Changes at State Department subject of OSU Global Briefing
Monday, February 13, 2006
The new agenda for the U.S. State Department, a strategic overhaul that includes the
repositioning of hundreds of American diplomats around the world, will be the topic
of a lecture Thursday at Oklahoma State University by one of the department’s senior
human resources officials.
Ambassador John M. O’Keefe, deputy assistant secretary in the State Department’s
Bureau of Human Resources, will present, “Transformational Diplomacy,” Feb. 16 at
3:30 p.m. at OSU’s Wes Watkins Center. O’Keefe, a career member of the Senior Foreign
Service, headlines the first event of the OSU School of International Studies’ Global Briefing Series this year. The lecture and reception following are free and open to the public.
Transformational Diplomacy refers to plans announced Jan. 18 by Secretary of State
Condoleeza Rice for the realignment of the State Department to lay diplomatic foundations
required to secure freedom for all people around the globe. According to a report
released by the department coinciding with Rice’s announcement, America has no formal
diplomatic presence in almost 200 cities worldwide with more than one million people.
The shift of department resources and personnel from the final vestiges of its Cold
War posture to critical emerging areas in Africa, South Asia, East Asia, the Middle
East and elsewhere begins immediately this year with 100 current positions being moved
primarily from Europe and Washington, D.C.
Rice’s ambitious vision calls for the adoption of a regional focus to address transnational
challenges; localization, or moving diplomats into the field where they can help shape
outcomes rather than report on them; additional skills training for diplomacy staffs
to carry out multiple, complex tasks; and refinement of the collaborative process
by which diplomats work with other federal agencies.
O’Keefe headed the Office of Career Development and Assignments before assuming his
current position in 2004. He served as U.S. ambassador to Kyrgyzstan from 2000-2003,
and previous posts include Moscow, Belgrade and the Philippines.
As deputy executive director of the Bureau of European Affairs, O’Keefe was deeply
involved in the consolidation of U.S. presence in countries of the former Soviet Union
and the Balkans. As a management counselor in Belgrade from 1989-1992, he played a
key role in the protection and ultimate evacuation of staff from the embassy in Belgrade,
the consulate general in Zagreb and offices in Ljubljana, Podgorica, Sarajevo and
Skopje.
O’Keefe, who speaks Russian and Serbo-Croatian, earned a bachelor’s degree in business
administration from Loyola College in Baltimore. He holds a master’s degree in public
administration from Harvard University.
The mission of OSU’s School of International Studies is to provide a university-wide
focus to expand international opportunities in instruction, research and outreach
for individuals and organizations seeking a greater understanding and involvement
in international affairs. The school is part of the International Education and Outreach
unit, which helps carry out the university’s mission of providing educational programs
and services beyond traditional campus boundaries.
The school coordinates academic programs and opportunities with colleges and departments
throughout the OSU system. Its components include the International Bureaus, English
Language Institute, Study Abroad, a Peace Corps recruiting office, Fulbright Resource
Center and a Graduate Program offering a master’s degree and a certificate in international
studies and the master’s International Peace Corps degree. More than 145 OSU faculty
members participate in School activities.
For information, visit http://osuoutreach.okstate.edu/ieo/sis/events.asp