speakingSwahili—highlighted thisyear’s cultural exposition on

Kenya’s coastal island of Lamu.In 2001, when UNESCO recognized

it as a World Heritage Site, Lamubegan an annual festival that celebratesits heritage, thanks to the U.S. Embassyin Nairobi, which provides the majori-ty of the festival’s funds. This year,financing also came from the FrenchEmbassy and the Kenya CulturalCenter. In addition to its importanceto Kenyan Muslim culture, Kenya’snorthern coast is the site of annualbilateral military exercises and a centerfor Combined Joint Task Force/Hornof Africa training and civil action proj-ects.

Held from July 30 to Aug. 1, the fes-tival attracted record crowds, includ-ing Kenya’s Vice President MoodyAwori and Minister for NationalHeritage Najib Balala. Many of thelocal elders and dignitaries joined in tocomplete a popular Swahili sayingquoted by Ambassador William M.Bellamy: “Muacha mila ni mtumwa”—He who forgoes his culture is a slave.

Swahili culture evolved through cen-turies of contact with Islam and Bantuculture. Lamu is a crossroads of theseinfluences.

Festival activities included a donkeyrace (donkeys are used to transportgoods around the island, as cars arebanned), regattas, swimming and aSwahili poetry contest. AmbassadorBellamy, together with his Frenchcounterpart, presented trophies andcash awards. All the participantsreceived small U.S. flags, which quicklybecame the festival’s prize souvenir.

At the nearby village of Baragoni,where a U.S. civil action team hadrefurbished a primary school, anotherceremony took place. A dilapidatedmud-and-stick building had given wayto two modern structures to educatemore than 200 village students, manyof whom sang, “We are grateful to theUSA, which is good, kind, intelligent,considerate and generous.”

Ambassador Bellamy highlightedAmerica’s support for local culture byannouncing a grant through theambassador’s cultural preservationfund to restore the 19th-century SiyuFort on nearby Pate Island. Thirteenorganizations in Lamu also received

grants through the ambassador’s self-help program. One of these groups, theMuungano Mwema Hamali WelfareGroup, used its $3,800 grant to buildhandcarts that are being leased totransport goods. Other grants havebeen used to build a community centerand water catchments.

The American Corner, established inpartnership with the Lamu Museum, isanother resource for education andself-improvement. Kenyans who areinterested in the United States and whowant to improve their English or com-puter skills—in particular, women andyoung people—have made the room apopular destination. The AmericanCorner boasts an excellent view acrossthe scenic Lamu channel and is a won-derful spot to catch a cool breeze on awarm day.

Public diplomacy, military-civiliancooperation, grants and close attentionto the subtleties of Swahili culture havehad a notable, positive impact on theembassy’s relations with the people ofLamu and the predominantly Muslimpopulation of coastal Kenya. ■

Richard Mei Jr. is information officer atthe U.S. Embassy in Nairobi.

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Above: Spectators watch donkey jockeys heading down the home stretch. Below: This winner holds his trophy in one hand and an American flag inthe other.

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Ambassador’s Fund Helps Less-DevelopedCountries Preserve Heritage

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By Grachel Kubaitis

Kalo Bhairav is a shrine built in the17th century in the Kathmandu Valleyof Nepal. It is an exceptional stonemonument worshipped by bothHindus and Buddhists and was desig-nated a World Heritage Site in 1979.

U.S. government funds recentlyhelped restore the shrine. Through theAmbassador’s Fund for CulturalPreservation, the Department is sup-porting projects around the world thatpreserve historic sites and building,manuscript, museum collection andtraditional forms of music, dance and

language. The program was establishedby Congress in 2001 to assist less-developed countries.

The Cultural Heritage Office withinthe Bureau of Educational and CulturalAffairs administers the fund. The pro-gram supports about 50 projects peryear with grants averaging $15,000 to$30,000. Over the four years of the pro-gram, 205 projects have been supportedwith a total of $4.2 million. PatriciaHarrison, assistant secretary of thebureau, said, “The Ambassador’s Fundillustrates that the United States is con-cerned not only with the economicdevelopment of these countries, but

also with the preservation of their his-tory and culture.”

Projects are chosen competitively.Each year, there are three times as many requests as there are fundsallotted to the program. Because funding is limited, threats to irreplaceable patrimony must beaddressed first.

The U.S. Embassy enters into a part-nership with the grantee: the local min-istry of culture, a museum, a universityor organization. As the local communi-ty sees the United States take an interestin its cultural heritage, citizens begin tounderstand the importance of safe-

Ancient Islamic manuscripts are preserved through a project in Timbuktu, Mali.

35NOVEMBER 2004

guarding that heritage. The fund oftenstimulates further support for preser-vation from other sources.

The Kalo Bhairav restoration, forexample, attracted pledges from twolocal banks and Nepal’s royal family.The fund is also supporting therestoration of another structure inKath-mandu, the Kageswar Mahadevtemple. The structure dates from thesame period as Kalo Bhairav andretains the delicate stone carvings char-acteristic of the time. The grantee,Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust,will provide on-the-job training tolocal conservationists.

A textile preservation project inBangkok also has a training compo-nent. The fund supported thecleaning, repair and restora-tion of the textile collection ofthe National Museum—Siamese court textiles thatdate to the late 19th century.The following year, the fundsupported the preservation ofThai textile patterns andweaving techniques at theGolden Jubilee RoyalGoldsmith College. The col-lege sent students to weavingvillages where they docu-mented and learned tradi-tional methods of weavingand preparing natural dyes.The information collectedwill help preserve those tech-niques and patterns and willserve as a resource for scholar-ly research.

Public accessibility to theheritage of a country is oftena component of the Ambas-sador’s Fund projects. In Mali,many libraries of Islamic manuscriptsare held by families. The fund is sup-porting the organization and conserva-tion of a collection of 1,500 medievalmanuscripts from Timbuktu’s goldenage as a center of Islamic learning. Ahistoric building in the Old Quarter ofTimbuktu is being renovated to exhibitthe collection in a climate-controlledenvironment. The rich literary heritageof Mali must not be overlooked, inspite of its position near the bottom ofthe U.N. Human Development Index.

The non-European countries thatsurround the Mediterranean Sea onceflourished. Today, they’re consideredless developed. Trade with the ancientGreeks and Romans left them with awealth of archaeological sites and col-lections of artifacts that now requireattention. One of the sites supported bythe fund is the Al-Bass necropolis inTyre, Lebanon, which contains a monu-mental arch and one of the largestRoman hippodromes (oval stadiumsfor horse or chariot races) ever found.The project is focused on cleaning thecomplex and conserving stone struc-tures and mosaic floors.

Archaeological site preservation andhistoric building restoration are the

most common types of projects sup-ported by the fund. AmbassadorMichael Guest requested $27,000 torestore the Stavropoleos monastery andcourtyard in Lipscani, the oldest part ofBucharest. The 17th-century monasterycontains Ottoman, Byzantine andRomanian pastoral motifs. The ambas-sador hoped that its restoration wouldlead to a revitalization of the historiccenter of Bucharest.

A less common type of project is thedocumentation of intangible heritage.

The fund is supporting the training andequipping of a Colombian culturalorganization in documentary film tech-niques. The project will record the tra-ditional culture of three local tribes inthe Sierra Nevada of Santa Maria. Thisregion of Colombia is culturally andenvironmentally at risk because of theviolence and lawlessness of armed guer-rillas supported by narcotics trafficking.

The impact of the fund is felt deeply.‘‘Showing respect and support for thecultural heritage of South Asia helps usbuild better bilateral relationships,”said Christina Rocca, assistant secre-tary for South Asian Affairs.“Significant historical events continueto have deep emotional roots in popu-

lar culture. Preservation projects fund-ed by the Ambassador’s Fund not onlyhelp ensure that important architectur-al and cultural treasures are preservedfor future generations, but they providetangible evidence of American respectfor South Asian historical achieve-ments as part of our shared worldheritage.” ■

The author is a consulting preservation-ist for the Ambassador’s Fund forCultural Preservation.

Students practice video and still photography skills to document the traditional cultures of remote tribes inColombia.

36 STATE MAGAZINE

DCM’s DaughterInterns in Fiji as

a ReporterBy Kristina Neighbour

I go to boarding school in Virginia but spend mysummer vacations in Fiji, where my father was, untilrecently, deputy chief of mission at the U.S.Embassy in Suva. Although I love spending time inthese lush tropical islands, I couldn’t legally get asummer job until this year.

The answer to my jobless dilemma came whenthe governments of Fiji and the United States signeda bilateral work agreement that gives any embassyfamily member who is a spouse, child under 21 orstudent under 25 the privilege of accepting a job.

I’ve always considered journalism as a career. InFiji, there are several radio stations, one televisionstation and three newspapers. I decided to try for ajob with the FijiSUN, the fastest-growing independ-ent newspaper in the Asia/Pacific region, with a cir-culation of more than 50,000 on weekdays and75,000 on Sundays. During winter break, I inter-viewed with the editor-in-chief, Russel Hunter, andgot hired for the following June.

In early June, still jet-lagged from my flight toSuva the day before, I started work. My first assign- PH

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Reporters for the FijiSUN wait for their assignments to be posted on the “whiteboard.”

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ment was to report on the closing of a business trainingprogram for kids that live on the streets. I interviewed peoplefor the first time. Although it was awkward at first, I quicklygot the hang of introducing myself as a reporter.

Writing my first article took about three hours. It was only150 words, but I wanted to make it perfect. Soon I would bewriting three or four articles daily, getting a byline for mostof them.

For FijiSUN reporters, the typical day begins with a morn-ing meeting where we would be given our assignments. Theneveryone would pile into a van and we would be dropped off

at various spots around Suva to get our stories. We would bepicked up and go to our next story. In the afternoon we head-ed back to our computers to write. Usually I was home intime for dinner, but once, when I needed to write a long fea-ture, I was at the office until 11 p.m.

My unpaid internship, during which I had more than 50articles published, lasted four weeks. One of the things Ienjoyed most was the sheer number of people I met. Whilereporting on debates in the Senate, I met parliamentariansduring their tea breaks at the tanoa (the bowl in which theFijian drink, kava, is mixed). It was around the tanoa where Imet Attorney General Qoriniasi Bale and Speaker of theHouse Ratu Epeli Nailatikau. While reporting on a tradition-al ceremony in the village of Lomanikoro, I was invited tolunch by the minister of education. I met Vice President RatuJope Seniloli just before he was put on trial for treason.

Our chief of staff let me cover a large variety of assign-ments, from small features to national news, but I was mostoften assigned to the courthouse beat. I became a familiarface to magistrates, defense lawyers, criminals and prosecu-tors as I went from courtroom to courtroom. A special prob-lem for me was spelling people’s names, which always seemedto be traditional Fijian or Indian.

The bilateral work agreement allowed me to have thisexperience of being in the real world where people depend onyou to get a job done. My reporting job gave me a valuablelesson in how the real world functions, as well as a glimpseinto sides of Fiji a diplomat never sees. ■

The author is the daughter of the former deputy chief of mis-sion in Suva.

Above: The courthouse in Suva was the author’s main beat. Below: The FijiSUN office where Kristina wrote her articles.

My Name Is Michael

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My name is Michael, and I’m an alcoholic……An alcoholic in recovery, that is. I am also a Foreign

Service officer with a career at State spanning nearly twodecades.

If you believe that these two conditions—recovering alco-holic and FSO—are mutually exclusive, please think again.Especially if you fear you have a substance abuse problem, Ibeg you to consider there’s a solution, that State can help andthat you don’t have to lose your job if you ask for assistance.

Here’s my story. About two and a half years ago, I walkedinto the health unit at post and told the nurse I was deeplydepressed, that I could not see how I could continue to havesuch an existence, that I needed help…and that I was drink-ing. A lot. Her surprise was visible. I had the reputation ofbeing dependable, organized and competent. Not a highflyer,just a good, steady performer.

We discussed options, available professionals and mydrinking: “I drink more than I used to because I feel so downall the time. I know it’s getting in the way of work because Iam hungover so often, but I manage. Anyway, it’s not thedrinking that’s the problem. I’m depressed ...”

I was soon on the phone with our regional psychiatrist,who asked a few questions about how I was feeling and thenasked if I knew that alcohol is a powerful depressant. Could Iaccept that as long as I was consuming a lot of alcohol itwould be difficult to address the underlying depression? Thedoctor told me that officers who needed to stop drinking didso most successfully through the help of a treatment centerand that this was best done through medical evacuation to theUnited States. He urged me to call the Office of MedicalServices’ alcohol and drug awareness program counselors.

He never said the word “alcoholic.” He never told me I hadto do anything.

I hung up the phone, stunned. What had I done? Had Ireached out for help, revealed my secrets and been tagged adrunk by my employer? It occurred to me that I may well haveflushed my job down the tubes. I was dubious about the con-fidentiality commitment made to me. Wouldn’t I be consid-ered damaged goods, a bad risk, unfit for duty?

But one thing the doctor said stuck with me. I could nothope to address deep depression if I continued to pourdepressants onto the problem. So I called a counselor onMonday. She explained how the process would work: A travelauthorization would be cabled with no specific mention ofalcohol—simply that I needed urgent medical attention for acondition identified at post. A medical assessment would bedone at State to determine the extent of any physical damage.Psychological and psychiatric evaluation would begin toaddress the core issue of depression. Finally, I would be

admitted to a qualitytreatment center—either inpatient or out-patient, depending onthe findings.

I was advised to simplytell the truth to my super-visor and colleagues: I hadsought help for a medicalconcern and the situation maybe more serious than I suspect-ed. Detailed evaluation in thestates is needed. Delay would notbe a good idea.

When I entered treatment, thecounselors met their commitmentsunder a pact of confidentiality inexchange for my following the treat-ment guidelines and implementing apersonal program of recovery.

The key to my recovery was the accept-ance that I suffer from the disease of alco-holism, which is chronic, progressive andultimately fatal if left untreated. It was agreat relief to understand that, like the dia-betic or the cancer patient, I have an illnessand that if I assiduously treated that illness Icould begin recovery. That process is based onfollowing the Alcoholics Anonymous programand regular attendance at AA meetings whereavailable.

Since completing treatment, my career at Statehas progressed without any negative consequences.To the contrary: Having admitted my alcoholism andagreeing to accept help, I have finally been able to treatmy underlying depression. My work has improved dra-matically. And I have developed lasting relationships withpeople who, like me, suffer from alcoholism and addic-tion, seek a solution through AA and find a quality of lifemany of us had never before experienced.

I have kept my side of the bargain, which has required anattitude of honesty, openness and willingness to take respon-sibility for my health, my alcoholism and my recovery. AndState has kept its side of the bargain: help, follow-up, support,confidentiality and nondiscrimination.

There is a solution. ■

The author has been an FSO for 16 years, with domestic andoverseas tours.

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40 STATE MAGAZINE

Window on the WorldNATURE’S GRANDEUR SPARKS PHOTOGRAPHER’S PASSION BY BILL PALMER

Alice Cahill loves to photograph the desert and mountains.

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

The eye of an artist doesn’t miss much. That helps AliceCahill be a good passport specialist, since she must carefullyexamine citizenship and identity documents in her job at theLos Angeles Passport Agency.

Though she prepares people to travel abroad, Alice’s ownlife is centered on the American West. In her leisure hours,she’s a nature photographer with a growing reputation. Sheloves open space, and her passion is capturing it on film—especially where the desert, in its “grandeur and simplicity,”meets the mountains.

She has always been interested in photography and says herparents helped her develop her eye. “From my dad I learneda wide-angle view of nature. And my mother was the onewho sat with me close to the Earth and showed me how to seemany small treasures hidden in plain sight.”

But she didn’t become serious until her husband gave hera camera in 1992 for Christmas. She took a photography cor-respondence course and got encouraging feedback. That andher passion spurred her on. She began exploring the westernnational parks—Zion, Yellowstone, Arches—with her cameraand found that others admired her images.

She started to show her work and before long was partici-pating in group shows, then solo exhibits. The exhibits led toawards and further opportunities. She has been published inbooks and numerous nature and photography magazines.Perhaps her biggest break came in July when one of her pho-tos appeared as a two-page spread in O magazine, TV talkerOprah Winfrey’s publication. She sold five of the photos thatappeared in the magazine. She also sold several pieces fromher most recent show.

Alice is not about to give up her day job approving pass-ports, but her photography is becoming a second career. Shedoes her own printing, mat cutting and framing. She evenhangs her own shows. Next year, she plans to take courses atthe Rocky Mountain School of Photography in lighting andarchitecture. She has her own web site, alicecahill.com, whereshe explains the attraction of what she does: “This earth fas-cinates me. I am in love with nature and her wild places, withher designs and textures. I believe in nature as a healing forceand as a refuge from the chaos of daily life.” ■

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

U.S. Ambassador to the Republic ofAngola. Cynthia G. Efird of theDistrict of Columbia, a career memberof the Senior Foreign Service, class ofMinister-Counselor, is the new U.S.Ambassador to the Republic ofAngola. For the past two years, shedirected public diplomacy activitiesfor the Bureau of African Affairs. Priorto that, she was special adviser to the

associate U.S. Trade Representative, focusing on the AfricanGrowth and Opportunity Act. After joining the ForeignService in 1977, she served in Yugoslavia, the GermanDemocratic Republic, Mozambique, Austria, Somalia,Moscow and the Organization for Security and Cooperationin Europe. She and her husband Neil, also a Foreign Serviceofficer, have a daughter.

U.S. Ambassador to the Republic ofArmenia. John M. Evans of theDistrict of Columbia, a career mem-ber of the Senior Foreign Service, classof Minister-Counselor, is the new U.S.Ambassador to Armenia. For the pasttwo years he directed the Office ofRussian Affairs and, prior to that, theOffice of Analysis for Russia andEurasia. He led the Organization for

Security and Cooperation in Europe mission to Moldovafrom 1997 to 1999. He was consul general in St. Petersburgfrom 1994 to 1997 and deputy chief of mission in Praguefrom 1991 to 1994. As deputy director of the Soviet Deskfrom 1986 to 1989, he coordinated the American response tothe 1988 earthquake in Armenia. He has also served inTehran, earlier tours in Prague and Moscow, and the U.S.Mission to NATO. Mr. Evans is married and has a daughter.

U.S. Ambassador to the Republic ofSouth Africa. Jendayi E. Frazer ofVirginia, an African affairs specialist ingovernment and academia, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the Republic ofSouth Africa. Until recently, she wasspecial assistant to the President andsenior director for African Affairs atthe National Security Council. Beforethat, she was assistant professor of

public policy at the Kennedy School of Government atHarvard University. Ms. Frazer worked on African securityissues with the State Department’s international military edu-cation training programs and with the United NationsDevelopment Program. She was a visiting fellow at the Centerfor International Security and Arms Control at StanfordUniversity, a research associate at the Institute for

Development Studies at the University of Nairobi, a facultymember at the Graduate School of International Studies of theUniversity of Denver and editor of the journal Africa Today.

U.S. Ambassador to the FederatedStates of Micronesia. Suzanne Hale ofVirginia, a career member of theSenior Foreign Service, class ofMinister-Counselor, is the new U.S.Ambassador to the Federated States ofMicronesia. Most recently, she headedthe agricultural affairs section at theU.S. Embassy in Tokyo. Prior to that,she held the same position in Beijing

during China’s WTO accession negotiations. From 1990 to1996, she was director of the Foreign Agricultural Service’sAgExport Services Division. Ms. Hale is married and has twochildren.

U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom ofSwaziland. Lewis W. Lucke of Texas, acareer member of the Senior ForeignService, class of Minister-Counselor,is the new U.S. Ambassador to theKingdom of Swaziland. He has servedfor 25 years with the U.S. Agency forInternational Development, mostrecently as deputy assistant adminis-trator in charge of Iraq. As USAID’s

first mission director in Iraq, he managed a $4 billion recon-struction program, the largest such U.S. program since theMarshall Plan. He was USAID mission director in Bolivia,Jordan and Haiti. His other overseas postings include Mali,Senegal, Costa Rica and Tunisia. Mr. Lucke is married and hasthree children.

U.S. Ambassador to the SocialistRepublic of Vietnam. Michael W.Marine of Vermont, a career memberof the Senior Foreign Service, class ofMinister-Counselor, is the new U.S.Ambassador to the Socialist Republicof Vietnam. He was deputy chief ofmission at the U.S. Embassy in Beijingfrom 2000 to 2004 and held the sameposition in Nairobi from 1997 to

2000. He was chargé d’affaires in Nairobi for several monthsfollowing the 1998 terrorist attack on the embassy. Mr.Marine headed the consular section in Moscow from 1995 to1997 and in Bonn from 1994 to 1995. He was deputy chief ofmission in Suva from 1991 to 1993. His other overseas assign-ments include Hong Kong, Guangzhou, London andMartinique. Mr. Marine and his wife Carmella have twodaughters.

42 STATE MAGAZINE

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

PERSONNEL ACTIONS

Bley, Paul RaymondBratzel Jr., Martin P.Dizon, AnnabellaDurham, William H.Fiore, AnnaGarel, Robert AllenHardaway, JacobHarrington, BrendaHirshorn, Anne Sue

Hobart, Elsa K.Jackson, Margaret L.Mayo, Audrey P.Raley, Charles C.Rodenhizer, Nancy D.Stack, Nancy B.Todd, Joyce L.Wood, Teresa M.

Barnes, Thomas R.Bruns, Judson L.Carter, Jacqueline F.Daley, Matthew PatrickDennison, Carol A.Frankfather, Betty AnnGardner, Keith L.Gibson, Stanley E.Hill, Charles Larry

Kerr, Inez G.Kral, Thomas J.Krause, Elizabeth R.Krause, Lawrence J.Loughner, William G.Luna, Anne ElizabethMurray, Griffith C.O’Barr-Breedlove, Ann GaylRead, Daniel C.

Sargent, William P.Scarlett, Earle St. AubinTreharne, Barbara M.Varner, John W.Williams, Wallace RayWood, Robert CantrellWoodfin, Deborah A.

FOREIGN SERVICE RETIREMENTS CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENTS

Assistant Secretary for African Affairs. Constance BerryNewman of Illinois, a leader with wide domestic and interna-tional experience managing public and private organizations,is the new Assistant Secretary for African Affairs. Until recent-ly, she was assistant administrator for Africa at the U.S. Agencyfor International Development. Before that, she was a boardmember of the International Republican Institute, where sheparticipated in election and other monitoring activitiesabroad. She also served as a private consultant to South Africanleaders and the World Bank, under secretary of theSmithsonian Institution, director of the Office of PersonnelManagement, assistant secretary of the Department ofHousing and Urban Development and vice chairman of theConsumer Product Safety Commission.

U.S. Ambassador to the State of Qatar.Chase Untermeyer of Texas, who hasheld key positions in three administra-tions, is the new U.S. Ambassador tothe State of Qatar. At the time of hisappointment, he was vice president forgovernment affairs of the University ofTexas Health Science Center and pro-fessor of public policy. He was electedto the Texas House of Representatives

in 1976, but resigned to serve as executive assistant to then-Vice President Bush and later as assistant secretary of the Navyfor Manpower and Reserve Affairs. He served as director ofpresidential personnel for the first President Bush and from1991 to 1993 was director of Voice of America. He is marriedand has one daughter.

U.S. Ambassador to the Republic ofEstonia. Aldona Zofia Wos of NorthCarolina, a physician, communityleader and philanthropist, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the Republic ofEstonia. Her experience as a physicianincludes private practice, corporatemedicine, attending physician duties,clinical care, teaching, consultationand staff physician duties. The Polish-

born daughter of a concentration camp survivor, Dr. Wos hasfought to preserve and present full information about thePolish experience in World War II. In 2002, President Bushappointed her to serve on the U.S. Holocaust MemorialCouncil. She was North Carolina state chair for women forSenator Elizabeth Dole in 2001. In 2003, she was appointedNorth Carolina finance co-chair for the 2004 Bush-Cheneycampaign. Dr. Wos is married and has two children.

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O B I T U A R I E S

C. Arthur “Buck” Borg, 77, a retiredForeign Service officer, died Jan. 4 ofheart failure in La Jolla, Calif. A WestPoint graduate, he served as an Armyengineer in the Korean War beforejoining the Foreign Service in 1955.He was a special assistant toSecretary Dean Rusk from 1965 to1967. His overseas postings includedHamburg, Tokyo, Stockholm, Berlin,

Vienna and Helsinki. After retirement, he taught at theUniversity of San Diego and was active in the World AffairsCouncil of San Diego.

J. Wayne Fredericks, 87, an interna-tional affairs consultant and Africaexpert, died Aug. 18 of complicationsfrom a stroke in Bronxville, N.Y. Adecorated bomber pilot in WorldWar II, he served as deputy assistantand acting assistant secretary forAfrican Affairs from 1961 to 1967. In1967, he joined the Ford Foundationand later served as Ford Motor

Company’s executive director of international relations. Hewas actively involved in efforts to undermine apartheid inSouth Africa. He was a longtime director of the ForeignPolicy Association and a member of the Council on ForeignRelations.

Charles Robert “Bob” Hare, 67, aretired Foreign Service officer, diedNovember 11, 2003, in Seminole, Fla.He served in the Army, theDepartment of Labor and the StateDepartment. During his 37-yearcareer with the Department, Mr.Hare was posted to Algeria, Senegal,Tunisia, Belgium, Kenya, Barbados,Spain, Italy, Switzerland and the

Sinai. He retired in 1995. He was a member of Toastmastersand the World Wildlife Fund.

Mary Michelson Haselton, 84, aretired Foreign Service officer, diedAug. 27 in Hanover, N.H. She joinedthe Department in 1960 and servedin Zurich and Munich until she wasrequired to retire after her 1964 mar-riage to George Haselton, also aForeign Service officer. She rejoinedthe Foreign Service in 1974 andserved as deputy principal officer and

chargé d’affaires in Fiji. She and her husband taught inter-national relations at Simon’s Rock College in GreatBarrington, Mass., and American studies at St. Antony’sCollege, Oxford University, England. Her avocation waspainting. Her award-winning works were shown in numer-ous exhibitions.

Fern Elizabeth “Liz” James, 92, widow of Foreign Serviceofficer Jerry R. James, died Aug. 12 of heart failure in KansasCity, Mo. She accompanied her husband on postings toThailand, Panama, Ecuador, Bolivia, Kenya, Brazil,Yugoslavia, Pakistan and India. She worked as a teacher inBangkok and was president of the international wives asso-ciations in Quito, La Paz and Nairobi.

William J. McGovern, 81, a retiredForeign Service officer, died Aug. 9 inAdelaide, Australia. He served in theNavy in World War II and joined theForeign Service in 1950 as a diplo-matic courier. He later served as aconsular officer. His overseas post-ings included Frankfurt, Bucharest,Moscow, Saigon and Perth. After hisretirement in 1972, he served as U.S.

consular agent in Adelaide for 12 years.

Louis Phillip Russell Sr., 71, a retiredForeign Service employee, died April13 of emphysema in Silver Spring,Md. He served in the Army beforeentering the Foreign Service, wherehe worked in communications andconsular affairs. His overseas post-ings included Nigeria, Senegal, Iran,Vietnam, Turkey, the Philippines,Lebanon, the Bahamas, Saudi Arabia,

Ghana and Kenya. He retired in 1989. He was an avid golfer.

William Wayt Thomas, 78, a retired Foreign Service officer,died Aug. 14 in Arlington, Va., of Parkinson’s disease. Heserved in the Army during World War II and joined theDepartment in 1952. He was chief of mission in Vientianefrom 1981 to 1983 and consul general in Chengdu for threeyears. His other overseas postings included Thailand,Cambodia, Hong Kong, Taipei and Beijing. An avidornithologist, Mr. Thomas compiled and published scientif-ically important records on birds in Laos and Cambodia.

44 STATE MAGAZINE

O B I T U A R I E S

IN THE EVENT OF DEATHQuestions concerning deaths in service should be

directed to the Employee Services Center, theDepartment’s contact office for all deaths in service:Harry S Truman Building, Room 1252, Department ofState, Washington, DC 20520-1252; (202) 647-3432; fax:(202) 647-1429; e-mail: EmployeeServicesCenter@state.gov.

Questions concerning the deaths of retired ForeignService employees should be directed to the Office ofRetirement at (202) 261-8960, Retirement@state.gov.

Questions concerning the deaths of retired CivilService employees should be directed to the Office ofPersonnel Management at (202) 606-0500, or throughtheir web site at http://www.opm.gov.

Howard Lee Walker Jr., 48, a CivilService employee, died July 21 inCharleston, S.C. He served for 19years as a financial management spe-cialist. Prior to joining theDepartment, he served in the Army.Mr. Walker mentored youth andenjoyed fishing and cooking.

Shirley Mae Walter, 73, a retiredForeign Service employee, died Dec.10, 2003, in Boise, Idaho. She servedat embassies in a number of coun-tries before retiring in 1983.

Department of State, USABureau of Human ResourcesWashington, DC 20520

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