Latest News from UAA

  • NEW!  At a UAA/DACOR (hybrid) lunch on Friday, April 5, from 11:45 to 2:00, Homi Kharas, Brookings Institution Senior Fellow, will speak about his new book The Rise of the Global Middle Class: How the Search for the Good Life Can Change the World. Watch for a full announcement closer to the event. 
  • NEW!  On Monday, May 13, USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman will join us for a UAA/DACOR hybrid lunch session at DACOR to reflect on the first three years of the Administration’s USAID programs and U.S. foreign policy objectives.  She will be engaged in conversation by former USAID Counselor Chris Milligan.  Watch for a full announcement closer to the event.

  • NEW!  Join other UAA members and friends at the Tuesday, June 4th John Legend concert at Wolftrap. A group of us are purchasing lawn seats for the concert. While the concert will begin at 8 PM, plan to arrive around 6:30 PM to park and have a picnic dinner on the lawn.  For those interested, please purchase the tickets on the wolftrap.org website and let Margot Ellis (ellismargot@gmail.com) or Karen Freeman (ugandakaren@hotmail.com) know that you are coming.  Closer to the date, we will share information on where we will be meeting and sitting.
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  • NEW!  UAA Spring Reception is Thursday, June 13th , 3:00pm – 5:00 pm at Dacor Bacon.  It will be a hybrid event with appetizers and drinks onsite and virtual for UAA members outside of the area.  

    NEW!  Save the Date:  Wednesday, July 31, midday, in Rochester, Vermont. Anne Aarnes, David Sprague, Ann and Mike Van Dusen, Connie Carrino, Jeff Sharat, and Margaret Neuse will host the annual “development wallahs” picnic. All are welcome, including alumni who may be visiting New England in late July.  Details to follow.  For more information and to express interest in attending, contact Ann Van Dusen (avandusen4@gmail.com) and/or Anne Aarnes (ahaarnes@hotmail.com). 
  • New! On Friday, September 6, Sir Masood Ahmed, former President and CEO of the Center for Global Development (CGD) and longtime World Bank, IMF and DFID official, will speak at a UAA/DACOR Development Dialogue (hybrid) lunch. Watch for a full announcement closer to the event.

  • NEW!  Save the Date:  September 7 from 12 noon to 3 pm for the Annual Picnic
  • NEW!  Save the Date:  October 11 from 9 am to 1:15 pm for the UAA Annual General Meeting

Note from the UAA Board

From engaging with senior field leaders at the Overseas Senior Leadership Seminar to co-hosting several events with DACOR to enjoying a wonderful time with colleagues at the Annual Winterfest, the UAA community continues to be involved with USAID and the development agenda. We greatly appreciate Frank and Antoinette Almaguer for so warmly and graciously hosting the Winterfest for many years, and we give a loud shout- out to the Social Committee for organizing this year’s event at the Community Center in Alexandria, VA. Over 50 members attended the event and had a relaxing and fun-filled time reminiscing about old times and sharing current adventures and stories. Please keep a look out in the Newsletters and bulletins for the many upcoming events in the months to come. And if you have not done so, please contribute to the UAA with your annual dues, as they help defray the costs of all UAA activities and communications. Stay safe, stay healthy, and have a wonderful March.

One final note: Consider joining and playing a role on one of UAA’s Committees. While members work hard, they also have fun and help alumni stay connected to others with similar interests and the larger USAID alumni community.  You can stay updated on the latest regarding Committees and Co-Chairs by checking the UAA website here. 


UAA JOINS MFAN TO NETWORK WITH USAID DEPUTY MISSION DIRECTORS

On March 13 the USAID Alumni Association (UAA) joined the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) for a Happy Hour with the visiting USAID Deputy Mission Directors.

The event took place at the US Capital with time for networking and brief interventions from Tod Preston, Executive Director, MFAN, Clinton White, Counselor, USAID, Erin Nicholson, Deputy Mission Director, USAID Indonesia, and Ken Yamashita (Ret.), former interim counselor for the Agency and USAID Alumni Association representative. 

The DMD’s were in town for a global workshop to institutionalize DMD leadership and professional development, engage Agency leaders and share field approaches on strategic priority areas.  Their specific objectives were to:   Support DMDs’ capacity to institutionalize USAID Policy Framework in the field. Specifically focusing on leveraging DMD’s unique role to strengthen partnerships and further national security priorities, inclusive of digital technology, cyber security, and countering PRC and Russian dis/mis information.  Fostering peer-to-peer leadership and management learning and exchange; strengthening and professionalizing the DMD backstop; empowering DMDs to manage their own careers and updating the DMD Charter by-laws. Informing efforts to prepare newly assigned DMDs and support DMDs already in the field.   Strengthening the Agency’s workforce by providing training and tools for strengthening accountability, improving performance management, supervision and building talent. Leveraging DMDs to advance Agency SFS/FS reform, DEIA, FSN empowerment, mentoring, and C3 integration.

Invitees included 51 Deputy Mission Directors, some 50 USAID/W leaders, MFAN Executive Director and a broad swath of NGO members of MFAN.  We were pleased with the robust turnout on the part of UAA – 23 members strong! Our thanks also to members who played a key role in leading panels during the actual workshop with these future leaders of the Agency.


Winterfest 2024!

On March 3 54 UAA members and guests gathered in Alexandria to catch up with one another and enjoy the afternoon as winter recedes and spring, well, springs. Our new venue was light and bright and spacious, and the food and wine were plentiful and delicious. We celebrated new members and shared news of where UAA is going and upcoming plans. New homes, new jobs, new retirement and travel, there was a bit of it all. In his welcoming remarks, Ken Yamashita marked the passing of Mel Cook, Bette’s husband. Briefly put, Mel was an American hero having served in WWII and Viet Nam and contributing to the founding of the new US Army Museum. Always by Bette’s side at UAA functions, we will miss him. We thank members for coming out and bringing friends and family. Thank you to the Social Committee  – Margot Ellis, Melissa Williams, Georgia Sambunaris, Sharon Pauling, Denise Rollins and Karen Freeman for bringing it all together again. Look for more upcoming opportunities to gather and if you have ideas, or would like to host an event, please let the Social Committee know. 

Tish Butler, Beth Hogan and Ken Lanza

Maria Rendon and Anne Patterson

Anne Dammarell, David Jessee and Mike Walsh

Denise Rollins, Ven Suresh, Carol Dabbs and Lucien Hakorimana

Anne Patterson, Tom Staal, Maria Rendon, Janina Jaruzelski and Bruce Adams

Margot Ellis, Ray Martin, and Carol Carpenter-Yeman

 

 

Denise Rollins and Georgia Sambunaris

Marcy Birnbaum, Tish Butler, Anne Dammarell, and Chris Crowley

Karen Freeman and Tish Butler

Ken Yamashita and Nancy Pielemeier

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


UAA Annual General Meeting

The USAID Alumni Association Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on October 27, 2023, with both in-person attendance and via Zoom Webinar. As always, the members who were able to attend in person appreciated the opportunity to see friends and colleagues from the UAA. Those not able to do so appreciated the virtual connection that enabled UAA members across the United States and in other countries to participate. The meeting was attended in-person by 74 U

AA members and 19 guests and speakers, and virtually by 78 UAA members and 2 speakers. This year the AGM was held in the morning, starting with an interview and questions for USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman, followed by the annual report and announcement of election results by the UAA Co-chairs. There were then two panel discussions concerning the Agency’s new Policy Framework’s focus on Progress Beyond Programs, and the presentation of the Alumni of the Year Awards. In-person attendees then enjoyed an 

extended lunch with friends and former colleagues.

This linked report summarizes the presentations and discussions conducted during the meeting.  Additional still photos can be seen here.  A video of the entire AGM can be viewed by clicking here.   

The message sent to members who registered to attend the meeting virtually incorrectly stated that the AGM would begin at 10 am, EDT, rather than 9 am. We apologize to those UAA members who missed the first hour of the meeting due to this error. We encourage anyone who missed the first hour to watch the video linked above, to see the welcome message from Nancy Lee of CGD, the interview and Q and As with USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman, and the beginning of Joy Riggs-Perla’s presentation of the UAA Annual Report and results of the 2023 Board elections.


Supporting Our Mission Israel LE Staff Colleagues Via the FSN Emergency Relief Fund

Our colleagues, especially the Locally Employed Staff at Mission Israel and those residing in Gaza, are directly affected by the war between Israel and Hamas.  This includes those working for USAID. 

AFSA would like to draw attention to the opportunity for all of us to meaningfully support our colleagues by giving to the FSN Emergency Relief Fund. We urge you to continue reading here to learn more about this Fund and to explore how you can lend your support.  


Emergency Relief Funds for Ukraine:  for FSNs and for Ukrainian Citizens

For information about contributing to relief of the Ukraine emergency, including the FSN Emergency Relief Fund and ways to support the people of Ukraine compiled by DACOR Bacon House Foundation’s Development Office, click here.


UAA Partnership with American University Library Archives

Since 2019 the American University Library Archives have welcomed donations of AID alumni personal memorabilia of their USAID service. The UAA has now established a partnership with the Archives to support the preparation, processing, and making available to researchers of these papers, including those donated by the UAA and by individual alumni and others.  We envision the program will continue for five or more years; after two years the Archivist and UAA will assess the program’s effectiveness before committing for the additional years.  The UAA has pledged an initial sum of $10,000 over two years ($5,000 each year) to finance student interns to help prepare and organize these papers and make them more easily available. The funding for this program is drawn entirely from contributions made to the AID history project, which included the clear hope that the book would stimulate further study and understanding of AID’s more than 60 years of development history. AID alumni are strongly urged to consider donating their memorabilia to this collection. (See https://usaidalumni.org/uaa-and-american-university-archives-opportunity-for-usaid-alumni/

Progress Report
As of mid-February 2024, thirteen collections had been donated.  Three have been processed and two more are partially processed; they will soon be posted online.  The Archivist hired a student assistant/intern in August 2023.  To our great delight – and that of the Archivist, too – Cindy Clapp-Wincek has recently volunteered to help the Archivist identify research themes to help guide students and scholars to topics found in the donated files; this work is underway.  The Archivist is exploring possible links with relevant departments and schools at American University – particularly the School of International Service. Meanwhile, we are reaching out to faculty members we know to be sure they are aware of this resource in their own library.  A key objective of the project is to encourage students and scholars to draw on these resources for research papers and other studies of development issues. Of course, as more alumni collections are included in the Archives, the more interesting this archive will be for AU faculty, departments, and schools.  We continue to keep in close touch with the Archivist about this program. She is a very enthusiastic advocate of this effort. We are eager to find other alumni with appropriate collections who are ready to donate them to this unique program.  


Development Dialogues

The UAA/DACOR Development Dialogues and the UAA Development Issues Committee Dialogues provide interactive conversations on a broad range of topics relevant to the interests of international development professionals.

Below are summaries of the most recent events. Each includes a link either to an audio or video of the event. Being able to listen or watch an event should be of particular interest to Association members who live outside the DC area.

For a full archive of all events that have audio or video availability, please click here.  

Notice:
DACOR has decided that virtual attendance at its programs – including the UAA/DACOR Development Dialogues – will now cost $10 per program, plus a 3% charge for credit card payments. This fee had been voluntary, and many had paid the fee, but in view of the base cost to host virtual or hybrid events, the DACOR Board concluded that all participants should share the expense. The cost of DACOR lunches will remain at $35.


Development Issues Committee Discussion: 

USAID Office of Innovation, Technology and Research (ITR) Hub

On Wednesday, March 6, a lively and highly informative Development Issues Committee session (via Zoom) was held with USAID’s Chief Innovation Officer Mohamed Abdel-Kader and Digital Director Chris Burns to discuss the work of the USAID Office of Innovation, Technology and Research (ITR) Hub.  Some 15-17 members participated.  The discussion focused on the work of the ITR Hub, formerly the Global Development Lab, which is the locus of USAID’s current science and technology research and innovation work.   

The speakers discussed how the office was organized and staffed, with the technology division focusing on cybersecurity, geospatial analysis, and technology, and the research division focusing on building education capacity of science and research abroad including creating a new generation of AI (artificial intelligence) leaders, as well as the Hub’s focus on supporting new innovations to scale up, and to improve USAID programming.  

 Mr. Abdel-Kader pointed out the strong potential of digital development in helping USAID try to address many of its prioritized development issues.   Mr. Burns gave some examples of how USAID’s work in digital financing is helping such as in Rwanda on financial inclusion as well as in using cell phones in programs to help deliver training to individuals. The presentation was followed by a lively and inquisitive Q&A session with UAA members asking questions ranging from how the Office interacts and supports field missions in programming, how specifically money is spent, collaborating with USAID’s CIO (center for information technology) on supporting internal staff in non-programming areas, engaging other federal agencies on), and learning how to use AI (artificial intelligence) safely.   Both speakers shared information on links where UAA members and the public can get more information on resources and the work of ITR.  

Additional information can be found at these links:

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2024-02/2023%20Digital%20Download.pdf

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/USAID_Digital_Strategy.pdf.pdf

https://www.digitaldevelopment.org

https://www.youthmappers.org

https://www.usaid.gov/digital-strategy/implementation-tracks/track1-adopt-ecosystem/digital-ecosystem-country-assessments


UAA/DACOR Development Dialogue: 

Challenges Facing the Press Around the World in the Disinformation Age

Jeanne Bourgault with Bill Clifford

At a February 13 (hybrid) lunch session at DACOR, a UAA/DACOR Development Dialogue featured Internews President and CEO Jeanne Bourgault engaging in conversation with former World Affairs Councils of America President Bill Clifford on the subject of “Challenges Facing the Press Around the World in the Disinformation Age”. Their fascinating discussion and the subsequent Q&A session ranged widely over Internews’ experience in many challenging parts of the world – including in the USA – and much more. For the full recording of this event click here.


UAA/DACOR Development Dialogue: 

With World Bank Senior Managing Director Axel van Trotsenburg

Alex Shakow (right) introducing Axel van Trotsenburg

On Friday, January 19, World Bank Senior Managing Director Axel van Trotsenburg treated an attentive audience (at DACOR and on-line) to a stimulating overview of issues facing the World Bank and other multilateral development banks as they address the many interrelated challenges confronting the Global South – and the rest of the world, too. Watch the conversation between van Trotsenburg and the UAA’s Alex Shakow – and the Q&A period – by clicking here.


 

Development Issues Committee Discussion: 

USAID Chief Economist, Dean Karlan, Described the Role of his new Office 

Dean Karlan

USAID’s Chief Economist, Dean Karlan, was the guest speaker for the Development Issues Discussion on October 30th. Mr. Karlan described the role of USAID’s new Office of the Chief Economist, highlighting three objectives: promoting use of cost effectiveness analysis; generating evidence of cost effectiveness; macro-economic analysis and advice to USAID Washington and the field. He noted that evidence on cost-effectiveness in development has increased significantly in the past 20 years and he stressed the importance of leveraging USAID’s resources to maximize impacts. It will be important to focus new analyses on areas where there are gaps in the knowledge base. There is already considerable demand for the services of the 20-member Office of the Chief Economist. Emphasis is placed on helping operating units to consider the trade-offs among various options to achieve their objectives, with an eye to enhancing impacts. During the ensuing question and answer period, Mr. Karlan clarified that local conditions, political economy and higher level impacts shape his Office’s work, rather than a narrower approach of counting inputs. He also described his Office’s orientation to the professional development of Civil Service, Foreign Service and Foreign Service National Economists. Additional information about the Office of the Chief Economist is available at https://www.usaid.gov/about-us/organization/office-chief-economist.


“The Enduring Struggle:  The History of the U.S. Agency for International Development and America’s Uneasy Transformation of the World “

by John Norris

The Enduring Struggle: the history of the US Agency for Intl Devt

John Norris‘ book, The Enduring Struggle – The History of the Agency for International Development and America’s Uneasy Transformation of the World, was published in July 2021. In a short review, Foreign Affairs wrote:  “This comprehensive history of the U.S. Agency for International Development…deserves to be read by all students of U.S. foreign policy.”  A very positive review of The Enduring Struggle by Mary Jane Maxwell has recently been published in the Journal of World History.  (Read it here.)  Copies may be purchased from the publisher at a 30 percent discount by using the form at this link.  Alumni with suggestions for events that will popularize the book or to generate reviews should send their suggestions to Alex Shakow at ashakow@comcast.net


Additions to the Bibliography of USAID Authors

Two very interesting memoirs have been added to the Bibliography of USAID Authors – both from very talented Senior Foreign Service retirees. Susan Brems and her husband, Fred Brems, have gone back through pre-USAID letters they wrote from rural Northeast Brazil to publish Another Brazil Heard From:  Voices and Insights from the Brazilian Countryside.  Susan was a researcher on fertility and health and Fred was a high-school teacher and mentor. 
 
Twenty-seven-year USAID veteran Clifford Brown has published Dilettante: Tales from how a Small Town Boy Became a Diplomat Managing U.S. Foreign Assistance. He chose the title “Dilettante” because, after he moved into management, USAID allowed him to think about whatever topic he wanted to think about.  He felt like a dabbler in 100’s of different fields, like taxation, primary education, health, water systems, cacao growing, legislative processes, criminal law systems, disaster preparedness, and corruption. 
 
Please send info on any new books written by USAID foreign service and GS officers, their family members, and FSNs to JPielemeie@aol.com

In Memoriam

UAA has learned of the recent deaths of the following members of our USAID alumni community:

Kurt Keith Kunze, Peter W. Shirk, Amy Ada Haratani, Achsah Nesmith, Wade F. Gregory, Elmer Melvin “Mel” Cook, Melvin Raymond Chatman, Jr., Frances Brigham Johnson, Joseph Coolidge Wheeler, William “Bill” Ignatius Rodier III, Paul Christian Tuebner, Manuel Carl “Mick” Zenick, Francis Redmond “Tony” Smoot, Ernest “Ernie” Clarence Kuhn, Caryle E. Cammisa, Wilma Louise Ditter, Ellsworth “Butch” Amundson, Sophia Helene Van Der Bijl, Alex Durham Newton, Patricia S. Matheson, Robert Jaffe Muscat, Richard Lee “Dick” McCall, Jr., Thomas Hale Fox, James Elliott, Joan Stanford Chase, Djime Djibrine Adoum, William “Bill” Theodore White, Jr., Scott Allen, Manuel Emilo Valderrama-Aramayo, Edna Minor Johnson, Alan Mayne Strout, Edgar Carson Harrell, Kenneth Howard Sherper, Palmer Newcombe Stearns, Jr., Bob Dakan, Glenn Edwin Schweitzer, John Michael Metelsky, David Smith, Nancy Marie McKay, Lewis John Donald Tatem

A full listing of alumni obituaries may be seen in the In Memoriam section.

If you would like to provide a brief obituary or personal tribute for these former colleagues and friends to be posted on this website or if you know of other people who have passed way and have not been noted here, please send the information to: office@usaidalumni.org Attn: Memorials.

AFSA death notices for USAID members not in UAA In Memoriam list

Click here to see a list from 25 pages of American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) members specifying USAID as their foreign affairs agency who have died since AFSA started keeping track in the Memorial Tribute section of its website, but who were not listed in the In Memoriam section of the UAA website (as of June 2023).  Most of the entries do not include obituaries.  Those that do have been added to UAA In Memoriam Previous Tributes.  Missing obituaries would be welcome at office@usaidalumni.org  Attn:  Memorials.


Get Involved!

UAA is your organization and getting involved in Association activities will make us stronger, more interesting and – definitely – more fun. You can find a variety of activities to join under the Get Involved navigation tab at the top of this page, including:

UAA Committees

UAA Mentoring

Job & Volunteer Opportunities 

Syllabi for Devt Courses and Speakers

 


Recent News Articles & Links for Development Professionals

Recent Articles

To see and access the full list of articles, please click here.

If you have articles that you believe would be of general interest to the UAA membership, please submit them here.

Web Links

We offer links of general interest to folks involved in the development “arts.” If you have links you would like to submit, please send them here. To see and access the full list of web links, please click here.

If you have articles and/or links you would like to share with the rest of us, please send your suggestions to: office@usaidalumni.org, Attn: Development Issues.

 


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