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

May 2000

StateStateM a g a z i n e

RenovatingStateRenovatingState

State Magazine (ISSN 1099–4165) is published monthly, exceptbimonthly in July and August, by the U.S. Department of State, 2201C St., N.W., Washington, DC. Periodicals postage paid at Washington,DC. POSTMASTER: Send changes of address to State Magazine,PER/ER/SMG, SA-1, Room H-236, Washington, DC 20522-0602. StateMagazine is published to facilitate communication between manage-ment and employees at home and abroad and to acquaint employeeswith developments that may affect operations or personnel. Themagazine is also available to persons interested in working for theDepartment of State and to the general public.

State Magazine is available by subscription through theSuperintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,Washington, DC 20402 (telephone [202] 512-1850).

For details on submitting articles to State Magazine, request our guidelines, “Getting Your Story Told,” by email atstatemagazine@state.gov; download them from our web site atwww.state.gov/www/publications/statemag; or send your request in writing to State Magazine, PER/ER/SMG, SA-1, Room H-236,Washington, DC 20522-0602. The magazine’s phone number is(202) 663-1700.

Deadlines: May 15 for July/August issue.July 15 for September issue.

StateStateMagazine

Carl GoodmanEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dave KreckeWRITER/EDITOR

Kathleen GoldyniaART DIRECTOR

Nicole DeanerEDITORIAL ASSISTANT

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

James WilliamsCHAIRMAN

Sally LightEXECUTIVE SECRETARY

Janice BurkeFrank CoulterCheryl Hess

Stevenson McIlvaineWayne OshimaMichael Scanlin

In our next issue:Golden Anniversary, Class of 1950

Earl Lubensky, center, one of 27 “ResidentOfficers” from the Foreign Service class of1950, introduces the new U.S. base commanderto the burgermeister of Fritzlar, a town in theAmerican sector of West Germany. Lubenskyand his classmates celebrated their golden anniversary on May 5 during Foreign ServiceDay at the State Department.

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

May 2000No. 435

C O L U M N S

2 From the Secretary

5 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

25 Medical Report

29 People Like You

30 Obituaries

32 1999 Foreign ServicePromotion Statistics

32 Personnel Actions

On the CoverRenovating State

6

16

A new air-conditioningunit is airlifted toColumbia Plaza.

Marilen Maher, secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Lima, with native highland residents near Arequipa, Peru.

6 Post of the Month: LimaIt’s a fascinating place to live and work.

10 Office of the Month: Cultural PropertyThey’re protecting the world’s heritage.

14 Biotech: A Balanced DebateThe Hague hosts conference on biotechnology.

15 The Washington/Wireless FileVeterans celebrate 65 years of continuous service.

16 Foggy Bottom Gets FaceliftRenovations provide a quality work environment forState employees.

20 Students Mine Rich LodeCourse introduces students to mining, mineral marketsand U.S. industry interests.

22 FSN TrainingState demonstrates commitment to FSN training programs.

25 Medical ClearanceMED streamlines path to a healthy assignment.

28 Managing Your Civil Service CareerTry these strategies for a successful career path.

Photo by Greg Olson

Phot

o by

Jim

Mah

er

FROM THE SECRETARYSECRETARY MADELEINE ALBRIGHT

2 State Magazine

Democracy: A Rising Tide

Last year, the Pew Research Center asked Americansto rank the reasons for our country’s success in the20th century. Three factors topped the list: our

Constitution, free elections and the free enterprise system.Clearly, America’s global leadership cannot be divorced

from the reasons our own people give for our country’saccomplishments. We are first and foremost a democracy.The fundamental message we convey to the world is thathuman progress depends on the ability of people tochoose their own leaders, express their own thoughts, berewarded for their own efforts and shape their own lives.

This is not a complicated message. But its power hastransformed the world.

One hundred years ago, the number of countries with agovernment elected competitively and on the basis of uni-versal suffrage was zero. Today it is 120.

Yet as the century begins, we are not complacent. Forwe understand that true democracy is never achieved; itis always a pursuit.

And we are concerned that in many countries, thearrival of electoral democracy has been accompanied byeconomic expectations that are, as yet, unfulfilled. Suchfrustrations raise the risk that public confidence in elect-ed government will erode—and support grow for failedremedies from the past, including protectionism andauthoritarianism.

We can do much to meet this challenge by helpingmore people in more countries become full participantsin the global economy. That is why the ClintonAdministration has worked hard to expand trade andinvestment in Africa, the Caribbean and SoutheastEurope; to lift the crushing burden of debt that hangsover many poor countries; and to bring new membersinto the World Trade Organization and help them acquirethe expertise and technology needed to meet their com-mitments and take advantage of liberalized trade.

Economic anxieties often reveal other problems. Quite anumber of electoral democracies have either failed or fall-en because their leaders are concentrating not on self-government, but self-enrichment, self-glorification andself-perpetuation in power. As a result, corruption isviewed by some as democracy’s evil twin—a naturalbyproduct of greater freedom and less centralized control.

This is nonsense. Democratic elections provide noguarantee of honest government. But democratic institu-

tions provide the tools by which, over time, the habits ofcorruption can be curbed and its practitioners exposed.

Of course, free and fair elections are but one necessarypart of the democratic picture. A full portrait isrequired—including markets that reward initiative;police that respect due process; legal structures that pro-vide justice; labor organizations that are independent;and a press corps that is free to pursue the facts and pub-lish the truth.

Such institutions do not arise overnight. They requirenot only the seeds of democratic ideals, but also the soilof democratic culture in which those seeds may take rootand grow.

So we are working within global and regional institu-tions to strengthen democracy worldwide. We are usingour assistance to foster vibrant civil societies and eco-nomic reforms that reward the hardworking many, notjust the privileged few. And we are employing the toolsof public diplomacy—including the Internet—to spreadsuch indispensable ideas as liberty.

I am proud of the help that the U.S. Agency forInternational Development, the State Department andother U.S. agencies are providing to nations in transition.From Asia to Africa to the Andes, we are training judges,drafting commercial codes, advancing the status ofwomen, bolstering civil society and otherwise helping toassemble the nuts and bolts of freedom.

The fundamental principles of democracy are not sole-ly American or solely Western. They are universal. Andthat is why, in this effort, America has so many strongpartners around the world.

In June, the Polish government will host an unprece-dented global gathering of countries whose governmentshave expressed their commitment to democratic princi-ples. I will join my counterparts not only from Poland,but also from India, Chile, the Czech Republic, Mali andthe Republic of Korea as co-convenors of that conference.This Community of Democracies initiative will exploreways that we can cooperate more effectively in strength-ening democratic societies and values.

These challenges will demand substantial attentionfrom us all this year. But all are worth the effort. For noth-ing would make a more lasting contribution to worldpeace and prosperity than ensuring that the democratictide remains a rising tide across the globe. �

May 2000 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Congratulations/CorrectionCongratulations on your

February/March issue. It covered astunning range of issues with greatimpact.

William Bader, how-ever, is hardly thefirst assistant secre-tary of State forEducational andCultural Affairs.Eight personsheld the posi-tion between1961 and 1978when the

bureau was in theDepartment of State. The

original bureau was abolished in1978 and its functions transferred tothe International CommunicationsAgency, as USIA was known from1978 to 1982.

Paul ClaussenChief, Special ProjectsOffice of the HistorianBureau of Public Affairs

Wild and Wonderful!As a former Foreign

Service officer andmember of the PeaceCorps, I was elatedto read in yourFebruary/Marchissue that one inten ForeignService officershas served in

the Peace Corps. In the earliest days of

the Peace Corps, the situationwas reversed. Until 1964, there wereno returned Peace Corps volunteersor staff to serve in Washington oroverseas. The Corps was too new.

A few of us, each personallyapproved by Sargent Shriver, werefortunate enough to be loaned fromState to the Peace Corps. Others

came from USIA and USAID. One ofmy first tasks was to help select andsupport Ambassador Bob Gelbard’sgroup in Bolivia.

We all were proud and excited tobe part of this wild and wonderfulagency. I hope some of today’sForeign Service officers have a simi-lar opportunity.

Margaret Beshore BoonstraGainesville, Fla.

Grateful MarinesBecause of the highly interesting

articles and materials, State Magazineis circulated electronically world-wide among those directly involvedwith the Marine Expeditionary Units

From the EditorThe American magazine landscape loses one of its oldest and best-

known titles this month when Life publishes its last monthly issue. Thepublication was begun as a weekly in 1936 by publishing pioneerHenry Luce, who also founded Time and Fortune. Life was suspendedfrom regular publication in 1972 and brought back as a monthly in1978. For many, the changes in frequency, format and content took thelife out of the magazine.

Now in its 53rd year, State Magazine continues to publish and thismonth looks at life at the post in Lima and at the activities of a little-known office, International Cultural Property Protection, whose man-date is to help protect the world’s cultural heritage. The subject isreceiving broad coverage in today’s media.

And speaking of media, the Washington File, an institution since 1935,recently celebrated its 65th birthday, bringing together writers and edi-tors of past and present. The Internet, they agree, has revolutionizedthe way the daily file is packaged and distributed.

We also follow a group of students enrolled in a reporting course onresources. It’s a winding course with above–and below–ground-levellooks at mining, mineral markets and the U.S. industry. Hold on toyour hard hats.

Closer to home, we explore the renovations at Main State andColumbia Plaza as the Department seeks to provide a quality workenvironment for State employees moving from annexes in Rosslyn, Va.,and from Main State itself. While Columbia Plaza is almost finished,the renovations at Main State continue.

in what we call Forward CommandElements which work directly withState Department teams. Good work!

Harrell CofferU.S. Marine Corps (ret)

State Magazine Has MovedState Magazine has relocated

to SA-1, Room H-236. The tele-phone number is (202) 663-1700.The fax number is (202) 663-1769.The magazine’s e-mail address isstatemagazine@state.gov.

Bonn Voyage!After more than a half century, the Department of State officially

ceased operations on the banks of the Rhine River in a flag-loweringceremony (right) April 3 at the former U.S. Embassy in Bonn.Ambassador John Kornblum (standing in front of the podium) par-ticipated in the historic event along with (from left) Mike Hoff, gen-eral services officer; Truman Brown, transition supervisor; and MikePolt, deputy chief of mission.

I N T H E N E W S

4 State Magazine

Here’s Lookin’ at You!The typical federal civilian employee is

46 years old and has 17 years of federalservice, according to the U.S. Office ofPersonnel Management.

Of the 1.5 million full-time permanentemployees, 55 percent are men and 45 per-cent are women. As for race and nationalorigin, 30 percent are members of a minor-ity group: 17 percent black, 6.5 percentHispanic, 4.4 percent Asian/Pacific

Islander and 2.1 percent Native American. Just over 7percent are disabled.

In terms of occupation, 87 percent are in white-collarjobs: 24 percent professional, 31 percent administrative,20 percent technical and 11 percent clerical; 13 percent arein blue-collar jobs.

The agencies with the largest civilian workforces arethe Departments of Defense, with 39 percent andVeterans Affairs, with 12 percent. Of the 25 percent withveteran’s preference, 14 percent are Vietnam era veter-ans, according to OPM.

Employees to Pay HealthPremiums in Pre-tax Dollars

A recent executive order will permit all federalemployees to pay with pre-tax dollars their share ofthe premium costs under the Federal EmployeeHealth Benefit program.

The change will increase an average employee’safter-tax income by an estimated $300 annually.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, whichwill issue policy guidance and procedures, expectsthe plan to be implemented by Oct. 1.

Peru to Hold RunoffPresidential Elections

Peruvians will go to the polls again in late May in a runoffpresidential election between incumbent Alberto Fujimoriand his main electoral challenger Alejandro Toledo.

President Fujimori missed re-election in April’s firstround of voting by 0.2 percentage points short of the 50percent vote total he needed for a first-ballot victory.

The U.S. government and the U.S. Embassy in Lima,along with the world community, took an active interest inthe Peruvian presidential and congressional elections.From the outset, the United States declared its neutrality onthe election’s outcome but underscored that “only a free,fair and transparent electoral process will have legitimacy.”

To encourage such a process, the U.S. government fund-ed the work of several Peruvian election watchdog groups,as well as international observer missions from theOrganization of American States and the NationalDemocratic Institute/Carter Center. During the campaign,these groups issued periodic reports on electoral condi-tions and progress by the Peruvian government in keyareas such as opposition candidate access to the media. Onelection day they were able to field thousands of pollwatchers throughout the country and conduct “quickcounts” of actual voting returns. Twenty-eight embassyemployees and family members fanned out across thecountry as observers accredited to the OAS mission.

Lino Gutierrez, principal deputy assistant secretary forWestern Hemisphere Affairs, in a speech celebrating PanAmerican Week, said, “never has democracy flourishedin the hemisphere as widely as today.” He added, how-ever, that while democracy is more widespread, recentevents remind us that democratic progress in theAmericas “is neither immutable nor uniform.”

(Editor’s note: Lima is May’s Post of the Month.)

Phot

o by

Ste

ve S

mith

Most of FLO’s publications are also avail-able on this web site and can be down-loaded. Additionally, FLO uses e-groups onthe Internet to communicate with familymembers quickly. Recent subjects discussedin this cyber venue were moving with apiano, the fly America rules, home-basedbusinesses, childcare problems, job opportu-nities and tax laws.

When the rating season approaches,you’ll want to turn to the Office of Personnel

Evaluation’s web site, which has the newForeign Service evaluation form along withinformation on the evaluation process. OurOffice of Retirement features details on

retirement planning and calculating your annuity. We arealso putting the finishing touches on our GrievanceOffice site, which will include extensive information onForeign Service and Civil Service grievance procedures.The home page of the coordinator for office managementspecialists has information for OMSers—from positiondescriptions and cables of interest to frequently askedquestions.

The Office of Civil Service Personnel offers a summarylisting of all jobs CSP is announcing with a link to the fulltext of their vacancy announcements. These are also on theOPM web site, www.usajobs.opm.gov. CSP’s site also con-tains useful professional development and leadershipguidance for employees who want to advance their careers.

The Office of Recruitment, Examination andEmployment used online registration for the first time in1999 for the Foreign Service Written Exam. Almost 60 per-cent of the 13,667 people who registered for the exam didso online. In addition, more than 2.4 million hits were reg-istered on the recruitment pages of the Department ofState web site in 1999. To better serve its customers, REEis in the process of adding a “chat room” during desig-nated hours to answer potential candidates’ questions.

I can’t emphasize enough what a dramatic improve-ment these information platforms represent in our abilityto keep people in the field informed of our activities andnew initiatives. I know that many of you can recall whenwe relied on dog-eared copies of the FAM at our posts,cable traffic and long-distance phone calls to get our per-sonnel questions answered. For those of you who gradu-ated from college in the past decade, I’m sure this is allold news, and I imagine you are quite familiar with whatis available. For the rest of us, however, it’s time to moveinto the 21st century and make good use of these remark-able information tools. �

May 2000 5

Ican hear my daughter’s laughter whenshe learns that her dad has written acolumn on computer usage. While shemay consider me to be only slightly

beyond computer illiterate, I do know andappreciate the value of this remarkableinformation tool. I do know the Bureau ofPersonnel is using it extensively to informour employees worldwide and potentialemployees about the work we do.

I want to update you on the wealth of per-sonnel information available from the vari-ous divisions of our bureau both on ourinternal home page and on the StateDepartment’s public web site atwww.state.gov. I would also like to thank our publicdiplomacy colleagues for the wonderful communicationsresources they brought to State when our agenciesmerged—not only the information-rich web sites, butalso the Worldnet and video conferencing facilities,which allow us to participate in conferences overseaswithout ever leaving Washington, D.C.

State’s Intranet has revolutionized the bureau’s abilityto communicate with our far-flung posts in so manyways. For example, our Foreign Service Nationalemployees, U.S. overseas hires and admin officers fre-quently have questions about issues affecting personnelhired at post. Who handles compensation for Brazil?How can you get information about the health and trav-el insurance requirements for a group of FSNs coming tothe United States for training? All of this information—which formerly required hours or even days ofresearch—can be quickly accessed on our web pageunder the Office of Overseas Employment.

Finding the information needed before bidding foronward assignments, especially while serving overseas,has been a perennial challenge to our Foreign Serviceemployees. This new technology is making that process somuch easier. For example, Career Development andAssignments’ web pages contain the “Bidding Tool” withkey facts on all posts, outside training and assignmentopportunities as well as Bid Express for electronic sub-mission of bids.

The Family Liaison Office’s web page helps ForeignService family members grapple with the challenges ofliving abroad. The Family Member Employment Reportlists positions (both inside and outside our overseas mis-sions) currently held by eligible family members. FLOdirects its clients to this page to learn the employment sit-uation at their next posts.

DIRECT FROM THE D.G.EDWARD W. “SKIP” GNEHM JR.

Tools for the21st Century

6 State Magazine

Post of the Month:

Lima

It is hard not to resort to hyperbole when discussingPeru.With the world’s driest desert, the headwaters ofthe Amazon, some of the world’s tallest mountains, one

of the largest capital cities in South America and some of themost famous ruins anywhere, Peru is a fascinating place tolive and work.

By Chris Ward

Machu Picchu,Inca ruins in Peru.

Pict

or P

hoto

grap

h

Located on the West Coast of South America, Peru isroughly the shape of California but three times its size.Bordered from north to south by Ecuador, Colombia,Brazil, Bolivia and Chile, it features a geography that iswondrously diverse. Half the country is graced withheavy rain forest that encompasses the Amazon andMadre de Dios river basins. Much of the rest is composedof the celebrated Andes, the highest mountain range inthe Americas. Along the Pacific coast is an extremely bar-ren desert 25 to 40 miles wide.

The coast is also the home of the capital city, Lima,which recently celebrated the 465th birthday of itsfounding in 1535 byFrancisco Pizarro, whocalled it the “City ofKings.” Its population ofapproximately 8 millionmakes it the second largestcapital in South America.But Peru is famous prima-rily for its cultural and his-toric treasures, which luremore than 200,000American visitors everyyear. Chief among these isMachu Picchu, the ancientIncan ruin only a four-hourtrain ride from the Incanand later Spanish colonialcapital, Cusco. It is one ofthe world’s most enchanti-ng sites, unforgettable in itsscope and beauty.

Ambassador John R.Hamilton presides over alarge and active embassy inLima. More than 200American and 400 Peruvianemployees face many diplo-matic challenges; primaryamong them are democra-cy, counternarcotics andeconomic development.

The embassy’s role inpromoting and strengthening democracy in Peru is criti-cal, and this year’s presidential elections have provided anopportunity for the mission to stress the importance of afree, fair and transparent electoral process. Additionally,the embassy promotes dialogue between the governmentand human rights activists on a wide range of human, civiland political rights issues, while working with govern-ment and nongovernmental organizations to strengthencivil society.

Counternarcotics is likewise a prime issue here, andthe mission works closely with the government of Peru todecrease cultivation of the coca leaf in Peru. This cam-paign has been extraordinarily successful: in four years,production has been cut by 66 percent.

Lima is home to one of Latin America’s largest mis-sions of the U.S. Agency for International Development.With a total budget of $120 million in 1999, USAIDadministers programs to promote democracy and rule oflaw, reduce poverty, address health and environmentalconcerns, expand educational opportunities for girls andpromote local employment opportunities. One suchUSAID-sponsored alternative development initiativehelps Peruvians produce and internationally marketquality coffee.

A profusion of other policy concerns keeps Lima’sembassy employees busy. Spurring economic prosperity

is a priority as Peruemerges from three years ofstagnant growth. Bilateraltrade totals about $2 billionin each direction, and theembassy plays an impor-tant role in promoting fur-ther trade. Another missiongoal is helping to consoli-date peace between Peruand Ecuador. Until recently,the two countries wereengaged in the longest-run-ning border dispute in thehemisphere. The UnitedStates helped to broker anagreement in late 1998,however, and now an ambi-tious border integrationproject supporting econom-ic development on bothsides of the border is rein-forcing regional stability.The embassy also adminis-ters a humanitarian demi-ning program along thePeru-Ecuador border.

Volunteer work by mis-sion employees and spousescomplements the embassy’sofficial effort. The UnitedStates Embassy Association,

for example, undertakes numerous charitable activities tohelp those in need among Lima’s residents. The year’shighlight is the Christmas party for deaf and blind chil-dren, which last year celebrated its 36th anniversary. Theassociation also sponsors a “Noche de Arte” charity artsale, featuring Peru’s top painters, at the ambassador’sresidence.

Though a hardship post, Lima is a very agreeable city bymost measures. The life-and-death trauma of terrorism is nolonger a daily feature as it was in the 1980s and early 1990s.Petty crime, sometimes-frustrating traffic and frequent grayskies are the chief drawbacks to a posting in Lima. But tem-peratures are comfortable year-round, and the country’srich history is ever present. When the workday is over,

May 2000 7

Peruvian in native dressblows on conch shell.

Pictor Photograph

tourism opportunities are nearly limitless. Manychoose to explore Peru’s pre-Columbian heritagesuch as the temple of Pachacamac, a short drivefrom the city. Farther south along the coast isParacas, where penguins and sea lions cavort in ascrupulously maintained nature preserve. There’salso the world-renowned Nazca Lines—enchanti-ng mile-long tracings scratched into the desertfloor by an ancient people.

Heartier adventurers may accept the chal-lenge of walking the Inca Trail for three or fourdays. After hiking through “Dead Woman’sPass” at an altitude of 13,200 feet, travelersarrive at Machu Picchu, perhaps the mostfamous tourist destination in South America.Not too distant is Cusco, capital city to both the

8 State Magazine

Geography quiz: “Lima, Peru, is oneof three countries in the world witha four-letter name that also has acapital with a four-letter name. Canyou think of the other two?

Mary Grandfield, consular officer, center left, and GianninaEdery, FSN in Consular Section, with Peruvian police officersvisiting Totora reed boat builders on Los Uros floating islandon Lake Titicaca.

Maggie Gunn, wearing white hat, wife of Information Management Office chiefRichard Gunn, with local inhabitants on a street in Cusco, Peru.

(Answer to geography quiz: 1) Lome, Togo; 2) Suva, Fiji)

Photo by Dick Gunn

May 2000 9

Incas and the conqueringSpaniards. A colonial jewelcradled in the Andes, Cuscois famous for its many cathe-drals, most set on founda-tions built by Inca mastermasons more than 500 yearsago. Other cities—Arequipa,Trujillo and Ayacucho—merit many days of explor-ing and enjoyment. Peru’sartisans display their work inthe city squares, often atextraordinarily low prices.Gold and silver jewelry, tex-tiles and alpaca sweaters,ceramics, hand-workedwood and a profusion ofother traditional crafts areavailable in almost limitlessvariations.

For those who choose tostay close to home, Limaproves remarkably cosmo-politan, with some of the bestrestaurants and live enter-tainment in Latin America.Peruvians love to boast abouttheir cuisine, and visitors arepleased to find the boastingentirely justified. A hearty

meal might include a big plate of criollo delicacies—a fla-vorful mix of Spanish and Peruvian dishes with lots ofchicken and rice, potatoes and beans—or a perfectly pre-pared ceviche—raw fish marinated in lemon juice and

peppers. Both styles testify to Peru’s mas-terful cooking. More courageous dinerswith a taste for the exotic may even try theAndean staple, cuy (guinea pig}, whichsome say tastes “just like chicken.”

There is plenty to do and plenty to see inPeru. But most important, from a profes-sional standpoint, Lima offers rewardingand stimulating work in a pleasant environ-ment. Families with children are gratifiedby the presence of an excellent Americanschool, the Colegio Roosevelt. Additionally,the atmosphere is suffused with a sense ofoptimism. Peru’s newfound stability, after agrueling period of terrorism and rampantinflation in the 1980s, is welcome toPeruvians and Americans alike. The bilater-al relationship is solid, with expandingtrade and a vigorous anti-drug effort bring-ing the two countries even closer together inthe new century. �

The author is the cultural affairs officer in Lima.

Lt. Col. Jim Osborn, aviation chief ofthe Narcotics Affairs Section, andCandis Cunningham, NAS director,board helicopter for bilateral drugcontrol flight.

From left, consular officers Mary Grandfield, Ray MacGrath, Katia Bennett and Ray’s sonMatthew McGrath at Ventanillas de Otuzco near Cajamarca, Peru.

Photo courtesy of U.S. Embassy Lima

Phot

o by

Pat

ty M

urer

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f U.S

. Em

bass

y Li

ma

W

10 State Magazine

Cultural PropertyProtectingtheWorld’sHeritageBy Dave Krecke

hen the U.S. Information Agency mergedwith the Department of State last October, among State’smany gains was a tiny gem of an office with a worldwidemandate: International Cultural Property Protection.

Part of the Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs,the unit administers the Convention on Cultural PropertyImplementation Act, a law that makes the United Statesparty to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means ofProhibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export orTransfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. Law enforce-ment agencies regard the illicit international market inart—along with drugs and arms—as one of the top illicittrading activities in the world.

Archaeological and ethnological artifacts carry anintrinsic value that exceeds whatever price the marketmight assign them. They are irreplaceable objects thatdefine a culture and represent the cultural patrimony of anation. Although the image of Indiana Jones snatching aprized artifact from the Temple of Doom is a glamorousone, in reality he should have left the object in place.When scientifically excavated, archaeological artifactsprovide far more information about the development ofmankind. Sadly, there are unscrupulous individuals who,for personal short-term gain, are willing to sacrifice anation’s patrimony by pillaging it and feeding thedemand in the illicit international antiquities market.

Developed and developing countries alike suffer frompillage. Rich or poor, few governments are able to ade-quately guard and protect archaeological sites, especiallythose in remote areas, or to protect indigenous groups fromlosing to the illicit art market ceremonial objects importantto their traditional practices. With more than a third of its

Office of the Month:

A Khmer period statue desecrated by pillagers in Cambodia. Angkor ison the World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites, aprogram of the World Monuments Fund.

Phot

o by

Joh

n St

ubbs

May 2000 11

under the UNESCO Convention. The assistant secretaryfor Educational and Cultural Affairs provides the neces-sary technical and administrative support to the commit-tee, which conducts extensive research and analysisbefore reaching its findings and reporting them to theDepartment of State. The under secretary for PublicDiplomacy and Public Affairs exercises the delegateddecisionmaking responsibility in these matters.

Recently, the State Department announced an emer-gency response to a request from Cambodia. As a result,the U.S. Customs Service now restricts the importation ofstone archaeological material from the Khmer Empire (10th

to 13th centuries). These materials illustrate the highdegree of artistic, social and economic achievement of theKhmer culture of that period and testify eloquently to theculture’s profound religious beliefs. At an alarming rate,many monuments and sites such as Angkor and BanteayChhmar are being damaged and destroyed by pillagers,who remove these stunning sculptural and architecturalelements with chisels and chainsaws for shipment to illicitmarkets abroad.

Agreements notonly establish restric-tions but also suggeststrategies for pre-venting furtherdepredation of thesites and plans forpreserving these cul-tural resources. Forexample, in the U.S.-El Salvador bilateralagreement, bothcountries agreed thatEl Salvador should

territory in public or Indian land, the United States sufferssignificant pillage of Native American burial sites evenwith numerous laws to deter this practice. India’sArchaeological Survey is government steward of morethan 4,000 officially recognized historical sites throughoutthe South Asian subcontinent. With its limited budget, thisunder-funded department is forced to perform archaeolog-ical triage, preserving and protecting the highest prioritysites while unprotected places often fall prey to pillagers.

The Convention on Cultural Property ImplementationAct establishes a Cultural Property Advisory Committee,appointed by the President, to review requests fromcountries for U.S. import restrictions on their archaeolog-ical or ethnological artifacts whose pillage jeopardizes

their national culturalheritage. As a significantdestination for many pil-laged artifacts, the UnitedStates may respond tothese requests by impos-ing import restrictions,prospectively, throughemergency action and/orbilateral arrangementswith other countries.

The committee has 11members—two frommuseums, three archaeol-ogists, three experts in theinternational sale of cul-tural property and threefrom the general public.The panel reviewsrequests from countriesseeking U.S. assistance

gold Moche backflap (200–300 A.D.), worn byncient warrior-priests from present-day Peru,onfiscated from smugglers in Philadelphia andturned to a museum in Peru.

The new National Museumin El Salvador.

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f Wor

ld M

onum

ents

Fun

d

Priceless Khmer artifacts pillagedfrom nearby Cambodia are for salein Bangkok antiquities emporium.

Photo by Walter Ava

use its best efforts to re-establish the national museum,destroyed by an earthquake some years earlier.Emboldened, Salvadoran cultural authorities took theagreement to their national legislature and requested fund-ing for a new museum. The response was positive and themuseum will officially open this year, giving Salvadoran cit-izens and visitors alike access to the legacy of pre-Columbian cultures that once thrived in this CentralAmerican country. In addition, the agreement and themuseum development project opened up new professionalexchange opportunities supported partly by ECA’sInternational Visitors and cultural specialists programs.

Currently, ECA’s Fulbright program is funding a schol-ar’s work in Guatemala, where the United States has abilateral agreement to protect sites of the Mayan civiliza-tion. In El Salvador, a similar program is developing grass-roots public awareness of the importance of protecting cul-tural patrimony. A continent away in Mali, anotherFulbright scholar is promoting archaeology in the Djenneregion. Already, the bilateral agreement has reduced loot-ing in Djenne, where a cultural mission from the nationalmuseum has established an educational program convert-ing local looters into stewards of their cultural sites. AtPeru’s famous Sipan archaeological zone, the residentarchaeologist has turned serious pillage into protection by

12 State Magazine

Frequently Asked Questions about Cultural PropertyQ: When did the United States become a party to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the

Illicit Import, U.S. Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property?A: In 1983.Q: What is the primary protection offered by the United States under the 1970 UNESCO Convention?A: The United States may impose import restrictions on certain categories of archaeological or ethnological material, the pillage of

which has placed the requesting country’s national patrimony in jeopardy. This action would be in response to a request for suchrestrictions from a State Party to the 1970 UNESCO Convention. Such a restriction enables the United States to enforce its ownimport laws, since it cannot enforce the export laws of other countries. The import restriction would become effective on the datea descriptive list of the categories of objects is published in the Federal Register. After that date, the restricted objects may enterthe United States legally only if accompanied by an export certificate issued by the country of origin.

Q: Is a U.S. import restriction retroactive?A: No. Restrictions take effect from the date of publication of the Federal Register notice.Q: Does the restriction apply to material that is already out of the country of origin but not in the United States at the time the restric-

tion becomes effective?A: No. However, there must be documentation verifying that it left the country of origin prior to the United States import restriction.Q: Does an import restriction apply to objects on loan for exhibition purposes?A: No. Objects on loan for temporary exhibition purposes are exempt from an import restriction when immunity from seizure has been grant-

ed by the Department under Public Law 89–259, “Exemption from Judicial Seizure of Cultural Objects Imported for Temporary Exhibition.”Q: May articles of stolen cultural property enter the United States?A: No. It is unlawful to trade in stolen material. As a general rule, in the United States, title to an object cannot be conveyed if that

object has been stolen.Q: What is the difference between stolen and illicitly exported cultural property?A: Generally, for an object to be considered stolen it must have an owner. An illicit export occurs when an object is taken out of the

country of origin without a permit, if a permit is required. Most art source countries have national laws that (1) vest ownership inthe state of all cultural assets, known and unknown, above the ground and below the ground, thereby making the nation theowner; and (2) restrict the export of cultural objects except for temporary exhibition, research or conservation purposes.

Members of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee meet withAssistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs William Bader,center; from left, Gary Vikan, director, Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore;right, Patty Gerstenblith, professor of law, DePaul University, Chicago.

Phot

o by

Sha

wn

Moo

re

More than 130 smuggled objects of antiquity datingback to the 9th century B.C. were returned to theRepublic of Turkey in a State Department ceremo-

ny in March. Evelyn S. Lieberman, under secretary of Statefor Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, presided over theceremony in which the U.S. Customs Service repatriated theobjects to Turkey’s cultural minister, M. Istemihan Talay,who received them on behalf of his government.

The ancient Greek, Roman, Hittite, Byzantine, Phoenicianand Assyrian artifacts were pillaged from archaeologicalsites in Turkey and smuggled into the United States in 1997,destined for a gallery in California. The gallery’s ownerpleaded guilty in February to conspiracy in Oklahoma City,a transit point for the smuggled artifacts. Several individu-als, including a reserve U.S. Air Force major stationed atIncirlink Air Base, were arrested in Turkey. If convicted, theyface prison terms of up to seven years.

The arrests culminated a two-year investigation by U.S.Customs officials and the Turkish National Police, who

cooperated closely in apprehending the Turkish ring-leader. An employee of the commissary at the airbase, the ringleader hired men to loot tombs inTurkey and then offered the stolen artifacts for sale tocollectors and art galleries. Following a lead on thesmuggled goods in Oklahoma, U.S. Customs AgentWilliam Wallrapp posed as a collector in undercovermeetings with the suspected smuggler.

The State Department and the law enforcementcommunity hope the successful prosecution of thiscase will deter further pillage and illicit trade in arti-facts unlawfully and unscientifically removed fromtheir country of origin.

While the standards of conduct of the Office ofGovernment Ethics make no explicit reference toremoving cultural property unlawfully from anothercountry, Foreign Service employees are required toobey all U.S. laws and regulations concerning theillicit movement of cultural property. The diplomaticpouch and household shipment from assignmentsabroad may not be used for such purposes.

More information about the Department’s effortsto protect cultural property can be found on the website http://exchanges.state.gov/education/culprop.

Smuggled Ancient Artifacts Returned to Turkey

May 2000 13

creating an archaeological park that gives local residentslong-term economic gains from cultural tourism.

Cultural Property has produced an image database ofcategories of restricted items on its web site that showsscholars, museums, collectors, dealers and customsinspectors the types of material restricted, unless accom-panied by an export permit issued by the country of ori-gin. Now, interested parties from every corner of the globecan instantly and more accurately identify restricted cate-

From left, Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Marc Grossman,Assistant Commissioner of U.S. Customs for Investigations Bonni Tischler,Minister of Culture for the Republic of Turkey M. Istemihan Talay, Director ofMonuments and Museums, Alpay Painili (seated) and Under Secretary of Statefor Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Evelyn S. Lieberman.

Some of the artifacts seized by U.S. Customs and repatriated to the government of Turkey.

gories of objects, using the Internet as a 21st century toolto reduce the incentive for pillage of yet undisturbed sites.

The United States’ ability to restrict the importation ofpillaged artifacts is an effective means of protecting nonre-newable cultural assets important to all nations for cultur-al, educational and scientific purposes. Cultural Property’spermanent staff of two, supplemented by contract employ-ees, supports the Department and the committee in thiseffort and has developed considerable expertise in globalcultural heritage protection issues. �

Phot

o by

Sha

wn

Moo

re

14 State Magazine

Informed debate can help overcome opposition to manyitems on the global agenda, judging from the experi-ence of the U.S. Embassy in The Hague. The embassy hosted an international conference on

Biotechnology: The Science and the Impact in January withseveral goals in mind: demystify biotechnology; broadenthe discussion of biotechnology in Europe beyond engi-neered foods; include pharmaceuticals and the benefits tothe environment and the developing world; and foster apositive, open discussion of the pros and cons of biotech-nology leading to a general consensus on the overallvalue of this technology.

Opposition to biotechnology in Europe is widespreadbut shallow—except among committed anti-biotechactivists—embassy officials noted, giving policy mak-ers, the media and public representatives the chance tohear scientists and other experts articulate the benefitsof biotechnology.

In addition to informing more than 400 attendees, theconference triggered a series of articles favoring biotech-nology in the leading Dutch press and reached wellbeyond The Netherlands. For example, the Observernewspaper in the United Kingdom carried a highly posi-tive article summarizing the conference’s main conclu-sions. The embassy’s web site (www.usemb.nl), whichcarried a cybercast of the conference, texts of the speech-es and biotechnology Qs and As, received 2,500 hits in themonth following the conference.

Because the conference had high-quality, high-levelspeakers from many disciplines (biotechnology, genomics,industry, ethics, agriculture, development, governmentand consumer affairs), views were balanced and debaterobust. The presence of skeptics and anti-biotech organiza-tions at the podium and in the audience ensured that ques-tions were bluntly asked and openly answered, giving theundecided and partially informed a chance to hear bothsides. The biotechnology proponents had a better time ofit, with opposition reduced in the end to arguing, “Youmay be right about the benefits and even the general safe-ty of biotechnology, but I still just don’t feel right about it.”

By scheduling fact-based presentations on the benefitsof biotechnology with those of leading opponents, thefacts spoke for themselves. John Monyo of the U.N. Foodand Agriculture Organization, based in Rome, deliveredthe conference’s defining moment. Responding to aGreenpeace representative’s plea for organic agriculture,Mr. Monyo said that he and many other Africans hadgrown up on organic agriculture and saw biotechnologyplaying a key role in solving the developing world’shunger problems.

For Europe, compelling figures linking research anddevelopment (number of patents) with economic growthshowed how far behind the continent is already fallingand indicated a bleak economic future if Europe contin-ues to stick with status quo technologies. The conferencegave three Dutch government ministers the opportunityto express their concern about lagging life scienceresearch and to announce new programs to promotebiotechnology.

Embassy staff, meanwhile, made the following obser-vations about organizing large conferences:

• The embassy’s team approach worked well inorganizing the conference on biotechnology.

• The assistance and collaboration of other U.S.embassies in Europe (particularly the U.S. Mission to theEuropean Union) contributed significantly to the confer-ence in identifying speakers, press and conference atten-dees from throughout Europe.

• Cybercasting, including taking questions from cyber-space, effectively expanded the conference’s audience.

• A concerted effort to build a diverse audience,including nongovernmental organizations and parlia-mentarians, made the question and answer period idealfor all views to be heard.

• Finally, there is so much in the news about biotechnol-ogy that many in the international press are overloaded,think they already know enough and are interested only in“breaking news.” An early and intensive effort is necessaryto attract major international press to such events.

Biotechnology is only one item on the global agenda.But the controversy surrounding this topic is characteris-tic of today’s lopsided debates on complex, scientificissues. The Hague conference suggests that discussionand informed, open dissemination of informationadvance understanding of multi-faceted global issuessuch as biotechnology. �

Biotech:A Balanced Debate

May 2000 15

By Bill DurhamPhotos by Dave Krecke

In mid-1933, a group of U.S. ambassadors askedPresident Franklin D. Roosevelt and Secretary ofState Cordell Hull to create a daily file of the formaltexts of the Administration’s major foreign policypronouncements that could be cabled abroad. They

could hear portions of presidential and other high-levelspeeches from the British Broadcasting Corp. on theirradios overseas, but what they really needed were tran-scripts that would answer the question: “What did theofficial in Washington say exactly and how did he say it?”

On March 30, 1935, the State Department sent the ambas-sadors what they asked for: the first version of the WirelessFile, official texts and transcripts of the highest-level U.S.foreign policy statements and other source materials.

President Eisenhower issued an executive order almost20 years later at the height of the Cold War, establishing

the State Department’s international information programs, the WF prominent among them, in the U.S.Information Agency.

Late last month, a stalwart group of writer/editors—present-day keepers of that Wireless File flame—metover coffee and cake in State Annex 44 to celebrate the65th anniversary and to reminisce about an institutionnow called the Washington File. While none of thosepresent could remember the founding of the WF, a fewfondly remembered meeting the agency’s most distin-guished director during the early ‘60s, legendary CBS-TV news anchor Edward R. Murrow. One old-timerreminded newer employees of the tiny, triangularmemorial park honoring Mr. Murrow at the corner of18th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

In more than six decades of overseas surveys, U.S.ambassadors and their staffs have confirmed that the

The Washington/Wireless File:‘Long yet alive’So here’s to us, the Washington FileLet’s keep it going for awhileWe celebrate years 65Let’s hope it stays long yet alive.

–Wendy S. Ross

Continued on page 19

A brass plaque honors Edward R. Murrow, CBS-TV anchor and U.S.Information Agency director, at 18th and Pennsylvania Avenue,Washington, D.C.ernational Information Programs team leaders Al Head, left, and Bill Durham,

lebrate the 65th anniversary of the Washington/Wireless File.

By Mark Butowsky

After years of planning, the Department of Statehas finally reached one of its critical facility mile-stones—the renovation of Columbia Plaza—andis moving toward another—the renovation ofMain State. With funding and construction man-

agement assistance from the General ServicesAdministration, the Department is reversing the deterio-rating condition of its major facilities while it consoli-dates office space in the Foggy Bottom area and creates abetter quality work environment for its employees. Theplans for renovations and consolidation will achievelong-term cost and energy savings, enhance organiza-tional affinities and increase employee productivity. Theyalso will reduce the number of leased annexes inNorthern Virginia.

Columbia Plaza, the cornerstone of the Department’soverall plan, has now been completely renovated, offeringmore than 400,000 square feet of new office and specialpurpose space convenient to Main State. The newly reno-vated space was designed to incorporate modern buildingtechnology, maximize space efficiency and improve workareas. Earlier occupants familiar with the poor conditionof the previous offices are likely to notice the upgradedelevators and lobbies. New heating and air-conditioningsystems, while less visible, are critical to employee com-fort. Old electrical equipment and wiring have beenreplaced, new fire alarm and sprinkler systems have beeninstalled to bring the building up to safety codes and allasbestos has been removed from the building.

Other alterations at Columbia Plaza—ramps, automat-ic doors and vestibules at entrances, buttons and gongsfor elevators—ensure that the building complies with the

16 State Magazine

Foggy Bottom

Gets Facelift New Plaza Cafe in State Annex 1.

requirements of the Americanswith Disabilities Act. Whenintegrated with state-of-the-arttelecommunications, modernsystems furniture hasimproved the office environ-ment and increased flexibility.Special features include cardkey access to offices andimproved security systems. Acentralized computer roomeliminates costly individualbureau data-processing sup-port rooms, with their specialtelecommunications closetsand trays, and simplifies cablemanagement.

The project emphasized con-venience and amenities foremployees. For instance, thenew cafeteria, already nomi-nated for a GSA design award,offers a pleasant and conven-ient alternative to the area’slimited food service and has aseparate 24-hour vending andseating area for employeesworking long hours. Otheremployee conveniences in-clude new locker rooms forbike commuters and joggers,automated teller machines anda planned newsstand in thebuilding. The entire medicalcenter has been consolidatedon the second floor with easyaccess to a major entrance anda bright new child care center,

the Department’s first. The color-coordinatedfinishes and panoramic views of Washington,D.C., complete the list of features of this long-awaited and successful building project.

The Main State headquarters comprises twobuilding sections, the original Old State sectionconstructed in 1939 and New State built 20years later, with 2.5 million gross square feet ofoffice and specialized space. Originallydesigned for 4,500 occupants with traditionaloffice equipment, the building now housesmore than 8,000 employees. The need to createappropriate office space for more employeesand to repair a seriously deteriorating buildingdemands major alterations and replacement ofbuilding systems.

The overall renovation will be accomplishedin several stages over many years, beginningwith the Old State section of the building.Although the first phase of office renovations

May 2000 17

Above, the Jan. 8, 2000, helicopter lift. Below, from left, Llewellyn Hedgbeth,director of operations; Robert Mack, real property management director; and MarkButowsky, projects management division chief, review plans for the basementretail service center.

oachlander Davis photography

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f GSA

Phot

o by

Sha

wn

Moo

re

18 State Magazine

will not start until this fall, work alreadyhas begun in the basement and on theroof of the building. Major pieces ofmachinery, which supplied heating andair conditioning to the entire building,were recently replaced, comfortablyahead of the summer cooling season.Four large air-conditioning machines,each the size of a locomotive engine,were installed in the basement, and agigantic cooling tower was dramaticallylifted by helicopter from the staging areaat the Lincoln Memorial to the roof.

The next step is to vacate Old State tobegin office renovations. This efforthas already begun, with the renovationof swing space in offices previouslyoccupied by the U.S. Agency forInternational Development and a com-plete renovation of the basement forthe permanent relocation of the multi-media and retail service facilities. TheDepartment is consolidating thesefunctions into a bright new spacedirectly linked to the cafeteria and con-venient to all employees. The construc-tion of the basement service center willbe completed by summer 2001 and willfeature a new snack bar, an improved

Above, technicians prepare the cooling tower units for the helicopter lift on Jan. 8, 2000. Below, the centralized computer room in State Annex 1. Photo courtesy of GSA

Photo by Shawn Moore

May 2000 19

texts and transcripts are the most “essential products” inthe Washington File. In one survey, a Foreign Service offi-cer said that “nowhere else can one get word-for-wordtranscripts so quickly.” Calling the WF “the primary toolof the FSO,” he added, “If we were cutting resources, thefile would be the last to be cut.”

The computer and the Internet have revolutionized theWF. Since 1983, the file has been sent to embassies everyevening via computer in five regional editions in Englishand in translations in Russian, Arabic, Spanish, Frenchand, soon, Chinese. Now, the WF goes out by e-mail inone package. In late 1994, the WF discovered the Internetand not long afterwards posted texts and transcriptsthroughout the day, from morning till night, directly onits web sites. As a result, many embassies no longer waituntil the next day to see and access major texts and tran-scripts. They do it from the Internet web sites that sameday. When USIA and State merged last October, an inte-

grated State Department International InformationPrograms web page was created.

Until now, WF professionals had always claimed an indif-ference to technology. They didn’t care how the file was sentabroad just as long as it was sent out each evening. But theInternet has so revolutionized the way the daily WF is deliv-ered that the technology has captured the imaginations ofthe writer/editors who compile it. A technology that grad-ually evolved from radio signal to teletype machines toearly computers to the Internet now makes the file muchmore accessible to many more people around the world.And it does so instantaneously. The file has come a longway since those ambassadors made their entreaty to FDR 65years ago. Today’s writer/editors love the new technology,and they are excited about exploring the possibilities itholds for the Washington File of the 21st century. �

The author is the team leader for the central Washington Filein the Office of International Information Programs.

Washington/Wireless Continued from page 15

fitness facility and new locations for the ForeignAffairs Recreation Association, the post office andbanking and other services.

The reorganization of the foreign affairs agencies andthe creation of special task forces have increased thenumber of employees in Main State and have made it dif-ficult to vacate Old State. Plans now call for Old State tobe vacated in several sub-phases, with renovation workin the first part of the building beginning this fall. GSAalready has funding available for the entire renovation of

Old State. The remaining New State portion will be com-pleted several years later.

Questions about the Columbia Plaza or Main StateRenovation projects should be referred to the projectsmanagement division within the Office of Operations,Telephone: 202-647-7455; FAX: 202-647-7475; E-mail:ButowskyMM@state.gov. �

The author is chief of the projects management division in theBureau of Administration.

Stairway from cafeteria to retail service center.

Circle cafeStorefronts and Kiosks

Rendering of basement retail facility.Co

urte

sy o

f H &

TBAr

chite

ctur

e

By Michael M. Uyehara

My heart was pounding. Wewere deep underground. Iwas trying to keep myfooting in a narrow tun-nel, looking for dry spots

in the thin layer of black mud while Ithreaded my way around a set of railtracks. The lights from our helmetsdanced on the tunnel walls like con-fused bats. I didn’t know if my rapidpulse was caused by the thin air atabout two miles above sea level or theknowledge that I had more than athousand feet of earth over my head.

Before descending, we received amandatory briefing on our emer-gency breathing equipment. Thebriefing stressed there was virtuallyno likelihood we would need theequipment; but, if we did use it, weshould keep our mouths sealedaround the breathing tube even asthe exothermic reaction was burningour lips. Better burned lips, we weresternly told, than death.

We were in the second day of thesecond week of the resources report-ing officer course. Once a year, theBureau of Economic and BusinessAffairs and the Foreign ServiceInstitute offer this two-week class incooperation with the U.S. GeologicalSurvey. Split between Washington,D.C., and Denver, the course isdesigned “to provide participantswith a comprehensive grasp of min-ing, mineral markets and the specificinterests of U.S. industry in order tofocus reporting on the mineral sectorand strengthen advocacy for U.S.mining companies.” The announce-ment fails to mention that the courseis interesting and fun. It is the onlyFSI course I know of that incorpo-rates a visit to the Smithsonian—inthis case the Hall of Minerals at theMuseum of Natural History.

The visit was for a good purpose.I’ve spent much of my life in the

20 State Magazine

Students Mine Rich LodeA truck unloads rock forcrushing at LaFargeSpecification Aggregates.

Pacific “Rim of Fire,” the conjunc-tion of tectonic plates where many ofthe world’s earthquakes occur. I wasin the Philippines for the 1990Baguio earthquake and for the 1991Mount Pinatubo eruption. I was alsoin Japan for the 1994 Kobe earth-quake. One might say I acquired mygeological information and experi-ence by accident. However, I wastaking this course before assumingmy position as the embassyresources reporting officer in Jakarta,an even more geologically activeregion. In that job, I would be speak-ing to mining engineers and geolo-gists in covering Indonesia’s miningindustry—an important source ofgold, lead, copper and other miner-als—and would need to be conver-sant in mining matters. Somegrounding in basic geology wouldbe essential, and the Museum ofNatural History, it turns out, was anexcellent resource, especially withthe services of a museum docent.

The Bureau clearly wants onlyqualified people to enroll in thecourse, and the course announce-ment warns that participation is lim-ited. The best candidates would be“mid-level economic or commercialofficers” assigned to countries wherethe minerals sector is “an importantelement of the economy.” Only twoother students were enrolled in myclass: Jim Freund, who had served inAfrica, was to be the resourcesreporting officer in Pretoria, andJohn Warner, a third-tour officer,would have broader responsibilitiesas the economic and commercial offi-cer at the U.S. Embassy in Windhoek,Namibia. Obviously, the mineralssector is important in both of thesemajor diamond-producing countries.South Africa is also well known forits precious metals, especially plat-inum and gold, while Namibia is amajor source of uranium.

By the end of the course, I had a bet-ter sense of the geologic and economicrealities of mining. In Washington,D.C. USGS geologist David Menziessketched an overview of geology thatprepared us well for the Smithsonianvisit. Other officials briefed us on min-ing project financing, the metals future

markets, and human rights and envi-ronmental impacts. We spent one daymeeting with officials at USGS head-quarters to discuss their reportingneeds and to hear about develop-ments in our parts of the world. Later,in Colorado, we visited the ArgoTunnel plant (which treats water thatbecomes contaminated as it flowsthrough old mines), the Hendersonmolybdenum mill, the Black Cloudlead/zinc mine, LaFarge SpecificationAggregates’ rock quarry and theCresson open pit gold mine.

The course also offered us a figu-rative excursion from the bureau-cratic culture of the Department. Wefound that USGS has benefited fromthe transfer of parts of the formerU.S. Bureau of Mines. And, unlikeState, it is primarily a scientificresearch agency whose main pur-pose is information exchange.

We also encountered a miningindustry that appears beleaguered.Industry representatives say that if aproduct hasn’t been grown, then itprobably has been dug or pumpedout of the ground. Despite the impor-tance of extractive products, the min-ing industry clearly feels hamstrungby increasingly stricter environmen-tal regulations and neglected by anadministration that, in the view of theindustry, considers mining a basicindustry bypassed by a U.S. economymore enamored of cutting-edge tech-nologies. Several people predictedthat no new mines would be openedin the United States and asserted thatmining companies, in fact, had virtu-

May 2000 21

ally stopped exploration activities inthis country. Yet, mining activities arecritical to the economies of all but twoof our states.

What we found, in reality, was anindustry reliant on technologicalimprovements to reduce costs andimprove productivity. Our briefersstressed that an ore deposit wasdefined by the economic feasibility ofits recovery. Advanced processes nowpermit the exploitation of ores withgold concentrations in the hun-dredths of a percent. I especiallyremember how we clustered around acomputer in Victor, Colo., a town thatsurprised me with its unpaved streets.A mining official took a three-dimen-sional picture of the results of testdrills with color-coded concentrationsof gold ore, lifted it up and spun itaround on the screen like a Bolshoiballerina. We already had realized bythen that successful mining combinesscience, intuition, perseverance and ahuge amount of luck. Mining firmsseize the slightest edge in technologyto improve their rate of return. In theend, we discovered that mining isindeed a vital, high-tech industry.

I would hope more ForeignService colleagues would takeadvantage of the course in thefuture. Besides resources reportingofficers, those responsible for reportson environment, science and tech-nology issues would benefit fromhearing mining’s side of the story.�

From left, John Warner; Tom Turnipreed, LaFarge official; U.S. Geological Surveygeologist Don Bleiwas; Jim Freund; and USGS intern Avery Patton on site ofresources reporting officers course in Colorado.

By Janet Buechel

The acronyms—FSN, PSC, PSA, LES—seem tomultiply with time. Regardless of the name, 57percent of the people who work for the StateDepartment are Foreign Service Nationalemployees—totaling more than 21,000 in 167

countries. FSNs provide more than services and corpo-rate memory. They are the backbone of the Departmentand play an essential role in achieving U.S. foreign poli-cy objectives. Their loyalty and dedication are legendary.Many FSNs have given their lives protecting U.S.embassies and employees.

Recruiting, developing and maintaining a skilled, pro-fessional workforce is essential to any organization. This isa particularly challenging task for the Department of State,given the broad range of skills required and the diversityof countries, cultures and languages of its employees. FSI’snew FSN training program augments other ongoingefforts by regional and functional bureaus as well as over-seas posts, where training opportunities also exist.

FSI has created structured, predictable training opportu-nities for FSNs in political, economic, administrative andsupervisory areas. The new FSN program joins other on-going FSI initiatives in consular training and computer sys-tems training (managed by FSI’s School of AppliedInformation Technology). Additionally, FSI’s new PublicDiplomacy Training Division manages several highlyregarded and long-standing FSN training courses that orig-inated under USIA’s Foreign Service National EmployeeProgram, one that has brought thousands of public diplo-macy FSNs to the United States for training and orientationsince the 1950s. The FSNEP now includes four 3-week pro-grams—Exchanges/Cultural, Information/Media, Infor-mation Resource Center and Thematic—in addition to aWeb-based English writing skills course.

FSN participants have impressed their FSI instructorswith the breadth of their knowledge and expertise, theirdedication and commitment and their creativity andenthusiasm for their work. They have valuable insightson post management and operations useful in reshapingour training programs for American employees.

Networking with FSNs from other posts—and learningfrom the experience of colleagues from other countries—is one of the primary objectives of any FSN training pro-

gram. In every course, participants are struckby finding colleagues from different countrieson different continents who do the same work.Networking begins immediately, forgingstrong and lasting relationships. FSI recentlyheard from graduates of a 1998 political train-ing course who reunited in Moscow to cele-brate the first anniversary of their training.Amazingly, participants came from Moscow,Minsk and Brasilia! E-mailed photos wereshared with the entire class, enabling those col-leagues unable to attend the reunion to enjoythe celebration vicariously.

FSNs sometimes express the view that theirU.S. supervisors don’t seek their ideas or opin-ions often enough. In their courses at FSI, FSNsask their instructors what the Departmentteaches American employees going abroad: Dothey learn about managing people? About liv-ing in different cultures and learning new cus-toms? About motivating people? FSNs suggestthat supervisors who arrive at post meet withthem and ask questions before putting newplans or procedures in place.

22 State Magazine

FSN Training:Investing in the Future

Training officer Sonja Sweek boards a train for New York with, from left,Public Diplomacy FSN trainees Ngo Dinh Quynh, Hanoi; FrancesMkandawire, Lilongwe; and Alice Borrell, Port of Spain.

FSI has heard these comments so often that trainingprograms now include a segment on “managing up.”This training helps FSNs to actively establish and buildsound relationships with their American supervisors.The training emphasizes that relationships are a two-waystreet and that both parties must share the responsibilityfor communication.

May 2000 23

FSNs often remark about the importance of being includ-ed in staff meetings or planning sessions, so their role canbe active rather than reactive. One political FSN from aNorth African post observed that he routinely attends staffmeetings, has frequent consultations with the ambassadorand deputy chief of mission and contributes to the missionprogram plan. He was the envy of his peers. Of the morethan 260 participants in supervisory workshops over the

past year (primarily adminis-trative personnel), more than80 percent had not seen theInternational CooperativeAdministrative SupportServices performance stan-dards that govern their work!

Upon completing training,many FSNs say they couldcontribute more to their sec-tions if they were aware ofthe post or section’s goalsand objectives. All leaveenergized about going backand discussing this withtheir supervisors. FSIencourages FSN graduates toask about the mission per-formance plan and to volun-teer to play a role in theprocess. FSNs want theirAmerican colleagues to

Above, FSO Marge Melun, second row, third from left, in her Capitol Hill home entertaining Public Diplomacy FSNs with her international hat collec-tion. Below, from left, political assistant Denize Adams, embassy nurse Joy Davis, RSO guard inspector Kareen Young, visa assistant Murlene Yhanand personnel assistant Barbara Persaud discuss crisis management at U.S. Embassy in Georgetown, Guyana.

Photo by Jo-Anne Vaughn

Phot

o by

Ky

Thom

pson

know they are professionals with extensive knowledgeand experience. They want to be part of the team.

A training program’s effectiveness can only be meas-ured by its impact on the performance of the trainees. FSIrelies on feedback from participants and their supervi-sors for this aspect of the program review, and that feed-back has been positive. The supervisory workshops,including a major segment on customer-focused manage-ment, have touched the largest number of students. Onepost reported, “The training has transformed the section!Everyone is energized about the customer surveys and istaking an active interest in improving services.”

The political and economic training at FSI has beenparticularly well received and demand for those coursesremains high. One post reported, “You did the miracu-lous. [Our employee] gained a sense of corporate identi-ty with the State Department and established an indis-pensable network of colleagues and friends.” Several

participants said the training gave them a chance toshare their frustrations as well as to gain new perspec-tives and ideas. For others, the simple discovery that allFSNs worldwide were restricted from the controlledareas was a welcome revelation. They thought this was apost-specific rule that indicated a general lack of trust inthe FSN staff.

FSNs are not only a tremendous asset to theDepartment. They are a vital link to understanding theircountries and cultures. An investment in FSNs today canonly enhance the Department’s achievement of its for-eign policy objectives in the future.

For more information on the various FSN training pro-grams, visit FSI’s web site on the Intranet athttp://99.4.241.2/. �

The author recently retired as coordinator of administrativetraining in FSI’s School of Professional and Area Studies.

24 State Magazine

WHA Bureau—FSN Supervisory SkillsWorkshop—December 1999

“After returning to post, I held a workshop in Rio for 29 FSNsupervisors on the basics of the training we had in FortLauderdale. My personnel officer attended, too. The consensuswas that American supervisors should have the training alsoand the personnel officer suggested that I could maybe give a2-hour explanation to the American staff. My boss, the admin-istrative officer, readily agreed. The training should actually begiven by those familiar with the subject and with authority. Onthe other hand, so many requested that the workshop also begiven to non-supervisory FSNs that I am now developing andadapting the first training for the others.”

—Ana-Maria C. de MirandaPersonnel AssistantU.S. Consulate General, Rio de Janerio

NEA/SA Bureau—FSN Supervisory SkillsWorkshop—June 1999

“...I wanted you to know that since I’ve been back, we havebeen having weekly training classes with our American citizenservices section. Customer service has been our main topic. I havebeen dealing with a difficult employee and was only successfulbecause of your training. It was so much easier and, believe me,without the training, I honestly don’t think I would have been ableto do it. The employee understands the problem, we were able totalk about it amiably and at the end of the day, he understandswhat I want and need and there are no bad feelings.”

—Ingrid BarzelConsular SpecialistU.S. Embassy, Tel Aviv

FSN Political Tradecraft Workshop—September 1999“...The greatest thing in this class is that it changed my

vision of the world. Now, when I listen to the news or watch TV,I often think of one of you, drafting cables and reporting someinformation on the event.”

—Kossomi Aboubacar “Bouback”Political AssistantU.S. Embassy, Niger

Public Diplomacy FSNEP—1999“...The visit was an eye-opener for me. Now I understand

what the United States has to offer to our international visitors.I am in a much better position to explain to our visitors—mostof whom are first-time visitors to the United States—what toexpect from their visits.”

—J.P. DasCultural AssistantU.S. Embassy, New Delhi

“I would like to emphasize the importance and usefulness ofthis training. First, the training gave me a precious opportunityto experience and observe various U.S. government media-related events and sites, such as the State Department pressbriefing, the Foreign Press Center, the Senate in session andcongressional hearings. I used to have difficulties in briefingnew Japanese correspondents to the United States and in thepast had to depend upon information collected from differentsources, and even from my own imagination. . . . ”

—Yoshiteru WatanabeInformation SpecialistU.S. Embassy, Tokyo

Training: FSNs Speak Out

May 2000 25

By Carol DorseyPhotos by Dave Krecke

This is the time of year when manyForeign Service employees and theirfamilies prepare for their onward assign-ments. Obtaining a medical clearance is an essen-tial part of that process. Valid for two years or untilthe end of a tour, a medical clearance is required of

every participant in the medical program—employee oreligible family member—who will reside overseas.

Medical Clearance Update

The medical clearance process has been streamlined thisyear. Employees and eligible family members maychoose to complete a Medical Clearance Update form inlieu of completing the traditional physical examination.Employees and their Foreign Service health careproviders review their health status and that of theirfamily members to determine whether there are anyhealth concerns that might require further tests or treat-ment. During this process, they may choose to completeonly specific screening tests based on their age and per-

sonal health history. These recommenda-tions may be made after discussions at post or

after review of the file in Medical Clearances. This streamlined medical clearance is available to

all employees or eligible family members, in all agen-cies, regardless of age or previous medical clearance

status (limited or unlimited). Employees may also elect to have the complete physi-

cal examination.

Washington AssignmentsEmployees assigned to Washington, D.C., do not need

a medical clearance. MED will not authorize paymentfor clearance examinations overseas or at a home leaveaddress if an employee’s next assignment is in theUnited States. Employees are entitled to physicals ontheir return to the United States, and those choosing tohave exams should schedule them for MED’s exam clin-ic after the busy summer rotation cycle, usuallySeptember through March.

Class 1 Clearances Issued OverseasAnother change in the clearance procedure allows the

Foreign Service medical provider at post to issue a Class 1clearance to persons already holding a Class 1—world-

A StreamlinedPath to a HealthyAssignment

Medical Clearance:

Class 2 ClearancesPersons holding a Class 2 (limited) medical clearance

may use either of the methods discussed to update theirmedical clearance. If they elect to use the update form,they must include pertinent medical reports and com-ments summarizing their current health status and out-lining the recommendations for necessary follow-up carefor the next year.

26 State Magazine

wide available—medical clearance.The clearance may be issued after theprovider reviews the completed histo-ry and physical examination or theupdate form and is satisfied that noadditional medical testing is needed.

Health Maintenance ExamsEmployees who opt to expedite the

clearance process by completing theMedical Clearance Update form maystill want additional studies or a phys-ical exam at a later date to maintaintheir health. MED will continue to payfor these periodic evaluations, begin-ning with the initiation of the “clear-ance action” (completion of theMedical Clearance Update form) up toand through the completion of homeleave. Routine health maintenance lab-oratory or diagnostic testing may beauthorized. This routine testing mightinclude any examination or diagnostictesting normally done as part of the traditional completehistory and physical exam—pap smear, mammogram,routine blood screening for prostate specific antigen, cho-lesterol, liver function and other routine tests. The posthealth unit will authorize the requested examinations ortests. Health screening examinations will be offered inconjunction with the medical clearance update every twoto three years or at the end of a tour.

Foreign Service Health Practitioner Cheryl Green, right, assists Teresa Wiegand in filling out herMedical Clearance Update form at the embassy health unit in La Paz, Bolivia.

Phot

o by

Iren

e Cr

offo

rd

Receptionist Sandra Ealy greetsthe Charltons, Elyse, Amy, Miltonand Anne, for their physical examsbefore their assignment to Brazil.

When preparing to bid, employees should also informtheir career officers that they or their family membershave a limited medical clearance (Class 2) or have devel-oped a medical condition that could affect their world-wide availability. Career development officers work withthe Office of Medical Services to ensure that appropriateassignments are made. Medical approval for an onwardassignment depends on the nature of the medical condi-tion and the health care capabilities of the proposed post.Direct transfers also require post medical approval fromMED/Clearances prior to the transfer.

Long-term trainingEmployees need an updated medical clearance before

beginning long-term language training. When they areassigned to language training, they should update theirmedical clearance immediately after being officially noti-fied of the assignment.

Those currently serving anywhere in the United Stateswho are seeking an overseas assignment should note thattravel orders cannot be issued unless the employee andall family members who will accompany the employeeand reside abroad have current medical clearances.

Remember

All employees and their eligible family members musthave an updated medical clearance before arriving attheir next post. The Department may withhold medicalbenefits from employees who proceed to a foreign post-ing without proper medical clearances for themselves orfamily members. Clearance status can be confirmed bycontacting Medical Clearances at 202-663-1668. �

The author is chief of medical clearances in the Office ofMedical Services.

May 2000 27

Above, Sylvia Flores, RN, exam clinic nurse, measures the height ofAmy Charlton. Below, Anne Charlton meets Dr. Arthur Rollins beforeher physical at MED’s exam clinic.

Elyse Charlton gets her tuberculosis test.

28 State Magazine

We plan our vacations months—even years—inadvance. But according to Tanya Bodzin, acareer counselor in State’s Career Developmentand Resource Center, many Civil Service

employees don’t put a lick of planning into their careers.“It’s like we’re out on the road hitchhiking. We take the

first ride—the first job offer—rather than focusing on whatdirection we want to be headed toward,” she told employ-ees who gathered for her recent noontime seminar at MainState, “Proven Strategies of Successful Career Managers.”

Successful career managers, Ms. Bodzin explained, arepeople who set career goals, work toward them andachieve them. They’re not afraid of change—in fact, they

welcome it—and they’re always eval-uating their careers to see what’sahead and to ensure they’re not head-ed in the wrong direction or worse,into a dead end.

Ms. Bodzin told the group the mostsuccessful career managers build theirprofessional careers on a set of provenstrategies that can work for anyone.

They identify the specific skills ortalents they enjoy using and are goodat and those they’re weak in and needto improve. Meanwhile, she said, theywork to become an expert in what theydo or some special aspect of the job sothey’re recognized by their co-workersand possibly, future supervisors.“Everybody needs to become a ‘limit-ed edition,’ who’s the very best atsome aspect of what they do,” Ms.Bodzin said.

Next, successful career managersalso get to know where they’re goingprofessionally. They research jobs theymight want to pursue, getting to knowthe office, organization and manage-ment. They talk to people who work ina field they’re interested in pursuing oran office they’d like to join to get an“insider’s” viewpoint.

They also network with people whohave the authority to hire or mentorthem, Ms. Bodzin said, and then letpeople know they are looking for anew challenge.

Once they identify their professionaldestination, Ms. Bodzin said successfulcareer managers chart the course to takethem there. This involves polishing upresumes and other application docu-ments, practicing interviewing tech-niques, taking brush-up courses toimprove their qualifications and volun-teering for special assignments to

become better known by those who are hiring. It involvesreviewing less tangible abilities, too, Ms. Bodzin said, suchas critical thinking and presentation skills.

But Ms. Bodzin said it also involves marketing—learn-ing to recognize and “sell” their talents to a potentialemployer. People who successfully manage their careersuse every opportunity to let others know what they’veworked on recently, what “fire” or crisis they helpedresolve or the most recent project they completed.

“People don’t like to talk up their successes becausethey see it as bragging,” she said. “But the truth is thatpeople who don’t share their accomplishments with oth-ers are missing a golden opportunity to promote them-selves and their careers.” �

ManagingYour CivilService Career

May 2000 29

People Like YouPeople Like You

Still in the Swingof Things

Jacob Hardaway, right, likes his work and after 58 yearsof federal service has no plans to retire. Described by col-leagues as “a character with a lot of vitality,” Mr.Hardaway says, “the secret is keeping busy and focused.”His federal career dates from 1940, when he joined theArmy. He retired from the military in 1963 and joined theU.S. Information Agency as a courier/driver and later asa labor foreman. He currently is distribution monitor forlogistics management in the Department. For the past 13years, he has cooked dinner monthly at his church inArlington, Va., for the area’s homeless residents. Besideshis community work, he also enjoys raising vegetablesand following sports, especially golf, which he plays dur-ing visits to Columbus, Ga., his hometown.

‘The Play’s the Thing’A small and very close community, the U.S. Embassy

in Asunción boasts painters, singers, dancers, writersand musicians. Alison Dilworth, vice-consul and theatreenthusiast, decided to put their talent to use. In search-ing for a script, she discovered a comedy, “Love, Sex andthe IRS,” by Lt. Col. John Cherniga from the Office ofOverseas Defense Cooperation. Convincing embassystaff to dedicate two hours a day for six weeks ofrehearsals was her next challenge. Of the eight castmembers, only one evening performance worked for all.So opening night would be closing night, too. StephenMcFarland, embassy charge, and his wife, Karin, volun-teered their patio as the set. With their lines and cos-tumes perfected, opening night finally came—alongwith the rain. The cast was devastated. They hadworked for weeks and now it was raining on theirparade. But 20 minutes before show time, the cloudsparted and the show went on. The actors’ boisterouslyentertaining performance had the audience rolling inthe aisles.

Rolondo Fuentes, left, argues with Chris Dilworth as Heather Blank looks on.

30 State Magazine

Jay W. Gildner, 73, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedof cardiovascular failure Jan. 14 in Washington, D.C. Mr.Gildner joined the U.S. Information Agency in 1955 andserved in Germany, Canada, Israel, Iran and Washington,D.C. He served as assistant press secretary to PresidentKennedy in 1961. Mr. Gildner served in the U.S. ArmyAir Corps during World War II.

James R. Ruchti, 88, a retired Foreign Service officer,died of cancer Jan. 10 in South Bend, Ind. Mr. Ruchtiserved in Kenya from 1963 to 1967 as deputy chief ofmission and later as consul general in Stuttgart from1970 to 1974. He served in World War II and remained inthe Army Reserves until 1981 when he retired as a lieu-tenant colonel.

Isa Khalil Sabbagh, 82, a retiredForeign Service officer, died of aheart attack Jan. 15 in Jeddah,Saudi Arabia. Mr. Sabbagh joinedthe U.S. Information Agency in1958 and served in Saudi Arabia,Kuwait and Lebanon. He served asan interpreter and adviser toPresidents Johnson, Nixon, Fordand Carter during peace missionsto the Middle East.

James F. Wiley, 59, a retired Foreign Service informationmanagement specialist, died of lymphoma Jan. 19 in St.Louis, Mo. Mr. Wiley joined the Foreign Service in 1965and served in Finland, Rwanda, Jamaica, DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, Iran, Italy, South Africa, Russiaand Washington, D.C. He retired in 1994.

James “Bobby” Byrd, 60, a member of the Civil Service,died Feb. 7 in Washington, D.C. Mr. Byrd joined the StateDepartment in 1989 after serving as a motor vehicleoperator in the Bureau of Administration, GeneralServices Management Division, and working for numer-ous other federal agencies. He also served over 22 yearsin the U.S. Army.

Nadine Jones Cunningham, 77, wifeof retired Foreign Service officerRobert Cunningham, died Jan. 4 inSan Francisco. Mrs. Cunninghamaccompanied her husband onassignments in Canada, Germany,Turkey, South Africa and Italy. Sheserved as support staff for intelli-gence research in Washington,D.C., Turkey and South Africa.

Enoch Sevier Duncan, a retired Foreign Service officer,died Jan. 10 in Tuscon, Ariz. Mr. Duncan joined theForeign Service in 1946 and served in Egypt, Kuwait,Lebanon, Washington, D.C., and South Africa. He wasdeputy chief of mission in Iraq from 1965 to 1967 and inJordan from 1967 to 1969. A bomber pilot during WorldWar II, he retired from the Department in 1974.

Edward Lewis Eberhardt, 77, aretired Foreign Service officer, diedof a heart attack Feb. 17 inCorvallis, Ore. Mr. Eberhardtserved in Cuba, Mexico andWashington, D.C. He served in theU.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet in the1940s, prior to joining the ForeignService. He retired in 1965.

Abol Fazl Fotouhi, 82, a retired ForeignService officer, died of a heart ail-ment Jan. 10 in Fort Washington, Md.Mr. Fotouhi became a U.S. citizen in1943 and served in the U.S. Armyduring World War II. He joined theForeign Service in 1952 and servedfor more than 20 years as a publicaffairs officer in Japan, Brazil,Pakistan, Nigeria, Malawi andWashington, D.C.

O B I T U A R I E S

To report deaths of Foreign Service and Civil Serviceretirees, contact the Office of Retirement at (202) 261-8960 (voice) or (202) 261-8988 (fax). Obituary informa-tion, including photos, may be submitted by the familyor their representative directly to State Magazine, U.S.Department of State, Bureau of Personnel, Office ofEmployee Relations, Room H-236, SA-1, 2201 C St. NW,Washington, DC 20522-0102. Fax: (202) 663-1769.

May 2000 31

Number Competed

Number Promoted

% Competed Promoted

Average Time-in-Class of Competed

Promotees' Average Time-in-Class

Average Length of Service Competed

Promotees' Average Length of ServiceCompetition Groups

Number Competed

Number Promoted

% Competed Promoted

Average Time-in-Class of Competed

Promotees' Average Time-in-Class

Average Length of Service Competed

Promotees' Average Length of ServiceCompetition Groups

1999 Foreign Service Promotion StatisticsThe Bureau of Personnel has prepared the following statistical summary of promotions granted on the basis of recommendations made by

the 1999 Selection Boards. The data show the number of members who competed, the number promoted and the percentage of those com-peting who were promoted. Additionally, the data gives the average time-in-class and length of service of employees eligible to compete forpromotion and those promoted. Readers should note that the data have little significance for competition groups with relatively small num-bers of promotion opportunities. The data are organized by class and primary skill code (i.e., functional field for generalists and occupationalcategory for specialists). Multifunctional promotions of generalists in classes 01, 02 and 03 are shown in separate groups by cone. A sum-mary explanation of the various skill code groups at each level is provided below; detailed information on this aspect may be obtained fromthe 1999 Selection Board Precepts.

FEMC TO FECM (Classwide competition of all eligible officers)

Admin. Generalist 21 0 0.0 7.6 0.0 26.7 0.0Consular 12 0 0.0 7.0 0.0 30.0 0.0Economic 33 0 0.0 7.1 0.0 28.8 0.0Political 70 5 7.1 7.4 7.3 30.7 28.4Labor Officer 1 0 0.0 7.8 0.0 33.4 0.0Psychiatrist 1 0 0.0 9.7 0.0 19.0 0.0Medical Officer 3 0 0.0 6.6 0.0 15.8 0.0

Total 141 5 3.5 7.3 7.3 29.2 28.4

GENERALIST FEOC TO FEMC (Classwide competition of all eligible officers andcompetition by cone)

Admin. Generalist 38 8 21.1 4.3 5.2 22.8 22.3Consular 33 6 18.2 4.7 5.5 25.0 23.9Economic 38 11 28.9 4.6 5.0 24.6 24.1Political 67 18 26.9 5.0 5.6 24.3 23.5Labor Officer 1 0 0.0 4.7 0.0 19.8 0.0EST Officer 1 0 0.0 2.4 0.0 13.5 0.0Narcotics 2 0 0.0 5.2 0.0 13.9 0.0

Total 180 43 23.9 4.7 5.4 24.0 23.5

FS-1 TO FEOC (Multifunctional competition of all eligible officers and competi-tion by cone; eligibles include only those requesting threshold review)

FUNCTIONAL PROMOTIONSAdmin. Generalist 87 12 13.8 6.2 5.8 21.7 21.1Consular 87 7 8.0 6.3 8.0 21.7 21.2Economic 76 9 11.8 6.4 5.4 21.3 20.7Political 127 10 7.9 6.1 6.2 21.1 19.2Labor Officer 1 1 100.0 4.7 4.7 25.5 25.5EST Officer 3 1 33.3 1.6 4.7 6.6 19.7

MULTIFUNCTIONAL PROMOTIONS*Admin. Generalist 13 1 7.7 7.0 4.7 19.8 16.9Consular 40 3 7.5 7.5 6.0 21.2 21.6Economic 34 2 5.9 6.7 6.2 21.6 22.4Political 80 15 18.8 6.9 6.5 21.4 20.9Labor Officer 1 0 0.0 4.7 0.0 25.5 0.0EST Officer 2 0 0.0 2.4 0.0 9.9 0.0Narcotics 1 0 0.0 3.7 0.0 10.5 0.0

Total 402 61 15.2 6.2 6.2 21.3 20.7

FS-2 TO FS-1 (Multifunctional competition of all eligible officers by cone)

FUNCTIONAL PROMOTIONSAdmin. Generalist 142 17 12.0 5.8 8.6 16.7 19.6

Consular 133 10 7.5 6.2 7.9 17.3 19.4Economic 154 17 11.0 6.2 8.0 16.3 17.6Political 195 17 8.7 6.2 6.5 17.1 15.7

MULTIFUNCTIONAL PROMOTIONS*Admin. Generalist 40 4 10.0 6.7 5.5 17.6 14.9Consular 55 3 5.5 10.2 4.1 25.4 12.4Economic 45 10 22.2 6.8 6.7 17.2 16.0Political 75 15 20.0 6.6 5.8 17.6 15.5Narcotics 5 0 0.0 4.0 0.0 8.3 0.0

Total 656 93 14.2 6.1 7.1 16.9 17.2

FS-3 TO FS-2 (Multifunctional competition of all eligible officers and competitionby cone)

FUNCTIONAL PROMOTIONSAdmin. Generalist 94 26 27.7 5.3 5.5 11.7 10.7Consular 97 18 18.6 5.7 5.3 12.1 12.2Economic 129 29 22.5 4.9 5.2 10.6 10.4Political 162 34 21.0 5.1 6.2 10.9 12.0

MULTIFUNCTIONAL PROMOTIONS*Admin. Generalist 32 6 18.8 5.7 7.1 11.9 12.6Consular 37 11 29.7 6.0 6.6 12.4 11.5Economic 50 9 18.0 5.1 5.7 10.7 11.1Political 75 14 18.7 5.3 6.5 11.0 11.7

Total 522 147 28.2 5.2 5.8 11.2 11.4

*A number of officers competed functionally and multifunctionally. Thus, they areincluded in both competition groups, and the totals are greater than the actualmembership of the competition group. If a member was promoted multifunctionallyin the first session, he or she did not compete functionally in the second session.

FS-4 TO FS-3 (Tenured junior officers competed classwide; FP generalistscompeted by cone or administrative subfunction)

Admin. Generalist 54 29 53.7 4.3 3.9 6.1 5.6Consular 54 36 66.7 4.3 3.8 6.5 5.8Economic 40 23 57.5 4.0 4.2 5.7 5.8Political 41 28 68.3 3.2 3.0 5.2 5.0Unconed 62 23 37.1 2.7 2.6 3.7 3.8

Total 251 139 55.4 3.7 3.5 5.4 5.3

FEOC TO FEMC (Competed by occupational category)

Info Mgmt Technical 1 0 0.0 4.7 0.0 28.4 0.0Diplomatic Courier 1 0 0.0 5.7 0.0 36.0 0.0Psychiatrist 3 1 33.3 3.6 4.7 9.8 8.8

32 State Magazine

Number Competed

Number Promoted

% Competed Promoted

Average Time-in-Class of Competed

Promotees' Average Time-in-Class

Average Length of Service Competed

Promotees' Average Length of ServiceCompetition Groups

Number Competed

Number Promoted

% Competed Promoted

Average Time-in-Class of Competed

Promotees' Average Time-in-Class

Average Length of Service Competed

Promotees' Average Length of ServiceCompetition Groups

Security Officer 7 1 14.3 4.5 5.7 23.8 25.0Information Management 2 1 50.0 3.0 3.6 28.4 25.1Construction Engineer 4 0 0.0 4.1 0.0 14.3 0.0Medical Officer 10 2 20.0 4.4 4.2 10.5 9.3

Total 28 5 17.9 4.2 4.5 17.1 15.5

FS-1 to FEOC (Eligibles include only those requesting threshold review)

Finance 12 1 8.3 7.9 7.8 19.3 32.0Info Mgmt Technical 3 1 33.3 6.1 7.8 23.9 21.9Information Management 19 2 10.5 4.5 4.2 23.0 18.1Diplomatic Courier 2 1 50.0 5.2 4.7 33.3 32.7Psychiatrist 1 1 100.0 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.3Security Officer 44 8 18.2 6.1 5.9 22.3 22.2Security Engineer 4 0 0.0 7.0 0.0 18.5 0.0Facilities Maintenance 3 0 0.0 4.5 0.0 21.2 0.0Construction Engineer 5 0 0.0 5.7 0.0 13.8 0.0Medical Officer 3 1 33.3 6.0 6.5 6.0 6.5Health Practitioner 3 1 33.3 3.4 1.7 24.8 21.1

Total 99 16 16.2 5.8 5.6 21.1 20.8

FS-2 to FS-1

Finance 40 5 12.5 5.3 6.5 14.2 11.0Personnel 14 1 7.1 4.2 5.7 21.4 20.1General Services 17 3 17.6 5.0 5.4 18.3 19.1Information Management 78 6 7.7 5.3 4.4 19.1 22.0Info Mgmt Technical 14 1 7.1 6.5 6.7 20.8 20.2Diplomatic Courier 5 1 20.0 4.5 2.7 17.1 12.8Security Officer 158 13 8.2 7.4 8.7 17.7 19.5Facilities Maintenance 5 0 0.0 4.9 0.0 8.1 0.0Security Engineer 57 2 3.5 5.7 7.8 12.5 12.1Construction Engineer 9 2 22.2 4.5 5.8 10.2 11.4Medical Technician 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0Health Practitioner 7 3 42.9 4.7 4.7 15.9 13.7

Total 404 37 9.2 6.1 6.6 16.8 17.3

FS-3 to FS-2

Finance 13 5 38.5 2.1 2.3 7.0 7.8Personnel 6 3 50.0 4.9 3.0 19.6 23.1General Services 30 6 20.0 4.9 4.7 12.8 10.7Information Management 58 16 27.6 5.0 4.8 18.4 20.6

Info Mgmt Technical 47 5 10.6 6.8 6.9 14.3 14.3Diplomatic Courier 12 1 8.3 6.2 4.7 28.3 31.8Security Officer 171 32 18.7 5.5 6.1 12.5 12.7Security Engineer 11 8 72.7 5.4 5.1 8.8 8.2Facilities Maintenance 13 5 38.5 4.2 4.2 6.4 6.9Construction Engineer 14 4 28.6 2.6 3.3 3.3 4.3Medical Technician 3 0 0.0 8.7 0.0 16.4 0.0Health Practitioner 5 5 100.0 4.8 4.8 8.1 8.1Office Mgmt Specialist 9 0 0.0 5.6 0.0 32.0 0.0

Total 392 90 23.0 5.3 5.1 13.8 13.0

FS-4 to FS-3

Finance 2 0 0.0 1.7 0.0 7.2 0.0Personnel 8 3 37.5 2.8 3.1 11.5 11.7General Services 12 11 91.7 2.8 2.9 8.1 8.1Information Management 131 68 51.9 3.2 2.6 12.6 10.9Info Mgmt Technical 37 10 27.0 5.0 5.2 7.8 7.1Diplomatic Courier 27 3 11.1 5.5 6.7 12.3 17.4Security Officer 30 24 80.0 5.6 4.9 8.9 8.2Security Engineer 4 4 100.0 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8Facilities Maintenance 35 5 14.3 3.3 3.8 3.5 3.8Construction Engineer 1 0 0.0 2.1 0.0 2.1 0.0Medical Technician 1 1 100.0 3.0 3.0 5.6 5.6Health Practitioner 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0Office Mgmt Specialist 83 4 4.8 5.0 8.0 23.7 24.7

Total 371 133 35.8 4.1 3.5 13.1 9.9

FS-5 to FS-4

Information Management 136 34 25.0 4.9 3.6 9.6 6.4Office Mgmt Specialist 156 31 19.9 4.6 6.8 17.3 18.1

Total 292 65 22.3 4.8 5.2 13.7 12.0

FS-6 to FS-5

Office Mgmt Specialist 189 44 23.3 4.7 6.3 11.8 12.9

Total 189 44 23.3 4.7 6.3 11.8 12.9

FS-7 to FS-6

Office Mgmt Specialist 78 60 76.9 4.7 4.6 7.4 7.0Total 78 60 76.9 4.7 4.6 7.4 7.0

Foreign Service RetirementsAnderson, Mary Lee, MoscowCollins Jr., Bernhard B., Euro. Sec. and Political AffairsHall, Rudy G., Acquistions ManagementHaydt, Alan R., HanoiKarika, Audrey J., BudapestMccabe, Michael V., Bilateral and Regional AffairsPrietsch, James R., Dignitary Protection DivisionRaven-Hamilton, Eleanore, Assistant Secretary

Civil Service Retirements

PERSONNEL ACTIONS

Ahn, Choong-Sik, Northeast Asia DivisionBandurski, Bruce Lord, International Joint

CommissionBow, Carolyn D., International Accounts DivisionBowers, Maureen K., Contract Administration &

Procurement BranchErb, William A., Oceans Affairs

Hitt, Peggy M., Presidential-Vice Presidential TravelSup Staff

Morrison, Peggy B., Disbursing DivisionShapiro, Paul A., International VisitorsSopko, Catherine J., The Executive DirectorStedman, Louise F., Human Resources BranchTaylor, Elaine, Miami Passport Agency

The author is an economic officer in Jakarta.

May 2000 33

Department of State, USABureau of PersonnelWashington, DC 20520

Official BusinessPenalty for Private Use

PeriodicalsPostage and Fees Paid

Department of StateISSN 1099–4165

If address is incorrect, pleaseindicate change. Do not coveror destroy this address label.POSTMASTER: Send changesof address to:

State MagazinePER/ERSA–1, Room H-236 Washington, DC 20522–0602

U.S. Savings Bondswww.savingsbonds.gov

Or it Can Be Automatic.

Saving Can Be Tough.