Archive | 2014

Nuran Kolan who focused her career on international development, died from a sudden illness on April 7, 2014 in Jordan where she was on assignment for an education project. “Nuran appreciated life and things of beauty,” says sister Tufan Kolan. “She fought for the dignity of the individual and had an exceptional ability to get things done. She touched many lives yet was modest about her accomplishments.” Ms. Kolan was born in her beloved Istanbul and completed her studies at the University of Denver. From the start of her career she was an advocate for girls’ education and economic independence. Early in her career, Ms. Kolan created job training programs in Appalachia for mothers and at-risk youth. She then spent 15 years at USAID, creating programs for child immunization, teacher training, and civil society leadership from Africa to newly independent states of the former Soviet Union to Azerbaijan. In parallel, Ms. Kolan served as a Senior Interpreter for the State Department, working with every US President and Secretary of State in meetings with their Turkish counterparts since 1977. Over the last decade, Ms. Kolan focused on the Middle East, in particular Jordan, developing training programs for teachers and NGO leaders. In her full-time work and as a board member of Creative Learning, she was a force in establishing partnerships between schools in the US and the Middle East “She will be remembered for her commitment to development and professionalism,” says Charito Kruvant, the CEO of Creative Associates International. Ms. Kolan is survived by her sister Tufan Kolan and nephew Kerem Kolan; her sister Yesim and brother-in-law Jeff McAleer and nephews Paul and Danny; and an extended family and friends in Turkey. She will be deeply missed by friends and colleagues who knew her well and by the many who benefited from the goodness of her life’s work.

Sidney Weintraub, Dean Rusk Professor Emeritus of the LBJ School of Public Affairs, died on April 10 at the age of 91 in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Sidney Weintraub had a distinguished career with the U.S. Department of State before coming to the LBJ School in 1976 as the first holder of the endowed Dean Rusk Chair. Among his positions were Chief of Commercial Policy in the State Department, Economic Counselor and Director of the U.S. AID program in Chile, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Finance and Development, and Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. He was also a tactical interrogator in Europe during World War II and spent a short time working as a journalist.

Professor Weintraub, who had a Ph.D. in economics from the American University, was the founding director of the LBJ School’s Program in U.S.-Mexican Policy Studies.

“Sidney Weintraub was one of the giants in the field of international development,” said Dean Robert Hutchings. “Professor Weintraub was a trailblazer for the School, creating the LBJ School’s Program in U.S.-Mexican Policy Studies and leading the efforts to expand the School’s academic and research focus to encompass international affairs, international development and global economics.”

Professor Weintraub directed a number of policy research projects related to international affairs, including studies of the use of public services by undocumented workers in Texas, the operations of the U.S.-Canada automotive pact, the impact of tourism on Mexico’s economy, and the impact on Texas of free trade with Mexico. In 2006, the Mexican government awarded him the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest decoration granted by Mexico to foreigners.

International affairs, particularly issues regarding trade, the international monetary system, and relations between developed and developing nations, were his primary policy interests. He wrote over 100 articles, books, monographs, chapters, and commissioned papers. He was also the author of two mystery novels.

Professor Weintraub was the holder of the William E. Simon Chair in Political Economy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. for 17 years from 1994 to 2011.

On April 29, reitred USAID employee David S. Gardella, who lived in La Guácima, Alajuela, Costa Rica, succumbed in his 8.5-year fight against metastatic renal carcinoma.

In 1976, David trained in La Guácima for Peace Corps service in Honduras, and later also served as a Volunteer in Costa Rica. Afterward, he entered a Masters program at CATIE in Turrialba.

In 1980, David entered USAID’s IDI program, returning to Costa Rica for his first assignment as an Agricultural Development Officer. He subsequently worked in agricultural development in the Dominican Republic, Panama, and Bolivia.

He retired from the Agency in 2000, returning to La Guácima to build his retirement home. In retirement he contributed to USAID rural development in Colombia and Haiti through provision of vanilla tissue culture plantlets. David became committed to tree planting to combat deforestation and forest degradation, planting trees on his farm near Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí and organizing tree planting events with local school children to raise their awareness of the environmental services provided by trees and forests.

David is survived by his wife Cecilia Arias, son David Jr.,  daughter Sarah, and three grandchildren.

Gerald Schwab, 89, a retired administrative and management officer and program evaluator with the U.S. Agency for International Development, died April 2 at a health-care center in Annapolis. The cause was anemia, said a daughter, Susan Schwab.

Mr. Schwab, who was born to Jewish parents in Breisach, Germany, fled with his family to Switzerland in 1938 and later came to the United States. He served in Europe, Africa and Asia with USAID and its predecessor agencies for about 25 years. Before his retirement in 1986, he spent about 10 years working for the International Labor Organization in Geneva. He lived in Alexandria and was author of the books “The Day the Holocaust Began: The Odyssey of Herschel Grynszpan” (1990) and “OSS Agents in Hitler’s Heartland” (1996).

Paul A. Crowe, 76, died of leukemia March 9, 2014.  Paul graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wabash College and attended graduate school at the University of Florida and Tulane University.  He served on the faculty at the University of Georgia, GA, University of New Orleans, LA, and Western Kentucky, Bowling Green KY.  He was a Financial Economist for the Federal Reserve Atlanta, GA and Senior Economist for Economic Affairs, US Department of Commerce in Washington DC before entering USAID in 1983 as an Economist.

Paul served as a USAID Economist in Cairo, Egypt; Kingston, Jamaica; and Colombo, Sri Lanka.  After his retirement in 1993, he was employed by the US embassy as a consular/economic consultant in the Marshall Islands while he accompanied his wife Rosemary on her tour there as an Office Management Specialist.  He also accompanied Rosemary on her subsequent assignments to Muscat, Oman and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Paul loved the study of economics and he loved the water.  He was particularly well versed in monetary economics and economic statistics, following his positions with the Federal Reserve and the Commerce Department.  He was a great storyteller and loved to regale his associates with stories about his days in these positions.  He was a great fisherman and a wonderful cook of the fish he caught.  A perfect day for him would be to go fishing early in the morning, bring home his catch of tuna or river fish, and cook and eat fresh fish that evening.  In Jamaica he participated in the annual September marlin fishing contest with local friends.  To the delight of the USAID staff, he would share his marlin after he had smoked it.

He expanded his water activities to scuba diving, learning to dive in Egypt and continuing this sport in Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Marshall Islands, Oman and Malaysia.  While in the Marshall Islands, he was privileged to participate in some fascinating dives on the ships that had been sunk during tests of the atomic bomb off the island of Bikini.  He was an active member of the Oman Diving Club.  While in Malaysia, he took several trips to Bali where he accompanied Nature Conservancy officials to dives off the island of Komodo.

When Rosemary retired from the State Department after her tour in Kuala Lumpur, they moved to Pokomoke MD to their retirement home on the Pokomoke River.  Paul had several boats there that he used for fishing and river cruising.

Paul is survived by Rosemary, his wife of 56 years, six children, 12 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.  Rosemary can be reached at rosemarycrowe@live.com for details of Paul’s memorial service in June.

Michael Lippe passed away on April 28, 2014 after a heroic battle with pancreatic cancer. Alumni will remember him for his fertile mind and enormously good cheer. Mike was born in 1943 in Columbus, Ohio, but grew up in such diverse places as Cuba, Singapore, and Belgium After law school, he joined the Peace Corps, serving three years in Botswana.

Mike served for twenty years with USAID, including tours in Ivory Coast, Kenya and Tunisia. He retired in 1996 as Director of USAID’s Office of Housing and Urban Affairs.

In addition to his foreign service career, Mike also will be remembered for his thoughtful book (in collaboration with his oncologist) on his experience with cancer – Pancreatic Cancer: A Patient and His Doctor Balance Hope and Truth (See http://newgrandmas.com/14032/books-games/cancersurvivors/michael-j-lippes-story-pancreatic-cancer-book-thursday and Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Pancreatic-Cancer-Patient-Balance-Hopkins/dp/1421400626). In the book, Mike wrote about the early signs that something was wrong; his oncologist then continues with a description of pancreatic cancer, its symptoms, and its treatments. Mike then talks about his prognosis, contemplates the prospect of death, and describes how he began to cope; his oncologist explains the importance, for both doctor and patient, of balancing hope and truth. Mike speaks frankly about the toll the disease takes on his marriage and family; while his oncologist in alternating chapters offers a general picture of what most patients can expect with their illness. The book concludes with Mike’s and his oncologist’s reflections on their partnership in treating cancer, lessons they have learned, and their thoughts about the positive things that sometimes emerge from illness.

One of the first people that many of us met we joined the Agency, Dan Creedon, died on February 10 at his home in Virginia Beach.

Born in 1922 in Oneida, NY, he was a veteran of WWII and Korea who rose to the rank of Navy Commander. Mr. Creedon was a graduate of Niagara University and earned a master’s degree from the University of Buffalo.

Creedon was one of the early employees of NASA. He arrived at the Goddard Space Flight Center during the sixties, when NASA was a glamorous and exciting place to be employed. He was known for his talents at maintaining effective public relations and educating the public about the importance and challenges of the space program.

In 1968, he began a 25-year career at USAID as the new Director of Training. Dan established a stellar record as a capable and effective leader, a professional educator, and a creative and imaginative manager. He created new divisions for recruitment and organizational development and revamped training operations, bringing the parts together to strengthen the human resource base of the Agency. He led the design and implementation of an intern program that served for decades as a model for other agencies. He designed a multifaceted career development program for USAID staff that contributed to the acceptance of “development” as a key contributor to American foreign policy. He planned, developed and administered one of the most effective agency programs for personnel and organizational development in the Federal Government.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Anne M. Creedon, and five children – Mary Connelly, Daniel F. Creedon, Jr., James Creedon, Catherine Anderson and Jane Hurt; 10 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren and his sister Mary Brosnan of Arlington, Va. He was pre-deceased by his granddaughter Elizabeth Hurt Yoensky.

Francis Stephen Ruddy passed away on May 7, 2014. Born in Jackson Heights, Queens, Mr. Ruddy worked all over the world, particularly in Africa, where he was the US ambassador to Equatorial Guinea. He helped direct American aid efforts in Africa through his work in the State Department and USAID. He also worked as a university professor, writer, General Counsel for the Department of Energy, and editor, and he volunteered teaching English to recent immigrants. After overseeing the UN referendum in Western Sahara, he became a staunch advocate for the political and human rights of the Sahrawi people. and was proud to be one of their most outspoken advocates on the world stage. He attended Xavier High School, Holy Cross College, served in the USMC, and received his Ph.D. in International Law from Cambridge University. He is survived by his loving family, including children Neil, David, and Stephen, daughter-in-law Kara, and grandchildren Caitlin, Haley, and Landon.