Peace Corps Inspector General David Kotz led an expedition to Bolivia with experts from the National Park Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation and bone-sniffing dogs to search for Walter Poirier III



At the Peace Corps, where Mr. Kotz was most recently the inspector general, he also built a reputation for being aggressive. He reopened a probe into the agency's handling of a missing volunteer, Walter Poirier, who was stationed in Bolivia. He led an expedition to Bolivia with experts from the National Park Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation and bone-sniffing dogs to search for Mr. Poirier. The man was never found, but Mr. Kotz says the increased training helped the Peace Corps in dealing with violent crimes against its volunteers in other countries.

Peace Corps Inspector General David Kotz led an expedition to Bolivia with experts from the National Park Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation and bone-sniffing dogs to search for Walter Poirier III

The SEC's Kotz, Watching the Watchdog

By KARA SCANNELL

The reputation of the Securities and Exchange Commission has suffered body blows over the past few months, in part because of reports detailing its failed oversight of Wall Street and possible insider trading by enforcement lawyers.

[Excerpt]

Carl Sosebee, acting general counsel at the Peace Corps and a friend, says he and Mr. Kotz would often lift weights together when they were colleagues. Mr. Sosebee, at over 6 feet tall, would bench press over 200 pounds. Mr. Kotz, at 5-foot-9 and about 145 pounds, would go lift for lift with him, they both recall.

"He has a competitive streak," said Mr. Sosebee, who worked with Mr. Kotz at the Peace Corps and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Mr. Kotz grew up in the Washington area before going to Cornell University law school in upstate New York. After working in at New York and Washington law firms, he joined the government as a litigator with USAID.

Later, at the Peace Corps, where Mr. Kotz was most recently the inspector general, he also built a reputation for being aggressive. He reopened a probe into the agency's handling of a missing volunteer, Walter Poirier, who was stationed in Bolivia.

He led an expedition to Bolivia with experts from the National Park Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation and bone-sniffing dogs to search for Mr. Poirier. The man was never found, but Mr. Kotz says the increased training helped the Peace Corps in dealing with violent crimes against its volunteers in other countries.

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: May, 2009; Peace Corps Bolivia; Directory of Bolivia RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Bolivia RPCVs; Peace Corps Headquarters; Staff; Inspector General; Missing PCV Walter Poirier

When this story was posted in May 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

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April 19, 2009: Obama's Public Diplomacy Obama engages Students in Roundtable in Turkey 7 Apr To Rebuild US-Muslim Relations Obama Is Not Enough 26 Mar PC Model in Mexico sends Older Specialized PCVs 19 Apr Peace Corps Needs Top-Down Re-Examination 19 Apr Peace Corps Returns To Rwanda with 32 PCVs 17 Apr Read from "First Comes Love Then Comes Malaria" 16 Apr Does Mike Honda want to head Peace Corps? 15 Apr Paul Theroux promotes Responsible Tourism 3 Apr Vice President Biden Meets PCVs In Costa Rica 1 Apr Vote on Christopher R. Hill delayed by opponents 1 Apr Joseph Acaba makes First Spacewalk 31 Mar Petri Vindicated for Advocacy of Direct Loans to Students 30 Mar Mateo Paneitz devotes life to helping poor in Guatemala 29 Mar Read from "The Sultan and the Mermaid Queen" 16 Apr Drew Marinelli makes 6000-mile bicycle trip across US 28 Mar Senate votes to triple AmeriCorps' ranks 27 Mar Four Cycling RPCVs have been friends for 45 years 25 Mar Denice Traina Hopes Hives will Help Harrisburg 24 Mar "Expand the Band" brings Instruments to South Africa 24 Mar Maria Shriver testifies on her Father's Alzheimer's 24 Mar Charles R. Larson donates African collection to UT 23 Mar Read more stories from March and April 2009.

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PCOL's Candidate for Peace Corps Director Honduras RPCV Jon Carson, 33, presided over thousands of workers as national field director for the Obama campaign and said the biggest challenge -- and surprise -- was the volume of volunteer help, including more than 15,000 "super volunteers," who were a big part of what made Obama's campaign so successful. PCOL endorses Jon Carson as the man who can revitalize the Peace Corps, bring it into the internet age, and meet Obama's goal of doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011.

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Director Ron Tschetter: The PCOL Interview Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss the evacuation from Bolivia, political appointees at Peace Corps headquarters, the five year rule, the Peace Corps Foundation, the internet and the Peace Corps, how the transition is going, and what the prospects are for doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011. Read the interview and you are sure to learn something new about the Peace Corps. PCOL previously did an interview with Director Gaddi Vasquez.

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