The Foreign Service Journal, September 2017

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2017 35 Citizen Services cases. The assignment set up a career path for me in South Asia and introduced me to several of my mentors. FSJ: My understanding is that when you joined the Service, you planned to be a political officer, but you eventually became more interested in mission manage- ment. What sparked that shift? NJP: Amb. Arnie Raphel asked me to serve as acting consul general in Lahore for the summer in 1988. It was a game changer for me. We faced numerous security threats in the aftermath of our shooting down of an Iranian airliner, in addition to managing the summer turnover, preparing for the new CG, hosting an inspection team and reporting on Benazir Bhutto’s return to Lahore. I loved it and realized for the first time I could realistically aspire to leadership positions. FSJ: Three of your five ambassadorships were in South Asia: Pakistan, Nepal and India. What set you on that path? NJP: My trip to Pakistan in 1975 as a teacher really sparked my interest in South Asia, which was further fueled by my tour in Nepal from 1980 to 1982. I was able to travel in Nepal and India at that time, and actively sought to return for multiple assignments in the region. FSJ: You also served as U.S. ambassador to Uganda and Ghana, among other African postings. What were some of the opportunities and challenges you encountered working in South Asia and Africa? NJP: I was fascinated by the history of both regions and by their very vibrant cultures. Economic and political development in post-colonial countries fascinated me, both as an analyst and as a policymaker, as we worked in several countries to promote transitions to democracy. It was rewarding to work in India and Pakistan on issues such as nuclear proliferation, antiterrorism and regional cooperation that have a significant impact on our own security. I very much enjoyed the close camaraderie of these posts. The shared hardships made for close friendships. FSJ: Who were some of the people you especially admired or were inspired by during your Foreign Service career? NJP: I was incredibly lucky to work with outstanding people all through my career. Among the standouts are Ambassadors Peter Burleigh, Arnie Raphel, Beth Jones and Robin Raphel. Each of them combined area expertise and policymaking skills with an active interest in the people working with them. They were excellent advisers and very helpful as I navigated the assign- ment process. Although I never worked directly with Ambassador Bill Burns, I have great admiration for his quiet, thoughtful approach to the complex issues facing our nation and his consideration for the people who worked with him. Considering Human Resources: Being Director General FSJ: During your tenure as Director General (2009-2012), State launched Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Diplomacy 3.0 hiring initia- tive. What was your role in that effort, and how did it go? NJP: Diplomacy 3.0 had started before I became DG, but it faced serious problems of coordinating recruiting, on-boarding, assigning and training the new hires. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Steve Browning spearheaded the Bureau of Human Resource’s efforts to remove the roadblocks. This took an incredible amount of persuasion, organization and persistence. My role was to ensure that the department’s senior leadership, across several bureaus, understood that this was a priority and that their support to remove the bottlenecks was required. FSJ: What other projects and challenges were at the top of the list while you were DG? NJP: Chief among our other goals was to ensure that the mis- sions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan were fully staffed with Mentoring needs to be a part of the department ethos and can be done at all levels. U.S.EMBASSYNEWDELHI Ambassador Nancy J. Powell presents her credentials to President of India Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil on April 19, 2012.