Yesterday, September 9, 2012, 20 PCVs arrived in Katmandu, the first Volunteers to Nepal in eight years. The PCVs, after Training, will work in food security, sanitation and in health projects. The Peace Corps  withdrew Volunteers  in 2004 citing security concerns as Maoist rebels fought government troops.The Maoists joined the peace process in ‘06, giving up their armed revolt. The Maoists’ deputy leader Baburam Bhattarai now leads a coalition government. The US removed the Maoists from its list of terrorist groups last week.

Tony D’Souza (Ivory Coast 2000-02; Madagascar 2002-03) spent the  summer writing about the $400 million “Mini-Madoff,” and the wife left behind. The 6,000 word piece is the feature of the September Sarasota Magazine.

Eyes Wide Shut

Peg Nadel-and others who benefited from her husband Art Nadel’s Ponzi scheme-say they never knew what he was doing. But did they just refuse to see the truth? Award-winning journalist Tony D’Souza finds the answer may lie in a mysterious black box at the heart of the crime.

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On a quiet afternoon in June, Peg Nadel, 76, paces the kitchen of her east Sarasota home, suffering through a debt collection call. “My friend,” she sighs into the phone, “my status has been in the trash. I can’t make any monthly payments. I struggle just to live. Hopefully in a month things will change.” In a month, a judge will decide whether Nadel-who has filed an affidavit that she is destitute and needs money for “sustenance” and medication-can access $30,000 frozen in her checking accounts since January 2009. That was when her husband-a hedge fund guru and jazz pianist-went on a secretive 13-day “vacation,” as he would later describe it to the FBI, to the great musical cities of New Orleans, Austin, and San Francisco, leaving the largest Ponzi scheme in Southwest Florida history in ruins behind him.

Peg Nadel, of course, is the fifth and final wife of Arthur Nadel, a disbarred lawyer and convicted “mini-Madoff” who died in prison on April 16, 2012. He was 79. Along with Neil and Chris Moody-a father-and-son team of investment advisers-Nadel managed six hedge funds that from 1999-2009 attracted $330 million by touting annual returns as high as 55 percent, even as the funds secretly lost money. Authorities say it was all a complex scam that stole $168 million from nearly 400 investors.

The slender Mrs. Nadel hasn’t given many interviews since that day her husband “disappeared.” But one with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in October 2009 included her agreeing to sit for a portrait. Though she smiled through most of the photo shoot, the paper chose to run a picture of her scowling. That was irksome to the former Ford Agency model, who once graced the cover of Vogue. Now that Arthur has passed, Peg-who currently lives on $1,046 monthly Social Security payments and has taken in a boarder, a car salesman she found via Craigslist, to make ends meet-would like to do a reality show about her life, or publish a memoir. She feels she has to talk because, “My story is all I have left.”

More at:
http://www.sarasotamagazine.com/Articles/Current-Issue/Eyes-Wide-Shut.aspx

August 21, 2012

Dear Colleagues:

For the past three years, I have had the privilege to lead one of the most beloved and valued agencies in the United States federal government.  It has been a distinct honor to serve as the Director of the Peace Corps in President Obama’s Administration and to further his policy of broader global engagement.  That is why it is with a heavy heart that I announce my decision to step down as Peace Corps Director effective September 17, 2012.

This has been a difficult choice because serving in this position has been the highlight of my public service career.  It has brought my personal journey in government full circle - from Peace Corps Volunteer to Director.   It is time, however, for me to shift my focus to my family.

It has been an honor to lead an outstanding team who support our remarkable Volunteers day in and day out.   I will forever marvel at the dedication, intellect and skill of the Peace Corps team working around the globe.  Your work and commitment have been crucial to achieving our shared success.

Volunteers embody our three enduring goals.  I have had the opportunity to see them empower girls and bolster the skills of future leaders.  They teach English, math and science and reduce the spread of preventable diseases like HIV/AIDS and Malaria. They open a window to the world in the countries they serve and back home as well.  During my tenure as Director of the Peace Corps, I have met thousands of Americans across our nation who are Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and have committed their life’s work to service.

Carrie Hessler-Radelet, Deputy Director of the Peace Corps, will begin serving as Acting Peace Corps Director upon my departure.  I am confident that the superb team, under her and Chief of Staff Stacy Rhodes’ continued strong leadership will lead the Peace Corps to great success as it heads into the next 50 years.

I will always be grateful for your commitment to the ideals set forth by our founder Sargent Shriver.   It has indeed been a remarkable journey to serve side by side with you.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

Aaron S. Williams

Director

On June 27, 2012 Milford CT resident Jesse Osmun, 32, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing four girls while a PCV in South Africa. Steps are now being taken to set up a restitution fund for girls sexually abused by Osmun while he was in the Peace Corps.

$10,000 has been provided by Osmun’s family for the fund. Restitution was discussed as part of a plea agreement, said Osmun’s attorney, Richard Meehan Jr.

Osmun is accused of traveling from the United States to South Africa to engage in illicit sexual conduct with children.

He has admitted that he sexually abused four minor girls, all under the age of six, while he was a volunteer with the United States Peace Corps in South Africa, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Osmun will be sentenced Sept. 19, and he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

The Peace Corps agency has also agreed to contribute $20,000 to a fund for the  four girls sexually abused.

A Peace Corps spokeswoman confirmed the donation. A Peace Corps representative and the U.S. Attorney’s Office both said the donation was not an indication that the Peace Corps bore any responsibility for the crime, Meehan said. The Peace Corps said it was made aware of the allegations after Osmun resigned and has called the crimes “reprehensible.”

PRESIDENT
NATIONAL PEACE CORPS ASSOCIATION
WASHINGTON, D.C.

THE ORGANIZATION: Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization supporting Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and the Peace Corps community. NPCA supports former Volunteers through their continued service back home and connects and champions Peace Corps community members in “bringing the world home” by:
ï‚· Developing networks and information resources for and about the Peace Corps community.
ï‚· Providing National Peace Corps Association members and member groups with service and education opportunities that build on their Peace Corps experience and values.
ï‚· Advocating for Peace Corps and its values, and for critical issues identified as affecting National Peace Corps Association members.

With a $1million-plus annual budget and a team of seven, NPCA encompasses a network of over 50,000 individuals and more than 140 member groups. Potential active constituents include 200,000+ Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who served from 1961 to the present and approximately 4,000+ completing service annually and their families, plus former Peace Corps staff and all who value the Peace Corps. NPCA is a separate entity from the Peace Corps, a federal agency. For more information visit the website at:

www.peacecorpsconnect.org.

Position Summary: The President provides leadership and overall direction of the association. He/she is responsible for all aspects of program management, operational and administrative management, fund-raising/resource development and strategic planning.

He/she serves as the primary face for the values and stature of the association internally and externally and is responsible for developing and sustaining relationships locally, nationally and globally. pyramind LLC 2

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY: Reporting to the Board of Directors, the President of NPCA is responsible for the leadership, oversight and direction of this $1million-plus organization with a staff of seven: Vice President, Advocacy Director, Director of Development, Director of Communications, Manager of Membership and Operations, Manager of Online Initiatives and Membership and Development Assistant. Additionally there are consultants, interns, volunteers and committees of the Board who support activities of the organization.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIIES:
Leadership
Provides transparent oversight and management of the organization’s resources (human material, financial) in accordance with the organization’s mission and values and consistent with Board policy.

Leads and implements the organization’s strategic plan. Identifies key issues and formulates plans that lead to creative and effective outcomes.

Serves as a member of the Board of Directors. Serves as liaison between the Board of Directors and staff.

Finance

Secures the financial stability and future growth of NPCA by building and maintaining a dynamic funding base.
Generates revenue through individual, corporate and foundation fund-raising, institutional contracts and income-generating programs. Creates and sustains positive relationships with donors.

Responsible for fiscal policy and management, including stewardship of resources, philanthropic initiatives and transparency. Sets a positive tone at the top for board, staff and auditors regarding fiscal management, transparency and expense reporting.

Management

Fosters a smoothly functioning, efficient organization that advances the organization’s mission and strategic goals, adapts to meet new organizational opportunities and changes in the external environment, integrates solutions, anticipates problems, effectively resolves disruptions, self- evaluates, and continuously monitors the improvement of internal systems.

Creates and sustains an environment in which staff members, consultants and volunteers experience commitment, trust, excellence, respect, collegiality, and enjoyment. Provides clarity, purpose, and opportunities for professional development.

Adopts and adapts technology to effectively serve staff and constituents.

Membership Development, Retention and Growth

Maintains strong positive relations with NPCA members, member groups and affiliate organizations.
Strengthens the community by expanding NPCA membership through planned and focused recruitment efforts of current and recently returned Volunteers and those of the 250,000+ who have served since 1961, their families, plus former Peace Corps staff and all who value the Peace Corps who are not yet involved with NPCA.

Engages members and member groups on major issues and overall NPCA happenings. Establishes, maintains and enhances relationships with NPCA’s members, member groups and affiliate organizations. Develops services that are responsive to the interests of members and member groups.

External Relations

Develops and maintains an effective relationship with Peace Corps leadership.

Expands NPCA’s political and policy effectiveness. The President scans the political and public policy environment; provides direction to NPCA members, affiliates, committees, and the Board of Directors. pyramind LLC 4

Builds alliances and partnerships for impact and growth and cultivates relationships with outside individuals and organizations important to the association.

Represents the organization at a wide range of functions and serves as the spokesperson for the organization.

Strategic Planning

Leads and develops the strategic planning process, guiding the association to the next level of growth, including fostering a strong, sustainable base.

Creates an effective process for long-range strategic planning.

Board Relations

Accountable to the Board of Directors for the efficient and effective leadership and operation of NPCA. The President
provides appropriate and timely information to the Board sufficient to make informed and effective decisions.

Assists the Board Chair in guiding the Board and NPCA; works with Board committees and task forces to advance strategic objectives.

PERSONAL

QUALIFICATIONS: A demonstrated leader with an entrepreneurial spirit, the President should be a proven administrator with the ability to motivate, inspire and instill confidence in others. He/she should possess a service orientation combined with business acumen and have finely honed political instincts.

Excellent strategic thinking and management skills; capacity to reconcile competing priorities; ability to manage ambiguity, conflict and uncertainty.

Hands-on executive with enthusiastic and positive attitude and a creative pragmatist.

Has the backbone to make tough decisions along with demonstrated diplomatic skills and a proven ability to get along with all types of personalities and leadership styles.

Compelling speaker with outstanding negotiating skills. pyramind LLC 5

Person of unquestionable integrity, honor and candor.

Thought leader with a track record of integrating cutting edge programs and ideas.

Visionary who can create excitement and energy around NPCA’s mission and encourage others to support the organization.
A senior leader who is comfortable working with a broad range of individuals and personalities across many sectors locally, nationally and internationally.

Experienced and comfortable with high public visibility; background in developing partnerships and alliances.

Proactive, open and a good listener, shares information readily, listens as well as gives advice and respects the abilities of others.

PROFESSIONAL

QUALIFICATIONS: Ideal candidate should have a minimum of ten years leading a dynamic, complex organization with one or more of the following attributes:

– non-profit

– membership-based

– international focus

Must be a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer with a commitment to the Peace Corps’ three goals and Peace Corps values.

Leader in his/or her field who commands the respect of peers.

Effective communicator; highly skilled in strategic and operational writing and public speaking.
Demonstrated success in developing and executing revenue generating programs, e.g. sponsorships, cause marketing, social enterprise endeavors, and individual, corporate and foundation support. pyramind LLC 6

Demonstrated management skills; specifically, a track record of success as a thoughtful, effective, team-oriented leader and manager of people with a demonstrated ability to develop and motivate staff.

Record of building strong relationships with external partners.

EDUCATION: A bachelor’s degree is required. Advanced degree is highly desirable.

COMPENSATION: Base salary commensurate with experience and a benefits package. Performance based bonus offered.

PLEASE CONTACT:

S. Hope Johnson (RPCV Malaysia)
President and CEO
Pyramind LLC
1069 West Broad Street
No. 781
Falls Church, Virginia 20046
703-241-2996
www.pyramindsearch.com

The National Peace Corps Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer. NPCA encourages applications from qualified persons of every race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, and disability. pyramind LLC 7 pyramind LLC 8

Kevin Quigley, President and CEO of the NPCA, will return this fall to Thailand where he was a PCV from 1976-79. Quigley, who has been with the NPCA for nearly a decade, is well equipped to be the next CD in Thailand. He is fluent in the language, and while a PCV converted from his family’s Catholicism to Buddhism, then spent several months having buat phra–become a monk–after his Peace Corps tour. He has returned  to Thailand several times since his Peace Corps years, once as a Fulbright scholar, and he has maintained relationships with many HCNs.

Kevin, who studied at Georgetown University, Columbia University, University College Dublin and Swarthmore College, before the NPCA was also the Acting CEO of  the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation. His Ph.D. is in international relations and besides the Fulbright, he has been a   Woodrow Wilson Fellow, Guest Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Resident Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and a U.S.-Japan Leadership Fellow at the Keidanren in Tokyo.  Today, besides his day job,  he is an adjunct professor  at the School of Public and International Affairs at George Mason University.

We wish him well in Thailand. Don’t forget to write!

Now if you are looking for a career change…check out Kevin’s ‘old job.’

Employment at the National Peace Corps Association

President

The National Peace Corps Association, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization supporting Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and the Peace Corps community, seeks a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer with experience leading a dynamic, complex organization to provide overall direction of the association, which comprises a network of over 50,000 individuals and more than 140 member groups.

The President reports to a volunteer board of directors, manages a staff of seven, plus interns and volunteers, oversees a $1+million budget, and is responsible for all aspects of program management, operational and administrative management, fund-raising/resource development and strategic planning. He/she serves as the primary face for the values and stature of the association internally and externally and is responsible for developing and sustaining relationships locally, nationally and globally.

Salary: Salary and benefits competitive and commensurate with experience

How to Apply: For a full position description, individuals should send an expression of interest to info@pyramindsearch.com

Allen Mondell (Sierra Leone 1963-65) has just produced a 71-minute documentary entitled: Waging Peace: The Peace Corps Experience that weaves personal letters, journals, emails and blogs written by Peace Corps Volunteers with the profiles of four RPCVs whose work today shows the enduring impact of these experiences on their own lives and the lives of others. As Allen writes, “I hope this film demonstrates not only the value of volunteering–in a distant land or your own hometown–but also the importance of getting to know another culture firsthand and respecting the differences.”

It is a terrific Peace Corps film. It is a terrific film.

Allen also filmed a 82-minute RPCV writers’ panel discussion organized earlier this year by Richard Wiley (Korea 1967-69) at the Black Mountain Institute in Las Vegas that included Paul Theroux (Malawi 1963-65), Mary-Ann Tirone Smith (Cameroon 1965-67), Peter Hessler (China 1996-98) and Marnie Muller (Ecuador 1963-65).

Allen tells me that he is also preparing a short version of Waging Peace that will be available for middle and high school classrooms.

Founded by filmmakers Allen Mondell and Cynthia Salzman Mondell in 1978,  their non-profit company, Media Projects, produces and distributes films that explore social issues, personalize history and celebrate diversity. Allen and Cynthia have been producing and distributing documentary films for 33 years. Their films have aired nationwide on PBS and on both commercial and cable television and are distributed throughout the United States, Canada and Europe to schools, libraries, museums, churches, social service organizations, youth groups and government agencies. The films have won numerous national awards and have been selected for prestigious screenings in the United States and abroad.  This package of ‘Peace Corps films’ is available from Media Projects. Allen is working out a special ‘RPCV’ price for a home DVD for $25 plus shipping and handling. In the meantime, contact him at mail@mediaprojects.org. He will respond late next week as he is out of town on vacation now.

 

I’m told that less than 200 RPCVs attended last month’s NPCV conference in Minnesota. With over 210,000 RPCVs and Peace Corps Staff  200 turning up for an NPCA Conference isn’t much of a showing.

Now, what does that poor attendance tell us about RPCVs? How insignificant and unimportant are we in the eyes of the power brokers of the U.S.?

Last September, as we know, we had the 50th Reunion in D.C. and it did attract RPCVs from across the country, but no ‘official Washington types’ beyond a few Peace Corps Staff turned out to recognize what we had done for America. No senators or members of Congress came to the official and unofficial gatherings, except for the Library of Congress Luncheon that Marian Beil and I organized for Peace Corps Writers.

There was an ‘official’ event earlier in the summer at the State Department but it wasn’t for ordinary RPCVs. Or at least I didn’t get invited. (Well, maybe it was just because it was me!) But you could have been invited!

All of that got me thinking about the very first Returned Peace Corps gathering in Washington, D.C. on the weekend of March 5-7, 1965. More than 1,231 RPCVs came for the “Citizens in a Time of Change” Conference held at the State Department. Some 253 leaders of the American ‘establishment’ also attended the event. College and corporate president, ambassadors, Congressmen, political journalists, government agency heads, the Secretaries of State and Defense, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, a Special Assistant to the President, and the Vice President of the United States all came that weekend, and they were all engaged in serious, unprecedented, and occasionally (of course) heated discussions with the RPCVs.

The RPCVs at the conference were about one-third of their number who had returned home by then. (By June of that year 4,545 Volunteers would complete their tours.) These 1,231 RPCVs went to D.C. to put on record, and to impress on the minds of the ‘establishment,’ how they felt about their two years of service, and most of all, how they felt it equipped them to deal with the problems here at home.

Public opinion expert Elmo Roper, who was on one of the panels discussions on local communities, noted that RPCVs were impatience to “shake things up” and is quoted as saying, “Of all the groups I’ve met recently, there is none I would rather see batter down the walls of the Establishment than this one.”

Abram Chayes, who was also in that discussion group, and worked as a Legal Advisor to the State Department, warned the RPCVs, “Don’t expect a bed of roses. No establishment ever welcomes the agents of change.” And how right he was.

Vice President Humphrey in his address to the gathering spoke in loftier terms (sounding more like Barack Obama, before there was a Barack Obama). “I ask you not to lose your sense of idealism…I ask you to help America achieve its old dreams…Let America continue to be what it was meant to  be: a place for the renewal of the human spirits.”

Bill Moyer, then the Special Assistant to President Johnson, who had recently been the Deputy Director of the Peace Corps, told the RPCVs to continue to think of themselves as ’special’ because if they didn’t, they would “disappear into the bog of affluent living–you won’t make a difference.”

Later, Richard Rovere, also at the Conference, wrote a piece for  The New Yorker, where he said, in part, “If large number of them (RPCVs) infiltrate federal, state and local governments and the educational system, the impact of the Peace Corps will be great–great enough, perhaps, to threaten its existence.”

By that June (according to the Peace Corps’ Career Information Service, which no longer functions at the agency to help RPCVs) 54% of the 4,545 RPCVs  had changed their career plans. The most significant trend in career choices was in the direction of teaching. In all, one third of RPCVs were teaching. Eleven percent had gotten jobs with the federal government; 13 percent  jobs in local and state government, Civil Rights work, non-profit organization, etc. 75 RPCVs were working in federal, state and local poverty programs. Agriculture, business, and self-employment accounted for 20% of jobs for RPCVs. This was only 4 years after the creation of the Peace Corps, an agency TIME Magazine called the most significant accomplishment of the Kennedy Administration.

Well, what have RPCVs done to change America?

Not much. I don’t see political leaders paying attention to us, individually, or as a band of important citizens. President Obama couldn’t be bothered to recognize our existence last September. He was invited to special events but never showed up for any of the Peace Corps Agency or the NPCA events. (He didn’t come to the three events that the Peace Corps Fund staged.) Nor did any presidential candidate (or any other political candidate) go to Minnesota last month to meet and greet RPCVs. Why, Michele Bachmann didn’t even attend and she’s from Minnesota!

There are, I think, several reasons for this lack of interest in RPCVs by ‘official Washington.’

RPCVs as a group have never rallied around any one person or any cause. If you have two RPCVs in the same room, they’ll create three organizations. That’s the curse and the charm of PCVs and RPCVs. They don’t agree on much.

Marian Haley Beil and I took one sliver of the Peace Corps experience, the Third Goal, and focused on the writings being done by RPCVs. We believe you can only get family and friends to look at so many slides, or listen to so many stories about our experience, but a book on a library shelf has the chance of being taken down and read by generations yet to come. Americans will learn about the world from those of us who have been in the world. It is as simple as that. That has been our Third Goal effort since we organized the first panel discussions on writing at the Peace Corps’ 25th Anniversary, back in 1986.

Other RPCVs, many other RPCVs, have done amazing amounts of ‘good work’ themselves, but not in the U.S.. RPCVs have done it for their  host countries. That has been the real Third Goal Gift of Returned Volunteers.

The gift RPCVs have given is the continual support, attention, and good will to the people and places where they lived and worked. That is the ‘hidden’ story which has not been recognized by the Peace Corps, by the NPCA, or any other federal, state or local government agency.

Yes, RPCVs teach in large numbers in American classrooms, many have gone to work with AID and the State Department, as well as for non-profit organizations, and the majority of former PCVs, without fanfare or praise, have given time, money, and energy to projects and causes that directly relate to where they served as Volunteers.

RPCVs have supported students, schools and organization; they have built classrooms and clinics, and even hospitals, and most importantly and tellingly, they have kept in touch with families and friends and students they met because of their service in the Peace Corps.

That is where the Peace Corps has made a difference. Yes, we didn’t build bridges in the Peace Corps, but we still cross them again and again and again.

The presidential election is a toss up. But what about the next Director of the Peace Corps? It is doubtful that Aaron Williams will stay into a second Obama Administration. (Peace Corps Directors rarely last more than a couple years in the job and it is mostlikely, Aaron will finish off his government career as an Ambassador. If Obama loses, Aaron will certainly get that appointment before the end of the year.)

If Romney wins we are looking at a Republican appointment. Either way, come November, we are in for a change of leadership at the agency.

I think we might have (finally) established the fact that the Peace Corps MUST be an RPCV.

So, who should he/she be?

Here are a few RPCV names to consider for next director of the Peace Corps.  Send in your candidate!

John Garamendi, California Congressmen (Ethiopia 1966-68)
Thomas Tighe, President and CEO, Direct Relief International (Thailand 1986-88)
Nancy Kelly, Executive Director, Health Volunteers Overseas (Korea 1979-81)
Jonathan Lash, President of World Resources Institute (Dominican Republic 1967-69)
Cathy Woolard, (CARE) (Micronesia 1980-81)
Michael McCaskey, Former CEO Chicago Bears (Ethiopia 1965-67)
Christopher Shays, Former Republican U.S. Representative from Connecticut (Fiji 1968-70)
Maureen Orth, Journalist (Columbia 1964-66)
Denny Robertson, USAID development counselor (Philippines 1977-79)
Kathleen Stephens,  Former Ambassador to South Korea (Soputh Korea 1975-77)
Chris Matthews, MSNBC HardBall Host (Swaziland 1968-70)

PCV Rachel Ricciardi was walking home early Saturday with another Volunteer, Andrew Kistler, when they were approached by machete-wielding thieves who tried to rob them near their home in the town of Wa in Ghana.

One of the assailants slashed at Kistler with a machete, cutting his shoulder and hand but not seriously wounding him.

Kistler reportedly stabbed one of the attackers in the chest with a pocket knife he was carrying. The assailant, who ran from the scene, was found dead Saturday morning near where the encounter took place.

The two PCVs reported the incident to the local authorities Saturday morning, were interviewed by local police, and released later that day, according to U.S. State Department.

“They have not been charged with any crime. The matter is under investigation by Ghanaian officials,” the U.S. State Department said in a message posted online.

As a result of the incident, all Peace Corps Volunteers in the part of Ghana known as the Upper West Region have been removed from their work sites,  Maureen Knightly said. It is a precautionary measure while the security situation in the area is assessed, she added. Maureen Knightly is the new communications director for the Peace Corps. She said Ricciardi and Kistler “are safe and now with Peace Corps staff.”