The U.S. Embassy, Kabul
ATTN: Senior Civilian Representative; Regional Command-North
Deputy Director; USAID, Provincial Reconstruction Teams
2nd August 2010
RE Resignation of Edward J. McDonnell III, CFA from USAID effective 2nd August 2010
Doug and Herbie,
After an unsuccessful effort to defer my entrance into the Peace Corps, I submit to you my resignation, effective immediately, from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It is with sadness that I proceed in this manner. Nevertheless, the Peace Corps has been a lifelong ambition and, with my ageing beginning to take hold, I view this time and opportunity as the last one available to me.
Attached is a schedule of the projects on which I have worked with a status report on each one. The status of these projects has not changed significantly. Also attached is the strategy for the Community-based Stabilization Grant Program for Takhar Province.
Please be advised that I timed my resignation to allow for three key gender-equality projects to proceed to approval. Mr XXXXX is GOR-qualified and can oversee the administration of these fundings. Since any monies advanced will be done so electronically, this oversight should not be a burden.
My experience at USAID, while curtailed, has been deeply rewarding. Through my tenure in Kunduz, I have learned a great deal and matured more than I would have expected. Through certain difficulties related to security and institutional constraints, I learned to persevere to bring projects to fruition and contribute to the whole-of-government approach.
Additionally, I will cherish my experience of working with German diplomats, aid-workers, civilians and soldiers as well as with UNAMA officials and representatives of a dozen international non-governmental organizations. Most rewarding, of course, has been the relationships developed with host-country officials and ordinary Afghans.
Beleaguered as they are, Afghans – whether Pashtun, Tajik, Uzbek or Hezara – never once failed to assist me and show consideration to me. Lastly, the support I received from Kabul – both from the Department of State and from USAID – was consistently professional and timely.
My gratitude runs deeply and I hope to return to USAID in 2012, when I have experience that can truly facilitate the transmission of a value-add to local beneficiaries.
Very truly yours,
Edward J. McDonnell III, CFA / CAPM
formerly, General Development Officer
ATTN: Senior Civilian Representative; Regional Command-North
Deputy Director; USAID, Provincial Reconstruction Teams
2nd August 2010
RE Resignation of Edward J. McDonnell III, CFA from USAID effective 2nd August 2010
Doug and Herbie,
After an unsuccessful effort to defer my entrance into the Peace Corps, I submit to you my resignation, effective immediately, from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It is with sadness that I proceed in this manner. Nevertheless, the Peace Corps has been a lifelong ambition and, with my ageing beginning to take hold, I view this time and opportunity as the last one available to me.
Attached is a schedule of the projects on which I have worked with a status report on each one. The status of these projects has not changed significantly. Also attached is the strategy for the Community-based Stabilization Grant Program for Takhar Province.
Please be advised that I timed my resignation to allow for three key gender-equality projects to proceed to approval. Mr XXXXX is GOR-qualified and can oversee the administration of these fundings. Since any monies advanced will be done so electronically, this oversight should not be a burden.
My experience at USAID, while curtailed, has been deeply rewarding. Through my tenure in Kunduz, I have learned a great deal and matured more than I would have expected. Through certain difficulties related to security and institutional constraints, I learned to persevere to bring projects to fruition and contribute to the whole-of-government approach.
Additionally, I will cherish my experience of working with German diplomats, aid-workers, civilians and soldiers as well as with UNAMA officials and representatives of a dozen international non-governmental organizations. Most rewarding, of course, has been the relationships developed with host-country officials and ordinary Afghans.
Beleaguered as they are, Afghans – whether Pashtun, Tajik, Uzbek or Hezara – never once failed to assist me and show consideration to me. Lastly, the support I received from Kabul – both from the Department of State and from USAID – was consistently professional and timely.
My gratitude runs deeply and I hope to return to USAID in 2012, when I have experience that can truly facilitate the transmission of a value-add to local beneficiaries.
Very truly yours,
Edward J. McDonnell III, CFA / CAPM
formerly, General Development Officer
---------- Forwarded message ----------
ReplyDeleteFrom: Edward J McDonnell
Date: Tue, Aug 3, 2010 at 3:26 AM
Subject: Ned McDonnell curtailing tour in favor of the Peace Corps
To:
Cc:
Gentlemen,
Please excuse the lateness of this formal notification. I gave my resignation notice to USAID early this afternoon; Miss Kimberly XXXX of Human Resources on the Af-Pak desk is copied. This decision was not easy and the timing very deliberate. It was important to establish the proposals in Takhar firmly before I stepped aside. There are dozens people in RC-North toward whom I feel indebted and grateful. The most significant include:
1st, Doug Climan (DoS), whose instincts proved to be very accurate;
2nd, Mark Biedlingmaier (DoS) for professional support that gave me guidance through a steep learning curve;
> 3rd, Rand Robinson (USAID) for being supportive of the work I was doing despite being busy himself;
4th, Paul Kopp and Burkhard DuCoffre (German Foreign Ministry) for their mentoring advice; and,
5th, the Georgia National Guard and the 10th MTN for their inspiring dedication to the beleaguered people of Kunduz.
Especially helpful to me in Kabul were Matt Stokes, John Crosby, Ana Adler and Dick Custin of the State Department as well as Suzi Hase, Mike Hase, Sarah Smith, Baseer Qasmi, Susan Brock, Kimberley Lucas, Rasool Wardak, Stacey Grau, Gul-Afghan Saleh, Hope Goodwin, Darlene Strickland, John Vieira -- all of USAID or IPA support. Without the support of my colleagues in Kabul, I could not have overcome the constraints imposed by a steep learning
curve and challenges in the field.
The professionalism of each of these people, and others, will show me the way in my next endeavor. This resignation represents nothing more than confronting a situation in which I would likely lose the last meaningful opportunity for me to serve in the Peace Corps. This goal has been weighing down on me since my days at boarding school; I can run but I can not hide.
Should access to my e-mail accounts be important, I can relay the log-on infomration privately to RC-N senior management. The records should reflect everything. They are on the 'NIPR' laptop in the gorilla box in my CHU with all of my other equipment, except for the flash drive, which disappeared from the office about five months ago. There was no sensitive information on it. Please dispose of any clothing and toiletries inside the CHU.
Thank you.
If you have any questions, please feel free to telephone me at 860-690-1740.
Thank you and best regards,
Ned
Edward J. McDonnell III, CFA