The Foreign Service Journal, December 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2015 27 The IVLP is great for the United States. By participating, we see how people can communicate with one another while dis- covering the similarities between cultures. My visitors often ask why I adopt and take in so many chil- dren. “I’m blessed” is my response. Though my life has its chal- lenges, I have an amazing “village,” despite being a single mother of many. I am particularly grateful for the expanded horizons the program has brought to my family. We can all make a difference, one person at a time. Betty Bledsoe lives in Indianapolis with 12 children and has devoted her life to helping more than 240 children in need. Sometimes It Is the Small Things That Count BY KYLE MOYER I had a strong interest in politics, public policy and interna- tional relations from a young age. As an undergraduate, I did an internship with the Arizona Council for International Visitors (now Global Ties Arizona) managing programming for visitors traveling to Arizona under the auspices of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program—and it changed my life. I loved the work, which opened countless doors profes- sionally. I had the opportunity to gain access to virtually every political leader, public policy professional and community stake- holder—connections that I would have never been able to make on my own. Through this networking, I sought and obtained entry-level positions with dozens of campaigns. I was fortunate to be granted an interview with our governor, who was seeking reelection at the time. I was nervous. She asked if I was “the young man who brought the delegation from Poland to see me last year?” That one simple question precipitated a 45-minute conversation on international exchanges, citizen diplomacy and foreign policy. Instead of discussing political campaign strategy or my minimal qualifications for a position with her campaign, I could discuss the IVLP! At the conclusion of our discussion, the governor stood and thanked me for joining her, but mentioned nothing about a job. I politely said, “But Governor, I’m actually here for a job interview.” Without missing a beat, she replied: “You had the job five minutes into our conversation.” I went on to serve as the governor’s speechwriter, communications director and key strategist. Over the past 12 years, I have owned a respected political consulting and government relations practice, and I remain involved in the International Visitors Leadership Program. I first served as a member of my local international visitor council, and later as board chair. Eventually, I served on the national board of Global Ties U.S., where I recently completed a two-year term as national board chairman. Without question, my involvement with the program has proven the most rewarding and consequential experience of my professional life. Kyle Moyer is principal of the Scottsdale, Arizona-based firmMoyer and Company. A Cocoa Tree Grows in Baltimore BY JANINE BRANCH T he January 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti’s capi- tal, Port-au-Prince, gravely damaged the country’s already struggling economy, as well. Two years after that catastrophe, U.S. government officials, representatives of nongovernmental organizations and Haitian journalists traveled to Baltimore. There, they met entrepreneurs with experience applying creative solutions to local social problems. The delegation, sponsored by the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program, visited Baltimore with the help of a local nonprofit, the World Trade Center Institute. The Haitian delegation’s itinerary included a meeting with Taharka Brothers Ice Cream Company, a Baltimore benefit corporation operated by young high school and college-aged African-American men. After two hours of brainstorming on how to create a sustainable future for young people from Haiti and Baltimore, the Haitian visitors and Taharka Brothers agreed to explore a partnership. Their efforts brought them to the door