Returned Peace Corps Volunteer john f. guerre can be contacted at jfguerreaaoldcom
Country of Service: Costa Rica
Training Group: IV
Cities you served in: LaFortuna de Bagaces and Bagaces
Arrival Year: 1965
Departure Year: 1967
Work Description:
Community Development
Other Countries you served in, Training Group Name Arrival Year, Departure Year, Work Description:
Served 6 years in Peace Corps Washington. Had many assignments including Desk Officer for Afghanistan, Oman and Nepal. Had subsequent 9 month detail from FEMA to Peace Corps to assist in reorganization of Peace Corps Medical Services.
Bring us up to date on your life after the peace corps:
A quick synopsis of almost 40 years since leaving Costa Rica:
- 6 years with the Office of Economic Opportunity War on Poverty, Chicago Regional Office: Field Representative, Evalutaion Specialist, and Public Affairs Officer;
- 5 years with Catholic Family Services/Catholic Charities, Gary, Indiana, as Director of Social Concerns and Administrative Assistant to the Director;
- Peace Corps Headquarters Washington with many interesting and challenging assignments. Among others, Desk Officer for Afhganistan, Omam and Nepal; Acting IG, and member of Separation Team establishing Peace Corps as an independent Federal Agency;
- 20 1/2 years with the Federal Emergency Managment Agency (FEMA. Again, served in many positions over the years and responded to many major catastrophic disasters including 9-11 at Ground Zero. My last assignments included: Chief of Staff for the National Emergency Response Team for the National Capital Region; and Acting Chief of the Exercise Section, Office of National Preparedness. During time at FEMA, served a 9 month detail back to Peace Corps Headquarters to assist in reorganization of Peace Corps Medical Services world-wide. Also, served 26 month detail as FEMA Liaison to World Bank Headquarters in the Latin American and Caribbean Bureau.
- retired in October 1994 from the U.S. Army Reserve as a Colonel in the Medical Service Corps of the Army Medical Department with 33 years commission service as an officer;
- retired from Homeland Security/FEMA on July 2, 2004;
- currently am a part time government contractor with Resource Consultants, Inc. as a Senior Homeland Security Analysit; also am an independet contractor currently contracted to the National Safety Council on a project for the Centers for Disease Control on development of a national training course on bio-terrorism and legal framework for responding to such an event by local, State, and Federal governments.
(my apologies for such a long winded resume!)
Any thoughts you have now looking back on peace corps days?:
Almost 9 years of my life were devoted to the Peace Corps and some of the best. I was one of 12 original Notre Dame students recruited for the Peace Corps by President Father Theodore Hesburg in the Spring of 1961. Sargeant Shriver was my graduation commencement speaker a few months later. President Kennedy, Hesburg, Shriver, and Peace Corps molded my subsequent government career which spanned both domestic and international efforts to eliminate poverty, help people prepare for and recover from disasters, and finally prepare for and respond to terrorism. Working at 9-11 Ground Zero drove home again for me the critical urgency for peace in the world and the absolute mandate for Peace Corps to continue in that mission. As I type, along with my wife of 34 years, my 31 year old son and his girl friend, we are planning my 40th Peace Corps Volunteer anniversay visit to Costa Rica and my villiage of LaFortuna. It will be my third visit and will be very emotional for me.
Anyone you are looking for or would like to hear from?:
Anyone in Costa Rica IV. We closed our service in September 1965 and would be excited to hear from any and all of my colleagues. Unfortunately, over the years I haven't done a very good job of staying in touch. Hopefully, with this great tool of the internet and your web site, I can reconnect with some of my very good friends.
Any message for returned volunteers?:
Saludos a todos!!!
Originally posted: February 19, 2005
