The Peace Corps

In late January 2002, when a group of RPCV (myself included) heard that President Bush had appointed Gaddi H. Vasquez as the next Peace Corps Director, we began a protest against the appointment and rallied support from across the country from other RPCVs as well as former Directors, like Jack Hood Vaughn, a Republican. There were many concerns about Gaddie, beyond the fact that he had had never been a PCV, and the general sentiment was that now in the fullness of time, only a qualified RPCV should be appointed as director of the Peace Corps. There were certainly enough qualified RPCVs for the job. Gaddie’s father had immigrated from Mexico, but Gaddie was born on this side of the border, in Texas. (Gaddie was very proud–and rightly so–of his upbringing and kept a photo of his Dad on his Peace Corps Director Desk.) He talked a lot about how he . . .

The Alan Cheuse Writers Center is at George Mason University in Virginia and the founding director is Matthew Davis (Mongolia 2000-02). Matt joined the Peace Corps after college, and his years as a Volunteer in The Land of Blue Sky inspired his first book, When Things Get Dark: A Mongolian Winter’s Tale, which won our 2011 Peace Corps Experience Award. Davis holds an MFA in nonfiction writing from the University of Iowa and an MA in International Relations from The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He’s worked at The International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, been a Fulbright Fellow to Syria and Jordan and a Tom and Mary Gallagher Fellow at The Black Mountain Institute in Las Vegas. The Alan Cheuse International Writers Center is a center that facilitates the exchange of international creative writers and writing in order to help foster the tolerance and understanding . . .

There is some uncertainty about continuing funding for the federal government as Congress deliberates on a budge and/or a continuing budget resolution.  In a statement published in December of 2016, Peace Corps outlined its plans in the event there is temporary absence of appropriations.  Here is the link: http://files.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/documents/Peace_Corps_Operations_Plan_in_the_Absence_of_Appropriations.pdf

The Crowd Rise Earth Roadmap Challenge is a crowd funding competition aimed at finding the most innovative, grassroots solution to the global environmental crisis. Whichever organization raises the most funds by May 18, will receive a $100,000 bonus prize in addition to whatever they raise, and beyond that their concept will help define the new global roadmap to tackling challenges that larger INGOs and the UN have failed in addressing. KTK-BELT (www.belt-project.org) has entered its vision of the world’s first 25,000-foot ‘Vertical University’ into the competition and after one week, they are in 1st place among 60 organizations, having raise $22,596. They are seeking support to win the competition. Donations, which are tax-deductible, can be made by clicking below. https://www.crowdrise.com/ktk-belt-roadmap2017 Rajeev Goyal was a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal between 2001 and 2003. During that time he helped bring water to a village called Namje. He wrote a memoir about his . . .

On December 23, 1999, Mark Schneider (El Salvador 1966-68) took over from Mark Gearan as the new Director. Schneider was an RPCV, the second to become Director. He had previously worked on the Hill for Ted Kennedy, and he even got Kennedy to come briefly to HQ for a short speech where Kennedy was lavish in his praise of Mark. Mark was another of those “In, Up and Out” Directors, lasting on the job until January 20, 2001. Not that it was Mark’s fault. With the change in the White House, and Bush in office, Mark was history. Unlike most Directors, he did not leave a footprint in the office, however, he did work on developing information technology projects done by PCVs. A first for the agency. A few years before Mark came to the job, I was working at the agency and proposed at some meeting that Peace Corps Volunteers . . .

  By  Nancy Dutton 4/21/17 Washington Mary Anne may have been – likely was – the oldest living member of the large John F. Kennedy family clan and thus leaves a giant hole.  She was born in Chicago, youngest of several sisters, graduated from high school at 16, and began immediately working for Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy and the Merchandise Mart. Two years later, Kennedy assigned her to the new Mart Director, Sargent Shriver. In 1956  she and Sarge worked on JFK bid for the Vice Presidency, and in 1959 they left to work on the JFK Presidential Campaign. She moved to Washington and stayed with Sarge… as his ‘Ex Sec’ to create and found the Peace Corps. Then they took on (simultaneously) the founding and directing of  President Johnson’s War on Poverty (Head Start, the Job Corps, Vista, Upward Bound…the Office of Economic Opportunity), and finally with Sarge at the . . .

  We tend to praise and take pleasure in the successes of RPCVs, recognizing their achievement and credit their Peace Corps service, taking, I’m sure, reflected glory in their success, thinking to ourselves, “Well, I was in the Peace Corps, too!” But what about the thousands who came away from their two years (or less) with permanent illnesses and because of government bureaucratic screw-ups and limitations were unable to get medical or psychological help? We all know of someone. In fact, we all know of more than one RPCV in our group who has had medical and emotional problems because of their Peace Corps service. There are few stories, however, that are more tragic than what happened to Nancy Flanigan in Malaysia. A victim of a violent raped while in-country. Since the early ’60s she has spent decades trying to heal, not knowing until very late in her life that . . .

  PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE Special Assistant, Governor’s Office of Appointments >Dates EmployedJan 2015 – Apr 2017 Employment Duration2 yrs 4 mos • Responsible for vetting of Senior and Mid-Level Political Appointments throughout all agencies in State Government. • Assist in the recruiting efforts by mining the database for appropriate candidates. • Responsible for the management of the database, website application, and website design. • Assist in the interviewing of High Level candidates and analyzing potential ethics problems. See lessSee less about Special Assistant, Governor’s Office of Appointments, Governor’s Office of Appointments Personnel Assistant Company NameGovernor-Elect Hogan Transition Dates EmployedNov 2014 – Jan 2015 Employment Duration3 mos Hogan for Governor, Montgomery County Victory Director Company NameMaryland Republican Party Dates EmployedAug 2014 – Nov 2014 Employment Duration4 mos See descriptionSee more about Hogan for Governor, Montgomery County Victory Director, Maryland Republican Party Campaign Manager Company NameBrett King for State Senate District 17 Dates EmployedMar . . .