State Magazine, January 2002

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

January 2002

StateStateM a g a z i n e

GuadalajaraGuadalajaraBlending Tradition and TechnologyBlending Tradition and Technology

Travel assistant Betty Brownjoined the OIC in 1975.

7 Post of the Month: GuadalajaraU.S. Mission to Mexico’s second city is busier than ever.

12 Office of the Month: International ConferencesWherever there’s a large U.S. delegation, this officepaves the way.

16 Treasuring the ArtsDepartment takes its holdings seriously.

18 Readers Respond to Survey.Post features continue to be popular.

19 State Welcomes Disabled StudentsProgram promotes awareness and mentoring.

20 Joining Hearts and Hands in KenyaBuilding more than homes in a weekend.

22 Secretary Honors RetireesMore than 100 participate in event.

24 Circus with a PurposeTroupe spreads messages of HIV/AIDS prevention.

StateContents

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

StateMagazine

January 2002No. 453

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

26 State of the Arts

27 People Like You

28 Appointments

31 Personnel Actions

32 Obituaries

On the CoverTraditional dolls for sale

in Plaza Tapatia.Photo by Jeff Greenberg, Folio, Inc.

20

12

State Department spouse Marion Pflaumer tests her construction skills in Kenya.

Photo by Carl Goodman

Phot

o by

Jo

Elle

n Fu

ller

2 State Magazine

FROM THE SECRETARYSECRETARY COLIN L. POWELL

We’ve Made a Good Start

One year ago, President Bush entrusted me withthe privilege of leading you in our mission toserve the American people. During the past 12

months of unforeseen challenges and great opportunities,you have risen to the task. You have done your part. And,since Sept. 11, you have more than done your part.

I have promised you that we would also do our partand provide you the support you need to accomplishyour mission. We have made it our goal to recruit the bestpeople to be your colleagues, give you world-class train-ing, provide you secure and work-friendly facilities andequip you with the technology you need to do your jobs.

The State Department is filled with great people—CivilService, Foreign Service generalists and specialists,Foreign Service Nationals, political appointees, Presiden-tial Management Interns and many others. But we musthire more.

Our 2002 budget provides for hiring 360 new employeesabove attrition, Civil Service and Foreign Service. Last year,as part of our Diplomatic Readiness Initiative, we doubledthe number of candidates for the Foreign Service WrittenExamination. This year we will give the exam twice.

Our new recruits better reflect the diversity of the Americanpeople. Nearly 17 percent of those who passed lastSeptember’s written exam were members of minority groups.

The Diplomatic Readiness Initiative has also improvedCivil Service recruitment. For example, we are creatingnew, web-based recruiting tools and developing a CivilService web page to post on the careers web site.

Once we identify the best people, we are bringing themon more quickly. For Foreign Service recruits, for exam-ple, we have reduced the time from written exam to entryinto service from 27 months to less than a year.

We are also working hard to provide the training you needto be successful in your careers. We are launching mandato-ry leadership and management training requirements, withother mandatory training courses to follow. The LeadershipCompetencies Development Initiative provides Civil Serviceemployees a program to develop credentials to help themsuccessfully compete for leadership positions.

But training only works if people take it, learn from itand use it. I am counting on you and your managers tomake sure you receive the training you need.

The support of our families is so important to our effec-tiveness. At our town hall meeting last January, I prom-

ised to make the establishment of an interim childcarecenter at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center apriority. I am delighted that the center opened Sept. 4,with a full complement of 30 infants and toddlers. Nowwe are turning our efforts to providing a larger, perma-nent facility at FSI and to expanding the Diplotots ChildDevelopment Center at Columbia Plaza.

In my travels, I have visited our embassy teams whenev-er possible, both to thank them for their wonderful contri-butions and to see their working conditions for myself. Ihave marveled at their ability to function in clearly over-crowded, even decrepit buildings. Clearly, somethingneeds to be done.

We have upgraded the Foreign Buildings Operationsinto the new Overseas Buildings Office, headed by a direc-tor with assistant secretary rank. The OBO has developedthe Department’s first long-range plan covering majorfacility requirements through FY07. The OBO has alsodeveloped a standard embassy design concept to reducecost, speed construction and enhance quality.

We live in the midst of an information revolution that istransforming our ability to communicate. To capture thebenefits, we have completed the pilot of our OpenNetPlus project to put a modern, classified system, withInternet access, on every desktop. We have begun deploy-ment worldwide and are in the process of rolling out theclassified connectivity program over the next 24 months.

To meet our goals, we need resources. I am pleased thatthe Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill signed byPresident Bush included an 11.5 percent increase in ourfunding for FY02. This substantial increase at a time ofbudget stringency shows that Congress understands andsupports what we are trying to accomplish for theAmerican people.

So we’ve made a good start. This year, we will press for-ward even harder to give you the resources you need, andI am counting on you to use these resources wisely.

The past has confirmed what I knew before—that thepeople of the State Department are enormously talentedand committed to serving the American people. Together,we are pursuing our mission in a world of unprecedentedopportunities, as well as serious threats. Our response tothe attacks of Sept. 11 has shown the country that the StateDepartment can be counted on to seize these opportunitiesin the year ahead. ■

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The meet-

the Emba

Pos

Having a Ball in MinskFinding a location to

hold our most recentMarine Ball becameincreasingly difficultbecause of the tightsecurity standardsin Minsk. Theodds of finding asuitable locationseemed almost a

pipe dream, taking withit the excitement and anticipa-

tion the ball sparks within the interna-tional community.

With a month to go, cancellationappeared certain until Lithuania’sambassador to Belarus, JonasPaslauskas, offered the use of hisembassy, ensuring that the time-hon-ored event would go on. Guestsenjoyed local dishes and wines inthe embassy’s elegant hall that alsoprovided perfect acoustics for a jazzensemble that brought everyone tothe dance floor.

The Marine Ball (featured inNovember’s issue) was a specialoccasion in more ways than one forMarine Sgt. Derrick Sims. He pro-posed to his financé, Jenny Chu,who accepted.

Bridget WolfInternU.S. Embassy in Minsk

Peace Corps inBangladesh

I read with interestyour survey ofembassy operationsin Dhaka in theOctober issue.

The story sug-gests that PeaceCorps volun-teers havebeen working

in Bangladeshfor only three years.

20State M

agazine

By Paul Koscak

It’s been a tradition since 1775.

And at many U.S. Embassies, it’s an event where tick-

ets sell out in a few days.

It’s the annual Marine Corps ball.

The birthday of America’s premier military organiza-

tion is a mainstay at Marine Corps installations through-

out the world. The celebration ranges from a simple cake

cutting by a handful of remotely deployed Marines to a

formal reception with dinner, music and a high-profile

speaker at larger venues.

No matter where—either on land or at sea—Nov. 10 is

an important day on any Marine’s calendar, said Staff

Sgt. Cory Knox, the operations chief at Quantico Marine

Corps Base near Washington, D.C.

At embassies, the celebration is mostly a traditional

military ball, where diplomats, spouses and dates revel

with the Marine detachment.

“At the embassies, the detachment plans the event,”

Sgt. Knox said. “They promote it with brochures and

e-mail.”

Although the Marine Corps was founded on Nov. 10,

the celebrations are held anywhere from October to

December—sort of a ball season.

To keep the yearly event affordable, it’s customary for

embassy Marine detachments to hold Friday night happy

hours at Marine House, the embassy military quarters, to

raise money, according to Maj. Tim Sullivan, who also

works at the Quantico operations center.Let’s Have

A Ball!Let’s Have

A Ball!

and-greet line at

ssy in Haiti.

Elegance, fun—and an upbeat tune—at the Marine Corps birthday ball.

PBy Marjorie J. B

ucknor

icture Dhaka, Bangladesh. It’s people,

pollution, poverty—yes, but Americans posted

there also find it rewarding, challenging and

memorable.

Located in South Asia on the northern edge

of the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh is surrounded

on three sides by India and shares a border with

Burma. Approximately 130 million people live

in this country, which is about the size of Iowa,

making it one of the most densely populated

nations in the world.

In 1947 a U.S. Consulate opened in Dhaka,

then the capital of East Pakistan. After the 1971

War of Independence, the United States recog-

nized Bangladesh, and the two nations estab-

lished formal diplomatic relations in May 1972.

The first U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh

arrived two years later.

14State M

agazine

t of the Month:

Dhaka,

Bangladesh

Bangladesh residents cross

a wooden bridge at sunset.

An open-air

market in

Dhaka. © R

. Ian

Llo

yd/M

aste

rfile

Actually, the Peace Corps presencethere goes back 40 years.

I was stationed in 1961 at the con-sulate general in what was thenknown as Dacca when the initialPeace Corps contingent arrived. Itwas the first such group of volun-teers sent to an Asian country. Thetwo dozen volunteers—from nursesto carpenters—spread out across themofussel (boondocks) and made abig impression wherever they went.

It is good to know that this earlyexample of Peace Corps people-to-people cooperation continues in a

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 [email protected].

country that needs all the help itcan get.

Wilson Dizard Jr.Foreign Service Officer (Ret.)Washington, D.C.

Visit Us on the Webwww.state.gov/m/dghr/statemag

From the EditorWe thank those of you chosen at random for participating in our recent

readership survey, the first one in five years. I won’t go into detail hereabout the results, since those are highlighted on page 18 and posted on ourweb site. To say the least, your responses were encouraging and affirmedmost of the changes we have introduced in recent years.

Interestingly enough, most of you told us you wanted more—news andfeatures—and we found that both gratifying and frustrating. That’sbecause deputy editor Paul Koscak, whose stories have filled these pagesfor more than a year, reported to the Pentagon Nov. 1 for up to a year ofreserve duty with the Air Force. In his absence, we will do our best in theyear ahead to publish a magazine you will find informative and enjoyable.

During this period of frustration with the pouch and mail system, whenhard copies of the magazine may be delayed or not delivered at all, weencourage you to read the magazine online—either on the Department’sIntranet or the Internet. If you are in the Department, the fastest venue isthe Intranet.

Finally, I would only observe that after five years in this job (and manyyears in similar ones at other agencies), I have never experienced a read-ership as loyal and supportive as yours. As is true of many things at State,traditions have loyal followings. Thank you for including State Magazineamong these.

We wish you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

January 2002 3

I N T H E N E W S

Update on Pouch and Mail

Phot

o Ri

ck B

owm

er/A

P Ph

otos

The unclassified pouch and domestic mail systemsare improving. That’s according to an announce-ment issued Nov. 26 by Department officialsinvolved in the complex cleanup operation caused

by the anthrax contamination that occurred between Oct.12 and 22 when a letter addressed to Senator Patrick J.Leahy of Vermont was accidentally routed to the StateDepartment’s diplomatic pouch facility in Sterling, Va.An employee there contracted inhalation anthrax andwas hospitalized. The employee, David Hose, is recover-ing at his home in Winchester, Va.

HighlightsA temporary pouch facility is now operational and

USPS, FedEx, UPS and DHL are making deliveries. USPSdeliveries, however, are limited at this writing, and theDepartment recommends that an express delivery servicebe used for priority packages. Outgoing pouch ship-ments resumed Nov. 20 with 37 crate pouches. Posts maynow resume sending pouches to the Department. Thestaff at the temporary mail facility are working overtimeto expedite deliveries to posts. Classified pouches havebeen moving throughout this period. Field offices outsidethe Washington, D.C., metropolitan area are now accept-ing regular first-class mail.

BackgroundWork is under-way on several parallel tracks to protect

employees, clean mailrooms, resume pouch and mailoperations, and implement processes and technologies tokeep the mail system as safe and efficient as possiblegiven security concerns. At the same time, theDepartment has been working with the CDC, FBI, EPA,USPS, AFSA and others on issues in their areas of respon-sibility that affect State operations and its ability torestore the operation of the pouch and mail system.Outgoing unclassified pouch service has resumed. Muchwork remains before the system is running smoothly.

Outgoing pouch shipments have resumedA warehouse in the Sterling, Va., area was leased on

Nov. 9 as a temporary pouch facility and designated asSA-32T. Alarms, an x-ray machine and other basic equip-ment have been installed for a manual mail sorting oper-ation. During the week of Nov. 12, SA-32T began receiv-ing deliveries from FedEx and UPS. The U.S. PostalService began delivering primarily second- and third-class mail. Diplomatic Pouch and Mail and DiplomaticSecurity personnel began screening the packages and

4 State Magazine

staging them for the pouch. A shortage of cleaned pouchbags forced DPM staff to purchase large tri-wall card-board boxes that they are burlapping and banding sothey can be shipped as diplomatic crate pouches. Thefirst pouches left SA-32T on Nov. 20 en route to 29 posts.DPM is working with several posts to obtain temporaryclearances from host governments to use crate pouchesuntil sanitized pouch bags become available.

Incoming pouchesPosts have been authorized to resume shipments of

unclassified diplomatic pouches to the Department,using only cleaned pouches. As new pouches in cleanedpouch bags are received at SA-32T, their contents will besorted and distributed into Department mail channels orto the USPS. This includes packages sent via theHomeward Bound Service. Department officials saidAFSA helped to facilitate returned mail from employeesduring the shut down.

Mail held for cleaningThe Department has begun receiving return pouch ship-

ments from posts. Those that may have been contaminated,based on their date of dispatch, are being held for cleaningalong with mail retrieved from cleaned mailrooms atDepartment headquarters offices. The Department is deter-mining, in consultation with the CDC, EPA, USPS andother agencies, the safest and most expedient method ofcleaning this mail

The two most promising methods are to irradiate or tofumigate the mail under pressure with ethylene oxide, aprocess that is generally less destructive than irradiation,which has its own limitations. This cleaning was delayedbecause agencies had to coordinate and investigate allpossible causes of contamination in SA-32. Cleaning willget under way as soon as an approved contractor is avail-able. Pending environmental testing, the Department islooking at a practical approach to cleaning and wipingdown boxes and returning them to post. This would beimpractical for letter mail, however, given the volumeinvolved. The plan is to use a chlorine bleach solution toclean packages that are now held at SA-32 or are con-tained in returned pouches. Once cleaned, these packageswill be moved to SA-32T for onward shipment.

USPS mail and irradiation issuesAs of Nov. 26, the Department did not have informa-

tion on the time line for processing mail that is being heldfor irradiation by the USPS. This mail includes parcels,first-class and parcel post. The USPS took this step afterconsulting with the EPA and CDC.

The Department understands that much of the mailreceived via the USPS for overseas posts will be irradiat-ed and may be damaged. The USPS identified the fol-lowing items that could be affected adversely: any bio-logical blood or fecal samples; diagnostic kits such asthose used to monitor blood sugar levels; photographicfilm; food; drugs and medicines; eyeglasses and contactlenses; and electronic devices.

The USPS also reported that while the first pieces ofirradiated mail being delivered are first-class letters, even-tually departments and agencies will also be receivingflats (larger envelopes) and packages. It is more likely thatthe items listed above would be contained in flats or pack-ages. Mail that has been irradiated includes first-class let-ters postmarked since Oct. 12 and addressed toWashington, D.C., government customers with zip codesbeginning with 202 to 205. This includes the Department’s20520 and 20521 zip codes.

The irradiation process used at the Lima facility wastested and found to be effective by an interagency teamof scientific experts that recommended release of the mailfor delivery. The group was organized by the WhiteHouse Office of Science and Technology Policy andincluded the Armed Forces Radiobiology ResearchInstitute, the Food and Drug Administration, theDepartment of Agriculture and the National Institute ofStandards and Technology.

Getting package mail to SA-32TPresuming that all USPS mail sent to the Department’s

U.S. government addresses will be irradiated, theDepartment does not recommend using USPS at this timeto ship packages to SA-32T for onward shipment bypouch. Parcels in the USPS systems addressed to theDepartment are now in the queue for irradiation—aprocess that carries inherent risks of damage as well asdelays owing to the backlog of mail to be treated. TheDepartment recommends that priority packages beshipped to SA-32T by an express delivery service usingthe regular pouch zip code address. The services arefamiliar with the new facility and have adjusted theirrouting. For future parcel mail, the Department is work-ing with the USPS to identify an alternative USPSaddress for parcels and packages that could be damagedor affected by irradiation.

Environmental samplingThe CDC completed the last environmental sampling

at SA-32 on Nov. 20. Results were unavailable at presstime, but this latest round of sampling is intended to geta better idea of the mechanism and extent of anthrax con-tamination. As it stands now, the most significant con-centration of spores is on and near the letter sorters in useduring the Oct. 12–22 time frame. Most of the other sam-ples in SA-32 have been negative.

Cleaning pouches at SA-32Completing the sampling means that we can start the

process of removing and cleaning pouches, removing mailand sealed pouches, and beginning preparations for theeventual cleaning of SA-32 and its equipment. Cleaning ofpouch bags currently in SA-32 started Nov. 21.

Mailrooms at StateOn Nov. 20, cleaning was completed at more than 150

mailrooms and mail-handling areas at the Harry STruman Building and annexes. Results to date of addi-tional random environmental sampling at these mail-rooms have been negative.

Field office and annex mail deliveryDepartment field office mailrooms outside the

Washington, D.C. metropolitan area are receiving and dis-tributing mail as normal—with the exception of previousSA-32 shipments that will need to be returned and cleanedat Department facilities. Mail issues at annexes in theWashington, D.C., metropolitan area will be addressed onan individual basis.

Points of contactFor further information about mail operations, please

contact DPM Branch Chief Ted Boyd at (202) 663-1810 orvia e-mail at [email protected]. For information aboutsafety and health and other operations issues related toanthrax contamination of mail systems, please contactthe ChemBio Countermeasures Working Group at (202)663-3666 or via e-mail at [email protected]. ■

January 2002 5

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

New Year’s Resolutions

It’s that time of the year again. Thepresents have all been opened. Theguests have gone home. The extrapounds have been gained (and theythreaten to remain with us long after

our guests are gone). It’s winter inWashington, D.C., daylight is in short sup-ply and the cherry blossoms of April looklike they’re a very long ways away.

So why is this DG smiling? It’s because this New Year 2002 has brought

with it the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s anopportunity I’ve long been hoping this institution wouldhave. It’s been a long time coming, but it has finally arrived.

I’m referring, of course, to the State Department’sappropriation Congress passed late last year. To my greatdelight—and maybe to the immense astonishment andwonder of some others—the Congress has given us thefull amount necessary to begin the long-overdue expan-sion of the Foreign Service. We have the green light tohire 360 additional Civil Service and Foreign Service per-sonnel above attrition between now and Sept. 30, 2002.

I don’t pretend to take a whit of the credit for convinc-ing the Congress. The President and the Secretary did theheavy lifting on this. They found the money, carried themessage, did the required Capitol Hill advocacy andguided this proposal to the finish line.

Now it’s up to us. Our well-wishers, and they aremany, as well as our skeptics, and they are still far toonumerous, are watching to see how we’re going to per-form. For a long time we’ve claimed that if we got theresources, we would do things differently, and we coulddeliver better results. Now it’s time to show results.

My New Year’s resolution, therefore, is one that I’mhappy to share with you. It is very simple: “We are goingto deliver.”

I’d like to invite you to include this resolution in yourown list, too. Up there above the one that says, “Lose fivepounds by Feb. 1.” Among the realistic ones, I mean.

Fortunately, my staff and I have not been standing stillduring the summer and fall. We have used existingresources in this preparation period so that we would be

6 State Magazine

in the best possible position to meet the chal-lenge if the Congress granted us the funds.This means doing everything we can to posi-tion ourselves so as to attract, examine, clearand hire the very best that America has tooffer. It also requires the closest cooperationbetween the DG’s office and the ForeignService Institute to ensure that we have thespace, the instructors, the materials and thevision required to move this process forward.

When this magazine reaches you, we willbe welcoming—or be about to welcome—a

brand new class of junior officers. The January 2002 classwill be the second one to enter under the Secretary’sDiplomatic Readiness Initiative. We have already madehiring offers to more than 90 of them. It will be the first ofa series of 90-member Junior Officer classes that we arepreparing to welcome.

This isn’t just going to put a strain on the FSI cafeteria.A colleague of mine has referred to this situation as the“goat in the python,” and he wasn’t talking about thecafeteria menu. Language training, opportunities forspouses, area studies, the career development andassignments offices—all of these are going to face newchallenges. We will also need more of you to serve asmentors and role models to help welcome and developall this new talent.

We have not been standing still on the Civil Serviceside, either. Deputy Assistant Secretary Alex de la Garzatook the lead in doing a comprehensive review of theCivil Service hiring process, to determine how long eachstep of the process is taking, where the bottlenecks areand how these can be eliminated. We want to make ourCivil Service hiring process as agile and speedy as possi-ble, and 2002 will give us an opportunity to test somenew approaches.

This is why 2002 looks so good to me. We have the moneywe need. We have ramped up as carefully and imaginative-ly as we know how. We have got new people lined up at thestarting line. So now it’s testing time for our capacity andour resolve. This is therefore a New Year’s resolution thatwe have got to keep: We are going to deliver. ■

G

Post of the Month:

GuadalajaraThe Guadalajara Cathedral

By Donald E. Jacobson

uadalajara, Mexico’ssecond largest city, is the capital ofthe west-central state of Jalisco.Known as the birthplace of mari-achi music, home of the tequilaindustry and source of some ofMexico’s best handicrafts, theregion has recently developed avery different reputation as the“Silicon Valley of Latin Amer-ica.” In the few short years sincethe implementation of the NorthAmerican Free Trade Agreement,U.S. $1.4 billion in foreign invest-ment has brought more than 270 new electronics plants to the Guadalajara area. Now,Guadalajara is host to facilitieswhere Hewlett-Packard conductsR&D and manufactures severalmillion printers per year for theU.S. market and where IBMassembles laptops destined for theLatin American market.

The U.S. Consulate Generalserves one of the largest expatriateU.S. communities anywhere, withapproximately 50,000 U.S. resi-dents and an equal number oftourists at any given time. Manyresident Americans are retirees,attracted to the area by the perfectweather and beautiful scenerynear Lake Chapala, Mexico’slargest freshwater lake. But LakeChapala has been shrinking inrecent years and is now reportedlyat a level that is 19 percent of its

January 2002 7

Young woman with a childsells her handmade beadeditems in Plaza Tapatia.

Dancers perform the Jarabe,traditional Tapatian dance.

Photo by Jeff Greenberg/Folio, In

“full” capacity. So U.S. newcomers are choosing to settleon the coast instead. The highest concentrations on thecoast are in Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, but a surpris-ing number are in small towns all along the Pacific coast.

The consulate’s busy U.S. citizen services unit handles avariety of emergency cases, ranging from high-profilehomicides to more routine problems such as repatriationand replacement of lost travel documents. A consular offi-cer makes monthly trips to the lakeside communities ofChapala and Ajijic to handle outreach, execute notarials

8 State Magazine

Consulate employees, from left, Joanne Edwards, Angela Emerson, Betty Swope,Dan Perrone and Don Jacobson “join” a Mariachi band.

and receive passport appli-cations. The U.S. ConsularAgency in Puerto Vallartaprovides emergency servic-es for Americans in the cityand in the rapidly growingresort area to its north.

As in most U.S. posts inMexico, visa work is animportant component of theconsulate’s public profile.Jalisco has long been amongthe Mexican states with thehighest rates of undocu-mented migration to theUnited States. Improvedcustomer service for visaapplicants, strong familyties between Jalisco and theUnited States, a steadilygrowing Mexican economyand increased difficulty inillegally crossing the borderc.

Photo by Peter Menzel/PictureQuest

have contributed to a rapid growth in visaapplications. The consulate generalprocessed almost 250,000 visa applications inFY01, more than twice the number processedin FY98.

Guadalajara is one of the 10 posts inMexico issuing “laser visas,” a high-techcredit-card-sized travel document. ForeignService National employees take digital fin-gerprints and photos of every applicant. Thefingerprints of approved applicants areautomatically checked against theImmigration and Naturalization Service’sdatabase to see if the applicant has ever beendeported or picked up by the Border Patrol.

Left, FSN Monica Ornelastakes a digital photo of avisa applicant. Below,visa applicants wait tobe processed.

The consulate general’s federal benefits unit has 11FSNs covering seven Mexican states and serving a totalof 23,000 American and Mexican citizens who receivesocial security or veterans’ benefits. Ever vigilant in pur-suing fraudulent claims, the unit’s field representativeshave detected 74 cases of fraud in the past year, savingthe U.S. government $3.5 million.

Law enforcement is a key element in the consulate’swork. The Drug Enforcement Administration has beenpresent in Guadalajara for years, because of to west-cen-tral Mexico’s importance as a center for drug trafficking

Senior FSN Yolanda Macias handlesspecial consular services.

and money laundering. The DEA office gath-ers intelligence on drug trafficking and coop-erates closely with U.S. and Mexican lawenforcement authorities. Enrique Camarena,the DEA agent who was kidnapped and mur-dered by drug traffickers in 1985, wasassigned to his agency’s Guadalajara office atthe time of his death.

The legal attaché’s staff can testify to thefact that the transit of U.S. criminals to Mexicois not just a Hollywood myth. Agents spendabout 70 percent of their time tracking downfugitives and coordinating with Mexicanauthorities for their deportation or extraditionto the United States. Between January andAugust 2001 alone, the Guadalajara officereturned 21 fugitives to the United States.

The U.S. Commercial Service in Guadalajarahelps U.S. firms promote their products andservices in seven states in western Mexico.Gateway to the region, the city is the nation’ssecond largest distribution and retail center.more than 50 percent of Mexico’s consumermarket is located within a 350-mile radius ofGuadalajara, the closest major city to Mexico’s

January 2002 9

major Pacific cargo port. Theoffice recently organized an inno-vative Financing USA initiative,which brought together Mexicanimporters and U.S. financial insti-tutions willing to finance theirpurchases from the United States.

The U.S. Department ofAgriculture’s animal and planthealth inspection service facili-tates the exportation of Mexicanproduce while protecting thehealth of U.S. consumers. Theoffice manages a pre-clearanceprogram for Mexican mangoand avocado exporters, ensuringthat all special entry healthrequirements are met beforethey are shipped to the UnitedStates. Costs for this programare borne by Mexican exporters.

1

Large baskets of grain and nuts for salein a store in downtown Guadalajara.

Photo by Owen Franken/PictureQuest

Although a typical dayinvolves interviewing more

than 1,200 visa applicants, theU.S. Consulate General inGuadalajara boasts a courteousand efficient staff that takes cus-tomer service to heart. Suchattention to high-level customerservice can be attributed, in part,to a course required of allemployees called Best Practicesin Consular Service: How to Findthe Leader Within You.

First tour officer Brian Quigley developed the day-long customer service course. Prior to entering theForeign Service, Mr. Quigley was a sales and marketingconsultant and advised several Fortune 500 companies.

Mr. Quigley adapted his course to help consulateemployees take advantage of their professional andpersonal life and focus on the positive, even in whatseem to be hopeless situations. Participants learn torecognize their own value systems to interact withothers successfully. Techniques such as how to han-

dle people and winning peopleover are introduced. Mr.Quigley’s delivery style isupbeat and his course thriveson audience participation.

The former consultant stressesthat customer service first startswith fellow co-workers. The pro-gram highlights that one’s co-workers, boss and employeesare also customers. “Setting agood customer service examplestarts with how we treat each

other,” Mr. Quigley said. It is also important, he said, torecognize that although not all people will be qualifiedto receive a visa, everyone deserves to be treated withrespect and courtesy.

The now-popular course has been presented fourtimes in Guadalajara (including in Spanish to the localguard force), at the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarezand at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. More locationsare expected to follow.

Taking Customer Service to Heart

Instructor Brian Quigley conducts customer service course.

0 State Magazine

The consulate general building, constructed in 1966.

In addition to handling the consulate’s media relations,the public affairs section promotes mutual understand-ing between the United States and Mexico and con-tributes to the current Mexican administration’s reformefforts. For example, the section brought a public admin-istration expert to Guanajuato to explain the Oregonmodel for establishing government performance bench-marks. President Vicente Fox, who was then governor ofGuanajuato, was so impressed with the model that headopted something similar in his own state. Since assum-ing office, he has implemented this approach to respon-sive, more accountable government nationwide.

Diana Mejia is the administrative assistant in the federal benefits unit.

FSN Graciela Manzanares handles passports and citizen issues.

Mexico’s “Second City,” the mariachi and tequila capi-tal of the world, stands squarely at the center of a dynam-ic new Mexico and a closer, more productive partnershipwith the United States. The U.S. Consulate inGuadalajara contributes significantly to both of thesedevelopments. ■

The author is the chief of the nonimmigrant visa section of theU.S. Consulate General in Guadalajara, Mexico.

January 2002 11

12

UAlac

International ConferencesInternational ConferencesOffice of the Month:

State Magazine

Ellis Estes swung into action recently during a conference in Morocco whena delegate from another country fell from a hotel balcony. The former Marineadministered first aid until an ambulance arrived. In Nairobi, Ed Malcik lenthis sports jacket and tie to a member of Congress whose luggage was lost.

Ellis Estes shares incidentin Marrakech with col-leagues, including DennyEge, right.

N Generalssembly is OIC’srgest annual

onference.

Photo courtesy of U.N.

Story by Jan Lenet and Kathleen StemplinskiPhotos by Carl Goodman

The two Department employees above were onlydemonstrating the quick thinking and imagina-tion needed when you are part of the team of theOffice of International Conferences in the Bureau

of International Organization Affairs. A former White House entity and the bureau’s oldest

office, the OIC coordinates U.S. delegates’ participationin multilateral intergovernmental conferences. Theresponsibility flows from the Secretary of State’s preemi-nent role in U.S. foreign affairs. In this respect, the office’smission is to make sure that U.S. involvement in multi-lateral conferences is successful.

Budget analyst Terry Keating,left, confers with programofficer Margaret Morrisey.

To accomplish its mission, the office has divisions forprograms and administration.

The program division processes accreditation andcredentialing requests for official U.S. participants. Thedivision ensures that the United States is well repre-sented in multilateral international conferences andthat U.S. delegations are the right size to achieve U.S.foreign policy objectives. The division also addressesoverall budget issues like travel and funding for

Program assistant ChristineYuan-Winter compilesreports to Congress.

Frank Provyn has directed the OIC since 1985.

accredited U.S. delegations and providesrequired reports to Congress.

The administrative division coordinatesand oversees logistical support to U.S. delega-tions. At its most basic level, the divisionassists in preparing travel orders, informingtravelers and providing other documentation.For larger delegations, the division developsbudgets, coordinates plans and negotiateswith vendors for accommodations, control

January 2002 13

The Asia Pacific EconomicCooperation forum is one of manyconferences the OIC supports.

Seattle wasthe site of theWTO in 1999.

Photo by Ed Gifford/Masterfile

rooms, computers, communications, telephones, localtransportation and temporary secretarial staff.

Administrative officers also coordinate representation-al events. When the U.S. delegations are particularlylarge, officers will survey sites before the events and giveon-the-ground supervision and logistical assistance dur-

ing the conferences.In this role, officerstravel extensively.They also coordinatesupport for largerconferences withlocal U.S. missions.

The OIC isinvolved in a widerange of UN-relatedconferences andmeetings outside theUN framework.These include small-er technical meetingsand larger familiarones like the UnitedNations GeneralAssembly, theInternational AtomicEnergy Agency, the

JoAnn Howd isnew to OIC.

14 State Magazine

Organization of AmericanStates, the Organizationfor Economic Cooperationand Development and theAsia Pacific EconomicCooperation forum.

The office does not typi-cally support bilateralmeetings, according toFrank Provyn, office direc-tor. A member of theSenior Executive Serviceand director of the OICsince 1985, Mr. Provynpraised his team of CivilService and ForeignService employees as thebest in the business.

“They know their stuff,they work hard and theymake things happen suc-cessfully,” the federal exec-utive said.

The OIC manages someconferences when theUnited States serves ashost. The most recent and

Program division secretaryAnn O’Keefe keeps thepaperwork flowing.

familiar of these was the World Trade OrganizationMinisterial in Seattle in 1999. For that meeting, with morethan 9,000 attendees, the OIC coordinated with WhiteHouse, State Department and other agency staff; gatheredand evaluated bids from a number of interested cities; andarranged lodging, transportation, temporary supportstaff; and phone and Internet connections.

Conference assistantClarence Winder likes hiswork’s variety.

The OIC evaluates requests for itshelp within the context of compet-ing needs, staffing and budgetarylimitations. The office previouslyfunded conference participants fromState and other agencies through theInternational Conferences andContingencies appropriation. Thatappropriation, however, has notbeen funded in recent years. Whilethe OIC continues to process accred-itation requests for both theDepartment and other agencies,funding support is now restricted to State Department conferencerequirements. ■

Ms. Lenet heads the program division andMs. Stemplinski is senior administrativeofficer in the OIC.

◆ APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation)meetings in Beijing, Shenzhen, Dalian andShanghai, China

◆ GDIN (Global Disaster Information Network)meeting in Canberra, Australia

◆ OAS (Organization of American States) GeneralAssembly in San Jose, Costa Rica

◆ OAS CITEL PCC III (Inter-AmericanTelecommunications Commission PermanentConsultative Committee) inOttawa, Canada

◆ UNFCCC (UN Framework Convention on ClimateChange) meetings in Bonn, Germany, andMarrakech, Morocco

◆ IWC (International Whaling Commission) meeting in London, United Kingdom

◆ ASEAN (Association of Southeast AsianNations) regional forum in Hanoi, Vietnam

◆ UN World Conference Against Racism, RacialDiscrimination, Xenophobia and RelatedIntolerance in Durban, South Africa

◆ Net Diplomacy in Washington, D.C.

Conferences OICSupported in 2001

January 2002 15

Treasuring the Arts

It gets into everything: bread, cheese, jam and, yes, even art.We’re talking mold, and in a hot humid climate like

Guyana’s we’re talking serious mold. And seriously is how Judes Stellingwerf, a junior offi-

cer at the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown, took her discov-ery of mold growing beneath the glass and on rare printsof three hand-tinted, engraved copies of original water-colors by none other than John James Audubon.

Audubon’s legend-ary work, “The Birdsof America,” pub-lished in Englandbetween 1827 and1838, contained 435prints. He inter-spersed his bird biog-raphies with episodeson American life andhis writings are con-sidered a literarytreasure as well.

The Georgetownprints, dating from1832, are Audubon’slife-like depictions ofbirds perched on

Photo by Judes Stellingwerf

16 State Magazine

branches feeding on moths, insects, wasps and berries. Thecolors are browns, greens and reds accenting yellows andblues.

The prints were hanging in the embassy’s conferenceroom when Ms. Stellingwerf discovered moisture trappedinside the frames of the prints. Left unchecked, the moldcould have destroyed the rare prints within a few years.Fortunately, that was not the case.

Ms. Stellingwerf, who has a master’s degree in art his-tory, contacted Jennifer Loynd, who manages curatorialservices in the interior design and furnishings division ofOverseas Buildings Operations. Ms. Loynd advised thejunior officer-sleuth to crate and ship the prints directly toa conservation studio at the Shakespeare Folger Library inWashington, D.C.

At the Folger, the prints became the wards of conser-vator J. Franklin Mowery. Mr. Mowery saw problemsthat were nearly invisible to the naked eye. For exam-ple, he found mold colonies, which he removed with avacuum aspirator. He also detected deposits imbeddedin the prints from insects and other foreign matter,which he removed with a scalpel under magnification.The prints were then dry-cleaned to remove anyremaining surface dirt and debris.

The curator was able to reduce stains on the prints bycareful spot washing and covering the discolored areas

Continued on page 18

Friends of Art to Be Honored

President and Mrs. Bush willhonor the Friends of Art andPreservation in Embassies at a

reception scheduled to be held in thespring, according to Lee KimcheMcGrath, executive director.

The reception and other events,originally scheduled for Sept. 12–14,

were postponed because of the Sept.11 terrorist attacks on America.

FAPE is a nonprofit, tax-exemptfoundation established in 1986 toenhance the representation ofAmerican culture in U.S. Embassiesoverseas. Besides contributing numer-ous works of American art, the foun-

dation alsofunds restora-tion projects athistoric prop-erties ownedby the U.S.governmentoverseas.

“Flower Bed, WashingtonSquare” by John Sloan

State takes its holdings seriously

“

Winfield House,London

Ambassador’s Residence,Tokyo

Schoenborn Palace,Prague

Register Documents Special Overseas Holdings

Photos courtesy of Overseas Buildings Operations

The Department of State owns or has under long-term lease more than 3,500 properties at 265 postsworldwide. Among these, the Department holds

title to more than 150 properties that have been identifiedas significant historically, architecturally or culturally.Building types include chanceries, residences, officebuildings and housing. The Department also has a signif-icant collection of fine and decorative arts in its inventory.

The Cultural Resources Committee, a multidisciplinaryworking committee in Overseas Buildings Operations,provides expert advice and guidance on the recognition,documentation and preservation of significant culturalproperty overseas that the Department owns or controls.

The committee maintains the official inventory of thesesignificant properties, develops guidelines for theirpreservation and ensures that preservation policy isapplied consistently and coherently.

The Secretary of State’s Register of CulturallySignificant Property serves as the official listing of impor-tant diplomatic overseas architecture and property thatfigure prominently in U.S. international heritage. Theregister is similar to the U.S. National Register of Historic

designation is honorific and does not restrict the alter-ation or sale of the property, it establishes a frameworkfor the Department to serve as the professional stewardsof properties requiring special consideration.

The responsibility for maintaining these special prop-erties and objects resides in Overseas BuildingsOperations. ■

During the White Housereception, FAPE will announcethe completion of its Millenniumproject, the Gift to the Nation, acollection of 245 works ofAmerican art. The works, donat-ed by FAPE and project mem-bers, artists, corporations, privatecollectors and galleries, will beplaced permanently in U.S.Embassies throughout the world.Deep Blue C” by Elizabeth Murray

Other events scheduled inconnection with the project are atour of the State Department, anaddress by presidential historianMichael Bescholoss, a dinner atthe new Italian embassy, privatetours of art exhibitions and adinner at the Library ofCongress in honor of Secretaryand Mrs. Powell.

“Reflections on Senorita”by Roy Lichtenstein

Photos courtesy of Friends of Art andPreservation in Embassies

January 2002 17

Photo by Judes Stellingwerf

with new paper. The pricelessprints also had begun to buckle,a problem solved by controlledhumidification, flattening anddrying. The procedures wererepeated until the printsremained relatively flat withouthelp.

The conservation processtook several months, accordingto Ms. Loynd.

“Usually we hire local spe-cialists for projects like thisone,” she said, “but the condi-tion of these valuable prints wasso fragile that I thought it best tobring them to Washington,D.C.”

Rare PrintsContinued from page 16

18 State Magazine

She commended the post fordiscovering the problem, deter-mining that a local solution wasunlikely and seeking supportfrom headquarters staff.

The restored prints arrivedhome safely in August and theyare now displayed proudly in theambassador’s office. ■

Readers Respond to Survey

The Post of the Month feature enjoys wide popularityamong State Magazine readers, including active dutyand retired Foreign Service and Civil Service employ-

ees, according to a readership survey conducted during lateSeptember and early October.

The survey, conducted electronically and by mail of anapproximately 500-strong random sample of employeesstateside and overseas, found wide support for changesintroduced to the magazine since the last survey in 1996.The most significant of these was color, a feature sinceNovember 1999.

Readers also welcomed two new features: the Bureau andOffice of the Month. Features generally got high marks fromthe 48 percent of readers who responded to the survey. Ofthose respondents, 45 percent were Civil Service employees; 24 percent Foreign Service employees; 17 percentretirees; 10 percent Foreign Service National employees; and 4 percent from other agencies.

While the hard-copy edition of the magazine remains the preferred medium for 58 percent of the readers, 21 percentof the respondents said they read the magazine online and 21 percent indicated they read the magazine in both hard -and soft-copy formats. The magazine has been on the Internet since 1996 and on the Department’s Intranet since 2000.

The majority of readers, 62 percent, said they read the magazine frequently, 34 percent said occasionally and 4 per-cent said never. Asked how timely distribution was during the past 12 months, 57 percent responded more timely,34 percent said less timely and 9 percent said seldom timely.

Respondents overall said they were pleased with the product and would like to see more features and news in themonthly magazine, which began as a typewritten newsletter in 1947.

For more survey details, visit the Department’s Intranet (http://hrweb.hr.state.gov/er/statemag/) or the Internet(www.state.gov/m/dghr/statemag).

S

Duringat How

tate Welcomes Disabled Students

Story by Brenda RossPhotos by Shawn Moore

The State Department participated recently in itssecond annual National Disability EmploymentMentoring Day. The day allows young peoplewith disabilities to gain insight into career

options in government and the private sector throughpersonal mentoring. It also provides new and often eye-opening perspectives to employers concerning the full,on-the-job qualifications of persons with disabilities.

The Office of Civil Rights organized and sponsoredmentoring day to help the students evaluate their ownpersonal goals, target possible career paths or, at times, todevelop a lasting mentor relationship. On this particularday, young people with disabilities, ages 16 to 22, spent aday in the Department shadowing employees through anormal workday and touring public areas and offices.

Disabled students from Howard University, CardozaSenior High School and the Very Special Arts School ofWashington, D.C., were paired with Department employ-ees according to the students’ interests and career goals.Elizabeth Akinola, for example, a visually impaired lawstudent at Howard University, was paired with a lawyerin the Office of the Legal Adviser.

At an opening ceremony in the Harry S TrumanBuilding’s Delegates Lounge, the students learned aboutthe Department and were briefed on the day’s agenda.

Programs promote aware-ness and mentoring

disability mentoring day, June Carter Perry, left, Diplomat-in-Residenceard University, chats with Chakesha Bowman, a Howard student.

Over refreshments, they met informally with their men-tors from the Diplomatic Security, Consular Affairs andPublic Affairs and the Office of Legal Adviser.

During the day-long program, the students toured theeighth-floor reception area, where Deputy SecretaryRichard Armitage greeted them. Following lunch, LynnCassel, director of the Office of Press Relations, briefedthe students on the history and activities of the PressOffice. They also met briefly with the Secretary.

June Carter Perry, Diplomat-in-Residence at HowardUniversity, applauded the participation of Howard stu-dents in this year’s program. She said she is responsiblefor developing and expanding student interest in inter-national affairs at Howard and for counseling diversecandidates about domestic and overseas career opportu-nities in the Department. She noted that the Departmentand the university had signed an agreement to strength-en their relationship through cooperation.

In another event focused on disability awareness,Kathy Buckley, America’s first hearing-impaired comedi-enne, made Department employees do somethingunusual in the Dean Acheson Auditorium: they laughed.Though hearing-impaired since birth, Ms. Buckley hasovercome her disability and forged a career as a comedi-enne, actress, motivational speaker and humanitarian.Paul Schafer was the program’s master of ceremonies.

Ms. Buckley made it clear that she is more than acomic. Explaining that her humor has a higher purpose,she said she uses personal experiences to humor andeducate others. “My comedy disarms people. I love tomake people laugh, but I love it even more if I can teachthem something at the same time.” ■

The author is equal employment manager in the Office of Civil Rights.

January 2002 19

Sarah Fuller tries herhand at sawing.

Joining Hearts and Hands in Kenya

Hearts and hands were joined recently in ruralKenya when a group of about 30 U.S. Embassyemployees and family members joined Habitatfor Humanity for a weekend to help build homesfor three families.

Lime-green rice paddies and flowering jacaranda treesbrightened the drive to the work site east of Mt. Kenya.But beyond the lush countryside there were soberreminders for embassy employees of just how muchpoverty remains beyond Kenya’s capital.

When the group arrived, they erected 13 pop-uptents—a far cry from building permanent housing—on aplot of church land. Local Habitat for Humanity workersand volunteers seemed awed by what Americans consid-er essential for a weekend trip—sleeping bags, pillows,air mattresses and coolers—unloaded from four-wheel-drive vehicles. Prior to the group’s arrival, members ofthe local Habitat Kenya committee had erected solar

20 State Magazine

After the first evening meal of stew, rice, sukumawiki (aspinach-like vegetable) and fruit, Jerry McCann, director ofHabitat for Humanity in Kenya, briefed the volunteers onwhat to expect the next day. In case anyone had illusions ofconstruction grandeur, the director diplomatically set themstraight. He made it clear that there was no shortage oflabor in Kenya and that these houses eventually would bebuilt with or without embassy assistance. He said the inter-cultural exchanges that would take place during the projectwould be the weekend’s most important goal.

This was a special occasion for Mr. McCann for anoth-er reason. One of the weekend volunteers, AmbassadorJohnnie Carson, had sworn him in as a Peace Corps vol-unteer in Uganda a decade ago. A former constructionengineer in California, Mr. McCann gave up a prosperousNewport Beach business to pursue humanitarian assis-tance and development work.

During a question and answer session, the volunteerslearned that the greatest challenge of the Habitat pro-gram is to build trust in the community approach andresist the temptation of dispensing paid jobs to friends orfamily over qualified applicants.

Phot

o by

Fly

nn F

ulle

r

The author with home-owner and child.

The next morning, the “wanna-be builders” divided intothree groups and set off enthusiastically to measure, ham-mer and saw at three chosen sites. Each group was assigneda partially completed structure under the supervision of afundi (skilled builder). Robert, our fundi, spoke Meru,Kiswahili and English and seemed to have no misconcep-tions about the inexperienced crew he inherited. He hadsupervised many tenderfoot work groups before and real-ized his workload would not be diminished. Volunteersquickly dispensed lessons in sawing and hammering unsea-soned bowed planks. Few appeared proficient at either task,though everyone seemed eager to advise others.

By noon, the sun and physical work had taken its toll.Everyone was ready to break for lunch, which was pro-vided by the future homeowner. The wife and two chil-dren showed their gratefulness by serving a generouslunch of rice, cabbage, stew, water, tea and papaya.

During an afternoon walk to a nearby finished Habitathouse, volunteers met a widow with five children whohad moved into her completed structure. On her wooden

Embassy employees at work.

Proud widow-homeownerat her new home.

front door, she had placed a sticker ofExodus 15:2 and on each side of her entry-way two broken clay flowerpots filled withgeraniums. She said she was making therequired monthly payment on the loan sheacquired to build her house through the saleof coffee beans, the major cash crop in thearea, and with earnings from the sale of veg-etables from her tiny garden. Unfortunately,the lack of rain hadn’t helped.

By the end of the day, the group ofsweaty, sunburned, flushed wazungus (for-eigners) felt they had accomplished a fairamount. Trusses had been built, planksnailed to foundations and one group hadeven started erecting the walls of a house.Upon leaving, the construction crew joked

that it would take them 10 days to builda house with our help and five dayswithout our help (at least, we thoughtthey were joking!).

The Habitat director’s words aboutintercultural exchange being moreimportant came true. Getting to knowsome of the national board membersand other Kenyans enriched the volun-teers’ lives. The hope in each countrywhere Habitat operates is to eventuallyplace all ownership of the projects innational hands. For more informationabout the HFH Kenya program, click onhttp://www.hfhkenya.or.ke. ■

The author, former community liaison officerin Dhaka, teaches at the International Schoolof Kenya. Her husband, Flynn Fuller, is with USAID.

January 2002 21

Nicknamed “the Rev. Ruth” by theSecretary, Director General Ruth Davisdelivers an impassioned introduction atthe retirement ceremony.

Phot

o by

Mic

hael

Gro

ss

Secretary Powell Honors Retirees

22 State Magazine

Robert Sadler and his dad“Hal” strike a father-and-son pose in the BenjaminFranklin Room.

Photo by Dave Krecke

More than 100 retirees, representing a stagger-ing 2,400 years of government service, gath-ered on a balmy last day of November forthe annual retirement ceremony in the

Benjamin Franklin Room. The U.S. Army String Quartetfilled the hall with beautiful music.

Ambassador Ruth A. Davis, director general of theForeign Service and director of Human Resources,presided over the event and introduced the Secretary.

Secretary Powell, a retiree of sorts himself, heartilythanked the employees for their service to their countryand to the Department, assuring them that they willalways belong to the State family and extending them awarm welcome to return. He urged his audience to enjoytheir new freedom by spending time with their familiesand pursuing interests they lacked time for during theirworking lives.

He reminded his listeners that they remain a valuableresource, as recruiters to bring talented young people tothis exciting work and as experienced interpreters of theDepartment’s mission for citizens unsure about what theState Department does.

2

Phot

o by

Mic

hael

Gro

ss

Secretary Powell greets Sandra Ulmer, a veteransecretary on the 7th floor.

Retiduri

After his brief remarks, SecretaryPowell shook hands and posed forphotos with each of the employeesas Ambassador Davis read theirnames. The group, Civil Service andForeign Service employees who hadretired since last year’s ceremony,came from 23 states and the Districtof Columbia. They spoke 24 differentlanguages, from Arabic to Urdu, andhad served in every region of theworld. Six ambassadors were amongthe honored retirees.

Like the Secretary, several of theretirees joined State after serving in themilitary. Commissioned in the U.S.Navy in 1959, Del Junker retired 20years later. He then embarked on aForeign Service career, starting at thebottom as a junior officer in 1981. Mr.Junker retired for a second time justthis year. Harold “Hal” Sadler had asimilar experience. A Vietnam veteran

who earned a BronzeStar in combat, Mr.Sadler retired after a 20-year militarycareer. He worked 10years as a civilian forthe Department ofDefense and waswooed away by Statefor another 10 years

They came from 3 states, speaking

24 languages

rees Marjorie Ransom and Stanley Silverman chatng the reception that followed the ceremony.

as an accounting officer. His son Robert, a London School ofEconomics graduate and an employee at Sally Mae, attend-ed the ceremony. It was impossible to tell who was prouder,father or son.

Clarnice Holmes began her Civil Service career withState in 1959 in the Bureau of Cultural Affairs. She shift-ed to the U.S. Information Agency in 1978 when theagency assumed responsibility for educational and cul-

tural affairs. She returned to Stateduring the USIA merger two yearsago, having seen more than her shareof reorganizations. Thomas Hairston,another Civil Service employee,joined the Department the same year,42 years ago. These two employeesserved under 10 different presidents.

She may not have served as manypresidents, but in 37 years in theForeign Service, Elaine E. Ott servedin 11 different posts. That’s a lot ofpacking and unpacking.

Sandra Ulmer, who joined theDepartment as a secretary in 1964,may have spent more time on the 7thfloor’s “Mahogany Row” than anyother employee. She worked fordecades in the offices of under secre-taries in three different bureaus.

After the Secretary had greeted allof the retirees, the honored guests andtheir families enjoyed refreshments ata post-ceremony reception. ■

January 2002 23

Photo by Dave Krecke

The Debub Nigat Circus performs insouthern Ethiopian marketplace.

A Circus with a Purpose: TroupeSpreads HIV/AIDS Prevention Messages

When the Debub NigatCircus comes to town, livesare saved.

The circus troupe from southern Ethiopia, made upentirely of AIDS orphans ranging in age from 7 to19, communicates HIV/AIDS prevention messagesthrough public performances in rural marketplaces

throughout southern Ethiopia. In return, the performersreceive education, vocational training and room and

24 State Magazine

board at the Awassa Vocational Training and DebubNigat Circus Center.

David Schein, a Chicago-based specialist in public out-reach through street theater, helped the performersdevelop skits about HIV/AIDS prevention, combiningacrobatics, comedy, drama, dancing and singing. Thetroupe’s success with largely illiterate rural communitiescaught the attention of Vathani Amirthanayagam, healthofficer with the U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment in Ethiopia.

At the same time, the Department’s Bureau of Oceansand International Environmental and Scientific Affairsannounced a mini-grant initiative to fund public diplo-macy projects that advanced key OES issues. JenniferPayne, who works in the bureau’s Regional EnvironmentOffice for East Africa, based at the U.S. Embassy in Addis

Troupe captures audience’sattention with skit onHIV/AIDS prevention.

Ababa, was consulting with colleagues about potentialoutreach projects to fund.

When she learned about the circus performers, sheknew she had a winning proposal. Diplomatic supportfor international efforts against the further spread of theHIV/AIDS pandemic is the principal OES concern.

Embassy staff cooperated in crafting a proposal toemploy the circus to promote HIV/AIDS prevention in

Girma Melesse, director of the Debub Nigat CircuVocational Training Center, displays grant docum

remote communities along the truck route linkingEthiopia and Kenya, where HIV/AIDS prevalence ratesare usually significantly higher. OES approved a grant for$2,000. The modest sum financed 30 performances at 10venues along the southern truck route, attracting an esti-mated 30,000 spectators. To boost attendance, perform-ances took place on each town’s weekly market day.Officials estimate that for every dollar spent, about 15

people received the HIV/AIDS pre-vention message.

Efforts are under way for theDebub Nigat Circus to perform atrefugee camps in the region and at aU.S. Fish & Wildlife-financedwildlife conservation seminar forleaders of traditional peoples in thesouthernmost reaches of Ethiopia.

In Washington, D.C., meanwhile,OES is planning to repeat this suc-cessful funding initiative to encour-age more creative and collaborativepublic diplomacy programs. ■

The author is regional environmental offi-cer at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa.s and

ent.

January 2002 25

t

STATE OF THE ARTS

alendar

ChancellorString Quartet.

◆ Jan. 23 Pianists Bob Snyder and Rosanne Conway celebratingBlack History Month

◆ Feb. 13 Violinist Timothy Schwarz and Chancellor String Quartetperform music of Joseph Goodrich

◆ Feb. 27 Classical pianist Kinesha Forbes celebrating Women’s History Month

◆ March 13 Sirocco, women’s woodwind quintet, and pianist Li-Ly Chang◆ March 27 Tenor Jose Sacin and pianist Anastassia Ivanova◆ April 10 Classical pianist Wayne Dorsey◆ April 24 Pianist Marcos Galvany, violinist Naomi Burns and sopranis

Karla Rivera perform music of Marcos Galvany ◆ May 8 Piano students from Georgetown University and the State

Department ◆ May 22 Cellist James Wilson

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

Upcoming C

26 State Magazine

Celebrating the Guitar

Bandura Ensemble

By John Bentel

The State of the Arts Cultural Series and The ForeignAffairs Recreation Association celebrated the guitarduring its most recent series.

Opening the series was the Aurora Guitar Quartet withguitarists Christopher Dunn, Rafael Padron, Akiko andKeishi Sumi. Next up was Francesc De Paula Soler, calledthe Poet of the Guitar for his sensitive playing of LatinAmerican music. He performed Scherzino Mexicano byManuel Ponce and Batucada by Isais Savio. He concludedhis program with the fiery dance Chopi by Pablo Escobar.

Guitarist Paul Moeller and his wife, cellist KerencaMoeller, performed Bach’s Sonata No.#1 in G, BWV 1027,Adagio and Allegro ma non tanto before fast-forwarding tocontemporary Radames Gnattali’s Sonata for Cello andGuitar. They concluded their program with Heitor Villa-Lobos’ Bachinanas Braslieiras No. 5.

“Ragtime Bob” Darch humored and enlightened hisaudience with songs from the saloon circuit. One of the firstprofessional ragtime entertainers since the heyday of rag-time music, Mr. Darch, who is 81, helped revive the careersof Eubie Blake, Charlie Thompson and Joe Jordan. He hasorganized and launched ragtime festivals throughout theUnited States and Canada. ■

The author is a computer specialist in the Executive Secretariat.

People Like YouPeople Like You

The Farm House

Financier prefers putting pen

to paper in other ways

serves at thece center Slding.

Give Paul Soma somepaper and a pen

and you might get amasterpiece.

A financial assistant who’susually seen at the cashier’soffice of the travel servicecenter dispersing money toemployees, Mr. Soma hasbeen with the Departmentsince 1988. His flare forsketching began in highschool, where he did somecartooning, and continuedon during college at JamesMadison University, whereMr. Soma took a few artcourses but ended up major-ing in finance. Mr. Soma has

a penchant for sketching homes and people. A recent photo-like sketch of the Blair House, the President’s official guest

The Statue

Volume isn’tone of his artisticgoals. Mr. Somasaid he usuallycompletes just ahandful of sketch-es per year, mostly“by request orinspiration.”

Paul Soma customer atravel serviin the HarryTruman Bui

January 2002 27

Photo by Paul Koscak

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

U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Andorra. George Argyrosof California is the new U.S. Ambassador to Spain andAndorra. At the time of his appointment, he was chairmanand chief executive officer of Arnel and Affiliates, a diver-sified investment company in Costa Mesa, Calif. Mr.Argyros served on the Advisory Committee for TradePolicy and Negotiations during the Reagan Administrationand on the board of the Federal Home Loan MortgageCorp. during the first Bush Administration. He chairs theRichard Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation and isfounding chairman of the Nixon Center in Washington,D.C. He and his wife have three grown children.

U.S. Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago. Roy L. Austinof Pennsylvania is the new U.S. Ambassador to Trinidadand Tobago. An associate professor of sociology atPennsylvania State University, Mr. Austin specializes incriminology and has written numerous books and papersin the field. He and his wife Glynis have three children.

U.S. Permanent Representative onthe Council of the North AtlanticTreaty Organization. R. NicholasBurns of Massachusetts, a careermember of the Senior ForeignService, class of Minister-Counselor,is the new U.S. PermanentRepresentative on the Council of theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization,with the rank of ambassador. He

was U.S. Ambassador to Greece from 1997 to 2001 and theDepartment spokesman and principal deputy assistantsecretary for Public Affairs from 1995 to 1997. Earlier, heserved on the National Security Council staff as specialassistant for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia. A ForeignService officer since 1980, Mr. Burns has also served in Jerusalem and Cairo. He and his wife Elizabeth havethree children.

U.S. Ambassador to the FederatedStates of Micronesia. Larry Dingerof Iowa, a career member of theSenior Foreign Service, class ofCounselor, is the new U.S.Ambassador to the FederatedStates of Micronesia. He wasdeputy chief of mission and chargéd’affaires in Kathmandu and Suva.He also served in Mexico City,

28 State Magazine

Jakarta and Canberra. Before entering the ForeignService, Mr. Dinger was a member of the U.S. Senate staff.Before that, he served as a U.S. Naval officer in Vietnam.He and his wife Paula have three children.

U.S. Ambassador to the Republicof South Africa. Cameron R.Hume of New York, a career mem-ber of the Senior Foreign Service,class of Minister-Counselor, is thenew U.S. Ambassador to theRepublic of South Africa. He wasspecial assistant to the U.S.Permanent Representative to theUnited Nations from 2000 to 2001

and U.S. Ambassador to Algeria from 1997 to 2000. Hewas political minister in the U.S. Mission to the UnitedNations and deputy chief of mission in the U.S. Missionto the Holy See. Mr. Hume joined the Foreign Service in1970 after serving in the Peace Corps in Libya. He hasalso served in Beirut, Tunis, Damascus and Palermo. Heand his wife Rigmor have three children.

U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Robert W. Jordan of Texas, a partner in the Dallas lawfirm of Baker Botts L.L.P. since 1985, is the new U.S.Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A directorof the State Bar of Texas since 2000, Mr. Jordan co-editeda volume on civil procedures and has contributed toDallas Bar publications. He served on active duty as anofficer in the U.S. Navy Reserve from 1968 to 1971. Mr.Jordan and his wife Ann have three children.

U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan. Laura E. Kennedy ofNew York, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service,class of Minister-Counselor, is the new U.S. Ambassadorto Turkmenistan. She was acting U.S. Representative anddeputy chief of mission in the U.S. Mission toInternational Organizations in Vienna. Ms. Kennedydirected the Office of Central Eurasian Affairs and wasdeputy director of the Office of Jordan, Syria, Lebanonand Palestinian Affairs in the Bureau of Near EasternAffairs. In her 26-year Foreign Service career, she alsoserved in Ankara, in Vienna on an earlier tour and inMoscow, twice. She and her husband John Feeney havetwo children.

U.S. Ambassador to the Republic ofFinland. Bonnie McElveen-Hunterof North Carolina, founder and pres-ident of Pace Communications, is thenew U.S. Ambassador to theRepublic of Finland. She has beenpresident and chief executive officerof Pace, the largest custom publish-ing company in the United States,since 1973. Ms. McElveen-Hunter is

a member of the international board of directors of Habitatfor Humanity. She and her husband Bynum Merritt Hunterhave one son.

U.S. Ambassador to the Republicof Rwanda. Margaret K. McMillionof the District of Columbia, a careermember of the Senior ForeignService, class of Counselor, is thenew U.S. Ambassador to theRepublic of Rwanda, returning tothe post of her first Foreign Serviceassignment. She directed the Officeof Analysis for Africa in the Bureau

of Intelligence and Analysis. She was deputy chief of mis-sion in the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane from 1996 to 1999.Her Foreign Service career began in 1975, and she hasalso held assignments in Thailand (two tours), SouthAfrica and Taiwan.

U.S. Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.William D. Montgomery of Pennsylvania, a career mem-ber of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, is the new U.S. Ambassador to the FederalRepublic of Yugoslavia. He has served as chargé d’af-faires with designated chief of mission status in Belgradesince reestablishing embassy operations there in October2000. He was U.S. Ambassador to Croatia from 1997 to2000 and to Bulgaria from 1993 to 1996. He was SpecialAdviser for Bosnia Peace Implementation during 1996and 1997. He served as deputy chief of mission in Sofiaand in Dar es Salaam. During a 27-year Foreign Servicecareer, Mr. Montgomery has also held assignments inMoscow and earlier in Belgrade. He and his wife Lynnehave three children.

U.S. Permanent Representative tothe Organization of AmericanStates. Roger F. Noreiga of Kansas,a senior professional staff memberof the U.S. Senate Committee onForeign Relations, is the new U.S.Representative to the Organizationof American States, with the rankof ambassador. He was on theForeign Relations Committee staff

from 1997 to 2001 and on the staff of the Committee onInternational Relations of the U.S. House ofRepresentatives from 1994 to 1997. Mr. Noreiga was asenior adviser for public information at the Organizationof American States from 1993 to 1994. From 1990 to 1993he was a senior policy adviser and alternate U.S.Permanent Representative in the U.S. Mission to theOrganization of American States.

U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia. John M.Ordway of California, a career member of the SeniorForeign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia. He wasdeputy chief of mission (1999 to 2001) and minister-coun-selor for political affairs (1996 to 1999) in the U.S.Embassy to the Russian Federation. From 1993 to 1995,Mr. Ordway served as deputy political adviser in the U.S.Mission to NATO in Brussels. He directed African Affairsat the National Security Council from 1992 to 1993 andwas deputy director of the Department’s Office of SovietUnion Affairs from 1990 to 1992. In addition to threetours in Moscow and one tour at NATO, Mr. Ordwayserved in Prague early in his career. He and his wifeMaryjo have two children.

U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Portugal. John N.Palmer of Mississippi, a telecommunications pioneer, isthe new U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Portugal. Thechairman of GulfSouth Capital, Inc., in Jackson, Miss., Mr.Palmer chaired SkyTel from 1989 until the firm was sold toWorldCom 10 years later. President George H.W. Bushappointed him to the President’s Export Council as a pri-vate sector adviser to the Secretary of Commerce from1988 to 1992, and President Reagan named him privatesector trade adviser to the Office of the U.S. TradeRepresentative from 1982 to 1986. Mr. Palmer chaired theboard of Mobile Communications Corp. of America inJackson, Miss., from 1973 to 1989. From 1961 to 1973, heheaded his own accounting firm, J.N. Palmer & Associates.As a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, he served onactive duty from 1957 to 1958. He and his wife Clementinehave four children.

January 2002 29

U.S. Ambassador to the State of Qatar. Maureen Quinnof New Jersey, a career member of the Senior ForeignService, class of Counselor, is the new U.S. Ambassadorto the State of Qatar. She was deputy chief of mission andchargé d’affaires in the U.S. Embassy in Morocco from1998 to 2001. She served as deputy executive secretary inthe Executive Secretariat from 1997 to 1998. Since joiningthe Foreign Service in 1981, she has also served inKarachi, Conakry and Panama City.

U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire.Arlene Render of Virginia, a career member of the SeniorForeign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, whereher Foreign Service career began as vice consul 31 yearsearlier. She directed the Office of Southern African Affairsin the Bureau of African Affairs and served as U.S.Ambassador to Zambia from 1996 to 1999. She directedthe Office of Central African Affairs from 1993 to 1996.Ms. Render was U.S. Ambassador to The Gambia from1990 to 1993 and deputy chief of mission in the U.S.Embassy in Accra from 1986 to 1989. Since joining theForeign Service in 1970, she has also served in Kingston,Brazzaville, Genoa and Tehran. Ms. Render is single andhas two adopted children.

U.S. Ambassador to the UnitedRepublic of Tanzania. Robert V.Royall of North Carolina, a banker,is the new U.S. Ambassador to theUnited Republic of Tanzania. Atthe time of his appointment he waschairman of the board of theNational Bank of South Carolina,where he had served as chief exec-utive officer from 1991 to 1995.

From 1995 to 1999, Mr. Royall was secretary of commercefor the state of South Carolina. He began his bankingcareer in 1960 with the C&S Bank of South Carolina andheld many management positions in the bank, rising topresident and chief executive officer from 1974 to 1986.Mr. Royall and his wife Edith have three daughters.

30 State Magazine

U.S. Ambassador to Italy. MelSembler of Florida, chairman of TheSembler Co., one of the nation’sleading shopping center develop-ers, is the new U.S. Ambassador toItaly. He served three and one-halfyears as U.S. Ambassador toAustralia during the first BushAdministration. As an internationalleader in the shopping center indus-

try, Mr. Sembler was president of the International Councilof Shopping Centers during 1986 and 1987. He was financeco-chairman for the state of Florida for the George Bush forPresident campaign in 1988 and finance chairman of theRepublican National Committee from 1997 to 2001. Mr.Sembler served on President Ronald Reagan’s WhiteHouse Conference for a Drug-Free America and was anadviser on drug policy to President George H.W. Bush andto former Florida Governor Bob Martinez. He and his wifeBetty have three sons.

U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdomof the Netherlands. Clifford M.Sobel of New Jersey, chairman ofNet2Phone, Inc., is the new U.S.Ambassador to the Kingdom of theNetherlands. He was founder andchief executive officer of DVMI &Bon-Art International of Newark,New Jersey, from 1971 to 1994, and aconsultant to the firm from 1995 to

2001. He founded SJJ Investment Corp., of Short Hills,New Jersey, in 1993 and served as the corporation’s chiefexecutive officer until his ambassadorial appointment. Mr.Sobel is the author of several articles and commentaries ontrade and defense issues. He and his wife Barbara havethree children.

U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Cameroon and theRepublic of Equatorial Guinea. George M. Staples ofKentucky, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service,class of Minister-Counselor, is the new U.S. Ambassadorto the Republic of Cameroon, serving concurrently asU.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.He was U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Rwandafrom 1999 to 2001. Mr. Staples served as deputy chief ofmission in the U.S. Embassy in Bahrain from 1996 to 1998and in Zimbabwe from 1992 to 1995. During his 20-yearcareer in the Department, he has also served in ElSalvador, Uruguay, Equatorial Guinea and the Bahamas.He and his wife Jo Ann have one daughter.

Assistant Secretary for Oceans and InternationalEnvironmental Scientific Affairs. John F. Turner ofWyoming, president and chief executive officer of TheConservation Fund since 1993, is the new assistant secre-tary for Oceans and International Environmental ScientificAffairs. He has been a partner in Triangle X Ranch, a guestranch in Moose, Wyo., since 1960. Mr. Turner directed theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1989 to 1993 during theAdministration of President George H.W. Bush. He was aWyoming state representative from 1970 to 1974 and astate senator from 1974 to 1989. He has written extensive-ly on environmental issues. Mr. Turner and his wife MaryKay have three children.

U.S. Ambassador to the UnitedArab Emirates. Marcelle M. Wahbaof California, a career member ofthe senior Foreign Service, class ofMinister-Counselor, is the new U.S.Ambassador to the United ArabEmirates. She was public affairsofficer in Cairo from 1999 to 2001,in Amman from 1995 to 1999, andin Nicosia from 1991 to 1995. She

joined the Foreign Service with the U.S. InformationAgency in 1986 and served as media coordinator anddeputy policy officer in the agency’s Office of NearEastern Affairs. In her first overseas assignment withUSIA, she served as press officer in the U.S. Embassy inCairo. Before joining USIA, she was a grants officer forthe American University in Cairo and a human resourcesspecialist for the city of Seattle. Ms. Wahba is married toDerek M. Farwagi and has one step-daughter.

PERSONNE

Chan, Lai WengCollins, James F.Del Prado, Guido A.Dinsmoor, Katherine L.

Ellis, Barbara Ann DysonGust, Sandra JeanHamilton, Donna J.Hassani, Frederic C.

Johnson, Gregory L.Kincer, Linda KayParent, Kenneth W.

RW

Foreign Service Retirements

U.S. Ambassador to the Slovak Republic. Ronald Weiserof Michigan, founder and chief executive officer ofMcKinley Associates, a real estate management andinvestment firm, is the new U.S. Ambassador to theSlovak Republic. A member of the board and previouschairman of Quantumshift, an information technologycompany, Mr. Weiser was appointed by Governor JohnEngler to the Michigan State Officer’s CompensationCommission, where he served as vice-chairman. He co-chaired Washtenaw County’s United Negro College Fundfor 12 years. He and his wife Eileen have three children.

Assistant Secretary for Nonprolif-eration. John S. Wolf of Maryland, acareer member of the Senior ForeignService, class of Minister-Counselor,is the new assistant secretary forNonproliferation. At the time of hisappointment, he was an examineron the Board of Examiners. Heserved as special adviser to thePresident and Secretary of State for

Caspian Basin Energy Diplomacy during 1999 and 2000.From 1996 to 1999, he was coordinator for Asian PacificEconomic Cooperation with the rank of ambassador. Hewas U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia from 1992 to 1995.During his 30-year Foreign Service career, Mr. Wolf alsoserved in Perth, DaNang, Athens and Islamabad. He andhis wife Mahela have two children.

January 2002 31

Civil Service Retirements

L ACTIONS

ufener, Joan Marieells, Melissa F.

Balzano-Larusso, JoanneCalhoun, Herbert L.Fath, Richard W.Gower, Eileen L.Hopper, Robert F.Lara, Elva R.

McGrath, Karen A.Proctor, Rosemary G.Rhodes, Linda L.Stratton Jr., Arthur PaulWalton, Nyle Keith

O B I T U A R I E S

Mary Carol Adams, 65, wife ofdeceased Foreign Service officerMadison M. Adams, died sudden-ly Oct. 31 in Spencer, N.C., of abrain aneurysm. She accompaniedher husband throughout hisForeign Service career to Australia,Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Liberiaand Costa Rica.

William Lloyd Allie, 80, a retiredForeign Service officer, died June 24at Good Samaritan Center inBrookings, Ore., after a long illness.Mr. Allie joined the Foreign Servicein 1954 and served in Tehran, Beirut,Tunis, Benghazi, Tripoli, Khartoum,Dar es Salaam, Monrovia, NhaTrangh and Washington, D.C. Heretired in 1976. During World War

II, he served in the U.S. Army’s Rainbow Division.

Pamela A. Burton, 52, a senior CivilService personnel officer, died ofcancer June 14 at GeorgetownUniversity Hospital in Washington,D.C. She joined the StateDepartment in the early 1970s andworked for the Bureaus ofEuropean Affairs, Oceans andEnvironmental Science Affairs,Human Resources and Diplomatic

Security. While on detail to the Department of Energy,

32 State Magazine

Four Get Life Sentences for EmFour men received life sentences without parole in New

the U.S. Embassies in East Africa.U.S. District Judge Leonard Sand issued the sentences O

a jury convicted the four men last May for their connectiand Dar es Salaam that killed 224 people and injured 4,50

The sentencing concluded the only U.S. prosecution thuheaded by accused terrorist Osama Bin Laden.

The four were Mohamed al-‘Owhali, Khalfan Khamis MBesides the four men sentenced, another defendant, Al

dant, Mahdouh Salim, is awaiting trial. Three other defenThe courthouse in lower Manhattan where the terrorist

the former site of the World Trade Center destroyed by teAmong those testifying at the trial was Frank Pressley, a

the time of the bombing. Mr. Pressley is still undergoing t

she was posted to Lisbon. Ms. Burton began her federalcareer as a secretary with the Defense Department andlater worked for the Federal Energy Administration.

Nyal Dokken Conger, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedApril 21 at her home in Chevy Chase, Md., of pancreaticcancer. She was posted to Frankfurt, Tehran and Harare. Sheserved as a naval officer in the WAVEs during World War II.After the war, she joined the State Department and later wascommissioned a Foreign Service officer.

Larry Winter Roeder, a retired ForeignService officer, and his wife, MaryElizabeth Roeder, were interred Aug.14 in ancestral ground at St.Matthews Cemetery in St. Louis,Mo. Mr. Roeder served in Lebanon,Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Egypt, Israel,Germany, France and Canada. Heretired while consul general inWinnipeg. The couple met in Beirut,

where she was employed by theOffice of Strategic Services, forerun-ner of today’s Central IntelligenceAgency. When they married, sheresigned her position and accompa-nied her husband throughout hisForeign Service career. Their son,Larry Winter Roeder Jr., is the policyadviser on disaster management inthe Bureau of InternationalOrganization Affairs.

bassy Bombings York for their roles in terrorist attacks Aug. 7, 1998, on

ct. 18 at the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan, whereons to the coordinated attacks three years ago in Nairobi0. Twelve Americans were among those killed.s far involving members of al Qaeda, the militant group

ohamed, Mohamed Odeh and Wadih el Hage.i Mohamed, pleaded guilty last year and another defen-dants are fighting extradition in England.s were sentenced is only a few blocks from Ground Zero,rrorist attacks on Sept. 11. communications officer at the U.S. Embassy in Kenya at

reatment for injuries to his shoulder and jaw.