On June 25, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominateDavid Thorne to be Ambassador to the Italian Republic and the Republic of San Marino. The WH released the following official bio:
Mr. Thorne is a co-founder of Adviser Investments, one of the nation’s most highly regarded firms specializing in Vanguard and Fidelity mutual funds and electronically traded funds. Mr. Thorne has been an investor and entrepreneur in a wide variety of business ventures, including marketing consulting, real estate, publishing, and financial services. He recently sold his publishing business to Martha Stewart Omnimedia. Mr. Thorne is a former President and current Board member of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and led the design oversight team for its new building in Boston.
Mr. Thorne graduated from Yale University in 1966 with a BA in American History and received a Masters degree in journalism from Columbia University in 1971. Mr. Thorne served in the US Navy from 1966-1970 and is author of The New Soldier (Macmillan 1971).
* * *
If confirmed, Mr. Thorne would replace Ronald Spogli who was appointed US Ambassador to Italy and San Marino in 2006. We have written previously about our man in Rome here.
On June 25, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominateCharles A. Ray to be Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe. The WH released the following official bio:
Charles A. Ray, a career member of the Foreign Service since 1983, has been the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Prisoners of War/Missing Personnel Affairs and Director of the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office since 2006. He is responsible to the Secretary of Defense for policy development and oversight of all matters relating to missing personnel. Mr. Ray served in the U.S. Army from 1962 to 1982, retiring with the rank of Major. During his military career, he served at a number of places in the U.S. and abroad, including two tours of duty in Southeast Asia. Since joining the Foreign Service, he has served in China and Thailand, and was Deputy Chief of Mission in Sierra Leone. In 1998, he was appointed as the first U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In 2002, he was sworn in as the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, where he served until 2005. Mr. Ray served as Diplomat in Residence at the University of Houston for the 2005-2006 academic year.
Mr. Ray holds a Bachelors Degree from Benedictine College, a Masters from the University of Southern California, and a Masters in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University.
On June 25, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominateBruce Oreck to be Ambassador to the Republic of Finland. The WH released the following official bio:
Bruce Oreck was a partner in the New Orleans, Louisiana law firm of Liskow & Lewis from 1981 until 1992 where his practice was centered on the representation of the oil and gas industry. He went on to found his own firm: Oreck, Crighton, Adams & Chase, where he represented primarily Fortune 100 companies in connection with state and local tax issues. Mr. Oreck also served as Vice President and General Counsel for his family business, The Oreck Corporation (the manufacturer and seller of Oreck vacuum cleaners), from 1993 until the company was sold in 2003.
Mr. Oreck is the author of a number of treatises and legal publications. Separate from his legal practice, Mr. Oreck founded and operated a real estate development company. Originally focused on historic restorations, he renovated and restored over 100,000 square feet of historic homes and apartment buildings in New Orleans, Louisiana.
He also founded The Zero Carbon Initiative, is a founding member of the Board of Trustees for The Grand Canyon Trust, and remains very active in environmental matters. Mr. Oreck served as a member of Colorado Governor Bill Ritter’s New Energy transition advisory team and as a member of the Colorado Climate Action Panel.
On June 25, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominateKaren Kornbluh to be the Permanent Representative of the U.S. to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECDParis). The WH released the following official bio:
Karen Kornbluh is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Center for American Progress. She served as policy director in then-Senator Obama’s Senate office, beginning in 2005. Ms. Kornbluh founded the Work and Family Program at the New America Foundation, a centrist think tank, where she was also a Markle Fellow. Previously, she served as deputy chief of staff at the US Treasury Department. From 1994 to 1997, she filled several roles at the Federal Communications Commission, including Assistant Chief of the Commission's International Bureau, helping to negotiate the World Trade Organization Agreement on Basic Telecommunications, and Director of the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs while the agency was implementing key provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. She earlier worked for Senator John Kerry (D-MA) on economic issues. Ms. Kornbluh began her career as a management consultant to Fortune 500 manufacturing companies and an economist at forecasting firm Townsend-Greenspan & Co.
She received a Masters from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and a BA from Bryn Mawr College.
* * *
Ms. Kornbluh was Barack Obama's chief policy director from the beginning of his Senate tenure throughout his 2008 presidential campaign.If confirmed, she would replace Christopher Egan, who was appointed during George W. Bush’s second term.
On June 25, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominateJames Knight to be Ambassador to the Republic of Benin. The WH released the following official bio:
James Knight, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, is Director of the State Department's Office of East African Affairs, which provides political and economic policy support and liaison for Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda. Mr. Knight was previously Team Leader of the Ninewa Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), based in Mosul, Iraq. Before Iraq, Mr. Knight was Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) for the U.S. Mission to Angola. Previous assignments include DCM for Embassy Praia, Cape Verde; Country Affairs Officer for Ethiopia in the Office of East African Affairs; Political Officer for Embassy Antananarivo, Madagascar; Political, Economic, and Consular Officer for Embassy Banjul, the Gambia; and General Services Officer at Embassy Lagos, Nigeria.
Before the Foreign Service he worked as an economic development specialist for the U.S. Agency for International Development in Niger and as a software developer for the private sector. Mr. Knight holds a PhD from the University of Chicago.
* * *
If confirmed, Mr. Knight would replace career diplomat, Gayleatha B. Brown who was appointed US Ambassador to Benin in 2006.
According to Al Kamen, In the Loop's Name the Flu contest was aimed at finding a moniker catchier than H1N1, neutral on Mexico and fair to America's pork producers.
Apparently many hundreds of entries were received – “from as far away as Afghanistan, Slovakia, El Salvador and New Zealand -- sifted themselves into broad categories: slams on 24/7 media hype; plays on the H1N1 name, some trying to work out anagrams that will be easier for people to remember; and creative ways to avoid defaming Mexico or speaking ill of pigs.”
CNN Flu, Fox News Flu, Ponzi Flu, NAFTA Flu, PC flu – were among the entries that got special mention in Al Kamen’s column on June 19.Not terribly exciting submissions or creative submissions I must say.A Foreign Service officer in El Salvador did submit "Y2K Flu," adding: "The same hype and senseless waste of money. Twice."
But -- none of the names submitted would remind you to run to the bathroom and wash your hands one more time. The PONZI flu may remind you to check your wallet.The PC flu may urge you to check your computer’s temperature … you know what I mean?We need something bulky, severe and scary like SARS; just saying it out loud is big thud, a sure attention getter. We need something solid like that.
On June 25, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominateDavid Killion to be the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with the rank of Ambassador. The WH released the following official bio:
David Killion is a Senior Professional Staff member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and is the Committee’s top expert on International Organizations and State Department Operations. Mr. Killion managed the drafting of this year’s State Department Authorization Act on behalf of Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA), which passed the House on June 10th. He has also coordinated Committee initiatives to improve UN management and to reform UN human rights mechanisms. Mr. Killion served as top UN advisor to the late Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) the previous Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee. In this capacity he worked on legislation that Mr. Lantos introduced and passed in 2001 authorizing U.S. re-entry to UNESCO. Prior to serving on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Killion was an appointee of the Clinton Administration in the Department of State in the bureau of Legislative Affairs (1996-2001), and as a legislative assistant to Congressman David Skaggs (D-C0) (1994-1996).
Mr. Killion holds a BA from Wesleyan University in Middletown Connecticut and an MA from the University of California at Los Angeles.
* * *
If confirmed, Mr. Killion would replace Louise V. Oliver, a Reagan-era Republican who was appointed Permanent Representative to UNESCO by George W. Bush in 2004.The United States withdrew from UNESCO on December 31, 1984. It announced its intention to rejoin UNESCO on September 12, 2002.
On June 25, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Judith G. Garber to be Ambassador to the Republic of Latvia. The WH released the following official bio:
Judith Garber currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs at the Department of State. A career Foreign Service Officer, she joined the Foreign Service in 1984. Her previous diplomatic assignments include Economic Counselor in Madrid, Spain, Deputy Economic Counselor in Tel Aviv, Israel, Economic Officer in Prague, Czech Republic, Economic Officer in Mexico City, Mexico, and Vice Consul in Seville, Spain.
Ms. Garber’s Washington assignments include Director for North Central Europe in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Director for Overseas Development Finance in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, and the Department’s Executive Secretariat staff.
Ms. Garber holds a Bachelor of Science from Georgetown University.
* * *
If confirmed, Ms. Garber would replace Charles W. 'Chuck' Larson, Jr., a former Iowa State Senator and chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, who was appointed US Ambassador to Latvia during George W. Bush’s second term. Except for the first US Ambassador to Latvia in 1922 and the last two US Ambassadors who were political appointees, career diplomats had been appointed ambassador to Riga since 1931.
On June 25, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate William Eacho to be Ambassador to the Republic of Austria. The WH released the following official bio:
William Eacho is the CEO of Carlton Capital Group, LLC, a private investment company focused on real estate and private investments primarily dealing with alternative energy and technology. Previously, he was the executive vice president of Alliant Foodservice, Inc., a $6 billion national food service distributor based in Chicago, with primary responsibility for technology and acquisition strategy. He joined Alliant after the company’s acquisition of Atlantic Food Services in Manassas, Virginia. Under Mr. Eacho's leadership, Atlantic increased its sales tenfold. Prior to that Mr. Eacho was a founding co-chairman of UniPro Foodservice Inc., the food service distribution industry's top procurement and marketing cooperative, with combined member sales of over $20 billion. From 1996-1997, Mr. Eacho served as chairman of ComSource, a $9 billion cooperative, until helping to negotiate a merger with its leading competitor, EMCO, to create UniPro Foodservice. Mr. Eacho serves on the boards of directors of Capital Transportation Inc., Stanley Martin Companies Inc., Systems 4 Inc. and Bialek Healthcare Environments Inc.
* * *
According to OpenSecrets.org, Bill Eacho is one of President O’s bundlers who raised a minimum of $500,000 during the campaign.If confirmed, Mr. Eacho would replace David F. Girard-diCarlo, the 2000 chairman of the Bush-Cheney election campaign who was appointed US Ambassador to Austria in 2008.The last career diplomat who was appointed US Ambassador to Austria was Douglas MacArthur II who served there from 1967-1969.
"Shortly after our arrival in Kingston, we celebrated a Fourth of July party for the diplomatic corps and all Americans. I met countless times with the wives of our Consular staff to make sure everything would go smoothly. We hired a little donkey saddled with a pannier on each side filled with rum. Christopher led the little donkey around, offering our guests a drink which his older sister had prepared at the last minute with too much emphasis on the rum, as we discovered later. It is not surprising that the party was a huge success, the best ever given on American Independence Day we were told by many who attended. We were still happily celebrating when it became dark and we quite forgot to haul down the flag. Later in the night, we were reminded by one of the departing guests. At about the same time, I discovered that some of our staff had passed out from the leftover rum in the little donkey's panniers. A memorable evening!"
On June 25, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals for key administration posts:
William Eacho, Ambassador, Republic of Austria
(Political Appointee)
Judith G. Garber, Ambassador, Republic of Latvia
(Career Diplomat)
David Killion, rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
(Political Appointee)
James Knight, Ambassador, Republic of Benin
(Career Diplomat)
Karen Kornbluh, Permanent Representative of the U.S. to OECD
(Political Appointee)
Bruce Oreck, Ambassador, Republic of Finland
(Political Appointee)
Charles A. Ray, Ambassador, Republic of Zimbabwe
(Career Diplomat)
David Thorne, Ambassador, Italian Republic and the Republic of San Marino
(Political Appointee)
Biologist Robert Full studies the amazing gecko, with its supersticky feet and tenacious climbing skill. But high-speed footage reveals that the gecko's tail harbors perhaps the most surprising talents of all.
UC Berkeley biologist Robert Full is fascinated with cockroach legs that allow them to scuttle at full speed across loose mesh and gecko feet that have billions of nano-bristles to run straight up walls. He's using his research to design the perfect robotic "distributed foot," adding spines, hairs and other parts to metal legs and creating versatile scampering machines.
He's helped create robots, such as Spinybot, which can walk up sheer glass like a gecko -- and he even helped Pixar create more realistic insect animations in the film A Bug's Life.
I have added The Consuls’ Files in my blog index.Cassandra Was Right quietly started blogging in May 2009.Her blog is called The Consuls’ Files, 'bringing humanity, common sense, realism and humor to the work of the US consul.'
Her blog is a place --
“Where U.S. consular officers can ...
... ask questions, answer questions, question answers, express frustrations, tell their favorite consular stories, uncensored and anonymous.Sensible immigration attorneys and puzzled visa applicants, petitioners, and beneficiaries are warmly welcomed, as well.”
And she tells stories like this one:
A young man from a South Asian suburb had been refused visas at least six times before.[…] I reviewed the prior applications, interviewed him, then started on my refusal patter: "I'm very sorry, but you don't qualify for a ..."At that point he interrupted and cried, incensed, "But madam! This time I'm telling the truth!"
Tee-hee!
She has an Ask the Consul option in her side barwhere readers can “Ask a question, suggest a topic.” But she wants you to “Be nice; pretend you're writing to your mother.”
Update: Unfortunately, this blog has gone missing since Friday, October 2, 2009. Read the Hunt for Madam le Consul here.
"One of the Secretary Clinton’s highest priorities is to increase our diplomatic staffing by 25% over the next four years. It is an ambitious but achievable goal, and can be achieved while maintaining the high standards that have allowed the Department over the years to attract and retain the nation’s best. This hiring increase has been termed “Diplomacy 3.0: Diplomacy, Development, and Defense,” reflecting the need to develop State Department personnel’s skills to support an integrated approach to foreign policy goals.
The President’s 2009 Budget will allow the Department of State to hire 2300 new Civil Service and Foreign Service employees this year, including 1200 new employees above attrition. These new personnel will fill existing vacancies, improve coordination with the Department of Defense, the U.S. Agency for International Development and other interagency partners, and provide us opportunities to increase our training in critical skills."
Well, not forever gone yet. The President released a brief statement after signing H.R. 2346 in the Oval Office on June 24. 2009:
"I want to thank the Members of Congress who put politics aside and stood up to support a bill that will provide for the safety of our troops and the American people. This legislation will make available the funding necessary to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end, defeat terrorist networks in Afghanistan, and further prepare our nation in the event of a continued outbreak of the H1N1 pandemic flu."
Now it’s done. This one.
Here is what AFSA said about the overseas comparability pay implementation earlier, which is part of H.R. 2346.
Today AFSA has more via AFSANet:
[…] We have succeeded in achieving the first phase of our members number-one objective of getting Congress and the Administration to correct the historical injustice of excluding Foreign Service members posted overseas from the locality pay that all other federal employees assigned domestically receive. The Department of State and other foreign affairs agencies should now move quickly to close the first roughly ONE-THIRD tranche of that 23.1 percent pay gap in the current fiscal year. This should translate into a base salary increase in the vicinity of 7.7 percent, by October 1, for all Foreign Service members FS-01 and below assigned overseas.Ideally, this adjustment will be followed by similar measures in FY2010 and FY2011 to address the second and third tranches of the pay disparity. AFSA will work hard to make sure that happens.
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONSUNITED STATES SENATE
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009
Time: 11:00 A.M.
Place: 419 Dirksen Senate Building
Presiding: Senator Shaheen
Nominee:
Maria Otero
to be Under Secretary of State
for Democracy and Global Affairs
Philip L. Verveer
for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service
as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for
International Communications and Information Policy
in the Bureau of Economic, Energy,
and Business Affairs and U.S. Coordinator for
International Communications and Information Policy
To view the video of the confirmation hearings, click on the heading "NOMINATIONS" on this page and the Committee Channel should pop up.Links to testimonies/opening statements will be posted when they become available.
On June 18th, Ambassador Eikenberry joined Governor Sarobi, Second Vice President Karim Khalili, Director General of the National Environmental Protection Agency Mostapha Zaher, and Bamyan provincial leadership to celebrate Band-e-Amir National Park. Long known among Afghans as a place of great natural beauty and cool respite during the summer, the park opened in April for tourists.
President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leave the Oval Office after a meeting on June 22, 2009. Secretary Clinton broke her elbow last week and had surgery on Friday. Some of her 18 million supporters and proud Hillary villagers have posted their well wishes in DipNote.
(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
On June 19, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Kenneth E. Gross, Jr. to be Ambassador to the Republic of Tajikistan. Official bio released by the WH below:
Kenneth Gross currently serves as a Career Development Officer for senior-level officers in the Bureau of Human Resources at the Department of State. A career Senior Foreign Service Officer, he joined the Department in 1987. His previous overseas diplomatic assignments include Principal Officer at the U.S. regional office in Basrah, Iraq, Deputy Chief of Mission in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, and tours in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Kathmandu, Nepal, and Frankfurt, Germany.
Mr. Gross’s Washington assignments include Director of the Middle East Partnership Initiative Office, aviation negotiator in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, and desk officer for Austria and Germany in the Bureau of European Affairs.
Mr. Gross earned a B.A. from Auburn University, a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law, and a M.S. from the National War College.
* * *
If confirmed, Mr. Gross would succeed Tracy Ann Jacobson, a career diplomat appointed as US Ambassador to Tajikistan in 2006. Embassy Dushanbe was established Mar 13, 1992, with Edmund McWilliams as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.No political appointee has ever succeeded in getting an appointment as US Ambassador to Tajikistan.
On June 19, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Teddy B. Taylor to be Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and the Republic of Vanuatu. Official bio released by the WH below:
Teddy Taylor has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Human Resources since June 2006. Immediately prior to this post, Mr. Taylor was Director of the Office of Employee Relations in the Bureau of Human Resources. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Mr. Taylor began his diplomatic career in 1978. He has served as US Consul at the American Embassy in Budapest and the US Interest Section in Havana. Other assignments abroad include service as a consular officer at the US Embassies in Guatemala, Panama and Honduras.
Mr. Taylor’s domestic assignments include: Director of the Orientation Division at the Foreign Service Institute, Special Assistant in the Office of Visa Services in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Deputy Examiner, Board of Foreign Service Examinations, Bureau of Human Resources, Deputy Director for East Asian and Pacific Assignments in the Bureau of Human Resources, Deputy Policy Officer for Latin America at the former United States Information Agency and Deputy Director of Press and Public Affairs in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.
Mr. Taylor holds a BS from Florida A&M University and is a life member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
* * *
If confirmed, Mr. Taylor would succeed Leslie V. Rowe, a career diplomat who was appointed US Ambassador to PNG (also accredited to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) in 2006. Embassy in Port Moresby was established Sep 10, 1975. According to the Historian’s Office, only two non-career appointees had been adventurous enough to served in the islands so far.
On June 19, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Jerry P. Lanier to be Ambassador to the Republic of Uganda. Official bio released by the WH below:
Jerry P. Lanier is a career diplomat with 26 years of service in the Department of State. He is currently the Foreign Policy Advisor for U.S. Africa Command headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Prior to that, he was the Director of the Office of Regional and Security Affairs in the Africa Bureau at the State Department.
Mr. Lanier has also served in the Philippines, Kenya, Thailand, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Ghana. At State he has served as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, country officer for the Republic of Korea, Legislative Management Officer for Africa, Deputy Director for the Office of West African Affairs, and Deputy Director for the Office Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh Affairs.
He received his B.A. at Pembroke State University, his M.A. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and served three years as lecturer in the history department of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
* * *
If confirmed, Mr. Lanier would succeed Steven A. Browning, a career diplomat who was appointed US Ambassador to Uganda in 2005. Two political ambassadors served in Uganda in the 70’s but U.S. diplomatic personnel were withdrawn from Uganda in November 10, 1973. Embassy in Kampala was re-established on Jun 18, 1979, with David Halstead as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. Since then, no political appointee has succeeded in getting an appointment as US Ambassador to Kampala.
To view the video of the confirmation hearings, click on the heading "NOMINATIONS" on this page and the Committee Channel should pop up. Click on names of nominees to open up the pdf files of their testimonies/opening statements.
Last week, President Obama signed the Presidential Memorandum on Federal Benefits and Non-Discrimination, followed by Secretary Clinton’s statement on the granting of benefits to same-sex partners of Foreign Service employees. H.R. 2346 (which grants overseas comparability pay to Foreign Service employees class 1 or below) also cleared Congress late last week and just awaiting the President’s signature …
In related news that might just be as interesting …
I understand that the owl mail started hitting workstations last week. I received a tip that Career Development Officers (CDOs) have sent out DG-drafted letters late last week to Foreign Service officers deemed “particularly qualified” for service in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
One officer who received the targeted recruitment letter was quite surprised.Why?Well, because the job this officer was targeted for requires a specific language proficiency (which this FSO does not have) and reporting on economic conditions (FSO had no previous experience in the country nor in writing economic reports). The last time we’ve seen similar letters was about two years ago when State was staffing the diplomatic surge in Iraq, and diplomats were under threat of being sent on directed assignments.
The letter was received via unclassified email with no other restriction; it says in part:
[...]I am writing to inform you that the Department considers you among those particularly well qualified for the following XX positions and is asking you to seriously consider volunteering for an opportunity to tackle one of our nation’s top foreign policy priorities by bidding on:
XXXX (Country)(Post) XXX XXXX
[...] You are considered well qualified because your record of achievement indicates that you have the knowledge, skills and experience, as defined by the Embassy, to be successful in these positions.[...]
The targeted recruitment letter says that the goal is 100% volunteer but it includes a short blurb -- if positions remained unfilled, the recipient would be in a pool of qualified individuals potentially subject to identification. Identification for a directed assignment, that is, although those two words are not found anywhere in the letter.
I don't know if anyone should really be surprised by this. The military is expected to draw down soon in Iraq but there is no corresponding expectation for the draw down of US diplomatic presence there. So even as the State Department ramps up its diplomatic surge in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the demand for FS personnel in Iraq will not abate.
As an aside -- I am presuming that the push is still there to staff these critical posts first before all other mission staffing will be considered. So now -- you have the Iraq tax, and the Af/Pak tax. Personnel destined for assignments to other missions now have also reportedly either curtailed or have changed assignments to go to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan this summer. Which is good, except that the losing posts won't necessarily find replacements for those personnel even with projected increased hiring this summer/fall. I am told that in a couple of posts, an FSO is quad-hatted (is that the term?) working as the human resource officer, financial management officer, and general services officer in addition to his/her full-time job.
This is of course, for next year's assignment cycle. But would volunteers continue to step up year after year? We're on Year 6 going on 7 in Iraq, plus Year 1 going on 4, at least in Af/Pak (under new policy). I'm not sure how long you can keep recycling the same volunteers (who are language qualified or with reporting or stabilization experience) into the war zones or into critical post. Aren't there folks doing their third tour in Iraq? (I should note that the most recent DCM coming out of Iraq is tapped for Sri Lanka; and the most recent DCM coming out of Kabul is going to Kosovo).
In the big hullabaloo back in 2007, the outgoing Director General, Harry Thomas was quoted by TWP as saying that in the future, "everyone in the Foreign Service is going to have to do one out of three tours in a hardship post." Those who have not served in hardship assignments in the past will not be punished, but they all have to realize that there are "different conditions" now than in the past, he said.
If what he said holds true, that'll be 3 years every 9 years spent in a hardship post. The problem with that calculation is from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, the number of hardship posts seems to be expanding year after year.
On June 19, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate James B. Foley to be Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia. Official bio released by the WH below:
James B. Foley, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, has served as the State Department’s Senior Coordinator for Iraqi Refugee Issues since 2007, working to alleviate the plight of several million Iraqis displaced by the war.
Previously, Mr. Foley served as faculty member and Deputy Commandant of the National War College from 2006-2007, as Diplomat-in-Residence at the State University of New York at Fredonia from 2005-2006, and as U.S. Ambassador to Haiti from 2003-2005.
He joined the Foreign Service in 1983 and served overseas as vice consul and political officer in Manila, Philippines from1984-1986 and as political officer in Algiers, Algeria from1986-1988. Mr. Foley was subsequently a speechwriter and adviser to former Secretary of State Lawrence S. Eagleburger from 1989-1993 and Deputy Director of the Private Office of the NATO Secretary General in Brussels, Belgium from 1993-1996. He was special assistant to the late Senator Paul Coverdell from 1996-1997 under the State Department’s Pearson Fellowship program, and served as State Department Deputy Spokesman and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs from 1997-2000.
Mr. Foley received his B.A. from the State University of New York at Fredonia and an M.A. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
* * *
If confirmed, Mr. Foley would succeed Robert Anthony Bradtke, a career diplomat who was appointed US Ambassador to Croatia in 2006.Embassy Zagreb was opened Aug 25, 1992, with Ronald Nietzke as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. In the short history of the US diplomatic presence in Croatia, the only non-career appointee ever to serve there was Peter W. Galbraith of Vermont who was US Ambassador from June 1993-Jannuary 1998.
US Embassy Tbilisi, Georgia - State Magazine, June 2009
On June 19, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate John R. Bass to be Ambassador to Georgia.Official bio released by the WH below:
John Bass has led the Provincial Reconstruction Team-Baghdad, a joint team of civilians and military personnel supporting the government and citizens of Baghdad province, since July 2008.
Prior to serving in Iraq, Mr. Bass served as Director of the State Department Operations Center for three years, coordinating the State Department’s response to crises threatening American embassies, personnel and citizens. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Mr. Bass also has served in Italy, Belgium and Chad. In Washington, his assignments include a detail to the Office of the Vice President as Special Advisor for Europe and Eurasia, Chief of Staff to Deputy Secretary Strobe Talbott and special assistant to the Deputy Secretary for Europe and Eurasia. Other assignments at the State Department include work on Turkey, Cyprus, NATO-Russia relations and conventional arms reductions in Europe.
Mr. Bass joined the Foreign Service in 1988. Born and raised in upstate New York, Mr. Bass holds a B.A. from Syracuse University.
* * *
If confirmed, Mr. Bass would succeed John F. Tefft, a career diplomat who was appointed US Ambassador to Tbilisi in 2005. Embassy Tbilisi was established on April 23, 1992, with Carey Cavanaugh as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.No political appointee has yet succeeded in getting appointed as US Ambassador to Tbilisi.
On June 19, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominateErtharin Cousin as U.S. Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture with the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of service. Official bio released by the WH below:
Ertharin Cousin currently serves as President of The Polk Street Group, a national public affairs firm located in Chicago, Illinois. Cousin is a national leader in the domestic hunger relief community, and served as one of the leading African American corporate executives in the retail food community.
She has served as the Executive Vice-President and COO of America' Second Harvest, now known as Feeding America (2004-2006), board member for America's Second Harvest (2002-2004), and a member of Board for International Food and Agriculture Development (1997-2000). Her professional experiences in retail food have included assignments as Senior Vice President Public Affairs, Albertsons Foods (2001-2004); Group Vice President Public Affairs, Albertsons Foods (1999-2001); Vice-President Government and Community Affairs, Jewel Food stores (1997-1999).
During her service as White House Liaison at the State Department (1994-1996), Cousin was awarded the Meritorious Service Award. Before coming to Washington, she served as Assistant Illinois Attorney General, Deputy Director of the Chicago Ethics Board and a member of the affirmative action enforcement team at the Water Reclamation District.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Cousin is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the University of Georgia School of Law.
* * *
If confirmed, Ms. Cousin would replace Gaddi Vasquez, a former Peace Corps Director appointed as the 8th US Representative to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture in 2006 during George W. Bush's second.
On June 19, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Samuel L. Kaplan to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco. Official bio released by the WH below:
Mr. Samuel L. Kaplan is a founding member of Kaplan, Strangis and Kaplan, P.A. established in 1978. Clients of the firm include TCF Bank Savings fsb, The Minnesota Twins, Adams Affinity Group, Liberty Diversified Industries, Caldrea Home Care, Polaris Industries, Inc., Lupient Automotive Enterprises, and Davisco Foods International, Inc. Mr. Kaplan has served for over 25 years as General Counsel for the Minnesota Wine and Spirits Association.
Mr. Kaplan received his B.B.A. degree in accounting with distinction from the University of Minnesota and his J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Minnesota where he was president of the University of Minnesota Law Review, and received the Order of the Coif. He served as an adjunct professor of law during the early years following law school graduation. He is often a visiting lecturer at law school classes and speaker at continuing legal education programs.
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OpenSecrets.org of the Center for Responsive Politics has identified Mr. Kaplan of Minneapolis, MN as one of President O’s bundlers who raised between $100,000-$200,000 during the campaign.[Bundlers are people with friends in high places who, after bumping against personal contribution limits, turn to those friends, associates, and, well, anyone who's willing to give, and deliver the checks to the candidate in one big "bundle"]. Public Citizen has also identified Mr. Kaplan as one of the Obama bundlers who donated $5,000 to the transition.
If confirmed, Mr. Kaplan would replace Thomas T. Riley, a Bush Pioneer and presidential friend who was appointed US Ambassador to Morocco in 2003, during George W. Bush’s first term.
In July 1, 1917, the American Legation at Tangier had been converted into an Agency and Consulate General. The status of the mission was changed in 1925 to Diplomatic Agency and Consulate General, and in 1933, to Legation again. Embassy Rabat was established on Jun 11, 1956, with William J. Porter as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. Four of the last five US Ambassadors to Morocco had been political appointees.
On June 19, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Matthew Barzun to be Ambassador to Sweden. Official bio released by the WH below:
Mr. Barzun is the president at BrickPath LLC, where he advises and invests in Internet media companies. Prior to BrickPath, Mr. Barzun served as the Executive Vice President for CNET Networks' Business Technology group. Mr. Barzun was responsible for helping further cement the leadership position of CNET Networks' business technology brands, including News.com, ZDNet, TechRepublic, and Builder.com. Prior to that position, Mr. Barzun was chief strategy officer of CNET Networks, where he advised the CEO and the executive committee on business and organizational alignment across the company's divisions, including leading the efforts to define and communicate the company's mission, values, and corporate goals.
Mr. Barzun graduated magna cum Laude from Harvard College.
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OpenSecrets.org of the Center for Responsive Politics has identified Mr. Barzun of Louisville, KY as one of President O’s bundlers, raising a minimum of $500,000 for the campaign. [Bundlers are people with friends in high places who, after bumping against personal contribution limits, turn to those friends, associates, and, well, anyone who's willing to give, and deliver the checks to the candidate in one big "bundle."] Public Citizen has also identified Mr. Barzun as one of the Obama bundlers who donated $5,000 for the transition.
If confirmed, Mr. Barzun would replace Michael Wood, George W.’s close friend and fraternity brother at Yale who was the US Ambassador to Sweden under Bush’s second term.The last time we had a career diplomat served as US Ambassador to Sweden was in 1989-1992 when Charles Edgar Redman was assigned there.
Laura Rozen of The Cable reported on June 19 that “a Congressional source says that Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) put a hold on all State Department nominees earlier this week because he is not satisfied with the information he has been receiving from the administration on the progress of arms control negotiations with Russia.”
Over twenty State Department nominees are still pending in the SFRC. The following have been cleared by the Senate panel but with a blanket hold could be kept from going to a unanimous consent Senate floor vote:
Ellen O. Tauscher, of California, to be Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, vice Robert Joseph, resigned. Jun 16, 2009 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report. [The Cable reported unconfirmed reports that Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) has placed a blanket hold on all State Department nominees].
Kurt M. Campbell, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (East Asian and Pacific Affairs), vice Christopher R. Hill, resigned. Jun 16, 2009 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report. [The Cable reported unconfirmed reports that Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) has placed a blanket hold on all State Department nominees].
Harold Hongju Koh, of Connecticut, to be Legal Adviser of the Department of State, vice John B. Bellinger III, resigned. May 13, 2009 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report. [Anonymous hold; unconfirmed reports that the hold was placed by Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and David Vitter (R-LA)].
Jeffrey D. Feltman, of Ohio, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister- Counselor, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Near Eastern Affairs), vice C. David Welch, resigned. May 19, 2009 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report. [The Cable reported on May 22 that Carl Levin (D-MI) placed a hold on this nomination]
Laura Rozen in the same report writes that one source says “Republicans are threatening to put appointments for the entire administration on hold due to their ire over the scheduling of Obama's Supreme Court justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor for a July hearing.”
Oh, sweet joy! Don’t you just love ire?
Ire -- personified as one of the deadly sins, fatal to one's spiritual development and progress, but what the heck …
President Bush nominated Judge Sam Alito on October 31, 2005 as one of the Supremes. The WH sent his nomination to the Senate on November 10, 2005. The Senate voted to confirm Judge Alito as the 110th Justice of the Supreme Court on January 31, 2006. About three months, more or less 80 days after the Senate received the nomination!
Judge John Roberts was nominated by President Bush as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States on September 5, 2005, his nomination was sent to the Senate on September 6, 2005, and he was confirmed on September 29, 2005. Less than a month; he got his confirmation via a bullet train in 23 days!
President Obama announced the nomination of U.S. appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayor of New York for the Supreme Court on May 26, 2009.Judge Sotomayor’s nomination was sent to the Senate on June 1st. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy reportedly has set July 13 as start date for her nomination hearings. That’ll be 43 days after her nomination was sent to the Senate, and that’s just the start of the hearings. Ugh! I bet somebody will put a hold on her nomination, too – maybe for wearing a pink suit to her nomination hearings. Or as pay back for something, anything …
State Department Photo
