State Magazine, January 2007

M A G A Z I N E

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

J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 7

DepartmentInner-ViewUnder Secretary Karen Hughes talks with State editor.

Talent ScoutsDepartment moves diversity recruitingto the next level.

Office of the Month:Office of Civil RightsA busy intersection: good laws, good management,good business.

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34ON THE COVEROne of the Department’s overarching humanresource themes is to be the employer ofchoice by aggressively recruiting a skilledand diverse workforce.Photograph by Corbis

STATE MAGAZINE + JANUARY 2007 + NUMBER 508

CONTENTS

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25 Quality of LifeDepartment works to address employee concerns.

28 Building BridgesEEO Award winner bridges cultural divide.

30 Resolving ConflictAlternative dispute resolution helps avoidformal complaints.

32 Who’s Watching?What are some helps and hindrances toworkforce diversity?

38 Down the MiddleState holds a conversation with the directorof the office of Civil Rights.

40 Strictly SpeakingToastmasters develops speech andleadership skills.

Post of the Month:Dar es Salaam‘Haven of Peace’ is Diverse and Tolerant.

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COLUMNS2 FROM THE UNDER SECRETARY

3 READERS’ FEEDBACK

4 DIRECT FROM THE D.G.

5 IN THE NEWS

42 MEDICAL REPORT

44 EDUCATION AND TRAINING

45 APPOINTMENTS

46 OBITUARIES

47 RETIREMENTS

48 THE LAST WORD

UNDER SECRETARY HENRIETTA FORE

I want to wish each of you a Happy NewYear. I look forward to working with youon our goals for fiscal year 2007.The recruitment, retention and develop-

ment of a diverse workforce are critical asthe Department seeks to create a moredemocratic, prosperous and secure world.First, and above all, continuing to fosterdiversity is the right thing to do. TheSecretary and I expect all of our colleagues,at every level, to be visible in their supportfor equal employment opportunity for allemployees and in their respect for diversity.To give added emphasis to our diversity

goals, we have just created the position ofchief diversity officer; the director of theDepartment’s Office of Civil Rights will be“double-hatted” with this job. In addition,we will have a Diversity GovernanceCouncil including the chief diversityofficer, the director general, the executivesecretary and a number of rotating assis-tant secretaries. The Council will develop afive-year diversity strategy for theDepartment integrated with theDepartment’s overall strategic plan andwill meet quarterly to oversee progress onimplementing the diversity strategy.Diversity creates positive outcomes for

an organization. It offers a higher returnon the Department’s investment in humancapital by unleashing the potential of allemployees, creating a positive effect onmorale and increasing job satisfaction. Itencourages a wide range of perspectives,increasing creativity, ideas and solutions.Providing equal employment opportuni-

ty for all employees can avoid costs to theDepartment from discontented employeesthat can go far beyond legal fees and time-consuming case preparation, individuals inconflict and defending against accusations,and negative public relations. These includelow productivity, high turnover, absenteeismand general morale.Moreover, an organization that both

values diversity and has a strong reputa-tion for doing so attracts the bestcandidates. It increases the Department’sability to hire the best and brightest. Whilewe are working hard to strengthen ourrecruitment process, I believe we arealready doing a good job in this regard.

This was recognized in an annual poll ofundergraduates. In this 2006 survey, Stateranked 3th as an ideal employer out of 100potential employers.We in the Management family under-

lined the importance of diversity at ourannual offsite last June when we adoptedour priorities for 2007. One of our three

overarching themes is “Be the employer ofchoice by aggressively recruiting a skilledand diverse workforce, providing continu-ous career development and training andfostering an enhanced quality of life.” Anumber of the articles in this issue of StateMagazine discuss in more detail what weare doing to recruit, retain and develop adiverse workforce.I want to discuss what we are doing in

training to support our diversity goals.

The Foreign Service Institute has workedwith the Office of Civil Rights to develop afirst-class training program around EEO

and diversity issues. Building on the lawsand regulations that govern equal employ-ment opportunity for all employees, theEEO/Diversity Awareness course teachesskills and methods that can be used topromote a workplace that brings out thetalents of a diverse workforce. This train-ing, which is mandatory for supervisorsand managers and was taken by 908employees last year, will be offered 31times in FY 2007.Diversity themes are also woven

throughout FSI’s tradecraft curriculum,from new-hire orientation to theAmbassadorial Seminar, covering CivilService, Foreign Service and LocallyEmployed Staff audiences. It is embeddedin several programs, including those forFinancial Management, HumanResources, General Services and our FSNTraining Program—such as the GSOCourse, the basic HR Course, the FMOCourse, FSN Supervisory Skills andCustomer Service training—where partic-ipants discuss both the advantages and thechallenges of working in a diverse organi-zation. Online, self-study training optionsare also available through FasTrac coursessuch as Diversity in the Workplace,Managing Diversity in the Workplace andmany others, and S/OCR is collaboratingwith FSI to develop an online diversitycourse. Information, including schedules,on all these courses can be found on FSI’sOpenNet Web site.Workplace diversity and equal employ-

ment opportunity for all employees areessential to a well-functioning, effectiveand fair State Department. Let us all work

together on this and bring out the oppor-tunities and advantages of an organizationthat respects and honors diversity. �

The Case for Diversity

2 S TATE MAGAZ INE J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 7

“(Diversity) encourages awide range of perspectives,increasing creativity, ideasand solutions.”

Mailing AddressState Magazine2401 E Street, NWHR/ER/SMG, SA-1, Room H-236Washington, DC 20522-0108

[email protected]

Phone(202) 663-1700

Letters should not exceed 250words and should include thewriter’s name, address and daytimephone number. All letters becomethe property of State Magazine.Letters will be edited for length,accuracy and clarity. Only signedletters will be considered. Namesmay be withheld upon request.

Let Us Hear from You

R E A D E R S ’ F E E D B A C K

3J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 7 S TATE MAGAZ INE

Helping HandsI was very pleased to see “Lending a

Hand” (October issue) and the associatedarticles on the work done in Lebanon,Cyprus and Washington to help removeAmerican citizens from Lebanon by airliftand sealift during hostilities last summer. Iwould also like to point out the efforts ofour consular colleaguesin Turkey, who receivedand assisted 1,700Americans at the port ofMersin and at Patr iotVil lage at Incirlik AirForce Base at Adana.Here in Syr ia , 10

Foreign Service Nationals,2 Employed FamilyMembers and 4 ForeignService officers lent logis-tical and moral supportto approximately 3,000Americans who cameacross the Lebanese-Syrian border to findflights, housing and other basic necessities.During this time, we issued 126 emergencypasspor ts and 26 Consular Repor tsof Birth.

Many Americans continued overlandto Jordan and received additional helpfrom the U.S. Embassy in Amman.Furthermore, our Immigrant Visa Unitprocessed immediate petitions forLebanese beneficiaries and ourNonimmigrant Visa Unit went from onepercent Lebanese applicants to 50 percent

Lebanese applicantsovernight. I salute thetrue team effort at all theposts in the region and inWashington.

Patricia L. FietzConsul GeneralU.S. Embassy Damascus

CorrectionThe author of the

ar t i c l e “Keep YourKitchen Safe” in theNovember issue was mis-

takenly identified as Eileen Verity. Thearticle was written by Mark Allen, a certi-fied industrial hygienist with the Safety,Health and Environmental ManagementDivision.

I refer to Ralph Richardson’s anecdote about histutorial by Ambassador Clifton Wharton Sr. in theDecember issue.Before I entered the Foreign Service in 1957, I knew

the legend of Ambassador Wharton. I knew he hadendured much in his career. I knew what was aheadof me. If he could survive in the 1925-1945 period, Icould do so in the years that possibly lay ahead of me.I met FSO George Kaplan in the mid-1960s. He had

served with Wharton in Romania and told meWharton was the “perfect diplomat.” I knew I couldnever be a perfect diplomat, but I could try.I met Ambassador Wharton only once but I treas-

ure that memory.

Ronald D. PalmerGeorge Washington ProfessorEmeritus and Retired FSO

Washington, D.C.

3

The Perfect Diplomat

D .G . GEORGE STAPLES

I would like to take this opportunity towish you and your families a happy,healthy and prosperous new year.In 2007, my colleagues and I in the

Bureau of Human Resources will continueto work hard to recruit employees who arethe best and brightest and who representthe diversity of our country. As SecretaryRice has said, “The signal sent to the rest ofthe world when America is representedabroad by people of all cultures, races andreligions is an unsurpassed statementabout who we are and what our valuesmean in practice.”To address the needs of a diverse, global

society, we must recruit talented peoplefrom all walks of life and from acrossAmerica. To that end, we have formedpartnerships with a number of institu-tions, such as the American Indian Scienceand Engineering Society, the NationalAssociation for Equal Opportunity inHigher Education and the HispanicAssociation of Colleges and Universities,which facilitate recruitment from under-represented pools of talent. We look for abroad spectrum of talented people,because foreign policy issues are no longerconfined to the geopolitical issues of thepast, but have become wide-ranging.Attracting a first-rate workforce that is

highly talented and diverse is only the firststep. The next step is sustaining that work-force and fully utilizing the talent within.I am confident that we can do this if weprovide an environment that affords equalopportunity to all employees. To achievethis goal, we must place an emphasison learning and development, implementan effective rewards and recognitionsystem and foster high-quality supervisionand leadership.Secretary Rice and I are personally com-

mitted to ensuring that we create anenvironment in the Department of State inwhich our greatest resource—ourpeople—can and do reach their highestpotential.We want employees to excel, and we will

continue to work hard to provide oppor-tunities to meet their specific needs. Forexample, we are• Increasing family support services foroverseas employees who have been

evacuated or separated from theirfamily members;• Providing reasonable accommoda-tions for persons with targeteddisabilities;• Assisting employees with elder careissues;• Seeking to provide overseas opportu-nities for our Civil Service employeesto enhance their ability to achieve theDepartment’s goals and enrich theirown lives;• Expanding both the Civil Service andForeign Service mentoring programsso that people with skills and knowl-edge can help those who are seekingsimilar skills and knowledge;• Providing child care centers foremployees’ children.These are just a few examples of how we

continuously address the needs of ourworkforce and eradicate barriers to equalopportunity.On a daily basis, our employees are on

the front lines of diplomacy, protectingour nation’s interest and carrying out ourforeign policy. They are key to our success,and we must never forget that.The Secretary and I expect our leaders

and all those who aspire to leadership to• Ensure an environment that affordsequal opportunity to all employees;• Lead by example, setting high stan-dards for themselves and others;• Create a just and fair environment thatencourages and rewards creativity,innovation and hard work;• Communicate our mission and enlisttheir team in the achievement ofour goals;• Be mentors, developing the skills ofthose coming behind;• Create a culture of excellence.To attract and retain a high-quality

workforce, we must move the Depart-ment’s leadership practices into the 21stcentury. It is time for each of us todemonstrate true leadership and a com-mitment to developing and supportingour most valuable resource—ouremployees.I invite you to send your comments or

suggestions to me via unclassified e-mail atDG Direct.�

Sustaining a Talented, Diverse Workforce


“We want

employees to excel,

and we will continue

to work hard to

provide opportunities

to meet their

specific needs.”


)(NEWS

>>>

How do you fight for a worthy cause? If you are inParis, you do what the locals have been doing for hun-dreds of years: you take to the streets. That’s just what 12women of the Tri-Mission community did inSeptember’s annual La Parisienne six-kilometer run/walkto raise funds for breast cancer research.Approximately 10,000 women, and even a few men,

covered a course that wound around Paris’ 7th and 16tharrondissements, starting and finishing beneath the EiffelTower. Bands playing all genres of music and scores ofsupporters lined the streets to cheer on the participants.The U.S. team consisted of casual walkers, a triathlete

and everything in between. Every woman who crossedthe finish line received a medal and a rose for her efforts.But the real motivation for most, besides wanting to meetother members of the community and get some exercisethat helped a worthy cause, was to run for friends andfamily who have suffered from this terrible affliction andwere not able to run or even walk.Kathy Lashlee, a Secret Service spouse, put it best:

“I run because I can.”The event was a huge success, both in turnout and

funds raised—1,500 euros more than last year’s race.The members of the team went away feeling tired butenergized, knowing they had made a difference insomeone else’s life.

Women ConquerParis Streets forFamily and Friends

From left: back row: Kathy Nudi, Jean Henry, Jennifer Babic; middle row: VickiLemair, Lorie Lengyel, Veronique Turner, Barrie Hofmann, R.J. Bent, Teka Slade;front row: Kathy Lashlee, Bridget Kissinger, Peggy Branigan-Smith.

PLUS>>> EMBASSY HOSTS ORPHANS ON WORLD AIDS DAY + AFSA AWARDNOMINATIONS DUE FEB. 28 + DACOR OFFERS YALE, HOTCHKISS SCHOLARSHIPS +‘CONDI’S CREW’ STORMS MARINE CORPS MARATHON + 6 AWARDS—19 DAYS


To commemorate World AIDS Day2006, the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penhhosted a party Dec. 1 for nearly 150 “LittleSprouts,” orphaned children who are HIV-positive or living with AIDS.The party included an appearance by a

Khmer Santa Claus—the ambassador’sdriver, Mao—who distributed gifts pro-vided by the Cambodian-AmericanBusiness Council, and the official launch-ing of the embassy’s holiday light display.In his remarks, Ambassador Joseph

Mussomeli said, “It is a not uncommonpractice to light candles on World AIDSDay, in compassionate memory of the

dead and as a symbol of hope for thefuture. We are taking this custom one stepfurther tonight. We are lighting up thisentire corner of Phnom Penh with adisplay of Christmas lights here at ourembassy. These lights are not just to cele-brate the start of the Christmas season—aseason marked by hope and compassion—but also to commemorate those who havedied and suffer from AIDS and those whonow have hope of living full lives even withAIDS.”The special guest of honor was First

Lady of Cambodia and President of theCambodian Red Cross Mrs. Bun Rany

Hun Sen, who was recently recognized as achampion against HIV/AIDS by UNAIDSand the Asia Pacific Leadership Forum onHIV/AIDS and Development.Since 2001, the Maryknoll-supported

nongovernmental organization LittleSprouts has provided home care and out-patient medical care—including dailyobserved therapy, nutritional support anda wide variety of other assistance—toHIV-positive children and those livingwith AIDS. The group also providesmedical and nutritional services to preg-nant women and new mothers to preventmother-to-child transmission of HIV.

The embassy lights upfor World AIDS Day.

Embassy Hosts Orphans on World AIDS Day


The Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired has several pro-grams to encourage the study of international relations, includingthe Dreyfus Awards. Several scholarships and fellowships will beavailable in academic year 2007–2008 for children and grandchil-dren of U.S. Foreign Service officers, active or retired, for study atThe Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Conn., and Yale Universitythrough the DACOR Bacon House Foundation.The awards are made possible by income from a bequest of the

late Ambassador Louis G. Dreyfus, Jr.Hotchkiss will seek to select one enrolled student for a $5,000

scholarship. Applicants should contact the Director of FinancialAid, The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT 06039-0800, providingevidence of a parent’s or grandparent’s Foreign Service status.Awards to Yale students, based on merit, will be made by the

DACOR Bacon House Foundation in consultation with Yale. At

Yale, the awards are coordinated by the Yale Center forInternational and Area Studies. Awards will be applicable touniversity-billed expenses only. Aspirants may apply for the awardat the time of their application for admission to Yale. All DreyfusAwards are contingent on confirmation by Yale that the studenthas been admitted or is in good standing.Scholarship awards to undergraduates may be up to $5,000.

Fellowship awards to graduate and professional students may beup to $10,000, and any second-year award will be at half stipend.There is no restriction as to field of study, but if there are manyapplicants, preference will be given to students in a field related toforeign affairs and for study toward a master’s degree.To apply for Dreyfus awards at Yale, send the following items to

the DACOR Bacon House Foundation at the address below.Applicants must complete all necessary admission and enrollmentprocedures with Yale separately.• A copy of the most recent appointment or promotion docu-ment of the applicant’s parent or grandparent who is a U.S.Foreign Service officer, active or retired;• A brief letter of interest with contact information, includingfull name, current and permanent addresses, phone and faxnumbers and e-mail address;• The applicant’s resumé;• A copy of the applicant’s most recent transcript; if alreadyenrolled at Yale, submit a Yale transcript;• A one-page statement of academic goals, work experience,awards and nonacademic achievements. Applicants for gradu-ate fellowships should add a second page outlining career goals.Send application materials to DACOR Bacon House

Foundation, Attn: William C. Hamilton, 1801 F Street NW,Washington, DC 20006. The deadline for applications is March 15.Further information may be obtained from Program

Coordinator, DACOR Bacon House Foundation at voice (202)682-0500 ext. 17; (800) 344-9127; fax (202) 842-3295 or [email protected].

The American Foreign ServiceAssociation is seeking nominationsfrom all agencies with Foreign Servicepersonnel for AFSA dissent and per-formance awards. Anyone may submita nomination. Winners will be honoredat a ceremony in the Department’sDiplomatic Reception Room in Juneand receive a cash prize of $2,500.The four Constructive Dissent

Awards—Herter, Rivkin, Harriman andHarris—are unique in government. Theywere established 38 years ago to encour-age Foreign Service officers to challengeconventional wisdom in an intelligent

and meaningful way and give their pro-fessional advice regardless of theconsequences.AFSA also offers three awards for

exemplary performance and profession-al contributions. The Delavan Awardrecognizes an office management spe-cialist who has made an extraordinarycontribution to effectiveness, profes-sionalism and morale. The M. JuanitaGuess Award is conferred on a commu-nity liaison officer who hasdemonstrated outstanding dedication,energy and imagination in assisting thefamilies of Americans serving at an

overseas post. The Avis Bohlen Awardrecognizes the accomplishments of afamily member whose relations with theAmerican and foreign communities atpost have done the most to advancethe interests of the United States.Details on nomination procedures,

additional guidelines and a nominationform can be found on the AFSA Web siteat www.afsa.org/awards.cfm. The dead-line for submitting a nomination isFebruary 28. Questions may be directedto Barbara Berger, coordinator for pro-fessional issues, at [email protected], or(202) 338-4045, ext. 521.

AFSA Award Nominations Due by Feb. 28

DACOR Offers Yale, Hotchkiss Scholarships

Yale University


6 AWARDS—19 DAYS

The Bureau of Diplomatic Security has long been a security per-formance leader for the federal government, but recently it outdiditself. Over a 19-day span in October, DS received six significantawards for outstanding performance in investigative excellence,security clearance and suitability, security infrastructure andcounterterrorism training.Special Agent Vincent O. Martinez III, now serving in Ottawa,

received the Federal Law Enforcement Officers AssociationInvestigative Excellence Award for his dramatic rescue of anAmerican citizen who had been held against her will in Pakistanfor more than a year. With very little information, Special AgentMartinez located the woman within 24 hours, personally rescuedand transported her to the safety of the U.S. Consulate in Karachiand then arranged for her to return to the United States the follow-ing day.NewYork Field Office special agents Kendall Beels and Donovan

Williams received the Federal Law Enforcement FoundationInvestigator of the Year Award for their outstanding achievementin overall case management and exceptional investigative skill inshutting down avisa fraud ringinvolving some350 sham mar-riages betweenU.S. citizens andChinese nation-als. Nearly all theco-conspiratorswere arrested inpre-dawn raidsconducted acrossfour states and

four DSS field office jurisdictions. The two agents drafted theoperational plans, coordinated with the U.S. Attorney’s Office,briefed more than 50 participating law enforcement agents andofficers, and executed a flawless arrest.The DS Security Infrastructure and Personnel Security and

Suitability offices won the Office of Personnel ManagementGuardian Award, an honor that recognizes the top security clear-ance and suitability program in the federal government. The DSoffices and security program were lauded for their competence,efficiency and effectiveness.Chris Lukas, chief of the DS Cyber Threat

Analysis Division, won the Rising Star Awardfor his excellence in supervising 20 employ-ees across three branches of the division:Threat Analysis, Red Cell, and TechnicalAnalysis and Special Operations. Lukas con-ducted a specialized penetration test of theDepartment’s security infrastructure. Thedivision had also been honored in 2005 bythe National Security Agency, which presented the division withthe prestigious Frank B. Rowlett Trophy for organizationalachievement.Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program

Director Charles Lutz was honored byPhilippine Executive Secretary EduardoErmita, who presented him with theOutstanding Achievement Medal for trainingand advising the Philippine Anti-TerrorismTask Force. The medal is the Philippines’third highest civilian award. Ermita, thechairman of the task force, saluted Lutz’s dedication, saying Lutzbelieved in empowering and inspiring people.

Office of Personnel Management Director LindaM. Springer, center, addresses the BackgroundInvestigator’s Stakeholders Group.

Accepting the OPM Guardian Award from OPMDirector Springer, second from right, are, from left,Kathy L. Dillamon, Jim Onusko and Don Reid.


MAGAZINE STAFF

Rob WileyEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Bill PalmerWRITER/EDITOR

Jennifer LelandWRITER/EDITOR

David L. JohnstonART DIRECTOR

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Maurice S. ParkerEXECUTIVE SECRETARY

Kelly Clements

Annette R. Cocchiaro

Margot A. Sullivan

State Magazine (ISSN 1099–4165) is pub-lished monthly, except bimonthly in Julyand August, by the U.S. Department ofState, 2201 C St., N.W., Washington, D.C.Periodicals postage paid at Washington,D.C., and at additional mailing locations.

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For details on submitting articles to StateMagazine, request our guidelines,“Getting Your Story Told,” by e-mail [email protected]; download themfrom our web site at www.state.gov;or send your request in writing toState Magazine, 2401 E Street, N.W.,HR/ER/SMG, SA-1, Room H-236,Washington, DC 20522-0108.

The submission deadline for the March2007 issue is January 15. The deadline forthe April 2007 issue is February 15.

Secretary Rice is surrounded by “Condi’s Crew:” From left, Kerri Hannan, Nancy Abella,Barbara Bartsch-Allen and Joe Trimble.

‘CONDI’S CREW’ STORMSMARINE CORPS MARATHONFour watch officers in the Operations

Center teamed up as “Condi’s Crew” to runin the Washington Marine CorpsMarathon on Oct. 29.Nancy Abella, Barbara Bartsch-Allen,

Kerri Hannan and Joe Trimble even madematching shirts with a “Condi’sCrew” logo on the back to wearduring the 26.2-mile race. Theygave an extra shirt to Secretary Riceto wear during her frequent exer-cise sessions.“The fact that the

Secretary tries to exercisedaily inspired us,” saidBartsch-Allen. “If she canfind time in her busyschedule to work out, socan we.”On race day, other

marathoners noticed the shirts.

“People called out ‘We love Condi,’“ Abellasaid. Fellow State Department marathon-ers introduced themselves during the race,too. “The encouragement was awesome,”Abella added.The four novice runners started trainingfor the marathon in April, runningtogether and encouraging each otherthrough injuries, aches and pains.Since the Operations Center is staffedround the clock, it was hard to findconvenient, safe times to run.

“It was great to have train-ing partners with matchingwork schedules to do longpractice runs with,” saidHannan. “We stuck togetherand kept each other going.And with the Secretary’sname on our back, we wanted

to finish strong.”

Q&A WITH UNDER SECRETARYFOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACYAND PUBLIC AFFAIRSKAREN HUGHES

BY ROB WILEY

InnerView


Energy flows from KarenHughes the way the prairiesand cotton fields of herbeloved Texas flow to thehorizon. Like those Texaslandscapes, her energyseems to stretch forever—and beyond.She’s needed every bit of

that energy to fulfill themission President GeorgeW. Bush gave her when sheassumed the duties of UnderSecretary of State for PublicDiplomacy and PublicAffairs a little more than ayear ago: promote America’svalues and confront ideolog-ical support for terrorismaround the world.

To meet that charge, shemanages three bureaus:Educational and CulturalAffairs, Public Affairs andInternational InformationPrograms. She also partici-pates in developing foreignpolicy at the Department.She brought unique qual-

ifications, along with a long,close professional relation-ship with the President, toher new job.With a Phi Beta Kappa

key and two degrees fromSouthern MethodistUniversity—a BA in Englishand a BFA in journalism—Under Secretary Hughesbecame a well-known televi-

sion journalist and on-airpersonality for KXAS-TV,the NBC affiliate inDallas/Fort Worth, Texas.Active in the Texas politicalscene, she became a mediaadviser for then-GovernorBush and continued ascounselor to the newlyelected President when heassumed office in 2001.As Counselor, Under

Secretary Hughes wasinvolved in major domesticand foreign policy issuesand led the communicationseffort in the first year of theWar against Terror. She alsomanaged the White HouseOffices of Communications,

Media Affairs, Speechwritingand Press Secretary.She returned to Texas and

the private sector in 2002for family reasons, but con-tinued to serve as aninformal adviser to thePresident. She joined his2004 re-election campaignas a communicationsconsultant.Relentlessly positive, full

of Texas “can do” exceptwhen can-do becomes “hasdone,” Under SecretaryHughes sat down with StateMagazine editors betweentrips to assess her first yearon the job and the state ofPublic Diplomacy.

Under Secretary Hughes launches the U.S.-MiddleEast Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness andResearch in the United Arab Emirates.

SM: Can you elaborate on your threestrategic goals for Public Diplomacy andespecially on the “five Es”—engage,exchange, educate, empower and evaluate?

Under Secretary Hughes: In prepar-ing for this job, I met with manypeople—Foreign Service professionals,Civil Service professionals, formerambassadors, people who had studiedpublic diplomacy, people who had beenwith the U.S. Information Agency,people inside and outside theDepartment, and read all the reportsthat had been written about publicdiplomacy. From that, I developedthree strategic goals that I think shouldguide and inform all of our efforts.First, the U.S. should offer a positive

vision of hope and opportunity that isrooted in our values—our belief infreedom and our belief in the dignity

and worth of every single humanbeing. I saw a quote from a young manin Morocco that said, “For me, Americarepresents the hope of a better life.”Wehave to continue to offer that hope topeople around the world. That’s whowe are as a nation. We hold out hopefor people who live in societies that arenot as open, that are not as free as ours.We have to always remember that that’san important role, that America has tobe that beacon in the world.Secondly, we should work to isolate

and marginalize the violent extremistsand their ideology of terror. It’s impor-tant that we make it clear to the worldthat we recognize that the relativelysmall number of violent extremistswho are committing acts of terrorpervert Islam and are essentially adeath cult that does not represent inany way the real tenets of Islam, which

teaches that life is precious and that thetaking of innocent life is wrong.It’s also important that we portray

for the world a picture of the type ofsociety that these extremists want. Wesaw it in Afghanistan under theTaliban—a society where womenweren’t allowed to work, where littlegirls weren’t allowed to go to school,where music was banned and wherecultural icons were destroyed, booksthat had pictures of people in themwere all destroyed, many historicaltreasures destroyed—basically a horri-bly repressive society. That’s the kind ofsociety they champion.Third, former ambassador Frank

Wisner gave me this piece of sageadvice: “Karen, particularly in a time ofwar and common threats in the world,the common threat of terror, we haveto nurture a sense of common interestand common values.” That’s what Iseek to do when I travel—nurture thatsense that Americans and people of dif-ferent countries, cultures and faiths dohave much more in common than theissues that divide us. As human beingswe want to be able to express ourselvesand to participate in our governments,and we want education and opportuni-ty for our children. We want most of usto live in peace and to grow up insecure countries where we have oppor-tunity to advance, work hard and liveproductive lives that have meaning.Those are the strategic goals. The

“Es” are the tactics:•We have to engage more vigorously.• We should exchange more often.• We must educate and recognize theimportance of education, particu-larly English-language trainingprograms, in our outreach efforts.• We need to empower our citizensand our representatives inembassies around the world to helpshare and engage in this dialoguewith the world.• We have to continuously evaluateour programs to measure theimpact of what we do and justifyour expenditures and our invest-ments in people.We evaluated one of our magazines,

Hi, and found that it was not achievingits intended result. We cancelled that

and put the funds to use in differentplaces. I’m very proactive in advocatingfor more resources for public diploma-cy, and as we seek more resources, wehave to be able to show that we’rewilling to learn and adapt and leavebehind programs that don’t work tomore wisely spend funds on programsthat do work.

SM: Before you joined the StateDepartment, you had worked as a tele-vision news reporter and served firstGovernor and then President GeorgeW. Bush. How did those experiencesprepare you for your current role?

Under Secretary Hughes:My entirecareer has been in the area of commu-nications and public policy. As ajournalist, I covered public policy issuesand interviewed leaders from the localto the international level. During mysix years as Communications Directorin the Texas Governor’s office, we dealtprimarily with domestic issues, espe-cially education and health care, but asa border state, we also had significanttrade, economic and immigrationissues, especially with Latin America.Obviously, working in the White Housewas excellent preparation because wedealt with foreign policy issues everyday. We had a daily morning meetingthat included the President, VicePresident Cheney, (then) NationalSecurity Advisor Rice and (then) Chiefof Staff Andy Card to talk about majorinternational problems or incidentsthat required a blend of foreign policyand communications expertise.I learned very early as we worked to

develop our policy and our responsethat the words the President used werepolicy—what we said, how wesounded, what kind of signals wetelegraphed became an importantelement of the policy. So we realizedthe need for the intersection of com-munications and policy. I also traveledwith the President on all his interna-tional trips, which gave me theopportunity to work with our ambassa-dors and Foreign Service officersaround the world and meet many ofthe world’s leaders.My training as a reporter required me

to walk into a variety of situations,quickly ascertain what was important,

“I can think of nogreater privilegeand no greaterhonor than reachingout to the peopleof the world in thespirit of friendshipand respect.”

what was not important and then how tocommunicate it. I found that to beinvaluable training for many situationsthat I face today. Reporting teaches youto be a good listener.It also teaches you to communicate

in a way that makes your message rele-vant to people’s lives. I had a televisionproducer who always asked when Ireturned from an assignment, “Whatdoes this mean for real people? What’sthe effect on their lives, on their taxes,on their children’s education, theirhealth, on the hours of the local swim-ming pool, or their garbage pickupcollecting?” That early training pre-pared me to communicate in a way thatresonates in people’s lives, and that’simportant to what I do.

SM: How does your current workforce—Foreign Service, Civil Serviceand Locally Employed Staff—comparewith the workers you have encounteredelsewhere?

Under Secretary Hughes:We havevery talented, accomplished profession-als around the world who areknowledgeable and highly dedicatedpeople. When I traveled with PresidentBush, I met Foreign Service officersaround the world. I’m a big admirer ofthe expertise, knowledge and skills ofour Foreign Service officers, so muchso that I recruited very senior andaccomplished Foreign Service officersfor my office staff. And my admirationisn’t limited to the senior officers. Irecently had a terrific, insightful brief-ing from a desk officer, and I told mystaff that from now on every time I goto a country I want the desk officer forthat country included in the briefing.The desk officer has his or her fingeron the pulse of that country.

SM: (a) What has your office done toenhance the public diplomacy cone forForeign Service officers and to attractenough high-quality FSOs to fulfill themission? (b) How big a role do thesequalified professionals play in develop-ing policy initiatives, i.e., do they have aseat at the table when policy is decided?

Under Secretary Hughes: Revitaliz-ing the public diplomacy cone has beenone of my major priorities. I haveplaced a great deal of focus on provid-ing our people the very best tools and

training, and freeing them to do theirjobs. When I came on board, there werestill lingering concerns in the aftermathof the merger of the old U.S. Informa-tion Agency into the State Department,and I felt that we had exceptionally tal-ented and capable people who wanted

new energy, new vigor and a new statusfor public diplomacy.I’ve worked very hard to bring public

diplomacy to the table in the StateDepartment and to really integratepublic diplomacy into policy making atthe most senior level. I’ve worked toimprove the available training for ourpublic diplomacy professionals and allof our officers and to support ourpublic diplomacy people for promo-tions and career opportunities. Weworked to include public diplomacy inthe job performance rating of everyFSO and ambassador, to work with theregional bureaus on the assignmentprocess, and to strengthen the cone inevery way possible because I want toattract the very best and brightest topublic diplomacy. I can think of nogreater privilege and no greater honorthan reaching out to the people of theworld in the spirit of friendship andrespect. That’s what public diplomacyofficers do.I came back to Washington because

I’m so passionate about public diplo-macy. I believe that our office is here toprovide people in the field with thetools and the information they need todo their most important work, which

as Edward R. Murrow famously said, isthe last three feet—that person-to-person contact.As I said, my staff is primarily com-

prised of Foreign Service officers.When I have meetings, I want to heareveryone’s ideas about everything that

we do. I come to the meeting, mentionmy ideas and then let my staff question,challenge, brainstorm and develop. Iencourage them to tell me I’m deadwrong or tell me that maybe we wantto focus on something different thisweek. We have a freewheeling, inclusivesenior staff meeting every morningwhere I discuss and get the opinions ofthe career Foreign Service and CivilService officers on my team, get theiradvice, guidance and direction. My jobis to empower them.I also participate in Secretary Rice’s

most senior policy meetings, from Iranpolicy to the situation in Lebanon toCuba, and empower my staff to partici-pate with the regional bureaus in policydevelopment at every level so thatpublic diplomacy always has a seat atthe policy table.

SM: While we realize the case hasbeen in the official grievance process,we’d like to get your comments on therecent assignment to the position ofchief of the new Public DiplomacyHubin Brussels.

Under Secretary Hughes: This casehas now been settled, so I feel at libertyto comment more fully. This involvedthe assignment of a career Civil Service

J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 7 S TATE MAGAZ INE 13

Secretary Rice and Under Secretary Hughes announceMichelle Kwan as the first American Public Diplomacy Envoy.

officer with significant overseas andEuropean media experience to a newlycreated Foreign Service position as headof our Hub operation in Brussels.Although I had not known the individ-ual involved before arriving at the StateDepartment, I was impressed with herwork and credentials. She was the con-sensus choice of the leadership of theBureau of European Affairs (where shehad previously worked) and my office.

The individual has done an outstandingjob in setting up the new hub, not sur-prising given her experience and energy.I’m disappointed that the assign-

ment of the individual to the positionin question has been curtailed. One ofmy goals from the outset has been toempower and better equip bothForeign and Civil Service professionalsto carry out the critical work of publicdiplomacy. The hub operation itself is akey part of transformational diploma-cy, allowing us to adapt to a changedinternational media and communica-tions environment and think morestrategically in broader regional terms.We need to be much more flexible andadaptable as an institution if we aregoing to meet the public diplomacychallenges of the 21st century, and Iwant to ensure we have the best-trainedprofessionals to do the job.

SM: A recent Washington Post articleused an ALDAC you authored to psy-choanalyze your management style as“micromanaging.” Can you elaborateon your real intent for “Karen’s Rules”?

Under Secretary Hughes: The intentis to empower our people in the field to

speak out, and the guidance wasrequested by people in the field. WhenI took this job and began meeting withambassadors, almost every one of themtold me that they felt they couldn’tspeak to the media unless it was pre-cleared fromWashington. DepartmentSpokesman Sean McCormack assuredme that wasn’t the case.However, everyone thought they had

to have permission fromWashingtonbefore theycould speakup. What didthat mean?Given journal-ists’ deadlinesand given thetime differ-ences, thatmeant fre-quently it tooka day or two toreply, and thejournalists hadmoved on tothe next storyor the deadline

had passed. I told our people that Iwanted them to get out and to talkabout America.Obviously, you can’t have each indi-

vidual ambassador in countries aroundthe world making policy that wouldusurp the ability of the Secretary ofState, the President and others todevelop a coherent, cohesive strategy.So ambassadors asked us to give them aset of guidelines on what they could orcouldn’t say. We came up with a list ofseven specific guidelines that freed ourambassadors to go out to speak tomedia on behalf of the United States.They know that I will back them if theymake a mistake, because I want themout there explaining our country’s poli-cies and values. I am more worriedabout missing opportunities thanmaking mistakes.In most cases, our people are not

asked questions that require them makeup a new policy. They are usually askedto explain and advocate and expand onwhy the U.S. is doing what it’s doing.Take the Palestinian issue, for example.People around the world often raisethis issue to me, and there is much mis-

understanding. When we said we couldno longer provide funds to the HamasGovernment because of its ties toterror, many people heard that we wereno longer giving aid to the Palestinianpeople, and that’s not true. We contin-ue to be the number one bilateraldonor of food and medicine to thePalestinian people because we are con-cerned about their welfare. The worldneeds to know that, and I want ourambassadors out saying that.Our job is to provide our people

with the tools and information theyneed to speak out. We provide themevery day with our new RapidResponse Report, which has receivedenormous praise from our embassiesand from cabinet secretaries whoreceive it. It provides clear guidanceon our position on the major storiesdriving news of the day. That empow-ers people and frees them to go outand speak.

SM: You recently and publiclybacked up Alberto Fernandez, directorof the Office of Press and PublicDiplomacy, who misspoke in a televi-sion interview with Al Jazeera.

Under Secretary Hughes: Yes,because I recognize that a communica-tor who goes out as much as he does isgoing to make a mistake now andagain. If we tell people they can’t makemistakes, then no one is going to speak.So we have to back people; we have tounderstand that when you are in themidst of a 30-minute interview inArabic, you are sometimes going to sayone or two words that you wish youhadn’t said. I understand that and Irecognize that. And I am going to backour people.The culture traditionally was that

you could risk your career by speakingup because if you made a mistake, youwould be punished. We have to changethat culture if we want people to goout and engage with the media. And Iwant people to go out and engage withthe media.Our ambassadors have told me they

appreciate the clearer guidelines, whichactually were first issued a year ago. Wereissued them at the request of ourPublic Affairs officers because they hadnew ambassadors and the new ambas-

Under Secretary Hughes traveled to Central Americain early 2006 as part of the Central American Reliefand Reconstruction Effort.

sadors didn’t believe that they couldspeak out.

SM: You have done a great deal offoreign travel in your first year as UnderSecretary.Why is that? What did youlearn from your trips and how have youapplied that knowledge to theDepartment’s public diplomacy mission?

Under Secretary Hughes: I‘m com-mitted to traveling a great deal. I thinkthe bottom line of public diplomacy isto listen, to show respect, and to reachout to the people of the world in a spiritof partnership and friendship. You can’tdo that without engaging people face-to-face. I’ve traveled to more than 30countries, something like 130,000 inter-national miles in the first year.Fostering those people-to-people

connections is at the heart of publicdiplomacy. The initials for public diplo-macy are PD—people-driven. Becausethe U.S. is so big and so powerful andour culture so pervasive, people tend tofeel that America speaks at them ratherthan listening to them. So as I travel, Itry to reach out and listen. I askpeople’s advice and opinions.As a result of what I heard, we’ve

started a new program called “CitizenDialogue.” A Muslim woman inGermany told me, “We don’t talk withour own government, why would I wantto meet with yours?” I asked if shewould be interested in talking withAmerican-Muslim citizens, and she saidshe would.We recruited Muslim-Americans from all walks of life andsent them out to talk about their experi-ence in the U.S. These speaking toursattract huge crowds and lots of mediainterest, and our Muslim-American citi-zens become a wonderful bridge tothese isolated communities because theyunderstand their faith and they alsounderstand America. They know thatthey live and worship very freely hereand they are able to share that experi-ence with people around the world.One thing I have learned is that

sometimes when meetings are held inpublic, there’s a great deal of posturing.If you hold them in a more privatesetting, you’ll sometimes hear morehelpful, constructive ideas. I think it’simportant to do public events as a partof public outreach, but I also think it’s

important to meet privately with peopleand try to make them feel comfortableso they will express their most thought-ful convictions.I consider it a great privilege to rep-

resent our country. I believe thathuman beings across the world havemuch more in common than the issuesthat sometimes divide us. I believe thatevery person in the world is equal anduniquely valuable.One of the things I work on around

the world is women’s empowerment.There’s a saying in Arabic that when youteach a man, you teach one person;when you teach a woman, you teach asociety. Statistics show that when youeducate and empower women, youchange the entire society in a positiveway. You improve children’s health, youimprove economic opportunity, youraise income levels, and that’s becausewomen share. They share the knowledgethey gain with their children, with theirhusbands, with their families, with theircommunities. So I’ve worked around theworld on programs to educate andempower women, because I believe it’seffective and because I also believe itimproves society as a whole.

SM: In some circles, there seems tobe some confusion between the disci-plines of “public diplomacy” and“public affairs,” both of which fallunder the R umbrella. How do youdefine each, and what role does eachplay in your vision of the R mission?

Under Secretary Hughes: At theState Department, public diplomacytraditionally referred to reaching outto foreign publics, while public affairsprimarily focused on reaching out toan American audience with foreignpolicy news. In today’s globalizedworld, they are very interconnected.I tend to think of public affairs as

more communicating with the publicthrough the news media and publicdiplomacy as communicating people topeople through programs likeexchanges, speakers programs, educationprograms, health care programs—thewhole host of other people-to-peopleconnections that we foster.But that said, public affairs also does

people-to-people programs, and publicdiplomacy officers overseas also deal

with the news media. Both are veryimportant. Today’s communicationsenvironment is dramatically differentfrom the communications environmentof the Cold War. Back then we wereprimarily trying to get informationinto largely closed societies whosepeople were hungry for that informa-tion. Today, we are competing forattention and credibility in an incredi-bly crowded communicationsenvironment. There aren’t too manypeople sitting around just waiting orhoping to hear from us.

So our outreach to the media—ourability and capability to communicatewith foreign publics through the mediain their own countries in their ownlanguages—is incredibly important. Soare people-to-people programs. I’mconvinced that the single most effectivepublic diplomacy tool in the last 50years has been our exchange programsbecause there is no substitute for bring-ing people here and letting themexperience the U.S. for themselvesand make up their own minds aboutour country.I also strongly believe that young

people in America need to travel andstudy abroad and learn the languages,cultures and the histories of the world.Every time I speak in the U.S., Iencourage our young people to gooverseas more and study and learn, andevery time I speak outside of America, Iencourage foreign students to comehere to study and learn.


“Part of publicdiplomacy ismaking surethat the views offoreign publics areheard by Americanpolicymakersand that publicdiplomacy concernsare brought totheir attention.”

Everywhere I go in the world,I meet leaders who were educated inthe U.S. That’s an invaluable resourcefor our country in terms of buildingunderstanding and lines of communi-cations. I want to make sure the samething is true 20 or 30 years from now.Those people-to-people exchanges areabsolutely critical, and we’ve reallyworked hard to build our exchangeprograms. I’ve advocated for bigincreases in funding. I am alsodelighted that for the first time sinceSept. 11, the decline in foreignstudents has reversed.That’s a great credit to the hard

work of a lot of people of the StateDepartment. The Bureau of ConsularAffairs and our consular sectionsoverseas have really worked hard toassist student visa applicants andspeed up our turnaround despite allthe new security precautions we’vehad to take. Our consular affairs offi-cers, our public diplomacy officers,our ambassadors have really been outthere together extending a welcomingmessage to foreign students.We now issue 97 percent of

all student visas within two daysof an interview. The Departmenthas done a great job on somethingthat is absolutely crucial forour country.

SM: (a) How does your vision ofpublic diplomacy mesh with SecretaryRice’s vision of transformational diplo-macy? (b) What specific kind ofoutreach other than media do youencourage your staff to undertake?

Under Secretary Hughes: Increas-ingly, more and more diplomacy isbecoming public diplomacy. In a recentconversation, Tom Shannon, ourAssistant Secretary for WesternHemisphere Affairs, pointed out that aswe succeed in our own hemisphere andalso around the world in fosteringdemocratic governments and demo-cratic societies, increasingly thosegovernments respond to their publics.Diplomacy can no longer be just gov-

ernment-to-government; it has to begovernment-to-people, because freegovernments respond to their people.Our diplomats have to think not onlyabout engaging in persuasive diploma-cy with fellow diplomats andgovernment officials, but also with thepeople to whom those leaders are ulti-mately accountable.Part of transformational diplomacy is

the recognition that public diplomacy isabsolutely integral and vital to today’sdiplomacy.We also are doing a numberof transformational things in publicdiplomacy, including a strategic lan-guages initiative to build the language

skills of our personnel and to encouragemore American young people to studythe critical languages of the future.Wehave established things like the newRapid Response Unit, a new unit in ourPublic Affairs Bureau that monitors thenews of the world and produces amorning summary of the issues drivingmajor news and America’s position onthose issues.If you are a policymaker in

Washington, you tend to get most ofyour news from an American perspec-tive. I think our policymakers shouldalso hear the news from a foreign per-spective, because it’s often quitedifferent. This Rapid Response Unitprovides this service to busy policy-makers—every cabinet secretary, seniormilitary commander, every embassyand ambassador. It provides a foreignperspective on the news, a very impor-tant perspective because part of publicdiplomacy is making sure that theviews of foreign publics are heard byAmerican policy makers and thatpublic diplomacy concerns are broughtto their attention.Edward R. Murrow, again, said

public diplomacy needs to be in on thetakeoff, not just the crash landing.That’s my way of making sure thatpublic diplomacy and thinking aboutthe way foreign publics are viewing our

Under Secretary Hughes, National Team Coach Bruce Arenas and U.S. SoccerPresident Sunil Gulati pose with the World Cup youth delegation in front ofthe U.S. National team bus in Nuremburg, Germany.


policy decisions are brought to theattention of our policymakers.Another transformational thing we

have done is recognize the increasinglyregional nature of today’s media. Manyof our public affairs and public diplo-macy personnel in embassies aroundthe world are incredibly overworked,and they tend to focus their attentionnaturally on the country in which theywork. There are regional media outletsthat influence public opinion acrossbroad regions, but we didn’t havepeople whose job it was to think aboutan American presence on those region-al media outlets, particularly thepan-Arab outlets.So we set up hub operations. We

have individuals in Dubai, in Brusselsand in London whose job is to focus onand to work with our embassies toexpand the American presence onregional media and sometimes to actu-ally appear on regional mediathemselves. Just recently, we hadspokespeople appear in French andArabic representing America’s views ontalk shows airing on major regional tel-evision stations that we had never beenon before. We’re hoping to expandthose efforts around the world.

SM: What about specific outreachother than media?

Under Secretary Hughes: I talkabout that a lot, because one of myprimary focuses is exchanges.We’veworked hard to amplify the exchangeexperience and to make the programsmore strategic.We have a wonderfulnew program called “Greetings fromAmerica,” where radio stations inPakistan and Indonesia cover for a yearthe experience of young Indonesian andPakistani exchange students who arehere in America.We monitored theimpact during the first year and foundthat at the end of the year, people wholistened to that radio station had a muchmore positive view of America becausethey heard from their fellow Indonesianteenagers about their experience.So we’re really focusing our exchange

programs on people who have widecircles of influence—teachers, journal-ists, clerics.We’ve started major new exchange

programs. We have a great partnership

with the Aspen Institute to bring jour-nalists from across the world here.They come to Washington and meetwith policymakers and have a chanceto quiz them about our policy. Theyalso attend three weeks of training atsome of America’s finest journalismschools in programs developed by theschools themselves.We’ve started a new partnership with

Fortune magazine to initiate a women’smentoring entrepreneurship programcalled Fortune’s Most Powerful WomenSummit. Last summer, in conjunctionwith the World Cup, we brought 30young people from mostly Muslimcountries to the U.S. to participate insoccer programs. I later took them toGermany to attend a World Cup gameand to show our national respect forthe world’s sport.I’m also very focused on what I call

the “diplomacy of deeds,” our programsthat touch people’s lives in concrete andmeaningful ways across the world,specifically education programs andhealth programs.We’re working on amajor expansion of our English-lan-guage training program. I rememberasking a young man in Morocco whatparticipating in this program has meantto his life. His short answer: “I have ajob, and my friends don’t.”This young man came from the same

low-income neighborhood that pro-duced the Casablanca suicide bombers;participating in an English-languagetraining program sponsored byAmerica changed his life, and he will bea constructive, positive citizen.I’m working on trying to expand our

English-language programs and tryingto help us reach an even younger audi-ence. We’re looking at things likesummer camps and after-school pro-grams to reach younger children whoaren’t old enough to come to Americaon exchange programs.I’m also a big advocate of medical

diplomacy. I just returned from theMiddle East, where we launched thefirst-ever public-private partnership onwomen’s health issues. We launched abreast cancer awareness partnership inconjunction with the government ofthe United Arab Emirates, the Susan G.Komen Foundation and Johns Hopkins

University. It’s a wonderful programthat will save lives in the Middle Eastby sharing our knowledge about earlydetection. We’re hoping to expand thatpartnership to several other countriesearly in 2007.I’ve been working with theWhite

House on a Malaria Summit that willbring together government and theprivate sector to partner and focus ourefforts against malaria, which is a leadingkiller of children in the world. It’s anurgent problem that we can do some-thing about and save children’s lives.

I’ve established a new public-privatepartnership unit in my office to fosterand encourage efforts like Lebanonreconstruction. Assistant SecretaryDina Powell led a delegation of busi-ness leaders to Lebanon to raise fundsfor economic development and recon-struction there. I led a group ofbusiness leaders who raised more than$100 million to aid Pakistan after the2006 earthquake, and they are going tospend that money building schools,reinforcing health care and helpingrelief efforts there.These are the kinds of things that I

think can make a lasting difference forour country because they represent thebest of America. They share our valuesin a way that has meaning for peoplearound the world.We’ve worked on making our

speakers program more strategic,focusing on key issues like rule of lawand U.S. development assistance.We’ve started a Partnership for aBetter Life Web site where we focus onways that we work with our colleaguesat USAID to highlight ways that theUnited States is partnering with gov-ernments around the world to helppeople have better lives. �

The author is the editor of StateMagazine.

“We hold out hopefor people who livein societies that arenot as open, that arenot as free as ours.”

Stable and tolerant on an increasingly violentAfrican continent, Tanzania embraces itsdiversity, which includes more than 110 tribesand several major religions.

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‘HAVEN OF PEACE’ IS DIVERSE AND TOLERANT

BY DANIEL SCHWARTZ

J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 7 S TATE MAGAZ INE

DaresSalaam

19


Named by the sultan of Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam translates as “haven of peace.” More than100 years later, the name seems prophetic: Dar es Salaam is indeed peaceful. A posting inTanzania’s capital city combines the rewards of working in a developing country with a highlevel of amenities and safety.Tanzania is the result of the union of the former British colonies of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.

Zanzibar remains a semiautonomous region with its own president and parliament. Thecountry has more than 110 tribes and several major religions.Tanzanians have long been known for their acceptance of this diversity. With its population

almost evenly split betweenMuslims and Christians, the country is considered a model of reli-gious tolerance. Muslims and Christians frequently live together in the same region, village oreven family. Tanzanians are bound by a common national identity and by Swahili, one of thefew noncolonial languages that is spoken by the entire population.

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The sun sets over the Msasani Peninsula,where most embassy housing is located.

AT A GLANCE

Country nameTanzania

CapitalDar es SalaamDodoma (legislative)

GovernmentRepublic

IndependenceApril 26, 1964

Population37.4 million

ReligionsMuslim, Christian andindigenous beliefs

Total area945,000 square kilometers

Approximate sizeRoughly twice the size of California

CurrencyTanzanian shilling (TZS)

Per capita income$700

Population below poverty line36 percent

Import partnersSouth Africa (12.2 percent), China(9.6 percent) and India (7 percent)

ExportsGold, coffee, cashew nuts,manufactured goods and cotton

Export partnersChina (10.2 percent), Canada (8.6percent) and India (7.3 percent)

Internet country code.tz

SOURCE: CIA World Factbook 2007

The United States was quick to establishfriendly diplomatic relations after the twoformer colonies merged in 1964. However,long before that, the American explorerHenry Morton Stanley made a significantcontribution to the history of the regionwith his groundbreaking expeditions. Hisimmortal words, “Dr. Livingstone, Ipresume,” were uttered on the shores ofTanzania’s beautiful Lake Tanganyika.After independence, Tanzania’s found-

ing father, Julius Nyerere, guided itsemergence as a stable, tolerant country.However, he also ushered in a period ofnationalization and one-party rule.

In TransitionAs a result of close cooperation in the

aftermath of the 1998 embassy bombing,U.S.-Tanzanian relations have greatlyimproved. The embassy has helpedTanzania in its return to democracy and afree-market economy. Success in the dualbattles against poverty and terrorism willbe central in achieving this transition.Tanzania’s stability and tolerance have

long made it an important player inregional affairs. Over the past 40 years,i t has we lcomed re fugees f romMozambique, Rwanda, Congo, Ugandaand, most recently, Burundi. Tanzania isactive in regional groupings such as theEast African Community and the SouthAfrican Development Community.As a country that has been a victim of

terrorism and is home to a large, over-whelmingly moderate Muslim population,Tanzania is considered an importantAfrican player in the fight against terror-ism. The ambassador’s office has taken thelead in promoting understanding and dia-logue with the country’s Muslims. Itsefforts include hosting Iftaar dinners tocelebrate the end of the daily fast duringthe holy month of Ramadan and meetingwith prominent Muslim leaders.In addition, the Ambassador’s Self-Help

Fund has helped Tanzanians fight povertyby giving many small grants to recipientsranging from seaweed farmers on thecoast to schools on remote tropical islandsin Lake Victoria.Political officers posted to Dar es Salaam

work with refugees and UN agencies.Economic officers encourage economicgrowth and work with the government as itadopts pro-growth policies. Althoughtrade with the United States is limited, the

J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 7 S TATE MAGAZ INE 21

African Growth Opportunities Act has helpedTanzanian companies get a promising start in theworld’s largest market.Tanzania ranks as one of the world’s poorest

countries and corruption is a considerable impedi-ment to growth. The embassy has offered trainingand legal advice to help Tanzania increase financialtransparency and qualify for Millennium ChallengeCorporation funds.

Reaching OutThe public affairs section works tirelessly at out-

reach with the Tanzanian people. It has opened anAmerican Corner in Zanzibar, and sponsored speak-ers on a range of issues relating to the United States.These efforts have helped give Tanzanians a morerounded, comprehensive view of America.The defense attaché’s office has donated wells and

water systems to villages across the country—nosmall matter in a country where most water iscarried by hand, often for many miles. The regionalsecurity office trains police officers to carry outbetter border patrol practices, and has donated newequipment for a state-of-the-art forensics lab.The embassy’s commitment to facilitating

Tanzania’s development is reflected in the numerous

agencies with offices here, including the U.S. Agencyfor International Development, the Peace Corps andthe Centers for Disease Control.Together with local partners, USAID has projects

in every region of the country, including a paprikamarket high in the mountains, a new visitor centerin one of Tanzania’s famous national parks and aneducation reform project on the palm-fringed islandof Zanzibar.Tanzanians thank embassy employees for their

help through such gestures as welcoming them tojoin a traditional dance by warriors of the proudMasai tribe or enjoy an Arab-style meal on Zanzibar.In 2003, the mission inaugurated a new embassy

compound. Housing is in spacious single-familyhomes, usually landscaped with tropical fruit treesand flowers.With year-round temperatures equivalent to

summer temperatures in Washington, Dar esSalaam has the perfect climate for enjoying swim-ming, tennis or sailing. None of the housing ismore than two kilometers from the ocean, so fam-ilies can easily take advantage of Dar es Salaam’sworld-class beaches and scuba diving.Dar es Salaam is renowned as a great family

posting. It has an active expatriate community and


Below: Cultural affairs attaché David Colvin plants a tree as part of an embassy-sponsored Earth Day celebration. Topright: An elephant roams in Lake Manyara National Park, where the U.S. Agency for International Development recentlybuilt a new visitors’ center. Bottom Right: Security escort Duong Neufield examines a colorful local painting.


excellent international schools with American curric-ula. Its large selection of restaurants range fromTurkish to Indian to Tex-Mex. The quality and varietyof items available in grocery stores is good andimproving at a rapid rate.Tanzania has a fine selection of world-class travel des-

tinations, including famous game parks of the Serengetiand the pristine beaches of Zanzibar. With its peacefulhistory and excellent system of paved trunk roads, it isone of the few countries where employees can get outand experience the “real Africa” on their own.Dar es Salaam is a great place to enjoy life and work in

one of Africa’s gems.�

The author is the husband of a former political officer atthe U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam.

Left: The new embassy compound in Dar es Salaamwas completed in 2003.

School children gather in a village where USAID-sponsored agricultural training programs givefarmers the opportunity to send their children tosecondary school for the first time.


By Jenniffer De Heer

Thirty-six new Equal Employment Opportunity coun-selors and Locally Engaged Staff EEO liaisons were recentlytrained in Dar es Salaam. The new EEO counselors andliaisons represented 27 posts that had designated them toassume EEO collateral duties as an extension of the Office ofCivil Rights.All EEO counselors must complete 32 hours of training

before assuming counseling duties. The training is offereddomestically and abroad.Trainers from the Office of Civil Rights teach participants

the basics regarding EEO laws and regulations and theories ofdiscrimination, and provide the opportunity to developessential counseling techniques in a small-group setting.Department-specific role playing and exercises are used to

assist participants in completing EEO counseling sessions,from interviews to writing reports.EEO counseling is an essential part of the federal system for

processing and resolving employee and applicant EEO con-cerns. Counseling is the first step in the EEO complaintprocess. The primary role of the EEO counselor is to facilitateinformal resolution of allegations of discrimination betweenthe involved parties, when possible.LE Staff EEO liaisons assist EEO counselors by facilitating

communication and information between the LE Staff andpost management with respect to EEO issues.Those interested in serving as a Department EEO coun-

selor or LE Staff EEO liaison should contact the Office of CivilRights for more information.�

The author is an attorney-adviser in the Office of Civil Rights.

Verena Sander, acting chief of diversity and outreach in the Office of Civil Rights, observes a class engaged in a group exercise.

EEO Staff from 27 PostsTrain in Tanzania

In September, Director General Staplesshared the results of the 2006 EmployeeQuality Worklife Satisfaction Survey. Morethan 2,700 randomly selected ForeignService and Civil Service employeesresponded.I was pleased to note that the survey

showed that Department employees ratetheir personal work experiences highlyand that the Department’s score on the“best places to work” index (based onfour questions relating to job satisfactionand comparing State to other federalagencies) continued to rise. We were at 57percent in 2003, 66 percent in 2005 and70 percent in 2006.Our progress has not gone unrecognized

by others. In 2006, the Department jumpedto 3rd from 36th a year earlier as an idealemployer in an annual poll of undergradu-ates. We are the highest-ranking federalagency, listed right behind private-industrygiants Walt Disney and Google. In addi-tion, BusinessWeek ranked the Departmentsixth in its study of the 50 best places tolaunch a career.While employees indicated that they are

generally satisfied, when asked which areasneeded the most improvement, they mostoften cited these: making better use ofemployee talents, streamlining the bureau-cratic process and career developmentopportunities (training, rotations, etc.).We take the results of this survey, and

your comments, seriously. I firmly believethat our people are our greatest resource.That is why we will continue to search forways to address your concerns. Let meshare with you steps we have already taken.More than 200 of our Civil Service

employees are currently serving abroad,and we continue to look at how we mightbest use their services overseas when theneed arises. We are expanding our mentor-ing programs to include Foreign Serviceand Civil Service employees, LocallyEmployed Staff and family members. Seeour mentoring web site at http://hrweb.hr.state.gov/prd/hrweb/mentoring.Through the Strategic Networking

Assistance Program we are providing newtypes of support for family membersseeking employment, from culturally spe-

cific resumé writing to job referrals andworkshops. We have also launched pilotprograms to provide family members pro-fessional fellowships and training onstarting web-based businesses.Appointment Eligible Family Members

can now join Foreign Service and CivilService employees and retirees in register-ing online to make themselves availablewhere needed through Employee ProfilePlus, the Department’s award-winningskills inventory at http://hrnet.state.gov.We have streamlined the process for

hiring applicants and selecting officials

through Gateway to State (QuickHire), ournew online application system for the CivilService. Since we began this initiative inJanuary 2006, the Department’s average hasbeen between 32 and 37 days, well belowthe 45-day hiring goal.We have implemented online registra-

tion for most Foreign Service Institutecourses and are working toward electronicapplication for external training courses.We are also helping employees better

plan their career development. FSI haspublished 10 training continua. The secondedition of the FSN/LES Continuum wasrecently published, and an update to the FSGSO Continuum is under way. And wehave launched Career Tracker, an online,personal inventory of Career DevelopmentProgram accomplishments: http://hrweb.hr.state.gov/prd/hrweb/cda/FSCDP/CareerTracker.cfm.Since 2003, the Bureau of Diplomatic

Security has cut the average time for per-sonnel security investigations by more thanhalf—from 184 days in 2002 to just 77 days

today. DS has deployed the ElectronicQuestionnaires for Investigations Process-ing worldwide. The bureau has also beensuccessful in meeting the hiring needs ofthe Department by granting interim clear-a n c e s f o r n ew app l i c a n t s wh enrequested—in most cases within two weeks.In recognition of its innovative and cost-

effective approach to conducting personnelbackground investigations, the DS Office ofPersonnel Security and Suitability won the2006 Office of Personnel ManagementGuardian Award, which has been presentedannually since 1998.We are enhancing development

opportunities for all of our employees.For example, we have instituted CareerDevelopment Programs that allow ForeignService employees to gather regionalexpertise, broaden their experience,increase foreign language competency andbuild on the ski l l s they brought inwith them.We have made changes to the Foreign

Service assignments process. In August, welaunched a pilot Civil Service mid-levelrotation program that is designed toprovide developmental assignments forforeign affairs officers at the GS-12 and GS-13 levels so they can broaden theirknowledge, skills and abilities.We are also doing much more to make

training opportunities available to our far-flung workforce. FSI has increased thenumber of distance-learning opportunitiesavailable to State employees. More than 80FSI products and 3,000 courses are avail-able through the FasTrac program. In fiscalyear 2006, FasTrac completions jumped tomore than 7,100, a 95 percent increase overthe previous year. Students completedmore than 3,900 FSI-produced distancecourses in FY 2006, representing anincrease of 40 percent over FY 2005.In 2007, I look forward to keeping you

posted on our progress on these and otherinitiatives. We are working on openingopportunities for everyone as we clearlyfollow our path to the best diplomaticservice in the world.�

The author is the under secretary forManagement.


Quality of Life

DEPARTMENT WORKSTO ADDRESS EMPLOYEE

CONCERNSBY UNDER SECRETARYHENRIETTA H. FORE

TalentScouts

Which federal agency toppedBusinessWeek’s list of “50 Best Places toLaunch a Career”?The U.S. Department of State.In its September 28, 2006, issue, the

magazine ranked the Department asnumber six on its list. State was thehighest ranked federal agency. The listincluded both private and public sectoremployers, so State was in the mix withsuch firms as Disney, Lockheed Martinand Goldman Sachs. Earlier in the year,both BusinessWeek and Forbes magazinereported on a 2006 survey of undergrad-uates by Universum Communicationsthat listed the Department as numberthree among “ideal employers.” TheDepartment ranked 36th just one yearearlier.

There’s more good news. In anotherUniversum survey reported that, amongminority students, the Department rankednumber four among “ideal employers,”and ranked 12th among minority MBAand undergraduate students on a list of thetop 100 companies to work for, as reportedin Black Collegian magazine.The Department’s Office of Recruit-

ment, Examination and Employment wasecstatic over these results. But the realstory is not a one-year jump in a surveyranking, but rather how, over the last fiveyears, REE has been able to forge a success-ful, wide-ranging strategy to move itslong-standing priority of diverse recruit-ment to the next level.The Department’s goal is to recruit the

best and the brightest from the widest pos-

sible range of backgrounds with a broadrange of needed talents and skills, such ascritical language skills.

The Recipe for SuccessMoney: Just five short years ago, State’s

annual recruitment marketing budget was$75,000, which barely covered basicrecruitment materials andmodest advertis-ing expenditures. There was also a smalltravel budget for the then seven-personrecruitment staff. With the advent of theDiplomatic Readiness Initiative, REEreceived an influx of funds, which allowedit to think big.Outside experts in marketing were

brought in to help the Department estab-lish its employer “brand”—a recognizableidentity among targeted audiences. PH

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DEPARTMENT MOVES DIVERSITY RECRUITING TO THE NEXT LEVEL BY JEAN NEITZKE

Through extens ive re search , theDepartment developed a brand that isauthentic; appeals to a candidate’s valuesand emotions; and communicates the real-ities of the work, the people and themission of the organization.

Planning: Recognizing that recruitmentis a long-term proposition, REE staff devel-oped a five-year strategic recruitment planthat brought together stakeholders todefine recruitment goals and objectives.The key goal: that applicants have diversebackgrounds and viewpoints and meet theskill needs of the Department. The strate-gies to meet that goal are all geared towardrelationship-building that is both “high-tech” and “high-touch.”

Technology: This is the high-tech part ofthe recruitment campaign. The Depart-ment, like other employers, has largelyabandoned traditional print media in favorof newer and successful high-tech options.State’s advanced tools include an award-winning Web site (www.careers.state.gov), direct sourcing from resumé databas-es, e-mail marketing and social networking.These targeted efforts, combined with men-toring at each step of the application andcandidacy process, have resulted in broaderdiversity in the applicant pool.

People: REE’s recruiters are the high-touch component of the campaign. Therecruitment staff in D.C. now has 10 Civil

Service and Foreign Service recruiters. Somehave geographically based portfolios, andothers have audience-based responsibilities.In addition, the office deploys a highly effec-tive network of 17 Diplomats in Residenceat selected universities around the country.The Diplomats in Residence are the face

of the Foreign Service to prospective candi-dates. They establish long-termrelationships with candidates in their regionand help demystify the Foreign Service’smission and intake process.Both full-time recruiters and Diplomats

in Residence are supplemented by volunteerrecruiters, some on active duty through theHometownDiplomats program.Along withthe DIRs, REE invests in activities that reachcollege students, including minority stu-dents.

Internships: Internships are also a highlyeffective recruitment tool. The Depart-ment’s program was just ranked the fourthmost prestigious internship program by12,000 diverse undergraduates in theUniversum survey, behind only GoldmanSachs, PricewaterhouseCoopers andMicrosoft. Some of the fellowships includedunder the alternate-entry DiplomacyFellows program also serve as a conduit forrecruitment of prospective candidates of allbackgrounds.

Focus:The increased budget that enabledREE to hire additional recruiters also allows

the new staff to attend more events.Recruiters reach out to a number of organi-zations, including minority professionalassociations such as the NAACP, theNational Council of LaRaza, the ArabAmerican Institute, the National IndianEducation Association and the Associationof Higher Education in Disability. Throughcreative and customized messaging, State’srecruitment approach differentiates amongaudiences and emphasizes relationship-building. The Department has sponsoredprofessional networking events in manycities around the country and has pioneeredthe use of a talent network that helpsrecruiters identify and contact potentialcandidates.“We are looking for the best and the

brightest, from all backgrounds, all geo-graphic regions, all academic majors and allethnic groups,” says REE Office DirectorMarianne Myles. “The Department’s goal isto be America’s number one ideal employeramong multicultural audiences. Culturallyaware, adaptable, well-rounded, agile,strategic-thinking problem solvers withdiverse perspectives are invited to learn howthey can show the world a side of America ithas never seen.”�

The author works in the Office ofRecruitment, Examination andEmployment.


Office of Recruitment, Examination and Employment Director Marianne Myles, center, is surrounded by part of her talent-seeking staff: from left, FaisalKhan, Debbie Vaughn, Robyn Hinson-Jones, John Echard, Diane Castiglione, Rachel Friedland, Andrea Starks-Smith and Harby Issa.

Is anyone out there promoting equalityin the workplace because it is the rightthing to do? If there is, who notices?Granted, some 20 Office of Civil Rights

staff members work hard to ensure that theDepartment adheres to equal employmentopportunity principles in the workplace.And since EEO is a leadership issue, every-one expects Department leaders to set thestandard for equal employment opportuni-ty practices required by law.But are regular people in the workplace

also taking responsibility for promotingdiversity in the Department and ensuringequal opportunity in employment? And areleaders noting these contributions made atthe working level?

Judging by the nominations receivedeach year for the annual EqualEmployment Opportunity Award, theanswer is a resounding “yes.”This year’s winner is Cecelia A. Cooper,

managing director of global compensationand director of compensation and pensionin the Charleston payroll center. Cooper,known to all as “Cee-Cee,” has been instru-mental in bridging the divide betweenemployees of varying cultures in the GlobalFinancial Services Center. She established acommemorative events committee thatbrought into the center a president of a his-torically black college, Holocaust survivors,Native American tribal chiefs, Asian/Pacificand Hispanic dance troupes and others. PH

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EEO AWARDWINNER BRIDGESCULTURAL DIVIDE

BY JANICE F.CARAMANICA

Building Bridges

Using her extraordinary leadership andmentoring skills, Cooper assisted in resolv-ing workplace conflict during the criticalmerger of operations and personnel previ-ously located in the Washington area withthe Charleston-based workforce.Her nomination was submitted by the

deputy assistant secretary for GlobalFinancial Services in Charleston andendorsed by the assistant secretary forresource management and chief financialofficer.Over the years, other Department

employees have also been recognized fortheir contributions to improving the EEOenvironment at the Department. Here are afew examples:• One employee was called the “ambas-sador of goodwill” for the disarmingmanner in which he made others feel atease. Whether through learning andusing American Sign Language to com-municate with an individual with ahearing impairment, or through theguidance he provided to an employeewho was so discouraged she wanted toleave her job, he served as an exampleof the highest standards of profession-alism, fairness and dedication to equalopportunity principles.• Another employee has served in theDepartment as a collateral-duty EEOcounselor for almost 30 years. She hasbeen a role model for her colleagues,promoted EEO principles, served as apanel member for Career DevelopmentCenter mentors and provided a friend-ly ear to any employee in need.• At various posts overseas, anotheremployee has served as the FederalWomen’s Program coordinator, theEEO program coordinator and EEOcounselor. He also worked with the

Human Resources office to develop aWeb page to provide employees andapplicants for employment a valuableresource for learning about EEO poli-cies and practices.• One employee worked to rectify anequal-pay issue at post when he learnedthat the male and female LocallyEmployed Staff members were notbeing paid the same for substantiallyequal work. He also promoted hiringwomen into positions for which theyhad not previously been consideredand ensured that training and travelopportunities were fairly distributedthroughout the staff.• Another employee, who rose throughthe ranks to a middle-managementposition, was cited for outstandingefforts in recruiting and mentoringprospective and current employees inthe Department.• Another employee helped fellowemployees develop a fuller appreciationfor their rights in the workplace.During the aftermath of HurricaneKatrina, he organized a fund-raiser forKatrina victims and established one ofthe Katrina relief funds.Every person in the workforce can make

important contributions to strengtheningthe practice of EEO principles. All areencouraged to nominate colleagues theysee promoting fairness, equality and diver-sity in the workplace for the annual EEOAward. The Office of Civil Rights annuallyin the spring calls for nominations by cableand Department notice. The winnerreceives a $10,000 cash prize and a certifi-cate signed by the Secretary.�

The author is a senior attorney-adviser inthe Office of Civil Rights.

EEO Award Winners1981 Douglas K. Watson, ARA

1982 Virginia S. Butler, FAIM/PS

1983 (Co-recipients) Carmen A.Diplacido, CA; LeonardShurtleff, U.S. Embassy inMonrovia; Keith L.Wauchope, AF

1984 Stewart Bibbs Jr., PPT/S

1985 Paul M. Washington, FAIM/PS

1986 Marguerite Cooper, FSO(retired)

1987 Ambassador William L.Swing, M/DGP/PER

1988 (Co-recipients) StephanieGillespie, PER;Corazon Foley, INR

1989 John L. Mack, IM/SO/FD

1990 Ambassador Irvin Hicks, AF

1991 Charles Hughes Jr., S/S-EX

1992 Philip M. Tinney, A/IM/IS

1993 (Co-recipients) Thomas J.Miller, U.S. Embassy inAthens; James “Jock” P.Covey, Branch Office ofAmerican Embassy in Berlin;Christopher H. Flaggs,FMP/BP

1997 Ruth Ann Whiteside, FSI

2000 (Co-recipients) Gloria J.Junge, Cecily J. Bostock,Herbert L. Treger, U.S.Embassy in Kampala

2001 Cheryl R. Hodge, HR/PE

2002 Ronald J. Tomasso, OBO/DE

2003 Mae R. Whitehead, FACBIG

2004 Anita Cary, OBO

2005 (Co-recipients) Thomas H.Alphin Jr., L/EMP;Ambassador Ruth A. Davis,Diplomat-in-Residence,Howard University

2006 Cecelia A. Cooper, GFSC


Cecelia A. Cooper, winner of the 2006 Equal Employment Opportunity Award, receives her plaquefrom Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns.


The program managed by the Office of Civil Rights most famil-iar to Department employees is the equal employmentopportunity complaint process. OCR is responsible for managingthe process on behalf of the Department in accordance with regu-lations and directives established by the Equal EmploymentOpportunity Commission.At the heart of every EEO complaint is conflict, but using the

complaint process does not have to be an employee’s first instinct.Out of approximately 90 formal complaints of discrimination

per year received in the office, only about one results in an actualfinding of discrimination against the Department.The State Department is not alone in this regard. Statistically,

very few complaints that reach the EEOC from federal agenciesresult in findings of discrimination. According to informationpublished on the EEOC Web site, fewer than 3 percent of cases inwhich a hearing is requested result in a finding of discriminationby an EEOC administrative judge.What, then, is a more fruitful means of resolving the conflict at

the heart of these cases? OCR believes the answer is the AlternativeDispute Resolution program. Not only can the program assistemployees and managers in resolving conflict within the work-place; with the assistance of a neutral third party, it can also createa win-win solution and take much less time than the formal com-plaint process.The term “alternative dispute resolution” refers to any means of

resolving a conflict outside of a formal administrative or judicialprocess.To date, the Department’s preferred mechanism for ADR has

been mediation. During mediation, a certified mediator assists theparties by giving them the opportunity to discuss the issues indispute, clear up misunderstandings, determine underlying inter-ests or concerns, find areas of agreement and, ultimately,incorporate those areas of agreement into a resolution. A mediatordoes not resolve the dispute or impose a decision on the parties;instead, the mediator helps them reach a mutually acceptable res-olution. Each side gets an opportunity to present a perspective andspeak without interruption.Mediation is confidential. If the matter is not resolved in medi-

ation, neither side may use the mediator as a witness in any futureforum. Approximately 50 percent of Department ADR cases areresolved by the end of the mediation, which usually lasts one day.OCR is considering at least three ADR techniques as potential

enhancements to the Department’s program:• Negotiation—In simplest terms, negotiation is a discussionbetween two or more disputants, with or without the assis-tance of an intermediary, who are trying to work out asolution.When parties negotiate, they usually expect give-and-take. Even though they have interlocking goals they cannot

accomplish independently, they usually do not want or needexactly the same thing.• Fact Finding—The purpose is to identify which facts in a con-flict are in dispute and assist the parties to discover the factual“truth.” This technique gives parties an opportunity to worktogether on discovering the facts. If done properly, workingtogether will humanize the parties and make them moreamenable to an agreement, even if the facts themselves cannotultimately be agreed on.• Early Neutral Evaluation—The goal is to use a neutral thirdparty to assess the merits of the case, clarify the central issuesin dispute and assist with an informal exchange of key infor-mation. ENE aims to position the case for early resolution bysettlement.ADR is not litigation by alternative means. When parties to a

dispute can craft their own solution to a conflict instead of havingone imposed from an outside source, they can begin with a fresh

start—hardly an option when one side wins and one side loses. Itis better for both sides to come away with something. Then, theycan move forward rather than staying stuck in conflict.�

The author is a senior attorney-adviser in the Office of Civil Rights.


ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTIONHELPS AVOID FORMAL COMPLAINTSBY JANICE F. CARAMANICA

THECOMPLAINT

PROCESS

Resolving Conflict

Who is watching what the Departmentof State is doing with regard to work-force diversity?The Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission monitors the Departmentand is responsible for the following:1. Reviewing and evaluating the opera-tion of all agency equal employmentopportunity programs;

2. Reviewing and approving agencyEEO plans and reports and commu-nicating the results of evaluations to

each agency and directing agencies,as appropriate, to develop additionalprogram objectives;

3. Providing technical assistance andtraining to agencies;

4. Submitting an annual report on thefederal workforce based on agencyreports, data from The CentralPersonnel Data File, on-site programreviews and other audits to thePresident, Congress and appropriatecongressional committees.

How does the EEOC know what theDepartment is doing?Through Management Directive 715—

the policy guidance from the EEOC foragencies to use in establishing and main-taining effective programs of equalopportunity. It also sets forth workforcereporting requirements. Rather than havingagencies focus solely on the participationrates of minorities, women and personswith disabilities (as with earlier reports),MD-715 calls for the identification and


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Q&A: HELPS AND HINDRANCESTO WORKFORCE DIVERSITYBY DAVID J. KING III

elimination of workplace policies, practices,procedures and conditions that preventequal employment opportunity. The direc-tive became effective in 2003 and is part ofa bigger EEO reform initiative designed tobetter address the organizational shifts andevolving trends in the federal workplace.

What is the overriding objective of theEEOC?The goal is to ensure that all employees

and applicants for employment enjoyequality of opportunity in the federal work-place regardless of race, gender, nationalorigin, color, religion or disability andwithout reprisal for engaging in prior pro-tected activity.To develop a competitive, highly quali-

fied workforce, federal agencies must fullyuse all workers’ talents, without regard torace, color, religion, national origin, genderor disability. Equal opportunity is morethan a matter of social justice; it is a nation-al economic imperative.

What does MD-715 require the StateDepartment to do with regard to equalemployment opportunity?1. Develop and maintain a model EEOprogram.

2. Ensure that employment policies andpractices are free from discrimination.

3. Examine employment policies, proce-dures and practices to identify andremove barriers to equal employmentopportunity.

4. Develop plans to correct identifiedbarriers.

5. Report plans and progress to theEEOC.

What are the essential elements of amodel EEO program?Each manager, supervisor and EEO offi-

cial will be held accountable for the effectiveimplementation and management of theprogram based on six essential elements:1. Demonstrated commitment fromagency leadership;

2. Integration of EEO into the agency’sstrategic mission;

3. Efficiency;4. Management and program accounta-bility;

5. Proactive prevention of unlawfuldiscrimination;

6. Responsiveness and legal compliance.

What is a barrier?A barrier is an agency policy, principle,

practice or condition that limits or tends tolimit employment opportunities formembers of a particular gender, race orethnic background or for an individual,based on disability status.An example of a physical barrier to the

employment of individuals who use wheel-chairs would be a workplace withoutpower-assisted doors or a workplace withfew wheelchair-accessible restrooms. Thebarrier analysis required by MD-715,however, is not limited to physical barriers.Barriers can also result from prejudice,stereotyping, fear, comfort level or every-day practices. For example, an agency mayrecruit new attorneys from a limitednumber of law schools. If these law schoolsenroll only a few or no Hispanic students,the agency’s hiring pool will be limited.Although neutral on its face, this practice isa barrier, as it will have the effect of limit-ing the employment opportunities ofwell-qualified Hispanic attorneys. It alsowill unnecessarily limit the pool of talentedindividuals from which agency officialsmay draw.

How canMD-715 be used to help elimi-nate barriers?MD-715 requires processes that include

self-analysis, problem identification, datacollection, reporting systems and goal iden-tification. The results from these processescan be used to first identify and then elimi-nate discriminatory policies and practicesin the workplace.Where it is determined that an identified

barrier serves no legitimate purpose, MD-715 requires that agencies take immediatesteps to eliminate the barrier. Even where apolicy or practice that poses a barrier can bejustified on grounds of business necessity,agencies must investigate whether lessexclusionary policies or practices can beused that serve the same business purpose.Identifying and evaluating potential bar-

riers require an examination of all relevantpolicies, practices, procedures and condi-tions in the workplace. The process furtherrequires each agency to eliminate or modify,where appropriate, any policy, practice orprocedure that creates a barrier to equalityof opportunity.The elimination of barriers will allow

agencies to fully utilize the knowledge, skills

and abilities of each of its employees. It mayalso help an agency avoid findings of dis-crimination, which can be expensive—backpay awards, compensatory damages andattorney’s fees.

What statistic stands out themost?One of the most notable statistics across

the federal government is the low percent-age of persons with “targeted disabilities” inthe workforce. The EEOC has identified

“targeted disabilities” as blindness, deafness,partial paralysis, complete paralysis, mentalillness, mental retardation, convulsive dis-orders and distortion of limbs or spine.According to the EEOC, only approximate-ly 1 percent of federal employees arepersons with targeted disabilities (PWTD).Some agencies have PWTD populationsgreater than 2 percent. At State, the numberis less than .5 percent and declining.

Are the data and the analysis of thatdata being shared with management andindividual bureaus? What are the nextsteps?Yes. The Office of Civil Rights has

briefed the Bureau of Management seniorstaff and Secretary Rice on the MD-715findings. As required in a model EEOprogram, State has a demonstrated com-mitment from its leadership.As a follow-up to these briefings and with

the full support of the Secretary, OCR willbrief individual bureaus on MD-715 andtheir diversity profiles, and provide assis-tance and recommendations where needed.MD-715 is due to the EEOC annually,

but barrier analysis is an ongoing process.Thus, the Department will continue toanalyze both the Civil Service and ForeignService to ensure that all employees areafforded equality of opportunity in theworkplace.�

The author is diversity and outreach man-ager in the Office of Civil Rights.


Equal opportunity ismore than a matterof social justice; it isa national economicimperative.


If asked about the Department’s Office of Civil Rights, differentemployees will probably give different responses, depending ontheir experiences:• “It’s an office that assists employees who want to file com-plaints about management.”• “It’s the office that advises management on how to make deci-sions to avoid complaints of discrimination.”• “OCR is the office that runs the Department’s AlternativeDispute Resolution program.”Are all of these answers correct? Yes, but these issues are only a

narrow portion of the office’s true purpose.

OCR’s mission statement is the following:To assist the Department of State in fostering a work environ-

ment free of discrimination and to maintain a continuingaffirmative outreach program which promotes equal opportunitythrough the identification and elimination of discriminatory poli-cies and practices.OCR sits at the intersection of good law—the Civil Rights Act

of 1964—and good management—taking care of people,addressing issues before they become a problem and recognizingthat to get the best out of your workforce you have to draw fromall sources. OCR’s business is conflict resolution, employee and PH

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A BUSY INTERSECTION: GOOD LAWS, GOOD MANAGEMENT,GOOD BUSINESS BY JACQUELINE CANTON AND GREG SMITH

Office of Civil Rights

O F F I C E O F T H E M O N T H

Office Director Barry Wells (wearing suspenders) meetswith members of his staff. In the foreground is ShireenDodson. To her left are Jackie Canton and Greg Smith.On the sofa, from left, are Janice Caramanica andVerena Sander.


supervisor assistance and diversity man-agement.The office director reports directly to the

Secretary of State on issues of equal employ-ment opportunity policy. On matters ofday-to-day management oversight, thedirector reports through the UnderSecretary for Management.In addition to the director, the office is

composed of approximately 24 CivilService positions and one FS-01 ForeignService position.In the recent past, OCR’s primary work-

load was processing complaints ofdiscrimination, both at the informal and theformal stages. Because of a backlog of EEOcases during the late 1990s and into 2000and 2001 that needed to be processed inaccordance with regulatory requirements ofthe Equal Employment OpportunityCommission, the office focused much of itsenergy and resources on reducing thebacklog and establishing a more efficientcase management process.Now that the case management system

has been greatly streamlined and the backlogreduced, the office is able to turn its atten-tion to other priorities.The “new and improved” OCR has

realigned its operations, refocused its priori-ties and reworked its Web site.

The vision of OCR Director Barry L.Wells is an office whose structureand priorities reflect a more cus-tomer-friendly andservice-oriented approach. Thefocus will be on providing qualityassistance for the office’s clienteleand producing positive results for

the Department workforce as a whole. Through greaterorganizational efficiency and effectiveness, OCRintends to be proactive in all aspects of its portfolio.

Diversity Management and OutreachIn the past, the Diversity Management and Outreach

section concentrated on organizing commemorativeevents to celebrate ethnic diversity in this country.While that important work will continue, a newemphasis will be placed on diversity management. Thesection will also continue to work with the Bureau ofHuman Resources to complete various reports requiredby the EEOC, the Office of Personnel Management,Congress and other oversight bodies.In addition to completing reports, the section will do

more in-depth analysis of the workforce data that makeup the reports. The data cover areas such as recruit-ment, hiring, career development, promotion and

retention. The goal is to help ensure that there are no barriers toequal employment opportunities for all employees.

Intake and ResolutionIn the revised OCR structure, case processing will occur in a

realigned section called Intake and Resolution. It will be responsi-ble for managing informal and formal resolution of EEOworkplace disputes, EEO counseling and the Alternative DisputeResolution program.

At a GlanceOffice nameOffice of Civil Rights

SymbolS/OCR

Office DirectorBarry L. Wells

Staff size24 Civil Service, 1 Foreign Service

Office LocationHST, Room 7428

Web sitehttp://socr.state.gov

Ardena Austin looks up from her work.

Co-author Jackie Canton,seated, poses with herIntake and Resolution staff.Standing, from left, areMarjorie Gross, WendyHerring, Dorothy Taylor andGloria Cunningham.


O F F I C E O F T H E M O N T H

Previously, EEO caseswere processed in two dis-tinct phases—the informalprocess followed by theformal process—and weremanaged by two differentsections in the office. Thenew section will eliminatethis bifurcated approach:One division will handle thecase from start to finish.The informal process will

still precede the formalprocess, but once a point ofcontact in OCR has beenassigned, that person will beresponsible for the casethroughout its adminis-trative processing. Thisc u s t o m e r - o r i e n t e dapproach should improveeffectiveness and efficiency.The operative word in

Intake and Resolution is res-olution. OCR will take amore proactive approach toresolving cases at all stagesof the EEO process. Intakeand Resolution will providemore avenues for alternativedispute resolution to resolveEEO and non-EEO cases.(See related article on ADR,Page 30.)

Legal Counsel andInvestigationsOCR employs its own

legal counsel separate fromthe Office of the LegalAdviser. Office attorneys areresponsible for advising thedirector and deputy director on the many legal issues that arise inthe administrative processing of EEO cases. The organizationalseparation from L attorneys ensures that the director has access toindependent legal advice on matters under the office’s jurisdiction.Also, this arrangement complies with EEOC policy, which

requires that attorneys providing administrative legal advice inprocessing EEO cases remain separate from attorneys representing

management in litigation. In the new structure, the attorneys willtake on the added responsibility of conducting and overseeinginvestigations that involve unusually complex or sensitive matters.

Senior Counsel and Special AssistantThe office director has created two new positions that report

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the director on issues of policy that arise because of EEOC or OPMinitiatives, or that arise in the conduct of OCR operations. Thesenior counsel is responsible for ensuring consistency in policy andapproach across the Department on EEO issues.Currently, she is responsible for moving toward implementation

the Department’s new reasonable accommodation policy andensuring that a consistent EEO approach is taken in theDepartment’s treatment of its expanding contractor workforce.The second new position is a special assistant to work with the

director on special projects.

Title VI and Title IX CoordinatorThe Title VI and Title IX coordinator is also a new position. The

incumbent will make recommendations on how to bring the

Department into compliancewith the requirements of theselaws. Programs that receivefederal financial assistance andthat are conducted by theDepartment must ensure thattheir activities are free fromdiscrimination on the basis ofrace, color or national origin;disability; or sex.The coordinator will develop

and implement a complaintprocedure so that beneficiariesof financial assistance and pro-grams may have a vehiclet o a d d r e s s p e r c e i v e ddiscrimination in programadministration. Once theprocess has been put into place,the coordinator will managethe program and make recom-mendations to the director onissues of oversight, complianceand resource and organization-al requirements.

Office Management andAdministrative SupportNo office would be able to

function without its officemanagement and administra-tive support staff. In additionto performing traditional officemanagement functions, thestaff screens calls and walk-insto determine if OCR is where

they need to be, then refers them to appropriate staff or offices inthe Department.The administrative support staff prepares and manages external

vendor contracts, provides liaison between the office and thebureau’s budget coordinator and oversees computer databasemanagement and the office’s Intranet Web site.The new OCR aims high to be at the intersection of good law,

good management and good business for the Department. Whilesomemay believe that the office is an advocate for the complainantand others may say it is a management advocate, the truth is thatOCR is an advocate for the process.�

Jacqueline Canton is chief of Intake and Resolution and Greg Smithis deputy director of the Office of Civil Rights.

Top: Working on the DiversityManagement and Outreach staff,from left, are Arlene Brandon,David King and Verena Sander.Bottom: The Legal Council andInvestigations staff includes GregSmith, Gloria Slater, HenryNorcom and Jennifer DeHeer.

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Downthe

MiddleA CONVERSATION WITH THE DIRECTOROF THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS

39

Barry L. Wells became the director of the Office of Civil Rights inFebruary 2006. He has been with the Department since 1988, whenhe joined the Foreign Service Institute. At FSI, he served in a varietyof capacities, most recently as deputy director. Earlier in his career,he was a Peace Corps country director and a professor at HowardUniversity.

ON THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTSWith less than a year as director under my belt, I am reminded

daily of the importance of the mission and complexity of theOffice of Civil Rights. My years at the Foreign Service Institutegave me the opportunity to work with all elements of theDepartment, both domestic and overseas. That provided me awell-rounded perspective on the challenges that OCR faces inservicing such a diverse organization.Our office works to ensure that the workplace is free from dis-

crimination on the basis of race, national origin, color, religion,sex, disabling condition, sexual orientation or age. To be effective,it is essential that we be, and are perceived as being, neutral. Ourmission is to provide access to the EEO process, not to representthe parties in the process. We are neither pro-employee nor pro-management. This distinction is critical to our work.

ON THE NEW OCRShortly after my arrival at OCR, we discussed our work and

crafted a vision that reflects the importance of our mission. Welooked at how the office is organized, what we do well and wherewe need to do better. We came away with a number of observa-tions and ideas for newdirections that we are in theprocess of implementing.One of the recurrent

themes I have observed is theimportance of communica-tion in the workplace. We areoften asked to intervene insituations where the realproblem is not discrimina-tion, but lack ofcommunication. In somecases, once employees andmanagers start talking, theystart to understand eachother better, and often canresolve their conflicts infor-mally. We emphasize theimportance of communica-tion every time we briefclasses and meet withemployees and management.Many of the complaints of

discrimination OCR receivesare rooted in personality conflicts, poor performance manage-ment or ineffective management practices. Managing employees’performance is essential. That includes providing both positiveand developmental feedback. It means conducting conversationsin which both the employee and management have a voice.Whenthis happens, we more easily eliminate issues that do not belong

in the EEO process. We are meeting with the leadership of everybureau and will make our staff available to help promote a dis-crimination-free working environment.One of my primary goals is for OCR to be more proactive. I

want us to be a resource for employees and management, not justthe place to file complaints. I want to ensure that the Departmentmaintains a credible EEO process where legitimate complaints ofdiscrimination can be addressed promptly and credibly. At thesame time, we need to provide mechanisms for other types ofworkplace conflict to be addressed without labeling it discrimina-tion because there is no other means to address it. To assist us, wewill be expanding our capacity for Alternative Dispute Resolutionby adding experts in that field.

VALUING DIVERSITYA respect for diversity is central to the mission of the

Department. The successful practice of diplomacy is rooted in anunderstanding of the value of diversity and an ability to draw fromvarious perspectives those elements that result in effective agree-ments and conclusions. We know from a plethora of research andexperience that the more diverse opinions, life experiences andperspectives we bring to efforts to resolve issues and solve prob-lems, the more likely we are to identify successful strategies. To takeadvantage of diversity, we have to accept that it is a good thing andvalue it. To be effective, we have to seek and acknowledge the con-tributions of diverse elements of the workforce.Secretary Rice has made clear her view that we need a work-

force that reflects the diversity of America. An organization as

large as the Department of State brings together people fromdiverse backgrounds and experiences. As we move forward, OCRwill continue to identify strategies that allow us to provide aworkplace where every employee—Foreign Service, Civil Serviceand Locally Employed Staff—can say with pride, “I help carry outthe foreign policy of the United States of America.”�


Office Director Barry Wells at work.

Instead of eating or exercising atlunchtime, dozens of Department employ-ees hone their public speaking andleadership skills each week at one of theDepartment’s three Toastmasters clubs—State of Speaking, Stately Speakers andTalking Heads of State.Like their 9,300 fellow chapters of

Toastmasters International, the threeDepartment clubs strive to provide amutually supportive learning environmentwhere members improve their presentationand leadership skills. Featured events atclub meetings are members’ preparedspeeches, evaluations and “table topics.”Members deliver a series of 10 speeches

to sharpen skills in organization, wordchoice, vocal variety, body language, visualaids and persuasion. They set their owntimetables for completing the speeches andearning the Competent Communicatoraward. Members who complete additionalprojects earn Advanced Communicatorawards and, ultimately, the highest recogni-tion—Distinguished Toastmaster.In preparing their five- to seven-minute

speeches, speakers consult officialToastmasters manuals. Because they selecttheir own topics, the subjects run thegamut of members’ interests—sports,cooking, music, art, languages, travel,family, management and policy issues, toname a few.Paul Hopper, Stately Speakers vice presi-

dent of membership, says he looks forwardto speeches because they often containinformation that is new to him or familiar

ideas presented in new contexts. StatelySpeakers President Sandra Yeaman sayspreparing short speeches has been perfectpractice for getting to the point. Now aCompetent Communicator, she is morecomfortable speaking without a lengthytext, which “pleases both my colleagues andmy bosses.”Following the prepared speeches, evalua-

tors provide oral and written feedback,noting what the speakers did well and

offering suggestions for improvement. Theevaluator gains experience in listeningintently and giving immediate, specific andencouraging feedback. The speaker learnshow to accept feedback and become abetter communicator.State of Speaking Past President Noah

Kaufman credits his club members’ valu-able recommendations with improving thespeech he later delivered at a University ofMaryland graduation ceremony.


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STRICTLYSPEAKING

Emily Soroko, Stately Speakers’Sergeant at Arms, often servesas Toastmaster of the Day.

During a meeting, the week’s “tabletopics master” poses two or threeimpromptu questions and calls onmembers to give an extemporaneous, one-to two-minute reply, teaching them tothink and speak on their feet.“The challenge of briefly examining and

expounding on some issue or question canbe a lot of fun,” says Talking Heads of StatePresident Erik Anderson, who adds thathearing other people’s table topics respons-es gives him a window into their thoughtsand personality.In addition to its comprehensive com-

munications track, the Toastmastersprogram offers a leadership track. By com-pleting the Competent Leadership manualand filling essential meeting roles such astoastmaster, evaluator and table topicsmaster, members learn skills such as moti-vating people, organizing, delegating,planning, implementation and time man-agement. Serving on a club’s executivecommittee is another excellent avenue fordeveloping leadership skills.Various State members regard their par-

ticipation in Toastmasters as a catalyst toaccomplishing professional goals. StatelySpeakers’ Benjamin Dille says that althoughhe was once petrified by public speaking,today he uses his speaking skills to trainemployees and do public diplomacy out-reach overseas. While stationed inShanghai in 1999, he helped found the firstsuccessful Toastmasters club in the People’sRepublic of China. China now has 25 clubs,excluding the clubs in Hong Kong.

Foreign Service officer Caron De Mars,Stately Speakers co-founder and Distin-guished Toastmaster, explains whyemployees are willing to spend their lunchhou r—week l y o r b iwe e k l y—a t aToastmasters meeting:“In the days of heightened interest in

public diplomacy and Secretary Rice’semphasis on transformational diplomacyand telling the U.S. story abroad, it is criti-cal that we all develop polished speakingskills,” she says. “There is no better way to

refine oral presentations than to work theToastmasters program.”Information about Department Toast-

masters clubs is available at• statelyspeakers.freetoasthost.com/index.html• stateofspeaking.freetoasthost.info• [email protected] (Talking Headsof State contact)

The author is a librarian in InternationalInformation Programs.

Breaking the Ice andCalming the NervesBy Franklin Garcia

I have never experienced such aheart-stopping, nerve-wracking, hair-raising situation as when I walked up tothe lectern in July 2005 to shake thehand of the Toastmaster of the Day,Caron De Mars, then president of theStately Speakers Toastmasters Club.

“And now I have the honor of intro-ducing Mr. Garcia, the next speaker,”she said. My hands started to sweatand my blood pressure must have hitthe ceiling. I sized up my audience andsaw they were eager to hear what I wasabout to say. I almost bolted out thefront door with fright, but Thalia, themuse of comedy, stopped me. “Get

hold of yourself, man,” she said.“What is wrong with you?”

I struggled to begin. “This is my ice-breaker speech and the name of myspeech is ‘The Wok.’“ I took a wok,which I had brought from home, out ofa bag and laid it on the table next to abottle of olive oil, spices and aspatula. I glanced at my audience untilThalia whispered in my ear, “Getgoing, man.”

“The wok, which originated inChina, is a versatile vessel found inalmost all Chinese kitchens, and hasspread to most parts of the world,” Ibegan. I held up my wok to show theaudience, turning it as I spoke so theycould get a better look at it.

As I continued to speak, I could seethe audience was listening intently. Iconcluded by passing around one ofmy favorite recipes: fried snapper in

ginger sauce. “Thank you, MadamToastmaster,” I said at last.

I received a standing ovation for myice-breaker speech, as is the club’s tra-dition. I walked away from the lecternfeeling a sense of having accom-plished something major and havingturned over a new leaf in my career.Within a year, I achieved CompetentToastmaster status by delivering 10speeches. I stopped reading from mynotes at about the fifth speech andfound myself feeling assured andconfident delivering subsequentspeeches.

I encourage everyone to sign up fora Toastmasters club and become aproficient public speaker.

The author is an analyst in the Bureauof Administration’s Office ofAllowances. �


From left, Toastmasters Sandra Yeaman, Franklin Garcia, Eunice Hill and Pamela Bundy work on agroup exercise.

M E D I C A L R E P O R T

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War of Words


The clinical staff in the Office of MentalHealth Services is often asked to solveserious interpersonal problems in theworkplace, either by affected employees orby high-level managers.An important first question is always, “Is

this a mental health problem?” Certainly,there is a role for mental health counselorsto offer a sympathetic ear to employeeswhose coping skills are failing under stress.Occasionally, such employees are open topsychotherapy and are willing to learn newways of adapting by discovering newaspects of themselves. But, more typically,they want only an ally who will sympathizewith their distress and share their outrageabout their alleged mistreatment.If the counselor challenges the employ-

ee’s perspective too readily, the person getsoffended and won’t come back. But if itisn’t challenged at all, no change should beexpected.It can be difficult to determine how

much of the office conflict is caused by theobject of the client’s frustration (a supervi-sor, co-worker or supervisee) and howmuch might be unknowingly contributedby the client. It is rather like doing couplescounseling with only one of the partners:not impossible, but definitely not a strategyfor high-percentage results, and certainlynot in a short period of time.Supervisors often search for strategies

that can reduce the toxic emotional envi-ronment at the office, but they may ignore

“the elephant in the room.” That is, theymay complain about an employee’s nega-tive influence on an office, but when askedabout employee counseling sessions andperformance appraisals, they reply that“the work product is actually good, if andwhen it gets done”—as if a capacity tointeract effectively with other employees is

not an essential workplace skill and neednot be rated.The Department of State is expert in

diplomacy, defined by Merriam-Webster’sas “the art and practice of conductingnegotiations between nations,” but also as“skill in handling affairs without arousinghostility.” Good diplomats could be at riskof being poor managers if they are prone toexcessive avoidance of conflict.Former Secretary Colin Powell, address-

ing my class at a leadership seminar, said,“Good leadership requires taking care ofyour people.” He then added, “Taking careof people must include dealing effectivelywith those who don’t carry their weight.”But many managers say that when they tryto address poor performers, they oftenbecome embroiled in a long EEO dispute.Two mid-level managers independently

admitted to me that they would never againfile accurate performance appraisals forproblem employees who failed to improvedespite counseling sessions. Their problememployees had filed EEO complaints andthat process continued after the employeeshad moved on to new assignments.The managers felt traumatized by being

accused of discrimination and by the lackof support from their own supervisors. Itwas clear to me that neither had fullyrecovered from the emotional trauma ofthe experience.It is hard to effectively resolve a problem

that is not precisely identified. In the work-

place, clear and direct communication iskey, yet it is feared by many. Dialogues arenot always easy, but they can be greatlyimproved on with practice and expertadvice. Here are a few suggestions:1. Resolve to engage in a serious dialoguewith your supervisor, staff and co-workers.Make this your responsibility,

not theirs. Use periodic progressreviews actively, openly and honestly.Too many workers hold their mostcherished goals to themselves, then aresurprised when the boss doesn’t “getit.” Too many supervisors avoid con-flict and never clearly tell employeesthey must improve, much less helpthem to learn how.

2. If the dialogue is not progressing well(after you try and try again), thenmove to a trialogue: Get mediation.

3. Job satisfaction is most dependent oninner satisfaction in accomplishingmeaningful work and recognition bysuperiors and co-workers. Studiesshow these are even more highlyregarded than pay.

4. If your job has not been satisfying foryears and you have become bitter,what are you going to do about it?Who will you speak to? Don’t inflictyour bitterness on others.

5. Supervisors need mentoring fromothers who have more experience.Relatively few are naturally giftedsupervisors.

6. A helpful publication is Face to Face: AGuide for Government SupervisorsWho Counsel Problem Employees, byJames M. Carroll (FPMI Solutions).

7. Offer suggestions to the ForeignService Institute about its leadershipcourses. I know FSI will welcome allconstructive ideas.

8. Ask your superiors to help theDepartment develop the best possibleadministrative referral process forproblem employees (as is done effec-tively in many private organizations,particularly educational institutions).

9. If you’re still struggling, ask yourself:“Did I try all of the above?” If not, askyourself why.

Finally, and once again:10.When in doubt, request mediation.�

The author is the director of Mental HealthServices.

IN OFFICE CONFLICTS, THE MAGIC WORD IS ‘DIALOGUE’ BY DR. RAY DE CASTRO

In the workplace, clear anddirect communication is key,yet it is feared by many.


Student Records OnlineNeed your class schedule or an unoffi-

cial transcript of training taken throughFSI? Visit the FSI Registrar’s Office webpage on the Department of State OpenNetat http://fsi.state.gov/admin/reg.

Mandatory Leadership TrainingLeadership training is mandatory for

Foreign Service and Civil Service employ-ees at the FS-03/GS-13 levels and above toensure that they have the necessary prepa-ration for increasing levels ofresponsibility. FSI’s Leadership andManagement School offers the requiredcourses to meet these mandatory trainingrequirements and other leadership coursesfor all FS and GS employees.

FasTrac Distance Learning:Learn at Your Own Pace,When and Where You Want!All State Department employees, FSNs

and EFMs are eligible. With your FasTracpassword, you may access the entireFasTrac catalog of more than 3,000courses, from home or office (Intranet orInternet). Courses cover numerous topics,such as project management, computerskills and grammar and writing skills, as

Senior Policy SeminarsFSI’s Leadership and Management

School offers professional developmentand policy seminars for senior-level execu-tives of the Department and the foreignaffairs/national security community.For more information contact FSI’s

Leadership and Management School at(703) 302-6743, [email protected] orhttp://fsiweb.fsi.state.gov/fsi/lms.

well as soft skills such as leadership. Toview the FasTrac catalog, visit the FasTracweb site at http://fsi.state.gov/fastrac.

FSI Distance Learning ProgramAn extensive menu of FSI-developed

distance learning courses is also availableto eligible participants on the FSI learningmanagement system. See (U) State 009772dated January 14, 2005, or the FSI webpage (Distance Learning) for information.

*

TRAINING

FS-3/GS-13PK245 Basic Leadership Skills

FS-2/GS-14PT207 Intermediate Leadership Skills

FS-1/GS-15PT210 Advanced Leadership Skills

Managers and SupervisorsPT107 EEO Diversity Awareness for

Managers and Supervisors

Newly promoted FS-OC/SESPT133 Senior Executive Threshold

Seminar

Mandatory Courses

Dates for FSI Transition Center Courses are shown below. For information on all the coursesavailable at FSI, visit the Schedule of Courses on the Department of State’s OpenNet athttp://fsi.state.gov. See Department Notices for announcements of new courses and newcourse dates and periodic announcements of external training opportunities sponsored by FSI.For additional information, please contact the Office of the Registrar at (703) 302-7144/7137.

Security Feb Mar LengthMQ911 SOS: Security Overseas Seminar 5,12 5,12,26 2 DMQ912 ASOS: Advanced Security Overseas Seminar 20 20 1 DMQ914 YSOS: Youth Security Overseas Seminar 3 1 D

Foreign Service Life Skills Feb Mar LengthMQ104 Regulations, Allowances and Finances

in the Foreign Service Context 13 2 DMQ107 English Teaching Seminar 14 2 DMQ111 Making Presentations: Design to Delivery 7 3 DMQ116 Protocol and the U.S. Representation Abroad 24 1 DMQ117 Tax Seminar 21 2.5 HMQ200 Going Overseas Without Children 17 4 HMQ203 Singles in the Foreign Service 10 1 DMQ210 Going Overseas for Families 17 4 HMQ220 Going Overseas—Logistics for Adults 28 17 2.5 HMQ230 Going Overseas—Logistics for Children 17 2.5 HMQ703 Post Options for Employment & Training 22 1 DMQ801 Long Distance Relationships 10 4 HMQ802 Communicating Across Cultures 3 1 D

Career Transition Center Feb Mar LengthRV101 Retirement Planning Seminar 27 4 DRV102 Job Search Program 5 8 WRV103 Financial Management and Estate Planning 1 1 DRV104 Annuities, Benefits and Social Security 28 1 D

Length: H = Hours, D = Days, W = Weeks

EDUCATION+

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

U.S. Ambassador to UruguayFrank Baxter of California, a business-man and Los Angeles civic activist, is thenew U.S. Ambassador to the OrientalRepublic of Uruguay. Prior to hisappointment, he was chief executiveofficer of Jefferies and Company. He isalso a former director of the NationalAssociation of Securities Dealers. His civicactivities include chairing the Board ofAlliance for College-Ready PublicSchools. He is married and has three chil-dren and six grandchildren.

U.S. Ambassador to Mauritiusand SeychellesCesar B. Cabrera of Puerto Rico, a busi-nessman and political activist, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the Republic ofMauritius, to serve concurrently asAmbassador to the Republic of Seychelles.Previously, he was president of threedevelopment companies in Puerto Rico,as well as a leader in finance, governmentand banking. He has served on the boardof the Federal Home Loan MortgageCorporation. From 1992 to 2004, he wasexecutive director of the Republican Partyof Puerto Rico. He is married and has onedaughter and one granddaughter.

U.S. Ambassador tothe African UnionCindy L. Courville of Virginia, a govern-ment official and academic, is the newU.S. Representative to the African Union.Prior to her appointment, she was seniordirector for African Affairs at the NationalSecurity Council. Prior to that, she heldhigh-level positions relating to Africa inthe Defense Intelligence Agency andOffice of the Secretary of Defense. Sheserved for 10 years on the political sciencefaculties of Hanover College andOccidental College.

U.S. Ambassador to El SalvadorCharles L. Glazer of Connecticut, aninvestment banker and political activist, isthe new U.S. Ambassador to the Republicof El Salvador. Prior to his appointment,he was president and CEO of C.L. Glazer& Company, an institutional brokerageand investment banking firm. He servedon the executive committee of theRepublican National Committee and wassergeant-at-arms at the 2004 RepublicanNational Convention. He has served onthe boards of many civic and charitableorganizations. He served in the U.S. Army.He is married.

U.S. Ambassador to BarbadosMary M. Ourisman of Florida, a com-munity leader and strong supporter of thearts, is the new U.S. Ambassador toBarbados, to serve concurrently asAmbassador to St. Kitts and Nevis, SaintLucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica,Grenada and Saint Vincent. She served onthe board of directors of Blair Housefrom 1994 to 2006. She has also served onthe boards of the Washington NationalOpera, the Smithsonian Institution andthe Kennedy Center. She is married andhas a son and a granddaughter, as well asfive stepsons and 15 step grandchildren.

Assistant Secretary forInternational Security andNonproliferationJohn C. Rood of Arizona, a nationalsecurity official, is the new AssistantSecretary for International Security andNonproliferation. Previously, he served assenior director for CounterproliferationStrategy at the National Security Council.Before that, he was deputy assistant secre-tary of Defense for Forces Policy. Heworked on defense and foreign policyissues as senior policy advisor to SenatorJohn Kyl of Arizona. He was also a foreignmissile programs analyst at the CentralIntelligence Agency.


O B I T U A R I E S

James W. Alley, 91, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedNov. 1 of heart failure in Greenville, N.C. He worked for the Officeof War Information, the Voice of America, the U.S. InformationService and Radio in the Allied Sector. His overseas postingsincluded South Africa, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Berlin andMunich. He retired in 1969.

Marguerite N. Doscher, 85, widow of Foreign Serviceofficer Charles R. Doscher, died Oct. 17 in Lacey,Wash. She accom-panied her husband on postings to Ghana, Sudan, Mauritania,Senegal, Malawi, Zambia, Central African Republic, Saudi Arabiaand Japan. She worked in the Office of Foreign Buildings beforeretiring in 1986 to Olympia, Wash. She enjoyed caring for animalsand was an excellent cook.

<<< Carolyn L. Eades, 43, a CivilService employee, died Oct. 23. She joinedthe Department in 1982 and worked in theOffice of Logistics Management at the timeof her death. She was devoted to her familyand was an active member of her church.

<<< Joe Glazer, 88, a singer-songwriter,labor information officer for the U.S.Information Agency and labor advisor to theState Department, died Sept. 19 of lymphomain Chevy Chase, Md. He served overseas inMexico.He retired in 1980.Hewas best knownas the troubadour of theU.S. labormovement,performing at countless union rallies, civilrights marches and civic events. He recordedmore than 30 albums.

Harvey E. Gutman, 80, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedSept. 1 in Sarasota, Fla. He served in the Army during World WarII. His overseas postings includedVientiane, Lome, Paris, Bangkok,Rabat, Monrovia and Niamey. He retired in 1980. After moving toSarasota, he was active in planning international lectures. He wasan avid world traveler and humorist in many languages.

<<<William B. Harbin, 77, a retiredForeign Service officer, died of cancer Oct.18 in California. He was a veteran of theKoreanWar, and his 37-year career with theDepartment included postings to EastPakistan, France, Vietnam, Sweden,Thailand, Honduras, Canada and Italy.After retiring in 1994, he traveled, donatedtime to charity, supported the arts andbecame a keen environmentalist who

helped preserve a mountain from development.

<<< Frances S. Hutton, 95, widowof Foreign Service officer Paul ChurchillHutton Jr., died Nov. 2 of congestive heartfailure in McLean, Va. She accompaniedher husband on postings to Dublin,Mexico, Guatemala, Istanbul, London,Guayaquil and Winnipeg. She was active inAFSA and the DACOR Bacon HouseFoundation. She was active in her churchand was a supporter of the environment.

<<< George R. “Jake” Jacobsen,77, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedFeb. 4, 2002, of pulmonary disease inFairfax, Va. He served in the Marine Corpsin World War II and later in the Army. Hisoverseas postings included Karachi,Luxembourg, Brussels, Helsinki, Moscow,Tokyo, Bonn, Dusseldorf and Bern. Heenjoyed golf, swimming, music andreading history.

<<< Arthur L. Lowrie, 75, a retiredForeign Service officer, died Sept. 20 inTampa, Fla. He joined the Department in1956 and served overseas in Syria,Lebanon, Sudan, Tunisia, Iraq, Egypt andBelgium. He retired to Florida, where hetaught international studies at theUniversity of South Florida and took oralhistories from retired Foreign Service offi-cers and others who had served overseas.

<<< Walter J. Mueller, 92,a retired Foreign Service officer, died Nov.2 of stomach cancer in Williamsburg, Va.He served in the Army during World WarII. His overseas postings includedGermany, where he was involved inpostwar government, and Canada. Afterretiring in 1970, he became a dean andprofessor of German at the University ofAlaska-Fairbanks. After moving to

Williamsburg, he wrote on subjects such as creativity and historyand was an avid photographer.

Darriel Webster Oliver, 59, a Civil Service employee, diedOct. 26 of ovarian cancer in Alexandria, Va. She was a manage-ment analyst in the Office of Foreign Buildings and then apassport officer. She retired in 2000. She enjoyed volunteering,tennis, skiing, running, reading, gardening and bread-making. Asa military spouse, she lived and traveled around the world.


47

<<< Virginia Richardson, 84, aretired Foreign Service secretary, died July 1from a heart attack and complications fromAlzheimer’s Disease in Riverside, Calif. Heroverseas postings included Japan, Korea,Russia, South Africa, Indonesia, Somalia,Brazil, Mexico, Hong Kong, Nicaragua andHonduras. She retired to Riverside in 1979to enjoy her garden, friends and boxer.

Leon Sloss, 80, a retired Civil Service employee, died Nov. 1 ofthroat cancer and respiratory failure in Washington, D.C. Heworked for several government agencies. In the Department, heworked for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. Later, he was anassistant director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.After retiring in 1979, he operated a consulting business workingon national security policy, nuclear strategy and arms control. Hewas a board member for Arena Stage and a museum docent.

<<< Jane B. Thorpe, 94, a retiredForeign Service staff officer, died Oct. 18 inRochester,Minn. She was a communicationsspecialist and served overseas in MexicoCity, Manila, Ankara, Geneva, Stockholm,Tijuana, Brussels, Bonn and Paris. She wasan accomplished violinist. In retirement, sheplayed with orchestras in Mexico City,Miami, El Paso and California.

In the Event of a DeathQuestions concerning employee deathsshould be directed to the Office ofCasualty Assistance at (202) 736-4302.Inquiries concerning deaths of retiredemployees should be directed to theOffice of Retirement at (202) 261-8960.


Bednar, Georgienne M.Burns, Edward L.Clough, Patricia A.Cohn, Rivca S.Fernandez, CandidaGladhill, Virginia Mae

Richman, AlvinRiveles, Stanley AlvinSaunders, Frances C.Siegel, Judith S.Tinkham, H. StetsonTripodi, Malisa A.

Civil Service >>>Almasov, AlexanderBaltimore III, Richard L.Behrend, Richard WarrenBeltran, Cesar D.Boardman, John S.Boulanger, John P.Branstner, Terry LeeBuss, David M.Callard, Robert A.Coleshill, Renate

ZimmermanCurley II, AlbertDwyer, John P.Farris, Virginia LooFlorence, Jane A.Frank, James F.Graham, Dianne H.Grigola, Sandra T.Hall, John Martin

Hartley II, John J.Helmholz, Donna M.

SpinaHernandez, SalomeHill, Billy JoeKane, John V.Kent, Douglas BarryKirlian, AnneKlosson, MichaelLimbaugh, Larry L.Linde, Deborah LynLudan, Robert P.McFadden, Wilma DeneMcMillion, Margaret K.Meawad, Halim M.Montgomery, Denise DellMurray, Jeffrey C.Nance, Sidney C.Pearson, Pamela J.

Sargent, Robert Q.Schuman, Daniel J.Schwartz, Deborah RuthSkocz, Dennis EdwardSmith, Timothy F.Stefan Jr., Carl E.Stevens, Kathryn L.Swope, Mary ElizabethTannenbaum, Jane JudithTeich, Zachary ZalmanThomas, Anna J.Thompson, Carol E.Tucker, John C.Turak, Jonathan S.Valdez, Stephen J.Watson, John L.West, Jack D.Woerner, Mark S.

Foreign Service >>>

retirements*

T H E L A S T W O R D


COMING IN FEBRUARY• Department Awards Day

• Shared Services in Jakarta

• Celebrating National Adoption Month

• A Department Legend: Dr. Jessie Colson

... and much more!

Our editorial journey this month takes uson a more internal path than usual,although the Post of the Month gives us afascinating glimpse at the U.S. embassy inTanzania, a crucial oasis of stability on theturbulent African continent. This issuefocuses primarily on the Department’sefforts to foster and nurture diversity andtolerance throughout its multiculturalworkforce.Our diverse journey begins with the

Office of Civil Rights, which directs traffic ata busy intersection where good law crossesgood management to become good busi-ness. OCR is charged by the Secretary withfostering a work environment free of dis-crimination and with promoting equalopportunity for all Department employ-ees—Foreign Service, Civil Service andLocally Employed Staff. Director BarryWells, who doubles as the Department’sChief Diversity Officer, notes that his officeis neither pro-employee nor pro-manage-ment; it is, rather, pro-Department.Commitment to diversity starts at the

top; OCR reports directly to the Secretaryon EEO policy matters and to the UnderSecretary for Management on day-to-daymanagement oversight. For Under SecretaryHenrietta Fore, nurturing diversity is notonly the right thing to do—it’s also theprudent thing, because diversity grows theDepartment’s return on its investment inhuman capital. A more diverse workforcebrings a wider range of perspectives on all

problems and promotes greater creativity inideas and solutions.Over the last five years, colleagues in the

Office of Recruitment, Examination andEmployment ramped up their recruitmentmarketing budget, intensified their strategic

planning, adopted advanced technologicaltools and bumped up the recruiting staff tohelp the Department reach toward its diver-sity goals. Results are coming in, and theyare consistently excellent. For example,BusinessWeek magazine’s 2006 list of “50Best Places to Launch a Career” ranked Stateat number six, the highest rank achieved bya federal agency. The list included private

and public sector employers, so theDepartment was up there with the likes ofDisney and Lockheed Martin. Pretty good,but not good enough, says directorMarianne Myles. The goal is to be theNumber One ideal employer among multi-cultural audiences.Our monthly journey also runs through

the office of Under Secretary for PublicDiplomacy and Public Affairs KarenHughes. In a wide-ranging and free-wheel-ing “Department Inner-View,” UnderSecretary Hughes assesses her first year withthe Department and the state of publicdiplomacy around the globe. Her vision ofpublic diplomacy also embraces diversity—her staff is full of senior and mid-levelForeign Service officers and Civil Serviceemployees—and she demands frank andopen input from each and every one.Last but never least, a final salute to our

colleagues en route to their final posting:James W. Alley; Marguerite N. Doscher;Carolyn L. Eades; Joe Glazer; Harvey E.Gutman; William B. Harbin; Frances S.Hutton; George R. “Jake” Jacobsen; Arthur L.Lowrie; Walter J. Mueller; Darriel WebsterOliver; Virginia Richardson; Leon Sloss; andJane B. Thorpe.

Doing the Right Thing Right

Rob WileyEditor-in-Chief

Questions? [email protected]

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OF STATEISSN 1099-4165

*JAN.2007

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State Magazine, January 2007

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