By Sophie Rutenbar (TX '05)

I could start this story off by talking about learning to avoid ill-tempered, semi-domesticated ostriches strolling through villages, or the one time I was trapped in my hotel for three days when fighting broke out in a town I was visiting, or vast herds of antelope grazing to the horizon.  Or the voters I encountered during the referendum on independence for South Sudan would be a good choice.  One older gentleman stood out, who voted holding one Southern Sudan flag and wearing another, cardboard version clamped to his head, wrapped in a sheet like a Southern Sudanese Statue of Liberty.  But the moment I choose is quiet, the short space between work and night, while the sun sets, the air cools, and before the mosquitoes emerge.  

I’m in Nasir, a town closer to Ethiopia than it is to the capitals, Juba or Khartoum.  This part of South Sudan is uncompromisingly flat.  Flocks of sparrows, pelicans, and storks fly overhead as if the whole country were a bird bath, which it seems to be in rainy season, when water spreads out in sheets over the vast plains.  For the next few months, those grasslands are dry, which means my work at the moment is doubled to make up for the half-year when the rains drown almost everything.  Right now, a few moments of peace and the chance to watch a sunset are to be treasured.

I’ve only spent a few months in South Sudan this time around, but my connection to the country stretches further back, even to the Truman.  Like many stories, mine involves an exceptional teacher, this one named Marie.  In the fall of my sophomore year at the University of Texas at Dallas, I took a course called War and Peace.  The summer before, I had made my first visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  The effects of conflict and mismanagement were clear; I was shocked and horrified, then I quickly fell in love.  Marie’s teaching clarified and gave substance to my thoughts on conflict and the effects it has on people’s lives.  For all the problems of international development, one thing is clear:  you can’t have much of it in a country if you have war.

I won the Truman a year and a half later on the strength of my policy essay proposing Afghanistan-style Provincial Reconstruction Teams for a southern Sudan newly at peace.  I wanted to work to reconstruct war-torn nations in order to prevent conflict from reoccurring, as it does within a decade in close to half of cases.  I wrote the application in the fall of 2004, when news about Sudan was everywhere, especially in Washington, DC, where I was interning for the Center for Strategic and International Studies.  Secretary of State Colin Powell declared to Congress that the Darfur conflict was genocide, and I was in the audience; the same when Dr. John Garang, legendary leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army, spoke to the Congressional Black Caucus that fall, months before his death.

So here in Sudan, I have the privilege of witnessing the culmination of a process I’ve followed since the beginning.  As an international observer with the Carter Center, I helped monitor first the voter registration process and, in January, the vote on independence.  Being able to witness an electoral process firsthand, to have intimate knowledge of an event so significant to millions, is a privilege as well as a position of trust.  I watched hundreds, even thousands, cast their votes, then walk out to an ululating, singing, clapping crowd.  The future of the young nation is unclear, but while studying conflict, I’ve learned to hold on to moments of hope.

As a result, I’ve stayed on in South Sudan to work with a contractor for USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives.  How could I leave, when independence and the creation of a new country are just around the corner in July?  To my surprise, and despite a few twists in my path, the job is almost exactly what I envisioned for myself five years ago with the Truman application, helping carry out local-level conflict mitigation initiatives in places in desperate need of them.  Attempting to understand and to address conflict on a profoundly local level is deeply satisfying.  Five years later, I see exactly how much those PRTs were and still are needed here.  In Malakal, the second largest town in southern Sudan, you need a four-wheel drive vehicle to attempt anything beyond a handful of main roads.  And outside the state capitals like Malakal, access to education, economic opportunity, government services or any sort of assistance is almost non-existent.  People live a semi-nomadic life, as they have for hundreds of years, herding their cows across the plains, seeking the water and green grass that becomes increasingly scarce as the dry season advances, occasionally fighting and sometimes warring to get it.

On the particular evening framing my story, I hear little else besides the call of birds and the hum of people.  The thrum of the generator won’t start until dark falls, a few minutes away.  As the sun sets, flocks of swallows swarm overhead and the hawks fly lower before disappearing to roost.  Tomorrow, I’ll repeat a boat trip I made more than a year previously, but this time the area is at peace.  Effective local administrators, targeted investments, and most importantly, a community-led peace conference have brought a cessation in a two-decade-long local conflict.  In one long swathe of the river between the two formerly warring groups, the crocodiles and grey-crowned cranes live undisturbed by humans.  But in other sections the difference is clear.  The villages sport an occasional tin roof and new reed fences, while the river is so clotted with fishing nets that our boat is forced to stop and raise its motor every few moments:  one version of progress having its price.  As far as I’m concerned, a measure of inconvenience is worth a little peace and prosperity in South Sudan.

Sophie Rutenbar (TX '05) is based in Juba, South Sudan, and is working in conflict mitigation.

Joyce A. Baugh (SC '79), a political science professor at Central Michigan University, authored The Detroit School Busing Case:  Milliken v. Bradley and the Controversy Over Desegregation, which is being published this month by the University Press of Kansas as part of its Landmark Law Cases and American Society series.

Frederick S. Lane (MA '83) appeared on CBS News Sunday Morning on February 6 to discuss the history of privacy in American and his book (now in paperback), "American Privacy: The 400-Year History of Our Most Contested Right." You can read more about his book on his Web site, www.FrederickLane.com, or watch the interview online: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/06/sunday/main7323148.shtml

Michelle Gavin (AZ ’95) was named “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Botswana.” For the last two years Michelle has been on the staff of the National Security Council as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs. Michelle met her husband David Bonfili (WV ’95) at Truman Scholar interviews. They are parents of a 2-year old daughter.

Jake Sullivan (MN '97) will be soon be named the State Department's Director of Policy and Planning: http://www.trumanscholars.org/blog/2011/02/22/sullivan-to-be-named-state-dept.-director-of-policy-planning

Tico Almeida (WI '98) wrote a guest blog piece, "President Obama Strengthens ENDA by Rejecting DOMA" for The Bilerico Project: http://www.trumanscholars.org/blog/2011/02/26/almeida-president-obama-strengthens-enda-by-rejecting-doma

Kimberly Jones (CT '99) was recently promoted to the position of Associate Vice President for Public Policy at the Council for Opportunity in Education in Washington, DC.

County of Hawai'i Mayor William P. Kenoi recently appointed Hawai'i-born Truman Scholar, Becky Kawaihae Simmons (HI ‘00), as his Deputy Director of the Office of Housing & Community Development.  Since winning the Truman Scholarship 10 years ago, Becky has worked in the healthcare, education and housing fields serving in administrative and executive positions at both nonprofit and government organizations.  "I am really excited to return home and contribute to Mayor's vision for our county," she said.  "After being away, I developed a world-view that makes me a better citizen of my hometown." The Office of Housing & Community Development has an annual operations budget of $17 million and is staffed by 51 employees.

Lauren Finzer (CA ‘08) is finishing up a Fulbright Scholarship in New Delhi, where she has been researching how supermarkets are affecting fruit and vegetable supply chains and consumption. In July she will be heading back to the San Francisco Bay Area to look for a job in a social enterprise related to healthy, sustainable food.

Please submit Class Notes to news@trumanscholars.org.

Nearly 63 years ago, on July 26, 1948, President Harry Truman issued Executive Order 9981, calling for “equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin.”  He made this important decision in the aftermath of a period of intense racial violence against black veterans returning home to the Jim Crow South after serving in World War II.  His order to desegregate the nation’s armed services is viewed as a critical step in the long march toward racial justice.

The Truman administration’s support for civil rights extended to the Justice Department’s decision to try to end segregation in housing and education.  The Department submitted amicus briefs in several Supreme Court cases, including the challenge to racially restrictive covenants (Shelley v. Kraemer, 1948) and the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954. (The brief in Brown had been submitted by the Truman administration at an earlier stage of the case.)  Brown overruled Plessy v. Ferguson’s pernicious “separate but equal” doctrine in the field of public education and held the promise of equal educational opportunity.

Twenty years later, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Milliken v. Bradley (1974) undercut efforts to desegregate metropolitan school systems outside of the southern United States and effectively undermined the promise of equal educational opportunities embodied in Brown.  Gary Orfield, Director of the Harvard Project on School Desegregation and a leading expert on this issue, argued that Milliken “rendered Brown almost meaningless for most of the metropolitan North by blocking desegregation plans that would integrate cities with their suburbs” and “lock[ed] millions of minority schoolchildren into inferior, isolated schools.” While Milliken by itself did not create the dire conditions that exist in public education across the nation today, it made it almost impossible to address the problems. My new book, The Detroit School Busing Case: Milliken v. Bradley and the Controversy Over Desegregation, explains in detail how and why Milliken came about, as well as its impact on the Court’s school desegregation jurisprudence and on public education in major metropolitan areas.

The controversy surrounding the Milliken case can also be viewed as a failure of public leadership – presidential and otherwise.  In a period marked by anger, fear, and racial hysteria, President Nixon and other elected officials added fuel to the fire, rather than using their positions to urge calm and restraint.  The Nixon administration, along with senators and representatives from Michigan and other states (from both parties), proposed constitutional amendments to prohibit the use of busing for desegregation purposes and used public concerns about busing as a wedge issue in their reelection campaigns.  Philip Hart, Michigan’s Democratic senior senator, was an important exception.  He took a courageous stand as the only white member of the state’s congressional delegation to support busing, noting that “Whenever there was a finding of deliberate school segregation in the South, I supported busing if that was the only way to correct it.  If I were to change my position now that the issue has come home, Michigan would have a fraud for a senior senator.”

The failure of the Nixon administration in providing principled leadership as the nation wrestled with the controversy over metropolitan school desegregation in the 1970s stands in sharp contrast to the role of the Truman administration in its battles over civil rights in the 1940s and 1950s.  While President Truman undoubtedly faced his share of criticism for not moving fast and far enough and for supporting civil rights merely for political purposes, his public statements and policy proposals did help to move the nation forward in the quest for equality and justice.

Joyce A. Baugh (SC '79) is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Central Michigan University. Her forthcoming book, The Detroit School Busing Case:  Milliken v. Bradley and the Controversy Over Desegregation, is being published this month by the University Press of Kansas as part of its Landmark Law Cases and American Society series.

Tico Almeida (WI '98) wrote a guest blog piece, "President Obama Strengthens ENDA by Rejecting DOMA" for The Bilerico Project.

Excerpt:

"Some advocates within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community have presented a false choice between advocating for marriage equality and the proposed Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would outlaw workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The truth is that the steps we take toward one goal also bring us closer to the other goal. Equality begets equality."

Read the full article here.

by Adam Lehman (OH '87) 

Networks are not only shaping the new ways in which we socialize and consume media - but also in how we join forces and collaborate to generate social, political and economic change. One need look no further than the current wave of global revolutions to understand the power of networks and the tools that support them. 

The Truman Scholars Association (TSA) represents a unique type of network. TSA members are current and emerging leaders across key public, private, academic and non-profit institutions; and leaders who share a commitment to public service and to solving the complex challenges we face in our public sphere. As members of the TSA, we hold enormous potential to find new ways to connect, collaborate and advance the mission of the Truman Scholars Association and public service worldwide. 

In that spirit, I was delighted to make a contribution to the TSA as it works to bring us together and nurture, engage and empower our community. Please join me by making a contribution to the TSA Annual Fund by visiting http://www.trumanscholars.org/giving.

Adam Lehman (OH '87) currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Lotame Solutions Inc. in Washington, DC.

Dear Scholars,

In light of the conversations recently on this site, I thought I might provide a brief history of our Congressional funding and an update on our current efforts.

1.  Trust Fund Investments: In response to Ben's good question: The Truman Foundation has explored with Congress the possibility of allowing our trust fund to be invested in the private equity markets rather than exclusively through the Treasury but we were turned down.  There is no precedent for a federal government agency to invest a trust fund in anything but Treasury securities.

2.  A little history:  The Truman Foundation received a total of $30 million in Congressional appropriations for the trust fund in 1975-76.  We received no appropriations thereafter because it was assumed that the interest from the trust fund would be enough to keep up with anticipated increases in college tuition.  College tuition increased dramatically, however, and the interest from the trust fund fell significantly behind.  In FY 2009, the Foundation was able to secure a $500,000 appropriation -- the first appropriation from Congress since 1976.  In FY 2010, the Foundation received a $660,000 appropriation from Congress.  For FY 2011, the Foundation requested a $1 million appropriation.  This was included in the Senate and House Omnibus for FY 2011 but that bill was not enacted last December during the lame duck session of Congress.  A temporary Continuing Resolution (CR) was adopted to keep the government running through March 4, 2011.  Most agencies were funded at the previous year's appropriation level.  This was true for the Truman Foundation.

3.  Update on Congressional appropriations efforts for the current fiscal year:  The House CR for FY 2011 (introduced last week) contains $660,000 for the Truman Foundation.  This is the same amount that was contained in the FY 2010 appropriations bill.  Most agencies were cut from their previous year's appropriation, so we were fortunate to maintain our funding at the previous year's level.  However, it is less than what we requested for FY 2011.  The Senate FY 2011 Omnibus had contained $1 million for the Truman Foundation, which is what we requested.  We do not know what the Senate will do in response to the House CR for 2011.

4.  Update on Congressional appropriations efforts for FY 2012:  The President's budget for FY 2012 (released last week) contained $-0- for the Truman Foundation's annual appropriation.  Because Congress appropriated $660,000 last year (FY 2010), the fact that the President's budget contains $-0- for FY 2012 means the OMB can claim a savings.  Because OMB does not count in increments less than $1 million, OMB claims a $1 million savings by recommending Congress appropriate $-0- to the Foundation.

5.  Congressional support:  We continue to work with members of the House and Senate who have historically been very supportive of our efforts and hope that we can continue to receive appropriations in the future.  We are particularly grateful for the support of the members of our Board of Trustees who serve in Congress: Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) and Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO).  We currently have two vacancies on our Board for Members of Congress: a Republican Senator and a Democratic House Member.  In the recent past, Senators Kit Bond (R-MO) and Max Baucus (D-MT) as well as Representative Ike Skelton (D-MO) served in these positions and each was very supportive of our efforts.  We also are very grateful to Rep. JoAnn Emerson (R-MO) who now serves as the Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, the subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Truman Foundation.  It is through her efforts that the Foundation's appropriation in the CR was not cut from the previous year's level.  Senator Richard Durbin, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, has for several years included the Truman Foundation's full appropriations request in his bill.  We appreciate all his efforts on our behalf.  Finally, Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) has been a great help to the Foundation.

Many of you have generously offered your help.  In my opinion, the most effective way to help would be to send a brief general expression of thanks to these Members of Congress and/or to the Members of the House and Senate from your state and Congressional district.

I look forward to seeing you all at the Truman Scholar National Conference in D.C. this summer!

Best,

Fred

Frederick G. Slabach (MS '77)
Treasurer, Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation
President, Texas Wesleyan University, Fort Worth, TX

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's Deputy Chief of Staff Jake Sullivan (MN '97) will soon be named as the next State Department director of policy planning, two State Department officials confirmed to Foreign Policy's The Cable.

Sullivan's appointment, which does not require Senate confirmation, could come as early as today, the officials said. He replaces outgoing Policy Planning Director Anne-Marie Slaughter, who will return to teach at Princeton University at the end of this month. Sullivan, one of Clinton's closest and most trusted aides, won't even have to change offices on the State Department's 7th floor to take charge of the shop that is Foggy Bottom's main incubator for policy ideas.

Read the Full Article Here

The White House announced on Feb. 17 that President Obama has nominated Truman Scholar Michelle Gavin (AZ ’95) to be “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Botswana.” 

For the last two years Michelle has been on the staff of the National Security Council as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs.

Michelle met her husband David Bonfili (WV ’95) at Truman Scholar interviews. They are parents of a 2-year old daughter.

As you are aware, we are in the process of searching for a new Executive Secretary for the Truman Foundation.   We will be conducting a broad and varied search - but can think of no better place to start than our own alumni network!

Mr. Slabach made some significant and lasting changes to the Executive Secretary position - and they are reflected in the position description attached to email.  The next Executive Secretary will be expected to continue Mr. Slabach's legacy of reaching out to Congress and the Executive branch on issues relating to appropriations, budget and other legislative matters of interest to the Foundation.  The next Executive Secretary will also work closely with TSA on various development efforts. 

The Executive Secretary will continue to act as advisor and mentor to all Truman Scholars.  He or she will also continue to review annual reports and graduate school proposals.  The Executive Secretary will continue to reach out to other federal agencies in order to secure more opportunities for Truman Scholars.

I am attaching a copy of the position description - and also copying the text below my signature.  The document is rather lengthy.    Please feel free to circulate the PD among your networks.  To be considered, candidates should submit the following:

• A resume or CV
• An SF-171 or OF-612
• A qualifications brief describing his/her experience.

We would like to receive materials by February 28, 2011.

If there are any questions, please feel free to contact me directly (tyglesias@truman.gov) or 202.395.7434.

Best,

Tara Yglesias
Deputy Executive Secretary
Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation
712 Jackson Place, NW
Washington, DC  20006
202.395.7434
202.395.6995 (fax)
tyglesias@truman.gov
Twitter:  @TrumanApp 

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

(SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE)

ES-301-00

INTRODUCTION:

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation was established by Public Law 93-642 (January 4, 1975) as the sole Federal memorial to the 33rd President.

THE FOUNDATION:

Supported by a trust fund held in the US Department of the Treasury, the Foundation operates a permanent education scholarship program designed to provide opportunities for outstanding American college students to prepare for careers in public service. 

The Foundation defines public service as employment in:  government at any level, uniformed services, public interest organizations, non-governmental research and or educational organizations, public and private schools, and public service-oriented non profit organizations such as those whose primary purposes are to help needy or disadvantaged persons or to protect the environment.

Under the direction of its President and a 13-member Board of Trustees [eight persons appointed by the President, two Senators, two Members of the House of Representatives, and the U.S. Secretary of Education (ex-officio)], the Foundation:

• Conducts a nationwide annual search for college students having junior-level academic standing with leadership potential, commitment to careers in public service and a desire to attend graduate school. The Foundation selects 60-55 students annually as Truman Scholars.

• Invites the annual participation of all American universities, two and four year colleges and the service academies in the nomination of students seeking a career in public service and requests that the President/Chancellor of each institution to appoint a member of the faculty or staff to serve as the Truman Scholarship Faculty Representative.

• Maintains a web site that provides faculty representatives and interested students with appropriate forms, instructions, and guidance to submit applications and other materials as specified to be received by the Foundation in early February.

• Conducts a two-stage selection process that involves convening in February a committee reviewing all eligible applications and selecting Truman Finalists for interviews and then convening in March 17 regional panels interviewing the Finalists and recommending to the Board the selection of 60-65 as Truman Scholars. 

• Provides scholarship payments in a timely and accurate manner.

• Operates programs to help Truman Scholars prepare for careers in public service. These include: Truman Scholars Leadership Week [orientation program for the 60-65 new Truman Scholars, held at William Jewell College], Washington Truman Scholars Summer Institute [10-week program of internships with federal agencies or non-profit groups and formal presentations], and the Truman Albright Fellows Program [program to provide jobs and graduate education for 20 Truman Scholars for the year following their graduation from college].

• Provides general assistance and counseling to the community of Truman Scholars and alumni in the form of job placement assistance, graduate school counseling, and guidance on careers in public service.

• Initiates contact with graduate school programs of interest to Truman Scholars in an effort to secure additional opportunities and increased financial assistance for Truman Scholars.

• Develops relationships with other federal agencies in an effort to secure entry-level placements for Truman Scholars.

• Conducts other administrative functions such as preparing the Annual Report of the Foundation for the President and the Congress, preserving compliance with government regulations, answering correspondence, preparing budgets, personnel performance reviews, collating Scholar statistics, maintaining contact with Scholars, and their colleges. 

• Explores funding opportunities to supplement and increase Foundation funding and directs Foundation investment strategy.

• Conducts or executes other functions as the Board of Trustees may direct.

THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY:

The Executive Secretary is the chief executive officer of the Foundation and is responsible to the President or Chairman and through her to the Board. The Executive Secretary

• Serves as the Foundation’s principal contact with the Congressional and Executive branch of the federal government on all matters involving budget, appropriations, and legislative matters affecting the Foundation.

• Directs all Foundation alumni relations with particular emphasis on leading, planning, oversight and evaluation of joint efforts with the Truman Scholars Association.

• Maintains a one-on-one relationship with 300 Truman Scholars who are either in school or have deferred graduate school. All Scholars receiving funds or deferring funding support are required to submit an annual report of approximately 3 pages in length to which the Executive Secretary responds. Scholars also must submit thoroughly researched 5 to 10 page Graduate School Proposals prior to requesting funding for graduate school.  The Executive Secretary must determine whether the graduate school request fits within Foundation guidelines and must respond to the Scholar accordingly.  The Executive Secretary also maintains communications through visits with the Scholars at the Foundation office or on campuses, e-mail, and phone conversations.

• Visits graduate schools and professional schools to encourage their recruitment of Truman Scholars and their giving priority in their admissions and financial aid processes to Truman Scholars.

• Initiates contact with federal agencies in an effort to increase awareness of the program and opportunities for Truman Scholars.

• Reviews and approves all Truman Scholar payment requests and relevant paperwork.  Ensures Scholars are compliant with Foundation and federal guidelines regarding use of funds.  

• Enforces relevant Foundation rules and regulations and settles controversies that may arise either from members of the public, scholars, faculty representatives or other constituencies.  

• Oversees the Deputy Executive Secretary in the process for the selection of Truman Scholars. The Deputy Executive Secretary is responsible for:  Setting up and monitoring the performance of the  regionally-based Truman selection panels [100 members including federal judges, university presidents, and former Truman Scholars] and the Truman Scholarship Finalists Selection Committee [19 members] to assure that they adhere to appropriate criteria for a merit-based scholarship looking for public sector change agents or others that will maintain high quality public services.

• Provides oversight and guidance to the Foundation’s Deputy Executive Secretary who is responsible for directing the Foundation’s programs and administering the daily operations of the Foundation.

Other activities that are less time consuming but still important include:

• Assuring excellent programming and building/enhancing a community among Scholars. 

• Assigns to the staff the projects necessary to complete successfully the Foundation’s annual programs.

• Reviews all projects for accurate and timely compliance.

• Provides personnel counseling and performance rating.

• Oversees and reports to the Board of Trustees through the President the expenditure of all funds for operational purposes.

• Makes policy recommendations and program proposals to the President for review by the Board of Trustees.

• Formulates other reports, statistics, recommendations and follow-up procedures as the President or Board may direct.

• Undertakes the planning of fund raising activities for the President for submission to the Board, and executes fund raising activities once approved by the Board.

SUPERVISION:

The Executive Secretary reports to the Board of Trustees, though the President, who provides policy guidance.  Work is reviewed by the President for the accomplishment of Foundation objectives within the policies established by the Board of Trustees under P.L. 93-642 that provides that Foundation policies are formulated by the Board of Trustees, with implementation the responsibility of the Executive Secretary.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Applicants must have progressively more responsible administrative, supervisory, managerial or professional experience, which demonstrates an understanding of the long-term goals and daily functioning of the Truman Foundation.  The experience must have been sufficiently responsible to show clearly the candidate’s ability to perform the duties of this position and meet the mandatory qualifications listed below.

The minimum educational requirement for this position is a graduate degree – preferably in a public service field.  In addition, applicants must clearly demonstrate in their application materials that they possess executive attributes in the five SES Executive Core Qualification areas:

1. Leading Change

2. Leading People

3. Results Driven

4. Business Acumen

5. Building Coalitions/Communication

Applicants should address these ECQs both as they are defined in OPM’s SES Qualifications Guide (http://www.opm.gov/ses/handbook.asp) and as they relate to the work of the Truman Foundation defined below.

1. Leading Change

Candidates should have the ability to develop and implement an organizational vision, which integrates key national and program goals, priorities, values, and other factors.  Candidates should have the ability to balance change and continuity, to continually strive to improve service to the public and program performance within the framework of the Foundation, to create a work environment that encourages creative thinking, and to maintain focus, intensity and persistence, even under adversity.

The Foundation is seeking a candidate who can serve as the Foundation’s principal contact with the Congressional and Executive branches of the federal government on all matters involving budget, appropriations, and legislative matters affecting the Foundation.  The ideal candidate will have contacts or demonstrated ability to develop contacts with Hill staff.  The ideal candidate will also have a demonstrated understanding of the appropriations process including a minimum of five years of significant experience in governmental relations.

The Foundation is also looking for a candidate to direct the development of the Truman Fellows Program [A year-long program that brings Truman Scholars to Washington following receipt of the baccalaureate degree to work in federal agencies or elsewhere in public service] in conjunction with the assigned Program Manager.  The ideal candidate will have contacts or demonstrated ability to develop contacts leading to the hiring by federal agencies of Scholars as well as understanding of the Federal Government’s personnel and hiring system.  The ideal candidate will have five years federal service, or its equivalent.

The ideal candidate will also be able to administer and enforce the Foundation’s newly instituted Accountability Policy that requires a service commitment from recently selected Scholars.  The ideal candidate should have demonstrated ability to administer a policy in a manner that is even-handed but still flexible enough to accommodate special circumstances.

2. Leading People

Candidates should have the ability to design and implement strategies that maximize employee and Scholar potential and foster high ethical standards in meeting the organization’s vision, mission, and goals.

The Foundation is seeking a candidate who has the ability to relate to and inspire Truman Scholars as a public servant role model.  A level of credibility with Scholars is critical for the success of the Executive Secretary.  The ideal candidate would have at least 10 years of employment in the public service as defined by the Truman Scholarship Foundation.

The ideal candidate would have five or more years of experience working with the Foundation.  Experience can come from:  serving on selection committees, helping the Foundation staff put on the Truman Scholars Leadership Week or the Washington Summer Institute, advising Truman Scholars about career choices and graduate study, or being an active Truman Faculty representative.

The ideal candidate is willing to develop and maintain one-on-one relationships with the Truman Scholar community.  This includes providing support and encouragement as well as enforcing Foundation policies.  Successful candidates will articulate a clear strategy for developing and relating to the Scholar community.

The ideal candidate will be able to direct all Foundation alumni relations and work jointly with the Truman Scholars Association.  This includes planning and oversight of alumni activities as well as evaluation of existing programs.

Also, the idea candidate would be able to effectively lead and function in the unusual work environment of the Truman Foundation.  The Foundation is a staff of five that works in extremely close quarters.  The position of the Executive Secretary is without administrative support and would require the candidate to maintain his or her own schedule, contracts, and administrative activities.  The ideal candidate would have a demonstrated ability to work in such an environment.

3. Results Driven

Candidates should stress accountability and continuous improvement.  Candidates should have the ability to make timely and effective decisions and produce results through strategic planning and the implementation and evaluation of programs and policies.

The ideal candidate would have a clear vision for his or her tenure as Executive Secretary.  Such a vision would include detailed plans for executing Foundation goals already in place was well as new initiatives of the candidate’s design.  

The ideal candidate will assess and evaluate Foundation programming and suggest changes where needed.  The ideal candidate will be comfortable working within the confines of existing programs.

4. Business Acumen

Candidates should have the ability to acquire and administer human, financial, material, and information resources in a manner that instills public trust and accomplishes the organization’s mission, and the ability to use new technology to enhance decision making.

The ideal candidate will investigate fund raising opportunities on behalf of the Foundation.  The ideal candidate will also be able to develop a comprehensive strategy for Foundation investments.

The ideal candidate will be required to evaluate and process relevant vendor and Scholar requests.  This includes ensuring that all federal and Foundation regulations are met with each request.

5. Building Coalitions/Communication

Candidates should have the ability to explain, advocate, and express facts and ideas in a convincing manner and to negotiate with individuals and groups internally and externally.  Candidates should also be able to develop an expansive professional network with other organizations and to identify the internal and external politics that impact the work of the organization.

The ideal candidate will also have the ability to develop relationships with graduate schools in an effort to increase opportunities for Truman Scholars.

The ideal candidate will be able to deal effectively with the media, other government agencies, and other publics interested in the Truman Foundation.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Veteran preference does not apply for SES positions.

• Selectee will be subject to completion of a background investigation.

• Selectee will also be required to complete and file an Executive Personnel Financial Disclosure Report in accordance with the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.

• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must confirm their Selective Service registration status.  Certification forms are available at most Federal personnel offices or from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

• The Immigration Report and Control Act of 1986 requires employers to hire only individuals who are eligible to work in the U.S.  The selectee will be required to complete Form I-9, Employment Verification, and provide acceptable proof of employment authorization and identity.

• The use of postage paid government envelopes to file job applications is a violation of Federal law and regulation.  Applications received in such envelopes will be discarded.

• Supplemental application materials may be requested.

TO APPLY:

Completed Applications will have the following:

A Resume or CV

An SF-171 or OF-612

A Qualifications Brief describing your experience as it relates to this position and as it relates to each of the requirements listed above.  

Questions about the position or application requirements should be directed to Tara Yglesias, Deputy Executive Secretary, at 202.395.7434 or tyglesias@truman.gov.

Applications must be received by no later than February 28, 2011.  Applications could be emailed (to tyglesias@truman.gov), faxed (202.395.6995), or delivered to 712 Jackson Place, NW, Washington, DC 20006.

DUE TO DELAYS IN THE FEDERAL MAIL SYSTEM:

If you are sending an application via express mail (Fed Ex, USPS, UPS or other carriers), please contact Ms. Yglesias for an alternate mailing address.

EEO STATEMENT:

All qualified applicants will be considered regardless of age, race, color, sex, creed, national origin, lawful political affiliation, non-disqualifying handicap, marital status, sexual orientation, affiliation with an employee organization, or other non-merit factor.  The Foundation provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities where appropriate.  If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify Tara Yglesias at tyglesias@truman.gov.  Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis. 

Many Truman Scholars, nominees, and friends of Scholars may wonder what exactly happens during the Truman Scholarship Finalist Selection Process. This year, Doug Cutchins, Director of Social Commitment at Grinnell University, is writing a short-term blog about his experience participating on the Finalist Selection Committee (FSC).

Below is an excerpt from Reading Harry: 

Truman Scholars Charting a New Course in Education

Part 2: The Transition: John King Reflects on Journey from Charter to Public Schools

This piece is the second in a series. See also “Part 1: The Founders: Building Schools with No Excuses.”

By Christopher Sopher (VA ‘10)

Dr. John King has moved from successful charter school founder to national charter network director to Senior Deputy Commissioner of New York’s State Department of Education. We interviewed him about his experiences, lessons learned, and advice for Trumans interested in education.

John King (NJ '95) is the Senior Deputy Commissioner for P-12 education at the New York State Department of Education. Prior to joining the state in September, 2009, he was Managing Director at Uncommon Schools, a non-profit charter school network. In 1999, he co-founded Roxbury Prep, a middle school charter serving low-income students in urban Boston. Roxbury has been frequently recognized as one of the top-performing urban middle schools in Massachusetts.

What's your story from the Truman to where you are now?

I taught in New York City schools at Teacher's College, and then taught in Puerto Rico and at a private school, and then went back to Boston to teach at City on a Hill Charter School, which was one of the first generation of charters in the country. I taught high school history. One of the things that struck me was how many of our students were coming to us in 9th grade with 6th grade math and reading skills. One of our challenges was that we tried to get students prepared for college by 12th grade, but they were coming from so far behind, they were spending a ton of time and energy on remediation.

I met Evan Rudall, who cofounded Roxbury Prep with me, through college friends … Those conversations evolved into the decision to start the school together. One of the things that drew me to it was the opportunity to start younger, get students in middle school so we could get them the skills they needed to be on track, so that by the time the students at Roxbury Prep would get to 9th grade, they would be ready to do college prep work. 

What interested you in teaching in the first place?

I think it was a combination of factors. Both my parents were teachers. They both passed away when I was a kid, and for me teachers made all the difference in my own experience. My mom passed when I was eight, and my father was quite ill and passed away when I was 12.

During that period, I had extraordinary teachers. I had a teacher named Mr. Osterweil, who was my fourth, fifth and sixth grade teacher. He was a phenomenal teacher, and really became a father figure to me. His class was rigorous, engaging, incredibly supportive environment. He created an environment that was both challenging and supportive.

I went to Mark Twain Junior High School in Coney Island, and had an amazing seventh grade social studies teacher, who was so talented at creating a classroom environment that was both academically challenging and also an incredibly safe and supportive learning environment. Between them, I really saw the difference teachers could make, because they made the difference for me during what was really a difficult period of my life.

So when I was in college and got involved in different public service activities, and involved working with young people, I fell in love with the work, because I could see how being a teacher could help me try to create for other kids what they created for me.

Was that kind of classroom environment a part of the plan at Roxbury Prep? 

Exactly. That's what I tried to build as a teacher myself, and it's what we tried to build into the culture of Roxbury Prep. An academically rigorous school that would prepare students for college, challenge them to do a lot of writing and a lot of thinking, but also in environments that were joyful and engaging, and allow students to be creative and really to see the joy in learning.

What were the steps you had to take to create that environment?

I think rigor is an important starting place. First, making sure teachers have a very clear understanding of what students know and are able to do, and are constantly pushing students to do more and to tackle more challenging work.

Second, having teachers plan with students at the center and trying to figure out: what will the students write; what will I ask them to read; how am I going to ensure when we're discussing that every student is thinking? It's small things, like, when you ask a question to the class, asking everyone to write down their answer before calling on a student, so you make sure every student in the room has taken time to think about the answer. Small things to big things like figuring out, at the end of every unit, how do you know that students have really mastered the content?

When you were starting Roxbury in 1999, it was still quite early in the charter movement nationally. What was it like to be on the front of that movement as it was beginning to take shape?

We had a couple really strong models. Evan Rudall, who cofounded Roxbury Prep with me, and is now the CEO of Uncommon Schools, had done a principal internship at the Timilty School, which was at the time the strongest of the Boston middle schools. So a number of practices—around teacher planning and collaboration, school culture, integrating a structured learning environment—were lessons that we took from them.

We also worked with Frederick Douglass Academy in Harlem, which is a high-performing school that sends students on to college at a very high rate, with students who are mostly low-income students of color. She was a mentor to us as we were doing the planning for Roxbury Prep. We were also fortunate to recruit a really great list of founding teachers, some of whom are still at Roxbury Prep. They helped us figure out how to shape a rigorous and engaging school culture. 

What was the community's —parents’, teachers’, others’—reaction to the school?

Early on there was some apprehension about our ability to build a college prep school that was open to all students. There were certainly schools in Boston that achieved at high levels, but they were often schools that had screening of students and that you had to test into. So there was skepticism in some corners that you could build a school that could be academically rigorous to prepare students for college, but that took any student who applied. 

That first set of parents was really taking a big risk. I remember doing some of the meetings with parents in a local library, because we didn't have a building yet, or teachers yet, and we were just laying out a vision of what we hoped the school would look like. I think they saw the opportunities that could be possible for their children if they got a college prep middle school education that put them on the right trajectory. 

Where do you see the charter movement going now?

I think there are three categories of charter schools now. There's a set of very high performing schools, many of which are serving very high-need student populations, that are proving pretty decisively that the achievement gap can be closed, and that low-income students can achieve at very high levels in strong environments. You've got Uncommon Schools and KIPP and Achievement First producing consistently outstanding student outcomes.

On the other side of the spectrum, you've got charters across the country that are struggling. They have serious governance issues and have serious educational weaknesses. State charter authorizers need to do a better job closing those schools. 

Charters ought to be consistently high-performing. To get there, authorizers need to close the low performers, and the schools in the middle have to see that states and charter authorizers are serious about performance. It's a crossroads moment for the charter sector. 

Some scholars have suggested that one of the dangers in charters growing so quickly is that they become a large bureaucracy that's functionally similar to the existing public school system. Do you share that concern?

Well, you have charter management organizations like KIPP and Achievement First and Uncommon and Aspire, thinking about how best to create a network of high-performing schools. In many ways, they could be a model for how you build high-performing urban districts

On the other hand, I think charters have not done as good a job as they could have across the country meeting unmet needs. For example, we have a huge population of English Language Learners, in New York and around the country, and there have not been as many charters started for ELLs as one would hope. There haven't been many charters for over-age, under-credit students as one would hope. There's opportunity in the coming years for the sector to try and tackle some of the biggest challenges that our urban school systems face.

Tell me a little bit about the work you're doing now for the New York State Department of Education.

One of the biggest projects we've had over the last 14 months is Race to the Top applications. We were unsuccessful in Round 1, but we were the second highest scoring state in Round 2 and are very excited to win. So now we get to the work of implementation of things we committed to in Race to the Top. That includes adopting the Common Core Standards, working to build a new assessment system, dramatically improving our state data system … trying to get teacher evaluations that are much more differentiated.

We've got a full plate of different initiatives.

Several Trumans involved in charter schools have said they've found that the changes they believe in are only fully possible at the charter level. As you've transitioned into public education from running charters, how do you think about the challenge of creating change in the public system?

In many ways, Race to the Top illustrates that it is possible to achieve broad-scale change in a large system.

I do think it's possible to have change in the public system, but it's slower. I'm happy to have had the experience of being involved at the school and network level in the charter sector, where I could move quickly on the changes I wanted to see. Today I move more moderately, but I do think the scale of impact is pretty extraordinary. We're got roughly 3.1 million school kids in New York State. If we can change how teachers and principals think about their work, and how they're evaluated and supported, and impact more than 3 million kids, that's a huge contribution.

So there's a tradeoff to the speed and scale. But that's changing … there's a tremendous sense of urgency in the sector that's making it possible to achieve change more quickly.

What do you see as the "inflection points" where Trumans can enter who want to contribute to and learn about improving education?

It's a great moment to be a person interested in education. There are interesting things going on at every level. It's the kind of time where I'm talking to people early in their career, and I tell them that it's really a question of what you'll be happy doing.  Would you be happy in the classroom? Would you be happy at the Department of Ed? Would you be happy building a longitudinal data system for New York? It's about the intersection of where you can be most useful and what you enjoy the most.

Chris Sopher (VA ’10) is a senior in his last semester at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he studies public policy.

TSA continues to build the strategic plan it began to formulate during its inaugural in-person board meeting in October.  With the national conference date set, Robert Eisinger (NY '85) and I are devising ways for the Truman Scholar community to help support our initiatives to provide scholars opportunities to gather, network, share best practices and discover ways they can advance their public service aspirations.

I know Robert and I both believe the Truman Community has impacted our lives in monumental ways.  We have personally benefited from Truman Community's tendency to inspire, its network of information, and the friendships it engenders.  As this community continues to grow, the Truman Scholars Association will be working to maximize these benefits for all Scholars, and Robert and I will be asking for your help in this endeavor.

Adair Ford Boroughs (SC '01) is the President of the TSA Board of Directors.