Highlights:
- The OIG visited the embassy for an inspection in January. I remember meeting OIG Inspectors Al Berenson, Anita Schroeder, Ed Linhart and Mazar Ahsan which piqued my interest in perhaps joining the OIG in the future. Other OIG inspectors used to stop by RAMC/Paris on their way to posts being inspected. That's how I met a lot of inspectors like Georgine Bednar and Rick Jones. I also used to get taskings for responding to OIG inspection reports on payroll issues.
- Big responsibility for payrolling 5,000 Locally Employed (LE) Staff at 109 embassies in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Each country with different compensation plans, wage increases, currency and various allowances and benefits that were subject to change from time to time. My other responsibility was implementing a training program, not only for classes and instructors, but the logistics of setting up the training center classrooms, computers and projector for PowerPoint. Classes included Basic Cashier, American and LE Staff Payroll and Travel Manager. I had help from FSI Susan Caparoso, Janet Bueschel and Tom Quinzio and FSC Charleston Payroll folks Shelia Madden and Mike Bodle.
- Home leave July 2 to August 16, 1998.
- Meeting Management Officers and other FMOs on consultations in route to their post of assignment. Also meeting with OIG Inspectors going out to embassies for inspections. Bob Reilly was the FMO at the embassy and we had similar backgrounds with both of us being volunteers and PC staff. Bob ended up being the Management Counselor in Jakarta and went on to become the Ambassador to Micronesia.
- Setting up classroom for training with PCs, Overheads and projectors. Developing training materials for FSN Payroll. Administration of financial management classes including coordination with instructors, arranging training materials and managing class participant lists for other courses besides payroll including Basic Cashiering, Voucher Examiner and Travel Manager.
- August 7, 1998 tragic bombings of embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam killing 224 people including 12 Americans, of whom 44 were Embassy Nairobi staff. My office was responsible for processing payments to the families of the employees that died in the attacks. I had consultations in October with the FMO in Nairobi Charlie Slater. Charlie ended up being my neighbor in Bangkok where he was FMC Director.
- TDY to Amman in November 1998.
- Visit of the new Department of State CFO, Bert Edwards January 1999 who came to the Department from Arthur Anderson.
Favorite Memories:
- Moving into our apartment in the 16th arrondissement, Avenue Colonel Bonet, in the Passy neighborhood. Shopping at the covered our local market, Boulangerie, Boucherie, Patisserie, Fromagerie and Poissonnerie.
- New Year's January 9, 1998. Walking home at 2:00 a.m. in the morning from the embassy party at the Talleyrand building.
- We didn't need much of an excuse for a party at RAMC/Paris to celebrate holidays even Halloween.
- Attended FMO conference in Charleston in March. Remember celebrating St. Patrick's Day at Tommy Condon's Irish pub with my boss Rob McAnenny. Green beer and Irish music.
- Weekend bike rides ( about 50 miles round trip) outside Paris along Canals St. Martin and L'Ourcq to one of the regional forests, (Parc de Sevran) stopping in a little town for a coffee and checking out the Saturday markets.
- Train to visit to Futurescope in Poitiers.
- Playing tennis with Laurent Potash at the tennis courts near the Porte Dauphine. Laurent worked at the LandRover dealership owned by his father. He ended up working for Cartier.
- May 1-2 Bike trip from Paris to Chateaudun with Greg Adams, Colette Marceline's husband who worked with USAID. We took the train from Paris to Versailles and then biked from there to Chartres (50 miles). We stayed at the Hotel du Boeuf Couronne and visited the 13th century gothic cathedral and then biked to Chateaudun (29 miles) and took the train back to Paris. Cycling France described entering Chartres "you see the greatest of all Gothic cathedrals seeming to rise out of a sea of wheat fields and float on top of the wheat." All along the trip with passed quaint villages and fields covered in sunflowers. Before leaving Chateaudun we had lunch at the L'Arnaudiere bistro.
- I attended some of the 1998 French Open Tennis tournament at Roland Garros which started the end of May through the first week in June. Carlos Moya won the Men's singles and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario won the women's defeating Monica Seles.
- Celine Dion and Johnny Holiday concerts at Stade de France.
- I had a great, dedicated staff in FSN Payroll some of whom I still maintain contact in my job with OIG. In Payroll fond memories of Diane Nelson-Lorenzo, Bernard Lefevre, Antonia Neyrins, Djamila, Delphine, Hai-Can Tran, and Alain Bouguan who travelled with me to the Loire Valley and Bordeau on a wine buying trip. I won't forget the FSN payroll chief Rachid Razwouan, from Tunisia, who used so much sick leave I'm sure he was overdrawn. I continue to work with Cashier Monitors Khadija Ramach, Catherine Blevin and Gabriel Vancolster. Not forgetting to mention Mr. Balou, Administrative Assistant, who was key in setting up training classes and who recently retired and regrettably was very ill.
U.S. Events:
- Matthew Shepard, gay Wyoming student, fatally beaten in hate crime; two arrested.
- House impeaches President Clinton along party lines on two charges, perjury and obstruction of justice.
- President accused in White House sex scandal; denies allegations of affair with White House intern, Monica Lewinsky.
- President outlines first balanced budget
- Report by independent counsel outlines case for impeachment proceedings against President.in 30 years.
- US Supreme Court rules line-item veto unconstitutional.
- Unabomber sentenced to four life terms.
- Life sentence meted out to Terry Nichols, convicted in Oklahoma City bombing fatal to 168.
World Events:
- Serbs battle ethnic Albanians in Kosovo (March 5 et seq.). Serbs renew attack on Kosovo rebels (June 1). NATO, on verge of air strikes, reaches settlement with Milosevic on Kosovo (Oct. 12).
- Good Friday Accord is reached in Northern Ireland (April 10). Irish Parliament backs peace agreement (April 22). Background: N. Ireland Peace Negotiations
- Europeans agree on single currency, the euro (May 3).
- India conducts three atomic tests despite worldwide disapproval (May 11, 13). Pakistan stages five nuclear tests in response (May 29, 30).
- Indonesian dictator Suharto steps down after 32 years in power (May 21).
- US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania bombed (Aug. 7). US cruise missiles hit suspected terrorist bases in Sudan and Afghanistan (Aug. 20).
- Russia fights to avert financial collapse (Aug. 17).
- Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet arrested in London (Oct. 16).
- Wye Mills Agreement between Netanyahu and Arafat moves Middle East peace talks forward (Oct. 23). Background: Middle East Peace Negotiations
- Iraq ends cooperation with UN arms inspectors (Aug. 5). Clinton orders air strikes (Dec. 16–19).
Movies:
Best picture was "Titanic". Best Actor was Jack Nicholson in "As good as it gets". Best actress was Helen Hunt in "As good as it gets". Best supporting actor went to Robin Williams "Goodwill Hunting" and best supporting actress was Jill Basinger "LA Confidential". Director James Cameron "Titanic".
Super Bowl:
World Series:
