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

March 2001

StateStateM a g a z i n e

LisbonLisbonA Glorious PastA Promising Future

7 Post of the Month: LisbonWhen Portugal was at its zenith, Lisbon was arguably themost important city in the world.

12 Office of the Month: Export ControlThe office specializes in curbing the arms trade.

16 A Tale of Three CitiesTwo Foreign Service officers immerse themselves in theRussian language.

19 Citizenship Requirements Eased for Foreign-Born Children

New law makes it easier for foreign-born children of U.S.citizen parents to become citizens, too.

20 New Briefing Room Has All the TouchesLocation accommodates latest communications technology.

22 New Program Targets Expected PositionsCivil Service candidates can advance four grades in two years.

23 Taking the Wait Out of Visa CallsPilot’s goal is to help ease the burden of routine calls to posts.

StateContents

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

StateMagazine

March 2001No. 444

C O L U M N S

2 From the Secretary

6 Direct from the D.G.

D E P A R T M E N T S

3 Letters to the Editor

4 In the News

24 Safety Scene

25 Appointments

26 Education & Training

28 State of the Arts

29 People Like You

30 Obituaries

32 Personnel Actions

On the CoverThe Monument to theDiscoveries in Lisbon’s harborcelebrates Portugal’s gloriousage of discovery.

12

7

Angela Tharpe, personnel officer,with a young Portuguese girl.

Michael Fooks, a specialist in conven-tional arms and nonproliferation policy,researches information for a project.

Phot

o by

Pau

l Kos

cak

2 State Magazine

FROM THE SECRETARYSECRETARY COLIN L. POWELL

It’s been busy these opening months—testifying before Congress, conductingbilaterals with visiting foreign ministers and presidents, traveling withPresident Bush on his first trip abroad as President and making my first tripoverseas as Secretary, to Europe and the Middle East.

But nowhere has more been happening than here in the Department. I’m glad totell you that we are already under way with many of the issues that surfaced dur-ing the town hall meeting I held my first week here: giving everyone Internetaccess; getting a start on restoring dilapidated buildings and offices; working onquality of life issues like expanding child care to the Foreign Service Institute; andputting in place a spousal employment pilot program.

This is just the start. We’ve also been working very intently on management effi-ciencies we want to introduce at the Department, including altering the policy onretiree access to Department facilities. So, we are working on a number of initiativeswe will present to Congress to upgrade the Department’s technology, rebuild facil-ities and enhance security and safety for State personnel and Americans abroad.Obviously, too, improving career development and advancement for everyone is apriority, as is stepping up minority outreach.

In all this, I believe Congress is going to be supportive. As I mentioned during thetown hall meeting in the Dean Acheson auditorium, I have not found a single mem-ber of either House who has expressed skepticism or hesitation about the need foradditional funding. We’ll be starting soon to make a good case on Capitol Hill. Ithink we will be successful. I’ll keep you informed.

Let me say again, I continue to be deeply impressed by the spirit of cooperationand enthusiasm I’ve encountered everywhere. At the town hall meeting I tried torelate some personal experiences I had while serving at the White House, thePentagon and AOL that would give an overview of the astonishing changes wehave all adjusted to during the past two decades. Welcoming change and looking toexploit its opportunities are critical at the macro level of foreign policy but also atthe micro level of department operations.

That’s the spirit I’ve seen here from the start. When State’s employees were gra-cious enough to welcome me my first day on the job in the C Street lobby, some inthe media commented on the “pep rally” atmosphere. But I liked the word one ofmy new colleagues used a few days later in the auditorium: a “celebration.”

That was the way I felt, too. Not just because of the excitement and good cheercaught by the television cameras but because of the underlying and substantive rea-son for celebrating. As I said then, President Bush and I felt fortunate to be inherit-ing distinguished professionals in the Foreign Service, the Civil Service and theForeign Service National corps who will carry on with the great work of past yearsand who also feel a sense of excitement about helping the President and me bringnew directions to our foreign policy.

So, we’re on our way, busy, making progress and moving out. ■

‘Just the Start’

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

From the EditorAs evidenced by February’s cover, Secretary Powell received a warm

welcome in the lobby of the Harry S Truman Building on his first day ofwork and a standing ovation following his first town hall meeting threedays later. The latter event was broadcast to U.S. Embassies and Missionsworldwide. A retired Army general, Secretary Powell told employees thatif “you perform well, we’re going to get along fine.” To boisterous laugh-ter, he added, “If you don’t, we’re going to give you push-ups.”

In our State of the Arts series, you’ll read about a particular performanceof jazz music honoring Rudy Henderson, a much-loved Department attor-ney who died in 1999. Besides the law, Mr. Henderson’s passion was jazz,and the concert by the New Washington Jazz Ensemble from the DukeEllington School of Music in Washington, D.C., was a fitting tribute. It wasarranged through donations from dozens of colleagues to the WashingtonJazz Arts Institute at the school. “Rudy was smiling down on us that dayfor sure,” observed former colleague Michael Peay from his attorney-

A Gift

Pygmy child

of Mbaiki o

The em

Ouba

Mark

Am

Thanks for the BoostThe ambassador re-

ceived a faxed copy ofour Post of the Monthprofile in January’sissue from our deskofficer today, andthe boost to moraleis palpable atEmbassy Bangui.Thanks again

for your extra effort. Welook forward to receiving the

hard-copy edition and access to theweb site posting when available.

Mark BiedlingmaierU.S. Embassy, Bangui

From Our Friends in ArtThank you for publish-

ing in your Decemberissue a photo of thenew Janice H. LevinSculpture Garden atthe U.S. ambas-sador’s residence,Winfield House,in London. Thecolor photo-

graph of the gardendesigned by architect Morgan

Wheelock looks wonderful.We look forward to distributing

copies of the magazine to our boardof directors and to Janice H. Levin.

Lee Kimche McGrathExecutive DirectorFriends of Art and Preservation in Embassies, Washington, D.C.

to the Nation

As part of the Friends of Art and Preservation in Embassies millennium

Gift to the Nation, funds were raised to create the Janice H. Levin

Sculpture Garden for the U.S. ambassador’s residence, Winfield House,

in London. Architect Morgan Wheelock designed the garden whose

focal point is Elie Nadelman’s Seated Woman with Raised Arm, created

in 1924 and donated by Janice H. Levin.

By Blossom Perry

Downsizing, cross-training and security

upgrades are such commonly recurring

themes that they have become unspoken

mantras to the staff of the U.S. Embassy in

Bangui.

The six intrepid Foreign Service employees and 51

Foreign Service Nationals at the embassy have worked

tirelessly and have demonstrated uncommon versatility

in reopening the post after its closing from April 1997 to

June 1998. The embassy now proudly provides the full

range of mission functions from visa issuance to political

and economic reporting and everything in between.

6State M

agazine

BanguiPost of the Month:

ren near the remote village

n the Lobaye River.

bassy country team relaxes along the

ngui River. They are, from left, C.J. Newman,

Biedlingmaier, Judy Francis, Blossom Perry,

bassador Robert Perry and Darryn Martin.

Central African Republic

Letters to the EditorLetters should not exceed 250 words andshould include the writer’s name, addressand daytime phone number. Letters will beedited for length and clarity. Only signed letters will be considered. Names may bewithheld upon request. You can reach us at statemagazine@state.gov.

Mistaken IdentityYour article on international organ-

izations in the January issue wasinteresting. If I’m not mistaken, how-ever, the officer in fatigues shown inthe photo on page 22 is a NewZealander, not an Australian. I basethat conclusion on the fact that there isa New Zealand flag on his shoulder.

Paul BrownU.S. Embassy, Singapore

Trees for SarajevoThe “Trees for Sarajevo” project,

described on the inside back coverof January’s issue, will help restore abeautiful city. It is an example of theunforeseen good that can comefrom simply getting people togeth-

er through such programs as Citizen Exchanges.

adviser post in Geneva.Foreign Service officers Robert Tans

learned a “hard” language, Russian, efforts, and you’ll learn to what extenwonderfully interesting people along

In this issue, you’ll also meet the Control, and learn what the Foreign Sthe Month.

For the record, the U.S. Embassy inSarajevo began in 1998 a program ofreforesting Sarajevo through donatedtrees. Deputy Political Counselor SaraRosenberry, since assigned to the U.S.Embassy in London, initiated the pro-gram. Ambassador and Mrs. RichardD. Kauzlarich planted the inauguraltrees in the hills above Sarajevo.

Mark TokolaEconomic CounselorU.S. Embassy, The Hague

In our February story on theDepartment’s new pact with HowardUniversity, we erred in saying thatState would work with Rep. CharlesRangel to find new sources of funds tosupport the agreement. TheDepartment will instead be workingwith the university. —Editors

Correction

March 2001 3

ey and Brent Bohne tell us how theythe immersion way. They spared not they went and how they met some the way.newest office on the block, Exportervice is like in Lisbon, our Post of

I N T H E N E W S

New Boss Brings Em to Their Feet

By Paul Koscak

In his first formal address to State Department employ-ees, Secretary of State Colin Powell received a wildlyenthusiastic welcome from the standing-room-only

crowd that packed the 868-seat Dean AchesonAuditorium Jan. 25.

Met with a standing ovation before and after hisupbeat town hall meeting, the newly confirmedSecretary offered his vision for diplomacy and a com-mitment to improving the workplace by rolling back lay-ers of bureaucracy.

“It’s my solemn obligation to see that you have theresources to do the job well,” Secretary Powell said.

The Secretary called for a reduction in the time it takesto bring new Foreign Service officers on board, and hechallenged employees to seek action and results whenperforming their duties. “I don’t want to study every-thing to death,” he said.

Secretary Powell said he can’t understand why itsometimes takes more than two years to test, screen andprocess a Foreign Service applicant.

“We can get a radar technician trained and deployed innine months,” Secretary Powellsaid, referring to his Army experi-ence. At State, “it takes too long tobring on people.”

The Secretary also called forchanges in electronic communi-cation that would give all U.S.Embassies e-mail and all employ-ees Internet access at their desks.Secretary Powell, who served onthe board of America Online,said he might invite former asso-ciates from that company toadvise the Department.

The Secretary said the explo-sion of technology since the endof the Cold War gives theDepartment a tremendous edgein spreading American culturethroughout the world. “Anyplace you can install a dish, youcan download culture andknowledge,” he said. “I’m con-vinced that technology willchange the world.”

4 State Magazine

America’s message, Secretary Powell noted, is that freeenterprise creates wealth in the world. “Americans are tak-ing risks, making and losing money and creating wealth,”said the former general to a nearly mesmerized audience.“Wealth doesn’t come from ‘isms’ but from trade.”

While the meeting offered a forum for the Secretary topresent his diplomatic agenda and take questions andcomments from the audience, it also set the tone for whatemployees can expect from their new boss in the monthsahead. Secretary Powell offered himself as a leader readyto make decisions that will change corporate culture.“Present it to me and I’ll choose,” he pledged.

Secretary Powell, the first African-American to hold thepost, also told employees he hopes to bring more diversi-ty to the workforce.

“I have very relevant experience from the Army,” hesaid. “We need to get into the high schools, to have minor-ity professionals from the State Department get out intothe high schools to let them know about opportunities.”

The Secretary also made it clear that “performancecounts” in advancing a State Department career.

“I have an open, loose style—but with high standards,”Secretary Powell emphasized, telling employees it’s OK tohave fun on the job. “I have no intention of being around

here Saturday and Sunday.”Some of that casual style came

across during the town hallmeeting, which at times took onthe air of a motivational seminar.The Secretary peppered hishour-long presentation with abarrage of personal, oftenhumorous anecdotes that drewheavily on his august militarycareer. An animated, rivetingspeaker, the Secretary cogentlymade his points without notesand seemed to speak as muchwith his hands as with his voice.

Secretary Powell drew raucousapplause after telling employeesthey won’t be expected to workovertime at the expense of theirfamilies.

“If I’m looking for you at 7:30at night or 8 o’clock at night andyou’re not in your office, I willconsider you a very, very wiseperson.” ■

Photo by Michael Gross

I N T H E N E W S

Award SalutesPublic Service

Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mary A.Ryan is the recipient of the first annual Award forOutstanding Public Service. Endowed by industrialist-philanthropist Ross Perot, the award recognizesAmbassador Ryan for her leadership on consular issuesworldwide. The award also will recognize individuals who

best embody Assis-tant Secretary Ryan’shigh standards ofintegrity and intellec-tual courage. Theaward will be present-ed in subsequentyears as the Mary A.Ryan Award forOutstanding PublicService. DirectorGeneral MarcGrossman presentedMs. Ryan the awardduring a ceremony inhis office Jan. 11.

A military color guard and a University of Maryland brass quintet high-lighted a ceremony in the Dean Acheson Auditorium honoring ForeignService and Civil Service employees promoted in 2000. Sponsored bythe Bureau of Human Resources, the Dec. 14 ceremony is believed to be the first in the Department to honor recently promoted employees.Director General Marc Grossman, who served as master of ceremonies,said that part of winning the war for talent is recognizing the achieve-ments of all of the Department of State’s employees. Mr. Grossman, whoalso serves as director of Human Resources, said he hoped that the pro-motion ceremony becomes a Department tradition.

Phot

o by

Sha

wn

Moo

re

Payroll Group Aimsto Please

Now there’s a better way to straighten out payrollproblems: call the American Payroll Resolution Center.

Touted as a one-stop source for handling everythingfrom time and attendance snags to changes in ThriftSavings Plan deductions, the customer-oriented centerpledges to respond to every inquiry within 24 hours.

“In the past the Office of Compensation and Pensiondid not always respond to customer needs in a timelymanner,” said office director Sally Zottnick in the Bureauof Finance and Management Policy, who hopes the centerwill improve customer service and accountability.

Since Oct. 30 the center, which is made up ofDepartment employees, has received more than 500 calls.Each call receives a case number and the problem istracked through completion. The system is set up to rec-ognize recurring problems and solve them quicklythrough a coding system that groups problems and ques-tions by category.

While the new center is dedicated to customer serviceand solving employee payroll problems, it’s not intendedto replace the existing reporting structure between over-seas posts and the Charleston Financial Service Center orthe bureau executive offices and the payroll office.

Installing the phone lines and a system to connect each caller to a centerspecialist posed thebiggest challenge in establishing theunit. So far, said Ms. Zottnick, the feed-back is positive.

Employees canreach the centerweekdays from 8:15a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at(877) 865-0760 or inthe Washington, D.C.,area at (703) 875-6610.Send faxes to (703)875-5822. The centercan also be reached atA P R C @ S t a t e . g o v.Links are available onboth the DepartmentInternet and Intranetweb sites.

Working on a customer problem, SallyZottnick, left, and Sandra Lewis team upto find a solution.

March 2001 5

6

ITC

fifaRpq

osPDC

ie

iobh

th

ati

rSr

Wtea

DIRECT FROM THE D.G.MARC GROSSMAN

Quality of Life Is Important

Sally Light

am pleased to introduce to you another leader in theBureau of Human Resources: Sally Light, director ofEmployee Relations. Sally joined us in the summer of1998 following overseas assignments in Laos,

anzania and Mexico and domestic assignments inonsular Affairs and the Africa Bureau. We always are looking for better ways to win the war

or talent. As the McKinsey study noted, quality of lifessues are a key indicator of success or failure. We mustocus on improving the quality of life for our employeesnd for our families if we are to retain good employees.etention issues have a direct impact on recruitment:eople in the marketplace know if you are serious aboutuality of life or not.Sally’s office is responsible for quality of life issues in

ur workplaces worldwide. Her team has expertise ineveral critical areas: Patty Pittarelli, Work/Liferograms; Cynthia Dearing, Conduct, Suitability andiscipline; Corinne Thornton, Employee Programs; andarl Goodman, State Magazine.ER has started a number of programs designed to

mprove the work-life environment for all Departmentmployees. For example:▼ ER introduced Lifecare.com, a resource referral serv-

ce that provides all direct-hire employees with informationn dependent care programs anywhere in the United Statesy Internet, e-mail and phone. More than 1,300 employeesave used this service since it started in May 2000.▼ ER developed and implemented a new eldercare

ravel benefit that allows employees overseas to returnome to assist parents with serious health problems.▼ ER adopted a USIA best practice—credit hours—in

ddition to the flexible work schedules already availableo employees. ER also developed State’s first telecommut-ng policy.

▼ ER implemented transit subsidies, mandated toeduce pollution and traffic congestion in the Unitedtates. More than 4,000 State employees nationwide noweceive up to $65 a month to defray commuting costs.

▼ And, as of last summer, employees assigned toashington from an overseas tour may take five rather

han three weeks of accrued home leave, providing themnough time to find housing, enroll children in schoolnd visit relatives before reporting to work.

State Magazine

Sally’s staff also provides guidance to posts andoffices on the handling and reporting of alleged miscon-duct; publishes State Magazine; runs Diplotots, State’schild care facility; and handles health and life insuranceprograms.

Sally and her team, working closely with DiplomaticSecurity, also carry out the Secretary’s charge to strength-en individual security awareness and individual account-ability for the handling of classified materials. Threesecurity infractions in any three-year period, or one vio-lation, now trigger the disciplinary process. As we workto find the right balance between our security needs andgetting our business done, each individual must committo make prudent security practices second nature.

Next month, you’ll meet Ruben Torres, director of HR’sExecutive Offices. ■

B

isbonPost of the Month:

LA Roman bridge at Chelerios is among the manyancient Roman sites throughout Portugal.

Photo by Jeanne Maloney

Five hundred years ago, Portugal stood at the zenith of its world power. PopeAlexander VI had divided the globe intwo with the Line of Demarcation,awarding one half of the non-Christianworld to Portugal. Cabral landed inBrazil, Vasco de Gama was on his wayto India and Magellan was trying tocircumnavigate the globe. With territo-ries in Africa, Asia and the Americas,Portugal had become a major commer-cial power, and Lisbon was arguablythe most important city in the world.

By Paul Florence and Jeanne Maloney

y the 20th century, however, Portugal’s vastempire had contracted, and the small Iberian nationhad been reduced to one of Europe’s poorer coun-tries. Languishing under an oppressive dictatorshipfor most of the century, much of Portugal’s atten-tion was centered on vain attempts to maintain itstenuous grasp on the country’s colonies in Africa.Indeed, Portugal’s attitude during much of the 20thcentury can best be described by the word saudades.A major theme of Portugal’s famous fado music,saudades translates roughly to mean an intenselonging, a yearning for past glory.

In the spring of 1974, however, the people ofPortugal made a monumental decision. Instead oflooking back to their glorious past for answers,Portugal would turn and face the future, imple-menting dramatic political and social reforms.Visitors who knew Portugal before the 1974 revolu-tion would hardly recognize this country of 10 mil-

March 2001 7

8 State Magazine

Kathleen Stephens, right, deputy chief ofmission at the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon,welcomes Portuguese first lady MariaJose Ritta to the annual diplomatic bazaar.

lion now. Portugal is again poised to play animportant role in world affairs. In recentyears, Portugal has held a seat on the UNSecurity Council, hosted an internationalworld’s fair (Expo ’98) and served as presi-dent of the European Union. In 2002,Portugal assumes presidency of theOrganization for Security and Cooperationin Europe. The nation’s persistent diplomat-ic efforts on behalf of its former colony, EastTimor, contributed to events that gainedEast Timorese their independence.

Despite Portugal’s active role in theEuropean Union and its strong commit-ment to the region, it should come as nosurprise that Portugal and the United Statescontinue to enjoy close ties. This transat-lantic relationship dates back well over 200years, as Portugal was among the first(Morocco was the very first) to recognize

The Greening of the Embassy in Lisbon

n exquisite

By Frank J. Finver

Situated on a hilltop on the site of a 17th-century plan-tation, the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon is one of the mostattractive of all U.S. Embassies. Today, it is one the of

most energy efficient and environmentally friendly as well.At the back gate, shiny mirrored rectangles protrude

slightly over the whitewashed perimeter wall, 97 rectan-gles in all. These photovoltaic panels, first installed in1989, are being upgraded to provide electricity to theManor/Marine House complex. With energy costs sky-rocketing, the savings should be significant.

Another unfamiliar object on the compound is thelarge green “igloo” structure called a vidrao, or glass col-lection container, provided by the Lisbon municipality atthe embassy’s request. Employees recycle their glass bot-tles and other glass containers in these receptacles.

Green paper-recycling containers emblazoned withbright yellow recycling logos dot the compound. Theembassy collects and delivers paper weekly—newspa-pers, used bond, magazines and cartons—to a privateconcern near the embassy warehouse. Paper accounts formore than 80 percent of the embassy’s refuse. Facing amunicipal charge by volume for trash pickup, theembassy’s recycling makes even more sense. The mis-sion’s best recyclers, the Marines and warehousemen, arebeing recognized and rewarded.

In keeping with the reuse, reduce and recycle trilogy,the embassy also promotes the use of recycled paper.Recycled paper meets most office needs and costs lessthan regular white paper. Of course, using double-sided

copying and maximizing the use of electronic forms—forwork orders, motorpool and supply requests—stream-lines operations and helps offices go paperless.

The centerpiece of the embassy’s garden is a new eco-logical pond, designed and constructed last spring. Theeco-pond transformed a large eyesore—a light blue, peel-ing drainage pond for a now-inactive well—into a living,breathing nature laboratory with plants and waterfalls.Turtles and fish vie for the bread crumbs youngsters tosson the surface. Embassy employees lunch at shadedtables on the deck, serenaded by the gently flowingwaterfalls. The pond is low-cost, low-maintenance andhigh in educational and aesthetic value, a pleasant addi-tion to the garden all around.

The garden’s stone archway frames the chancery build-ing with its tiled roofs and eaves in the Antiga Portuguesastyle. Nearby are 17th-century panoramic art scenes inPortuguese tile and marble accents. Down the stairs, pasta stand of pine trees near the original well, there is a largegreen enclosure. It houses the embassy’s new computer-ized water filter and treatment opera-tion, which ensures a steady and safewater supply. The embassy recentlyflushed out both water loops in the air-conditioning system to increase heatexchange and has begun focusing onwater conservation measures, particu-larly for the dry summer months.

Water supplies are often interruptedin Lisbon. Water restriction devices helplimit water usage while keeping water

Portuguese azulejos – a

Regional security officer Tom Stocking assumes Ann

e St

ocki

ng

rnamental

the United States following the Revolutionary War. Thereare large Portuguese-American communities in thenortheast, California and Hawaii.

There are 63 Americans stationed at the U.S. Embassyin Lisbon and two at the U.S. Consulate at Ponta Delgadain the Azores. There are 110 Foreign Service Nationalemployees, including staff at the consulate and the con-sular agency in Madeira.

The embassy’s number one goal, regional stability, ispossible through security cooperation with thePortuguese. Access to Lajes Air Base in the Azores, forexample, has been a key element since 1951 for U.S. forcedeployment across the Atlantic. As a staunch NATO allysince the founding of the organization, Portugal has par-ticipated in peacekeeping missions and used its EU pres-idency to work for a NATO-compliant European securityand defense initiative. The U.S. Embassy in Lisbonworked closely with the Portuguese to help resolve thecrisis in East Timor and continues to cooperate with thenation to resolve regional conflicts.

a regal pose next to the statue of an ancientPortuguese king at a castle in Silves.

Phot

o by

Photo by Luis Lopes

The stately Manor/Marine House is electrified bycurrent from photovoltaic panels.

pressure high for showers and car washes. Automaticshutoff faucets also help conserve water.

At the embassy’s main entrance, past Post One andinto the administrative section, office lights come on,one by one, courtesy of motion sensor light fixtures.The devices ensure that lights shut off automatically inspaces unoccupied for more than 10 to 15 minutes.

In the equipment room in the basement, motors withvariable frequency drives have replaced the main air han-dlers. These machines save energy by activating onlywhen needed and at the required speeds. The embassynegotiated with the Lisbon municipal power company toreduce monthly utility bills by basing fees on actual usageinstead of transformer capacity.

The motorpool achieved better efficiency by replacingolder vehicles and maintaining the fleet with an in-housemechanic and service contracts from Ford and Chrysler.The embassy encourages employees to take public trans-portation, carpool and even bike to work, as a group didduring the recent Dia Sem Carros (day without cars)observed in Portugal and throughout Europe onSeptember 22. When hybrid vehicles become commer-cially available, the embassy in Lisbon will be interested.

Phot

o by

Jea

nne

Mal

oney

tile mural—similar to the one decorating a wall on the embassy compound.

The post has attracted allies and attention in its effort toconserve resources and become more energy efficient.Foreign Buildings Operations’ energy efficiency office haslent valuable support to Lisbon’s solar panel project. TheBureau of Oceans and International EnvironmentalScientific Affairs can use the embassy as proof that envi-ronmental theories can actually find practical applicationsin U.S. Missions abroad. EPA has contributed informationand other support. The Interagency EnvironmentalTechnology Office has provided useful leads for procur-ing equipment, and the Foreign Commercial Service islooking for private-sector sponsorship for other ideas.

Expenditures have actually decreased as a result of theembassy’s commitment to environmentally consciousmanagement. The savings have been gratifying. Andthat’s the bottom line.

The author is the general services officer at the U.S. Embassyin Lisbon.

March 2001 9

Embassy staff explore the

The embassy maintains an active exportpromotion program by encouraging openand fair market practices and by providingsupport services for U.S. businesses. Inaddition to promoting opportunities forU.S. businesses in Portugal, the embassyadvertises opportunities to partner withPortuguese firms doing business inLusophone Africa. Last year, the UnitedStates and Portugal signed agreements onchild support, deportation and open skiesand committed to continue joint efforts tocombat malaria and AIDS in Africa, aregion of vital interest to both countries.

The U.S. Embassy in Lisbon has been in itspresent location on the site of the formerestate Quinta do Pinheiro since 1983. Thechancery design blends harmoniously withthe property’s original structures, a 17th-century manor house and chapel. Theembassy compound, with a day care center,newly renovated ecological pond and energy-efficient features, joins tradition and moderninnovation (see accompanying article).

Portugal has been inhabited since prehis-toric times, and well-preserved ruins dotthe countryside. Evidence of the variouscultures that contributed to Portugal’s rich-ness—the Celts, Romans and Moors—abounds. Lisbon combines the warmth and

10 State Magazine

Having lunch are, from left, FSNsGraciete Oliveira, Lurdes Fernandes,Teresa Barbosa, Maria Joao Silva, MariaJulia Silva, Inez Machado and Gina Felix.

walled city of Obidos.

Photo by Katherine Stocking

Photo by Luis Lopes

Evacuation exercise participants touring Almoral castle are,from left, José Lima, Sgt. Andrew Coppersmith, David Meron,Carrie Reichart, Michael Cress, Steve Young, ChristinaVillarinho and Lt. Col. Kelly Langdorf.

Phot

o by

Vic

tor H

user

charm of a smaller city with the resources and diversityof one of Europe’s major thoroughfares.

Shepherds tend their sheep and goats in the shadowsof high-rise buildings. Bustling open-air markets thrive

Public Affairs officer Jeff Murray,seated, confers with Assistant PublicAffairs Officer Peter Eisenhauer.

just blocks from modern supermarkets. Homes are heat-ed by old-fashioned, wood-burning fireplaces. Improve-ments to the infrastructure struggle to keep pace with theboom in construction, resulting in regular water outagesin some areas. The Portuguese have successfully

embraced technology as a way toovercome structural shortcomingsand bureaucracy. For example, mostresidents have come to rely on themost advanced automatic bankingsystem in Europe, and their use ofcellular telephones rivals the Nordiccountries as the highest in the world.Portugal is a testing ground for solar,wind and wave energy.

Just as it did 500 years ago,Portugal is entering a new era of dis-covery. With a rich and storied past asits foundation, this small Europeannation will no doubt play an impor-tant role in the coming century. ■

Paul Florence was an intern at theU.S. Embassy in Lisbon. JeanneMaloney is the post’s AmericanCitizens Services officer.

March 2001 11

12 State Magazine

OfficeSpecializes inCurbing Arms

Office of the Month:

Office ofExport Control

By Paul Koscak

Hey, there’s a new office on the block.Well, almost new. The Office of Export Control

Cooperation and Sanctions was set up in November inthe Bureau of Nonproliferation to persuade many of theworld’s emerging countries not to sell arms to terroristnations and to control their exports.

Polish border guard commander witha Department-provided X-ray vanalong the Polish-Russian border.

Foreign Affairs Officer KatherineCrouch and Program Manager LarrySpringer review a report.

It’s usually the big stuff: tanks, fighter jets,missiles and nuclear devices. But any armstrade concerns the new office.

With $40 million and just 13 people thisyear to carry out its mission, the office func-tions more like a general contractor by enlist-ing the help of other government agenciessuch as the Departments of Commerce andEnergy and the U.S. Customs Service toaccomplish much of its work.

Using U.S. laws that prohibit arms sales tocountries of concern and other internationalstandards as guidelines, the office targetsnations that maintain or can produceweapons of mass destruction or may beenticed to traffic in arms, said John Schlosser,the office’s director.

Nations in Central Asia and the Caucasus,which are anxious to distance themselvesfrom their Soviet legacy, have turned to U.S.experts for technical help in developingexport laws and regulations. Kazakhstan, forinstance, has worked with U.S. officials sincethe early 1990s and adopted an export con-trol law in 2000. The United States is nowhelping the country enforce that law andstrengthen industry compliance.

Without effective border security, saidSchlosser, exports cannot be controlled.That’s why the office places a lot of emphasison supporting border security agencies.Much of the assistance includes various radi-ation detection devices and X-ray machinesas well as computers to rapidly check licens-es and shipments.

Vigilance is obvious along theRussian-Estonian border bythe Narva River.

Some of the biggest success

stories for the new office are withthe former Warsaw Pact nations.Many of these nations alreadyhave laws regulating arms sales,so the office is concentrating onimproving enforcement and rais-ing industry awareness of exportregulations.

Adopting international stan-dards on arms sales and exportcontrols is a key political conditionfor membership in internationalorganizations such as NATO.“Countries aspiring to NATO andthe European Union have beenespecially eager to cooperate withus,” said Schlosser.

March 2001 13

14 State Mag

Young Staffers Savor‘Taste’ of Diplomacy

Story and Photos by Paul Koscak

Export control and sanctions are more than justpolite talk between nations for John Kreul andJeremy Strozer. They’re the guys in the trencheswho end up working the issue. They witness the

problems, talk to the numerous defense ministers andmany times listen to border security guards explainwhy they can’t control their borders.

“We conduct border assessments,” said JeremyStrozer, a presidential management intern in the Officeof Export Control Cooperation and Sanctions whoserves the Baltic and Caucasus regions, Latin Americaand South Africa. “We look for levels of cooperationwithin government agencies and their ability to trackwhat’s coming in and out of their borders.”

The George Washington University graduate, whorecently returned from Armenia and Azerbaijan, trav-els as part of a U.S. delegation of government agenciesthat includes the U.S. Customs Service and theDepartments of Energy and Commerce.

Many emerging nations, particularly from the formerSoviet Union, actually seek these evaluations, he said.They’re like an accreditation, qualifying a nation to joinassociations that subscribe to international standardsfor weapons trading or technology sharing. Thesememberships, Mr. Strozer explained, reflect a nation’scommitment to ethical arms trade and technology shar-ing. Ultimately, they createmore business opportunities.

“They want to be acceptedas nations that can be trust-ed,” he observed.

In many cases, equipmentand training are all that’sneeded for a nation to tightenits borders to better detectcontraband.

Some of that equipmentincludes radiation detectors, X-ray devices, handheld radiosand communication links thatcan keep field units in touchwith headquarters. Othertimes, the need is simple, likehaving enough flashlights to

Jeremy Strozer remembers agreat Armenian barbecue.

azine

go around,learned JohnKreul, anotherintern under thesame program asMr. Strozer, dur-ing a recent trip.

“These coun-tries have somepretty long bor-ders,” he said. Butmany also have along way to go indeveloping soundexport and tradecontrols, Mr.Kreul added.

A recent London School of Economics graduate, Mr.Kreul is assigned to the “stans”—Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan.He learned from his two-week tour of the region thatequipment shortages are only part of the problem. Hesaid having enough money for basic items such as uni-forms for border guards or being able to govern thenumerous nationalities and religious groups stridentlycalling for independence can make border security a challenge.

“It’s hard to have control if your borders aren’tsecure and you’re underattack,” he said.

Both interns said the mostrewarding part of the job istraveling to parts of theworld others may never see.“For someone at my stage oflife to meet with foreignambassadors was some-thing,” Mr. Kreul remarked.

Mr. Strozer’s impressions,however, were more gastro-nomic.

“I had the best barbecueever in Armenia,” he said. “Wevisited an upscale restaurantand had a five-course mealwith wine for about $12.” ■

John Kreul found weakborders an eye opener.

Foreign Affairs Officer Meg Mitchell,center, celebrates with Estonian officialsthe installation of radiation detectors at

The office is increasingly con-cerned with countries that havelarge ports serving as major trans-shipment centers. “With their tradi-tion of unfettered commerce, there’slots of resistance,” he added.

Recently, the office madeprogress in India when it sent fiveU.S. Customs agents there to trainIndian customs agents to detectcontraband. “We’ve started a dia-logue on export controls,” saidAndrew Church, the office’sdeputy director, about theprogress in India. “This is a signif-icant development.”

The program, which enjoysbipartisan support in Congress,according to Mr. Schlosser, pays

the Estonian-Russian border.

Office Director JohnSchlosser, center, briefsstaff on events and issues.

Phot

o by

Pau

l Kos

cak

Peace Treaty Signed in AlgThe U.S. Embassy

emony in December Ethiopia and Eritrea. the 620-mile border b

Algeria was the sithad helped mediate Unity and the United

It was an unusual had been without a pPAO Therese Clavetproviding support foOfficials detailed frohistoric ceremony, wtoward peace and defor the whole of AfriPublic affairs team in Algiers handles press inquiries at

ceremony marking peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

no money to cooperating nations. Instead,money earmarked for the program is used topurchase equipment and training. To ensurefunds are properly spent, the office is contract-ing for auditing services, said Mr. Church.

Export controls and sanctions offer excellentcareer opportunities for new Civil and ForeignService employees, said Mr. Schlosser. Muchof the work involves negotiating programswith foreign governments and carrying themout overseas.

“Where else can a new Foreign Service offi-cer or Civil Service employee meet with high-level government officials?” he said. ■

The author is a writer-editor for State Magazine.

March 2001 15

iersin Algiers played a key role in an international cer-marking the conclusion of a peace treaty betweenThe six-article treaty ended two years of war alongetween the African nations.e of the peace treaty ceremony because the countrythe talks, along with the Organization of African States under the direction of a special envoy.event for the U.S. Mission in Algiers. The missionublic affairs officer for five years. Newly-arrived

and her staff faced an unexpected challenge inr the international media witnessing the signing.

m Cairo, Tunis and Washington assisted with thehich “may represent a fundamental turning pointvelopment in the region and become an exampleca,” according to the European Union.

Russian Language Immersion:A Tale of Three CitiesRussian Language Immersion:A Tale of Three Cities

Bob Tansey outside of aRussian OrthodoxChurch in Tashkent.

A market scene in Samarkand.

Photo by Robert Tansey

By Robert Tansey and Brent Bohne

Bob Tansey and Brent Bohne recently studiedRussian at the National Foreign AffairsTraining Center in preparation for assignmentsin the Department’s Nuclear Risk ReductionCenter in the Bureau of Verification and

Compliance. Encouraged by their Russian language sec-tion chief and instructors, both officers designed in-country language immersion experiences: Bob inTashkent and Brent in Moscow and Tver’.

Not long after joining the Foreign Service in 1985, BobTansey decided to specialize in East Asia and what is nowthe former Soviet Union, learning either Japanese orChinese and Russian along the way. After “surviving” thetwo-year Mandarin Chinese program and serving inBeijing and Chengdu for six years, he was assigned to theNRRC as a senior watch officer and entered the 44-weekRussian language program at the Foreign Service Institute.

During his second year of Chinese language training inTaiwan, Bob’s studies had received a real boost when heand a classmate joined a group of local tourists for a 12-dayvisit to mainland China. “In the language” for all of theirwaking hours, they made tremendous progress in their useof Chinese in the wake of their trip. So Bob was very inter-ested when Russian language chief Marsha Kaplan sug-gested that Russian language immersion was a possibility.

16 State Magazine

Yelena Tsurkina shopping at a marketnear her apartment in Tashkent.

Brent Bohne at Peterhof Palaceon the Gulf of Finland.

Phot

o by

Rob

ert T

anse

y

With a daughter preparing to enter college and a sonfollowing two years later, the Tanseys were sensitiveabout out-of-pocket costs for the immersion experience.That’s when Babur Malikov, one of Bob’s languageinstructors, suggested that the cost of an immersion inUzbekistan, Mr. Malikov’s homeland, might be lessexpensive than one in Russia. Bob was excited aboutspending time in Central Asia,and his bureau offered to fund thetravel. Molly O’Neal, deputychief of mission in Tashkent, wel-comed Bob’s visit. Administrativeofficer David Ball arranged for aninstructor and home stay, and bylate May, Bob was on his way to Uzbekistan.

Arriving at the airport andheading into the city, Bobobserved that Tashkent was muchquieter than the Chinese cities heknew. Soon, he became fascinatedwith the combination of CentralAsian topography and Muslimand Russian cultural influences.

Both of his ethnic Russianhosts, Yelena Tsurkina and IgorUrumtsev, played roles in Bob’slanguage learning during his two-week stay in their apartment.Yelena, the great-granddaughterof a Russian official sent to

Tashkent by the czarist government in 1913, was theinstructor who tutored him throughout the day. Her hus-band Igor, a mechanic on the municipal subway system,had irregular work hours that made it possible for him totravel with Bob around the city for hours of nonstop con-versation practice.

March 2001 17

Aleksandra Aleksandrovna, center, shares a hearty mealwith her granddaughter and other family members in herSt. Petersburg apartment.

Phot

o by

Bre

nt B

ohne

A day trip to Samarkand on the ancient SilkRoad was the highlight of Bob’s Uzbekistanexperience. He and a relative of Mr. Malikovshared a taxi ride to the ancient city with apolice official and a businessman. “The triptested the limits of my Russian,” Bob says,“with discussions of crime, narcotics traffick-ing, Islam, views of the United States and thevalue of independence for Uzbekistan.“Meanwhile, the driver was speeding along at85 miles an hour engaging another driver in agame of “chicken.” When he arranged a cab forthe return trip, Bob negotiated the maximumrate of speed in advance, proof that acquiring alanguage can sometimes be a life-saving skill.

After his Central Asian stay, Bob spent threeweeks at FSI “cramming.” The immersionexperience raised his Russian to a “new level,”and he passed his proficiency exam. In 2002,he’ll return to the region as deputy chief ofmission in the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat,Turkmenistan.

Bob’s language classmate and bureau col-league, Brent Bohne, had studied German,French and Spanish and thought, “How hardcan Russian be?” After months of wadingthrough the language’s six cases and threegenders, all in the Cyrillic alphabet, he beganto understand why it was considered a “hard”language. Brent knew there was no substitutefor getting out of the classroom and into thestreets, shops and homes where the languagereally lives. With the enthusiastic support ofFSI’s Russian department and the Verification andCompliance Bureau, Brent explored the possibility of animmersion program in the former Soviet Union.

In June 2000, he flew to St. Petersburg for a five-weekstay in Russia. His host family consisted of AleksandraAleksandrovna, a vigorous 70-year-old lecturer in litera-ture in one of St. Petersburg’s universities, and herdaughter Alla, a high school teacher.

St. Petersburg is a fabulous old city with museums, his-toric churches and the breathtaking splendor of imperialpalaces to rival Europe’s finest. Alla took Brent by metro,bus, trolley and foot to many of the attractions within thecity, at one point arranging a private tour of theHermitage with a friend who worked there.

“The real value, and best memories, of my time inPetersburg lay not in playing tourist,” Brent says, “but inthe priceless experiences in Aleksandra Aleksandrovna’scramped little flat. She had lived in the city since beforeWorld War II and had friends from all walks of life. Thefamily shared more than their home and table with me.They opened up their lives, history and world views.Aleksandra Aleksandrovna spoke of living under Stalin,the privations during the Siege of Leningrad, then ofstanding in Red Square in June 1945 with baby Alla in herarms for the victory parade.”

18 State Magazine

After three weeks in St. Petersburg, Brent boarded atrain to the provincial city of Tver’ for a one-weekexchange program arranged through the embassy. Tver’is a historic city, boasting an imperial palace where czarswould stay overnight between St. Petersburg andMoscow. The exchange program kept Brent’s group busywith formal instruction and excursions during the day,often engaging interesting speakers. One speaker, adeputy from President Vladimir Putin’s Unity Party,fielded pointed questions on the war in Chechnya, cor-ruption in the Russian government and missile defense.

Brent says the experience was worth it, even though itstrained the family’s budget a bit—the bureau helpedwith the airfare, but all other expenses were out of pock-et. The chance to study, read and review Russian withoutdistraction was tremendously helpful. It transformed thelanguage from an academic skill into a means of commu-nication. “And beyond the language,” Brent says, “thetrip gave me priceless insight into the hearts and souls ofthe Russians with whom I lived, new appreciation andunderstanding of the realities of life in the former SovietUnion and a wealth of warm memories.” ■

The authors are senior watch officers at the Bureau ofVerification and Compliance’s Nuclear Risk Reduction Center.

March 2001 19

A new law makes it easier for foreign-born children of U.S. citizen parentsto become citizens, too.

The Child Citizenship Act of 2000, which the Bureauof Consular Affairs worked closely with Congress tocraft, will help the general public as well as the manyDepartment employees who are parents of foreign-

born children. Effective Feb. 27, the act amends theImmigration and Nationality Act to make U.S. citizen-ship automatic under certain conditions.

They require, for example, that at least one parent be aU.S. citizen and that the child be under 18 and a legal res-ident of the United States.

Under previous law, internationally adopted children ofU.S. citizens did not automatically become citizens afterentering the United States as immigrants. The children’sparents were compelled to complete not only the rigorousimmigrant visa process but also apply to INS for a certificateof citizenship—a process that could take months or years.

Under the new law, parents will be able to quicklyadjust the citizenship status of their adopted children.

Department employees or their families with ques-tions regarding the new legislation are invited to contactthe Bureau of Consular Affairs’ Office of Policy Reviewand Interagency Liaison via e-mail to askpri@state.gov.The general public can obtain information at the nearestpassport agency.

Law Eases Citizenship Requirementsfor Foreign-Born Children

Celebrating Diplotots TeachersThe Parent Advisory Committee honored the Diplotots

teachers at the Department’s child care center in StateAnnex 1 (Columbia Plaza) Dec. 15. Their hard work anddedication was recognized and rewarded during thechildren’s holiday recital. Assistant Secretary forAdministration Patrick Kennedy greeted the students’families and friends and personally thanked the staff forthe excellent care they took with the children. The chil-dren sang Jingle Bells, Dreidel Dreidel and Mon Beau Sapin(O, Christmas Tree in French).

If you have questions about Diplotots programs or enroll-ment, please contact Diplotots’ director, Chris Zinaich, at(202) 663-3555 or e-mail him at ecdcdiplotots@yahoo.com.Diplotots teachers don antlers for holiday celebration at

Department’s child care center.

New Briefing RoomHas All the TouchesNew Briefing RoomHas All the Touches

The Department’s new briefingroom has all the sparkle andgleam of a new car.

By Nicholas C. Griffith III

The world is getting its State Department newsfrom a new location—just a few feet down thehall from where it used to get it. But technical-ly, it’s miles away.

The modern, 2,443 sq. ft. press briefing room was com-pleted in January, replacing the one that had served thenews media since the mid-1960s. The former place hadhardly changed throughout the years. It was pretty mucha room filled with just tables and chairs, suitable for an erawhen the news media meant only newspaper reporters.

Advances in communication technology, however,eventually rendered the former briefing room obsolete.Efforts to design a new room began in 1998 by enlisting

20 State Magazine

the Washington, D.C., architectural firm of Karn,Charuhas, Chapman & Twohey to draw up the plans.Construction began in mid-2000.

The $1.7 million project included converting the formerbriefing room into a video production and televisiontransmission studio, said Thomas Sgroi, chief of designand construction for the Bureau of Administration. Theproject’s cost, particularly the wiring installation, is beingshared by the national television networks and the Voiceof America. “It’s been a real team effort with the networksand public affairs,” he said.

The facility is a leap into the 21st century. The briefingroom features a three-tiered camera platform for head-onshots, a flat-projection video system for presentations andraised floors for concealed video and communication

Spokesman Richard Boucherrelates the day’s events frommore upscale surroundings.

Phot

o by

Pau

l Kos

cak

Carl T. Rowan Jr. stands next to a photograph of hisfather, a former ambassador and Washington journalist.

lines. The span behind thespeaker’s podium is nowadorned with a handcraft-ed oval plaque fashioned tomatch those in the WhiteHouse and Pentagon brief-ing facilities. The plaque, bysculptor Virginia Janssen,contains a world map pro-jection and the words “U.S. Department of State,Washington.”

The room,now namedafter longtimeWa s h i n g t o njournalist Carl

T. Rowan, is also engineered with low veloci-ty air conditioning and special acoustic panelsimported from Canada to dampen ambientsound. Windows feature Danish-built liquidcrystal display technology, enabling the glassto change from clear to opaque at the flip of aswitch, similar to closing a door for privacy.

The project also provides new cable outletsto the opulent Benjamin Franklin Room andthe Treaty Room, located on the eighth andseventh floors, respectively.

“It was challenging to determine where wecould drill through the concrete slabs,” Mr.Sgroi recalled about wiring the historic rooms.

Although nondescript and somewhat hid-den in the Harry S Truman Building, the old

Photo by Paul Koscak

briefing room hosted some of the world’s most memo-rable moments.

In 1977, during the Carter administration, StateDepartment spokesman Hodding Carter allowed the firsttelevised briefings. Since then, 11 people have presided atthe podium to announce, explain and defend U.S. policyand events of lasting historical significance: the Iranianhostage crisis, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Persian GulfWar and the tragic bombings of U.S. Embassies inNairobi and Dar es Salaam, to name just a few. ■

The author is a press officer for the Bureau of Public Affairs.

March 2001 21

New Program TargetsExpected Positions

Clara Taylor worked in personnel at the University of Maryland beforejoining the State Department as a secretary. She later became a personnel assistant and is now working to become a personnel management specialist since entering the career entry program.

Story and photos by Paul Koscak

Acomprehensive training program designed to attract,train and then catapult exceptional candidates fromGS-7 to at least GS-11 in two years has made signifi-cant progress since being unveiled a year ago.

The career entry program targets six hard-to-fill jobswithin a dozen bureaus: physical security specialist, for-eign affairs officer, personnel management specialist,budget analyst, passport specialist and contract specialist.

“We polled the bureaus and asked them to look at theirneeds for the next four years,” said Laura Sells, anemployee development specialist who helped draft thesyllabus for the Department’s career entry program.“High retirement rates coupled with the downsizing inthe federal government makes it vital to plan for the nextgeneration of Department of State leaders.”

The program combines on-the-job training with support-ing academics and requires participants to maintain favor-able performance evaluations. During the two-year cycle,participants are rotated through different work areas todevelop the experience needed to eventually take on pro-fessional or management-level responsibilities. For aspir-ing foreign affairs officers, that could mean spending up tosix weeks working at an embassy, Ms. Sells said. There arecurrently 10 employees participating in the new program.Applications are solicited annually.

22 State Magazine

David Grajczyk, a former PeaceCorps volunteer, moved from tem-porary employment in Toledo, Ohio,to a full-time career opportunity asa budget analyst.

“While much of the training is provided by theForeign Service Institute, additional training isthrough the U.S. Department of AgricultureGraduate School and other public and privatetrainers,” Ms. Sells added.

Participants are upgraded without competitiononce they successfully complete the program,meet the regulations for promotion and demon-strate an ability to perform work at the next grade.Each of the targeted careers has specific develop-ment plans that participants must follow duringtheir two years as interns.

The program’s timing couldn’t be better. Nearlyhalf of the federal workforce is eligible to retire inthe next five years, so cultivating a cadre of trainedand experienced candidates to fill those surgingvacancies is critical, Ms. Sells said.

“You need to bring in a certain number of peopleat the beginning of the pipeline,” she said. “Workingfor the government is highly specialized.”■

The author is a writer-editor for State Magazine.

s

By John Arndt

The Bureau of Consular Affairs has begun a pilot pro-gram to reduce the wait for callers seeking visa infor-mation from U.S. Missions overseas.

As anyone who has served abroad knows, postsreceive thousands of visa inquiries daily. The calls tie upthe switchboard and frustrate everyone from operators topost management. Most posts do their best to cope. Somehave upgraded their switchboards and installed recordedinformation to help ease the burden of routine calls. Afew have explored partnerships with local companies butare hampered by the lack of appropriated funds to payfor such services. Posts have resorted to fielding thesecalls on a “user-pay” basis, a variation on the 900 numberservices. While long available in the United States, 900numbers overseas carry a stigma since they’re often asso-ciated with pornographers and astrologers.

The pioneers in this effort paved the way for the cur-rent CA pilot to set up so-called “umbrella agreements”to revolutionize the way consular information is provid-ed overseas.

When a telegram from the field in late 1999 askedwhether a regional call center might make sense inWestern Europe, CA senior management agreed that theidea had merit. Staff conducted a review of a six-year his-tory of 900 services to learn from such pioneer call centerposts as London, Toronto, Frankfurt, Seoul and Mexico.CA then promised to consider the idea of regionalizingthe call centers that provide visa information.

To have impact, CA realized that any proposal wouldhave to be greater in scope and go beyond merely con-solidating visa information into regional call centers. CAwanted to both improve existing service and offer it toareas that otherwise might not have had a chance to ben-efit. The offices of the Procurement Executive and theLegal Adviser helped CA craft the regional umbrellaagreements. The pacts would free individual posts fromcontracting on a post-by-post basis, provide all of theoptional, special-related services to enhance the visainformation that user posts had discovered over the yearsand install a full-time management team of local andglobal operations managers to oversee the agreements.Lifting the burden from officers previously assignedthese duties on a part-time basis was critical.

Now that the umbrella agreement pilot has become areality, CA has drafted a comprehensive statement ofwork that covers several missions within a regional

Taking the WaitOut of Visa Call

bureau. CA’s goal is to eliminate much of the repetitive“reinventing of the wheel” that such post-by-post con-tracting entailed and to coordinate closely with the legaland procurement offices to provide flexibility andaccountability together with improved program manage-ment support.

The statement of work was widely advertised, includingamong vendors already providing the service. Consularofficers experienced with call centers abroad evaluated theproposals using a combination of factors such as past per-formance and the technical and staffing aspects of the pro-posals. Two finalists were selected to submit best and finaloffers. Computer Science Corporation was ultimatelyselected as the prime contractor.

After the contract was awarded last November, thepilot entered its second phase. To be successful, theremust be a smooth transition between existing contractorsand start-up in the missions now without any user-payinformation service. Start-up and transition in eachregion is different. In the Bureau of Western HemisphereAffairs, Mexico went live last December when it switchedfrom its previous provider to CSC. Startup service wasscheduled to begin in February in the three CentralAmerican posts of El Salvador, Guatemala andNicaragua. In the Bureau of European Affairs, start-upwill begin first as new service for the three Benelux postsand will then be followed by a transition on June 1, 2001,to the new provider in Germany.

The pilot’s goal is to improve service where it wasalready available and to initiate service elsewhere so thatposts can benefit from this customer-friendly, efficientmeans to provide visa-related information and other spe-cial related services. Ultimately, CA is finding ways toanswer busy phones and calm frazzled nerves. ■

The author is the best practices coordinator in Consular Affairs.

March 2001 23

Bottled Water Drinkers RiskTooth Decay, Especially Children

Judy GResoufrom h

Safety Scene

By Rudy Marrazzo

Chances are that the bot-tled water you andyour children aredrinking does not con-tain the level of fluo-

ride recommended to help fighttooth decay, according to theInternational Bottled WaterAssociation.

According to the AmericanDental Association, people of allages benefit from fluoride.Fluoride intake by children fromdrinking water and othersources such as toothpaste hasbeen shown to reduce the riskand prevalence of cavities. In theUnited States, municipal watertreatment plants add fluoride totap water. To prevent dental flu-orosis caused by excessive fluo-ride ingestion, the Environmen-tal Protection Agency has set alimit to the amount of fluoride that can be added.Fluorosis can range from barely perceptible white stria-

tions or specks topitting or brownishgray stains on the teeth.

Tap water hasalways been theprincipal anddependable source offluoride in most loca-tions. In recent years,however, there’sbeen an increasingamount of bottledwater being con-sumed in the UnitedStates. In 1999, IBWAfigures showed that4.65 billion gallons ofbottled water weresold in the United

arrett, of Humanrces, draws a tall cold oneer office water cooler.

24 State Magazine

Photo by Paul Koscak

States, or 17 gallons per person.People choose bottled water fortaste, convenience and, in someinstances, safety.

Bottled water containing fluo-ride must be labeled. Accordingto the IBWA, more than 20brands have added fluoride.Consumers need to check thelabel to ensure that their bottledwater contains fluoride. TheFood and Drug Administrationregulates the amount of fluorideallowed in bottled water andhas proposed fluoride standardsthat would allow no more than1.3 milligrams per liter or 2.0milligrams if the fluoride is nat-urally occurring.

A recent Washington Post arti-cle on fluoride in bottled waterstated that nearly 10 percent ofAmerican children drink bot-tled water. Since most bottledwater lacks the level of fluoridenecessary to fight tooth decay,

children who drink only bottled water may be at risk fordeveloping cavities.

Parents with children who drink mostly bottledwater should be aware of the fluoride content. Will it benecessary to add fluoride? Maybe. Check with yourdentist because other sources of fluoride such as tooth-paste, soft drinks, juices and foods made with fluori-dated water may already be providing an adequateamount of fluoride.

For children overseas, it’s more likely that fluoride sup-plementation will be necessary. Studies conducted by theOffice of Medical Services have shown that the fluoridecontent in foreign water supplies, including some bottledsources, is highly deficient or nonexistent at more than 85percent of Department posts. Post health units offer adviceand provide fluoride tablets. The MED fluoride programmeets standards set by the American Academy ofPediatricians and the American Dental Association. ■

The author is a consultant in the Office of Safety/Health andEnvironmental Management.

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

U.S. Ambassador to Mozambique.Brian D. Curran of Florida, a careermember of the Senior ForeignService, class of minister-coun-selor, is the new U.S. Ambassadorto Mozambique. He was deputyassistant secretary of State forLegislative Affairs and served aslegislative assistant to U.S.Representative Dante Fascell. Mr.

Curran was deputy chief of mission in Ireland and alsoserved in France, Belgium, Guinea Bissau and Niger.

U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia. Rust M.Deming of Maryland, a career mem-ber of the Senior Foreign Service,class of minister-counselor, is thenew U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia.After specializing in Japanese affairsin seven assignments in the UnitedStates and Japan, he is returning toTunis where his Foreign Servicecareer began in 1966. Most recently

the principal deputy assistant secretary for East Asian andPacific Affairs, he was deputy chief of mission in Tokyo anddeputy director of the Office of Nuclear Policy.

U.S. Ambassador to Guyana. RonaldD. Godard of Texas, a career mem-ber of the Senior Foreign Service,class of minister-counselor, has beenconfirmed as U.S. Ambassador toGuyana. Prior to his confirmation,he served as deputy permanent rep-resentative and deputy chief of mis-sion to the Organization ofAmerican States in Washington,

D.C. Mr. Godard was deputy chief of mission in Argentina.His overseas posts also include Panama, Turkey, Nicaragua,Costa Rica and Chile. Before joining the Department, Mr.Godard served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador.

U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria.Howard F. Jeter of South Carolina,a career member of the SeniorForeign Service, class of minister-counselor, is the new U.S.Ambassador to Nigeria. He wasdeputy assistant secretary forAfrican Affairs from June 1999 toJuly 2000. Mr. Jeter directed theoffice of West African Affairs from

1997 to 1999 while serving as special presidential envoyto Liberia. He was U.S. Ambassador to Botswana from1993 to 1996 and deputy chief of mission in Namibia andLesotho. Earlier, Mr. Jeter also served in Mozambiqueand Tanzania.

U.S. Ambassador to the Organiza-tion of American States and U.S.Coordinator for the Summit of theAmericas III. Luis J. Lauredo ofFlorida is the new permanent repre-sentative of the United States to theOrganization of American Statesand U.S. coordinator for the Summitof the Americas III. Mr. Lauredo hasextensive experience in the private

sector, most recently as president of Greenberg TraurigConsulting Inc., where he specialized in international rela-tions, energy, telecommunications, aviation and banking.In the public sector, he was senior vice president of theExport-Import Bank of the United States and commission-er of the Florida Public Service Commission.

U.S. Ambassador to Croatia.Lawrence G. Rossin of California, acareer member of the Senior ForeignService, class of counselor, is thenew U.S. Ambassador to Croatia.He opened the U.S. Office inPristina and was the first U.S. Chiefof Mission in Kosovo. He directedthe Office of South CentralEuropean Affairs and was director

for Inter-American Affairs on the National Security Councilstaff. Mr. Rossin served as deputy chief of mission in Spain.He also served in the Netherlands, Haiti and Grenada.

U.S. Ambassador to the MarshallIslands and Kiribati. Michael J.Senko from the District ofColumbia, a career member of theForeign Service, class of counselor,is the new U.S. Ambassador to theMarshall Islands and Kiribati. Hewas policy planning director in theBureau of International Narcoticsand Law Enforcement Affairs and

has served in the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, ElSalvador, Mongolia, Belize and Bosnia. In 1984, Mr.Senko opened the U.S. Status Liaison Office in theMarshall Islands.

March 2001 25

Courses: National Foreign Affairs Training Center

&Education Training

Program April May Length

Language BASIC, Course Code: 100French and Spanish 2,30 29 24 WGerman, Italian, and Portuguese — 29 24 WF.A.S.T., Course Code: 200French and Spanish 2,30 29 8 WGerman, Italian and Portuguese 2 29 8 W

Area StudiesAdvanced—During full-time language training—Weekly 3 HIntensive—China AR250 23 — 2 W

Administrative TrainingMgt. Control Workshop PA137 — 21 2 DCFMS Budget Execution PA151 3 — 2 DPurchase Card Trng. PA197 — 14 1 DFinancial Mgt. Officer’s Course OS PA211 30 — 7 WWorking with ICASS PA214 10 1,29 4 DPrinciples of Appropriation Law PA215 — 1 4 DAccounting Vouchering & Certification PA216 — 7 1 WSupervising a Cashier PA217 — 14 1 WGeneral Services Operations PA221 9 14 10 WBasic Administrative Mgt. PA224 2 7 1 WHuman Resources Mgt. PA231 9 — 7 WFSN Classification & Compensation PA232 — 14 2 WAmerican Human Resources Mgt. PA235 9 — 2 WHuman Resources Mgt. at Post PA236 23 — 2 WICASS Executive Seminar PA245 — 23 1 D

Correspondence Courses: How to Be a Certifying Officer PA291, How to Be aContracting Officer Representative PA130, How to Write a Statement of Work PA134,Introduction to Simplified Acquisitions & Requisitions Overseas PA222, Mgt. ControlsWorkbook PA164, Trng. for Overseas Cashier Supervisor PA294, Trng. for OverseasVoucher Examiners PA200

Computer Based Training (CBT): Purchase Card Self-Certification Trng. PA297, OverseasCashier (CD-ROM Version) PA295, Basic NEPA Record Keeping (Overseas) PA226

Consular TrainingConsular Leadership Dev. Conf. PC108 1, 29 20 5 DAutomation for Consular Mgrs. PC116 23 7, 21 5 DAdvanced Consular Course PC532 30 — 15 D

Continuous Enrollment: Basic Consular Course PC530, Orientation to OverseasConsular Functions PC105, Overseas Citizen Services PC535, Passport & NationalityPC536, Immigrant Visas PC537, Nonimmigrant Visas PC538, Consular Review &Automation PC540

Correspondence Courses: Immigration Law and Visa Operation PC102, NationalityLaw and Consular Procedures PC103, Overseas Citizens’ Services PC104 (6 Days),Passport Examiners’ Correspondence Course PC110

Curriculum and Staff DevelopmentBasic Facilitation and Del. Workshop PD513 — 16 3 DVisual Aid Basics PD520 20 — 1 D

Economic & Commercial TrainingFSN Economic Trng. PE220 23 — 2 W

26 State Magazine

Program April May Length

Orientation TrainingIntroduction to Working in an Embassy PN113 — 24 2 D

Executive Programs TrainingEEO/Diversity for Mgrs. and Sup. PT107 5, 19 3, 17 2 DForeign Affairs Leadership Seminar PT119 22 — 11 WManaging People Problems PT121 — 16 3.5 DAdvanced Mgt. Skills PT210 2 — 5 DCoaching PT211 — 24 1 DCreative Problem Solving Workshop PT212 — 1 2 DManaging Conflict Productively PT214 — 10 2 DRunning Effective Meetings Workshop PT217 — 14 2 DStrategies of Persuasion:

The Science of Effective Influence PT220 — 16 2 D

Management Development TrainingStrategic Planning & Perf. Meas. PD529 26 — 2 DSupervisory Studies Seminar PK245 9 — 1 WEmployee Relations Seminar PK246 — 24 2 DTeambuilding PT129 — 22 1 DManaging Change PT206 — 10 1 DIntroduction to Mgt. Skills PT207 — 14 1 WManaging State Projects PT208 16 — 1 WStress Mgt. PT251 — 31 1 DManaging Up PT252 24 — 1 D

Public Diplomacy TrainingPublic Diplomacy Tradecraft PY100 23 — 3 WManaging Staff & Resources for Public

Affairs Campaigns PY101 — 3 1 DSpeechwriting & Presentation Skills PY102 — 11 1 DRole of the Spks./How the Media Works PY103 — 9 1 DDealing with the Electronic Media PY104 — 10 1 DAdministering Public Dip. Oper. O/S PY105 — 1 2 DPublic Diplomacy & Info. Tech. PY106 26 — 1 DPublic Dip. Programs, Products & Serv. PY107 27 — 2 DCultural Trng. PY108 — 7 2 DPublic Diplomacy Practice and Theory PY109 23 — 3 DAccessing Info. Res. at Home & O/S PY202 — 17 1 DFSN Pub. Dip. Thematic Programs PY205 14 — 3 WFSN Pub. Dip. Info. Res. Cntr PY206 — 19 3 WAdmin Pub. Dip. Grants & Cooperative

Agreements PY220 — 14 3 D

Office Management TrainingCivil Service Office Support Professionals

Trng. for Entering Personnel PK104 — 18 2 WPathway to Success PK111 25 — 3 DDrafting Correspondence PK159 23 — 1 WTravel Regulations and Vouchers PK205 16 — 2 DBetter Office English: Written PK225 2 — 2 WBetter Office English: Oral PK226 — 7 2 W

Political TrainingIntelligence and Foreign Policy PP212 11 — 3 DInternational Conflict: Peace Operations PP514 — 23 3 D

Adv. Negot.: Solving Negot. Prob PP515 — 8 3.5 DInternational Conflict: Dip. PP517 — 21 3 DInternational Conflict Workshop: Prevention to

Intervention PP519 — 21 1 W

Overseas Briefing CenterSOS: Sec. Overseas Seminar MQ911 9 7 2 DASOS: Adv. Sec. Overseas Seminar MQ912 17 15 1 DTDY Sec. Overseas Seminar MQ913 9 7 1 DRegulations Allow. and Finances MQ104 — 15 3 DEnglish Teaching Seminar MQ107 17 — 3 DMaking Presen.: Design to Deliv. MQ111 — 8 3 DExplaining America MQ115 — 12 1 DProtocol and U.S. Repres. Abroad MQ116 21 — 1 DGoing Overseas for Singles & Couples

Without Children MQ200 — 19 0.5 DGoing Overseas for Families MQ210 — 19 0.5 DGoing Overseas—Log. for Adults MQ220 — 19 2.5 HGoing Overseas—Log. for Child. MQ230 — 19 2.5 HEncouraging Resilience in the FS Child MQ500 — 2 2.5 HRealities of Foreign Service Life MQ803 25 — 1 DPersonal Fin. & Invest. in the FS MQ852 11 — 2.5 HLegal Considerations in the FS MQ854 — 30 .5 HTraveling with Pets MQ855 25 — 2.5 HForeign-Earned Income MQ858 — 23 2.5 HEmergency Medical Care and Trauma

Workshop MQ 915 28 — 1 DA Safe Overseas Home MQ916 18 — 2.5 H

Career Transition CenterRetirement Planning Seminar RV101 — 1 4 DFinancial Mgt. & Estate Planning RV103 — 3 1 DAnnuities & Benefits and Social Sec. RV104 — 2 1 D

Information Management TrainingMicrosoft Project PS180 25 — 3 DPC/Windows NT 4.0 PS201 18 10,30 2 DIntroduction to the Internet PS218 5, 24 16 1 DWord 97 for Windows, Introduction PS232 17 9,31 2 DWord 97 for Windows, Intermediate PS233 10 17 2 DPowerPoint 97, Introduction PS240 2,17 7,23 2 DPowerPoint 97, Intermediate PS241 — 15 2 DAccess 97, Introduction PS250 12, 23 8, 30 2 DAccess 97, Intermediate PS251 24 23 2 DExcel 97, Introduction PS270 10 7, 23 2 DExcel 97, Intermediate PS271 4 3 2 DCableXpress for End Users PS284 4, 12, 20, 2, 10, 14, 1 D

24, 26 25, 30CableXpress Administration PS285 — 7 4 D

Program April May Length

Consular Affairs Takes FreThe Bureau of Consular Affairs began 2001 focusing

domestic offices, managers and staff stepped back from roface. Consular Leadership Day was observed in the DeparA. Ryan, assistant secretary for Consular Affairs, encouraleadership and management issues in the context of their

The special day began in Washington at a bureau-wide tarea sites—operations centers, airport immigration processtion court sessions—and ended with a reception and awardipated in events organized in Washington D.C., Mexico Citythe April issue.

Microsoft Outlook PS298 19 9 1 DSupporting CA Apps. for IM Spec. PS310 2, 30 14 1 WInternet for Power Users PS318 9, 25 11 1 DALMA PC/Windows NT 4.0 (Module 1) PS501 9, 30 14 1 DALMA Word (Module 2) PS502 10 1, 15 1.5 DALMA Outlook (Module 3) PS503 11 2, 16 0.5 DALMA Excel 97 (Module 4) PS505 12 3, 17 1 DALMA Power Point (Module 5) PS506 13 4, 18 1 D

Professional Development DivisionBasic Communications Operations YW119 2, 16 — 2 WTEL/KEY SYS Intro. to Data Comm. YW140 2, 23 14 1 WIntroduction to Telephone Sec.YW141 2, 23 14 1 DSC-3 Satellite Operations and Maint. YW149 — 7 3 WIntroduction to Data Comm. YW173 23 — 2 WClassified Local Area Network YW177 23 — 2 WTERP V-Terminal Equipment Replacement

Program YW184 16, 30 — 2 WSC-7 Satellite Operations and Maint. YW192 9 — 3 WWide-Band Digital Trans. Networking YW213 — 7 2 WSX-50-MITEL PBX SX-50 YW219 9 21 1 WSX-200D—MITEL PBX SX-200 Digital YW220 16 28 1 WSX-2000Æ—MITEL PBX SX-2000 YW221 23 — 1 WFAST Backup-Comm. for Non-IRM YW231 2, 23 14 1 WFAST TERP -TERP V for Non-IRM Pers. YW232 9, 30 21 1 WCT’s Commercial Satellite Terminals YW234 16 14 2 WSystem Administration for Microsoft SQL

Server 7.0 YW236 — 28 1 WAdministering Microsoft Systems Mgt.

Server 2.0 A YW237 — 14 1 WSupporting Microsoft System Mgt. Server 2.0

Advance Systems YW238 — 21 1 WNT Advanced—NT Adv. Admin. YW240 16 14, 28 1 WAdv. Networking YW241 9 — 2 W Radio YW244 2, 9, 23, 30 7, 14, 28 1 WAdvanced Windows 2000 YW245 23 — 3 WSecure Web Access Using Microsoft Proxy

Server 2.0 YW247 2 — 1 WWide-Band N.E.T YW250 — 7 2 WAdvance Router Configuration ARC YW251 30 — 2 WBPS-Black Packet Switching YW334 — 14 1 WMeridian 61C YW497 9, 30 21 2 WBanyan LAN—Local Area Network YW640 9 21 2 WDesktop Systems YW642 2, 9, 16, 7, 14, 21, 2 W

23, 30Black Router YW745 2, 30 21 1 WMicrosoft Exchange YW749 — 14 1 W

Length: H = Hours, D = Days, W = WeeksFor additional information, please consult the course catalog or contact the Office ofthe Registrar at (703) 302-7144 or consult the FSI web site at www.fsiweb.gov.

Program April May Length

March 2001 27

sh Look at Leadershipon management and leadership. At overseas posts and

utine work to evaluate the hard issues consular officerstment Jan. 11 and overseas throughout the month. Maryged consular sections overseas to take time to focus onunique work environments. own hall meeting, continued with visits by bureau staff toing, naturalization swearing-in ceremonies and immigra-s ceremony at DACOR House. Senior bureau staff partic-, Boston and Portsmouth, N.H. More on these activities in

Concert Pays Tribute to Former Attorney

◆ March 7 Meiyu Tsung, Chinese opera and dance◆ March 21 Gloria Machado, Brazilian concert pianist ◆ April 18 Wayne Dorsey, classical pianist ◆ May 9 State Department and Georgetown University piano students◆ May 23 José Verba, international concert pianist ◆ June 6 Susan Merritt and Cheryl Powell present a musical salute to the armed forces in

celebration of D-Day◆ June 20 Warsaw Chamber Players with James Brooks-Bruzzese, director, and Jorge

Saade-Schaff, violinist ◆ July 25 Jorge Shepherd performs Peruvian music◆ Aug. 8 Li-Ly Chang, director-pianist, with winners of the international piano competition

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

STATE OF THE ARTS

Upcoming Performances

Meiyu Tsung

By John Bentel

The State of the Arts Cultural Series and theForeign Affairs Recreation Association closedout the old year and began the new with an out-standing caliber of talent.

The New Washington Jazz Ensemble played a movingtribute of Duke Ellington and John Coltrane pieces to thelate Rudy Henderson, a former attorney in the Office ofthe Legal Adviser who loved jazz. Directed by jazz musi-cian Davey Yarborough, the ensemble included DukeEllington School of Music students Ben Williams on bass,Julian Lane on trombone and piano and Michael DeCastro on drums. Ellington’s Satin Doll and Coltrane’sImpressions were among their selections.

Friends of Mr. Henderson, who died in 1999, con-tributed $2,600 in his memory to the Washington JazzArts Institute, headed by Mr. Yarborough and operatedunder the auspices of the Duke Ellington School ofMusic, where Mr. Yarborough teaches. The jazz groupaccepted an invitation to play at the Department.

“Rudy would love nothing more than to know that hehelped bring first-class jazz to the Dean AchesonAuditorium,” commented Catherine Brown, an attorney inthe Office of the Legal Adviser and friend of Mr. Henderson.

The State of the Arts Cultural Series also hosted a screen-ing of Margo Fisher Newman’s film “Tango,” based onactual letters, the Jarvis letters, found in her grandmother’santique shop. “Tango” has many contrasting elements:past, present, love and pain. The Jarvis letters contain vowsof love as well as hate, loneliness and hurt from womenworldwide. The unanswered question—who is this man—

28 State Magazine

filled the audiencewith compassionfor the womenhurt by this latter-day Don Juan.

The Unidenti-fied Flying OperaCo., a nonprofitcharitable organi-zation dedicatedto serving peoplewith special needs through the arts, presented“Celebrations of Light.” Lesley Choy directs the compa-ny of vocalists and instrumentalists in readings andsongs from such celebrations as Diwali, Hanukkah,Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice and Christmas.

International dance champions David and SharonSavory performed with grace and beauty, combining enter-tainment, art and sport. They received a standing ovation.

Ever-popular Nick and Mary Greanias presented aChristmas concert—which is becoming a tradition withthe State of the Arts series. The program also featuredvocalists Venus d Minor, a cappella vocal sextet. JeremySewall, pianist, accompanied the performers. The pro-gram featured music from a multitude of traditions andfaiths, and the audience joined in singing many familiarand traditional holiday songs.

Pianist Marian Lee performed a variety of piano music byBeethoven, Chopin and Liszt. Her interpretation of theMephishto Waltz by Franz Lizst entertained the audience. ■

The author is a computer specialist in the Executive Secretariat.

The New Washington JazzEnsemble performs tribute.

People Like YouPeople Like You

Sailing The Skies IsPart of His Weekend

Greg Ellis, left, is the happy owner ofa PW-5 sailplane. With him is aircraftdistributor Ernst W. Schneider.

Clif Millthe U.SDavidsoClub “c

Greg Ellis is finally living his dream. Since a youngster, the Bureau of Administration employee has been lured sky-ward. But there’s a difference: Mr. Ellis takes his flying straight and pure, without the distracting roar of an engine.

“This is like sailing in three dimensions,” Mr. Ellis said of soaring, a science where an intimate knowledge of mete-orology, particularly air movements and currents, can make the difference between a good and bad day in the sky.

He began his passion in 1966 and two years later earned his private pilot glider license. But his exhilarating hobbywas interrupted by service in the Navy, and in 1981 he stopped soaring to focus on raising a family.

A career Civil Service employee, Mr. Ellis, 55, joined the Department in 1984, after a decade at the Department ofHousing and Urban Development. He worked in personnel at both agencies but branched into computers not longafter coming to State, where he’s an information manager.

In 1998, the time was right and Mr. Ellis joined a soaring club based at Front Royal, Va., and became part owner of a glid-er. But his real joy came this year, when Mr. Ellis took full ownership of a Polish-made PW-5, a world-class, fiberglass glider.

“There’s a movement to make soaring an Olympic event,” he said.

er, information management specialist in . Embassy in Pretoria, poses with his Harley-n Softail and his Worldwide Riders Motorcycleolors” in Cape Town.

Phot

o by

Mag

gie

Mill

er

Diplomatic BikersIsn’t that an oxymoron?Not for Mark Butchart. The information systems officer at the U.S. Embassy in

Tel Aviv and scores of others in the Foreign Service take their favorite two-wheeled mode of transportation overseas. Motorcycles count against one’shousehold effects weight allowance, not as privately owned vehicles.

Figuring out whether you can actually bring a motorcycle to a given postcan be perplexing. Beijing, for example, doesn’t allow motorcycles to beimported, but Guangzhou does. Mark should know. He was given diplomat-ic plate number “001” in Guangzhou because he had the only Harley-Davidson in the entire city of more than six million.

“Experiencing a new country from two wheels simply defies description,” Marksays. “Like the biker T-shirt logo says, ‘If I have to explain, you wouldn’t under-stand.’” In some countries, owning a motorcycle can make an individual some-thing of a celebrity. When Mark rode his Harley around Swaziland, everyonewould wave and crowds would gather. Needless to say, riding a motorcycle over-seas requires more vigilance than back home.

A few years ago, Mark established with fellow Foreign Service bike enthu-siast Clif Miller the Worldwide Riders Motorcycle Club. The club welcomesnew members at their medusa.nmp.com (no “www”) web site.

March 2001 29

O B I T U A R I E S

Lafe Franklin Allen, 86, a retired Foreign Service officer,died of a heart ailment Dec. 14 at Arlington Hospital inNorthern Virginia. Mr. Allen served in the U.S. Armyduring World War II and later in Japan with the U.S.occupation forces. He joined the U.S. Information Agencyafter the war, serving in Brazil and other foreign postsduring his 26 years with the agency.

Sverre M. “Buck” Backe, 92, aretired Foreign Service officer,died Dec. 7 at the OlympicMedical Center in Port Angeles,Wash. He retired in 1968 afterserving in Gothenberg, Perth,Hong Kong and Munich. As U.S.Consul for Western Australia, Mr.Backe helped organize the “Perth,City of Lights” flyover for the U.S.space program.

John Oscar Bell, 88, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedDec. 31 in Tampa, Fla., after a brief illness. As a CivilService employee, Mr. Bell oversaw civil aeronauticissues at the Department from 1941 to 1947. He wasactive in the San Francisco Conference of 1945 that cre-ated the United Nations and in the creation of theMarshall Plan and the North Atlantic TreatyOrganization. He joined the Foreign Service in 1951,serving in Pakistan and Denmark.

Eleanor Deming Boerner, 90, wife of deceased ForeignService officer Alfred V. Boerner, died of sepsis Jan. 13 atSibley Hospital in Washington, D.C. Mrs. Boerner accom-panied her husband on postings to Germany, Italy, Braziland Argentina.

Carl Breuer, 94, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedOct. 21 of cancer in Hightstown, N.J. He joined theDepartment in 1930 and served in Haiti, Canada,Bolivia, Venezuela, Trinidad, Peru and Washington,D.C., before retiring in 1956. During World War II, Mr.Breuer served as a reporting officer in the U.S. Navy,monitoring shipping traffic in the Caribbean, whereGerman submarines threatened the vital flow of oilfrom Venezuela to Great Britain.

30 State Magazine

Sherwood M. Fine, 86, a retiredForeign Service officer, died Nov. 23at his home in McLean, Va. BeforeWorld War II, Mr. Fine worked forthe Treasury Department. Duringand after the war he was with theOffice of Strategic Services (forerun-ner of the CIA) in Turkey and withGen. Douglas MacArthur’s staff inJapan. He served with the U.S.

Agency for International Development in Laos, Cambodia,Vietnam and Thailand. He worked with the Office ofEconomic Cooperation and Development in Paris and withthe International Labor Organization in Geneva.

Corinne C. Gorman, 74, wife ofretired Foreign Service officerAugustine J. Gorman, died Nov. 26in Aiken, S.C. Mrs. Gorman accom-panied her husband on assign-ments to Baghdad, Nicosia,Ankara, Abidjan, Nairobi,Bangkok, Tel Aviv and Cairo.

John E. Grassle, 71, a retired ForeignService security officer and securi-ty engineering specialist, died Nov.26 at Mary Washington Hospital inStafford, Va. He served overseas inFrankfurt, Abidjan, Beijing,Tehran, Prague and Geneva. Mr.Grassle also served as an adminis-trative officer for the U.S. ArmsControl and Disarmament Agency.

He joined State in 1967, after retiring from the U.S. Army.

Roderick L. Jones, 82, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedNov. 10. He joined the Department as a Civil Serviceemployee and later converted to the Foreign Service. Heserved abroad as an administrative officer at theConference in Geneva on the General Agreement onTariffs and Trade. A translator with the U.S. Army in thePacific Theater during World War II, Mr. Jones retiredfrom the Department in 1974.

Agnes Riddle Kamerick, 86, a formerForeign Service secretary, diedsuddenly Oct. 5 at her home inHendersonville, N.C. She beganher career in Shanghai at the end ofWorld War II and wrote an articlefor State Magazine about conditionsthere. Ms. Kamerick also served inThe Hague, Vienna and Wels,Austria. After she retired, she often

visited her daughter Sue Kamerick, a Foreign Serviceoffice management specialist, at six overseas postings.

Marion L. “Roy” Kellogg, 71, a retiredForeign Service officer, died of can-cer Dec. 7 in Phoenix, Ariz. Hejoined the Foreign Service in 1953and served in Washington, D.C.,Nepal, Pakistan, Jordan, Vietnam,Afghanistan, Thailand, Egypt andSudan. He retired in 1984.

Joseph Armstrong Kitchin, 90, a retired Foreign Service offi-cer, died Nov. 21 of a stroke at Asbury Methodist Homein Gaithersburg, Md. He served in India, Afghanistan,Burma, Singapore, Egypt and Indochina. During WorldWar II, Mr. Kitchin served in the Marine Corps in thePacific Theater.

Frank A. Magary, 87, a retiredForeign Service officer, died of can-cer Sept. 23 in Hollywood, Fla. Mr.Magary joined the Foreign Servicein 1957, serving in Buenos Aires,Bogota, Panama City and with theVoice of America in Washington,D.C. He also served in the U.S.Marine Corps Reserve.

Melvin L. Manfull, 81, a retiredForeign Service officer, died of heartfailure Sept. 11 in Washington, D.C.He joined the Department in 1946,serving in France, Vietnam andBelgium. Mr. Manfull was U.S.Ambassador to the Central AfricanRepublic and to Liberia.

Edward R. O’Connor, 72, a retiredForeign Service officer, died athome Oct. 10 in Miami Lakes, Fla.He joined the Department in 1956and served in Tegucigalpa, Dublin,Ottawa, Paris, London andWashington, D.C.

Robert B. Parke, 89, a retiredForeign Service officer, died Dec.14 of medical complications inTallahassee, Fla. He joined the U.S.Consular Corps in 1936 and servedin Milan until 1942, when theUnited States entered World War IIin Europe. At the end of the war,Mr. Parke served as a civilian withthe U.S. military occupation gov-

ernment in the American sector of Berlin. His subsequentForeign Service assignments included Tehran, London,Phnom Penh and Johannesburg. Mr. Parke retired in1968. His son Robert is a Department employee.

Paula FitzGerald Pickering, 35, aForeign Service information man-agement specialist, died of a braintumor Sept. 10 at her mother’shome in Alexandria, Va. Ms.Pickering joined State in 1989 andserved in Bangkok, Paris,Washington, D.C., and Dublin.

Patricia R. Stammerman, 55, wife ofretired Foreign Service officerKenneth Stammerman, died ofcancer Oct. 31 at their home inLouisville, Ky. She accompaniedher husband to posts in Kuwaitand Saudi Arabia. She was thecommunity liaison officer inKuwait and taught in Americanschools in Bangkok and Kuwait.

Doris Sumpter, 39, a Civil Service secretary in the Bureauof Human Resources’ Office of Employee Relations, diedDec. 2 after a brief illness at Greater Southeast Hospital inWashington, D.C. Ms. Sumpter joined the Department in1999. She helped maintain the mailing list for retireesreceiving State Magazine, among other duties.

March 2001 31

32 State Magazine

Civil Service Retirements

PERSONNEL ACTIONS

Andrews, Thomas H.Ashby, Doris S.Cardona, Herminio F.Grooms, James W.Halsted, David CraneHopper, Susan WoolleyJacobs, Anthony J.Kornblum, John C.Lomanno, Frank J.Nasetka, Thomas C.Odell, Deborah M.Papworth, Texanna JoePeters, Bruce E.

Taylor, JaniceTaylor, LouiseTaylor, Richard S.Theurer, WalterThompson, Kathleen C.Tripp, Scott A.Twaddell, William H.Valis, MaureenWalker, William

GrahamWebb Jr., Henry FrazierWhaley, PeterZerolis, John W.

Foreign Service Retirements

Foreign Service GrievanceBoard Summary

In this issue, State Magazine continues pub-lishing summaries of selected Foreign ServiceGrievance Board decisions. Our aim is to helpemployees better understand the importantrole the board plays in resolving disputesbetween employees and the Department, aswell as to highlight examples of board deci-sions that might be of particular benefit toemployees and supervisors.

Reported cases will provide general informa-tion about matters that can be grieved, reme-dies available through the grievance processand significant board precedent. As a principleof good management, disputes and grievancesshould be resolved through discussion amongthe parties or mediation at the lowest possiblelevel. An employee whose grievance has beendenied by the agency or has not been resolvedwithin the 90-day statutory period for agencyreview, however, may appeal to the ForeignService Grievance Board.

Further information on the grievanceprocess is available in 3 FAM 4400-4470 and atthe grievance staff (HR/G) home page on theDepartment’s OpenNet at https://hrweb.hr.state.gov/grievance/index.html.

Inappropriate Behavior Prompts 10-Day Suspension

A Foreign Service officer assigned overseas appealed theDepartment’s decision to suspend him for 10 days for using a govern-ment computer during work hours to access an adult Internet web site.

The misconduct was discovered when one particularly large mes-sage the employee sent disrupted the unclassified e-mail system. Asubsequent investigation established that the employee had identi-fied himself on the adult web site as a U.S. diplomat and describedseveral of his sensitive official duties.

In his grievance, the employee conceded that his e-mails wereinappropriate, but insisted that he never intended to violate any reg-ulation and that any wrongdoing on his part was completely unin-tentional. Asserting that management at his post had approved theuse of the unclassified e-mail system for personal matters, theemployee argued that the proposed disciplinary action far out-weighed his admittedly inappropriate acts.

The Department emphasized the explicit nature of the e-mails, thedisruption caused to the post’s e-mail system and the discredit theemployee brought on the Department by identifying himself as aU.S. diplomat. The Department argued that whether or not theemployee had received instructions on Internet use does not absolvehim because “he knew what he was doing was wrong.”

The board observed that “there is no principle in the area ofForeign Service employment that anything is permissible unless it isspecifically prohibited.” The board also noted that Department man-agement, not the board, has the primary responsibility for the disci-pline of its workforce: “The sole criterion in the disciplinary mattersbrought by the Department is that the Agency establishes by thepreponderance of evidence that the particular disciplinary actionwas justified.” The employee had engaged in the misconductalleged, the disciplinary action was justified and the proposed sus-pension was reasonable.

Aguirre, Alice M.Albright, Madeleine K.Aldriedge, John L.Anderson, Viola C.Barrett, WilliamBarton, David P.Biancaniello, Rose

Marie H.Birkner, Linda K.Cerone, Elaine M.Collins Jr., William

Conger, Lucinda D.Conway, Kenneth F.Davis, CornellDiggs, Barbara JeanyFreeman, Yvonne W.Goodman, Michelle E.Gregory, Peter E.A..Hairston, Thomas J.Halperin, Morton H.Harris Jr., Louis B.Hyjek, Lorraine

Jackson, Sheila J.Jennings, Billie JoeLieberman, Evelyn S.Manley, Jacqueline L.Minor, Gwendolyn E.Norell, Douglas R.Oliver, Joan R.Plevin, MarilynSadler, HaroldSingletary, Mary

Frances

Smith, Ricardo D.Stich, Jane B.Swailes, MildredThomas Jr., Clifford P.Turner, Delancy M.Vasiliades,

Constantinos V.Watson, Janet G.Wilkins, Eve Estelle-

TylerYoung, Anne T.