Ron Tschetter
Encyclopedia
Education and Peace Corps service
Tschetter earned a bachelor's degree from Bethel UniversityBethel University (Minnesota)
Bethel University is a Christian higher education institution with approximately 6,000 students from 36 countries enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, seminary, and adult education programs...
in psychology and social studies. After college, he and some friends traveled and hitchhiked
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking is a means of transportation that is gained by asking people, usually strangers, for a ride in their automobile or other road vehicle to travel a distance that may either be short or long...
around Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. He returned home and met and married his wife Nancy. "One day we saw this Peace Corps ad and I said to Nancy, 'We're going to do this work stuff the rest of our lives. Let's go out and see if we can do some good,' " Tschetter says. Although the couple wanted to serve in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, or Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Tschetter and his wife were assigned to teach family-planning techniques in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
beginning in 1966. "We lucked out. India was more different than any of them," says Tschetter. "Wow, what a country." Over the years the Tschetters have returned to India five times to visit their friends. Once as a Peace Corps volunteer, Tschetter traveled across India to deliver medicine to a village suffering from a smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
. "Ultimately the village recovered," said Tschetter. "And today, smallpox is eradicated in the world and it is because of this and thousands of other experiences like it."
Career as investment executive
Tschetter began his career in 1970 as both a retail and institutional investment executive with Blyth Eastman Dillon Union Securities. He joined Dain Rauscher in 1973 as a broker and spent 28 years there primarily in management before he retired. In 2004 Tschetter was named President of D.A. Davidson & Co., a full-service investment firm based in the Northwest. Tschetter served on the Securities Industry Association Sales and Marketing Committee and the New York Stock Exchange Regional Firms Advisory Committee.Peace Corps Director
National Peace Corps Association
-Overview:Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Washington, DC, the National Peace Corps Association is the nation’s leading 501 nonprofit organization supporting Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and the Peace Corps community through networking and mentoring to help guide former Volunteers...
board from 1993 to 1999, as board chairman from 1995 to 1998 and as an honorary board member from 2000 to 2003.
In an interview with Drew Houff of the Winchester Star in March 2008, Tschetter said that representing the Peace Corps is an honor. "It’s the best job in Washington — I report directly to the president," Tschetter says. "It is bipartisan, apolitical, and supported by most everyone. It also is strongly recognized as a great brand. I tell the new volunteers, ‘You are working for the gold standard of volunteerism in the Peace Corps.’"
Promoting the Peace Corps
Tschetter says that his service as a volunteer was a life changing experience and for the past 40 years he and his wife have worked to convince others to make the same commitment. "When you do and are going through it, you just don’t realize how much it is going to impact your life," says Tschetter. "Your whole value system, your insight, perceptions are impacted as such that it really changes your outlook. It changes what you do, and it changes your desire to serve." Tschetter says that he almost always accepts invitations to talk about the Peace Corps especially at universities because it helps bring new volunteers into the program and helps people understand what the Peace Corps does. "When I get an invitation from a university, it gets my attention because I just know what this can do for a young person who decides to do it," Tschetter says. "I am here to encourage the students that this is an option in your life that you ought to give serious consideration."Recruitment of older volunteers
During his confirmation hearings Tschetter announced that he would make recruiting older volunteers a priority for the Peace Corps. "I hope to examine the agency’s recruiting process in order to broaden the applicant pool and better tap into the Baby Boom generation-- a rich harvestable field of potential Volunteers." In April, 2007, the Peace Corps announced the new "50 plus initiative." Under the initiative, older volunteers will be placed in nine test countries: Cameroon, Lesotho and South Africa, along with Ukraine, Romania, Thailand, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Panama. As part of the program Peace Corps' recruiting messages will be focused on adults 50 and older and publicized through groups such as the AARP and the National Retired Teachers Association. Older volunteers must successfully complete the medical clearing process to serve overseas. "We can't compromise. When we send people abroad, there is no fancy hospital around the corner," says Tschetter. Medical screening, traditionally a lengthy and onerous process for older applicants, will be streamlined, and the transition time from acceptance to placement may be lengthened so older volunteers have more time to deal with personal affairs.The Peace Corps announced a goal to boost the ranks of volunteers 50 and older from 5 percent of the 7,749 Americans in the Peace Corps to 15 percent over the next two years. "There's around 80 million baby boomers that are now starting to retire. They're healthy and they have a real service element to them," said Tschetter during a trip to Montana in May 2008. "They love to give of themselves in a variety of service ways including volunteerism." The Peace Corps reported in August, 2008 that applications from seniors had risen 50% since the campaign began in September 2007. The new campaign - called "Still Asking What You Can Do for Your Country?" is designed to appeal to baby boomers who grew up in the Kennedy years. "JFK was a role model for everyone I knew back in the early '60s," said Loyci Stockey, 64, who is beginning his service as a Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda. "He'd spoken passionately (during) my high school graduation year about some new program he was starting called the Peace Corps. I never forgot his message, and I tucked it away in the back of my head to act on someday. Today is my someday."
Murder of Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines
After the disappearance of Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell in the Philippines in April, 2007, Tschetter flew to Manila to meet with Peace Corps volunteers and government officials to express his support and gather first hand information on the situation. After Campbell's body was recovered, Tschetter met with Philippine President Arroyo to thank the Philippine people and the government for their search efforts. A local citizen, Juan Donald Duntugan, was subsequently arrested for Campbell's murder, found guilty, and sentenced to life in prison in June, 2008. Tschetter visited the Philiipines in September 2008 and met with President Arroyo to personally relay his gratitude for the speedy resolution of the Campbell case. "I cannot express enough my appreciation to the Philippine government for the way they handled the situation, how quickly they found the body," said Tschetter. "The incident has not affected our opinion and our presence in the Philippines. We don't see any situation at the present time that could threaten our presence in the Philippines."Actions by U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania Michael Retzer
On June 14, 2007, the Peace Corps issued a press release announcing its strong disagreement with the decision of Michael RetzerMichael Retzer
Michael Retzer is an American Republican politician who was United States Ambassador to Tanzania from 2005–2007.-Before becoming ambassador:...
, U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania
United States Ambassador to Tanzania
The country that is now Tanzania comprises the former countries of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Tanganyika achieved independence from the United Kingdom in December 1961....
, to withdraw the authorization for Peace Corps Country Director Christine Djondo to remain in Tanzania. "The Peace Corps has always had full confidence in Ms. Djondo as country director. Unfortunately, U.S. Ambassador Michael Retzer did not concur and has exercised his authority as chief of mission to withdraw the authorization for Ms. Djondo to remain in country." The Press Release added that the adverse effects of Retzer's decision on the Peace Corps program in Tanzania included affecting "the morale of Volunteers, new trainees, and staff" and that "because of the number of staff transitions in Tanzania, the June training class is being reduced by half to ensure adequate support for currently serving Volunteers and the new training class."
On June 27 Senator Chris Dodd put a hold on the nomination of Mark Green to replace Retzer as Ambassador citing Retzer's action as interference in the independence of the Peace Corps. Dodd asked that Retzer rescind his cable of no confidence of Djondo or that the State Department provide a written apology to her. On June 28, the State Department provided a written letter of apology to Djondo and Senator Dodd released his hold on Green's nomination allowing it to go forward.
Embassy incident in Bolivia
In July, 2007 just before a new group of thirty Peace Corps volunteers were sworn in, they received a security briefing from US Embassy Security Officer Vincent Cooper in which they were asked "to basically spy" on CubansCubans
Cubans or Cuban people are the inhabitants or citizens of Cuba. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
ns in the country according to a report from ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
on February 8, 2008. Peace Corps Deputy Director for Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
Doreen Salazar was present at the meeting and found the comments so out of line that she interrupted the briefing to clarify that volunteers did not have to follow the embassy's instructions and Salazar protested directly to the embassy. "We made it clear to the embassy that this was an inappropriate request, and they agreed." Associated Press reported that the U.S. Embassy in La Paz
La Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
had issued a statement saying that "some routine information sessions about security given to certain American citizens included incorrect information. As soon as this was brought to our attention, appropriate measures were taken to assure that these errors would not be repeated." There is no indication that any Peace Corps volunteer made reports to the Embassy and Peace Corps issued a press release reiterating in no uncertain terms that the corps is not involved in any intelligence
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
gathering.
On February 11, 2008 the Associated Press reported that Bolivian President Evo Morales
Evo Morales
Juan Evo Morales Ayma , popularly known as Evo , is a Bolivian politician and activist, currently serving as the 80th President of Bolivia, a position that he has held since 2006. He is also the leader of both the Movement for Socialism party and the cocalero trade union...
had declared Cooper an "undesirable person." The U.S. embassy released a statement explaining that volunteers had mistakenly been given a security briefing meant only for embassy staff. "Nobody at the embassy has ever asked American citizens to participate in intelligence activities here," said U.S. ambassador Phillip S. Goldberg. "But I want to say that I greatly regret the incident that was made known this weekend."
Budget Shortfall at Peace Corps
On July 23, 2008 the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Peace Corps would be closing their Minneapolis and Denver recruitment offices at the end of the year. Tschetter said in a letter to Minnesota Congresswoman Betty McCollum that Peace Corps is facing an estimated $8.7 million shortfall in its budget for FY2008 because of the weakening dollar and that the tight budget could force the Peace Corps to reduce the number of volunteers serving worldwide by 5% or 400 volunteers.Withdrawal of volunteers from Bolivia
On September 16, 2008 Peace Corps announced it was suspending operations in Bolivia due to "growing instability" and withdrawing all volunteers from the country. "Our first priority is the safety and security of our volunteers," said Tschetter. The withdrawal came in the aftermath of growing unrest in Bolivia after more than 30 people were killed in Pando the previous week and the expulsion of US Ambassador Philip GoldbergPhilip Goldberg
Philip S. Goldberg is a United States diplomat who was Ambassador to Bolivia and was expelled by the Bolivian government in 2008, the eighth chief of mission in US diplomatic history to be declared persona non grata...
after accusations by the Bolivian government accusing the American government of inciting the violence. State Department Press Secretary Sean McCormack was asked during a press conference on September 16 if the withdrawal of Peace Corps volunteers has anything to do with any reduction measure and he replied that "...we have to look at the situation on the ground, and it’s our obligation to take those steps that we think are necessary to ensure that our people are able to accomplish the long-term goals of that mission. And we believe that this was a prudent step based on the situation on the ground in Bolivia." Referring to the decision to withdraw volunteers McCormack added that "Security played a big part in it."
Mac Maroglis wrote in Newsweek on September 20 that after Bolivia expelled US Ambassador Goldberg that "Washington answered by sending off the Bolivian and Venezuelan ambassadors, and even suspending Peace Corps operations." The Peace Corps issued a press release on September 22 that "while the expulsion of the U.S. Ambassador was considered by the Peace Corps, the decision to temporarily suspend the Peace Corps program in Bolivia was based on the Peace Corps emergency action plan and its evaluation process for suspensions and evacuations. The safety and security of the Volunteers and their ability to do their work are the primary factors in such a decision. In the case of Bolivia, there was increasing civil unrest, including blockading of major transportation routes, a mass protest and march planned, and escalating violence against Bolivian citizens. We made the decision to consolidate the Volunteers and then to move all 113 Volunteers based on our own evaluation."
On October 22, 2008 Associated Press published a story saying that several volunteers who had been serving in Bolivia believe that the US government overreacted with a blanket withdrawal of volunteers and that although some parts of Bolivia were unstable, most volunteers felt no security threat. "Peace Corps, unfortunately, has become another weapon in the U.S. diplomatic arsenal," said Sarah Nourse who had been serving as a volunteer in Bolivia. Thomas Shannon, the top US diplomat for Latin America, said that security had been the only reason for the pullout of Peace Corps volunteers. "We don't politicize the Peace Corps," Shannon said.
Joshua Partlow reported in the Washington Post on October 23, 2008, that when Peace Corps volunteers were being evacuated from Bolivia, volunteers were asked how many planned to return to Bolivia on their own and about half the group members raised their hands, according to participants. The article stated that more than 15 volunteers have since returned to Bolivia after leaving the Peace Corps and are working on their own to complete the projects they began as Peace Corps volunteers. "I've never felt safer in my life than I was here," said volunteer Aaron York. "I needed to be back here. . . . There was no time to say goodbye to everyone, to achieve any kind of closure, in my service, in my life here, and I really felt like I needed that." A spokesman for the Peace Corps said that the Peace Corps does not anticipate being able to return volunteers to Bolivia and reopen the program until fall of 2009 at the earliest.