January 19, 2005: Headlines: Diplomacy: GovExec.com: "I want to thank everybody in the department," Colin Powell said, "whether you're Foreign Service, civil service, Foreign Service National or all the components thereof, whether you are here in the department, whether you're the Peace Corps and all the other organizations that flow into the State Department family. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
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January 19, 2005: Headlines: Diplomacy: GovExec.com: "I want to thank everybody in the department," Colin Powell said, "whether you're Foreign Service, civil service, Foreign Service National or all the components thereof, whether you are here in the department, whether you're the Peace Corps and all the other organizations that flow into the State Department family. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
"I want to thank everybody in the department," Colin Powell said, "whether you're Foreign Service, civil service, Foreign Service National or all the components thereof, whether you are here in the department, whether you're the Peace Corps and all the other organizations that flow into the State Department family. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
"I want to thank everybody in the department," Colin Powell said, "whether you're Foreign Service, civil service, Foreign Service National or all the components thereof, whether you are here in the department, whether you're the Peace Corps and all the other organizations that flow into the State Department family. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Powell lauds State Department employees in farewell address
Outgoing Secretary of State Colin Powell bid farewell to State Department employees Wednesday in a ceremony at the department's headquarters.
Hundreds of department employees greeted Powell with an ovation lasting more than a minute, the Associated Press reported. They continued to applaud for several more minutes as he greeted employees after his address.
"You were my troops. You were America's troops," Powell said in his speech. "You are wonderful patriots who serve your nation as its troops in the far-flung outposts of American diplomacy."
"I want to thank everybody in the department," Powell added, "whether you're Foreign Service, civil service, Foreign Service National or all the components thereof, whether you are here in the department, whether you're [in the U.S. Agency for International Development], the Peace Corps, [the Overseas Private Investment Corporation] and all the other organizations that flow into the State Department family. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Powell announced that he would not return for a second Bush term shortly after the presidential election in November. On Wednesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to approve the nomination of National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice to succeed him. The full Senate is expected to confirm Rice.
In his speech, Powell paid special tribute to Grant Green, State's undersecretary for management, saying Green had "so much to do with the revitalization of the department with respect to getting more people into the department through our Diplomatic Readiness Initiative, [and] what we have done with information technology, what we have done with refurbishing our facilities around the world, [and] helping get the money we need from Congress."
Powell received credit for being one of the most effective managers of State operations in recent memory. Department veterans told Government Executive in June 2001 that in just a few months on the job, Powell had dramatically increased the focus on management issues.
"I'm not just coming in to serve the foreign policy needs of the American people, I'm coming in as the leader and the manager of this department," Powell said during his first week in office.
In an interview with Government Executive a little more than a year ago, Powell said he remained committed to making the State Department work as effectively as possible.
"It's the philosophy I used as a soldier," he said. "You make clear what you're trying to accomplish, you make clear the mission, you go get the resources needed for that mission, you take care of the people who are entrusted to your care, because they are the ones who are going to accomplish the mission; you do everything you can to empower them to get it done."
When this story was posted in January 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:
| Ask Not As our country prepares for the inauguration of a President, we remember one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century and how his words inspired us. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." |
| Latest: RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid Peace Corps made an appeal last week to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps and more than 30 RPCVs have responded so far. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to send RPCVs to India, Indonesia and nine other countries that need help? |
| The World's Broken Promise to our Children Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005. |
| Our debt to Bill Moyers Former Peace Corps Deputy Director Bill Moyers leaves PBS next week to begin writing his memoir of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Read what Moyers says about journalism under fire, the value of a free press, and the yearning for democracy. "We have got to nurture the spirit of independent journalism in this country," he warns, "or we'll not save capitalism from its own excesses, and we'll not save democracy from its own inertia." |
| Is Gaddi Leaving? Rumors are swirling that Peace Corps Director Vasquez may be leaving the administration. We think Director Vasquez has been doing a good job and if he decides to stay to the end of the administration, he could possibly have the same sort of impact as a Loret Ruppe Miller. If Vasquez has decided to leave, then Bob Taft, Peter McPherson, Chris Shays, or Jody Olsen would be good candidates to run the agency. Latest: For the record, Peace Corps has no comment on the rumors. |
| The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn. |
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Story Source: GovExec.com
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